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dust ingress.

Parker manufactures and suppliescomponents that are ideal fordeployment in the application, typically,P1D actuators, Viking Extreme in linevalves, DXR ISO Valves, an integratedcombination of air preparationequipment from the Global AirPreparation range and VA series heavyduty brass bodied valves.

These products are chosen not only forextreme reliability but also for the abilityto cope with the environmentalchallenges that the rail industry demands.These are then coupled within a Parkerdesigned and built pneumatic controlcabinet and user interface panel (whichcontrols the physical opening). Both unitsare sealed to prevent the ingress of dust,which can be present in coalenvironments and lead to equipmentdamage.

Parker’s products are also thoroughlytested and meet the highest standards interm of:

When it comes to the global rail industrythere can be no doubt that rolling stocksuch as engines, carriages and freightwagons operate in some very challengingenvironments. From extremes oftemperature to harsh working conditions,solutions utilised have to be able to copewith a wide variety of potential threats.Within the rail industry the guarantee ofuptime and operational use is often thedifference between maintaining profits ornot.

Having gained a worldwide reputation forquality and reliability Parker Hannifin hasbeen partnering with some of the world’sleading global rail companies for over 30years. With in-depth engineeringexpertise coupled with innovativeintegrated solutions, Parker products canbe seen in every corner of the world,coping in many challenging operatingenvironments.

Parker Hannifin have global experience ofpneumatic control of wagon cargodischarge doors, working with majormanufacturers of freight wagonsdesignated as FALNS. Traditionally hopperwagon doors are controlled manually or

by a variety of pneumatic componentsand controls. These methods are stillwidely deployed throughout the industry.With this in mind, Parker’s rail engineershave designed an integrated solution thatwould go above and beyond itscustomer’s expectations.

The real challenge for any supplier ofpneumatic components is to offersolutions that add value combiningoperational excellence with the ability tocope with the working environment,maximizing profit potential for thecustomer.

Typical projects call for reliable opening ofthe freight hopper doors on either side ofthe vehicle, giving flexibility to theoperator to unload from the left or rightdepending on the destination’sconfiguration. This can require thewagons themselves to have two sets ofcontrols to enable independent openingon either side. Independent operation ofthe doors is a critical safety requirement.Parker’s solutions are also able towithstand extremes of temperature from -40C to +60C and for the control cabinetsto be completely sealed against water and

PARKER HANNIFIN DELIVERS PNEUMATIC SAFETY, RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE FOR THE LATESTGENERATION OF FREIGHT WAGONS.

Dischargesystem forfreight

www.railtex.co.uk

12 – 14 MAY 2015 • NEC, BIRMINGHAM, UK12th INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF RAILWAY EQUIPMENT SYSTEMS & SERVICES

Tel + 44 (0) 1727 814400 info@railtex.co.uk

Registerfor FREE atwww.railtex.co.uksaving £20 onthe door

EDITION THREE 2015

The latest news & reviews from the industry M A G A Z I N E

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ContentsWelcome torailway-newsmagazineEdition Three.Following on from the success of our first edition Innotransspecial we are now producing the magazine on a quarterlybasis. The Innotrans magazine was fantastically receivedand was aimed at promoting suppliers and exhibitors at theshow. This latest edition is aimed to show more of the sameleading suppliers and their products but also we haveintroduced some fantastic independent pieces which wehope you find interesting and informative.

We hope you like this edition as much as the first and if youhave any questions about any of the products or servicespromoted within then please do not hesitate to contact oursuppliers directly or if it helps contact us and we will happilyhelp make the contact for you.

Have a great 2015 and we will be back again next quarter.

Director

www.railway-news.com

A2B Global MediaThird Floor,11-15 Dix's Field,Exeter, EX1 1QA

ABB .................................................................3

BT Cables......................................................7

Goldschmidt Thermit ...........................10

Zonegreen.................................................13

Frauscher ...................................................17

Socomec ....................................................20

TE Connectivity .......................................23

Handheld...................................................28

ByteSnap Design.....................................29

Ecebs ...........................................................33

LeighFisher................................................35

Pandrol .......................................................37

TEXANE.......................................................38

Virgin Trains ..............................................40

Railtex .........................................................41

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on the state-of-the-art RTU540. TheRTU540 is the medium sized module inABB’s new generation 500 series andprovides a flexible, scalable and compactsolution. It offers maximum functionalitywithin the restricted space available intrackside substation enclosures.

The RTUs will use classic hard-wiredinputs and at the same time will use theDNP3.0 protocol for communications withthe telent control centres. In addition,they feature built-in cyber securityfeatures and capability to interface withequipment based on the IEC 61850protocol for substation communications.This means that they are future-proofedto operate with any new primaryequipment that incorporates modernIEDs (intelligent electronic devices).

telent was appointed by Network Rail inAugust 2013 to deliver the new nationalSCADA system within a four-year periodand has already taken delivery of the first20 modules from its total order for 242RTU 540 modules for the Southern Electricregion.

Danny Lyonette, ABB’s Sales and

A new SCADA (Supervisory Control andData Acquisition) system coveringNetwork Rail’s Southern Electric region ismaking use of the latest remote terminalunits (RTUs) from ABB.

An RTU is a control device that connectstelemetry and remote control links to thesubstation equipment includingtransformers, switchgear, circuit breakers,rectifiers plus other important equipmentsuch as security alarms.

The equipment is being installed as partof Network Rail’s investment being madein preparation for the plannedelectrification of the UK’s rail network.telent has been appointed by NetworkRail to design, supply and install a newSCADA system to cover the entire nationalnetwork. It has ordered ABB’s RTUs forinstallation at traction substations acrossthe Southern Electric region, coveringsouth London, Dorset, East and WestSussex, Hampshire and Kent, where trainsare powered by a 750 V direct currentsupply to the third rail.

During the four-year contract, telent isinstalling a system that will provide the

complete control interface so thatNetwork Rail can monitor the networkremotely, carry out isolations andimplement automatic execution andservice restoration. Plus, the system needsto deliver flexibility to accommodatefuture changes to the electrified network.

The project will deliver a single electricalcontrol system and will replace timeserved equipment. By upgrading itsSCADA system, Network Rail will manageits electrical power in a more efficient andflexible way. Plus, the new system willsupport the future expansion of theelectrification network. It has the potentialto increase capacity and improvejourneys, while reducing costs and carbonemissions.

In the Southern Electric region, telent hasadopted RTUs supplied by ABB to providethe vital telemetry and remote controllinks to the main traction substationequipment. In operation the RTUs will usehigh-speed fibre optic connectivity tointerface with telent’s head end SCADAsystem in Network Rail’s control centre.

telent and Network Rail have standardised

A NEW SCADA (SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATAACQUISITION) SYSTEM COVERING NETWORK RAIL’SSOUTHERN ELECTRIC REGION IS MAKING USE OF THELATEST REMOTE TERMINAL UNITS (RTUS) FROM ABB.

RTUs playing a vitalrole in telent’s NetworkRail SCADA project

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The facility simulates the behaviour ofequipment such as switchgear, circuitbreakers and transformers. A library of testroutines covers all potential situations.

The SVF effectively ‘transports’ much ofthe final commissioning elements fromsite using the same IEDs that will bedeployed and uploading them withproject specific settings andconfigurations. The SVF has provenpopular with ABB’s customers, who canvisit the facility to witness their protectionand control schemes being tested in real-life conditions.

The benefits of the approach are reducingrisk and driving down costs. A rule ofthumb is that an issue that costs £10 torectify at the FAT stage will cost in theregion of £100 to fix on site. And not onlydoes it save costs in commissioning butalso time and risk on-site, ensuring a fastand smooth commissioning process.

Going a step further, ABB has developed anew generation of portable relay rooms(PRRs). These bring together completeprotection and control systems within acontainerized transportable unit that isfactory built, configured and tested beforebeing largely commissioned at the SVF.They can then be despatched to site as aplug and play solution.

One example from within the rail industryis on the Great Western ElectrificationProgramme. A consortium made up ofABB and UK Power Networks Services isdelivering 30 new traction powersubstations.

Marketing Manager for SubstationAutomation said: “Network Rail’s newSCADA is a very prestigious project thatprovides the first large scale UKdeployment for our new generation RTU540 modules. Our selection was based onthe successful completion of telent’sstringent approval process. One of the keyfactors was the module’s compact design,which is capable of handling up to 5,000information points.”

Once complete, there will be a phasedmigration programme to transfer existingcontrols and new electrification schemesto the new system.

Four products make up the RTU540 seriesand have been designed for a wide rangeof applications including railways, as wellas utility transmission, primary andsecondary distribution, and also processautomation in industry. The units havebeen designed to withstand the harshenvironmental conditions of tracksidesubstations in a compact housing.

Future proofed solutionIn rail electrification schemes RemoteTerminal Units have the role of interfacingbetween electrical power and distributioninfrastructure and a control centre via aSCADA system. Applications includemonitoring and control, fault currentindication and medium voltagemeasurement, metering and supervisionof power quality.

ABB introduced the new generationRTU500 series of RTUs in 2013 to meetdemand for future-proofed telemetry.This is achieved with the series in-builtcompatibility with the IEC 61850communications protocol.

Many thousands of substationautomation systems are in placeworldwide. But until recently, there wasno overall standard for serialcommunication in substation automation.This means that the vast majority of thesesystems have been based on proprietarystandards and that each system is eitherlimited to using components from asingle supplier, or that complex and costlyprotocol conversions have to be applied.

IEC 61850 is the first and only globalstandard that considers all thecommunication needs within substations.It defines standards for data models andsets, communication mechanisms and thesystem configuration language (SCL).

The protocol has a number of objectives.The first of these is interoperability ofsystem components and software tools,which will enable operators to integratetechnology from multiple vendors. Othergoals are to enable the free allocation offunctions and options for different systemarchitectures.

One of the key considerations of thestandard is that it takes account of the factthat developments in communicationtechnology move faster thandevelopments in substation automation,protection and control equipment.

Leading the way in IEC 61850ABB has pioneered the development andimplementation of IEC 61850 through anumber of initiatives, the first of which iscontinuous engagement in theelaboration and validation of thestandard.

In preparation for adoption of theprotocol, ABB created a SystemVerification Facility (SVF) in Stone,Staffordshire in 2006 with the goal ofcarrying out the vital (FAT) acceptancetesting for substation protection andcontrol systems in the UK. Rather thancarrying out limited representative pre-site tests, the SVF enables ABB to deliverrigorous testing that closely replicates theactual installation.

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A high level of interoperability can be

achieved by providing a full set of

protection and control data to the overall

SCADA or substation automation system

as well as other devices and third-party

tools.

Fast communication and application

performance are another critical aspect of

IEC 61850 devices as they use generic

object oriented substation event (GOOSE)

peer-to-peer communication.

The brains of these substations will beprotection and control systems housedwithin containers and developed by ABBto suit Network Rail’s RationalisedAutotransformer Scheme (RATS), asophisticated method of deploying IEC61850 to achieve a lower-cost substationsolution.

Native IEC 61850 implementationIEC 61850 was introduced to enableflexible, future-proofed systems that areable to cope with changing requirements,philosophies and technologies as well as

integrate products from multiplesuppliers.

Even before the standard was launched,ABB had committed to a ‘nativeimplementation’ philosophy so that thestandard would be fully implemented innew product developments like the RTU500 series.

In a typical IEC 61850 native design, thefunctionality of the IED must consider theentire lifecycle process from specification,through engineering, commissioning tooperations and maintenance.

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The website now has more downloadablecontent than ever before and will provideBT Cables customers with an impressivereference library and up to dateinformation on its products and services.BT Cables enhanced product portfolio iswell represented and from the Homepage you can move quickly to any of themarket sectors in which it now operates.It's just the latest stage in the ongoinggrowth and development of BT Cables,and we're very happy with the results. Expansion into new geographiesThe introduction of the enhanced productrange and development of the newwebsite are both key developments in BTCables expansion initiatives across MENAand Europe. The BT Cables brand isproving extremely popular and this hasled to recent contract awards from

Designed for ease of association with theproduct application the brand names willmake them instantly recognisable ascables which afford customers completepeace of mind and excellent value formoney. The products are branded as

• BT BMS-Tec ®• BT Data-Tec ®• BT Firepro-Tec ®• BT Industrial-Tec ®• BT Security-Tec ®• BT Optical-Tec ®• BT Voice-Tec ®

The new products complement perfectlyBT Cables’ traditional product offering.The company now offers completesolutions from trackside infrastructure toin-station applications for access control,security and intelligent building systems. New Website (www.btcables.com)BT Cables is delighted to announce thelaunch of its new website which went livein April 2015. Built on the Trendzerplatform that is used by BT MarketingSolutions for the BT Group's impressiverange of small business customers, thesite is fully responsive to meet thedemands of modern online requirements.The new site is more aligned to other BTGroup websites and whilst maintaining BTCables’ individual identity it is intended tobe instantly recognisable as part of the BTfamily.

THE IMPRESSIVE RANGE OF NEW PRODUCTS FROMBT CABLES HAS BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY THELAUNCH OF A SERIES OF BRAND NAMES WHICHARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS.

BT Cables expands itsproduct portfolio byintroducing its rangeof cables for BuildingInfrastructure Systems

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Kaizen event schedule as there is an activefocus on making small changes on a dailybasis which not only contribute towardsachievement of the CI targets but alsoimprove the working environment, healthand safety.

Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents(RoSPA)

BT Cables has this year achieved theprestigious President’s Award for 10 GoldMedal awards.

The RoSPA Occupational Health andSafety Awards are internationallyrecognised and have fast become themost sought after accolade byorganisations from every sector. Theseawards are a key part of the health andsafety calendar and offer organisations aprime opportunity to prove their ongoingcommitment to raising health and safetystandards. This is intrinsic to the workingethos at BT Cables and the awardsculminating in this year’s President’sAward are recognition of the dedicationand diligence of the BT Cables team inmaintaining such high standardsconsistently year after year.

European operators and Partneragreements with a number of majordistribution outlets covering the UAE andSaudi Arabia. BT Cables remainscommitted to work with YOU, itscustomers and partners, to ensure growthand mutual success and continue with itsinvestment in operations and people.

Supply chainBT Cables is heavily integrated with BTSupply Chain, an organisation with c950professionals across 22 countries. RecentlyBT Cables transferred all its logisticsrequirements across to the BT SupplyChain team which works with otherlogistics providers and freight forwardersas required, to ensure customer orders aredelivered on time, to the correctspecification and in the most efficientmanner.

Utilising this transport infrastructure andmodel, BT Cables can be proactive in thecollection and return of the empty drumsupon which they supplied cables. Eachdrum owned by BT Cables has a uniquenumber engraved on each flange andallows us to understand where the drumwas delivered to against a particular order.Continuous Improvement at BT CablesOver the last quarter, the Continuous

Improvement (CI) team has been verybusy working on a number of initiativesacross the manufacturing facility inManchester. Activities have includedKaizen events on core lines and in theplanning department. The latter aimed atachieving shorter lead times for customerorders and improved customer servicelevels. Daily performance meetings havebeen re-introduced and new problemsolving tools are being developed to solvesome of the more complex problems. Allof these activities have also contributed tosignificant cost savings generated by CI inthe last quarter.

The hard work continues through thenew financial year 2015/16. Improvementand cost saving targets have been setwhich the CI team see as challenging butachievable thanks to the involvement ofall the teams across the factory. A plan forregular Kaizen events with clear benefitshas been set and there will be a renewedemphasis on 5S (Sort, Streamline, Shine,Standardise & Sustain) which has a majorimpact in a high volume 24 hourmanufacturing operation like BT Cables.Continuous improvement is whollydependent on the support andengagement of all team members acrossthe entire business and not just in themanufacturing facility itself. The changeprocess does not rely entirely on the

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greater efficiency and safety and travelcomfort on the railways.

RAILSTRAIGHTS: Anupgrade of theelectronic measuringdevices for theinspection oflongitudinal profilesThe geometrically perfect production ofwelded rail joints and the correctalignment of the rails are essentialparameters for the durability of thewelded joints. It is therefore necessary tocontrol these factors – namely usingmeasuring technology that is reliable. Thekey features of RAILSTRAIGHTS: high-precision measurement of railstraightness and surface quality, locationof corrugations, Bluetooth operation fromAndroid devices, automatic calibration at30-second intervals, simple data transfer,and much more. Our RAILSTRAIGHTSmeet DB 824.8210 and EN 14730-2requirements and comply with the DutchQuality Index (QI).

Did he have an idea of how important hisinvention would prove to be for modernrailway traffic? In fact Thermit®, as it soonturned out, enabled the safe and reliablecontinuous welding of rails for the firsttime and this as we know today is anessential condition for comfortablerailway travel, for high-speed trains just aswith the rail transport of extremely heavyloads.

120 years after the patent application the"Goldschmidt process" still represents thestate of the art for the welding of rails andis the standard process with all the majorrailway companies around the world.Furthermore, it continues to be furtherdeveloped and improved. Thanks to itspersistent innovative drive theGoldschmidt Thermit Group is today the

global market leader with differentThermit® processes for the continuouswelding of rails and enjoys global successwith a wide range of products andservices for the construction, repair,maintenance and renovation of railwaytracks. This success story only becamepossible due to the innovative drive ofProf. Goldschmidt which remains with ustoday, as future thinking has a tradition atGoldschmidt.

The group offers a unique range ofservices for the construction, renovation,maintenance and modernization ofrailway tracks with a local presence,innovative technology, high quality leveland extensive experience. In this way theGoldschmidt Thermit Group promotes,just like Prof. Hans Goldschmidt did,

IN 1895 HANS GOLDSCHMIDT WAS GRANTED THE IMPERIALPATENT NUMBER 96317 FOR THE ALUMINOTHERMICPROCESS INVENTED BY HIM, WHICH IGNITED TWO DRAMATIC SUCCESS STORIES: THAT OF THERMIT® AND THEGOLDSCHMIDT THERMIT GROUP.

Goldschmidt ThermitGroup- 120 years ofcontinuous success

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Efficient tools andmachines for yourtrack worksThe Profile grinder GP 4000 with petrol ordiesel engine allows the precise and user-friendly reprofiling of rail heads and railjoints after rail joining, recharging andrepair welding on rail surfaces and edges.The GP 4000 profile grinder is a provenmachine suitable for all types of tracksuperstructure, also in tunnels.

If you need a device for quick and easytamping of railway sleepers and efficientballast tamping, the Ballast tamper TB 5000P with a petrol engine is exactly what youare looking for. The TB 5000 P is a robustproduct which impresses with its excellentpracticality and suitability for working withtrack ballast. You receive a tool with aspecially designed tamping blade oroptionally with a vibrating plate. The tooluses a quick-fit mechanism to allow a rapidchange.

The newly developed Torque wrench WT1400 P with a petrol engine enables thepowerful and precise loosening andtightening of sleeper screws and nuts withthe opportunity to electrically adjust thetorque. The maximum torque of 1400 Nmgives the machine a large reserve of power.

Magnetic barriers:Maximum safety forworking on railwaytracksSafety for the workers is always the toppriority when carrying out work on thetracks. A solid barrier ensures that thetracks where trains are running arecordoned off by a safety barrier. The specialfeature of the barrier is that using a strongmagnet it is very easy and quick to install.

CONTACT:Goldschmidt Thermit GmbH Finance and Management Holding ofGoldschmidt Thermit Group Hugo-Licht-Straße 304109 Leipzig, Germany Phone: +49 (0)341 355918-0Fax: +49 (0)341 355918-99info@goldschmidt-thermit.comwww.goldschmidt-thermit.com

RAILSTRAIGHT app:Precisionmeasurement viasmartphoneThe RAILSTRAIGHT app offers even greaterease of use for our clients and allowsAndroid-based devices to controlRAILSTRAIGHT precision measurementdevices for the measurement of rails andrail joints in order to determine straightnessand corrugation. The RAILSTRAIGHT appreceived an award for its participation in"Innovationspreis-IT", a competitiondedicated to innovative IT products, andreceived the title "BEST OF 2014".

SMARTWELD SPARK:safety with Thermit®portion initialignitionThe innovative SMARTWELD SPARKensures reliable and precise initial ignitionof Thermit® portions. With initial ignitionusing electrodes ignition rods declared asa hazardous substance are completelyeliminated for import and transport.SMARTWELD SPARK significantlyincreases operational safety through theuse of acoustic and visual signals toindicate a successful ignition.

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DPPS™ is specified in most modernmaintenance facility designs in the UKand its reputation is growing quickly,having been installed in some of thelargest and most sophisticated depots inthe world.

It combines powered derailers, road endcontrol panels, train detection equipment,warning signals and personal datakeys toprotect staff and infrastructure and is themost advanced, reliable and testedproduct of its type. In addition, DPPS™can be interlocked with a depot’ssignalling system, removing the need forshunt signals and allowing morestreamlined processes to beimplemented.

The powered derailer used by DPPS™ isthe only one approved by Network Rail atpresent. During its development,Zonegreen underwent a testingprogramme in its advanced researchworkshop that simulated five years’ ofcontinuous use, to ensure total reliability.This cutting edge, essential piece ofequipment offers absolute safety to depotstaff, preventing them from injury causedby moving trains.

Zonegreen has unveiled the secondgeneration SMART Depot PersonnelProtection System (DPPS™ ), following itsfirst complete overhaul in 15 years.

Designed with export in mind, DPPS™now uses intuitive functionality, based ona simple four button controller and agraphical interface that can beprogrammed in any language,accommodating characters and letters.Remote configuration and assistance also

makes overseas installations simpler andmore cost effective.

A wealth of extra features have beenadded to this latest version of DPPS™ ,which has been under development forsix years and cost many thousands ofpounds to bring to market. The systemhas always been the safest method ofcontrolling train movements in depots,but it is now easier to use and moreefficient to run.

SHEFFIELD-BASED ZONEGREEN IS LAUNCHING ANEW VERSION OF ITS FLAGSHIP RAIL DEPOTSAFETY SYSTEM, IN RESPONSE TO INCREASINGINTEREST FROM CLIENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE.

Zonegreen Develops SmarterDepot System

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International interestZonegreen’s longevity and reputation as aglobal leader in depot safety systems iscredited largely to the enduring success ofDPPS™ and a milestone moment in thecompany’s history was marked recently asits 1,000th order of depot protectionequipment was delivered to Siemens’Ardwick depot in Manchester.

Whilst the majority of these 1,000 ordershave been made in the UK, DPPS™ isalready used across three continents –Europe, Australia and Asia – and exportactivity continues to increase.

In response to the growing popularity ofits products, Zonegreen has expanded itsin house capability, with the addition oftwo new engineers and its first dedicatedsales and marketing manager, who istasked with developing new businessacross the globe.

This trio of appointments joins a highlyqualified team, who are Technis certifiedfor functional safety and reliability andrecognised by Lloyd’s Register YellowBook, which is acknowledged in the UK asthe definitive guide to engineering safetymanagement.

The firm also has experts in electricalradiated emissions who are certified forelectromagnetic compatibility on railwaysand meet the requirements of PersonalTrack Safety, the Institute of RailwaySignalling Engineers and theinternationally renowned Railway

The customer centric focus of the nextgeneration DPPS™ extends to its design,which is more ergonomic than itspredecessor. A tactile membrane hasbeen added to improve durability, alongwith high quality electronic componentsthat have increased its reliability andreduced power consumption, deliveringfurther cost savings.

By continuing to utilise distributedintelligent technologies, Zonegreen hasalso ensured that if an error is detected onone road, normal operation can continuethroughout the rest of the depot. Thisminimises disruption to workshopactivities and represents a significant stepforward from traditional project life cycle(PLC) systems.

Off the shelf software is now used to runDPPS™ , which means the system can stillbe configured to the unique layout ofeach facility, yet enables depots to benefitfrom years of development, mitigatingthe risk of errors and reducing the risk ofbugs. It is also now easier for Zonegreento the share new features and updateswith existing and future clients.

The standardised nature of the softwaremeans every installation is testedrigorously and repeatedly by Zonegreen’sin house experts and is verifiedindependently to ensure it complies withsafety standards, as defined in IEC61508and EN50128/50129. The system hasbeen approved by impartial complianceconsultancy, York EMC Services and isproven to meet current electromagneticcompatibility railway guidelines,EN50121-4:2006.

By increasing the lines of programmingcode, the amount of wiring and circuitboards needed in each DPPS™ have beenreduced significantly. Automatic set upand self testing functions have beenintroduced to make installation andmaintenance more efficient and this hasresulted in reliable advanced faultdiagnostics. For example, if there is apower failure at a derailer, the operatorcan access feedback on errors to establishwhere the problem is and its likely cause.In the rare event a fault is detected, thesystem will always fail safe, removing anypossibility of employee injury or damage

to other equipment.

The datakeys used to operate DPPS™have also undergone a facelift. Mostnotably, they have changed inappearance, whilst internally theelectronic memory chips have beenupgraded. Following feedback fromdepots about their standard processes,the key now allows for an increasednumber of authorisation levels to begranted, improving inscription andsecurity.

An engineer’s datakey can beprogrammed with a depot layout andused to transfer the information to thesystem when inserted, again minimisinginstallation time and making expansioneasier, if required. Temporary keys are alsoavailable for the first time, which are onlyactive for a limited period, mitigatingsecurity issues arising from thedistribution of duplicates, should amember of staff forget their original.

Christian Fletcher, Zonegreen’s technicaldirector, said: “We are very proud of thenext generation DPPS™. In the 15 yearssince it was launched, we have come along way in terms of the technologyavailable to us and the capacity of ourteam. Throughout the research anddevelopment phase, we listened to theneeds of clients at home and abroad andused their feedback to create a systemthat is now simpler to install, easier tooperate and more efficient to run.”

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Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme.

This investment in personnel is matchedby a determination to grow the firm’sexport business. Having identified anincreasing interest in its productsoverseas, Zonegreen has spent the lastfive years focusing on building a team ofinternational representatives who canintroduce its technology to depotoperators in their respective territories.

Currently, the firm is represented in theMiddle East by Masar, based in SaudiArabia, Mercury International in India, AWIMaskin AB who cover the Nordic regionand Andrew Engineering in Australia. As adirect result of these partnerships, DPPS™is already used in the Dubai Metro depots,Jebel Ali and Rashidiya, a secondgeneration system is being installed in theWulkuraka depot in Ipswich, Australia,where end users believe there is agenuine need for the technology andenquiries are being received from all otherareas.

Planning for thefutureZonegreen’s engineers are constantlylooking for new ways to develop itsprogressive rail technology to improve theprotection afforded to people andinfrastructure in depots, withoutcompromising maintenance operations.

The firm has brought a range of productsto market that are compatible with DPPS™and increase efficiency by automatingtime consuming or expensive procedures.These include Operator Planning Suite(OPS), a web-based application designedto replace the traditional whiteboard,providing cost effective maintenanceplanning.

OPS consists of two main screens – aneasy to visualise graphic of the depot onwhich users can position trains and createor assign tasks, plus a tabular layout toplan scheduled arrivals and departures.The data is then transmitted to monitorspositioned in strategic locations,providing accurate updates about anyvehicle.

This multi user system enables seamlessmanagement of maintenance activity andcollation of information from which

reports can be generated, reducingmanual tasks and paperwork.

In 2013, OPS was implemented at Alstom’sfacility near Nola, Italy to manage themaintenance of high speed trains on theTurin-Salerno and Rome-Venice lines. The140,000 square-metre depot has 12,000metres of track and employs 200 people.As changes occur, they are recordedautomatically and the updatestransmitted immediately, reducing thelikelihood of communication failures.

Francesco Fidanza, Alstom’s fleetoperations manager at Nola, said: “Severalplasma screens around the depot displaythe OPS system so everyone can visualisetrain locations and update informationaccurately. It is important for us to shareand disseminate maintenance data todifferent locations in a convenient wayand the Zonegreen system enables userswith various levels of access to log in fromanywhere.”

Striving for safetyThe latest figures from the Office of RailRegulation show that last year, totalworkforce harm increased by 10% andinfrastructure worker harm increased by22%, compared to 2013. Althoughleadership and policy improvements havebeen made within the rail industry, theyare yet to filter down to ground level andmanagement of occupational healthremains an issue.

These statistics were echoed by MarkCarne, Network Rail chief executive, whocommented recently that rail workerswere put at risk by out of date workpractices that have failed to keep pacewith other industries. He told an audienceof rail figures that whilst UK passengersafety is the best in Europe, personnelinjuries were around ten times the rate ofequivalent sectors.

Gemma Houghton, Zonegreen’s sales andmarketing manager, concluded: “Webelieve the Office of Rail Regulationstatistics are unacceptable and thatmaintenance facilities should be doing allthey can to protect workers. There is noreason why we should be so far behindother industries when the technologynecessary to keep depot personnel safe isreadily available.

“These are exciting times for us. Not onlyare we gaining global brand recognition,but we are also launching new,pioneering products that have thepotential to vastly improve workingconditions in depots of all ages, shapesand sizes.

“We are dedicated to developing cuttingedge systems that respond to the needsof rail operators and have the flexibility toadapt to this rapidly changingenvironment. We have ambition, driveand vision, plus ongoing dialogue withinternational partners and existing clientswho are helping us shape the future ofdepot safety. We believe our latestproduct range – spearheaded by the allnew DPPS™ – has the potential totransform the industry’s occupationalhealth record and we look forward tospreading the word about our systemsamong potential clients the world over.”

Zonegreen uses intelligent technologiesto protect rail personnel from dangerousenvironments. By combining industryexperience and consistently highstandards, it enjoys successfulrelationships with customers who valueproducts that are innovative, yet built tolast. For further information about thefirm’s suite of depot safety systems,telephone (0114) 230 0822, emailinfo@zonegreen.co.uk or visitwww.zonegreen.co.uk

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highest level, new state-of-the-artlaboratories and test facilities will be setup in the new building. By investing intoR&D we reaffirm our independence whichwill allow us to continue setting upresearch and development alliances withoperators and system integrators at anytime. The extension of the production willalso enable us to reliably and efficientlyrealise bigger projects”, he summarises.

FAdC R2: Research-based revolution intrain detectionThe importance of ongoing improvementwas demonstrated once again, whenFrauscher presented the next generationof its Axle Counter “Frauscher AdvancedCounter”, the FAdC R2, at last year’sInnoTrans in Berlin. Ever since it wasunveiled in 2012, the first edition of theinnovative Axle Counter has beenarousing tremendous interest amongspecialists in the field. Those taking part in

Frauscher Sensor Technology is a leadingsupplier of Axle Counters, WheelDetection Systems and Wheel Sensors.The main application areas of theseproducts are highly available safetyrelevant railway signalling and traincontrol systems. Frauscher componentscan be found in use in more than 70countries all over the world.

Enabling all products to operate inaccordance with related approvalregulations assumes ongoing innovationprocesses. All parts of the Frauscherportfolio are developed in-house inAustria and are continuously optimised

on the basis of experience gainedinternationally and active research.

To support research and development asan essential part of its growth strategy, in2015 the Frauscher Group is investing 8million euros into the extension of theWheel Sensor production and theconstruction of a new building at theirheadquarters in St. Marienkirchen/UpperAustria: The Frauscher Innovation Centre.This will be the company’s hub, whereinformation from global markets is goingto be collected, evaluated and fed into thestructured development process.

Michael Thiel, CEO of Frauscher SensorTechnology, stresses on the greatimportance of research and developmentin the growth strategy of the company:“Long-term success is based on uniqueselling propositions and innovation of theproduct portfolio, which are primarilydependent on intense, efficient andtarget-oriented research anddevelopment. To achieve this on the

FRAUSCHER SENSOR TECHNOLOGY IS A LEADING SUPPLIER OF AXLE COUNTERS, WHEELDETECTION SYSTEMS AND WHEEL SENSORS.

Frauscher Sensor Technology: Highlyavailable products based on research and experience

18

Wheel Sensor families RSR180/181 andRSR122/123 once again form the basis fortrain detection that performs at thehighest level.

New benefits based on innovativefunctions

The modularity and scaleability and thewide range of functions offered by theFAdC R2 provide a range of benefits,particularly when it comes to carrying outthe scheduling and project planningstages for complex train detectionsystems. This means that a specialsolution can be configured for allconceivable customer requirements.

A special focus in developing the FAdC R2was set on the system’s availability – atopic that challenges researchers in thefield of signalling with the requirement ofproviding cost-effective solutions forsafety-relevant systems. As an alternativeto an expensive fully-redundant design,intelligent functions to increase the faulttolerance of signalling systems enableinteresting options. With the FAdC R2Frauscher provides two of such innovativefunctions: Counting Head Control andSupervisor Track Sections.

These functions are implemented asstandard in the Axle Counter and may betaken into consideration as an option inconfiguration. Where necessary, both theCOM boards – for redundantcommunication – and the PSC boards –

productive training sessions andconfiguration workshops recognized justhow flexible and adaptable the system is.Many ideas for applications weregenerated and functionalities weredeveloped which gave reason to bringthe new release to market. While leadingsignaling experts participated in thedevelopment process they talk about “therevolution in train detection”.

Due to its functional modularity andsimple scalability, combined with theoptional Ethernet interface, the FAdC R2system now offers maximum flexibilitywhen it comes to configuring a very widerange of applications.

Software-basedinterface formaximum flexibilityThe possibilities range from small centralsystems with voltage-free relay contactsto complex systems located indecentralised clusters along the track andconnected to one another via Ethernet. Asthe complexity of the systems increases,space, energy and investment costsavings compared with conventional axlecounting systems also rise significantly.

When FAdC R2 systems are integratedinto high-performance electronicinterlockings, the benefits of this modernAxle Counter become clear: minimumequipment requirements, vital future-proof communication and maximumflexibility in terms of configuration. Theconnection can be established either bydeveloping a customer-specific interfaceor via the Frauscher protocol (FSE). On

request, an individual software interfacecan also be developed in accordance witha customer's specification. In any event,the higher-ranking application providesall the functional and diagnosticinformation from the system for furtherprocessing.

Structure andfunctional principleAll boards of the FAdC R2 system conformto a proven format and are housed in 19-inch board racks. Evaluation boards AEBcommunicate with one another by meansof an internal bus. The communicationboard COM that is also connected to theinternal bus provides an Ethernetinterface offering a fail-safeclear/occupied indication for furtherprocessing. Alternatively, theclear/occupied indication can be outputthrough the extension boards IO-EXBconnected to the evaluation boards AEB.

In addition, the communication boardCOM offers the option of connecting theFrauscher Diagnostic System FDS to theFrauscher Advanced Counter FAdC R2. Inthis way, the diagnostic data can belogged, evaluated and displayed in aninternet browser.

Tried-and-tested wheel detectioncomponents are a vital prerequisite forsafe and highly-reliable train detection. Aswith all Frauscher Axle Counters, the

19

and comprehensive yet optimalconfigurability. The easy scalability andmodern configuration tools allow not onlysimple and efficient adaptation to specificcustomer requirements but are also aprecondition for meeting futurechallenges. As a result of permanentimprovement based on customerfeedback and experience the FAdC R2sets new standards.

for protecting the power supply – may beduplicated.

By raising the fault tolerance inherent tothe system, the system is able to activateintelligent functions in order to maintainoperation without noticeable limitationsin the event of a fault – particularly onecaused by external influences. In manycases, this enables the required level ofavailability to be achieved. Two differentapproaches are taken to achieve this.

Suppression of faultsThe Counting Head Control principle, orCHC for short, is used for fundamentalavoidance of errors caused byunavoidable influences. When usedcorrectly, the patented functionalitysatisfies the requirements in line with SIL 4.

Operating mode:If the adjacent track sections are clear, thecounting head is switched to a stand-bymode. In this idle state, a freelyconfigurable number of undesirableinstances of damping can be suppressed.This means that no fault or occupiedindication is generated by a short-terminfluence; no reset is required. Possibletriggers for such interference include:

• Damping by tools• People • Trolleys• And other similar triggers

Automated fault correction processThe intelligent Supervisor Track Sectionprocess, or STS for short, correctsunavoidable, external interference in afully automated manner. By observing thegeneral reset conditions, it is thus possibleto further optimise availability withoutany negative effect on safety.

Operating modeEvery two track sections are overlaid by asupervisor section. Consequently, it ispossible for a faulty track section to bereset automatically, without manualintervention, if the correspondingsupervisor section is clear. Similarly, a

faulty supervisor section is reset if the twocorresponding track sections are clear.

FAdC R2: Future-oriented AxleCounterWith the development of the FAdC R2, amilestone has been set regardingmodularity, flexible modern interfaces

IO IOAEB

RSR 5000

external Signal

COM

AEB AEBAEBAEB

008RSR 1 RSR 2 RSR 3 RSR 4FMA 1 000FMA 2 FMA 3 000FMA 4

STS 1

STS 2

STS 3

STS 4

FMA 4FMA 3FMA 2FMA 1

RSR 1 RSR 2 RSR 3 RSR 4 RSR 5

COM

000

000 000 000 000

000

000 000

AEB AEB AEB AEB AEB

20

tropicalised circuit boards: this system willoperate where conductive dust ordripping water may be present.

The electromagnetic disturbanceimmunity level is double that required byEuropean EMC standards and has beenindependently tested and certified to passEN 50121-4 and 5 Furthermore, lowsmoke, zero halogen cables are fitted asstandard.

With frontal access for input / outputcabling, spares replacement andpreventative maintenance, Socomec’sMasterys IP+ Rail can be installed inenclosures or containers where space is ata premium. The units can be paralleledup to 6 units for high availability, scalablepower.

Emergency Lighting& Security UPS - RailCPSS (EN 50171) The Rail CPSS (Centralized Power SupplySystems) EMergency range is designedand manufactured to protect passengersand staff in the event of a major powerfailure or incident. The system complies

As part of a continuous programme toimprove safety and performance, therigorous PADs product approval processenabled Socomec to demonstrateproduct and engineering excellence, aswell as its capabilities in terms of designand specification compliance.

The long term site test was integral to theapproval process; Socomec and NetworkRail engineers worked closely together toensure that the system integration wascompleted as planned

Network Rail engineers also attendedSocomec’s product training course atSocomec’s UK facility.

Nick Golder, mass transportation salesmanager for Socomec comments: “It is a

privilege to have been awarded the PADsapproval for our Masterys IP+ RAIL.Socomec continues to make significantinvestment in research and development,and is continually working on innovativeproducts designed to meet the uniquechallenges faced by the masstransportation sectors in particular railinfrastructure”

A ComprehensiveRangeWhether planning a new installation orupgrading an existing facility, Socomec ‘slow voltage electrical solutions for rail orspecific system architectures guaranteenetwork safety and robustness, even inthe most challenging operatingenvironments.

High PerformanceCritical PowerSocomec’s IP+ Rail range provides thevery latest UPS technology for the masstransportation sector. Housed in acompact, robust, steel-framed enclosure,the system has IP31 or IP52 ingressprotection as well as anti-corrosion

THE NETWORK RAIL PRODUCT ACCEPTANCE PROCESS PROVIDES ASSURANCE THAT ALL PRODUCTSACCEPTED FOR USE ON OR ABOUT THE RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE ARE SAFE AND FIT FOR PURPOSE.

Socomec AwardedPads Approval forMasterys Rail IP+ UPS

21

business continuity, optimising efficiencyand guaranteeing the safe performance ofthe networks electrical infra-structure.

Golder continues, “We understand theimportance of maintaining vitalequipment whilst also being mindful ofour customer’s operating costs. We cancreate a completely customisedCommissioning, Inspection andMaintenance (CIM) package for anysystem architecture. Our specialistengineering team has the necessarytrackside training and accreditations toinstall and support equipment,throughout its lifecycle.”

From design and build through toinstallation and commissioning – as wellas ongoing maintenance – Socomec has astrong track record in providing robust,efficient and complex integrated powersolutions for the exacting requirements ofthe rail sector.

Please contact Nick Golder onnick.golder@socomec.comor 01285 86 33 00info.uk.ups@socomec.comwww.socomec.co.uk

with European safety and fire regulationsand is designed and built to be incompliance with EN 50171.

CPSS provide emergency lighting in theevent of a mains failure. The CPSS canalso be used to support other emergencysystems, such as:

Socomec’s also provides comprehensiverange of load break switches, Fuserbloc,protects people and key assets bypreventing overload and short circuit.

Advanced Switchingand EnergyManagementSolutionsSocomec’s Sircover and AtyS Automaticand Static Transfer Switches have beenengineered to enhance power availabilityand simplify the electrical architecture,ensuring standby and alternate poweravailability.

With ongoing investment indevelopment, Socomec has beenrecognised by Transport For London aspart of a wider project with partner, AFSwitchgear. The Socomec AtyS has beenapproved by LUL as an integral part of acomplete system being manufactured byAF Switchgear.

Socomec power solutions have also beendeployed as part of the upgrade to

Victoria Station in order to guarantee the effective management of energyconsumption and associated costs.Socomec’s compact Diris Digiware systemdelivers the most advanced energymonitoring, measuring and managementsystem and has been approved for use byLondon Underground for the VictoriaStation project.

Testing PlatformAs a champion of innovation in the railsector, Socomec has an electrical testingplatform at its European factory –recognised and accredited by the world’smajor electrical test certification bodies.Customer Witness Tests and FactoryAcceptance Tests (FAT) are carried out toindustry standards on factory testplatform, with a full witness test reportsupplied with the equipment and a tourof the production facility to complete theprogramme.

The Socomec FAT can typically beconcluded within one day but can betailored to suit a customer’s specificrequirements. Additional testing can ifnecessary include discrimination studies,short circuits and specific equipmentcables.

Engineering SupportWith unprecedented numbers choosingto travel by rail, the ongoing performanceof installed systems is vital. Socomec’sdedicated engineering team will ensure

22

Supplier ID 25176

Socomec Cirencester Office | 01285 863300 | www.socomec.comSocomec London Office | Holborn | 020 3427 5107 | info.ups.uk@socomec.com

Socomec IP+ Rail - the new standard in UPS critical power equipment.

efficient...compact...tough...reliable.

Socomec’s IP+ Rail is the very latest in UPS technology for the

mass transportation sector and has been engineered specifically

to provide optimum energy efficiency for high performance critical

power applications - in the most challenging operating

environments.

Housed in a compact, robust, steel-framed enclosure, the system

has IP31 or IP52 ingress protection as well as anti-corrosion

tropicalised circuit boards and an electromagnetic disturbance

immunity level, double that required by European standards. Low

Zero Halogen Cables as standard

Socomec’s specialist engineering team has the necessary

trackside training and accreditations to install and support your

equipment throughout its lifecycle.

To find out how you can benefit from Socomec’s

expertise and comprehensive range of critical power

solutions contact us at info.ups.uk@socomec.com or

speak to a member of our team on 01285 863300.

Certificate ofAcceptancePA05/05998

Fuserbloc Fuse Combination Switches from 20 to 1250A

Countis / Diris Metering, Monitoring & Power Quality meters

Static Transfer SwitchesFrom 32 to 4000A

ATyS Automatic Transfer & Bypass switches from 40 to 3200A

Overhead LineInfrastructure (OLI) UPS -

IP+ Rail (OLI)

pressure to ensure high reliability andavailability of assets during their lifetime,rolling stock will undergo manymaintenance inspections, proactive andreactive maintenance, refurbishmentsand refits of key instrumentation and keyequipment.

It is during these inspections that theoperator’s up-front investment in cableidentification will pay dividends. Withcable idents in place and legible,maintenance engineers will be able tofind any wire or cable with a minimum ofdelay, meaning that maintenance workwill be carried out quickly and efficiently. Reducing inspection time by just a fewseconds per cable adds up to significanttime savings during maintenance andinspection, enabling cost savings as wellas the prompt return of rolling stock toservice.

Safety and performance standardsWhile the idents have the role of

As a technology leader, TE Connectivitydesigns and manufactures the electronicconnectors, components and systemsinside products that are changing theworld, making them smarter, safer,greener and better connected. In theworld of rail, TE Connectivity delivers thebroadest portfolio and systems expertiserequired to connect power and data safelyand reliably, from the high-voltage supplyand on throughout the entire train. In this white paper, Lee Smith, MaterialsEngineer, explains how TE Connectivity’sZHD-SCE identification marker meets thedemands of rail applications where lowtoxicity and diesel resistance areparamount.

Contents• The role of cable identification

markers

• Safety and performance standards

• The evolution of cable identification markers

• Real-world environment and the effects of ageing

• Achieving flammability and diesel resistance performance

• Polymer performance

• Selecting the right additives

• Manufacturing process

• Rigorous testing

• About the author

• History of TE Connectivity

The role of cable identification markersCable idents perform a vital rolethroughout the life of rolling stock. Ascovered in the companion white paper ‘Asingle cable ident that delivers low firehazard performance and dieselresistance’, their only role is to remain inplace and legible throughout their life – aphrase that is deceptively simple. The operational life of a locomotive or carlasts 20 years or more. With constant

TE CONNECTIVITY HAS USED ITS KNOWLEDGE OFFLAMMABILITY AND DIESEL RESISTANCE STANDARDS AS WELL AS MATERIALS SCIENCE TO DEVELOP A HEAT SHRINK SLEEVE CABLE IDENTIFICATION MARKER THAT IS RESISTANT TODIESEL AND GIVES LFH PERFORMANCE

TE Connectivity RailKeeping the markon track

23

influenced by many factors. These includeits geographical location and placementon the vehicle or equipment.

An ident may regularly come into contactwith extremes of temperature, humidity,moisture or radiation. A typical railcar canhave several microclimates and so whencombined the impact of these factors canmultiply.

For example, the relatively cleanpropulsion and control systems on boardelectrified cars may only experiencechanges in temperature and humidity,whereas some idents may be exposed tooil spray from transmission systems andothers will experience continued attackfrom dirt and grime. Further chemicalattack may come from detergents duringrepeated chassis cleaning sessions or fromproprietary cleaning fluid duringinspection of terminals.

Idents are manufactured from heat shrinkmaterials that are based on a matrix ofcross-linked polymers tailored to meet aparticular set of standards with specificfunctional additives.

When new, an ident will work as it isintended, and on a molecular level, thepolymer matrix and filler compoundswork harmoniously. However, as thecomponent ages, it will experience thewear and tear of working life and acocktail of chemical compounds that willbuild up over its life. Furthercomplications may result from cyclictemperature changes causing the markerand / or equipment to expand andcontract.

Achievingflammability anddiesel resistanceperformanceWhen developing ZHD-SCE, TEConnectivity was highly aware of theflammability performance demanded byindustry standards and their impact onthe composition and structure of theheat-shrink product.

remaining in place and legible they mustalso meet stringent safety standards,particularly on passenger services. A drivein the industry is to continually improvethe use of materials.

All products and materials used mustboth meet safety standards and minimisethe risk to passengers in the event of fire.Many years ago, fire retardancy was thefocus and products contained halogens toprevent the formation of fire. However,these products increased the level of riskduring fire situations because halogensform toxic fumes during fires. Today’s LowFire Hazard (LFH) products have beendeveloped to exhibit low smoke and lowtoxicity behaviour in the case of fire. Today’s safety standards and codes ofpractice are more stringent than ever interms of material selection and aredirectly linked to passenger safety in theevent of fire.

Until recently, some rail operators inEurope had their own controlledsubstance lists. These developed from theintroduction of European REACHlegislation (EC 1907/2006) in 2007, whichcovers the registration, evaluation,authorisation and restriction of chemicals. In 2011, these were superseded whenUNIFE, the Association of the EuropeanRail Industry, launched a comprehensivelist of the prohibited and declarablechemicals used in the railway industry.The list defines and categorises materialsand substances that may be prohibited orcontrolled within the European railindustry.

The larger European rail operators nowdemand that UNIFE’s substance list isembedded in their procurementprocesses so that they can be certain thatrolling stock is safe and secure. This means that as a product used onboard rolling stock, cable ident markersmust comply with UNIFE’s legislation.

The evolution ofcable identificationmarkersTwo basic types of cable ident producthave emerged to perform in two very

different passenger train environments. On one hand, diesel-electro poweredlocomotives require ident products thatare resistant to the fuels and fluids thatmight be present, whereas on the otherhand the diesel-free environment ofelectric services require LFH products thatensure low smoke and low toxicity. Theseare particularly important forunderground services, where passengerescape times will be longer than aboveground.

TE Connectivity’s ident products evolvedto meet these very different sets ofcriteria. D-SCE was designed forapplications where superior diesel andfluid resistance is needed and HX-SCE wascreated for environments where the risksto people and equipment from fire arehigh and where LFH properties are prized. The technical specifications for theinteroperability of railway infrastructureare fostering the development of a singlerailway system in Europe. Nationalstandards are being replaced byEuropean norms, and train builders arelooking for smarter materials that canspan this development.

As operators and train builders standardsaim for ever-higher safety standards, theyhave been calling for a product thatmeets the requirements for both dieselresistance and LFH specifications andstandards.

In response, TE Connectivity hasdeveloped ZHD-SCE, a heat-shrink sleevethat bridges the gap between diesel andLFH standards. The systematic approachbehind its development are covered indetail in the companion white paper ‘Asingle cable ident that delivers low firehazard performance and dieselresistance.’

Real-life environmentand the effects ofageingBeyond the specs and standards, anunderstanding of the application is vital. Acomponent’s operating environmentplays a major role in determining whetherits longevity and conditions are

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such as absorption of solvents.

• Stress cracking as a result of interaction with agents such as detergents, lubricants, oils and other substances.

These can lead to symptoms such ascracking, softening, swelling, anddissolution of the ident itself or loss of theprinted mark, leading to failure of theident as a system.

Selecting the rightadditivesUsed on their own, polymers don’t tendto provide consistently good properties.Exposure to radiation, heat, light, moistureand precipitation takes their toll over time. Additive fillers reinforce and protect thepolymer matrix to ensure long-termstability and functionality, such as flameretardancy. Each additive lends strengthsand weaknesses to the end product andmust be added in precise quantitiesthrough a controlled process to optimiseperformance.

Some must remain locked into thepolymer matrix to protect the polymer oractivate in the event of fire. Others areneeded to create stability or a surfacebarrier to protect against environmentalconditions such as UV or microbialactivity.

Other types of filler must be mobile withinthe polymer matrix to replenish the layerthat protects against oxidation from heat– with a careful balance to avoid erosionof additive and reduction in performance.Compounds need to be engineered toperform as well in the future as they dowhen they are first installed.

As compounds built up from carbon andhydrogen, non-halogenated polymerstend to be extremely combustible. Thecompanion white paper ‘A single cableident…’ explains the importance of flameretardant systems.

Flame retardants inhibit combustioneither by cooling, formation or a charbarrier, fuel dilution or by chemicalreaction.

Filler loadings in a zero halogen producttypically need to be around double theloadings of a halogenated product. Insome cases, the loading can be as high as60 parts per hundred resin (PPHR). This level of filler typically has a negativeimpact on the mechanical and chemicalperformance of the ident. In developingZHD-SCE, the challenge for TEConnectivity was to maintain goodperformance in both diesel and LFHenvironments.

Polymer performance On a molecular level, basic chemicalinteractions and reactions fromsubstances in the operating environmentcan represent challenges to cross linkedpolymer products.

As more zero halogen filler is added to thepolymer matrix to ensure the productmeets LFH standards, the structure of the

material changes. The polymer matrixmust be ‘stretched’ further to encapsulatethe fillers and in turn, the fillers becomemore mobile within the matrix.

This leaves the matrixvulnerable todamage from anumber of sources: • Loss of valuable additive, reducing

both desired effect of ingredient and longevity of the component.

• Chemical attack on the polymer chain itself can reduce physical properties.

• Reactions with functional groups in or on the chain and depolymerisation.

• Softening and swelling of the polymer due to physical changes

26

materials and has implemented majorimprovements in printing technology foridentification markers for the Euroject EJ200 amongst other projects.

History of TEConnectivityTE Connectivity is a technology leaderthat designs and manufactures theelectronic connectors, components andsystems inside the products that arechanging the world – making themsmarter, safer, greener and moreconnected.

It is a leading supplier of high-voltagecomponents to the rail industry thatdeliver proven longevity and performancein diverse and harsh environments. TEConnectivity’s unique knowledge ofmaterials science positions it at theforefront in developing the insulationmaterials that perform the essential taskof insulating line power from the trainstructure.

Its legacy dates back to the 1950s whenRaychem, which has since joined the TEConnectivity group, first used thetechnique of radiation chemistry todevelop products. Since then, the firm hasundergone a number of changes of nameand structure. These include the name ofTyco Electronics, which the firm bore untilMarch 2011 when it took the name TEConnectivity to reflect its role as acomponent and communicationsmanufacturer.

TE Connectivity’s extensive knowledge ofcross linked materials and additivesmeant that it was able to develop ZHD-SCE as a system that can withstand long-term exposure to railway fluids and retainits thermally printed identification mark aswell as minimise toxic smoke in the eventof fire.

ManufacturingprocessMeeting diesel and LFH standards forcable ident marker products is not limitedto the chemical and LFH performance andTE Connectivity also had to consider themechanical and chemical compositionand its processing.

Amending the size and surface area offiller particles and selection of couplingagents are both aspects that influencemechanical properties of a heat shrinkproduct.

At the molecular level, it’s important toavoid having large particles. Not only dothey reduce the surface contact areabetween filler and polymer but they act assites where stresses can build up,increasing the likelihood of the materialfailing.

Chemical or mechanical bondingbetween the filler and the polymer isequally important. Many fillers have activesurfaces that bond easily with thepolymer, whereas others require acoupling agent that creates crosslinks

between the polymer and filler. Furthermore, processing of the polymerwas another significant part of thedevelopment. During the manufacture ofpolymers, aspects of processing such astemperatures, flow rates, mixing andcooling can all impact the structure of thematerial and therefore the consistency ofthe end product and its performance.

Rigorous testing The true challenge in developing ZHD-SCE was in selecting and testing the fillersand bonding agents, rigorously testingthem to gain a deep understanding oftheir properties (alone, in combinationand through different manufacturingprocesses).

Only after evaluating the manycombinations of possible materialsagainst the standards of the rail industrywas TE Connectivity confident that itcould offer a product that bridges the gapbetween diesel resistance and LFHstandards.

About the authorMaterials Engineer Lee Smith isresponsible for environmentalcompliance of identification and sleeveproducts at TE Connectivity and hasextensive knowledge of standards andtesting. He is TE Connectivity’s technicallead in products that fall under theEuropean norm EN44545-2. He started hiscareer during the 1980’s as an apprenticedeveloping heat shrink identification

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Nautiz X1, please contact Handheld, yourIT supplier or your local GSM serviceprovider.

The Nautiz X1 is the perfect blend of anultra-rugged handheld device and anenterprise smartphone. It is slim andlightweight yet incredibly tough with anIP67 ingress protection rating whichmeans that it is fully dustproof andwaterproof. It has been tested accordingto MIL-STD-810G military test standards toendure humidity, vibration, shock andextreme high and low temperatures.

Since its launch, the Nautiz X1 has run theAndroid 4.0 operating system. Handheldnow also offers the choice of WindowsEmbedded Handheld 6.5 operatingsystem optimized for use in enterprisehandheld devices. Built on the WindowsMobile 6.5 platform, Windows EmbeddedHandheld 6.5 enables OEMs andenterprises to achieve applicationportability between Windows Mobile 6.5and Windows Embedded Handhelddevices, running mobile line-of-businessapplications on a platform that ensuresthat data is captured securely andefficiently.

“With Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5,the Nautiz X1 will now have broaderappeal. This OS is the operating system ofchoice for many enterprise users of ultra-rugged computers,” said Jerker Hellström,CEO of HandheldGroup. “We’re now alsoshipping all units with a spare extendedbattery as part of the standard package,for an even better field experience.”

The Nautiz X1 weighs 180 grams (6.3ounces) and is sized 125 mm (4.9") x 65mm (2.6") x 15 mm (0.6"). It has a 4-inchspecial sunlight-readable display withcapacitive touchscreen and ultra-durableGorilla Glass. It runs on a powerful 1 GHzdual-core processor and has 1 GB of RAM.It features BT, Wi-Fi, compass, professionalu-blox GPS, and 5-megapixel camera.

The Nautiz X1 with Windows EmbeddedHandheld 6.5 is being shown at Handheldexpos and trade shows worldwide. Seethe full schedule of upcoming eventshere.

For information on how to order the

HANDHELD GROUP, A LEADING MANUFACTURER OF RUGGEDMOBILE COMPUTERS, TABLETS AND HANDHELDS, IS NOW OFFERING ITS ULTRA-RUGGED HANDHELD AND ENTERPRISESMARTPHONE NAUTIZ X1 WITH WINDOWS EMBEDDED HANDHELD 6.5, MICROSOFT’S OPERATING SYSTEM OPTIMIZEDFOR USE IN ENTERPRISE HANDHELDDEVICES.

The NAUTIZ X1 Ultra-Rugged HandheldNow with Windows Embedded Handheld

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something that is over-engineered andexpensive but will still be around andworking long into the next century.

For products within the rail industry, withdemands for product longevity androbustness, it is this trade-off that istypically reached. This does result inextended development costs and time tomarket and also in high unit costs. For thecompany developing the product, it isimportant that there is an awarenessthroughout the team, that such trade-offsare being made, and what this means. Fordevelopment teams who are not normallyengaged in rail industry work, they needto also take these constraints into accountat the planning stage, to preventunforeseen overruns in time and budget. At the centre of the technical decisionsare the trade-offs between software vshardware.

The software cost doesn’t appear on thebill of materials generally, but it is far from“free”. Software development can beextremely onerous and, in a typicalproject that we carry out, the softwarecost (application plus drivers) representsapproximately two thirds of the overalldevelopment cost.

With investment in the UK rail sector atthe highest level for over a century, and arecord as one of the safest rail networks inEurope to maintain, the UK’s railcompanies are looking for innovativeways to collect and transmit data aboutevery section of line to ensure highestlevels of safety and security. As this new golden age of rail dawns, railcompanies will be adopting newtechnologies such as 3D-video measuringsystems, virtual train simulators and low-power wireless monitoring. Thesetechnologies are underpinned bysophisticated electronics.

Electronics is an art. Give the samespecification to ten engineers and you willget ten, possibly wildly different designs,all of which may meet the specificationperfectly. However one of those designswill win in terms of unit cost and anotheron development cost.

Here we explore some of the key trade-offs made during product design for therail industry. With reference to bothsoftware and electronic design aspects,we focus primarily on the commercial andtime implications of these decisions. A fine balancing act - time, specificationand unit price.

When deciding on trade-offs, the firstpriority is to identify what is being traded(Figure 1, overleaf).

A design engineer needs to balance thethree factors of technical specification,development cost and unit price. Tounderstand where the bias should be, thefollowing factors are considered:

Time to market Available development budget Target market sale price Anticipated annual sales volumes Value in exceeding or modifying the specification

Unfortunately many of these are not hardvalues and, in particular, the anticipatedvolume can be a wild guess. Many factors can skew decisions, such ashigh annual volume, shown in Figure 2.

The focus here is on unit cost. But what ifthe time to market pressures are high? Asshown in Figure 3, the choice may be touse a greater proportion of off-the-shelf,modular hardware, at the expense of unitprice and technical spec.

Give it to an engineer without guidanceand you may end up with this in Figure 4.

BY DUNSTAN POWER, DIRECTOR OF EMBEDDEDELECTRONICS DESIGN CONSULTANCY BYTESNAP DESIGN (STAND V90, RAILTEX)

Designing electronicsproducts for the railwayindustry - trade-offs andcompromises

30

Choice of components can have afundamental impact on softwaredevelopment time. As a result there isoften a straight fight between this timeand the unit cost as shown in Figure 5.

In practice -simplifying aruggedised GPSdatalogger design So how does all this equate to decisions ina real project given that the ideal is

minimum development time,development cost and unit cost? We were commissioned to design aruggedized device for collecting andlogging speed/position information.Initially the customer needed a proof ofconcept to test a variety of features. Thebrief was for minimum development timeand cost plus maximum technicalflexibility. Unit cost was immaterial at thisstage, as it was not a production product. To meet this requirement, we made twokey decisions. The first was to use anoperating system, which allowed for easyperipheral expansion with network stacks

and debug capability, rather than goingfor the lowest cost microcontroller withbespoke drivers and code. Secondly, wedecided to use a single-board computeras a prototyping platform and to add anexpansion board to this, rather thancreating a full-custom solution. Theprototype weighing of factors may havebeen represented as shown in Figure 6whilst for production, it would berepresented as in Figure 7.

We selected an Olimex OLinoXino card, asit supported operating systems (Linux andWindows CE) and had more than enough

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risk projects complete inside time andcost projections, while high risk projectswildly deviate from these estimates.System planners generally aim toeliminate as much risk as possible to allowfor the most accurate budgeting.Engineers can and do mitigate risk by“playing it safe” when choosingcomponents, for instance using older,tried and tested technologies, rather thana newer, lower cost devices. Shorterdevelopment cycles therefore often resultdirectly in a higher BOM cost.

To minimise BOM cost, often some levelof experimentation is required ofuncertain time duration. The risk here is totimescales for the customer and to costsfor a contractor who has quoted a fixedprice, or internal costs for an engineeringteam. So BOM cost optimisation is oftenbest done once after the technical designgoals have been met, so that time tomarket impact is minimised.

For rail projects, risk mitigation isparticularly important and for mostprojects, a conservative approach will betaken at the expense of BOM cost.

3. Software vshardware integration Carrying out software design in isolationfrom the hardware design is highlyinefficient.

A project that is purely software drivenmay result in an expensive hardwareplatform to support it, rather like the‘bloatware’ that is often complainedabout in desktop computers. In this

Understandingproject risk

Each of these factors has implications onproduct design.

1. Development timevs development cost Whether you have your owndevelopment team, or outsource thework, in general the development cost ofa product is proportional to the time ittakes. So you are getting hit twice whenoverruns occur, once with cost and againwith time to market.

One solution is to assign development toa team on a fixed price basis, so passingthe timescale risk on – they foot the billsfor overruns that you are not responsiblefor.

Third party software libraries can reducesoftware development time but increasethe cost. Further licensing costs will alsoimpact the unit cost. Reusing tried andtested hardware or software is a goodoption, but in manufacturers and productcompanies software can become quicklyout of date (or at least key aspects such asprocessor, storage devices etc). For designcompanies this is less of a problem as newdesigns are executed back to back withmany customers, re-use of experiencesand technologies is an important part ofthe design process, both the positive andnegative aspects.

2. Bill of materials(BOM) cost vs risk Generally, the level of risk translates to thedifference between an accurate andinaccurate time and cost estimate. Zero

horse power for our needs. It was alsoopen-sourced in the hardwaredepartment unlike some othercontenders (Raspberry Pi for example), sowe knew we could modify the design andcreate a full custom solution at a laterdate. We created an add-on board for itwith hardware specific to the system suchas RPM measurement and evaluation oftwo separate GPS modules for sensitivityand real time response.

Once this system was working and theconcept proven, we then evaluatedwhether it could actually be used inproduction, to reduce time to market anddevelopment cost. It was clear to us, froman engineering perspective, that thesolution was not robust enough forproduction, here the technicalspecification needed to poke its head upand trump the financial and timeconsiderations. However, having taken abig step forward, much of the risk hadbeen taken out of the project.

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Olympic Games, and was highlycommended the following year, at BEEA2012. The company also won EuropeanDesign Team of the Year 2011 in theElektra awards.

The consultancy also has experience inelectronic circuit and microcontroller,microcontroller design, Linux andembedded software development,designing hardware products such asPDAs and smart meters, and softwareprojects such as developing Windows CEboard support packages (BSPs) and signalprocessing applications.

Dunstan Power is a chartered electronicsengineer providing design, productionand support in electronics to all ofByteSnap Design's clients. Havinggraduated with a degree in engineeringfrom Cambridge University, Dunstan hasbeen working in the electronics industrysince 1992. In 2008, Dunstan teamed upwith his former colleague Graeme Wintleto establish a company that would supplyits clients with integrated softwaredevelopment and embedded designservices, and ByteSnap Design was born.

scenario, ever more powerful hardwarefeatures are introduced, and yet all toofrequently the software support is notadded to use them, software ‘grunt’ beingused instead because it is easier toimplement.

Conversely, hardware design withoutreference to software can lead to differentproblems. For instance, a microprocessormodule may have its operating systemshipped as a binary board supportpackage (BSP), rather than as source code,with limits on which I/O pins can actuallybe used, and how peripherals are mappedto the I/O. Just looking at the data sheetfor the module can lead to a false sense ofsecurity during the design.

Similarly, choice of peripherals modules,such as Wi-Fi, is driven more by availabilityof software drivers for the targetoperating system than by the cost, sizeetc. No matter how strong the hardware’sfeature set, if the software isn’tcompatible, it’s probably an unsuitablesolution. A critical success factor isdeciding whether the design anddevelopment process should behardware or software driven. 4. Reference vs production-ready software The difference between a referencesoftware package (e.g. a BSP) and‘production-ready’ code is important asthe resulting software developmenttimescales can differ greatly.

As system-on-chips (SoC) have becomemore complex, some suppliers can onlyremain competitive by selling largeamounts of source code to support theirdevices. However, a reference BSP isunlikely to be optimised, will probably bebuggy and won’t in all likelihood supportall the features.

A production-ready BSP should have aclearly defined bug free feature set, andimportantly, if bugs are found, the vendorshould take responsibility to fix them orchange the specification.

Production-ready code is more valuablebut comes at a price – either being lockedto a hardware platform typically (e.g. CPUmodule), or being sold with a licence fee.While a reference software package isoften free.

Summary Making decisions on productdevelopment can appear to be a circularprocess as you narrow in on the bestplatforms to use. At each stage you canfind that making one decision has adverseeffects on another. It is a moment of joywhen you make a decision that helpstackle multiple problems simultaneously.

ByteSnap Design ByteSnap Design is a specialist ininnovative embedded systemsdevelopment encompassing hardwareand software design with an internationalclient list. The company will be exhibitingon stand V90 at this year’s Railtex, and is aZigbee Alliance member and WindowsEmbedded Silver Partner. The team’sexperience ranges from electronic design,OS porting on Linux/Android/WindowsEmbedded through to application designon mobile and embedded platforms. ByteSnap Design won Design Team of theYear in 2013 at the British EngineeringExcellence Awards (BEEA) and was afinalist for Consultancy of the Year 2011for its design work on electric vehiclecharging posts for the London 2012

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internet and more recently mobility hasbeen substantial on traditional retailmodels. Take banking, for example: theera of the traditional bank branch ispractically dead with three out of fourBritons using either mobile or internetbanking each month, according to theBritish Bankers Association.

Imagine the impact on traditional railticketing if three out of four travellers usedmobile or out-of-station ticketing services.Indeed, it doesn’t really take a greatimagination in this context because it willhappen and is already happening.There are around 70,000 Glasgow Subwaysmartcard users - making 230,000journeys per week - and only 15 stations.That’s over 4,000 customers per station,assuming an even spread of distribution –which there isn’t at peak times, of course.The technology used is simple: the creditor travel season ticket is uploaded directlyto a customer’s smartcard usingcontactless technology in Payzoneterminals similar to that used by paymentterminals in coffee shops.

The impact, however, could be

By Russell McCullagh, Managing Director,Ecebs

Public transport inevitably plays its part inthis statistic, as does shopping. Removethe need to queue for train tickets or foryour newspaper in the local conveniencestore and that figure would halve – ormore.

Train tickets and newsagents may notsound like natural bedfellows, but pairingsmart ticketing with retail networks –allowing commuters to buy rail ticketsalong with their morning paper– and inturn creating a more convenient service, isa developing trend in public transport.There are two fantastic case studies in theNorth East of England and in Glasgow.Both transport hubs began their smartticketing journey with a smartcard-basedticketing system and they have bothrecently integrated this technology into aPayzone-enabled retail network.

Commuters are able to buy tickets or addfunds to their smartcard at the same timeas buying a lottery ticket or a pint of milkat their local convenience store, allowing

them to skip the queues at the train orsubway station.

The success of these examples lies inconvenience and commercialopportunity: it provides a useful servicefor consumers; increased footfall forretailers; and a more effective service forthe partnering organisations involved. It’sthis approach that makes it a greatopportunity for rail, particularly in citycentres.

Providing retailers with the technologyand training to sell tickets on operators’behalf is an important step in theadoption of smart ticketing systemsacross the rail network. The commercialrewards being seen in Glasgow andNewcastle are exceptional – the data nowavailable to operators eclipses anythingavailable from paper based systems.Extending the availability of ticketretailing beyond a station makes perfectsense.

This new, convenient approach stemsfrom a broader shift in consumer habitsacross the last decade. The impact of the

THE BRITISH PUBLIC SPENDS ONAVERAGE TEN DAYS PER YEARSTANDING IN QUEUES

The rail-retailconnection

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consumer demand it is inevitable that railwill adopt innovative approaches tocreate more effective, efficient ways ofworking.

Of course, there are some commuterswho will prefer to remain using papertickets. Whilst this demand continues, railoperators should meet their needs withphysical terminals and real people havingreal conversations in stations. However,smart ticketing will become the norm andit will benefit operators to increase thenumber of smart media users by creatingmore convenient ways to pay for ticketingwhile developing retail partnerships tohelp achieve this.

substantial. Fewer queues, more ticketspurchased, better customer service, and amore attractive travel experience.In Glasgow the move is possible thanks tothe flexibility of the smart technologyused in the Subway Smartcard, calledBramble, delivered by the joint venturepartnership between SPT and Ecebscalled Nevis Technologies. This is part of awider vision to deliver even greaterconvenience to public transportcustomers through the use of smarttechnology. Future deployments willinclude topping up online or remotelythrough smartphones.

Smart ticketing is extremely flexible. TheBramble technology, for example, can bedeployed across multiple modes oftransport and has the capability of beingdeployed via multiple forms includingsmart cards, NFC mobiles & tablets, P.C’s,kiosks, Chip & Pin terminals and more.Bramble can also incorporate ticketing,payment, loyalty and other applications –once rail operators understand theopportunity, they will not limit themselvesto just selling tickets.

The data-driven approach created bysmart technology creates a more effectiveand efficient service, using analysis oftravel patterns to inform better use ofresources. This will have a positive impacton the perception of public transport andin turn benefit the rail operator withincreased passenger numbers. Exploring partnerships with retailers aidsthis process.

If you consider the ‘door to door journey’most include retail components – frompicking up tickets to purchasing a coffeeand a newspaper to while away the time.But currently that process is notconvenient: separate payment, separatecollection points.

Improving commuter convenience andoverall service satisfaction is key tochanging attitudes towards publictransport. It’s about fitting thepracticalities of buying a ticket into theindividual’s lifestyle in a way thatstreamlines their daily routine, making itseem like they’re not doing it at all. This approach makes smart ticketing

more attractive. With most of us adoptinga ‘digital by default’ mind-set, we haveadapted to everyday life without paper –reducing the need for cash handling andpaper tickets.

Some train operators have introducedtechnology that allows commuters to addfunds to their ticket using a mobile app oronline portal. But where this is not yetpossible, topping up at local retailers is thenext best thing. It reduces the number oftransactions you make on a daily basis,saving minutes on your morningcommute and potentially hours over thecourse of a month.

Technology has revolutionised many partsof our lives. As a result of changing

35

effectiveness and efficiency. As such, cost

optimisations in the short and long term

can be identified and inform better

decisions in terms of operations, staff and

maintenance.

Kimmo Oostermeijer, Director at

LeighFisher, comments: “The very nature

of high-speed rail means it is subject to

high levels of scrutiny. As such, there is a

real need for all parties involved in high-

speed rail projects to have access to

independent cost analyses.

Global infrastructure and transportconsultancy, LeighFisher, has launched abenchmarking tool to assess the costeffectiveness and efficiency of high-speedrail projects. By analysing specific costdrivers and comparing these to high-speed railways across the world, thisunique tool allows users to identify costoptimisations and areas for improvement,ultimately leading to better decision-making.

With high-speed rail projects comingunder increased scrutiny and pressure tocontinuously optimise both cost andeffectiveness, the ability to benchmark

performance through an independentreview of costs is vital for infrastructuremanagers, rail operators and governmentdepartments alike.

The benchmarking tool compares specifichigh-speed railways across the world byidentifying the Inherent, Structural,Systematic and Realised (ISSR) cost driversand collecting staff and cost data for allcomparators. The data is normalised forthe inherent cost drivers, as these cannotbe influenced by infrastructure managers.Using this method, cost and staff numbersper kilometre of track can be calculated,allowing for detailed comparison of

LEIGHFISHER INTRODUCES UNIQUEANALYSIS THAT CAN LEAD TO BETTER DECISION MAKING FOR INFRASTRUCTUREMANAGERS AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

New benchmarkingtool to make high-speed rail projectsmore cost effectiveand efficient

36

About LeighFisherLeighFisher is a global consulting firm

with an unrivalled breadth of expertise

and depth of experience across the

aviation, government and infrastructure,

transport, energy and port sectors. The

consultancy occupies a unique space,

offering the technical insight of a

specialist firm and the strategic thinking

of a larger consultancy.

For nearly 70 years, clients have trusted

and relied on LeighFisher’s advice, which

combines deep technical knowledge with

commercial and financial acumen. The

consultancy has a proven, consistent track

record in the industries it operates in,

regardless of the economic

circumstances. This long-term

commitment is evidenced by the lasting

relationships it fosters with clients.

At its core, LeighFisher aims to deliver

forward-thinking solutions to clients that

are as innovative as they are practical,

helping them solve complex and multi-

faceted problems and ultimately

delivering sustainable outcomes and

lasting value. This is why LeighFisher

consultants have been integral to the

success of many of the most important

global infrastructure projects over the

past 20 years.

“This tool not only helps infrastructure managersdemonstrate they are working cost effectively and makinginformed decisions to deliver more efficient and effectiveservices, it also enables government departments to showthat public funds are being well invested and managed. We’realready working with clients who are using this tool tooptimise costs and deliver deep insight.”

For further information, please visit www.LeighFisher.com

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more effective and more successful. Theanalysis details evidence that diverseworkforces from the Board down lead tobetter financial performance. Thecompanies in the top quartiles ofgenuinely gender diverse workforceswere 15% more likely to have abovemedian financial returns. Companies inthe top quartile of ethnic and genderdiversity were 30% more likely to haveabove median financial returns relative totheir national industry median.Companies in the bottom quartile forboth ethnic and gender diversity werestatistically less likely to achieve aboveaverage financial returns.

Today we know that diversity is important,not only in ensuring the industry reflectits stakeholders in appearance, butbecause we need to access the mosttalented individuals across our society.The industry must be attractive to all andhave the structure to facilitate thateveryone can achieve their potential. Sowhat do we need to do?

Progress has been made, especially inencouraging more female apprentices,but when we look at the industry from thetop down it remains the bastion of whitemiddle aged men. Apart from a fewexceptions like Alison Munro at HS2, the

top tier of railway management does notreflect the society we live in. With fewerthan 20% of the industry comprised ofwomen the efforts we now make have tobe substantive and serious. It will takecommitment and determination from thewhole industry. It should be afundamental strategic driver forimprovement.

The Mckinsey report on diversity andinclusion, launched at the end of last year,provided some of the most detailedresearch demonstrating thatorganisations with a greater diversegender and cultural make up were both

WHEN IT COMES TO INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY THE RAIL INDUSTRY HADNOTHING TO SHOUT ABOUT, OREVEN WHISPER.

Diversity and Inclusion - Time for the rail industry to catch up.

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Arnab Dutt

MD of Texane Limited and Public Member of Network Rail

With evidence like this staring us in theface, we must begin to address andovercome the inherent cultural legacybiases that pervade our industry. As a Public Member of Network Rail I havebeen incredibly heartened by the stepsthe company is taking under Mark Carneits chief executive, and the Board as awhole, in thought leadership. The machoculture is finally being addressed, asdiversity and inclusion within theorganisation has become an intrinsic goalto ensure Network Rail is a successfulbusiness. The huge investment in projectsover the next 20 years will be the railindustries opportunity to reinvent itself asan exemplar of best practice in terms ofdiversity. The TOC's and 1st tier supplychain companies must follow theexample now being set by Network Rail.This will lead to huge long term benefitsto the rail industry ensuring its dynamismand resilience.

This agenda must have structure in termsof partnerships between politicians,industry leaders, women's organisations,unions, LGBT and ethnic minority groups.Constant engagement in formal andinformal structures will drive change. Weare talking about a cultural evolutionwhich reflects the society we live in. Howcan we make the industry be flexibleenough to let women be mothers but notsacrifice career progression? How doesthe industry ensure it does not lose thesevaluable assets? How can we make theindustry a welcoming long term careerchoice for our ethnic minorities and LGBTcommunities?

The industry must set some KPI's oninclusion and diversity and let us shoutabout our aspirations to engage with allour communities.

There is also a huge lack of diversity in thesupply chain. From NR, to the TOC's andthe incumbent primary suppliers, no-oneis monitoring, or attempting to monitor,how many of our fantastic womenowned and BAME businesses are actuallybeing offered the opportunity to be partof these huge infrastructure projects.There is no formal architecture to ensureour diverse businesses can be part of thesupply chain. It is a real issue in the BAME

communities and it is something that therail industry has failed to address. Thereare many excellent diverse SMEbusinesses that should be part of everyaspect of the these major projects but, inreality, few get a look in. This is ascandalous waste of talent and money.Nimble businesses with new ideas anddiverse talents are being excluded.The rail industry has lazily allowed thegrowth of gate keeper businesses whichdemand yearly fees from SME's just to bepart of a supplier list. These gatekeepersare stifling diversity and getting fat onexploiting their position. Rail procurementprofessionals have decided to offloadtheir responsibilities onto thesecompanies who are actually doing the Railindustry a huge disservice. How manysmall businesses will be able to continueto pay the hefty yearly fees to be on a listwhich offers little opportunity ofcommercial benefit. I know of successfulcompanies that have been on agatekeeper list for over 10 years payingfees without a single enquiry generated. Last year, MSDUK, an organisation thatrepresents BAME businesses in the UK,launched a research paper at the House ofLords which evidenced that diverseowned businesses in the UK were themost successful and entrepreneurial, yetfew were able to access the rail industrysupply chain. The rail Industry must seekto facilitate SME's, women and BAMEowned businesses to access their supplychain.

My main worry is that the rail industry isactually quite oblivious to this majorproblem that is inhibiting diversity andinclusion. Does the industry know howlimited and unrepresentative its supplychain is? I doubt it.

It is high time that NR, the TOC's, thefreight companies and the tier onesuppliers looked at their supply chainsand started asking questions about thecomplete lack of diversity.

My final challenge to the rail industry is toaddress these issues holistically if it isserious about representing itsstakeholders and reflecting our society.

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Steve Tennant,Executive Director ofCustomer Service forVirgin Trains, said:“Losing anything important, valuable orspecial to you can be a stressful experience –particularly when travelling. This newservice is a really simple, reassuring solutionwhich we hope will reassure our customersthat their belongings are safeguarded if theyare accidentally left behind. HomingPIN™ isa fantastic contribution towards returningitems which have been misplaced or left onour trains and part of our approach to putthe customer first. It follows our TeddyTracker initiative which was introduced lastyear to ensure lost toys are returned to theirrightful owners.”

To find out more information visitwww.homingPIN.com

The introduction of HomingPIN™ to VirginTrains marks the first time in the worldthat a railway operator has adopted thelost property recovery system to reunitecustomers with their belongings.

The revolutionary HomingPIN™ putscustomers’ minds at ease, removing theworry of losing something important bysafeguarding their belongings while onthe move. The handy system works onwhatever the customer chooses toprotect, from phones, cameras andwallets through to passports, keys andbags.

Up to one thousand Virgin Trains’customers will take part in the trial, with

each receiving a unique PIN code toregister on the secure website,HomingPIN.com, together with a phonenumber and email address, which arenever shared. Customers also receive aluggage loop, key ring and a set of labels –each with their unique code printed on –which can be attached to theirpossessions.

If a lost item is found by a member ofVirgin Trains staff or member of thepublic, they simply enter the PIN code onthe website, which is then matched backto the owner. In just a few moments, atext message or email alert is sent to theproperty’s owner, who can then contactthe finder to arrange the safe return oftheir belongings in a quick andconvenient way.

The service will be available for those whocontact Virgin Trains directly by callingcustomer relations on 03331 031 031 andwill also be offered as a trial toJourneyCare customers, who havemobility impairment or other disabilities.

VIRGIN TRAINS IS LAUNCHING A TRIAL OF AN INNOVATIVE NEW SERVICE THAT COULD SPELLTHE END OF LOST LUGGAGE.

VIRGIN TRAINS STOPS LOST LUGGAGEIN ITS TRACKS

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Railtex is the all-encompassing showcase for technological innovation across all sectors of the rail supply market - the platform for people from throughout the industry to meet face to face, make connections and do business.

Hundreds of exhibitors will present thousands of products and services to the industry. See the latest innovations and hear updates on key projects and developments

www.railtex.co.uk

12 – 14 MAY 2015 • NEC, BIRMINGHAM, UK12th INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF RAILWAY EQUIPMENT SYSTEMS & SERVICES

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