Railway Strategies Issue 133 September 2016

Issue 133 September 2016

High speed

USA Amtrak orders ALSTOM’s Avelia Liberty for Boston to Washington line

NEWS

ETCS is successfully tested through London core

INTERVIEW

MTR Crossrail’s Steve Murphy on innovating and partnering to transform services

New industrywide SMIS to boost safety further TfL to bring selected tube maintenance back in-house Virgin apprentices work on new-build steam loco

S FEATURE

Breakthroughs on the horizon for protecting the digital railway

How to create a contingency plan for power supply

Rethinking partnerships for mobile coverage across the network

Chairman Andrew Schofield Editor Gay Sutton editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk

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From the Editor

Managing Editor Libbie Hammond Art Editor Gerard Roadley-Battin Advertisement Designer David Howard Staff Writers Jo Cooper Andrew Dann Josh Younespour Advertisement Sales Mark Cawston Tim Eakins Andy Ellis Darren Jolliffe Dave King Rob Wagner Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove Operations Director Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Tarj Kaur-D’Silva Mark Cowles Administration Tracy Chynoweth

Issue 133 ISSN 1467-0395 Published by

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Of trust and fear

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rust is a splendid thing, and while there have been examples in all areas of business of failure to understand it, let alone perceive its importance to the enterprise, it is refreshing to come across instances where trust is done well.

In this month’s interview I spoke with Steve Murphy, MD of MTR Crossrail. Over the last 16 months he has overseen the transformation of the old Anglia service to Shenfield into a vastly improved metro line that will become the first working section of the new Elizabeth Line.

It was fascinating to hear how he took a service with issues, running at its limits, and conjured capacity and greater reliability out of nowhere by innovating. Using today’s technology has certainly played a part, but this progressive transformation is based on building strong collaborative connections between staff at all levels of MTR Crossrail and their equivalents in partner organisations. That takes human trust and commitment, and a willingness to do things differently.

Further into this month’s issue, Nigel Davies takes a look at the reality behind fears over the security of the digital railway (page 20), and technologies that are being developed to combat those threats.

With Government holding back on the contract to build new nuclear power stations in the UK, security of power supplies for the rail industry is again a significant concern. If you turn to page 24, John Anderson provides an eight point plan for developing a contingency plan to cope with power failure.

I hope you enjoy this month’s magazine and find the content useful and interesting.

If you have any thoughts or comments, please do get in touch. editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk

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Features A new way of thinking – INTERVIEW 10 MTR Crossrail’s MD Steve Murphy talks about new ways of partnering in the run-up to opening the Elizabeth line GAY SUTTON A tough challenge 14 The hard truth about what it will take to deliver seamless mobile coverage across the rail network PHIL SORSKY Thinking smart and green – CASE STUDY 19 Developing and trialling new innovations on the Crossrail project J MURPHY & SONS Innovation in action – are we ready? 40 How we need to work together to prepare for emerging and disruptive technologies MIKE GRIMSEY Predict, prevent and prosper 44 Big data – what does it mean for asset management on the railways?

KEVIN PRICE Lifting the cloud of uncertainty 47 Thoughts on how industry can overcome the effects of Brexit SIR JOHN ARMITT Patent of the month 49 European Patent 1659046: How Alstom is protecting its new rail safety system ROSIE HARDY Harmonising safety standards 50 In Europe or out, how the Fourth Railway Package is likely to influence rail safety in the UK GREIG DUNCAN Europe gives its backing 51 Reporting on the adoption of a new resolution to improve competitiveness of the European rail supply industry NATASHA MARIE LEVANTI Safety round the clock 52 How Crossrail is utilising antivibration solutions to improve reliability and safety ROD HOLROYD

News 4 Industry 6 Infrastructure 9 Stations 18 Rolling stock 46 Appointments 48 Rail Alliance 116 Conferences & exhibitions

Focus on Signalling 20 Rail digitisation Threats to the digital rail network are real.

But with diligence and engineering commitment this is how they can be mitigated NIGEL DAVIES 22 Signal design – CASE STUDY 3D virtual reality modelling and signal design for track layout and signalling optimisation at Derby TRACK ACCESS SERVICES

Focus on Infrastructure 24 The power of continuity Are you prepared? Eight key points in developing a contingency plan for power backup JOHN ANDERSON 28 As storm clouds gather Climate change can only get worse.

Are we running out if time to protect the network?

MICHAEL WOODS 30 Going digital – CASE STUDY How the information flow across Barcelona’s stations has been digitised to improve efficiency JORGE FDEZ-ARGÜELLES

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Focus on Ticketing Integrated ticketing 32 Transport for the North’s ticketing plans, and rethinking barriers to rail travel STEPHEN BOTTOM The way forward 36 New IT, concepts and technologies behind the relentless rollout of contactless ticketing NIGEL HYSLOP Not so smart? 38 Some of the uncomfortable questions that still need answering before we abandon the tangerine ticket RICHARD FARMER

From the cover

COVER STORY New industry-wide SMIS Tube maintenance ETCS successfully tested Interview – Steve Murphy Mobile coverage Digital railway breakthroughs Power supply contingency plan

4 4 6 7 10 14 20 24

Profiles 54 60 64 67 71 75 78 80 82 86 88 92 96 100 104 112

Wood Group Industrial Services (WGIS) Trackwork Moll RTA – Dubai Roads and Transport Authority Speedy Rail Blackpool Transport Tinsley Bridge Group Metrail Power Saving Solutions Nexus Foley and Miles Perpetuum Morson International Telent GVB Crossrail ADComms

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ory t s r e v 4Co

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IN BRIEF Southern confirms return of 100+ trains l Train operator Southern has announced it is restoring 119 inner London train services to its timetable from 5th September.

That is over a third of the 341 trains cancelled on July 11 as part of a temporary timetable. Almost all London Bridge peak trains will run, and there will be an enhanced service to Southern’s West London Line. Remaining trains will be reintroduced incrementally in the coming weeks.

Clearer decarbonisation targets required l In its report, Sustainability in the Department for Transport, the Environmental Audit Committee has called for clearer decarbonisation targets from Network Rail and train operating companies, indicating how the targets have been chosen and how performance against them will be measured. The Committee also says that now Network Rail is classified as a public body it should report on its sustainability through the Greening Government Commitments.

Balfour Beatty to electrify Caltrain l Balfour Beatty has won a $697m contract to electrify the 52-mile Caltrain rail corridor between San Francisco and San Jose. Work includes designing and building a 25kv AC overhead catenary system for the new high speed trains, constructing two traction power substations, one switching substation and seven paralleling substations, and replacing signal systems and earth existing facilities.

Barnardo’s calls for vigilance l Now that London’s night tube services have begun, Barnardo’s is urging night workers to keep a look out for vulnerable young people. The organisation has trained thousands of night workers, including some from TfL, to play a more active role in protecting young people from sexual exploitation and abuse at night. Call children’s social services, the police, or 999 if a child is in immediate danger.

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Artist’s impression of the new Amtrak Avelia Liberty

Alstom to supply €1.8bn of rolling stock and maintenance for Amtrak’s Boston to Washington DC line l Alstom has won two new contracts worth a total of €1.8bn from Amtrak in the US. The first is to design and build 28 new high-speed Avelia Liberty trains for the Northeast Corridor running between Boston and Washington DC. The second is to provide long-term technical support for the trains, including maintenance, spare components and parts.

The trainsets include a compact power car and nine passenger cars capable of travelling at up to 186 mph. Their Tiltronix anticipative tilting technology enables them to manoeuvre curves safely and comfortably at high speeds.

The trains will, however, initially operate at up

to 160 mph based on track speed limits.

Most of Amtrak’s Avelia Liberties will be manufactured in the US at Alstom’s 150 year-old historic site in Hornell, New York.

Maintenance will be carried out at Amtrak depots in Boston, New York and Washington DC for a period of 15 years, with an option for an additional 15 years.

In the last 10 years the number of passengers using the 457 mile-long Northeast Corridor has increased from 2.4m passengers per year to 3.5m. The Alstom Avelia Liberty carries 33% more passengers than the Acela trains it is replacing.

New industry-wide Safety Management Intelligence System to go live on 5 December l A completely new on-line safety reporting system for the rail industry is set to go live on 5 December. Capable of marshalling far greater amounts of incident data, analysis and business intelligence, the intuitive Safety Management Intelligence System (SMIS) is the result of the RSSB-led SMIS+ programme, and will replace the existing SMIS management system which dates back to 1997.

It is the first step in developing an integrated safety intelligence platform and enterprise management system, upgrading and replacing older systems and databases.

SMIS is the rail industry’s national database for recording safety-related incidents that occur on the national mainline rail network in Britain, and is managed by RSSB. Organisations such as Network Rail, and train and freight operators enter about 75,000 events into SMIS

each year. The new system gives them greater freedom to create their own safety intelligence reports, using a contemporary user friendly interface both to input and analyse the data.

RSSB director of system safety, George Bearfield, said: “Britain’s railways are among the safest and most intensively used in the world, built on a mature approach to health and safety, and evidence-based decisions grounded in high quality data. But the systems we’ve relied on thus far, won’t take us any further. The Safety Management Intelligence System is a completely new product, representing a transformation in safety intelligence capability to the rail industry.”

RSSB is now working with its members to prepare for the transition to the new SMIS, including the opportunity for testing and training on the new system.

NEWS I Industry IN BRIEF VR used at Liverpool Lime Street

Jamie Burles, MD Abellio Greater Anglia

Abellio retains the East Anglia rail franchise with the promise of major improvements l The DfT has awarded the East Anglian rail franchise to Abellio, the company already operating the current franchise as Abellio Greater Anglia.

The new franchise, commencing on the 16 October 2016, specifies a major package of improvements for rail services in the region, which connect London, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Norfolk.

The existing fleet of trains is to be completely replaced with 1,043 new carriages, all of which are due to be fully in service by the end of 2020. A total of 660 of these are coming Bombardier in Derby and the remaining 383 from Stadler in Switzerland. £60m is to be invested in the region’s stations, with Broxbourne, Cambridge, Cheshunt, Harlow and Southend Victoria being redeveloped.

Services across the region are to be expanded and improved, including two trains a day travelling between Norwich and London

in just 90 minutes, and faster services between Norwich and Ipswich, and Cambridge and London.

Better connections are also promised, including direct services from Lowestoft to London four times a day, and Norwich to Stanstead Airport every hour.

Other improvements include 55% more seats into London in the morning peak period, full Wi-Fi provision, and an improved ticketing system. Meanwhile, the franchise is to contribute £3.7bn to the government over its course.

Dominic Booth, managing director for Abellio UK said: “This is a very exciting time for the railways across the Greater Anglia region. Our ambitious plans, that include the replacement of the entire Greater Anglia fleet in the largest privately-funded train order in the UK, will give the people of the Greater Anglia region a railway that is unrecognisable from today.”

New security staff begin patrolling Great Northern and Thameslink routes l Great Northern and Thameslink have beefed up security at stations and on trains by introducing a team of 22 rail enforcement officers (REOs) plus almost as many Special Constables to work across the entire Govia Thameslink Railway network.

The REOs are patrolling the Great Northern route between London and Hertford, Peterborough, Cambridge and Kings Lynn, as well as the Thameslink route between London St Pancras, Elstree & Borehamwood, Luton and Bedford.

They complement the British Transport Police,

and are working with them to target bike theft during the day as well as patrolling some overnight Thameslink services. Rail enforcement manager Adam Dear said: “Our REOS are an active force against low level crime and antisocial behaviour, reducing anti-social behaviour and help build an even safer rail network.”

Up to 20 GTR employees are set to become Special Constables. Successful employees will complete 27 days of police training then work one day a month as a Special Constable on the network. They will have the same policing powers as any full-time police officer.

l Network Rail has used virtual reality technology to prepare for the major redevelopment of Liverpool Lime Street.

The technology enables planners to avoid overlaps between different engineering teams and identify potential risks and hazards that could delay the work. It has also enabled Network Rail to carry out 4D virtual modelling to prepare for the work, reducing the amount of time needed on track.

Mechan increases exports to Hong Kong l Sheffield-based rail depot equipment specialist, Mechan, is delivering two major orders to Hong Kong. Working with local agent, Associated Engineers, Mechan has delivered two dozen 20-tonne lifting jacks and four turntables to MTR’s Wong Chuk Hang depot on South Island. Mechan is now building a bespoke bogie drop for the Shek Kong Running Maintenance Shed.

Charing Cross ticket hall refurbishment l Work is to begin on the modernisation of London’s Northern line ticket hall at Charing Cross station on 26 September. The 1970s ticket hall, the larger of two at Charing Cross, will receive new tiling and finishes, a new straightened gate line with more space at the top of the escalators and improvements to CCTV and lighting.

The smaller Bakerloo line ticket hall will close for refurbishment from July 2017.

Public safety on Rio Metro l Ahead of the Rio Olympics, Cobham Wireless and Kapsch worked to install the TETRA public safety network on the new Metro line 4 which had been built for the games. The system provides communications facilities for emergency services and transport staff, across the entire 16km length of the Line. Cobham also provided the fully redundant public safety DAS solution.

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IN BRIEF Night Tube launches l Night Tube services began operating on London’s Central and Victoria underground lines on 19th August, and 50,000 customers used the service on the first night.

One of the busiest stations was Oxford Circus with 6,500 people tapping in, while Stratford station saw 4,250 customers tapping out. Night Tube services will also run on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines.

The new concourse at London Bridge station

Port Talbot West resignalling contract l Siemens Rail Automation has been awarded the Network Rail contract for the GRIP 5 to 8 stages of the Port Talbot West Phase 1 resignalling project. This will convert the last section of the Great Western Mainline for electrification ready for the new Intercity Express Programme trains.

Siemens has already completed the GRIP 3 and 4 contracts.

Thought leadership resource l The Institution of Civil Engineers has launched a new hub to promote understanding and collaboration on big trends in infrastructure design, construction and operation. Freeto-access, the hub brings together the latest thinking and new ways of working, then shares it through expert blogs, project case studies, events, videos and other online content. www.ice.org.uk/transformation

Tube maintenance l TfL has announced plans to bring maintenance work on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines back in-house, in a drive to save tens of millions of pounds. The 13 year contract with Amey, a legacy of the Public-Private Partnership contract that previously existed between Tube Lines and London Underground, will be brought to a close at the end of next year.

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A major section of the new London Bridge station concourse is opened to passengers l A major milestone was reached in the redevelopment of London Bridge station when two-thirds of the vast new concourse opened to passengers on Monday 29 August.

The station redevelopment started four years ago and is part of the Thameslink programme to transform north-south travel through London by 2018. Construction began on the south side of the station and has progressed in phases, building new platforms and the concourse below.

The project has not been without controversy. Passenger delays and congestion have at times caused commuter chaos, but every effort has been made to keep the station operational throughout.

Work has also included a massive

infrastructure redevelopment in the vicinity of London Bridge with new viaducts and dive-unders to untangle the track on the approaches to the station.

When completed in January 2018 the concourse will house over 80 retail units including a number set aside for local start-up companies.

Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne said: “We are essentially rebuilding Britain’s fourth busiest station – the tracks, the platforms and the infrastructure which enables trains to run – while keeping the station open and doing our best to keep passengers moving.”

London Bridge is London’s oldest surviving rail terminus and first opened in Dec 1836.

Crossrail awards last major contract having honed its procurement processes l The last major contract of the Crossrail project has been awarded to a joint venture comprising Alstom Transport, TSO SAS and Costain. The £26m contract, which is for the construction of maintenance facilities at Plumstead, brings to an end one of the UK’s biggest ever procurement programmes.

The Plumstead facility will house the staff and equipment required for the maintenance and upkeep of the tracks and other infrastructure in the tunnels below London.

In all, Crossrail has awarded more than 100 contracts for a wide range of work including tunnelling, station construction and railway systems. The procurement process has also been used to drive economic, environmental and social

sustainability through the supply chain.

Tier 1 contractors have, for example, been required to provide apprenticeships and jobs for previously unemployed people, to re-use excavated material sustainably and to ensure that HGVs delivering to site are fitted with industry-leading safety measures.

Firms of all sizes and from all regions of the UK have been encouraged to bid for work in the supply chain. As a result, 62% of companies in the project’s supply chain are based outside London and 63% are SMEs. As part of Crossrail’s Learning Legacy initiative, information and key learnings have also been shared with the teams developing the supply chain for High Speed 2.

NEWS I Infrastructure IN BRIEF

Geotechnical investigations get under way around Dawlish to help improve resilience of this vulnerable line

The vulnerable cliff near Dawlish l Network Rail has appointed Arcadis to conduct ground investigation studies in the cliff areas between Dawlish and Teignmouth.

The £1m contract is part of the 50 year resilience study of the railway line between Newton Abbot and Exeter, Devon.

The findings will provide engineering guidelines to model failure mechanisms, and inform the later design phases where planned intervention measures may be proposed.

The coastal section of the South Devon Railway has been vulnerable to storms since its opening in 1848. The breach of the sea wall at Dawlish in 2014 left the line – the only rail link between the South West and the rest of the UK – closed for two months, costing the rail industry an estimated £40-£45m and damaging the regional economy. In response,

Government has committed an additional £5m to develop options to improve the resilience of this particular stretch of line.

Arcadis will be conducting a ground investigation in the cliff front area between Dawlish Warren and Teignmouth to characterise the ground conditions and understand the processes that have resulted in the formation of the various walls, slopes, rock-fall sites, and embankments along the coastal cliff front where the incidence of failure events and disruption is greatest.

As part of the ground investigation, roped access surveys will also be undertaken, concentrating on key geotechnical sites to provide tactile information on weathering, structure and near surface strength characteristics.

New ETCS in-cab signalling system is successfully tested through the London central core

l A new Govia Thameslink Class 700 train has been successfully test run through the congested central London core using European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 in-cab signalling.

In-cab signalling will enable trains to be

driven automatically through central London between St Pancras and Blackfriars stations, under driver supervision, at a rate of up to 24 trains per hour from 2018.

This is the first time a Class 700 train has been tested in central London with the technology it will use in passenger service from 2018, and it is the first in a series of functional and operational tests planned for the next sixteen months.

Overnight testing will continue in September, with the first trials of the Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system between St Pancras and Blackfriars. ATO has already been tested successfully at the ETCS National Integration Facility test site on the Hertford loop.

Relief for Tulse Hill bridge l A new detector system has been installed on a low railway bridge at Tulse Hill, south London, to warn drivers that they need to stop or turn off if their vehicle is too high for the structure. The bridge has regularly been struck by high vehicles causing over 200 hours of delays for Southern and Thameslink in the past 12 months. The bridge couldn’t be raised as it sits off the end of the station platforms.

Siemens delivers ahead of schedule l The Banbury Resignalling programme has been completed and commissioned ahead of schedule. All life-expired signalling equipment has been replaced on a 35-kilometre section of the Chiltern main Line from just north of Leamington Spa on the Dorridge and Kenilworth lines, to Aynho Junction and Heyford in the south, and for all stations between Banbury and Heyford.

£20m promised for new stations l The DfT has announced £20m of funding for new stations around the country. The funds will meet up to 75% of the cost for the construction, or renovation and reopening of previously closed stations. Local authorities and train operating companies are encouraged to bid. The deadline for bids is 18 November 2016.

Successful projects will be announced early next year.

New rail bridge for Norwich l A replacement mainline rail bridge has been installed over Long John Hill in Norwich. The new bridge had been built on adjacent land so the railway was only closed for a short period over the August bank holiday for installation. The new structure has a flat and reinforced underside instead of an archway, to reduce the likelihood of a vehicle hitting it.

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NEWS I Stations

Music returns to Leeds station concourse

Robo 2 in operation at Hull Paragon station

Robotic station cleaning machine begins operating at Hull Paragon station l A new robotic cleaning tool, the Robo 2, has been put to work at Hull Paragon station in a move that could mark the beginning of a wider deployment of the technology by Carlisle Support Services.

Robo 2 uses a patented laser navigation system to detect its surroundings, and automatically cleans the entire floor. Before going into operation an installation survey was undertaken to map the cleaning area. The machine now scrubs and dries the floor with minimal human contact. An operator simply fills the machine with water and switches it on.

Initially deployed by Carlisle at Hull Paragon station Robo 2 is supporting employees providing cleaning services for First TransPennine Express.

Paul Evans, managing director for Carlisle Support Services said: “We look forward to extending our offering of the Robo 2 to further clients in the near future.”

The new platform under construction

The new platform at Abbey Wood station is opened l Work to reconstruct the tracks and platforms used by Southeastern services at Abbey Wood station, in preparation for Crossrail, has been completed with the opening of a new platform for Kent-bound trains.

The North Kent line tracks have been realigned and rebuilt to make space for the new Elizabeth line tracks and platforms. In total, 4.5km of new track was installed. Meanwhile the new Londonbound platform opened in February.

Work is set to continue with the construction of a new state-of-the-art station with new tracks and platforms for Elizabeth line services, which commence at the end of 2018.

The new station will incorporate a new ticket hall, spacious concourse leading directly onto a wide forecourt connecting the station to the Harrow Manorway Flyover, and new platforms for both Elizabeth line and North Kent services.

l A new piano has been installed on the concourse at Leeds station after vandals made the popular original one inoperable. Donated by Besbrode Pianos of Holbeck, who had seen Northern’s appeal for a replacement one on social media, the piano has been positioned in front of the food outlets, and now provides entertainment for thousands of customers every day.

Shaun Pearce, station manager for Northern, commented: “It was upsetting and frustrating when the original piano was vandalised and lots of customers were asking where it had gone. Thanks to Melvyn at Besbrode Pianos, we now have another one in place and encourage anyone to get involved and play it! The piano really adds to the customer experience and creates a fantastic atmosphere in the station.”

Station energy saving scheme could power c2c trains for a week l LED lighting is being installed at all 26 stations on the route run

by National Express train operator c2c. The scheme is expected save enough electricity over a year to power the entire c2c train fleet for a week.

Each light is fitted with intelligent control sensors which automatically switch the light off when there is no-one around or when daylight is sufficient.

The new lighting programme will save an estimated 1.2m kWh a year. This is enough to power c2c’s trains for more than 100,000 miles or 2,500 journeys, which is the number of train services c2c runs in a week. c2c managing director Julian Drury said: “These new LED lights provide the ideal combination of a bright and safe station environment with reduced light pollution, lower energy consumption and less waste.”

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INTERVIEW - Steve Murphy

A new way of As the Elizabeth line comes closer to completion, MTR Crossrail has begun the process of opening the line in stages. Managing director Steve Murphy talks to Gay Sutton about the learning curve of the last two years, and how it has created a template for improvement that will be extended across the entire line

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rossrail has been a long time in the making. Eleven years will have elapsed between July 2008 when royal consent was granted for the line’s construction, and December 2019 when the entire project begins operating as a single integrated cross-London service.

MTR Crossrail is the operating company that will bring this, Europe’s largest construction project, into operation and revolutionise passenger rail services for Londoners.

“As someone who grew up in East London,” explained MTR Crossrail managing director Steve Murphy, “the thing that really excites me is what it will do for communities and customers in the areas it serves. It will be transformative – in ways that we won’t fully understand until people start using it.”

Steve, who has been working with MTR since 2007, has witnessed other transformations on smaller scale rail projects. He was, for example, managing director of LOROL when the company opened the new East London line. At the time LOROL was aware that improving journeys from south-east London to North London would be really helpful for the communities but, he said: “We didn’t understand just how much it would change those communities. They’re very different places now. To me that’s exciting – and a massive responsibility.

The Elizabeth line will play a big role in enhancing the areas it serves and connecting people from east to west.” And those effects are likely to ripple out across the whole of London.

Strategic planning Crossrail, which is to be known as the Elizabeth line is an extremely complex project and much has been written in these pages and elsewhere about

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the challenges and triumphs of its engineering and construction. The next challenge is to transform this array of new buildings, upgrades, signalling and communications projects into a single living and breathing railway capable of delivering TfL’s vision of operational excellence and service improvement.

Steve was the man chosen for the job. Appointed managing director of the newly formed MTR Crossrail in 2014, he pays tribute to the planning that has gone into the project, from its very early stages. He believes it has set the scene for an efficient and effective inauguration of services. “One of the very smart bits of thinking on this project took place between Crossrail and TfL some years ago,” he explained, “when they developed the Staged Opening Plan for Crossrail. The majority of new railway projects take years to construct, and everything goes live at the same moment. The plan with Crossrail is to bring on sections of the railway sequentially, test them and verify them before joining them up.”

MTR Crossrail began in 2014 as a completely new enterprise, and Steve’s first eight months in post were spent assembling a top quality management team, equipping a completely new headquarters and starting up the company from scratch. TfL then transferred the Liverpool Street to Shenfield metro services from Abellio Greater Anglia (AGA) to MTR Crossrail in May 2015, renaming it TfL Rail.

This line will form the eastern section of the Elizabeth line and is the first part to become operational.

There are two more distinct and separate sections to the Elizabeth line – the western section between Paddington and Heathrow, and the core central section between Paddington and Liverpool Street.

While a significant amount of construction, signalling,

Steve Murphy, managing director, MTR Crossrail

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INTERVIEW - Steve Murphy

track laying, station fit out and other work is still in progress on both of these sections, MTR Crossrail has been working closely with Crossrail and Network Rail to ensure the infrastructure is optimised to deliver the most customer-centric experience, and to operate with the greatest efficiency.

The Paddington to Heathrow western section stages are due to be handed over to MTR Crossrail in December 2017 and services will begin operating, with four trains an hour, in May 2018. The central core section is to be handed over in December 2018, and for approximately six months services will operate between Abbey Wood, through Paddington to Liverpool Street, independently of services on the eastern and western sections.

“It will be a methodical approach and we will be able to test each component of the system in turn. Then only when all three routes are up and running successfully, and trains have been introduced onto them, will we then connect them up into a full end to end integrated service.

The full integration will happen in late 2019, and I believe it’s very good thinking.”

Taking the first step It has now been 16 months since MTR Crossrail took over the eastern section, TfL Rail, as an existing metro service, stepping in as an operator in the midst of engineering and construction works. Stations are being refurbished, platforms extended, sidings constructed, and track layout and signalling is being optimised to improve train movements and capacity for the future.

The challenges have been significant, but much has been achieved, and according to Steve, most of this is down to people and relationships. 87 drivers transferred to the new company from AGA, across two driver depots at Gidea Park and Ilford, and their numbers have been supplemented to achieve a robust level of driver provision. Existing station staff also transferred to MTR Crossrail, and many more have been taken on to enable the company to meet its contractual agreement with TfL which requires each station to be staffed from 15 minutes before the first train until 15 minutes after the last train.

This has been a step change from the AGA contractual agreement to man different stations for different hours.

“We have been very fortunate that the existing station staff and drivers who chose to transfer across to us were really good quality people and committed to the railway,” Steve commented.

The line itself presented a number of significant operational challenges, some of which were infrastructure-based, and others included issues with the rolling stock. “When we took on TfL Rail it was pretty much at the limits of capacity,” he explained. “It was running the absolute maximum that the signalling system could accommodate with the existing train frequency

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The majority of new railway projects go live at the same moment.

The plan with Crossrail is to bring on sections of the railway sequentially, test them and verify them before joining them up” and the trains are extremely busy at peak times. That gave us very limited room for manoeuvre, so we have had to find new ways of improving performance, and increasing capacity.”

Finding the right solution That has been doubly challenging as many elements contributing to these problems lay outside MTR Crossrail’s direct control and would require a completely new way of thinking.

Like the majority of Train Operating Companies, around 60 per cent of delays are caused by activities or issues that Network Rail (NR) bears responsibility for. “It was obvious to us that we would not succeed in improving punctuality and performance unless we developed an outstanding partnership and strategy with NR. During our first year, this has succeeded to the extent that we have reduced delays by 33 per cent, an improvement that I’ve not seen anywhere else in my career.”

So how has this partnership worked? Firstly MTR Crossrail , which has a considerable amount of infrastructure management knowledge and expertise, has actively brought this capability into the partnership, liaising and working closely with key partners. “We get involved in the detail of the way the points are being maintained, for example, the way the overhead line is maintained, the signalling and so on. Operationally, we are keen to work much more closely with NR to ensure the decisions their controllers and signallers will make work

for us as well as them.” This continuous communication and partnership begins at the top with the NR route MD and MTR Crossrail management, building a shared vision for improving performance. The relationships then extend through all levels within the two enterprises. Controllers on both sides communicate and work together, and there is continuous collaboration with maintenance teams, signalling teams and so on. “It’s been a real success story and NR are every bit as important in driving performance improvements as we are as the operator.”

Forming lasting partnerships This ethos of partnership and collaboration has been replicated with other key organisations. AGA for example, is responsible for the line’s existing fleet of 315s, providing maintenance from its depot at Ilford.

MTR Crossrail engineers are working alongside AGA maintenance engineers, collaborating with them to develop reliability programs, and to identify and implement fleet improvements. This relationship will continue in the future, until the new fleet of Bombardier 345s finally supersedes them.

Meanwhile, the first of the Bombardier 345s begin arriving towards the end of this year and MTR Crossrail has been closely involved in their design and build. “For example,” Steve said, “we’ve been running regular trips for our drivers to look at the train and give active feedback on the cab environment, while Bombardier engineers have been advising us on carriage areas and reliability.

The outcome should be more reliable trains with better environments for customers and drivers.”

Relationship closer to home None of this is reliant on contracts or automated

by IT systems. It is down to people talking and communicating across company boundaries. And Steve is a firm believer that motivated and effective people are critical to a business. “We want people in the business who really value working for MTR Crossrail and who are really excited about the opportunities in the business, because we know that when motivation levels are really high it will translate into better performance that the customers will see.”

From the very beginning of the TfL Rail concession, MTR Crossrail made a concerted effort to support frontline staff and build strong internal communications processes. “Firstly we aim to share as much information as we can, that is relevant to their jobs, with everyone who is engaged in running the railway.” For example, drivers are provided with iPads so there is a quick and accessible method for exchanging information. Station staff are also being provided with the latest technology which keeps them up to date with train and route information, giving them the tools to answer passenger

enquiries quickly and efficiently.

This clever technology is an excellent tool, but Steve insisted that it was no replacement for personal contact between management and the frontline. MTR Crossrail has created what it describes as a culture of support. It may sound a glib phrase, but it has taken continuous commitment from head office, and it is effective. “Everyone from HQ spends a fair amount of time around the stations’ mess rooms, so we have a good feel for the business, and staff know us by name and will chat with us.”

Being a small company at the moment obviously helps, but Steve aims to continue with this approach as the central core section and western section of the Crossrail come into operation and the Elizabeth line is integrated into a single entity.

Frontline staff are a key to MTR Crossrail strategy for continuously improving the railway. “In my experience, a very high proportion of the best ideas on improving the railway come from the staff who run it – the drivers, station staff, or NR signallers for example. Often it can be difficult for them to have a voice, so we spend a lot of time talking and listening. We then take the best ideas and try to make them happen. Eventually we will see a virtuous circle as people see their ideas being put in place and are confident to come up with further ideas.”

Similarly HQ staff regularly communicate with the customers, running fun days to build good relationships, and providing little extras when times are tough, such as chilled bottled water and ice lollies on really hot days, or a member of the management team to talk to during periods of disruption. “We then monitor the reactions on social media, and it really does make an impact,” he said.

Applying the lessons learned Expanding services across the western and central sections of the line will undoubtedly present many challenges, not least of which will be maintaining this personal touch across greater distances and with increasing numbers of staff. But having pioneered an innovative and responsive new approach to partnering, relationship building and improvement, and established that it delivers, Steve fully intends to roll these processes out across the entire Elizabeth line. “Once we take on the other two sections of the Elizabeth line and the railway becomes bigger and more complex, we will take the things that have worked so well for us in the East and embed them as company processes, and this will help us to deal with the complexities we will no doubt face,” he concluded. “Meanwhile, the experience of running a successful metro service with practically no capacity to spare has created some really good disciplines, knowhow and sharpness. This will be extremely useful as we go forward.”

13

COMMUNICATIONS

A tough

challenge Achieving continuous mobile coverage across the rail network is going to require cooperation and much negotiation, suggests PHIL SORSKY Below Phil Sorsky is head of service providers for Europe, CommScope

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R

ecent significant investments in major engineering projects such as HS2 and Crossrail are evidence of the intense focus under which the UK’s national rail infrastructure currently finds itself.

But it’s not only the physical elements of the network that are under scrutiny.

In February 2015, the UK government announced £50 million in funding for the provision of free Wi-Fi on trains across England and Wales from 2017. June last year saw further consultation looking at ways in which 3G or 4G mobile connectivity could be improved across the country’s rail network.

Mobile devices play a part in everybody’s life nowadays, whether for work or play, and consumers expect their smartphones and tablets to work flawlessly regardless of where they are or what apps, sites and services they’re trying to access. As a result of this demand for connectivity, there has been an unprecedented level of data consumption over mobile networks, and many countries have experienced mobile saturation of more than 100 per cent.

Despite experiencing such high levels of mobile subscriber traffic, however, some areas within these countries suffer severely limited mobile connectivity. One

such area is, of course, the national rail network where, even on parts of the country’s most travelled commuter routes, there can sometimes be little or no mobile connectivity whatsoever.

Facing up to the challenge A typical urban public transport system tends to be comprised of features which make it less than conducive to dependable, consistent mobile connectivity. Mobile operators will often face the challenge of providing coverage through miles of tunnels, sometimes deep underground. Even above ground, and despite there

being perfect coverage along the track, there’s still no guarantee that passengers will enjoy full connectivity inside the train itself.

Indeed, the biggest challenge facing operators looking to provide rail passengers with mobile coverage is bringing the available network into the train from the track side. The structure of the trains themselves can significantly impede the extent to which mobile signals are able to penetrate into carriages, particularly the metallised windows often found on high-speed trains. As a result, an outside signal may not be able to reach mobile users inside a train, despite the coverage being perfect

Above The Beijing Metro

15

COMMUNICATIONS

Inset left Rome Metro data services Inset right The Gotthard Tunnel

alongside the track.

But, while it may be challenging, it needn’t be impossible, as the following European examples demonstrate.

European connections Mobile operators in Switzerland have worked closely with the country’s national rail provider in recent years to drive investment and establish it as one of the first countries to deploy wireless services on board trains. By way of illustration, rail passengers travelling through the recently opened NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel will be able to enjoy continuous mobile connectivity for their entire journey even though the tunnel runs deep beneath the Alps for more than 35 miles.

In Italy and Germany, manufacturers have recently

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begun building trains with on-board wireless systems already equipped, supported by investments in track-side infrastructure from mobile operators in each country.

And in Scandinavia, in-train wireless connectivity has been successfully deployed on the Öresund train service, which links Copenhagen and Malmo. In addition to providing mobile coverage through around 12 miles of tunnels and across the ten mile long Öresund Bridge, the project faced the challenge of the fact that the service is run in conjunction with seven different train providers across DSB Öresund, Denmark’s rail operator, and Veolia Transportation, the Swedish equivalent.

It’s clear from these examples that existing technology can be used to overcome the challenges faced by train operators and mobile operators when it comes to providing mobile coverage on public transport.

But wireless systems are still far from common features on trains. It isn’t possible to receive mobile coverage across the entire network of many of the world’s major metro systems. For example, on the London Underground there is only cellular coverage available when the trains are travelling above ground – but even that is limited in many areas.

Logistics and co-operation Along with the engineering aspect involved in any technology deployment, it’s important to consider who will be responsible for its funding and installation. Train companies, for example, aware of consumer demand for mobile coverage, will put it firmly at the heart of their drive to improve customer experience. But the actual logistics of delivering mobile connectivity to rail

passengers can be difficult to balance.

While mobile operators may be responsible for investing in trackside infrastructure, they may not consider providing coverage capacity a priority, especially when other businesses could use that infrastructure to supply different services such as Wi-Fi. But if that infrastructure were used solely by the mobile operator that supplied it, many passengers would be left without any coverage at all, unable to use their preferred network provider.

An alternative is the neutral host model, where third parties will deploy and maintain the infrastructure, but which can prove costly for operators and lead to complications when looking to expand the network in the future.

Ideally, stakeholders from the train companies would co-operate with a number of mobile operators to share the costs of deployment and maintenance while, at the same time, improving coverage and capacity. Installations would be likely to happen far more quickly and at lower cost if this were the case, with passengers ultimately enjoying a better quality of service.

Logically, if mobile operators were to share the network infrastructure deployed across public transport networks, they would also share the costs. The substantial savings made from reducing both CapEx and OpEx could be used as a means of subsidising further improvements and expansion to the network, as well as any deployments of next-generation technology. And, of course, the involvement of multiple operators would mean that commuters could enjoy continuous connectivity, regardless of their preferred network.

Such co-operation would require much negotiation of course. For example, one operator might take the technical lead, another could cover the initial investment capital, and a third would take on the burden of the ongoing operational expenditure. While clearly rife with complexities, the benefits of a co-operative approach are clear. As demonstrated by the European examples, joint projects such as this do exist and are, indeed, becoming increasingly common.

The provision of reliable and consistent mobile coverage across Britain’s rail network undeniably faces a wealth of challenges although these shouldn’t overshadow the potential benefits. Passengers will be able to play or work on the move without interruption, network operators will enjoy a lucrative new revenue stream, and train companies will improve the commuting experience of their customers. If the UK’s train operators, in co-operation with the country’s mobile network providers, continue to invest in the appropriate infrastructure and technology, rail passengers across the country will soon be able to enjoy the ubiquitous mobile coverage they desire.

www.commscope.com 17

NEWS I Rolling stock

Engineering apprentices from Virgin Trains help build Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive

The upgraded Class 323 EMU

Alstom completes upgrade of 17 Arriva North trains in Manchester l Alstom has completed modernisation work on 17 Class 323 trains which are operated by Arriva North and run on Manchester’s electrified rail network, and is about to commence upgrading a further 26 Class 323 trains in operation for London Midland.

The work, part of a £11m contract with train leasing company Porterbrook, involves upgrading the trains’ power and control electronics to make them more environmentally efficient. The upgrades were completed at the specialist train care centre in Longsight, Manchester, and the materials and parts were assembled at Alstom’s Preston site.

Mike Hulme, managing director, trains and modernisation, for Alstom in the UK, said: “The upgraded Class 323s are a vast improvement on the original. They are now more reliable and environmentally more acceptable, making them fit for purpose for the foreseeable future.”

The 43-strong Class 323 fleet of electric multiple unit trains was built between 1993 and 1995, by Hunslet, in Leeds.

Alstom won the contract to upgrade the fleet’s power and control electronics in 2014. The entire contract is expected to be delivered by January 2017.

l Apprentices from Virgin Trains have been gaining firsthand experience of working on a steam engine by helping engineers at the Darlington Locomotive Works build the new £5m steam locomotive No. 2007 Prince of Wales.

Michael Olley and Simon Nadolny are usually stationed at Virgin’s Bounds Green Depot in London where they work on the maintenance and repair of Virgin Trains’ electric 225 fleet.

Simon said: “This week we’ve been getting down to basics, bending metal and hammering nuts and bolts into place, helping to install three large fabricated frame stays and assembling the smokebox lifting sheets. It’s been a real privilege.”

Michael said: “It’s been great to have the opportunity to work in a different type of environment. The Trust’s approach to solving problems has provided really good insights which we can take back to the day job.”

There had originally been six of these locomotives, designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and built to haul up to 15 carriages on the arduous Edinburgh to Aberdeen route.

Mark Allat, Chairman of the Trust, said: “They were once the most powerful express passenger steam locomotives in the UK, and we’re using modern computer techniques to enable this new version to deliver its full potential to take passengers at high speed from 2021.”

GWR is to increase its Hitachi Intercity fleet size with a new multi-million pound order l Great Western Railway (GWR) has confirmed it will order an additional seven bi-mode Intercity Express Trains as part of a new multi-million pound deal with Hitachi Rail Europe and finance partner Eversholt Rail Group.

The trains are in addition to the 57 trains Hitachi Rail is delivering to GWR as part of the UK government’s Intercity Express Programme (IEP) from next year, and the separately financed 29 trains ordered last year that will come into passenger service in 2018.

The new trains will be built by Hitachi Rail Italy at its Pistoia manufacturing facility.

GWR managing director Mark Hopwood said: “This complements the 86 brand new trains due to start operating across the GWR network next year. They give us greater flexibility in our fleet to deliver faster more frequent services and additional seats for customers, particularly while Network Rail completes the modernisation of the Great Western Main Line.”

Hitachi GWR train

Glasgow’s refurbished Class 320 train begins going into service l ScotRail has introduced the first two of seven additional refurbished Class 320 trains onto cross-Glasgow services running via Glasgow Central Low Level. The remaining revamped trains will be introduced at a rate of one every few weeks between now and October 2016.

The additional units – previously operated by London Midland – are leased from Eversholt Rail Group and are part of a £475m train

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improvement programme aimed at delivering better lighting, accessibility enhancements, extra cycle space and at-seat power sockets.

The refurbishment work is being carried out at Wabtec Rail’s Doncaster facility, and includes modern flooring, finishes and toilets as well as new CCTV and passenger information systems. Wi-Fi is due to be rolled out across the fleet from September this year.

ENGINEERING - case study

Thinking smart and green J Murphy & Sons explains how the Crossrail project has been an ideal environment for trialling and developing new innovations and improving sustainability Above Crossrail tunnelling

H

ow does a challenging tunnel project become a dynamic testbed for future technologies, safety solutions, mechanical innovation and sustainable thinking? This question has been solved by the J Murphy & Sons Limited (Murphy) team during the ambitious £14.8 billion London Crossrail project.

The 3km section running under the Thames from Plumstead to Woolwich, saw Murphy introduce new thinking and innovative ideas. This included installing pioneering smart infrastructure fibre optic sensors and using sustainable ideas such as groundwater rather than potable water for tunnelling. The company also designed and created a new safety mechanism for its telehandler fleet, and took a new approach to working deep underground by adapting and using a cherry picker to improve safety and ease of access.

Innovation in tunnelling The project was a joint venture between Hochtief and Murphy (HMJV) and included the construction of a total of 42km of new twin bore tunnels, using two 1000-tonne boring machines. The £260 million tunnel project was highly complex with a distinct set of challenges, which required Murphy to adapt the best technology to the environment and work with the latest innovations.

Murphy fitted a fibre optics system embedded permanently within the concrete rings supporting the tunnel structure, allowing data collection and providing greater knowledge of how structures behave when in use. The sensors monitor any ground movement, the effect of loading caused by tidal changes and the ongoing integrity of the structure. The information is invaluable in the long-term for identifying areas that need maintenance and repair, offering remedial possibilities before problems arise.

Sustainable thinking Another industry first, driven by innovation and sustainability, was boring the tunnel using groundwater rather than potable water. This dewatering process saw the team undertaking a full risk assessment and working closely with the Environmental Agency. This sustainable measure alone saved two million litres of potable water per week, reducing carbon emissions by 23 tonnes, saving an estimated £100,000.

The in-house Never Harm cultural development programme encourages the teams at Murphy to develop new approaches for first-rate safety. A new device developed by Murphy, called the Safe T Zone, was installed on the telehandler fleet used on Crossrail. This bespoke solution minimises any unsafe movement of underslung goods, by limiting the operation of the telehandler, restricting its movement.

A further example of creative thinking, was the idea of transporting a cherry picker into the tunnel, so that operatives could reach the highest points easily and safely. The light Hybrid Niftylift Height Rider 21 was chosen for its combination of strength and ease of movement and proved ideal for attaching temporary lights the length of the tunnel and allowed operatives inject resin to seal the tunnel watertight. With an eye on safety, this model with its electric motor was chosen as it reduced the release of harmful emissions in enclosed environments, as well as minimising noise within the tunnel for better working conditions. With lower fuel consumption, running costs and noise emissions, the humble cherry picker ensured the project was completed safely and on time.

Paul Mohan, rail sector director at Murphy, commented: “Our work on Crossrail highlights our approach to projects, thinking creatively as to how far we can push boundaries to get the best results for our clients, integrating the latest technologies into projects and going the extra mile on sustainability.”

19

SIGNALLING

Rail digitisation

Nigel Davies, head of secured navigation at QinetiQ, outlines the key threats to rail digitisation and how operators can reassure customers and regulators

S

Below Nigel Davies, head of secured navigation at QinetiQ

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atellite-navigation guided digital railways are fast approaching and the business benefits are increasingly clear. It will enable operators to create ‘right time’ timetables that reflect the train’s actual position in relation to its scheduled arrival time, taking advantage of all available track capacity and creating more efficient and adaptable services.

Collecting all this digital position and timing data will also reveal the realities of rail traffic. Operators can see where they might have extra capacity or where congestion is occurring and give them the insight to enhance their operational performance.

Network Rail’s digital transformation director Patrick Bossert recently revealed that, despite being in its infancy, its digital railway strategy has already saved the company £100 million through more efficient management of assets. On one route alone, they now hope that real-time cab signalling and traffic management systems could provide 11 extra peak train paths an hour, avoiding the need for an extra 11km of track by squeezing more capacity out of the existing line. It will also provide greater connectivity and lower costs on other lines.

Adaptable timetables fed by real-time positioning data from trains will soon also enable freight rail operators to rapidly flex capacity up and down, improving capacity in

situations when there is a sudden demand, such as when a large container ship pulls into port.

Central to digital rail is the position, navigation and timing (PNT) data guiding the system, drawn from several sources, including GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) such as GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) and Europe’s upcoming Galileo network. First Great Western’s driver advisory systems use GPS to calculate and adjust the train’s precise location in relation to its fuel target and timetable, helping reduce fuel consumption and adapt to changing circumstances while staying on timetable.

Selective door operation on Thameslink’s Electrostar trains will also be partly guided by GPS data inputs.

Network Rail says that GPS has “come of age” and it aims to use GPS equipment on each train to “make sure the right train is in the right place at the right time” and even to guide repair crews to the site of track defaults.

But in this rush towards satellite-guided digital rail, we need to consider its reliability and security.

In April 2016, North Korea launched a large-scale electronic jamming attack on the South that disrupted satellite signals, causing widespread disruption to civil transportation systems. And the threat is not confined to rogue states. A recent SENTINEL Project, a Governmentbacked study into the scale of electronic jamming events

recently found that Britain’s rail networks have suffered four nation state-backed cyber attacks in the past 12 months alone.

On-board satellite receivers have to be connected to other devices via the internet in order to exchange location information with the driver and the control tower.

This internet connection provides a potential gateway for an attack. Malware (malicious software) could be used to change the value of the PNT data from a satellite receiver, giving the driver false information. One electronic warfare expert warned that malware could alter the timing information that tells the onboard computer what speed the train is moving at. Rail operators know the threat exists; Network Rail recently admitted “We know that the risk [of a cyber-attack] will increase as we continue to roll out digital technology across the network.”

With the task of securing Britain’s railways resting on the shoulders of an array of private operators, the reputation of each of these companies is now on the line.

Satellite receivers of the future

across the UK, has found that, in the UK, jammers are now in widespread use and that “over 50 web sites are actively selling jammers; and the devices being seized by law enforcement agencies are now more powerful and so have considerably greater jamming ranges.” In a warning for the future of digital rail, the survey also detected incidents of GNSS jammers being used aboard trains.

A jamming incident affecting the GNSS data fed to the train computer could leave it unable to calculate PNT data from other trains or transmit its own position accurately, causing disruption to services. Even worse, because the specification for the commonly used GNSS services is openly published, it is quite easy for an attacker to echo the signals sent by GNSS with false signals broadcast from the ground. This could cause trains to transmit information to the control tower that makes it ‘think’ the train is closer to the next station than it actually is, leaving operators unable to correct the timetable. Alternatively, a GNSS spoofing attack – where a copycat signal is broadcast over the real one – on ‘smart’ track-maintenance systems which use PNT data to locate and record track faults could see companies log track defects in the wrong place, sending repair workers to the wrong location.

Digitisation of trains also opens up the whole digital rail network to online threats. A Sky News investigation

Europe has been alert to the threat for some time. In recognition of the risks, the Galileo network will include a special ‘spoof-proof’ signal, dubbed PRS (Public Regulated Service), for government-authorised users that require a high level of robustness and continuity. The signal contains anti-jamming, anti-spoofing, encryption and problem detection systems to ensure continuous service in the event of a major electronic jamming or spoofing. And in May 2016, the Ordnance Survey and QinetiQ and NSL completed the world’s first trial demonstrating that PRS can now be accessed via the internet, paving the way for its automated use by security and emergency services and critical national infrastructure (CNI) – including transport systems – as the secure position and timing service of choice across Europe.

To add even further robustness, QinetiQ is working with a group of stakeholders including the European Space Agency and the UK Government to develop a new generation of high performance satellite receivers that can switch seamlessly between multiple GNSS ‘constellations’, from Russia’s GLONASS to GPS, and multiple frequencies (MCMF) ensuring business continuity even in the event of a significant jamming or spoofing attack affecting one network. Once available, the final receiver will be as small as a postage stamp but will offer highly secure, accurate and reliable position, velocity and timing for ‘mission-critical’ services.

While there are still vulnerabilities due to it being an internet-enabled end-to-end system connected to other devices, the industry is working to address and protect such inherent openness, seen in most modern digital systems.

These developments offer rail operators the opportunity to reassure passengers and regulators over the safety of rail digitisation and to protect rail networks from the array of future digital threats.

21

SIGNALLING - case study

Signal design Track Access Services works with Network Rail to create an innovative desktopdriven 3D virtual reality modelling and signal design process for the track layout and signalling optimisation project in Derby

D

erby Station, located in the United Kingdom, currently handles 16 passenger trains in a typical hour and 30-40 freight trains per day using tracks and signals constructed many years ago.

In 2014, Network Rail, the Derby station operator, had a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create an improved track layout at Derby, in conjunction with new track and signalling. The goal was to put in place a more flexible track layout and optimise signalling to reduce travel time for passengers, segregate traffic flows, reduce conflicting movements, and cut reactionary delays and average minute lateness. To achieve this goal – and meet new compliance requirements in the UK for desktop design capabilities – Network Rail turned to Track Access Services (TAS), a Bentley development partner. Together, they created an innovative desktop-driven, 3D virtual reality modelling, and signal design process.

Re-imagining the track visualisation and signal design process For TAS, the project involved conducting a full positional video survey of the re-signalling schemes, including train planning, train hiring costs, bringing in camera operators, provisioning equipment, downloading data, processing positional data and video data post processing, including blurring of redundant signals and signs.

TAS technology is unique in that it supports full information mobility. It can capture positional video that can then be imported into MicroStation for sighting purposes, as well as exported for other uses such as

Right Derby station signalling survey Far right Desktop screen shot

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driver training. TAS also created visual 3D models of track areas where video could not be utilised. “Information mobility in virtual modelling is a unique breakthrough made possible by TAS,” explained David Reed, managing director of TAS. “Models can be created externally to MicroStation and imported for sighting. Complex 3D models existing within MicroStation can be converted into fully functional simulation models that designers can use to determine optimal signal placement.”

Taking model simulations to the next level TAS began the project by collecting track and signal data using special video cameras, inertial units, and laser scanners that were fitted to a locomotive to capture positional video. TAS then digitally removed images of existing signals in the original track video. Next, using tools developed in association with Bentley, TAS calibrated the video to all current grid systems. This video was then imported into MicroStation to create a 3D rail model.

Additional data was added to the models, including chainage lines and various types of signals, complete with flashing lights, to test the effectiveness of signal placement within models. Obscuration models were also added to aid understanding of exactly how trees and other barriers will affect the ability of train drivers to see signals from different distances and areas of track. Insight gained from these types of models greatly reduces the risk of design errors while boosting driver safety.

Realising the benefits Virtual track modelling and desktop signal sighting will provide many benefits that go beyond compliance with regulatory requirements. First, fewer trackside visits are needed to collect data and make design decisions. “Virtual modelling and desktop signal sighting enables as much work as possible to be completed at the desktop rather than out on the track,” said Reed. “This not only minimises trackside safety risks, but it also ensures that placement and design errors are typically addressed early in the design process, when they are inexpensive to fix.” Safety is also improved because when people do need to perform onsite visits, they can review video and models in advance to understand prospective track access points.

By bringing additional video and modelling data and resources to the design teams, TAS technology has created a tangible link between CAD designers and engineering users. “Through this link, we’ve been able to increase the skills of the Network Rail design staff,” explained Reed. “They’ve learned to use Bentley applications, which has enabled even greater collaboration with the engineers.”

As a result, greater collaboration has contributed to reduced project delivery timeframes. “Desktop signal sighting has helped Network Rail teams work together to complete the requirements for detailed deliberation and planning of new signalling schemes,” explained Reed.

“Now, the planning is initiated by CAD modelling, which enables the sighting exercises to be performed in the CAD toolset offering the most efficient workflow.

Shorter delivery timeframes are also lowering the overall costs of Network Rail’s new signal design process – another key benefit of the solution. “In addition, because TAS positional video surveys can be used in Bentley sighting software, we can offer the most effective solutions for video collection that simultaneously minimise operational costs.” Now, train planning efforts can target precise areas of surveyed track and leverage the latest information coming in from bi-directional shoots from the locomotive. “We’re also seeing lower costs due to the efficient workflow enabled by desktop signal sighting in CAD,” noted Reed. “For example, now signal sighting can be performed interactively over both video and virtual modelling.”

“Using Bentley products, coupled with TAS positional video and reality modelling, brings a new level of visualisation to CAD designers.

They provide photo-realistic background imagery to help designers accurately create and confirm proposed layouts in the most direct and effective way,” David Reed, managing director, Track Access Services Ltd Project Summary Organisation Track Access Services Ltd Solution Rail and Transit Location United Kingdom

Project objectives • C reate more flexible track layout and optimise signalling to reduce journey times, segregate traffic flows, reduce conflicting movements, and cut reactionary delays and average lateness • Provide a full positional survey of tracks and existing signals • Operationalise virtual track modelling and desktop signal sighting to increase design efficiency and quality and minimise trackside safety risks

Products used • B entley Rail Track, MicroStation, ProjectWise Fast Facts • Used specialised video devices to capture detailed track data from trains and import it into Bentley Rail Track for signal and OLE sighting • Created realistic 3D models of track areas where video cannot be utilised

Looking ahead

ROI

The track access survey and sighting project is currently under way. “The first stage of sighting has been completed successfully using Bentley software,” explained Reed.

“Looking ahead, we’re planning on using laser video surveys – positional video, point cloud overlays, tunnels and bridges on routes, and point clouds – for model building.”

The video and point clouds will be synchronised in MicroStation. As the signal positions are determined by the design team, they will be approved by the signal sighting committee – and construction will begin.

• F aster project delivery and lower project costs by enabling teams to work at their desktops using highly accurate track models • L ower operational costs by using cutting-edge, highly accurate data collection technologies • R educed trackside risk by minimising the need for on-site visits and information gathering • Achievement of regulatory compliance by implementing desktop design capabilities

23

INFRASTRUCTURE

The power of Being prepared: JOHN ANDERSON, discusses eight key points in developing a contingency plan for power back up

Above Crossrail generator - power for tunnels, including particulate filtration units

John Anderson is national accounts manager for rail, Aggreko

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F

ailing to prepare properly for power losses could turn a drama into a potential disaster due to wasted hours in restoring the local electricity supply. Safety risks, accidents, service delays and cancellations, reputational damage, financial penalties and economic loss can all be minimised by developing a robust contingency plan.

While disaster recovery planning is common practice in the rail industry to ensure business continuity, the provision of power is sometimes overlooked, despite being a main requirement to aid recovery.

Effective contingency planning that includes switching to emergency mobile power is vital to ensuring speedy business recovery in the event of fire, flood, weather disruption, explosion, national grid failure, or any other emergency.

It is arguably more critical for the rail industry to ensure power resilience than most other sectors, due to the potential to put lives at risk and cause widespread transport disruption to both passengers and freight.

Contingency planning for power is, therefore, a business imperative. But what should a robust strategy contain?

Below are eight key areas to consider when preparing a contingency plan for back-up power.

1. Critically examine your existing emergency planning procedures Go back to basics and look at the disaster recovery plan you have in place for your power provision. Have you got every emergency scenario covered to minimise the time between the electricity cutting out and the generators powering up?

contractual prices for emergency equipment and understand your power generation supplier’s response times to each site, to prevent surprises.

If your current plan lacks the answers to any of the above, now is the time to assess the shortfalls and draw up a more robust strategy.

2. Survey your temporary power equipment requirements Conduct site surveys across your estate to assess your back-up power requirements, then formulate a detailed equipment list. Your survey needs to cover multiple locations or entire regions, including train stations, regional operating centres, signalling sites and telecommunications infrastructure.

At the same time, it makes sense to survey heating and temperature control needs, such as cooling requirements for data centres and telecommunications sites. Some power generator suppliers will conduct free site surveys and work with you to produce a list of critical equipment for both your power and cooling needs.

Make sure the survey takes account of any special requirements, such as high voltage power or specialist signalling voltage requirements, space and access restrictions, or any locations where low emissions and noise reduction are key.

3. Plan the logistics, including site access

Ensure your contingency plan covers every part of your site or rail network, ensuring you have backup power for each critical asset, including train stations, signalling, telecoms and operational centres. It is doubtful that your own back-up generator provision will cover all these sites, so you may want to consider having a priority generator hire agreement in place to fill in the gaps.

Your plan would benefit from operational detail, for example, does it specify exactly what emergency power equipment you need, which supplier to order it from, where to install it and how to deliver it to difficult to access locations around the network? All this information needs to be regularly updated to take into account any recent changes to your sites, equipment upgrades and construction projects etc.

In addition, it is important to have negotiated

It’s helpful to have a plan that ensures the speedy deployment of all contingency equipment onto site and how to then service and fuel it on an on-going basis.

Consider any difficulties you may have with equipment delivery. which will differ depending on whether the site is in a remote location or congested city centre. Deliveries might be difficult at the best of times, but if there’s a blackout, storm or widespread road closures, then they could be even more challenging. You could look at putting a traffic management system in place, or for crisis situations, plan for police clearance and escorts to site.

Think about the difficulties you may face and plan the best routes into site.

It is easy to overlook the access route to site, for example soft ground, locked gates, low bridges or weight restrictions could all cause delivery delays. Remote sites or sites with access width restrictions might need specific delivery vehicles to ensure equipment can be delivered and unloaded in the specified position. In addition, on-going fuel deliveries will also face the same issues.

Don’t forget to consider unloading and fuelling restrictions: Will the delivery or fuel vehicles need to reverse to enter or leave the site and, if so, do you require a banksman? If delivering on or from the public highway,

25

INFRASTRUCTURE

Above Rail tunnel cooling solution with chiller and buffer tank

are emergency services able to pass? Is the delivery location free from any rail power lines, overhead power lines or communications lines? Could the delivery loader arm come into contact with nearby buildings, trees, bridges or other obstructions? It is important to ensure all your workforce understand and adhere to Adjacent Line Open practices, where required.

4. Installation – prepare a connection plan Your contingency plan needs to map out how you ensure the fastest deployment and installation of your contingency equipment so it’s up and running as quickly as possible. Your plan must, therefore, consider space constraints and proximity to the mains supply for easy site connectivity.

The size, shape and footprint of generators and temperature control equipment can vary widely and emergency space needs to be mapped out in advance.

Consider whether there are any underground services, tunnels, unstable or backfilled ground in the set up area. In this set up area you may need to level and stabilise the ground to ensure it is free from slips, trips and fall hazards.

If you’re embarking on station redevelopment projects or infrastructure upgrades, don’t forget to think about including emergency generator accommodation sites into your plans. This will ensure there is always an ideal footprint to install power rental equipment with easy connection points.

When your mobile generators are delivered to site you want to be able to ‘plug and play’, so your contingency plan must include working out your cabling plan in advance.

• Properly think through access and distribution sockets • Install a connection panel to speed cable connections • Consider correct circuit protection devices, earth

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testing and certification • Don’t forget about the disconnection process • Include cable protection from mechanical damage to outer sheath.

5. Continuity of supply Ensuring a continuous fuel supply to every site is an important consideration for continuity of power. Factor this into your plan, along with where you will site fuel tanks. Better still, select generator sets with integrated tanks, which will save space.

Don’t neglect proper coordination of fuel management and agree whether this will be managed by the equipment supplier or your own team.

Check that your provider offers 24/7 remote asset monitoring to keep watch on the technology and relay critical information – from fuel levels and diagnostic checks – to load monitoring, to ensure continuous power.

For sites where main supply is unreliable, generators can be set up with an Automatic Mains Failure panel (AMF). This monitors incoming power supply from the mains grid and in the event of a dip in power supply, the generator automatically takes over the load until the original supply is re-instated. This ensures continuity of supply and eliminates disruption caused by power failures.

6. Consider the most suitable equipment for each application While speed is often of the essence in emergency situations, with careful pre-planning you can also ensure the most suitable products and power solutions are utilised for the job. This includes consideration of environmental factors, security and noise restrictions.

• S pecialist high voltage solutions are often required trackside for signalling work, for example when

switchgear or transformers fail. High voltage applications require additional planning due to the complexity of the set-up required; make sure this time is factored in to your recovery plan.

• If a site requires power generation for a period of more than six months and response times are more relaxed, gas fuelled generators might be worth considering.

Gas fuelled generators can cut emissions by 30 to 40 per cent compared to diesel and this can also be a cheaper option, depending on market rates. If mains gas is available, this is an excellent option and has the added benefit of better fuel efficiency for certain sizes of generators.

• For remote locations, unmanned areas, or sites in crime hotspots, security of generator equipment might be an issue. Secure containerised generators are available that are disguised to resemble generic construction containers – offering protection from theft and vandalism for the generator, fuel tank and distribution equipment.

• Where there are variable power requirements, consider using two smaller generators, rather than a single large unit. By using load-on-demand with one generator switching off when demand falls, you can reduce emissions and save fuel – shrinking both your carbon footprint and budget.

• A hybrid power solution which utilises generators during peak demand and large batteries for lower demand periods will produce lower emissions and is also suitable when load demand fluctuates.

• Particulate filtration units reduce emissions from diesel generators. Aggreko, in partnership with the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, designed a system that achieved a reduction in particulate matter when retrofitted to 320 and 500 kVA diesel generators. After the Olympics in 2012 Aggreko units have been used for tunnelling applications in the rail industry and across London to enable reductions in particulate matter.

• To overcome noise sensitivity concerns in built-up or residential areas, the use of silenced canopied machinery is a good solution. Alternatively hybrid power solutions are a low noise alternative where power demands are low.

Make sure the power generation supplier(s) you hire from has a local depot holding your specified equipment and that you have priority rights to that equipment to minimise delays.

7. Check your emergency power supplier’s certification and safety record Check that any supplier is fully approved to work in the rail industry and meet its stringent quality, safety and environmental standards.

• Emergency power supplies pose the same dangers

• •

•

•

as permanent connections, so robust safety practices are a must. Seek guarantees from any contingency suppliers that equipment has been fully tested prior to delivery to site. This may seem like a given, but isn’t always the case.

Ensure that your contingency plans include risk assessments.

M ake sure they meet NCCA (National Competency Control Agency) standards, normally via Achilles RISQS certification, which will also eliminate the need to go through vendor pre-screening procedures.

Check that they have a national team of personal track safety certificate (PTS) qualified service engineers and examine carefully their trackside safety record.

Check that their fuel management and servicing system is fully ADR compliant.

8. Ensure proper coordination A contingency plan will only be effective if it is properly communicated and coordinated across the organisation – with roles and responsibilities assigned and understood.

• Make sure that key staff are aware of the plan, eg estates management, mechanical and electrical engineers, caretakers etc. Stakeholder involvement also includes third party suppliers, eg facilities management companies or electrical contractors.

• Ensure that you have a 24/7 hotline through to your emergency power supplier and that they provide proper coordination both via the phone and on the ground at the local point of need.

• M ake sure that your engineers are on stand-by to oversee the set up of equipment.

Left Container generators in transit

Aggreko is the world leader in the rental of modular, mobile power and temperature control solutions.

Its UK rail division is RISQS accredited and provides 24/7 nationwide service and innovative technologies to supply the rail sector with reliable, fuel efficient power with exceptional noise and emissions reduction performance.

It operates from 18 locations throughout the UK and Ireland and has the largest fleet of generators – delivering fast service to minimise disruption. www.aggreko.co.uk

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INFRASTRUCTURE

That’s the bad news. The good news is that the rail industry understands the risks and has made a good start in meeting the challenges presented by climate change.

Network Rail, for example, has developed and published climate change adaptation plans for all routes. It has also established a climate change resilience steering group to beef up governance and adaptive capacity, and has recruited a range of specialists in the field.

Planning for the future

As storm clouds gather Britain’s railway is under threat from climate change and must act quickly to avert the economic and physical impact of more severe weather, argues Michael Woods from the industry body RSSB

Above Flooding on the Somerset Levels, early in 2014 Below Fordgate flood, Somerset

T

here’s a dark cloud on the horizon that threatens to rain on the rail industry’s parade. And not just rain. Floods, snow, hail and heatwaves also feature in this unpromising long-range forecast, plus a whole lot more.

Climate change deniers cover your ears now. The evidence is overwhelming that global warming is changing the face of the planet and may have a profound and lasting impact on our societies, our economies and, without doubt our transport infrastructure.

However, the industry can’t act in isolation; greater investment and support is needed if we are to meet the threat of climate change and maintain an effective rail system. Our recent report, Tomorrow’s Railway and Climate Change Adaption, makes recommendations to build on the work that has been done so far. They include: • Developing a multi-agency cooperation model • Improved mapping of vulnerable assets • Accurate logging of the location of incidents and the weather • Revising industry standards so they fit with future climate predictions • Developing a journey availability metric to assess the long-term availability across the UK transport networks during extreme weather • Replacing vulnerable assets based on life-cycle costs analysis, and take a long-term view of climate change adaptation policy (for instance, consider planting vegetation to reduce temperatures at vulnerable sites and to ensure more stable earthworks) These short to medium-term measures would need to be regularly monitored and assessed by experts.

Climate change adaptation is a learning process, requiring ongoing refinement, and a recognition of the complexity and uncertainties that surround the subject.

The stumbling block By identifying the network’s most vulnerable points and by taking action now, the disruptive and damaging impact of climate change can be significantly reduced in the future. But funding is an issue. Some climate change adaptation and resilience projects have failed to gain the funding they need particularly because the wider economic and social impact of disruption to rail services is not taken into account.

The view for rail Recent research undertaken by RSSB in partnership with Network Rail highlights the threat posed to Britain’s rail network – part of the country’s essential infrastructure – by a combination of higher average temperatures, rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather.

The outcome is likely to be more disruption to rail operations, damage to railway infrastructure and assets, and a negative impact on health and wellbeing. And if that isn’t bad enough, it will also come with a hefty price tag.

The current cost to the industry of severe weather – 1.6 million delay minutes, or about £50 million a year* – is expected to rise significantly.

* Source: Network Rail analysis report, September 2014

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Devon and Cornwall 2014 A series of devastating storms in February 2014 hit the West Country and brought parts of the sea wall down at Dawlish, completely severing the rail artery linking Cornwall and large parts of Devon with the rest of the UK for two months.

The closure had a serious impact on the local economy…but it could have been so much worse.

An early warning system meant that train services were suspended before the storms struck, ensuring that passengers and railway staff remained safe and the only damage was to infrastructure.

Above Erosion of the Dawlish line, February 2014 Left Repairs in progress at Dawlish In austere times, this is, perhaps, understandable. But it is also worryingly short-sighted. Major disruption to the rail network caused by extreme weather will almost certainly have an impact on the wider economy. When the rail link between Devon and Cornwall and the rest of the UK was severed for two months in 2014 (see box opposite), the cost was far higher than the bill for repairs and compensation payments. Take into account the impact on local businesses and communities – hotel bookings in the South West were reportedly down 20 per cent when the line was closed – and the case for taking action becomes more compelling.

Presenting all the facts Indeed, any assessment of the relative merits of climate change adaptation or resilience projects should factor in the wider socio-economic benefits and the knockon effects it has on other transport networks. One case study in our report shows that by applying a more complete set of costs and benefits to options for relieving flooding at Cowley Bridge Junction near Exeter a significant positive impact on the value of those schemes is achieved. Indeed, the benefits are estimated to be up to seven times higher when taking account of the wider socio-economic benefits.

Maintaining an effective rail network, which is prepared for the damaging impact of climate change and more frequent extreme weather will require investment and support. It will also require greater collaboration and strong, forward thinking leadership.

Climate change – the facts • G lobal temperatures have risen by nearly 0.8° C since the late 19th century and have been rising at about 0.2° C per decade over the past 25 years.

• The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been losing mass over the last two decades, and glaciers worldwide have been shrinking • T he rate of sea level rise since 1850 has been larger than in the two previous millennia • Other climate change indicators include widespread changes in precipitation amounts, ocean salinity, wind patterns and more droughts, heatwaves and tropical cyclones • Combined emissions of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes in the global climate system in the 21st century

Climate change – the risks for rail High temperature: • • • •

Rail buckle Expansion of swing bridges Overheating of electrical equipment Overhead line sag

Flooding: • • • •

Earthworks failure Bridge scouring Risk to signalling systems Electronic equipment and track circuits failures

Drought: • Earthwork failure • M ovement of overhead lines caused by soil shrinkage around foundations

Heavy snow: Michael Woods is Professional Lead, Operations R&D at RSSB The project, Tomorrow’s Railway and Climate Change Adaptation is jointly funded by RSSB and Network Rail and supported by John Dora Consulting Ltd and a consortium led by ARUP comprising British Geological Society, CIRIA, JBA Consulting, the Met Office, Transport Research Laboratory, University of Birmingham and University College London.

• Traction motor failures through snow ingress • Trees falling on tracks and overhead lines

Storms and rising sea levels: • Coastal

erosion of earthworks, structures and tracks • Damage to sea walls

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INFRASTRUCTURE - case study

Going digital Jorge Fdez-Argüelles, director, Hitachi Consulting explains how the information flow at Barcelona- based Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya has been digitised to create a more efficient railway

D

Below Jorge Fdez-Argüelles is director, Hitachi Consulting

igitisation is starting to impact all aspects of the rail industry. E-ticketing is now the norm, major networks are digitally GIS-mapping their land assets to ensure better management and soon advanced sensor technology will be used for rail-flaw detection to check causes of accidents.

With the pace of change speeding up, rail operators across the world are being forced to look at the potential for digital to improve their operations. Traditional ways of working simply cannot cope with the demands of business and customers who require access to information at ever increasing speed.

One such operator is Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) who operates two medium-distance lines with 78 stations, 88 trains and 1,385 employees around Barcelona. FGC has a culture of continuous service improvement with a consistent track record of operational excellence and high efficiency.

In order to continue this record, the company wanted to design a more efficient information management system to link all of its stations. The answer was a full digitisation of the company’s operations, allowing information to flow quickly, securely and accurately.

Business challenge As with many rail operators, FGC’s system was based on information being manually managed, with hard copies of key documents and reports being sent on a daily basis to each of the 78 stations. Once documents reached the local stations, employees had to fill in forms by hand and return back to the Railway Control Centre, where they were reviewed and registered on the system.

This manual process was time consuming for the operations teams at both the Railway Control Centre

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and the stations. With all data being collated by hand and captured in paper form, the data analysis and information dissemination was a slow and inefficient process. In addition to these paper-based systems, much of the communications between the headquarters in Barcelona and the local stations relied on the informal use of personal mobile phones, which made direct communications challenging.

On the ground, employees were starting to become disheartened with a system that clearly wasn’t fit for purpose. This experience is far from unique to FGC. In many organisations railway staff are seeing a clear disconnect between the digitally interconnected world around them and the disparate manual systems in their work.

Approach Hitachi Consulting was brought in to design a digital solution that would improve the information flows, increase operational efficiency at the railway stations and reinvigorate employees.

According to FGC’s head of controlling and administration, the first stage of the process was to create a joint FGC and Hitachi Team to co-develop solutions with a results-oriented approach. This involved reviewing all the current processes and accessing any internally available technologies in order to identify all options available when designing the new digital solution.

Having worked closely with FGC employees to identify the best course of action, the solution that was agreed involved a combination of the current corporate intranet and Microsoft SharePoint. The design of the solution was specific to individual stations and the functional requirements of the various operations teams (station agents, train drivers, inspectors, supervisors, etc).

The solution

Results and estimated savings

Key requirements: • Real-time access to station-critical data • Real-time incident reporting process • Real-time employee requests • Immediate access to any updated version of job instructions and employee manuals, and • Corporate e-mail as a standard corporate communication tool.

A Railway Portal Station was developed for each station to provide teams with relevant information on a daily basis. The portal was connected to digital devices and systems within the station for monitoring and data collection purposes. This made it easy for the employees to have direct access to critical data such as the accessibility and location of station components (ticketing machines, automatic stairs, fire extinguishers, etc), digital incidence status reports (now in real-time), cleansing service status (with the option to register and track incidences) and reports showing the follow-up of daily events.

Alongside this, an Operations Agents Portal was developed to ensure all job instructions and manuals were kept up-to-date. The Operations Agents Portal was designed to give train drivers and inspectors access to any information they may need during the course of their day.

Having access to information in a timely and efficient manner through these two portals made it easier for teams to manage data through a workflow process, access personal information and allow corporate personal email, all of which would remove the current paper-based systems.

In parallel, Hitachi Consulting incorporated the ability to access the system remotely through a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) strategy. Having access through their tablets or smartphones allowed staff the ability to use the solution everywhere and have continuous control over station equipment, services and passenger flow.

At the end of the process FGC’s expectation had been exceeded. Not only did the solution improve communication between the 78 local railway stations and the network control centre, it allowed supervisors and corporate offices to share, in real-time, any critical information and data regarding the operations, the installations or the employees.

The total cost of the solution was minimised by adapting existing technologies within FGC to create the functionality required. FGC’s director recognised this approach, praising the team for using a “pragmatic approach that helped design a business solution based on our own systems and technologies”. Doing this freed up budget for additional technology, allowing all railway stations to be equipped with tablets or smartphones so that every operator and manager could access all the information required to manage the stations efficiently.

In addition to the increased operational efficiency and productivity improvements at the stations, there were quantifiable benefits in the form of over 3,000 man hours per annum saved in administration and over 550,000 pages of printed paper in circulation saved per annum.

Once employees began to see these benefits they embraced the new system, quickly learning how to utilise it effectively for the benefit of FGC’s customers.

FGC’s experience can be replicated by other rail operators. The implementation of a digital system is fully scalable and has been proven to deliver tangible benefits.

Rail operators must embrace these available technologies or risk being left behind the competition. The track ahead is leading towards digital, it is now the responsibility of decision makers to make it a reality.

Discovermore@hitachiconsulting.com

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TICKETING

Integrated STEPHEN BOTTOM discusses Transport for the North’s plans to introduce new integrated ticketing across the region, and how it has been rethinking traditional and contemporary barriers to rail travel

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ith Transport for the North (TfN) tasked to produce an overarching and region-specific transport strategy, and now well on its way to becoming a statutory body, it is unlikely that anyone in the rail industry has missed the Government’s Northern Powerhouse agenda. Where HS2 is intended to bring North and South closer together, the Northern Powerhouse aims to even out the UK’s economy, encouraging the major northern cities – Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and as far as Newcastle and the Humber – to pull together to form an economic dynamo with the clout to compete with London.

Transport connectivity London is of course a very different beast and it is nobody’s wish to replicate it. It is also on a far smaller

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geographic scale. Nonetheless what is similar is the way in which London, once a collection of small villages – and which still retain their unique character – slowly came together to become a larger entity through the power of transport connectivity. Similarly, transport has been, from the outset, at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse agenda, with faster or more frequent connections bringing the key centres if not physically then effectively closer together.

One impetus for this idea came from a comparison to certain European regions – the Randstad in the Netherlands and the Rhine-Ruhr in Germany – where the combined heft of regional centres appears to produce a level of success that individual cities cannot replicate.

Though a recent report by the Centre for Cities has questioned the role of transport in this, few would

Tube: residential areas tend not to be built up to railway stations, nor will trains ever run at minute intervals – so that increased use of rail in the North will go hand-inhand with car travel, and work alongside cities’ existing transport networks. Rail travel will always be a lifestyle choice, yet there are compelling reasons for commuters to prefer rail to car. It is often far faster, if only as an effect of its reliability: train operating companies (TOCs) operate on a 98 per cent reliability rate and, most of the time, achieve this. By contrast there is always a high likelihood of traffic congestion that can delay an important meeting.

Train travel also frees up working and preparation time.

However, there have been a number of barriers, both literal and psychological, to attracting some business users. The poor historic fabric of many stations has not kept pace with prices, leading to difficulties in perception of value. A second and obvious issue is parking, though TOCs acknowledge that historically they have had poor provision and many are in the process of addressing this.

The third key barrier has been the time delays inherent to ticket purchasing: long queues and time-consuming ticket machines have been off-putting to many. This is what smart, integrated ticketing aims to address.

Smart ticketing – present and future

doubt that the North’s transport systems require major upgrades (including the much-awaited electrification of the Transpennine route); that some of the connections between centres, such as Manchester and Sheffield, are needlessly slow, and that enabling closer proximity between the North’s centres can only be positive. And connectivity is not the only hoped for benefit.

While road improvements are crucial, TfN also hopes to alleviate pressure on the road network by encouraging a better balance between car and rail use. This presents major opportunities for the rail sector to attract new customers and increase revenue.

Removing the barriers to rail travel Certainly the rail network cannot be directly compared to metropolitan underground systems such as the

TfN’s plans for integrated ticketing are a central plank of the Northern Transport Strategy and the Northern Powerhouse as a whole. Alongside the Rail Delivery Group’s stated aim to move towards paperless ticketing, TfN’s smart ticketing programme, Smart North, is intended to speed up the process of both buying and using tickets and to attract a demographic of customers who feel they have little time to spare.

Based initially on the Oyster system (and similar systems across Europe), journeys across the regions and across modes of transport would be purchased on one integrated ticketing system, in advance, and online.

According to Alison Pilling, who is managing the Smart North programme, the ultimate goal is to introduce a paperless – and possibly cardless – system. Oyster use is already declining, with the rise of payments by debit or credit card tapped directly onto barriers and, most recently, by payment-enabled smartphones. Pilling also notes that many areas in the North already have individual smart systems that are compatible with a new cardless system but not with Oyster, so that it may make sense to jump ahead on both counts.

Having said this, there are likely to be many intermediary stages and there are also questions to consider: for example, there still remains a demographic who feel more comfortable with face-to-face purchases and this may remain the case for many years to come,

Pictures The new entrance to Leeds station

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TICKETING

so that for at least the foreseeable future we will see a reduction in, rather than elimination of, customer service positions. Indeed we are likely to see shifts comparable to retail: ‘click’ has not replaced ‘brick’, rather the two now work in tandem. So that while TOCs are moving towards a reduction in crew numbers, including customer service booths and conductors, it may be many years before we abandon face-to-face service altogether.

The current approach Currently we find a two-pronged approach – many midsize stations still have earlier generation ticket gates that are not barcode-enabled and the priority is to upgrade these. Yet at outlying and rural stations there is a different approach. Unlike the London Tube, where it is viable for all stations to have ticket machines, at little-used rail stations, low passenger numbers and the risk of vandalism means that TVMs may not be viable. Instead TOCs are prioritising the installation of PVals (Platforms Validators), a comparatively simple technology which nonetheless serves as a preventative measure for revenue collections purposes. In addition as PVals collect data on passenger numbers, TOCs will eventually be able to tailor the frequency of the service more accurately to evolving passenger needs.

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There are other hurdles: not least, a fully integrated rail system across the North would necessitate a coherent pricing system across the board, which will require extensive negotiations by TfN. Nonetheless TfN’s Northern Transport Strategy Spring Report aims to activate the £150 million budget that the Chancellor set aside for the smart ticketing project in last Autumn’s Spending Review, and Smart North intends to introduce changes in a staggered way so that we see at least some benefits sooner rather than later. While specific details and timescales can still seem a little vague, it is nonetheless important for TOCs and station owners to start thinking in advance about the implications – and opportunities – of smart, integrated ticketing, both in the mid and long-term.

Barriers as opportunities Whilst some aspects of the Smart North Programme, including a pan-Northern pricing strategy, may involve a staggered implementation process, TOCs and station owners can begin development plans ahead of the game, assessing the condition of assets, planning for future capacity and envisioning directions for growth and improvement. Similarly any current plans for station refurbishments must take into account the shifts in the

way that stations are likely to be used in the future and the different layout and flow patterns that ticketless (or semi-ticketless) stations and increased passenger numbers require.

The smoother we make the ticketing process and the more people that choose to use rail, especially at peak times, the more ticket barriers we may need to introduce.

And this will also necessitate widened entrances, or more of them, which may require sensitive interventions, especially where stations are heritage assets. At the same time, as people purchase tickets online or as-they-go, the required number of customer service booths and TVMs declines, which also eliminates the need to accommodate long queues. The total area needed may not increase but it is clear that integrated ticketing will radically alter the layouts and requirements of stations as we currently know them – even more so as larger stations increasingly move towards more reliance on retail revenue.

Installing new barrier technologies then becomes an overall opportunity to rethink stations as a whole and to enhance their appeal, eliminating two historical barriers to rail use in one fell swoop: slow ticketing and station quality. At Coventry, for example, what began as a relatively straightforward process of installing ticket gates to move towards a more automated process,

and increasing the number of TVMs, revealed that the station layout itself would benefit greatly from overall improvement. In the end West Coast Railways took the opportunity for a complete re-ordering of the facilities, bringing multiple benefits to staff and passengers, including better customer interaction and much improved passenger flow. Similarly, at Stoke-on-Trent, initial ticketing work uncovered a hidden heritage asset which then became a far broader opportunity to enhance the station’s appeal. On a larger scale, while one impetus of the new entrance to Leeds Station was revenue collection, it was also part of a much more ambitious strategic vision which looks far into the future – and, in this instance – specifically towards the potential growth and benefits of the Northern Powerhouse.

Conclusion Considering future ticketing systems and future station needs in tandem not only makes practical sense but also presents opportunities to address, in one programme, two of the major historical barriers to increasing passenger numbers. As such, putting new barriers in place may well be the key to eliminating old ones.

Stephen Bottom is director (Rail) at AHR Building Consultancy

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TICKETING

The way forward

Nigel Hyslop, president and managing director UK at Global Payments, discusses the relentless rollout of contactless ticketing across the rail network, and the new IT, payment choices and mobile apps that are powering its progress

Above Using a contactless terminal

Above Nigel Hyslop is president and managing director UK at Global Payments

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T

wo years ago we wrote here about how contactless payments were just starting to gain traction on the transport network, with timepressed travellers beginning to turn to contactless for convenience and speed. Fast forward to 2016, and what’s changed?

The latest Card Expenditure Statistics* from the UK Card Association show that total UK card spending amounted to £51.9 billion in March 2016, up from £46.4 billion in the same month two years ago – a 12 per cent rise. This growth can be largely attributed to the ongoing migration of payments from cash to cards, boosted by the increased use and acceptance of contactless cards, not least at ticket offices on the rail network.

Indeed, according to the UK Card Association, in March this year contactless payments accounted for 15 per cent of total purchases, which is an increase from 6 per cent just 12 months ago. Alongside this, there has been a consistent decline in average transaction values (ATV) since 2011, mainly driven by the continuous migration of low value cash payments to cards.

What does this mean for rail companies?

There are two parallel contactless payment stories at play on UK’s rail network and it is important to differentiate between the two when looking at trends: retail payments – the payments customers make when they purchase tickets from a ticket office or machine; and transit payments – the payments made when customers use their contactless card as a ticket by pressing it to the barrier to get to the platform.

Looking firstly at retail payments, the rollout of contactless payment systems for retail purchases of tickets – at a ticket office – has accelerated in the last two years and its rollout across the network is well underway.

Just two years ago, Merseyrail, the busiest transport system outside of London, which carries more than 100,000 passengers on a typical working day, was the first UK rail company to introduce retail contactless payments across its network**. Currently, quite a few of

*UK Card Association: Card Expenditure Statistics March 2016 **BBC News: Contactless payments introduced on Merseyrail www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-24794486

makes it relatively simple for TfL to roll out contactless across its own ticket barriers; secondly, same-day journeys within London almost always cost less than £30, which is the upper limit for contactless payments.

But this is about to change. A pilot contactless scheme is currently underway on Chiltern Railways and more are expected to follow in quick pursuit, with much of the industry predicting that paper tickets will no longer exist by 2020 – an assertion backed by the transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, last year.

The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) is heavily committed to making this happen and is playing a pivotal role in moving contactless forward across the networks. The UK Card Association, supported by ATOC has been running monthly workshops with rail and bus companies and the cards industry for over a year now, enabling them to discuss how the TfL style system would work across the rest of the network.

So what’s next?

the nation’s ticket offices offer contactless payments, however it’s expected that by 2018 all stations to offer contactless payments for purchases up to £30 in their ticket office and self-service machines.

The technology is in place, and customers are ready for it – with those who were once reticent to use their cards for contactless payments, either because of security fears or lack of confidence, now doing so without even thinking. So, on the retail side, there is a focus on rolling out contactless technology across the network to reduce queuing times and provide a quicker customer experience. This will include Apple Pay and Android Pay. The transit model, on the other hand, is still in development and is currently only being offered by Transport for London where customers can touch in and out of stations using their contactless card in the same way as a pay-as-you-go Oyster card. In this regard, London continues to run at its own pace, with tap-in-tap-out payments at turnstiles now being the norm rather than the exception.

There are two main reasons that London has been able to offer this so much earlier than other parts of the network: firstly, it is a self-contained transport area, which

In order to roll out contactless for transit payments across the full network of train operating companies (TOCs), there needs to be a system to collect all the journey taps that a customer makes on any given day. This is to enable train companies to automatically work out the best fare for the customer so that no one is disadvantaged by tapping in and out. This requires a back office to collect all the taps – like the one TfL currently uses – which is currently in discussion with ATOC. Revenue protection is also key when customers travel across various parts of the rail network on one journey.

Controls need to be in place to ensure that customers can’t exploit the system. For example, so that a customer can’t get away with tapping in at London Kings Cross, tell the ticket inspector that they are alighting at Stevenage, but then stay on the train until Edinburgh.

One innovation that solves this is a mobile ticket app, which is currently in use by many TOCs. Customers download the app to their phone, purchase the ticket using their stored card details and then the ticket details are download to their phone in order to travel. It’s hoped that apps can be developed to the extent that the phone will be used as a virtual ticket using contactless technology at the ticket barriers.

Another method that is being developed is Card As Authority to Travel. This will enable customers to visit the rail website, which will ask them to nominate which card they would like to give Authority to Travel. When they touch that card to the barrier it will open because the card has been pre-authorised.

Some transport networks have been at the cutting edge of new payment technologies for over a decade, with TfL introducing the Oyster card as early as 2003 – long before contactless payment was even available for retail payments at ticket offices. But customer expectations are constantly rising and TOCs are going to great lengths to introduce new contactless updates to the rest of the network. It’s going to be an exciting few years to come.

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TICKETING

Not so smart?

Richard Farmer believes that rumours of the demise of the tangerine ticket may be a bit premature, and discusses some uncomfortable questions that need to be addressed before we sling our magnetic tickets and grab for a ‘smarter solution’

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Above The smart ticket

s debate continues to focus on the death of the tangerine ticket, there seems to be some disparity between what the future will hold for the ticketing industry and how quickly the move to a smart option can really be facilitated.

Like any new technology, it was to be expected that people would be excited by the benefits that a smart option could bring to travellers throughout the country. The thought of a single card that could provide multi-modal travel and top-up options seemed to be a positive step forward. The reality however is that the vision is immediate but the implementation will take time, alongside significant investment.

We should have learnt our lesson following the suggestion that commuters would be turning their backs on paper based tickets in favour of mobile phones. The truth is that less than 10 per cent of transactions are as a result of mobile technologies and paper based tickets are still a popular and preferred option for many.

Helpful and unhelpful

Above Richard Farmer is sales and marketing director for BemroseBooth Paragon, a leading supplier of transport tickets

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Announcing the death of a product that is still used every single day is premature to say the least and unhelpful at best. Rather than communicating a staged plan that will educate, inform and update passengers about the changes that will be made – in order for the transition to be seamless – there are comments made that leave us all baffled.

As a company that works on both sides of the debate, manufacturing millions of magnetic stripe tickets and also offering smart and contactless solutions, it can be challenging to sit back and watch the debate rage on when we know that what we should be doing is working together and using our collective knowledge and advice

to manage and facilitate change that will have a huge impact on travellers throughout the country.

As a specialist within this industry, we believe that it would make more sense to get around a table and discuss how we approach the change from one ticket to another and how we support a phased transition. We can’t expect that commuters will swap from one ticket to another overnight, this is simply unrealistic.

We know that a great deal of work has taken place over recent years, not least to update some stations throughout the country to become smart enabled. It is also fair to say however that there is still a long way to go before smart ticketing can be facilitated on every bus and in every train station throughout the country.

Working together is the key Rather than dismissing a product that continues to support millions of journeys every single day, we should be considering how another product can become just as popular, while bringing extra benefits to travellers and passenger transport organisations wherever they are based in the country.

If we work together not only will we be in a stronger position to correctly implement these changes, but we can take the time to support an industry that has relied on the paper based tickets to keep thousands of people in employment.

We are missing the bigger picture with this debate and in actual fact we are being anything but ‘smart’ in the way that we are addressing the changes that we know are inevitable. The evolution from tangerine ticket to smart card will have a lasting impact on a number of industries and we need to make sure that they are ready for that.

INNOVATION

Innovation in action -

are we ready?

GHD’s Mike Grimsey explores a cultural shift in industry attitudes towards innovation and the potential impacts on Britain’s future railway

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Below Mike Grimsey, technical leader for rail at GDH

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aving recently taken on the role of technical leader for rail at GHD, Mike is passionate about delivering transformative and meaningful industry improvements through the promotion of innovation and implementation of new technology.

For this to be truly achieved, however, he believes it is vital for the industry to work together to play its part in better showcasing the attractiveness of the railway sector, to encourage sustainable inward investment from the private sector, particularly in the area of emerging technologies.

If we are to be successful in our determination to attract the best entrepreneurial talent from the private sector, then we need look no further than the spectacular achievements of Elon Musk and his pioneering SpaceX, Hyperloop and Tesla technologies as an incentive to characterise the ‘art of the possible’ within a railway

industry that is determined to meet the needs of future societal demands for mobility.

In establishing the Rail Supply Group, the Government has created a united ‘shop window’ for the industry and this should be commended. Furthermore, with the recent launch of the Sector Strategy, signs are promising that at last, both inward investment and global exports will more noticeably characterise the activities the industry undertakes as it responds to the challenges of the Rail Technical Strategy in creating the railway of the future.

Within our industry, we have mostly become familiar with the Rail Technical Strategy and its 4Cs challenge, as well as its drive for embedding a culture of whole systems thinking. Mike, with his former organisation and now with GHD, has been heavily involved in the promotion of these priorities, through the delivery of evidential research and technical advice to customers including the Department

long term. Finance organisations are increasingly calling upon the views of ‘Futurists’; intelligent, techno-savvy, young professionals, to predict future scenarios upon which these institutions may base their business-critical investment decisions.

A key element of being prepared is to evolve as reliable as possible, evidence-based, business-critical views about known emerging technologies, such as autonomous systems, robotics, artificial intelligence etc, in order that we can assess and prepare for their impacts.

The harder task is to predict scenarios that meet future societal expectations and demands for mobility.

These expectations will result from the disruptive impacts of presently unknown technologies that are certain to emerge. We only need to look at how the smart phone has transformed our lives and behaviours, in ways we could never have imagined only ten years ago.

The challenges ahead

for Transport, RSSB and its Future Railway team.

Whilst the importance of engaging the private sector is vital, Mike believes it is of equal importance to work closely with academia. Through collaboration with the academic world, innovative capital may be unlocked and given a route to market in a way that can keep up with the rate of progress within the technology sector.

Preparing for the future Interestingly, in speaking with like-minded businesses within other sectors, such as banking, finance or insurance (industries that are ultra-sensitive to the impacts of emerging technologies) it is fascinating, says Mike, how aligned their challenges are with ours in the transport sector. Crucially, the steps these businesses are taking to safeguard their businesses might offer us a glimpse of how we can position ourselves ready for action in the

Returning to the here and now, we must recognise that many of the obstacles which have stood in the way of innovation in the railway industry have resulted from its unique characteristics and circumstances. These have helped to shape our inherent cautiousness to encourage change/progress because of the perceived risks imparted as a result of doing so.

Some examples might include the investment timeframes that infrastructure managers and rolling stock owners are locked into once committed to a particular solution. Another example, rightly, is the role of our colleagues in industrial relations who protect the rights of our workforce in the face of huge pressure from advocates of automation. Another includes the real and perceived safety risks associated with introducing new and previously ‘unproven’ technologies and the likelihood of funders to secure any return of their investments.

In acknowledging these barriers we can begin to scale up the challenges to be overcome, as indeed they must.

For the railway as we know it to survive and prosper in the future, it has to embrace the future wholeheartedly.

The railway must be fit for the 21st century in meeting the ever-growing customer needs and our changing patterns of mobility.

This is not a challenge to be underestimated, particularly when we factor in that we have a growing population to provide for. Despite the popularity of digital communication tools, there is no indication of any slow-down in our incessant demand to, and right for, transport mobility.

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INNOVATION

Pieces of the puzzle Change is inevitable and accelerating and we have to question whether we are prepared or, as may prove to be the case, do we find ourselves having to retro-fit a disruptive innovation that by virtue of its impact, changes how we think and act forever thereafter? Mike thinks that we are more prepared that we appreciate, we just have to create the right environment within which to promote and accelerate the rate of change, based upon a business model that achieves the right balance between opportunity, risk and value.

There is another interesting dimension to this puzzle and that is, to consider the unintended consequences that result as the future inevitably unfolds. Let us consider the emergence of autonomous systems (driverless cars) on our strategic roads (oh yes, they are coming and will be here before we know it). There has been so much emphasis on these wonderful technologies yet, much less in terms of their impacts on legislation or transport policy, on standards and practices, and, critically, on human behaviour and acceptance.

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Just imagine, how will we feel and behave driving our cars in the middle lane of a motorway, beside conveys of electrically-coupled driverless vehicles in the adjacent lane? Interestingly, the Docklands Light Railway hasn’t seemingly attracted such concerns, even in the knowledge that it has a driverless system – there are certainly some learning points for the railway industry here as it errs towards a driverless future.

The changing face of mobility So, how are changing views and expectations set to alter the way we think about mobility? Mike reflects on two interesting and corroborated views, garnered from different sectors. The first is rather surprising and quite challenging, and it is that transport is seen in some sectors as being the single largest obstacle standing in the way of the economic health and vibrancy of our cities.

The second is that today, our world is less about countries and more about cities, in terms of economic well-being and future growth. In short, the transport

Conclusion

industry has to recognise that it has many challenges to overcome if it is to deliver the services to be demanded of it by our future generations. Particularly when we factor in that our mobility will undoubtedly adapt to the capabilities of emerging technologies.

What does this mean? Well, maybe in the (near) future, we won’t own cars (these trends are already emerging in urban environments), rather we will buy mobility services that suit and reflect the needs of the journeys we plan to make. Maybe in the future, trains will behave more like cars and cars, more like trains, if we think again about the analogy of electrically coupled vehicles.

Let’s imagine just how wonderful it would be to have real time passenger guidance systems, intelligent assets that can inform us of their availability in an utterly reliable and pro-active (pre-emptive manner) and demand-led services that provide customers with the flexibility and customisation we crave. To imagine that we might almost entirely re-think how we build things and energise systems. This isn’t a pipe dream; this will be a reality that we have to be ready for.

Mike returns for a moment to the Rail Technical Strategy, enthusing that he remains a committed advocate of its vision. However he also believes that we have to think big and not to be worried about the risks that many will visualise to prevent or slow down the inevitable pace of change. We have to create the space, time and belief to take these big steps to securing the future of mobility to create a legacy to be proud of. We might also give serious consideration to developing a Transport Technical Strategy that provides an entire network/system perspective (road, rail, sea and air) of our mobility and economic transportation needs, as they become less modally relevant and more focused on journey delivery.

Are we ready? Well, the industry has carried out a lot of work around innovation maturity and industry readiness levels, resulting in an evidence-based view that there is much to do. Maybe this is a wake-up call for us to re-think how we go about this challenge, if we are to combat, for example obsolescence and lack of affordable flexibility as our world increasingly demands progress through innovation.

Maybe we need parallel investment in applied research alongside major investment programmes to hasten routes to market. And of course, we all perform according to how we are measured, so if we are not measured in terms of implementing our creative capital, why will we do it? So maybe the solution to our challenge is more of a human nature and requires a more convincing ‘can do’ approach. So, are we ready? Absolutely, the industry is standing by and waiting so let’s embrace it and enjoy the future. It’s looking ‘bright’.

Mike Grimsey Mike Grimsey has enjoyed a 30 year career in the rail industry spanning both technical, management and business leadership and have featured evidence-based research, planning, design and construction. Prior to joining GHD, Mike was responsible for the rail business at the Transport Research Laboratory, a highly respected, independent research and consulting organisation.

The GHD Smart Seeds programme Launched in Australia in 2013 to harness the intellect and enterprise of young professionals, the programme sees young people working with industry sponsors to generate fresh ideas to solve the real industry challenges. Mike is currently making arrangements to bring the Smart Seeds programme to the UK, and will be seeking to work closely with interested parties and sponsors.

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MAINTENANCE

Predict,prevent and prosper Kevin Price from Infor looks at the role of big data and analytics in boosting asset management in the rail industry

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Kevin Price Infor

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ith recent figures from the Office of Rail and Road showing a record 1.69 billion passenger rail journeys in Great Britain in the 2015–2016 period, up two per cent on 2015 and a staggering 129.8 per cent since 1994-1995, it’s not surprising that according to some, we’re at the start of a new Golden Age of rail travel. This new Golden Age inevitably puts added pressure on those rail companies who are responsible for facilitating this increase in passenger journeys. Rail subsidies may have risen, but spend per journey has decreased, with rail businesses the world over faced with the seemingly ever-present conundrum of how to do more with less. Nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to the efficient and effective management of the rail infrastructure.

Rail businesses are well aware of the fact that continuous investment in the rail infrastructure is key, as are Governments across the globe. The UK’s Network Rail is currently undertaking a £38 billion programme of upgrades to its network, and in the US, under MAP-21 legislation, the US Government have made funding grants totaling $10 billion available over the next ten years for transit agencies to maintain bus and rail systems in a ‘State of Good Repair’. These investments surrounding repairing infrastructure assets and prolonging the infrastructure, as well as keeping them safe to operate

on and around are monumental. However, the only way to resolve the gap between funding and growth is to become more efficient and make better decisions about how to invest limited resources. This is where preventative maintenance comes into play.

Why preventative maintenance?

With the right systems in place, rail companies can stop the break-fix cycle, improving the ratio of corrective maintenance to preventative maintenance. By identifying looming faults and forecasting the optimal time for maintenance, the right predictive maintenance solution ultimately allows rail companies to proactively manage their many and varied assets before service is unduly affected.

For those rail businesses with responsibility for infrastructure management, the sheer complexity of the assets involved, including a mixture of linear, point, networked, vertical and componentised assets, means that any solution which provides a better understanding of the state and operating conditions of these key rail assets is key. The more proactively and cohesively these often disparate assets are managed, then the more likely the rail company is to achieve its core objectives of safety, service and efficiency throughout the infrastructure, as well as increasing the potential to maximise every asset’s ability to produce revenue.

infrastructure and its condition over time. This can involve managing track geometry measurements and exception data, as well as longitudinal rail profile measurements and rail defects. The technology is out there to analyse multiple measurements of linear assets such as tracks or overhead lines, determining deterioration rates and creating the ability to predict future conditions or dates for potential asset failure.

With preventative maintenance analytics in place, rail businesses are in a good position to exploit this Big Data, identifying patterns that can help to more accurately predict future performance of assets. Data from on-signal sensors, for example, can be integrated with data from visual inspections, manual measurements, videos and operational data, which is then fed into a central system where it’s presented to end users in a format tailored to their individual needs. What results are faster, more accurate insights which inform and enable a move away from interval-based maintenance towards the more efficient condition-based maintenance.

A bright future

As part of a distinct move away from a one-sizefits-all culture of compliance, an effective predictive maintenance system goes a long way to helping rail companies to evaluate where an infrastructure’s greatest vulnerabilities lie. By building up an accurate picture of resources and their reliability, monitoring exactly how assets do and should behave, rail businesses can adjust their maintenance strategies accordingly and implement smarter maintenance planning, boosting reliability, mitigating against risk and optimising costs.

Data is king Predictive maintenance is only now really coming into its own. This is due, in part, to the new breed of applications out there which have the ability to support every type of asset used in the rail industry, as well as empower a mobile workforce to report faults and anomalies in real-time. As is the case with pretty much all industries, assets are increasingly generating more data. And, with technology in the rail sector evolving to facilitate the shift from analogue to digital monitoring equipment, improving the speed and reliability of data capture, this amount of data will only increase.

For example, there are systems available to manage rail conditions, collecting, viewing, analysing and managing every dimension of a rail company’s

Without a solid, robust, well-maintained infrastructure, there can be no new Golden Age of rail travel. Effective predictive maintenance, combined with analytics and the right processes in place means that rail companies can manage planned and corrective infrastructure maintenance more efficiently, boosting productivity, lessening risk and increasing customer satisfaction, while adhering to strict safety, legislative and ISO5500 and ISO 14224 requirements.

As more and more rail companies embrace the benefits that a modern preventative maintenance programme can bring, unplanned service interruptions, outages due to equipment failures and the resulting customer dissatisfaction will occur much less frequently. As the need for large scale efficiencies throughout the global rail industry shows no sign of abating, businesses could do much worse than invest in predictive maintenance with a view to achieving those all-important efficiency savings while improving service levels and making a healthy profit.

The value of Big Data • D etermine equipment maintenance schedule using real data • A scertain appropriate depth of analytics in order to expedite value • P inpoint unreliable assets / suppliers / processes • Predict reliability issues before they happen • Ensure uptime • Achieve compliance with Government and industry regulations • Prolong asset lifespan

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NEWS I Appointments RSSB makes two board appointments

Shell/BG exec becomes Wessex route MD

l RSSB has strengthened its board with the appointment of two new industry non-executive directors.

l Network Rail has appointed Becky Lumlock as route managing director for Wessex, one of the busiest routes on the rail network which includes Waterloo station and the major commuter area to the south and west of London.

Becky joins Network Rail on 1 November from Shell/BG where she is currently managing director of Dragon LNG, one of the UK’s major gas import terminals. She replaces John Halsall who moves to the South East route.

Becky has over 20 years’ experience in the energy industry, living and working across four continents, delivering major infrastructure projects and managing complex oil and gas operations. She will work closely with South West Trains, which operates the main rail franchise on the Wessex route.

Phil Hufton, managing director, England & Wales, said: “I am pleased to welcome Becky to Network Rail. Her strong commercial background and the transferable skills she brings from the energy industry will be invaluable on this busy route.”

Lee Jones, will represent infrastructure contractor members on the board. He has more than 35 years’ experience in the rail industry and is currently sector director, rail and metro at Amey.

Prior to this he was tube lines’ operations director for the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines covering the period of the London Olympics in 2012.

He succeeds Paul Kirk, whose ten-year term ended in July.

Andy Thomas takes up the reins in Wales

Phillip Hoare, group managing director, transportation UK & Europe at Atkins will represent supplier members on the board.

Phillip is a chartered civil engineer with more than 20 years’ experience working in the highways and transportation sector. He is a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Highways and Transportation.

He succeeds Jeremy Candfield, whose tenyear term on the board ended in April.

RSSB chairman Anna Bradley said: “I am delighted to welcome both Lee and Philip to the board. They bring with them a wealth of experience in the transport sector, and I am sure they will make an invaluable contribution to the important work RSSB is doing on behalf of the rail industry.”

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Andy Thomas joined Network Rail on 1 August from the Keolis Group where he was managing director for Hyderabad Mass Transit Metro in India. He has taken up the role of Network Rail managing director in Wales, tasked with delivering a bigger, better railway for passengers and businesses in Wales and the borders.

Andy has almost three decades of experience providing strategic, programme and operations leadership to major transport and engineering businesses internationally, including successful strategic leadership roles with Transport for New South Wales in Australia and Transport for London, where he was head of strategic planning and performance.

He will be responsible for more than 900 miles of track across Wales and the border counties of England, over 1,300 trains and day and more than 1,400 staff.

Expertise for Network Rail’s new Property Board

Neil Sachdev l Neil Sachdev and Steve Smith have been appointed non executive directors for Network Rail’s new Property Board.

They have a combined total of 73 years’ experience working in the UK’s property and regeneration sector, and have between them managed large-scale retail, mixed-use and housing developments, significant programmes of investment and divestment and regeneration projects.

The appointments follow the April 2016 announcement that a new Property Board was being established to approve and make recommendations about investments in and

Steve Smith disposals of Network Rail’s estate and property assets. The move is aimed at giving Network Rail’s specialist transport property business a greater degree of independence.

David Biggs, managing director of Network Rail Property, said: “Our new non-executive directors are both leading UK property experts who will bring hugely valuable commercial experience to our business. I look forward to working with them to continue to unlock land for homes, drive economic growth in towns and cities and reinvest money into the rail network to help fund the Railway Upgrade Plan.”

ENGINEERING

careful consideration. Politicians and officials leading the exit negotiations must be equipped with the facts – on the likely impact on the sector’s skills supply, costs and capability, but also on the key issues surrounding infrastructure investment, and on what the UK will need to maintain its status as world leader in engineering research.

One industry voice

Lifting the cloud of uncertainty

From skills to regulations to investment, the effects of Brexit will be felt at all levels of our industry. Sir John Armitt looks at how we can overcome the challenges Above Sir John Armitt is a member of the National Infrastructure Commission and former chair of the Olympic Delivery Authority

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he EU referendum outcome has left a cloud of uncertainty over the infrastructure and construction industry. Access to skills, foreign investment, use of codes, standards and regulations, and funding for research – the things which are core to delivering the infrastructure that forms the backbone of the UK economy, are hanging in the balance.

Brexit impact During recent weeks, I have been asked numerous questions around use of pan-European codes, standards and practices. We are a global industry with a global supply chain. It is clear to me that we should not walk away from practices which create a common framework for trade, and help us do business not only across the continent, but all over the world. The UK’s record on transparency and fair procurement processes also signifies the strength of the UK market and I see no reason why this would not continue.

The answer to the fundamental question around skills is less clear. The sector already faces a skills shortage.

Government predicts that the current infrastructure pipeline creates demand for over 400,000 engineering and construction workers by 2020 – with a need to recruit and train nearly 100,000 additional workers by the end of the decade.

UK infrastructure businesses employ many thousands of EU citizens and rely on the ability to bring in specialist skills. The construction sector also depends on a transitory EU workforce. We have some major projects in the future pipeline, but industry also needs to be confident that it can get hold of the skills needed for this work over the next few years. It needs this assurance now.

The issue of free movement in a Brexit world is extremely complex, politically charged, and requires

So our industry must look forwards; we must work together to ensure these negotiations are informed. ICE is well placed to bring the sector together and channel its collective expertise through a single voice, and I am pleased to have established a leadership group to drive this forward, including experts from Pinsent Masons, Atkins, RICS, Skanska, Aecom, KPMG, BSI and the Construction Leadership Council.

The group will gather expert knowledge, data and evidence on what it agrees are the fundamental issues facing the sector, and provide compelling evidence based briefings to negotiators. It will liaise with politicians and civil servants and appoint other industry experts to assist them. Ultimately our aim is to help this team negotiate the best possible deal for the country. The Royal Academy of Engineering is undertaking a programme of work in parallel looking across the engineering disciplines, and we will feed into this.

Identifying opportunities I have always felt that Britain is at its best in a crisis.

Our ability to pull together is central to that and in this unprecedented situation it will help us in identifying not only the risks we face, but the opportunities ahead. Our industry is uniting, but now more than ever it – and the country as a whole – needs political unity. We need a move towards cross party consensus on the negotiation outcomes that are in the best interest of UK plc and society.

Political hiatus will only exacerbate the uncertainty and send a negative message to investors. The National Infrastructure Development Plan (NIDP) is clear on its reliance on private investment to deliver much of the UK’s future infrastructure, and the new Government must continue to foster belief that the UK is a growing economy and a place which offers a good return on investments.

This means it must visibly step up and reassert its commitment to infrastructure. It must progress core projects and programmes, drive the NIDP forwards, and not duck out of taking bold, strategic decisions on issues that are vital to the UK’s competitiveness and show we remain open for business.

ICE has published a briefing on the importance of infrastructure to a strong UK economy following the EU referendum, Brexit: The Case for Infrastructure.

Originally published on the Institution of Civil Engineers Infrastructure Blog

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Rail Alliance

Recent new members of the Rail Alliance Technocover Ltd

Quick Release

PP Group of Companies

Dedicated to the development, manufacture, installation and maintenance of high quality security products including access doors, covers, cabinets/kiosks and enclosures, walkin modular buildings etc.

Tel: 01938 555 511 Email: techweb@technocover.co.uk Web: www.technocover.co.uk

Consultancy service dedicated to product data management (PDM) optimisation to unlock value, eliminate waste and deliver lasting performance improvements.

Tel: 01277 525 535 Web: www.quickrelease.co.uk

One of UK’s leading independent profiling and processing companies providing diverse, highquality profiling, processing and manufacturing services across a vast range of industries.

Tel: 01617 369 299 Email: sales@ppgroupltd.co.uk Web: www.ppgroupltd.co.uk

The Go-Ahead Group Plc

Vortok International

Marketing consultancy providing advice, help and support for companies wanting to enter or increase their profile in the rail industry.

Tel: 07768 625 302 Email: info@markwell-marketing.co.uk Web: www.markwell-marketing.co.uk

Largest passenger rail provider in the UK carrying over 30 per cent of train services and more commuters into London every weekday than any other national rail provider. Also the largest operator of bus services in London.

Tel: 0207 799 8999 Email: enquiries@go-ahead.com Web: www.go-ahead.com

T&RS Engineering Ltd

Emergency Planning College

ALSTOM

Engineering consultancy relating to maintenance and overhaul of fleets of traction and rolling stock.

Tel: 01302 898 645 Email: mail@trsengineering.co.uk Web: www.trsengineering.co.uk

UK’s leading centre for organisational resilience giving assurance against adversity – delivering training in emergency and crisis management, business continuity, cyber resilience, event and public safety.

Tel: 01347 821 406 Email: enquiries@emergencyplanningcollege .com Web: www.epcresilience.com

Alstom has been involved in some of this country’s most significant and innovative rail transportation infrastructure such as HS1, Manchester Metrolink, Network Rail’s signalling and electrification systems, Nottingham Tram and half the trains on the London Underground.

They help design, build and maintain the UK and Ireland’s large scale rail infrastructure and have invested, innovated and developed the world’s most sophisticated engineering and new rail technology.

Tel: + 33 (0)157 068 000 Web: www.alstom.com/uk

Markwell Marketing

Neopul UK Leading and highly specialised railway construction company developing, designing, building and maintaining railway infrastructures since 1989. Projects range from underground metro to high speed lines.

Tel: + 351 219 104 000 Email: geral@neopul.pt Web: www.neopul.pt

Neterson Holdings Ltd Parent company of Tritech Group and Yeovil Precision Castings which both offer aluminium, air melt steels and vacuum superalloys investment casting.

Tel: 01978 661 111 Email: sales@tritechgroup.co.uk Web: www.tritechgroup.co.uk Tel: 01935 426 271 Email: mail@yeovil-precision.co.uk Web: www.yeovil-precision.co.uk

Capula Ltd Leading independent technology company implementing control, automation and real-time IT solutions across multiple sectors.

Tel: 01785 827 000 Web: www.capula.co.uk

Alumasc Water Management Solutions Suppliers of a comprehensive range of products that provide complete control over water originating inside and outside the building envelope, protecting structures and providing absolute confidence in conveying it safely to the point of discharge.

Tel: 01744 648 400 Email: info@alumascwms.co.uk Web: www.alumascwms.co.uk

Design and manufacture of new rail engineering technology creating unique solutions to rail track maintenance, rail signalling and rail stressing problems.

Tel: 01752 349 200 Email: info@vortok.com Web: www.vortok.com

Newburgh Precision Contract manufacturer of high precision engineering components and assemblies for the rail, defence, oil & gas, power generating and nuclear industries.

Tel: 01709 724 260 Email: sales@np-ltd.co.uk Web: www.np-ltd.co.uk

Empark UK Design, build and operate all types of parking facility in any environment.

Tel: 01279 666 067 Web: www.empark.co.uk

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

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Innovation

European Patent 1659046

Patent of the month

Patent attorney ROSIE HARDY explains how Alstom has protected its innovative new rail safety system which includes on-board controls configured to both national and EU standards

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Rosie Hardy is a patent attorney at leading European intellectual property firm Withers & Rogers

he rail industry is being encouraged to develop innovation to improve the safety of the country’s railway network. The new strategy set out in the RSSB’s ‘Leading Health and Safety on Britain’s Railways’ highlights a number of priorities.

Any safety solutions that are being developed must comply with certified standards. With this in mind, rail transport company, Alstom, has developed a new on-board railway safety system that complies with both European and national standards.

Given the commercial opportunities of a system that is interoperable across Europe, Alstom has protected the new on board railway safety system using a family of patents. These include European Patent 1659046, which features EU-approved on-board controls configured to operate nationally-approved protection equipment for the railway vehicle.

How this works These EU on-board controls include a safety management computer that is able to receive signals from the European rail traffic management system (ERTMS) and a communication device that interfaces between the computer and the nationally-approved protection equipment.

This communication device interacts with the computer using the UNISIG subset 35 035, FFIS STM European communication standard. It then transforms the

commands into the appropriate national communication standard for the protection equipment.

By creating a safety system that integrates European standard controls with national standard protection equipment, this clever solution is able to utilise protection equipment that has already been established for use on a national rail network. By using this prior-approved protection equipment the certification process for the Alstom system is simplified.

What the patent does The European patent gives Alstom a valuable monopoly over its on-board railway safety system. If businesses protect their safety innovations in the same way, then patent protection will give them control over the manufacture, sale and licensing of their ideas.

For UK-based companies, patents will also allow the business to obtain Patent Box relief in order to reduce the amount of Corporation Tax payable on worldwide profits made from selling and licensing the invention.

Without patent protection, competitors would be able to freely copy the invention, which could erode the company’s market share. In addition, any profits earned as a result of using the innovative technology would be liable for the full rate of Corporation Tax. Rail sector innovators should follow Alstom’s example and take steps to protect their safety inventions in order to realise their commercial potential.

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WORLD FOCUS - Europe

Harmonising safety standards Greig Duncan of Ideagen explores the background to the Fourth Railway Package, and discusses what it could mean for rail safety across Europe

Top Greig Duncan is rail marketing executive for Ideagen

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aintaining a robust and controlled approach to safety on Europe’s railways and the task of interoperability has represented a challenge to the National Safety Agencies (NSAs) and the various legislation parties within the European Commission in recent years.

Whilst safety standards on the whole are statistically improving across Europe’s rail sector, (there has been an annual reduction of just under 10 per cent), the majority of recent high-scale and fatal safety incidents (such as Bad Aibling in Germany, the Santiago de Compostela derailment in Spain and Dalfsen in the Netherlands) could probably have been avoided.

According to the European Council: “The fourth railway package aims to remove the remaining barriers to the creation of a single European rail area. The end result should be higher levels of safety, interoperability and reliability in the European rail network.”

Taking the lead on safety Traditionally, some critics have falsely viewed the rail industry as being averse to change, dated, and incapable of performing efficiently, due to its switch to privatisation – this happened in a number of countries and not just the UK. The commission’s regulation (EC) 653/2007 of 13 June 2007 advises on the use of a common European format for safety certificates and application documents in accordance with Article 10 of Directive 2004/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and on the validity of safety certificates delivered under Directive 2001/14/EC. Taking the lead from other safety-driven industries such as aviation and oil & gas to roll out and adhere to EU-wide standards and directives could yield positive results. While these industries do not have a fault-free record in terms of safety, these shared standards have helped to promote a collective understanding and responsibility for safety, quality and risk reduction.

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There are a number of benefits to introducing a centralised method of logging safety incidents, close calls and non-conformances – the main advantages are that common safety indicators, methods and targets can be enhanced – meaning that risk is reduced when crossing borders. The main challenge in introducing single safety certificates is multiple languages, different cultural approaches to safety and multi-country differences in terminology (Common Safety Indicators were harmonised in 2010). The bottom line is that, once these hurdles are overcome, the rail industry will be more streamlined, efficient and vitally it will be a safer place for passengers, employees and the supply chain.

Becoming more intelligent Transparency in incident reporting will no-doubt help the EU region become more intelligent in terms of smarter analysis of trends in data around incidents and closecalls. A combined shared service would allow data to be analysed almost instantly – which in turn allows the identification of trends in locations and controls can be put in place to potentially stop incidents occurring.

The potential is there for a marked improvement from the existing (often unreliable and inaccurate) manual processes involving Excel spreadsheets and paperwork.

The UK rail industry has recently taken the steps to roll out their new SMIS+ safety information management and close-call system throughout the industry – an initiative that could conceivably be followed by train operators, national safety authorities and regulators across Europe.

With legislative changes on the horizon, it could be a perfect time for a number of key national operators to position themselves to deliver a competitive advantage and leadership in this area – prior to the official introduction of fresh ways of working.

Once any initial teething problems have been tackled, the rail industry is perfectly positioned to challenge other sectors as being leaders in safety.

WORLD FOCUS - Europe

Europe gives its backing

Natasha Marie Levanti of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ICE) reports on the latest resolution to come out of the EU Parliament, and its implications for the rail supply chain

O Above Natash Marie Levanti of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ICE)

n 9 June the EU Parliament adopted the Resolution on the competitiveness of the European rail supply industry (2015/2887(RSP), which will serve to increase the ability of those engaged in the rail sector to compete not only within Europe but also globally.

As the EU represents the largest absolute market worldwide for both rail products and services, according to the UNIFE World Rail Market Study 2014, it is vital that those involved are fully competitive within global markets.

Of the EU market, 84 per cent of needs for supplies and services are met by the European rail supply industry.

Europe’s rail supply industry The European rail supply industry (RSI) accounts for roughly 46 per cent of the world’s total RSI market.

European RSI is known to employ approximately 400,000 employees, and the European railway sector overall is cumulatively responsible for more than 1 million direct and 1.2 million indirect jobs through EU member states.

The EU, and subsequently many member states, have repeatedly asserted the key role that the rail industry plays in allowing Europe to achieve its goals for mitigating emissions, limiting other negative factors within climate change, and facilitating the essential achievement of the 20 per cent reindustrialisation target, with the rail industry holding the lowest share of EU transport CO2 emissions (only 1.8 per cent).

With constant development of rail technologies such as high speed or magnetic levitation, lighter weight materials, satellite based positioning or timing systems, and cross border connectivity, it is imperative that the European rail industry as a whole continually improves.

The resolution takes shape In April, the Members of the European Parliament Industry Committee (ITRE) had adopted the resolution by a large majority. The ITRE committee members within this made know their strong desire to support European rail suppliers, as well as the need for this to be prioritised to ensure that the European industry continues to lead within the greater global rail market.

Despite the current level of research and development at approximately 2.7 per cent of annual turnover, part of the new resolution is to create a renewed European rail industry innovation agenda.

Other major aspects of the resolution include supporting SMEs that work within RSI, increasing the investment in rail projects through a variety of existing EU funding mechanisms, increasing global competitiveness of European rail through various trade negotiations, as well as improving the amount of political knowledge and support of the European rail industry.

Many of these objectives rest in line with the European Union’s recent priorities, including decreasing red tape, fostering innovation, supporting SMEs, and ensuring the competitiveness of European industry on global markets.

Competitiveness at its heart When it was discussed and adopted during the European Parliament Plenary session, it had the vast support of those in the room, though this was not surprising given the visible support for this throughout Europe as another way to ensure European competitiveness.

Much of the attention gained on this topic has been related to the increasing level of competition with Asian suppliers. While 84 per cent of the EU market is being met by European rail supply industry, if global competitiveness is not achieved, this percentage will decline without proportionate increase elsewhere. Such must be avoided, and is the key objective of the resolution that has been passed today.

Inevitably, as rail is an essential part of daily transport options for many Europeans, rail also impacts the overall EU economy. Efficiencies in overall productivity of an economy can be made through better transportation, and as is often pointed out in times when transport networks are down, there is a productivity cost associated with poor quality transport.

The Rapporteur for this resolution is MEP Martina Werner, done on behalf of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. She is a German Member of the European Parliament with noted involvement and advocacy of actions relating to Energy, Steel, Rail, industries and competitive trade.

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ROLLING STOCK

Safety round the clock

Rod Holroyd discusses the role of antivibration and suspension solutions in maintaining reliable and safe rail services, and how Crossrail is striving to achieve that

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ith passenger numbers and rail fares continuing to rise in the UK, the demand on operators to provide improved efficiency and reliability around the clock has never been higher. To help avoid unnecessary operational delays and improve the customer experience, operators are now turning to train manufacturers and OEMs to guarantee that components are not only long-lasting but will satisfy the demand for 24/7 rail transportation.

The New York Subway has long operated a 24 hour service thanks to rigorous train and track maintenance, with many urban and surburban rail operators across the world following suit – either introducing new, longer running services or announcing plans to increase demand. Operators in Seoul, Korea, have already outlined plans for an overnight service, with Transport for London recently announcing overnight services will begin this summer.

Questions about 24/7 operation While the introduction of the overnight tube service has largely been met with positive feedback from passengers and stakeholders, there are queries from operators about the impact longer-running services may have on maintenance patterns and whether those responsible for repair and overhaul will be able to undertake the work in smaller time frames. This comes at a time when the industry is looking to increase maintenance intervals and utilise other methods and strategies to identify component failure.

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Typically, passenger trains operate up to 20 hours a day but the extended service will see an extra four hours added to their running period, increasing the amount of miles each train travels every day. While daily maintenance and routine inspections are a necessity, the additional pressure on maintenance operators could be removed if longer-lasting, reliable components are installed and specified during the design and build stage. This in turn could help lengthen time frames for regular preventative maintenance, and ensure parts are only replaced during the heavy overhaul stage.

When it comes to integral compenents, such as antivibration and suspension solutions, a number of environmental factors can influence the longevity of their performance, including heat, light, chemicals, track conditions and load bearing. Commuter trains operating in the morning and the evening will inevitably have higher loads during these periods as more people travel by train, and by comparison early morning or late evening services will transport fewer passengers. Nonetheless, the longer running period will have an impact on the service life of rolling stock, so the key focus is to ensure the trains are safe and reliable whenever they are in operation.

Not just a matter of comfort and safety Suspension and antivibration components are recognised for the role they play in ensuring customer safety and comfort, but they are also vital in decreasing the overall maintenance costs by reducing the force of the vibrations on surrounding components and improving

their longevity. Passenger trains are exposed to a range of forces and vibrations during service as a result of track conditions, which can cause noise and discomfort for those on board. Antivibration products are an essential consideration in maintaining passenger comfort at varying loads and speeds, and to counteract track irregularities while optimising vehicle movement, allowing vertical and lateral forces to be transmitted safely.

With safety the number one concern for the industry, antivibration products play an important role in protecting those on board. Although many components are currently fit for purpose for the present operating conditions, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) need to ensure their products are robust enough to meet the demands of future performance requirements, such as longer operating times and increased passenger levels.

Applying this to Crossrail

element analysis and rigorous lab testing prior to final delivery to ensure they can provide longer periods

This challenge was recognised by Bombardier Transportation who awarded Trelleborg a contract to supply a suite of suspension and antivibration components for their Class 345 Aventra EMU fleet currently being constructed to supply Crossrail in London.

The new service will run up to 24 trains per hour and once fully operational in 2019, it will increase London’s rail transport use by 10 per cent, reinforcing the need for durable and reliable rolling stock, which requires little or no heavy maintenance.

The components which have been supplied to Bombardier include primary suspension, anti-roll bar bushing and lateral buffers. The springs are produced from a rubber formulation which provides low creep performance and a high damping factor, ensuring longevity and minimum maintenance. The lateral buffers have a strong compression stiffness characteristic, combined with low-friction padding to prevent shearing movement damage, with the anti-roll bushings benefiting from optimised high radial and low torsional stiffness.

These solutions deliver long service life, reduced maintenance, increased passenger comfort and reliability.

In addition, the primary conical springs fully comply with the updated EN45545 fire safety standard, thanks to the application of a unique fire protective coating, DragonCoat. The flexible coating is flame and fire retardant, helping to delay the effects of fire on rubber products while ensuring the spring component retains all performance characteristics. It also adheres to Bombardier’s specification of selecting partners who follow safety standards and develop products which protect passenger safety.

between maintenance windows, and help reduce unplanned downtime. As a result of this approach, the suspension products can last up to 15 years, which is considerably longer than was possible in the past.

In the future, while sourcing and installing parts that avoid unnecessary downtime and maintenance is a key priority for train manufacturers, condition-based monitoring is a concept which will help to improve the performance of fleets. This strategy helps to utilise the maximum lifespan of each component on the basis that its remaining working life can be predicted. Using accurate and up to date information about rolling stock fleets, maintenance operators can recognise and monitor faults before they occur based on external factors such as vibration, noise or heat. The process helps ensure rolling stock is only taken out of service for maintenance when it is actually necessary.

Reducing downtime

Rod Holroyd is global rail market manager of Trelleborg’s Industrial Antivibration Solutions operation

The products supplied to Bombardier have been designed and developed to accommodate longer and more frequent service periods, undergoing extensive

Conclusion With train service life increasing and passengers travelling via rail on the rise, it has never been more important for OEMs to harness ongoing innovation and development to ensure the products they supply meet the safety requirements of the industry. At a time when services are being extended and rolling stock will be required to operate for longer periods of time, operators are looking to decrease maintenance intervals and strategies such as condition-based monitoring are providing a popular way to achieve this.

Ultimately, whatever methods are used, the onus will be placed on OEMs to ensure their components are reliable, long-lasting and above all, fit for purpose to guarantee reliability and user safety.

www.trelleborg.com 53

Wood Group Industrial Services (WGIS)

The best

support

After securing some of the most prestigious and demanding painting contracts in the UK, Wood Group Industrial Services Limited has committed itself to playing a part in the global move towards a more sustainable and lower carbon economy

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ood Group Industrial Services (WGIS) is a leading provider of a range of specialist industrial support and fabric maintenance services to support the construction, maintenance, de-commissioning and replacement of major industrial assets. Its services include protective coatings, fabric maintenance, insulation installment, construction and heat treatment. WGIS operates across the following strategic sectors: Marine, Oil and Gas, Process and Energy, Infrastructure – Rail and Highways, Civil Engineering, Chemical and Industrial and Utilities.

Operating in more than 50 countries, Wood Group is

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an international energy services company with over $7bn sales. The Group has three businesses – Wood Group PSN, Wood Group Kenny and Wood Group Mustang – providing a range of engineering, production support and maintenance management services worldwide. Wood Group Industrial Services Limited is a division of Wood Group PSN. The company was founded in 1973 and in over 40 years of operation WGIS has become one of the United Kingdom’s foremost suppliers of multi-discipline industrial services. Today the company employs in excess of 2000 people with annual revenues of over £135m in 2015 and a secured order book in excess of £200m.

Engineering, project management, construction, hook-up and commissioning, industrial services and integrity management are included in WGIS’ core service offerings. The company has specific expertise in the provision of protective coating application services. It is this expertise, combined with the ability to provide a number of complementary services that has made Wood Group Industrial Services Ltd a UK market leader in complex protective coating projects. This has enabled the company to secure many prestigious and demanding painting contracts including some of the largest and most iconic bridges in the country, alongside industrial

sites and petrochemical complexes. Also, WGIS has been the leading marine painting contractor for the Royal Navy for the past 20 years. The company was awarded the contract in 2009 through Ship Support Services to provide all of the painting services on the new build project, constructing the Royal Navy’s latest warships, the two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

At the end of 2015 Wood Group Industrial Services was also contracted by BAE Systems working at Portsmouth Dockyard to provide a range of painting services on HMS Victory, the famous flagship of the First Sea Lord, as part of her major refurbishment.

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Wood Group Industrial Services (WGIS)

Envirowrap Envirowrap Sheeting Systems originated as a result of the need to comply with the 1996 Dutch watercourse pollution regulations.

At that time the Group had various Scaffolding contracts at the Verolme Botlek Shipyard in Rotterdam, where extensive grit blasting and painting works were being carried out. Our client had asked if the company could develop a sheeting system that would fully encapsulate the scaffolding structure. This was the start of the sheeting system now known as Envirowrap, a European Trademark.

Wood Group has recently secured a new three-year contract with Shell, to deliver industrial services to the St Fergus gas processing plant in Aberdeenshire and the Mossmorran gas processing plant and Braefoot Bay marine terminal in Fife, Scotland. WGIS will provide fabric integrity maintenance and site support under the contract. Also, Wood Group has been awarded a new five year framework contract with a five year extension option, valued at approximately £85 million, by Babcock International to deliver industrial services to a number of its sites across the Group. The contract will also be delivered by WGIS. Wood Group Industrial Services has extensive experience in the delivery of specialist infrastructure support services and has been associated with some of the most challenging transport infrastructure refurbishment projects in the country. Its expertise in providing specialist access and protective coatings solutions for the iconic Forth Rail Bridge and Tower Bridge are representative of an innovative approach involving single source technical support services. This includes comprehensive engineering assessments to determine appropriate surface cleaning, preparation and coating systems.

The seven core values at the heart of Wood Group includes: safety and assurance with a focus on assuring the safety of everything it designs, constructs, operates and maintains; having strong relationships with customers, business partners and suppliers; social responsibility which involves hiring local people and working with local supply chains where possible; treating people with honesty, compassion and respect; innovation through the encouragement of challenging current practices and sharing new ideas; financial responsibility and integrity.

“Core Values are the DNA of our business – they’re a global gold standard that guides our thinking, determines our behaviour, and allows us to adapt to local needs,” commented Robin Watson, Wood Group chief executive.

Achieving health and safety excellence is also at the core of Wood Group Industrial Services’ business strategy. The company believes that effective safety, health and environmental management significantly contribute to its business performance in addition to the

well being of all its employees. Despite Wood Group’s excellent safety record, it still aims to do more to further improve HSE standards. The Zero Harm campaign has been introduced as part of a zero tolerance stance on health, safety and environmental incidents and accidents.

This includes the provision of targets and training supported by management audits to ensure that lessons learnt are being successfully applied across all of the

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Wood Group Industrial Services (WGIS)

company’s activities. Wood Group’s ‘Safety Cocoon’ is the foundation of its approach to protecting people. The Safety Cocoon features four layers that focus on hazard awareness, safety training and behavioural standards and lifesaving rules.

All Wood Group personnel are required to uphold high ethical, legal and business standards wherever in the world their business activities take them. WGIS also requires those with whom it does business to embrace similar standards and values. It is the stated policy of Wood Group Industrial Services Limited to treat all personnel (and potential personnel) in a fair and consistent manner and not to discriminate unlawfully on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, disability, age, pregnancy or any other status or basis protected by law (“the grounds of discrimination”). The Company shall always appoint, train, develop, and promote on the basis of merit, ability and suitability for work only.

Together with its customers, business partners and suppliers Wood Group is committed to playing its part in the global move towards a more sustainable and lower carbon economy. Wood Group will minimise

the adverse environmental impact of its activities and work with its customers to minimise theirs. To achieve this the company has integrated its core values into its decision-making process so that economic, social and environmental issues are considered. Risks and opportunities associated with climate change are reviewed and managed with adaptation measures implemented in line with Wood Group’s business strategy. It will continue to integrate initiatives of resources efficiency, waste minimisation, GHG emissions reductions and prevention of environmental pollution whilst improving the business practices and engineering solutions.

www.woodgroup-isl.com

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Trackwork Moll

Keeping

track

Set up in response to quality and cost needs demanded

by Network Rail, Trackwork Moll has spent a considerable amount of time and money in getting its production facilities up to full capacity and is now producing over 300,000 sleepers per year

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ounded in 2011 as a joint venture between Trackwork of Doncaster and Leonhard Moll Betonwerke of Munich, Trackwork Moll is a key strategic concrete sleeper supply partner for Network Rail. The joint venture was originally set up in response to quality and cost needs demanded by the network, and a ten-year contract was agreed with Network Rail to ensure sleeper supply met the demand of the network’s infrastructure improvement plans. With a total production capacity of 400,000 concrete sleepers per annum, the company has enough capacity to satisfy these volumes and in doing so is well on its way to becoming the UK’s foremost expert in concrete sleeper manufacture, turning out both G44 and EG47 units.

Benefiting from being a relatively young company, Doncaster-based Trackwork Moll’s technology is stateof-the-art. The sleeper manufacturing facilities consist of two production systems, a long casting line and a carousel system. Together, they are capable of quick and

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cost-effective order delivery, and are capable of boosting efficiency without sacrificing quality. Furthermore, because it operates from a purpose built, brand new factory, many of the processes are automated, and this eliminates a degree of human error and further ensures quality is maintained.

Previously featured in Railway Strategies in March 2016, when the company was progressing with the stabilisation of production and migrating from a construction and engineering site to a fully operational factory, Trackwork Moll has continued with a ‘business as usual’ mentality as it remains focused on further improving efficiency and ensuring all necessary skills and capabilities are up to speed.

“Not much has changed since we last spoke, we have really been working flat out to almost full capacity 24 hours a day, five days a week; this has made operations more efficient through the utilisation and the sweating of our assets, so to speak, to ensure we can keep up

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Nedri Spanstaal Leonhard Moll Betonwerke uses our prestressing steel not only in Germany but also in Poland and now in the technologically advanced plant in Doncaster.

The prestressing steel used by Moll varies from 7.0mm wires to 9.5mm bars with thread to 9.3mm indented seven wire strand.

For many years we have been supplying to the various plants of Leonhard Moll Betonwerke and together we have built a highly appreciated relationship.

We are convinced that Leonhard Moll will be very successful in their new Doncaster plant and we will work as closely as possible together in order to optimise the service and product quality of the Trackwork Moll railway sleepers.

with demand,” begins Chris Dale, General Manager of Trackwork Moll.

“However, to further boost efficiency we are now up and running with an investment in EG47 moulds, which has increased our capacity for these products. This development was in line with an increase in demand for EG47s; this could be due to Network Rail moving from one supplier to another, or could possibly be the cycle of track renewals, which has resulted in a short-term increase in demand for EG47s instead of G44s.

“Alongside this development, Network Rail have recently swapped around the TRS machines, and we now service TRS4 based out of Tyne on the east coast.

We are pleased that we can continually offer support for both methods of track renewals,” he adds.

“The TRS4 enables us to recharge the pods on a pallet system, which then feeds into the TRS machine like a cassette; when doing track renewals it continuously loads sleepers in while taking the old sleepers out, and then reballasts them. It is a massive undertaking,” says Chris. “Our efficiency in loading is very slick, with Network Rail coining it ‘Load and Go’, which means we can turn around trains much more quickly than our competitors and meet any short notice requirements.”

Although these developments have enhanced operations, over the next 12 months Trackwork Moll will continue to drive improvement initiatives when it comes to safety, quality, machine availability and performance in the factory. “We have a continuing focus on improvement and are using modern manufacturing techniques such as OEE, 5S and so on to facilitate and drive through an outstanding performance,” says Chris.

“Looking further ahead, we hope to consolidate

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Trackwork Moll

TYROLIT As well as being Europe’s largest producer of diamond and conventional abrasives, TYROLIT is also a leading supplier of abrasives to the rail industry. As an approved supplier to Network Rail, the company has developed a range of products designed specifically for rail maintenance and repair.

TYROLIT’s latest rail cutting discs have been developed specifically for the UK rail industry providing fast cutting, outstanding lifetime, clean surface finishes and minimum working times.

Other ex. Stock products include weld grinding wheels for all machine types and diamond drilling and cutting tools for the manufacture of pressed concrete slabs. our position in the market and drive volumes forward to capture more of the market; however, because the market is fairly split as Network Rail has one company servicing the east coast and another on the west coast, it really depends on the government’s spending plan and Network Rail’s spending plan for asset renewals over the next three years. In addition to our work with Network

Rail, we also are exploring third party contracts in the coming years in sectors such as power generation and urban transport systems. Nothing is guaranteed but the market looks steady and the future looks positive for us,” Chris concludes.

www.trackwork-moll.co.uk

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RTA – Dubai Roads and Transport Authority

2020 vision

As the contract for the extension to the Dubai Metro Red Line project is awarded to the Expolink Consortium, the RTA enters another exciting period of development

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he Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) was formed in Dubai in 2005, in order to help facilitate the government’s ambition of providing an advanced transport network for the city. With the establishment of the RTA, Dubai began to construct and develop its integrated public transport network, including a metro and tram system that serves the key population, commercial and industrial areas of Dubai. Phase one to build the Red Line began in 2005 and was completed in 2009; Phase two to build the Green Line started in 2006 and met its completion in 2011. In November 2014, the Metro system was joined by the Dubai Tram system, one of the most modern of its type in the world.

With the two networks currently accounting for over half the market share for public transport in Dubai, the RTA predicts that this is only set to rise over the coming years – particularly in the run up to, and during, EXPO 2020. Occurring between October 2020 and April 2021, EXPO 2020 is the next World Expo, an event that brings

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together more than 180 nations and is designed to be one of the greatest exhibitions on Earth.

EXPO 2020 is set to attract over 25 million visitors to Dubai over a six-month period, and in order to accommodate the travel needs of these new passengers, RTA created the Route 2020 programme, which will eventually connect the Red Line from Sheikh Zayed road to the upcoming EXPO 2020 site, and will provide the foundations to connect other existing and future developments.

At the end of June 2016 a significant milestone was achieved on the Route 2020 project, when HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved awarding the contract of the Route 2020 project to the Expolink Consortium (comprising French, Spanish and Turkish firms) at a cost of AED10.6 billion.

HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA announced

the news following the signing of the contract with the Expolink Consortium, and he highlighted that competition for the contract was fierce: “The consortium entrusted to undertake the Route 2020 project was selected through an international tendering process involving the participation of ten consortiums of major firms specialised in the construction of metro systems from all parts of the globe,” he said. “Five of them submitted technical and financial proposals, and negotiations were made with two of them in the final stage; which concluded with the awarding of the project contract to Expolink Consortium led by the French Alstom Conglomerate, Spanish Acciona, and the Turkish Gulermack. According to the contract, Alstom will supply 50 trains: 15 of them for serving Expo, and 35 for upgrading the level of service of the Dubai Metro. The company will also cater to electromechanical works. The French Thales Group will provide the technological systems whereas Acciona and Gulermack will attend to civil works,” he added.

Al Tayer also gave more details about the plans for linking Route 2020 with the Red Line of the Dubai Metro.

He said: “The RTA co-ordinated with all the developers and government service providers that are involved with the planned metro route in order to ensure that Route 2020 will support vital areas served by the project over the short and long term. Route 2020 starts off at Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station on the Red Line and extends 15 km; it includes an 11.8 km a viaduct, and 3.2 km underground track. The project encompasses seven stations including a transfer station with the Red Line, EXPO Station, three elevated stations, and two underground stations,” he continued. “The capacity of Route 2020 is estimated as 46,000 riders per hour in both directions and according to RTA studies, the ridership of Route 2020 is expected to reach 125,000 riders per day in 2020; and the number is set to rise to 275,000 riders per day by 2030.”

Given the scale of the project and the importance of completing it on time, the RTA felt it essential to set specific governance and assessment principles to ensure transparency and achieve the best results. Clear-cut objectives and standards have been set for the technical and financial assessment process during the tendering phase. These standards are based on several parameters including: the project construction programme, integration with the existing Dubai Metro systems, design of stations and the use of modern construction techniques in the project, as well as the rail technologies and systems supplied under the project. “The assessment process was carried out by specialist committees, teams and international consultants involving the participation of 100 specialists from the RTA and the project consultant,” Al Tayer highlighted. “Construction works in the project will start in the final quarter of this year, and the trial run is expected to start in the last quarter of 2019. The official operation of the service is set to start in the second half of 2020 namely on 20/05/2020 i.e. five months ahead of the opening of Expo 2020.”

Going forward the RTA has ambitious goals to achieve, including creating a more integrated transport infrastructure, ensuring this works in harmony with customers, and of course prioritising safety and environmental concerns. These all work alongside its overall vision of providing ‘Safe and Smooth Transport for All’. As the organisation continues to show a willingness to work in collaboration with expert partners, an eagerness to invest in the latest innovations and the ability to look to the future for inspiration, Dubai looks set to benefit from a world-class transport network, providing a global example of what can be achieved.

www.rta.ae 65

Speedy RAIL

A hire

power As the dedicated Rail division of Speedy Services, Speedy Rail provides the newest and widest range of hire equipment in the UK rail sector Rosenqvist Rail First CD400SP in UK delivered to Speedy Services In November last year, Rosenqvist Rail supplied their first rail fastening machines CD400SP to Speedy Services. The machines were taken into service in January this year and have been working on various track renewal sites with both e-clip and Fastclip and on wooden sleepers and concrete sleepers as well as steel sleepers.

The CD400SP machine was demonstrated by Speedy Services at Rail Live at Long Marston in June. At the Rail live awards, Speedy Services was given a prize for the Best Small Plant Innovation for introducing the CD400SP on the UK market.

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peedy Rail has a specialist Rail portfolio to support all aspects of network renewal, maintenance and enhancement; for mainline, underground, overground, light rail, tram, train operating companies (TOCs) and freight operating customers (FOCs). As a result, Speedy provides a one-stop rail solution its depots, and products available include sawing, drilling, and stressing equipment, wrenches, clippers, trolleys, lighting, jacks and overhead line equipment (among others).

New products include items such as the Robel Short Clamp, Robel Long Clamp and Dual Clipper Cd400Sp. This latter product is a walk-behind machine when clipping and declipping clips of the following types: PANDROL FASTCLIP, PANDROL e-CLIPs, PANDROL PR-clips (PR400 series) and Heyback (clipping), depending on the choice of tool. The power pack can be removed when the CD400 is to be used as a conventional machine with a carrier. CD400SP is selfpropelled with a high-performance diesel engine, and easy for a single operator to operate via a control panel.

From the handheld control panel the operator controls the functions of the Clip Driver CD400 Power Pack e.g. speed, clipping and declipping. The clipping capacity is approximately 25 sleepers per minute. Should a client be looking for such a machine, if they want more details the Speedy website lists the important specifics, and in some cases, offers comparison products, in order to give a fuller picture of what is available.

It is clear why clients in the Rail sector find a number of benefits of working with Speedy, as it prides itself as operating as a reliable one-stop-shop for all the plant requirements of rail and transport infrastructure contractors. Its clients specialise in time critical projects

in the rail industry, often in a high-risk environment so it is crucial that they can rely on their supplier for both equipment and support.

Earlier in 2016 Speedy Rail further strengthened its rail sector offering, when it acquired the OHP Group. The OHP Group employs 25 staff and primarily comprises Rail Hire (UK) Limited, a company specialising in the hire of overhead line equipment (OLE) to the rail sector. The OHP Group also includes Crewe Plant Hire Limited, a tools and equipment hire business operating from premises in Crewe. The OHP Group’s founder and Managing Director, Martin Davies, will remain with the business postacquisition. Russell Down, Chief Executive of Speedy, commented: “I am delighted to announce this acquisition which will help expand our business in this specialist sector of a growing UK rail market and further enhance our market position. Martin and his team are renowned in the rail hire industry for their in-depth specialist knowledge, and this strategic acquisition will enable Speedy to provide a broader set of services and specialist expertise to our customers in the rail sector.”

As well as the experience and wide offering of products available, Speedy Rail can also benefit from the support of Speedy Services, the UK’s largest hire provider, with the widest range of tools, plant and specialist equipment more than 2800 products are included in its hire range.

It also offers thousands of products for purchase, including tools, equipment, PPE and site consumables, and further services include inspection, fuel management, site communications and event support – all designed to help clients work more efficiently and safely.

Clients can also benefit from Speedy’s training services offering, as the organisation provides one of the most comprehensive ranges of safety and skills courses in the

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Speedy RAIL

industry. All courses are certified, and it is a proud holder of the prestigious Customer Service Excellence hallmark for its training service. It has over 100 training locations across the UK, plus specialist facilities for confined spaces simulation, street and road works, plant yards and lifting gantries. It can also train a workforce on site, or create a bespoke course to meet specific needs.

Speedy also continually invests in new ways to meet customers’ needs so for example, in recent months, it has added more than 70 new lines to the hire range.

It has also created a Speedy catalogue app (www. speedyservices.com/app) that gives customers who have downloaded it instant access to products info wherever they are. It’s simple to use, quick, and constantly updated. So whether a user is on site or on the move, they will always have access to the most accurate information about Speedy’s products and services. To make sure of full compatibility, the App is available for iPhone, Android and Windows devices.

Furthermore, the company’s website is a comprehensive resource, not only for products and special offers, but also for informative blog posts that advise on important areas such as working at height,

Vortok International Vortok International has earned an enviable reputation as an innovator within the rail industry. Thinking about a problem in a different way has enabled it to find original solutions to some of the most challenging problems. Its expertise in track mounting, rail stressing, remote monitoring and safety has resulted in the development of its award-winning products that offer ‘real-world’ benefits. Vortok International has been successfully working with Speedy Rail to deliver a wide range of products for the rail industry that predominantly focus on safety and improved efficiency. sites and traffic and concreting, to name a few. But for clients who prefer to interact with a friendly face, Speedy’s nationwide network of over 200 depots means trained and expert staff are always close at hand, and they are always happy to offer guidance and help.

By developing innovative yet simple solutions to traditional challenges, and establishing firm relationships with the supply chain, Speedy has expanded its brand and won the trust of a widening range of customers. Whatever their needs, Speedy provides the ideal solution, quickly and effectively and always with the reassurance of safety and sustainability that comes with the industry leaders.

Specialised Tools and Equipment Ltd Specialised Tools and Equipment Ltd (STEL) is a rapidly growing company on the strength of its impeccable product supply and service. It offers small plant spares, track tools, consumables and permanent way equipment. It also has a range of hand tools, repair parts, maintenance products and consumables. It is a Link Up, ISO, and BSI accredited company.

It prides itself on its customer service and its daily motto is that it is ‘Serious about Service’.

www.speedyservices.com/rail-hire

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Blackpool Transport

On a roll

With trust-based leadership and major investments in rolling stock and infrastructure, Managing Director Jane Cole’s vision of creating a safe, profitable and customerfocused transport network is coming to fruition Above Launch of new buses with the team

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perating as the main transport provider for Blackpool, Wyre and the Flyde Coast, Blackpool Transport runs a regular tram service between Starr Gate and Fleetwood with its fleet of 16 Flexi Trams that are supplemented by its Balloon and Heritage Trams. Additionally, it runs a network of 114 buses that serve all key destinations as well as local

requirements for the 300,000 residents and 20 million tourists that visit the town every year.

Providing transportation maintenance and development for the town’s network is of critical importance, particularly following a resurgence in visitors that has seen unprecedented growth levels at the world-famous resort over recent years. With demand increasing to such high volumes over recent years it has been key for the region’s transport network to develop in order to accommodate these numbers. As such, in 2012 the Tramway upgraded from a traditional network to a modern Light Rail System (LRT). This followed an extensive four-year project, which saw 11 miles of track replaced, the creation of a new depot and the introduction of the 16 new state-of-the-art Flexi Trams.

This vast improvement in the tramway has resulted in a modern system that is not only suitable for local transport needs but also offers tourists the option of using the classic Heritage trams, as Jane comments: “The Heritage tramway runs in conjunction with the light rail operation, which means we are the only operator in the UK to run state-of-the-art trams and trams that date back to the 1800s on the same track. Offering this service we achieve 98 per cent to 100 per cent reliability while also offering a real show-stopper with the Heritage trams; in fact, the tramway has been Blackpool’s number one visitor

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attraction for two years, beating the Pleasure Beach and the Tower, which really shows that you can run an iconic, nostalgic product with a new, fast option. This isn’t just for visitors either, it is available 52 weeks of the year alongside the more modern option for those needing to get to and from work and so on.”

Despite this major investment, the ongoing development of Blackpool’s transport system has continued under the helm of Jane, who set out a five-year plan to increase the brand’s profile in the region upon joining Blackpool Transport a year ago. Key aspects of this plan include the delivery of passenger and revenue growth on both trams and buses, further investment in assets, which also includes the introduction of a new bus fleet, the training of employees to ensure they deliver exceptional customer service and the continued preserving of the aforementioned Heritage fleet.

When previously featured in Railway Strategies in January 2016, Blackpool Transport was enjoying great success with rising passenger numbers thanks to its ability to provide an efficient and reliable service in a popular tourist resort through listening to customer demand and using its long-term experience of developing

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the network. Benefiting from a large network, high labour competence and robust vehicle efficiencies meant the company could offer low fares to all residents in Blackpool, while its ability to co-ordinate assets and staff meant reliability was maintained even during peak times.

Additionally, the company increased running times on Saturdays, Sundays and evenings during the illuminations to further improve reliability and punctuality.

Since then the company has been tireless in improving its services further, a commitment that has resulted in Blackpool Transport being nominated for a number of awards in 2016, as Jane notes: “People are starting to recognise what we are doing; my strategy is to convert revenue and passenger growth through a quality product and one key part of this has been our Palladium brand.

I came to Blackpool Transport in November 2014, and

by June 2015 we had introduced a new ten-unit fleet of Citaro Mercedes buses on route five, which we have now branded Palladium; this is part of an innovation strategy as we have realised when you put a fleet of new buses onto any route in this town people will migrate to using them because they are new, have beautiful interiors and have Wi-Fi. Investing in the number five route with these Palladium products has increased patronage by 14 per cent on one route alone, so what I see now is that we can create a model where we transform the bus product in this town, which will not only increase patronage but also revenue. Following the success of this order from Alexander Dennis (ADL) we plan to order another 25 in September 2016 (subject to board approval); we want to replace our whole bus fleet by 2020 and don’t ever want a bus older than five years in the town.”

She continues: “The Palladium name was chosen as it is a beautiful illustrious metal that is connected to an

Blackpool Transport

Trident Paint & Body Centre The Trident Paint & Body Centre of Lytham-St. Annes is proud to be working with Blackpool Transport and wishes them continued success.

emission free, cleaner environment and the palladium metal is used in the catalytic converters for the euro environmentally friendly engines in buses. Moreover, the word palladium brings back memories of fun and entertainment at the Blackpool Palladium. It is my goal over the next four years to subtly spread the Palladium brand throughout the business; by 2019 we will have a new brand within the town with buses that people will migrate to as they love what these buses offer.”

Key to this major investment is Blackpool Transport’s strong, trust-based leadership, particularly with its shareholder Blackpool Council, which has become the company’s greatest ally by providing the £18 million for the new fleet of buses; the council has also endorsed the company’s five-year business plan. Commenting on this major investment and what it means for Blackpool Transport, Jane states: “For our internal customers, our employees, this is a good stake in the ground to say Blackpool Transport is a force to be reckoned with.

Furthermore, with all of the exciting things happening with the electrification of the line between Preston and Blackpool North by 2018 there will be a new revenue stream of people coming in and looking to find new ways into the town via transport.

“We will have the transport extension happening from the promenade to the train station, so we will have a transport hub that is to be serviced by a fleet of 18 trams, up from 16, by 2019, as well as a fleet of new buses.

These developments have secured the future of those that work in transport in this town, 650 of which are locals that work for us; this puts out a positive message that says Blackpool Transport is a great company to work for now and has resulted in loyal people wanting to stay with us as they believe we have a strong future ahead of us.”

Blackpool Transport will complement these investments between now and 2020 with a greater investment in its work force by setting itself up as an academy to train bus workers and also skill people in succession planning. These improvements have not gone unnoticed in the company, with Blackpool Transport’s first ever employee survey gaining a 61 per cent response rate, as Jane highlights: “When you compare these results with those of larger bus operators that have been conducting surveys for 15 years and get a response of 68 per cent, our survey shows that we are setting up a culture where people want to work here and also be a part of our success story.”

One way employees are playing an integral role in the

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Blackpool Transport

Austin Lenika Project Services Ltd (ALPS) Austin Lenika Project Services Ltd (ALPS) are proud to be awarded the contract for the new SCADA Control System for the prestigious Blackpool Tram Network.

Having previously worked with Blackpool Transport on their successful tram upgrade works, ALPS look forward to once again delivering their services to the highest standards.

As leaders in engineering excellence, this own design and build infrastructure project involves state-of-the-art advancements in Blackpool’s continuous and cutting edge transport improvement drive.

The SCADA refurbishment scheme consists of an 18Km fibre optic cable run capable of serving this project plus any future communication developments between Stargate depot and Fleetwood Ferry and beyond. ALPS’ innovative design and build programme consists of the fibre optic cable run and new supervising PLC’s at each of the 11 substations en route resulting in improvements to security, intruder detection and lone working facilities with total visibility through the SCADA system.

GARSIDE SANDS Having been at the forefront of supplying the rail and construction industry for over a century, it’s no surprise why Garside Sands is now the market leader in the supply of specialist silica sands.

The RailGrip range of traction sand is used by both commercial rail operators and heritage railways to aid traction, thus improving safety.

The free-flowing nature of the silica sand makes it ideal for use as a traction agent between the rail and the wheels, and was the ideal solution for Blackpool Trams.

The RailGrip range is graded to Railway Group Standards and can significantly improve braking performance in areas of low adhesion.

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company’s ongoing success is through the delivery of superior customer service, particularly when it comes to Blackpool Transport’s model for disability training. Due to become mandatory in 2018, Jane says the company has already embedded a culture of going the extra mile for each and every passenger by training employees on disability awareness: “We work in partnership with disability groups and don’t have disability awareness specifically, but instead say ‘disabled people are our customers, so what do we do to ensure their needs are met?’ To find this out we invite people to our premises where they talk to our employees about what it feels like to be in their shoes as a customer. By showing our bus drivers they empathise with these people, who may be blind, deaf, hard of hearing, or have dementia, and then go the extra mile to ensure disability groups get a better welcome or the extra help they need.”

These improvements have resulted in the company gaining the attention of those in parliament, with MP Justin Tomlinson singling out Blackpool Transport for the work it has done at a Mental Health Summit. “The new Minister of Transport also visited us as she thinks our way of providing service to disabled people is how all train operators and bus operators should provide it,” adds Jane. Alongside these improvements the company has also set up a customer experience team that will make sure all community groups in the town are included in being provided an enhanced customer experience.

Not only improving customer service and product reliability, Blackpool Transport has provided further benefits to passengers with the introduction of one

ticket, two ways to travel, which can now be used over a 24 hour period, as Jane explains: “When people visit Blackpool they can now get fantastic value for money as they can use the ticket one day and again the next day.

As a response to this people who live in Blackpool but would normally travel by car are now also using the ticket to get to work as they can either use it later in the day or the day after. Through the Palladium brand and the 24 hour ticket we are creating a great product for the town, not only for the visitors but also for the locals. In fact, the overall satisfaction score for our bus operations has gone up from 87 to 89 per cent, according to a passenger focus survey, while customer perception of value for money rose from 68 per cent to 78 per cent when compared from 2014 to 2015. This is hard evidence that we are building trust with our customers.”

Moving forward, Blackpool Transport has set its sights on investing in improved IT facilities so Wi-Fi can be received on trams as well as the Palladium buses, which in turn will give the company the opportunity to look into providing customers with ticketless travel. The company is also involved in partnership meetings with TransPennine Express and Northern to see how the firms can work together to create a seamless customer experience for people traveling into the town.

“The future is exciting, we just need to maintain momentum and see this five-year plan through and by 2018 I will need to think about the next five year plan!

One thing I won’t allow the company to do over the coming years, however, is to slow down; I want Blackpool Transport to continually improve,” concludes Jane.

Tinsley Bridge Group

World-class Comprised of four award-winning engineering businesses, Tinsley Bridge Group’s ability to offer advantages in terms of scale, expertise, accreditations and innovative technologies has resulted in the company becoming the biggest UK supplier of stabiliser and torsion bars to the OE commercial vehicle sector

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stablished in the 1850s as a railway suspension spring maker, Tinsley Bridge Group formed part of British steel until 1987; however, today the independent Tinsley Bridge Group is a privately owned organisation that delivers its design led approach to business in its state-of-the-art facilities in the heart of Sheffield.

Providing a little background on the four segments of the group, Managing Director of Tinsley Bridge Group Mark Webber begins: “The suspension division are specialists in the design and manufacture of anti-roll bars and torsion bars for the truck, rail and defence applications; it is the largest UK manufacturer and one of the top manufacturers of OEM vehicle suspension components in the world.

“Meanwhile, Tyzack Machine Knives is the UK’s leading manufacturer of high precision machine tool slideways, steel mill blades, guillotine shear blades and scrap

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Tinsley Bridge Group

shearing blades used within machine tool manufacturing, steel processing and throughout the recycling sector.

Tyzack is renowned as a manufacturer of extremely long machine knives and our product has been sold worldwide over five decades. Tinsley Bridge Engineering supply integrated fabrication solutions to the energy, steel, waste recycling, renewables, mechanical handling, rail and transport sectors. We can project manage small, large or complex developments and bring a professional approach to ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget and quality assured, whatever the size. We are one of the few companies who have BS EN 1090 to the highest level of execution class level 4 and experience of doing these projects in demanding materials such as Duplex Stainless.

“The rail division is specialist in the supply of safety critical components; rail products manufactured by the group are varied and numerous but include tubular stretcher bars for Network Rail, vehicle body and structural components for Tube Lines Ltd, safety critical

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vehicle components for Wabtec and safety critical components for Unipart Rail. We have also deliver specialist rail components to Bombardier.” Bolstered by a unique range of facilities, the financial stability of the group and a commitment to delivering world-class engineering solutions thanks to its complementary skill set, Tinsley Bridge Group has accumulated an impressive list of returning customers over the years.

Located on a single six hectare site, the group’s large-scale engineering and heavy fabrication division occupies a factory building with a 20,000 m2 footprint, high ceiling capacity and 20 tonne roof craneage. Within this expansive area, Tinsley Bridge Group brings together CAD design, manufacture, assembly, installation and commissioning on site as and when it is required. Specific expertise available includes the design and incorporation of hydraulic, electrical and control systems, precision machining, heat treatment and electrophoretic KTL painting, Furthermore, a significant in-house engineering design and test capability is enhanced by access to

cutting edge research and design programmes.

It is here that the group is able to provide a diverse range of services to customers, such as specialist welding and machine, fabrication, bending, rolling, profiling, stress relieving and heat treatment; shot peening, painting and galvanizing of products and the manufacture, fitting, trial assembly and on-site installations, modifications, refurbishment and relocation of plant, equipment or structures.

Committed to continuous enhancement, the group recently invested £750,000 in an automated robotic manufacturing line to produce light-weight tubular anti roll bars. These bars significantly reduce weight and carbon emissions and offer weight savings greater than 40 per cent in comparison to solid bars; this increases fuel efficiency and reduces environmental impact, track access charges and enhances train braking and acceleration performance. On top of this, the group recently completed a multi-million investment in a new factory and office development, which boasts state-ofthe-art manufacturing facilities to further enhance its offer to customers.

Acting as a tier one systems integration supplier specialising in full system rail solutions, the group offers a wide range of complete equipment packages for bogie and carriage production. Discussing the benefits of choosing Tinsley Bridge Group as a supplier, Mark comments: “By supplying complete systems rather than just component parts, Tinsley Bridge Group offers rail companies a single supplier source for complex assemblies at a lower cost.”

Mark adds that another way the group differentiates itself is through its ability to re-engineer and enhance products as well as manufacture to customer drawings: “One example of this is that in the first year of a multi-million pound rail contract Tinsley Bridge Group proposed 85 alterations to the customer specification.

The customer agreed to 91 per cent of these changes, which resulted in both performance improvements in the product and between 21-28 per cent reduction in cost that was passed onto the customer.”

Having developed a solid reputation for delivering superior results through extensive experience of working in the automotive, rail, power, defence and steel industries, Tinsley Bridge was recently awarded contracts from Transport for London to supply safety critical parts for London Underground tube trains on the Piccadilly and Northern Line tube trains. “For this project we supply highly complex brackets that are a structural part of the train bogies; the brackets join the bogie side frames to the crossbars and each assembly consists of one U-section, two fabricated sections called reinforcing knees and one steel boss,” says Mark.

As it continues to bring precision and innovation to large-scale engineering, Tinsley Bridge Group’s focus over the coming years will remain on providing its customers with benefits from engineering excellence, the highest

standards of quality for safety critical environments and the dependability of a flexible and responsive SME supplier.

www.tinsleybridge.co.uk

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Metrail Construction

Progressive approach Metrail Construction continues to expand its offering to the market, and with strong market conditions and a full order book, the company is on track for even more success

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etrail Construction started life in 2007 and quickly became a framework partner for the highways, Network Rail and London Underground markets, delivering high quality infrastructure repair services to the road and rail sectors.

This year the company is set to turn over close to £2 million and is seeing strong growth opportunities in a busy and fruitful market. At present the company holds within its service portfolio everything from concrete and tunnel lining repair to water ingression control and

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brickwork services. Upheld by a leading reputation for quality and a strong safety record, Metrail is also a qualified contractor for the Heli-bar structural system, and Stirling Lloyd Hytec and Eliminator waterproofing systems.

Within the rail industry alone, over 200 packages of work have so far been delivered on Network Rail infrastructure, including reactive maintenance and refurbishment work and 24/7 emergency call-out.

Martyn Sherwood, MD of Metrail explains that much of the company’s success and ability to grow comes from its approach to covering these three separate sectors. “We don’t look at the individual markets any differently, in that we’re repairing infrastructure assets and find that there is a lot of continuity between the three,” he explains. “By covering them all we’re able to keep the workforce busy and use this to build the business progressively.”

It’s an approach that has resulted in annual sales growth of 15 per cent - a positive level in sectors that are prone to fluctuation. “We owe a lot of this success to the strength of our people,” Martyn continues. “We hold a lot of specialist knowledge internally and provide continual training with products and suppliers to ensure all members of the team are competent. However, we are also incredibly flexible and our multidisciplined teams are able to cross from highways work into Network Rail or London Underground work fluidly without any issues.

We have also established some excellent ongoing

relationships with all our clients and understand their different needs to ensure we can consistently meet these in an honest and reliable way.”

When Martyn last spoke with Railway Strategies back in June 2015, he noted that Metrail has always succeeded in expanding its capabilities and developing its offering to the market, and a look over the company’s activities over the time since seems to confirm this.

“We’ve recently opened up a brand new specialist coatings divisions to bring that expertise in-house, as we used to contract it out,” he highlights. “This means that we have been able to expand our offering even further with services that complement the existing portfolio. It also improves our ability to self-deliver.”

The year also saw Metrail acquire a controlling share of Nighthawk Services, a staffing agency for London Underground and Network Rail contractors. “Again this allows us to enhance our total offering to the industry as it means we can source our own people and become even more flexible to demands in the market,” Martyn says.

Today’s activity levels for the business are extremely positive. Whilst large projects occasionally arise, the vast majority of its work has been on relatively small but vital projects across all three sectors. As such, for the foreseeable future Martyn and his team are facing a full order book. It’s a favourable position upon which Metrail is keen to develop its offering even further.

“We’re always looking for technical improvements and cost saving methods within the industry,” Martyn continues. “It’s about finding new ways of doing what we do best, better, so that we stay focused on our core strengths and complement these with added services.

By working closely with our current suppliers and other consultancies this will be a path we continue moving down in the future.”

However, whilst part of its focus is trained steadily on future developments, Metrail’s commitment to its current offering remains steadfast and continuing to push Stirling Lloyd’s Eliminator and Hitech systems is just as key for the company’s ongoing growth. Recent years have seen significant levels of success, and Martyn hopes that within the next three to five years the business will be turning over annual sales of £5 million. With high levels of investment and activity increasing across the UK’s infrastructure over the coming years, the market for Metrail certainly looks positive. As long as it can retain its leading reputation for quality and safety, as well as growing its portfolio, the company looks set to capitalise for years to come.

www.metrail.co.uk 79

Power Saving Solutions

Remote energy

management With close to three decades of industry experience, Power Saving Solutions provides portable power systems to meet the needs of clients throughout the railway industry and beyond

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ased in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire with its main production facility located within the Crown Works industrial estate in Sheffield, Power Saving Solutions was founded as an electrical contractor and off grid power specialist. The business was incorporated during February 1989 and has since grown into a leading supplier of advanced energy solutions and hybrid power generators. Today the company’s flagship product is its unique range of stateof-the-art Hussh Pods, which are designed for both rail and industry applications.

The Hussh Pod range is a generation of hybrid generator units that provide off grid power solutions to clients operating in remote locations within the rail, construction, utilities, telecoms and storage industries.

The hybrid generator design offers a number of desirable benefits by turning off power generation using diesel when the required load is low and drawing energy from an internal storage battery instead. This in turn offers significant savings in fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions. At present the hybrid generator series provided by Power Saving Solutions is comprised of its Hussh Pod units that range in capacity from 2kwh to 90kwh. Its Hussh Pod 1/2 for example, has a stored

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battery power of 2kwh with around 3000 battery cycles, while the 30/45 variant offers a stored battery power of 45kwh in both 1500 and 800 battery cycle configurations.

In recent years the advantages of hybrid power generation and the effectiveness of the Hussh Pod range has been increasingly recognised by the railway industry.

Indeed, since an initial deployment at Lincolnshire’s Stamford railway station the Hussh hybrid power generation system has been deployed across the UK, as well as within Ghana, Nigeria, South Sudan, Pakistan and India. “We have worked on a number of projects within the railway industry, which are predominantly related to works at stations rather than at the trackside. We were first deployed within the rail industry at Stamford railway station where we provided power the site for J. Murphy & Sons Limited. This became a huge sea change for us in terms of the direction of the business,” explains the CoOwner of Power Saving Solutions, Andrew Richardson.

“This was because people working at Network Rail saw the Hussh Pod at Stamford station and really approved of the product and Network Rail have since used it on any number of stations.”

During the subsequent years Power Saving Solutions has expanded its presence within the railway industry

with further deployments throughout the UK. A significant project for the company was again while working with J. Murphy & Sons, when Power Saving Solutions delivered Hussh Pod generators to Runcorn station, where they achieved impressive fuel, cost and CO2 reductions.

“When we first arrived on site the Hussh Pod was only providing power for eight hours a day, but we quickly changed a lot of the working practices in terms of the way that we set up because we had realised that education was the way forward while working with site managers.

As a result this became the first site where we carried out an induction to show site managers how to get the most energy out of the Hussh Pod by managing the site’s energy consumption effectively,” Andy elaborates. “We were able to increase the effectiveness of the Hussh Pod by increasing from eight to 14 hours of power provision a day. This had huge knock-on benefits in terms of fuel consumption and in CO2 reduction, while the site effectively was silent for six hours a day longer.”

To date Hussh Pod hybrid power generators have provided J. Murphy & Sons in excess of 50,040 hours on battery, translating to savings of 881 tonnes of CO2 and 300,240 litres of fuel. During the coming months and

years the rail industry will continue to be an important market for Power Saving Solutions with the company aiming to increase its presence with clients both old and new. “Rail work has become a key part of our strategy moving forward. Often works are located in difficult terrain and remote locations and we are able to offer reliable solutions and remote monitoring solutions 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We have had interest from clients all over the world particularly with our Hussh Pod products because regardless of a client’s location, power is always a critical issue,” Andy concludes. “We presently see massive opportunities all over the world including within Africa, Asia and Australasia.”

www.powersavingsolutions.co.uk

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Nexus

On the right

track

Below Tobyn Hughes, Managing Director for Transport Operations at Nexus

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Midway through phase two of the £350 million Metro reinvigoration programme, Nexus continues to significantly enhance public transportation for passengers in the North East

exus is the trading name of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (PTE), a public body that plans and provides local public transport in and around the cities of Newcastle and Sunderland, along with the districts of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside. Unusually among the six PTEs in England, Nexus directly owns and manages the local light rail network, the Tyne and Wear Metro.

Opened in stages from 1980, Metro is the busiest light rail system in the UK outside London, thanks to a network of 78km, which has 60 stations and is served by more than 450 train services a day.

Previously featured in Railway Strategies in June

2015, Nexus has continued with its £350 million Metro regeneration programme and is now halfway through phase two, as Tobyn Hughes, Managing Director for Transport Operations at Nexus, comments: “Our current arrangement with the Government has seen over £250 million invested since 2010, out of a total £350 million programme that is to be delivered through to 2021. We are preparing a business case to obtain funding for a further 15-year period, which will continue to be based on asset condition, as it has been throughout the renewal programme so far.”

The company has also enjoyed record passenger numbers over the last 12 months, with 40 million journeys

Discussing other developments that have taken place for the busy integrated public transport provider, Tobyn continues: “Alongside this growth, the new Northern and TransPennine rail franchises began in April 2016, heralding a new era of growth in, and devolution of, our local rail services.

“Regional devolution has the potential to deliver a great deal for northern city regions, with new powers and a greater say in transport spending on the table. The importance of investing in a new fleet of trains for the Tyne

reached for the first time in five years; a record number buoyed by the fact Newcastle was a host city for the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the delivery of the North East Smart Ticketing Initiative (NESTI). “The numbers of passengers using Pop for Pay As You Go journeys is growing rapidly and we are now looking ahead to the next generation of smart ticketing, which is being developed through our participation in Transport for the North.

There is no question that passengers have an enormous appetite for smart ticketing and the benefits it brings them, such as ease of paying for travel and the access of public transport. It is really flexible and saves people huge amounts of time.”

and Wear Metro has been underlined by the devolution deal, which highlights this project as a key priority for the North East England.”

Constructed in the late 1970s, the 90-car strong fleet used by the Tyne and Wear Metro is close to life expiration, with many components already life-expired, an issue that is resulting in a highly unstable operating environment as train failures lead to delays and trains being withdrawn from service. Because of this, Nexus has prepared an outline business case for investment into a new train fleet that will be presented to the Government in 2016, with a target date for the introduction of a new fleet set for the early 2020s.

“The cost of a fleet capable of replicating the current timetable is estimated to be in the region of £300 million,” says Tobyn. “An associated upgrade to the signalling system may cost an additional £100 million, while updated depot facilities could cost around £50 million and upgrades to the electrification equipment could add an further £100 million. Therefore, the total cost of a new fleet could be around £550 million. The rolling

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Nexus gets its message heard with telent’s MICA Station Management System Nexus is the largest Metro in the UK outside London, and as part of a major upgrade of its infrastructure, is replacing the Public Address systems at all stations, and telent is providing the control system to ensure the public are kept informed.

Already involved with Nexus, having been the designer of their large MPLS network, telent were invited in 2015 to tender for the supply of their MICA system, to provide network wide control for the new public address system, and more challenging, to control the existing legacy system to allow a seamless migration.

Launched in 2006, MICA has been managing communications, SCADA and building management subsystems, integrating CCTV, public address systems, passenger information displays, help points, fire and intrusion detection systems and much more, ever since. It is now operational at over 130 stations, including all major London Underground stations, and the most recent installation, the newly refurbished London Bridge station, Britain’s fourth largest mainline train station.

Its proven track record makes MICA an obvious choice where reliability is critical, and with MICA able to make use of the existing highly available virtual environment Nexus possess, it provides the perfect platform to control their audio announcement system, keeping passengers up to date on the status of the network.

Already proven as a ‘line control system’ with Docklands Light Railway, for Nexus, the MICA user interface was enhanced to allow easy control of their 60 stations, and in particular selection of any of the public address zones at any combination of those stations, to allow live or digital voice announcements to be broadcast. However, the main development was to support the legacy system even though is to be replaced. This enables MICA to control both the old and new systems in parallel, allowing a managed, station-by-station, migration. A concept telent is very adept at undertaking and is already proven elsewhere with MICA allowing the migration of operational stations to IP CCTV. The MICA system operation and user interface has been developed in collaboration with operators over the last ten years to make use as intuitive and effective as possible to support station operation and monitoring of all station assets. The Public Address module provides a combination of announcement creation options; live operator recording, use of a pre-recorded segment library, or text to speech, and even has ‘message creation wizard’ functionality to help operators quickly generate meaningful messages during times of disruption.

Anyone using public transport will appreciate how important it is to be kept informed of the latest status of the service. The telent MICA system is a key tool in ensuring this, and will soon be operational on the Nexus network.

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Nexus

stock specification will focus on providing a new fleet of Metro cars that will provide a step change in customer experience and be future-proofed to provide reliable and affordable Metro services for the next 30 years. In order to achieve our policy objectives we must achieve high levels of reliability and comfort in order to build passenger satisfaction with the system; we will also aim to reduce Metro’s carbon footprint.”

The company will also future-proof the fleet for future developments, including specifying dual voltage to allow for running on lines electrified to Network Rail’s UK standard, non-electric variants to allow for running on non-electrified lines and the ability to procure additional vehicles to support route extensions. “However, given the Metro system’s reliance on public subsidy and, because of the important role Metro plays in underpinning the local economy our desire to maintain fares at affordable levels, we also need to keep on-going operating costs to a minimum and deliver value for money,” says Tobyn.

With the Metro operating a concession agreement that was signed with DB Regio in 2010 coming to an end in 2017, Nexus will soon be directly managing Metro operations for the following two years. In line with this

development, Nexus is designing a new, different Metro operations contract that will be designed around the procurement and maintenance of new rolling stock, which is to begin in 2019. Looking to the future goals for Nexus and transportation in the North East, Tobyn concludes: “We believe that existing and disused local rail corridors can be combined with the Metro network to create a single Metro and local rail network, at a lower cost than new-build railways. However, the immediate focus is to secure funding for new trains, which means we need to make a strong case for Government money.”

www.nexus.org.uk

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Foley and Miles

Delivering

excellence

Foley and Miles has a reputation for providing an efficient and reliable service with outstanding customer care.Whether you ask for one load; engage it in multi vehicle long-term supply contracts, or use any of its other services

T

he company has been active for over two decades, and transport manager Matthew Hill provides a background of the business: “Founded

by Kevin Miles, Foley and Miles was established in 1993, very quickly building its reputation within the brick and block haulage sector but has since developed its fleet to provide all aspects of specialist haulage solutions.

With our head office based in Purfleet Essex, we are perfectly situated to service London and the Home Counties.” Having been operating for so many years in

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the industry, Foley and Miles offers an assurance that it will provide everything needed for haulage and rail needs.

The company even ensures that it provides a fleet of vehicles that are compliant for working on Crossrail.

Foley and Miles’ business primarily comes from its extensive fleet of haulage vehicles, although it also offers several other services that include hydraulic repairs and servicing, welding and auto electrics, driver training and warehouse solutions. All of which are offered at the head office workshop, or at the customer’s site depending

on preference. The company provides further services that include general haulage, and it offers a fleet of flat trailers to carry palletised loads, small plant and rail related products, as well as a traction only service. There is also the brick and block haulage provision, which is where the business started, delivering these supplies to manufacturers, merchants and end users. It also offers bulk materials services, which there is a huge demand for, in order to meet this it uses a fleet of bulk tippers that can haul any granular material from ash to aggregate, from sand to shale. Another service Foley and Miles provides is the workshop, which can service a customer in need of hydraulic repairs, welding, or auto electrics. The company also can provide driver training, and offers CPC and ALLMI training and courses at head office.

The company has a record as being a top provider of these services, and that enables the provision of other parts of the company, which Matthew elaborated on: “We offer consultancy, to help get the best out of our load delivery, making it the most cost effective and time efficient it can be - our experience is put to use when there are access problems, difficult or awkward loads.”

Foley and Miles uses its knowledge of the business to offer specialist services, as Matthew explained: “A massive part of our fleet are fitted specialist cranes, whether you require artics, rigids or drawbars we have the vehicles and the operatives to unload safely and efficiently. As well as standard palletised loads, we offer a specialist offload service. We can lift rockery, boulders, silos and even ventilation equipment as part of a specialists offload service.”

The fleet at Foley and Miles is already large, and the company continues to grow it, adding newer and more modern additions. Matthew gives examples of some: “Recent investment include four Scania units, fully equipped with remote Atlas crane trailers. We are adding four Scania drawbar outfits all fitted and equipped with the latest electronic safety equipment including side and rear mounted cameras, side scan and fall prevention equipment, strobe lighting and in cab communications systems. These offer a payload of 28 tonnes, which makes them ideal for where the economy of large loads can be maximised, therefore reducing the unit cost to the customer.”

The company provides all the services a client could need in the industry and has the experience to ensure the best outcomes are achieved. It can also boast being one of the only Achilles accredited haulage service providers used by the principal rail contractors, and this accolade was something Matthew wanted to highlight: “All accreditations are important to us – but as an Achilles link up approved haulier we have a further responsibility to maintain our fleet to the very highest standard. This presents further challenges such as investment in the very latest vehicle safety equipment, strobe lighting and in cab

communication systems. As well as being part of Achilles, we are awaiting our silver accreditation as a member of the Freight Operators Recognition Scheme (FORS) and we have recently gained our ISO 9001.”

Foley and Miles combines experience and knowledge with technology and investment, which sets it up for a prosperous future supplying the rail industry. Matthew provides a summary of the company’s attitude: “We always enjoy the challenge of being able to solve your problems quickly and efficiently. We pride ourselves on reacting fast to solving logistical problems for our customers whether it be long-term contracts or smaller day-to-day loads.” The final statement and ringing endorsement will go to Keyline sector manager rail Richard Wade: “Rail is a high risk 24/7 operation, therefore, whenever we require a haulier we always use a company we can trust. Foley and Miles have always delivered in full and on time.”

www.foleyandmiles.co.uk

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Perpetuum

Tracking

changes

Having revolutionised the way large amounts of information can be gathered perpetually, Perpetuum has become the world leader in vibration harvester powered wireless sensing systems

E

stablished in 2004 as a spinoff from Southampton University, Southampton based Perpetuum revolutionised the way vast amounts of information could be gathered from maintenance free wireless sensor nodes and was originally focused on providing industries such as industrial and oil and gas with

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its award-winning, quick-to-install and maintenance-free technology. However, upon researching potential target markets, the company realised the immense opportunities available within the rail industry and made the strategic decision to enter the market in 2010.

An expert in vibration engineering, the company

is able to supply a total solution to the rail industry, comprising of hardware components, operating software and an information service. In more detail, the hardware comprised of an energy harvester, sensor, RF transmitter and microprocessor; the software, meanwhile, gathers vibration data from the trains via

the sensor systems that are transmitted wirelessly to the company’s database. This information service adds real value for customers as the company’s algorithms translate the raw vibration data into simple actionable information in the form of for example a Bearing Health Index and a Wheel Health Index. Data is reduced from 1.8 million sets of temperature and vibration data that is collected each day into a colour coded and numerical number to signify the level of condition. Automatic email alerts are then sent to the train operator when vibration levels move above set parameters.

“Our expertise is vibration engineering, which we use in two ways; firstly, we get ‘power from vibration’ so the sensor systems are powered by our proprietary vibration energy harvesters. The benefits of this is that as there are no batteries or wires involved, the system is easy to fit and maintenance free. The second area is the use of our vibration expertise to gain ‘information from vibration’ in a mechanical system; this is essentially condition monitoring and is of interest to the rail industry as this is not traditionally how companies operate maintenance

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regimes,” says Steve Turley, Chief Executive Officer at Perpetuum.

With the rail sector becoming the prime candidate for the company’s servitisation model due to the major benefits and potential savings that condition monitoring could deliver, Perpetuum began working with Southeastern and Bombardier to demonstrate the benefits of its technology to the rail industry. “The first deployment we did with Southeastern was actually with Bombardier Electrostar trains operated by Southeastern, so the first project was really a close co-operation between Bombardier, Southeastern and ourselves. We worked as a team to roll that out and demonstrated how quickly the equipment could be fitted; the company also had some issues with bearings at the time so we were able to demonstrate and pick out which were good bearings and which were bad. This trial resulted in Southeastern realising it could completely relook at the way trains in its fleet are maintained,” explains Steve.

Commercial Director of Perpetuum, Justin Southcombe adds: “The trial took around 12 months and Southeastern were so impressed with the capability that they decided to deploy it on the full Electrostar fleet.”

Looking back on this key moment in the company’s history, Justin continues: “We often win awards

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Perpetuum

for innovation and are well known as an innovative company, however, the most innovative thing to happen in our history is the recruitment of the British Airways Maintenance Director as Southeastern’s Engineering Director. This HR move led to a major disruption in the organisation and allowed the business to relook at how it approached availability and performance. Perpetuum are helping with the maintenance side with an attitude of predict and prevent by giving information months in advance so planning can be done and fleets can be optimised, exactly like how the aviation sector operates.”

Since successfully trialing and improving its technology on wheels and bearings, Perpetuum is keen to diversify into other segments of a train’s operations as Steve comments: “We began with wheels and bearings but are now monitoring gearboxes and traction motors as well as tracks. To monitor track condition we measure the shock and vibration around the wheel, which is a combination of vibration from the track and from the vehicle. If we correlate this with the motion of the rolling stock and the rotation of the wheel we can get rolling stock condition information, but if we correlate it with its geographical position, we get a real time map of shock and vibration in the network; this will offer real-time visibility on defects that originate on the track, which is highly valuable information as it can identify problems as they develop.”

Looking ahead, the company is keen to take advantage of its strong position in a market that could greatly benefit from its innovations through strategic expansion into target areas, as Justin states: “The last two years have been about building on our success through expansion; so far we have gained contracts in the UK, Australia, the USA, Holland, Ireland and Sweden.

We are also looking to progress into the next tier, which involves more traditional players in the industry, and are making progress.

“Over the next ten years I believe the railway market will achieve what the aviation market achieved in 25, with information technology becoming embedded in the railway industry, providing analytical capability and treating data with the respect it deserves. With the dawning of the

Internet of Things in the rail sector the traditional barriers have been removed and the kinds of rich information Perpetuum is uncovering will be readily accessible to optimise trains, fleets and networks around the world,” Justin concludes.

www.perpetuum.com

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Morson International

Quality

above all else

Morson Group is a unique blend of engineering recruitment and design consultancy. It provides leading engineering and design solutions to major capital projects using the latest technology and systems

S Below Gary Smithson, rail director

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ince 1969 Morson International has helped engineers worldwide to find the perfect job, and helped companies to find the right people for the business. It operates a full end-to-end recruitment service for its clients, providing a range of services to facilitate differing contract requirements. Its proven recruitment models deliver efficient and effective solutions for all clients, enhanced by its in-house technology. It has a reputation within the recruitment world as being among the most reliable across a core range of technical sectors.

The history of the Morson Group is embedded in the UK, and rail director Gary Smithson outlined the evolution of the business: “The company was established in 1969

by Gerry Mason and was founded in Eccles, Greater Manchester where its head office is still based today.

Now, we operate through three entities: Morson Projects provides design engineering and project management, and Morson International provides recruitment services across all blue and white collar skills. These services

were enhanced through the acquisition of our third entity Vital (2013) which focuses on blue collar skills in the rail industry. Although we employ over 1000 people across 52 offices, we have maintained a family-owned ethos and are committed to establishing strong relationships within our local communities.”

As a result the company has been named as the number one rail industry recruiter for the 30th year running and now supplies personnel equivalent to almost 4.5 million manhours over the past 12 months. This achievement was something Gary expanded on: “We work direct with 248 agencies across the UK, Europe, USA and Canada and are continuing to build on our best practice approach to recruitment to benefit both clients and candidates.”

Morson has grown into a global organisation with a £772 million turnover in 2015. Having made this achievement over the course of four decades suggests that the company has found a sustainable approach to business that works.

One of Morson’s success stories is its long-term relationship with TFL, where it has been successfully selected for all four categories on the white collar framework in addition to several blue collar contracts. Gary was keen to highlight this strategic relationship: “The fact that we continue to win these is a testament to our abilities.

We have consistently demonstrated over the years that we can deliver. By being good at what we do, we have continued to win contracts and maintain an association with TFL that has lasted for more than 20 years.”

Gary also shared insight on the other major rail projects that he has been involved with at Morson: “We have been heavily involved on Crossrail. In a very specialist section of the project, around 20 per cent of the staff had to be sourced from outside of the UK - we will go overseas to get the right talent. Our overseas candidate sourcing is supported by our international offices which include locations in North America, Europe and the Middle East.”

The HS2 project will likely prove to be one of the

biggest railway investments in a generation. While Morson will no doubt be very active in this Gary was keen to impress the agility of the company, and that it did not rely on any one project: “We support a range of rail and infrastructure projects both in the UK and overseas - we are currently working to stay at the forefront of people’s minds, whether they are looking to fill a role or find a job themselves. It is important for us to be visible and to remind clients that we are the market leaders.” This strategy has clearly been successful, with Morson securing contracts on major projects such as Crossrail, HS2, Manchester Metrolink, 4LM and GWEP amongst others.

At the heart of the company is a belief in the ethics of running a business, and that it should be done with social responsibility. Morson has a set of values that are central to its every day business operations: safety, knowledge, integrity, delivery, innovation, and charitable, all are equally crucial and all are taken as seriously as making a profit.

Safety is something that the company considers absolutely essential and continuous improvement in this area is key. Morson’s group training manager Matt Leavis went in to greater detail: “Everything we do is based around track safety and best practice, it’s about trying to drive behavioural change from the ground up. From the day you enter our training centre we are trying to embed behavioural safety: close calling, reporting lines, and ensuring everybody going into the industry is taking it seriously, for their own safety and that of the general public.” This topic was something Gary added to: “Over the past 30 years we’ve invested significantly across our health and safety processes to ensure our workers are as safe as possible – this is epitomised by our ‘work safe home safe’ initiative.”

The fact that Morson has been able to retain a place at the top of its industry demonstrates that it must be doing something that sets it above the rest, and yet never getting complacent in the top position. It has managed to do this by being adaptable and flexible to the customers’ needs, always endeavoring to find a solution that will maximise customer service. Gary expanded on the innovative approach the company takes: “We are fully engaged with our customer base and with the needs of the market; this helps us to anticipate how the business needs to change and develop to meet customer and candidate demand, whether this is through new processes, new departments or innovative contract management models. Consequently, we have grown and improved through significant investment into our technology infrastructure. This has enabled us to provide our clients with bespoke, easy to manage technology

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Morson International

Above Manchester Metrolink – one of Morson’s key projects Below Morson apprentices who took part in its National Apprenticeship Week awards event

around time recording, accounting, cost management, applicant tracking and performance monitoring.

Essentially, we are able to provide the customer with a solution that makes their life easier.”

The quality of delivery relates not only to the immediate supply of skills, but also the supply of a future skills pipeline. Morson places a great focus on the quality of training provided for people from all demographics helping to develop or transfer skills and in turn provides the rail sector with a new generation of highly talented and motivated engineers. Matt further explained Morson’s dynamic and adaptable approach: “We are looking at designing an apprenticeship programme that is more fit for purpose. It is not about one defined route, instead it finds out what employers need in each sector and tailors the training to fill those skill gaps – which is why I think trailblazer apprenticeships are really key. They meet the needs of the modern industry and are flexible to employer’s different needs.”

Morson’s commitment to quality has earned the company a place at the top of recruitment in the rail sector. It is one of the most trusted and respected agencies in the industry. This standard is something that the company is crystal clear about, and Matt emphasised how Morson’s training initiatives tied in with this company-wide agenda: “All the training we do is controlled, and there is a clear line of command.

We are now known as being one of the best in the business, so we want to use the knowledge we have accrued and our hunger to build something that really stands out as a place for both trainees and clients.

We want them both to know when we have trained someone they will be of the highest quality and nothing else.”

Morson has a diverse business, which has been a significant factor in its global success. By working on a range of projects and having expertise across multiple sectors the company is competitive and knowledgeable. It is involved in some of the largest rail projects that 21st century Britain has ever seen, and it continues to further increase its involvement across the globe. Gary’s enthusiasm and understanding of his sector and his clients shone through throughout our conversation: “We want to stand for excellence, we want to stand for quality, we want to give an assurance that when you use our services you will get nothing less than the highest standard.” Morson is brilliant at what it does - the clients and awards are a testament to that, and in an industry where reputation is crucial, it means Morson has everything in place for another four decades of success.

www.morson.com 95

telent

Making

connections Leading the way in communications technology across multiple UK industries, telent is playing a key role in the development of a digital railway

I

n 1897 Guglielmo Marconi founded The Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company, a business that pioneered wireless long distance communication and mass media broadcasting throughout its long history. Numerous acquisitions, mergers and sales took place throughout the twentieth century and today a number of leading names across the world can attribute part of their history to the company. One such company is telent, a now privately owned business with a long history of industry experience often found at the cutting edge of communication technology’s rapid progress.

At telent’s heart sits an unrivalled reputation for service delivery and a total commitment to innovative communication technologies. From this core the business’s market presence is multifaceted, serving key infrastructure sectors such as telecoms, traffic, rail,

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emergency and commercial markets. telent currently holds over 30 years of experience delivering systems and services to the rail industry, providing projects to TfL, Network Rail and numerous TOCs across the network.

“One of the great strengths that we have is the company’s level of capability in complex technical communication,” explains Stephen Pears, Managing Director of telent’s Rail division. “We are able to forge ahead with the latest communication technologies whilst being able to deal with old and obsolete systems.

Crucially, as we are very much a service organisation, this is underpinned by our people and we possess some very talented and motivated individuals who work really well with clients, have a strong commitment to innovation and to solid service delivery.” telent’s business in the rail industry is supported by a

foundation of maintenance and management services presently being delivered to over 1000 stations on the national rail infrastructure, plus all London Underground stations. Such a widespread workforce not only gives the company an excellent relationship with its clients, but also forms a solid platform upon which innovative technologies and solutions can be built.

Such a strong service and dedication to innovation results in a company that is highly flexible and able to develop its capabilities and expertise in response to market trends. The digital railway undoubtedly dominates the industry’s current focus, and Stephen notes that even over the last 18 months, since Railway Strategies last featured telent, the transition to such a network has made significant progress.

“What’s changing for us as a business is the impact of

technology and our investment into technology to move forward in support of this transition,” he says. “One of our biggest moves to facilitate this was the acquisition of Telindus UK, which has brought with it Gold Partner status with Cisco and Elite Partner status with Juniper.

This really helps take the business into the world of the digital railway and makes sure that we have the future capability and expertise to fully support it.”

One key area where a digital railway is already beginning to be realised is in the current electrification programme being rolled out across the UK. Presently telent is delivering a five-year contract to develop the national electrification supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. By utilising a variety of communications systems to provide control to remote equipment, the SCADA control systems allow for a single national control infrastructure, which integrates legacy equipment with new systems, thus allowing much greater flexibility of control.

Back in 2014 when we last spoke with telent, Stephen discussed the roll out of SCADA to Network Rail infrastructure. Today, he happily reports that TfL and the London Underground are keen to bring the technology into their own network. “They have now come to market with their requirement for a traction power SCADA system,” he explains. “The approach is similar to the Network Rail project where we’re seeing the need for a centrally managed system that can be operated from multiple locations.”

Demonstrating the company’s consistent occupation right at the leading edge of technological innovation, telent’s roll out of SCADA has become very closely aligned with a growing need for cyber security development. Over the last 18 months the company has taken part ownership of a cyber security company in anticipation of this rising demand. “The design of a network, the implementation of a security solution that provides defence in depth, the ability to carry out penetration testing and so on are all becoming key requirements of these new systems,” Stephen continues.

“Having the capability to understand cyber security and to deliver these requirements to our customers is incredibly important. At the same time this is new ground for a lot of our customers so it is critical that we can not only respond to these requirements but also support them in the transition.”

In addition to the SCADA programme, telent has also been busy continuously developing and implementing its station management system, known as MICA (Management Integration and Control of Assets), which has been in the market since 2006. By enhancing the communication between multiple systems such as CCTV, public address systems, passenger information displays and help points, as well as fire and intrusion detection

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telent

systems and lift and escalator monitoring MICA provides a fully integrated management system.

CCTV management forms a very important part of MICA and, acting as a management service provider as well as the project delivery partner, telent currently looks after 30,000 cameras across the UK’s station network.

“Since we last spoke there has been a marked beginning to the transfer from analogue to IP CCTV systems,” outlines Stephen. “We currently have 1000 IP cameras in seven TfL stations, and by working with a lot of the leading camera and video encoder suppliers in the market, like Samsung, Axis and Bosch we are integrating their systems into ours and helping to develop this for the rail environment. Part of this development provides mobile CCTV monitoring to a local monitor or handheld device.” Whilst MICA was initially rolled out into the TfL network, over the last year Network Rail stations such as Reading and London Bridge have begun to implement the same technology.

As with SCADA, cyber security plays an important role in the current development focus of MICA. Stephen points out that with the raised threat of attack to critical infrastructure following events in Paris, the need to

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increase station security has followed. He highlights that recent development for MICA has been centred on how secure it is and following tests, telent is confident about its credentials. “It is very important to be able to provide high quality services and to make sure these systems are functioning very well,” he adds.

Another area of recent focus for telent is in improving its complete service offering, having agreed a managed service contract for CCTV systems to provide 10-15 year periods of renewals and support for a known cost. “For an operator this means that they don’t need to worry about going out to market every time they need renewals,

instead they get a service that supports them for the duration of their franchise,” Stephen explains. “It is not just technological innovation that we are developing but also the way in which we contract and support our clients from a service point of view. It also means we’re operating in the provision of capital, which is made possible by our own financial strength.”

With demand for a digital network growing across the UK’s rail industry, telent and its expanding capability are perfectly placed to continue its leading role in the communications sector. A look at the current market conditions goes some way to bolstering this positivity as Stephen references the ongoing Crossrail and upcoming HS2 projects, plus the possible Crossrail 2 and HS3. “This suggests that the rail network has a great future in terms of investment,” he says. “However, at the same time we are seeing Network Rail and TfL becoming more aligned with the government and therefore having tight budget pressures, so it’s a bit of a mixed picture.

“Ultimately, the industry has set the strategic vision for a digital railway and the requirements which that entails, but it’s very much in its infancy. At the heart of this vision is a secure communications network and this has to be highly reliable and able to reach all segments of the industry, it has to have the capacity and the availability, and it has to have the cyber security pedigree. We will be central to supporting this vision and by working closely with our customers and partners we can make sure that these things are delivered along side the best applications to interface with them.”

www.telent.com 99

GVB

All

aboard

As Amsterdam continues to grow, GVB is playing a critical role in helping the city remain mobile and connected

Below Alexandra van Huffelen, CEO of GVB

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H

aving been operating Amsterdam’s public transport network – including tram, metro, bus and ferry services – for over a century, GVB has some idea of how to support its many residents and tourists to move in and around the city. However, as the city grows, along with population, tourism, and peoples’ demands for efficient travel, the challenges facing the company today are as pressing as ever. GVB’s 2015 report demonstrated strong financial growth and improvements in customer satisfaction as it helped 800,000 daily customers across Amsterdam, yet

speaking with CEO, Alexandra van Huffelen, it is clear that there is still a lot to do.

“The city is growing rapidly at the moment, and it is fantastic that more and more people want to use public transport,” Alexandra begins. “We have one of the most beautiful historic tramlines in the world going right through the city centre, and an increasing number of people are recognising that our growing network of services is one of the most efficient ways of travelling through Amsterdam.

However, it is our responsibility to ensure that we can keep up with this growth in terms of our services, the

mobility,” she elaborates. “We are seeing a massive change in the way people are moving around the city. They are using their cars less and turning to their bicycles or public transport, but also to shared forms of transport like car sharing services such as Car2Go, which has a number of electric Smart vehicles available for short term hire within the city. It is our job to work collaboratively with the city and other organisations to ensure that we can connect public transport services with these new modes so that we can provide an even broader, door-to-door service.”

experience we provide for our customers and making sure new developments are connected.”

Joining GVB around two years ago from a mixed background of business and politics, Alexandra is leading the company through a number of transformations that will allow Amsterdam’s public transport system keep up with passenger numbers, meet demands for customer satisfaction and integrate effectively with a changing mobility landscape.

“One of our biggest focal points is not just on the services that we provide every day, but on the future of

However, the ability of GVB to deliver such an extensive coverage alongside improved service levels is constantly being squeezed by a parallel need to manage a cost effective operation. Under its current concession to 2024, Alexandra highlights that in order to achieve renewal GVB has to work according to a set of valuation criteria, which not only includes service parameters, such as passenger satisfaction and punctuality, but also in how it is able to provide these improvements with fewer subsidies. For the operator this has manifested itself in number of initiatives.

“These include strong collaboration with the private sector to ensure we can continue the operation of services that are less frequently used, making sure we maintain our facilities as well as upgrading our fleets to refresh and serve more areas,” Alexandra outlines. “As part of our current investment programme we are renewing our bus fleet from diesel to electric, which not only helps our fuel efficiency, but also contributes to the improving air quality

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Perpetuum monitors Amsterdam Combino trams for GVB Justin Southcombe, Commercial Director of Perpetuum, explains that bearing information produced by Perpetuum’s innovative wireless condition monitoring technology will allow GVB to monitor its Combino units keeping them in service for longer and increasing safety Perpetuum, the global leader in vibration energy harvesting and its application in asset management across the rail industry, has expanded into Holland by securing a contract for a pilot project on the Amsterdam tram system with owners GVB Holding NV (GVB). The project covers wheel bearing condition monitoring on three of GVB’s Siemens Combino trams and is an ideal application for Perpetuum’s self-powered wireless condition monitoring solution, especially due to the difficult to access nature of the 100 per cent low-floor trams.

The bearing information produced by Perpetuum technology will allow GVB to monitor its most critical Combino units, so that they are not removed from service early, thus limiting disruptions for passengers travelling in Amsterdam. The deployment will also allow GVB to investigate opportunities to reduce its maintenance costs significantly by only replacing the units that have deteriorated, and not the entire fleet, which will allow it to provide a better service at a reduced cost to the city of Amsterdam.

Powered by its innovative wireless energy harvesting micro-generators, Perpetuum’s on-board Sensor Systems produce powerful vibration and temperature data, enabling its clients to accurately view the real time health and predict the failure of rotating components on trains, such as wheel bearings, motors and gearboxes. The self-powered sensors can be fitted in less than 20 minutes, having no wires for power or communication, and without the need for special tools or the lifting of the vehicle, and its powerful algorithms can process the data in a matter of minutes.

Early models of the Combino trams, with a 100 per cent low floor design, were introduced over a decade ago. However, this innovation in the tram’s build specification inadvertently had a negative impact on the life and maintenance of the vehicle. Indeed, while great engineering advances were made in the new low-floor components, including new bogie frames, stub axles, compact wheel motors and integrated gearbox designs, not all faults were engineered out when early models of the tram were launched.

The SKF wheel bearings on the Combino’s powered bogies were ingenious but complicated designs, undertaking large resultant forces, which appeared to be significantly impacting the component’s life, as non-powered bogies do not appear to have the same level of fatigue. There have been two overhauls of bearings in the past 12 years, compared to an expected 30 to 35 year life span, and bearing replacement costs across the fleet are very significant. With 155 trams, this represents an almost continuous workload and loss of fleet availability for GVB, in addition to the financial impacts.

As well as the safety benefits real time condition monitoring can bring, Perpetuum’s information will also help GVB to understand more about the tram and how it performs and operates in service so that GVB can develop long-term solutions based on knowledge and fact. Amsterdam’s very old infrastructure has been notorious for poor ride quality and noise and GVB is also very interested in investigating the live track monitoring capabilities of Perpetuum’s system.

This is Perpetuum’s first contract in Holland and the company will look to expand its services to other cities with tram systems using the Combino trams, which include Melbourne, Erfurt, Augsburg and many other cities throughout the world.

For more details on Perpetuum visit www.perpetuum.com

GVB

in Amsterdam. We have also installed solar panels on the roofs of our aboveground metro stations.

“In addition, we are working closely with the city to try and better understand our customers and deliver a more appropriate service. For example, we are running a lot of big data research to see how people are moving around the city in order to optimise and tailor our services along the lines of when and where people are actually moving.”

Indeed, in order to consistently deliver such a service, GVB has a number of innovative technology partners and is continuously seeking to work with new players in the market to gain improvements in rail safety and reductions in both operating and maintenance costs.

The company has, for example, recently undertaken

reflect the diversity of Amsterdam in its employment.

“We run an intensive programme with the city to help bring employment opportunities to disabled and unemployed people in particular, and are currently looking at employing refugees, especially those who have strong technical backgrounds to complement our maintenance teams,” Alexandra highlights. “In fact, we have very recently hired our first person who has come to Amsterdam as a refugee from Syria, and hope to continue this as we move forward.”

Running such a large and rapidly growing transport network through a period of evolution in the way people move around and between cities is no easy task, but GVB’s journey towards becoming a key mobility partner with Amsterdam and surrounding metropolitan areas is as exemplary as it is extensively diverse. “Looking for new solutions from broadening our coverage to partnering with other transport modes, whilst also running an effective every day service for our residents and visitors will all be big parts of our future, and we look forward to achieving this with the city as we move forward,” Alexandra concludes.

www.gvb.nl

a pilot project with Perpetuum, the global leader in vibration energy harvesting to monitor wheel bearing condition, which will help the business to plan maintenance on its most critical Combino units.

Furthermore, it is not just on the operation and improvement of its network that GVB’s focus is trained, but also on the socially responsible way it does so.

Environmentally, users of GVB will travel carbon neutrally by 2030 and socially it is currently on a big push to

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CROSSRAIL

All systems go

As Crossrail’s progress approaches 75 per cent completion we explore the innovations and challenges of the complex railway systems phase

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hen it enters operation in December 2018, Crossrail’s tunnelled section, which passes through Central London and Docklands, will mark the beginning of the end of one of the UK’s biggest construction projects in a generation.

Making its way from Royal Oak in the West all the way through to Pudding Mill Lane and Plumstead in the East, over 50km of track –- which will be known as the Elizabeth Line when the railway opens – will make its way

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through newly formed tunnels beneath London, passing through ten new stations and onto mainline track to Reading and Shenfield. As the extensive tunnelling work drew to completion in 2015, the installation of the railway systems is now in full swing. Taking on the main works of this phase is ATC – a Joint Venture between Alstom, Transports Sud Ouest (TSO) and Costain.

Speaking at the start of June 2016, Crossrail’s Construction Manager for the railway systems phase, Gregg Purcell, gives us an overview of the programme’s progress so far.

In the Eastern section, which begins at the Plumstead railhead, track has been installed all the way up the South Eastern branch to Stepney Green where it meets the North Eastern branch coming from Pudding Mill Lane. The 465-metre long concreting train is following this closely and is currently in operation five nights a

week. Out in the west, track has been installed from the Royal Oak portal through Paddington Station to Bond Street, with concreting here taking place three days a week.

Throughout Crossrail’s tunnelled section, five different types of track are being used. Eighty per cent of this will be made up of standard track slab, with direct fixed track being installed in the Victorian-engineered Connaught Tunnel and a few small areas benefitting from high attenuation sleepers, which further reduces noise and vibration. However, in two sections underneath Central London, Crossrail is making use of innovative floating track slabs (FTS), which significantly reduce noise and vibration in sensitive areas, with a light version being used under Soho and a heavier one underneath the Barbican.

Using the Fisher Street shaft as the main construction hub for FTS, 1.97km of the light system is currently

being installed under Soho, with around 85 per cent of reinforcement cages already put in place to receive the specialist concrete system. “We are looking to start concreting here from the middle of June, and hope to complete a fairly rapid plan of about three months,”

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SBC Rail Ltd SBC Rail Ltd are currently supplying innovative concrete track solutions to Crossrail.

Around 63,000 Twin Block Booted Sleepers and 4500 High Attenuation Sleepers (HAS) have been designed in close collaboration with Consolis Group sister companies Stanton Bonna and Sateba.

The sleepers are primarily designed to attenuate noise and vibration whilst generating savings on both the track construction costs and programme.

The HAS is the result of a ten year investment programme between Sateba and Alstom to develop a cost effective alternative to traditional floating slab track.

Both SBC Rail and sister company Stanton Bonna are UK members of Consolis, Europe’s leading manufacturer of concrete railway sleepers and bearers with an annual production capacity of 3.5 million sleepers per year and over 40 years’ experience in the production of concrete railway sleepers for high speed lines.

Gregg explains. “At the end of May we also took possession of the Barbican section from the Farringdon team, which means we can now commence work on the 1.34km FTS (heavy) installation.”

In terms of M&E systems, equally significant progress is being made in the Eastern phase. “From Plumstead we are quite far advanced into the Thames Tunnels with installing physical infrastructure, such as Overhead Line Equipment (OHLE) systems and bracketry for all the permanent cable systems,” Gregg outlines. “In the North East branch our drilling rig is making good progress to prepare those tunnels as well. Temporary services

such as tunnel ventilation, which will be completed by September 2016, and safety systems like the fire mains, are also making good progress – as are the permanent ventilation installations at Canary Wharf, Whitechapel and Tottenham Court Road.”

Unsurprisingly, a project of such scale and complexity is not without its challenges. Chief amongst these is to maintain a consistent output of work to meet the tight deadlines posed by the Crossrail programme. “Whilst the timeline is highly achievable, it does require us to keep to a very tight and efficient programme,” Gregg explains.

“This include being able to overcome any unplanned challenges – mechanical, plant or even human issues – quickly and effectively. Our 23-wagon concrete batching plant, for instance, is nearly half a kilometre long and has around 2500 individual components and systems. Law of averages will suggest some things will go wrong, so we have to be prepared for this.”

Access through stations and shafts, which are increasingly lively development sites, too, also poses significant complexity, with Gregg noting that interface management between the station and rail systems teams is essential to overcoming these. “I was told quite early on that this project would get built because of the people and the relationships, and this has turned out to be absolutely correct,” he says. “I spent a lot of time at the beginning developing relationships with various station teams, explaining what we need and understanding their needs, so that we can all remain professional and do the best to accommodate each other. This is by far the most logistically complex and interface-heavy project I have ever worked on so this approach is absolutely vital.”

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Despite the extraordinary complexity of Crossrail, the development programme has proven to be an exemplary showcase of innovation. Four Multi Purpose Gantries (MPG), for instance, have been developed especially for the Crossrail tunnels, allowing the team to handle a range of materials and activities, including the accurate positioning of 70,000 sleepers and 57km of rail, and achieve incredibly high outputs within a single bore tunnel environment. “The MPG solves a whole host of issues,” highlights Gregg. “In terms of pure innovation it’s one of the cleverest pieces of plant I have seen in a long time.

Working through the tunnels is a very linear activity, which means we can take a slightly more production line mentality when approaching it, which the MPG supports, but it also provides the ability to magnify operations over 42km and develop some unique solutions in a slightly bigger context.”

One such solution is the use of a multi-access manipulator – technology borrowed from the tree felling industry. Used to help install fire mains systems, the highly flexible robotic arm has been attached to a Unimog and is able to manipulate long lengths of pipe into position whilst eliminating much of the human interface and therefore

in achieving high output and an effective workflow. In the North Eastern branch, for example, the drilling rig is completing its work before the tracks have been laid, whilst in the South Eastern the opposite occurred.

Logistically, this enables the team to make significant progress on each section concurrently.

“With many of these innovations we have been able to maintain the human element as the intelligent component organising, planning and programming the heavy duty labour, which can be carried out by a machine,” Gregg outlines. “Of course, final connections, fixings and fittings still have to be carried out by people, but we have significantly reduced the risks.” This ties into Crossrail’s overarching health and safety programme, which focuses on behavioural safety just as much as it does on mechanising processes. “We run numerous behaviouralsafety and front-line leadership initiatives to ensure that

Davlav Welfare Facilities A full range of welfare units from Davlav have provided the Crossrail workforce with clean and comfortable rest areas.

From the totally flexible drive anywhere seven person vans, to the range of towable units. Sizes range from 3.6m x 2.3m up to 6.0m x 2.3m and can be set up ready to use in minutes. All units are HSE compliant and fully equipped with seating, kitchen, separate toilet area and drying room.

All drivers and service staff are also Crossrail compliant as well as national rail approved.

Davlav are proud to be providing welfare support for this incredible project.

creating a much safer working environment. “It also allows us to maintain a very high standard of output with a very high quality level in a much safer manner,” adds Gregg.

Removing the human element from much of the physical process has been a key feature in the development of Crossrail’s one-of-a-kind drilling rig, as well. Using cloud surveying to digitally map the tunnels to a very high degree of accuracy, positions for the 250,000plus holes – to support the installation of bracketry and walkways – are programmed into the drilling rig, which then uses a series of robotic drilling arms to carry out the work. Capable of running on both track and concrete, the drilling rig has been designed to be highly flexible

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the right decisions are being made,” Gregg continues.

“This is supported by some very sophisticated root-cause analytics, which enable us to interrogate an incident right back to its origin and take appropriate preventative action accordingly.”

The Crossrail project is undeniably vast, but the way it has approached such unprecedented complexity by applying intelligent innovation alongside close cooperation is extraordinary. Gregg’s enthusiasm for taking on such a key project typifies the level of expertise and passionate professionalism across that thrives off of delivering such a critical piece of infrastructure to the people of London right across the programme. This is

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set to continue over the coming months, when numerous short-term milestones are set to be achieved, each marking even greater progress for Gregg and his team.

“In June we’ll start concreting our FTS systems, in July we will turn our concreting train around 180 degrees and in September we’ll be commissioning our temporary ventilation system,” he outlines. “There are lots of challenges ahead, but we have good momentum and all of these phases take us one step closer to November 2017, when we can start handing the tunnels over to rail operators for the beginning of dynamic testing.”

www.crossrail.co.uk

ADComms

Smart technology

for critical national

infrastructure

ADComms specialises in providing end-to-end technology based systems integration services across a range of sectors with a focus on transportation and critical national infrastructure utilising fixed and mobile network systems.With extensive experience across these markets, it has demonstrated an ability to provide innovative engineering solutions backed by commitment, quality and value to deliver world-class solutions

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here is a perpetual move towards the digitalisation of many traditional systems within the industry, utilising IP networks to transport and deliver the data. This enables a wider use of the data to achieve more efficiency, capacity, reliability and potentially improving safety. Big Data, IoT, M2M brings potential advantages to the industry utilising a network of sensors and data analytics to deliver valuable information to improve reliability and operations.

This digital revolution is at the core of ADComms capabilities, integrating legacy systems and enabling new applications to be delivered using a mix of fixed and mobile communications infrastructure across the rail sector.

ADComms has a successful track record of delivering mission critical communications solutions for Network Rail, including the FTN/GSM-R and FTNx projects. Its committed, experienced team of field and project engineers carry out significant trackside installation and maintenance works on a daily basis, and takes pride in its excellent operational and safety record as a principle contractor.

As of June 2016 ADComms was acquired by Panasonic.

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Both companies have been engaged on addressing marked challenges for new technology implementations for some time, and have a strong collaborative approach to addressing the customer challenges across the rail sector. This new partnership will enable ADComms to take its business to the next level, something that Managing Director, Jason Pearce, discussed in more detail: “We will continue to trade as a separate business, wholly owned by Panasonic. This means we will retain our independence on both equipment and technology, but will gain access to the huge research and development capabilities at Panasonic – they have been in the top ten global companies for R&D spending over last 15 years, which is a real benefit as there is so much innovation needed in the transportation and rail sectors. On another key aspect it better enables us to scale, meaning we can take on bigger projects.� With such a positive and valuable relationship between ADComms and Panasonic, it will help ADComms advance even further in the future; the company will no doubt be positioned at the centre of the evolving rail sector.

ADComms and Panasonic have already started

combining skills and expertise on a recent project for Network Rail, jointly developing a hybrid off grid power solution using the Panasonic range of LithiumIon batteries and solar panels. The hybrid power solution integrates renewable energy sources in the way of Solar panels, combined with energy storage and traditional generator back up, delivering a high availability site solution for a safety critical system, while reducing the need to visit the site on a regular basis for expensive refuelling activity. This innovative solution has been deployed on a trial basis in the North East of England. To support the critical nature of the site ADComms ensures all elements of the solution are monitored and remotely managed back to a network operations centre. The site has been designed for a single yearly maintenance and refuelling visit while still providing 99.999 per cent availability.

The railways are a core part of the UK critical national infrastructure delivering people and products that enable UK PLC to operate. The rail infrastructure is heavily relied upon to deliver this on time all the time and any

delay or cancellation can cause great inconvenience and problems if not properly communicated. The solution to this will no doubt be related to the development of systems to monitor all aspects of trains, as was expanded on by Mark Weller, Business Development Director for ADComms: “An area which we are focused on with Panasonic is developing intelligent asset management which incorporates remote condition monitoring systems along with data analytics to provide real time insights to the status of critical systems and components. These assets effectively generate terabits of data and information on the rolling stock asset, which can be used for the asset owner or the consumer. Data analytics offers the ability to predict failure events, which can be actioned prior to failure improving the operation of the network, while passenger flow, and counting can improve the passenger experience through the station on board directing you to available seats during periods of congestion.”

Another issue that ADComms is addressing on the railways, is that of trespassing, something that is a constant nuisance and danger and risk to life.

The company has been utilising leading edge CCTV analytics solutions to identify unauthorised access to core infrastructure. Steve Harris, Director for ADComms, elaborated on the solution: “We have been working closely with Panasonic on smart CCTV at Durham station taking an advanced CCTV analytics solution and marking areas where any unauthorised access needs to be alarmed and notified through an automated system.

“We are working to create a reliable system to automate the identification of events which have the potential to affect the safety and reliability of the rail network through trespass while minimising false alarm triggers to the satisfaction of Network Rail. This enables more cameras to be utilised across a wider section of the network to improve detection. ADComms is developing a system that can perform an intelligent analysis so that if there is a problem it can signal an alert to the human operator to look at the specific event. The system is intelligently processing images from many cameras and identifying whether those images should be looked at more closely by the human operator. We are creating a smart way of identifying issues.” This will have clear benefits for many sectors across the world, where a discrepancy can be detected by the system and brought to the attention of the operator, potentially removing the chance of something being missed.

ADComms has built a reputation working on the

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Cymarc Engineering Ltd Cymarc has been established for three decades, but it is only in the last four years that a trading relationship has been built up between both Cymarc and ADComms. The company is now privileged enough to be considered as an ‘A’ rated supplier by ADComms. Tempered by a professional service, it has built up an excellent trusting relationship built on sincerity and a genuine philosophy of wanting to do its best for ADComms and indeed all of its customers.

ADComms has responded positively to Cymarc’s approach resulting in a valued relationship and the accolade of being its strategic partner of choice of turnkey product solutions.

London Underground, and the systems it provides can help to increase capacity, improve reliability, and protect safety. Jason highlighted one aspect that the company has already worked on: “Our London Underground business is heavily focused on designing and installing CCTV systems at stations which allow the driver to see if the doors have closed correctly, that there aren’t people or objects trapped in closed doors, or still trying to get on the train. A key focus for Panasonic is taking the analytics solutions to improve the reliability and safety related to issues of this type, making the system smart.”

ADComms is developing this technology that will no doubt shape the future of rail industry improving safety and reliability, as well as many other sectors. It will enable useful information to be separated from the vast amounts of captured data providing the right information to the right place at the right time, the benefits of which could be extensive.

Within the ADComms Group, Rail Order, has expanded from its traditional supply & logistics offering, to building on core technology strengths of the group to bring innovative products for the rolling stock businesses.

Rob Illsley, Managing Director for Rail Order, states that: “Rail Order’s Darwin fed Real-Time on train Passenger Information Systems have now been successfully deployed with a number of Train Operating Companies.

With a vision of the intelligent train combining – high speed data offload, onboard reliable WiFi systems, onboard infotainment, and improved travel experience, and data analytics on train performance have been well received by passengers and train operating companies.

Other enhancements including improved carriage air

quality, and USB Seat charging points have been well received. As a Panasonic Company, we benefit from the latest CCTV security technologies which lend themselves well to safety systems, forward facing and internal style camera solutions.”

The future for ADComms seems stronger than ever, not only is it a successful business providing technology solutions to long held problems in the rail industry, it now has the resources and investment by one of the world’s leading and most trusted brands to bring improvements to the industry. Its future will be that of continuing innovative advancements as well as offering maintenance and upgrades to existing systems. The positivity and ambition at ADComms is palpable, all of which points to a growing business with an expanding client list.

www.alandickcomms.com

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NEWS I Conferences & Exhibitions 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.

5-7 October European Transport Conference Connecting the worlds of research, consultancy, policy and practice Where: Barcelona, Spain Organiser: Association for European Transport Web: etcproceedings.org

14-15 November Rail Revenue, Rail Customer, Rail Ticketing, Rail IT Where: Sofitel Legend The Grand, Amsterdam Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: 02070 921 237 Email: daniel.boyle@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/conference/rail-revenue

18 – 20 October Civils Expo (Part of Construction Week) Where: NEC, Birmingham Organiser: Media 10 Ltd Tel: 02032 255 200 Email: sema.tezel@media-ten.com Web: www.civilexpo.co.uk

15 November Rolling Stock Procurement Forum 2016 Where: Addleshaw Goddard, London Organiser: Waterfront Tel: 02070 671 597 Email: conference@thewaterfront.co.uk Web: www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com/ conferences/rail/events

7-10 November 18th International Wheelset Congress Where: InterContinental Century City, Chengdu, China Organiser: IWC Email: info@iwc2016.com Web: www.iwc2016.com 10-11 November ITA Tunnelling Conference & Awards 2016 Where: Singapore Organiser: International Tunnelling Association Tel: +41 21 693 23 10 Email: awards@ita-aites.org Web: awards.ita-aites.org

22-23 November East Africa Rail Where: Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: Tarryn Theunissen +27 11 516 4044 Email: tarryn.theunissen@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/east-africa-rail/ 22-24 November Intelligent Rail Summit Where: Railway Museum, Naples, Italy Organiser: Railtech Tel: +31 627 841 198 Email: mbrouwers@europoint.eu Web: www.railtech.com/intelligent-rail-summit-2016

7-8 March 2017 Middle East Rail Where: Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, UAE Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: +97 144 402 501 Email: Jamie.hosie@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/middle-east-rail/ 28-30 March 2017 RailTech 2017 Where: Utrecht, the Netherlands Organiser: RailTech Tel: +31 306 981 802 Email: sales@railtech.com Web: www.railtech.com/railtech-2017 25-26 April 2017 World Metrorail Congress Co-located with Lightrail, Railpower and Railtel Where: Business Design Centre, London Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: 02070 921 166 Email: adam.hayward@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/conference/metrorail 15-17 May 2017 Global Public Transport Summit Where: Montréal, Canada Organiser: International Association of Public Transport Tel: +32 2 661 3186 Email: hicham.badran@uitp.org Web: uitpsummit.org/home

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) 1 November Introduction to rolling stock Provides a basic understanding of the role of traction and rolling stock within the context of railway systems as a whole.

2 November Traction and braking Principles of traction and braking for railway engineers 3 November Vehicle acceptance and approvals Introduction to acceptance procedures which apply across the rail network 7-11 November Introduction to railway signalling technologies An overview of railway control systems, subsystems and technologies used on UK main line and metro railways

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8 November Fleet Maintenance - Introduction Improve your processes and fleet maintenance processes 9 November Fleet maintenance - Advanced Understand the issues affecting rail vehicle performance and cost of maintenance

23 November Vehicle dynamics and vehicle track interaction Understand the dynamics of railway vehicles to improve safety, comfort and asset life 24 November Structural integrity Structural integrity, fire and crashworthiness systems found on today’s rail fleets

10 November Train communication and auxiliary systems New and existing systems in use on today’s rolling stock fleet 22 November Train control and safety systems Learn of the systems used on UK fleets that provide safety and train operational control

For more information Tel: 0207 304 6907 Email: training@imeche.org Web: www.imeche.org/learning-and-development/ courses/railway

Editor Gay Sutton

editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove

jwoolsgrove@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

www.railway-strategies.com

Schofield Publishing 10 Cringleford Business Centre Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU

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