RailStaff April 2016

Staff

APRIL 2016 | ISSUE 221

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TRAININGCAREERS

INTERVIEW

MARK BULLOCK, MANAGING DIRECTOR, BALFOUR BEATTY RAIL

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NEW TRAINS FOR THE NORTH

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CMY

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PPS013 April training advert AW OL 3mm bleed.pdf 1 31/03/2016 11:58

NEW TRAINS FOR THE NORTH…AND THAT'S JUST FOR STARTERS | 12

What will the new Northern and TransPennine Expressfranchises mean for passengers and staff.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT OLD DALBY | 22How London Underground and Thales

are making progress with the sub-surface lines (SSL) resignalling project.

COMMITTED TO THE CORE | 24Balfour Beatty Rail managing director

Mark Bullock talks about why railwill continue to play an important

role in the company’s future.

NOT JUST DUST | 28Rail’s role in a cross-industry

drive to tackle silica dust.

STATION TO STATION | 40Find out how the rail industry plans

to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.

APPRENTICES - A MIXED BAG | 50Terry Morgan talks about his role

as the industry’s skills ambassador.

24

12 40

50

22

OPINIONNOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T | 35

Is removing the requirement for yellow front ends

on trains a step in the wrong direction?

28

CONTENTSAPRIL 2016 | ISSUE 221

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3

Contact us:

Publisher: Paul O’Connor

Editor: Andy Milne

Production and design: Adam O’Connor

Senior Reporter: Marc Johnson

Senior Writer: Colin Garratt

Track Safety: Colin Wheeler

Event Sales: Jolene Price

Advertising: Asif Ahmed

Chris Davies

Craig Smith

Keith Darlison

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News: [email protected]

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Staff

‘If you’re a tiger you might be a slightly ageing tiger, you’re still a tiger,’ says cycling champion Graeme Obree, in a new film, Battle Mountain, detailing his attempt to break the human-powered land speed record in Nevada.

Famed for building a lighter, faster, racing

bike out of parts of a washing machine, Obree

trains in the leafy lanes and rolling hills of rural

Ayrshire. A far cry from the county’s greatest

son, Rabbie Burns, Obree’s life nevertheless

has a poetry and a boldness that inspires all

who struggle with mental health issues and

personal tragedy.

Dubbed the Flying Scotsman, Obree proves

that the determined individual can rebuild his

life just as effectively as Riley and Sons put

together 4472 Flying Scotsman, even as the

naysayers shook their heads.

Obree suffered from bi-polar disorder and

twice attempted suicide. Life is different now. ‘I

developed a whole new code of living,’ he said

recently. ‘I’m a big fan of Eckhard Tolle,’ - the

writer of the Power of Now. To up his game

Obree drove out thoughts of anger, resentment

and fear.

The rail industry has heroes closer to home.

Drivers like Lewis Vaughan, fighting a brave

battle against cancer and Christian Delhasse,

leading passengers to safety from his wrecked

Brussels metro train. At Network Rail Paul

Lennon’s story is doubly inspiring. Paul rose

above his deafness to gain a law degree.

Then at Network Rail he became involved

with community relations. Paul handles

complaints and queries. Undoubtedly he has

a better sense than most of how unfeeling big

organisations can appear. Whether talking to

deaf children or running off letters to customers,

Lennon is the true human face of the railway.

From apprentices and women to ageing

tigers, the railway’s diversity is its strength and

its inspiration. Whatever the challenges faced,

know this spring that, like Graeme Obree and

Paul Lennon, the determined individual can rise

above them. Mental health is important and

should be taken seriously.

Just as Obree recycled bits of a washing

machine so too can ideas and examples be

built in to the tapestry of our own lives and

careers. A boldness in living helps. ‘Whatever

you can do, or dream you can, begin it,’ Goethe

wrote. ‘Boldness has genius, power and magic

in it.’ Nowhere is that boldness better illustrated

than in the industry we serve.

[email protected]

Speak freely. Think

the unthinkable!

Freedom is everyone’s

responsibility.

Paul Lennon gives

presentation to students

at St Clere's school in

Stanford-Le-Hope.

Ayrshire Tiger


RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 NEWS 5

Nexus, the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive, plans to take over the operation of the Tyne and Wear Metro.

The light rail system is currently

run by DB Regio Tyne and Wear

Ltd. Although Nexus can extend

the current contract for a further

two years, it has confirmed it does

not wish to exercise this option.

Nexus plans to manage train

operations and stations itself

until 2019, as it prepares for the

acquisition of a bigger and better

train fleet. Nexus, as a public

body, already sets fares and

service specifications for Metro,

as well as maintaining most of the

infrastructure on which trains run.

Says Tobyn Hughes, managing

director of Nexus, ‘The current

contract that expires in March 2017

is not delivering the outcomes for

passengers that either we or the

operator want to see. As a result,

we propose not to exercise our

option to extend it beyond its

natural expiry date.

‘An investment package

has been agreed to improve

performance over the final year

of the contract. Managing Metro

directly for a limited period will

allow Nexus to prepare for the

significant change that will come

with further investment of more

than £400 million in a new train

fleet.’

Passenger numbers have

grown 14 per cent over the past

two years to 40.4 million, and it

remains one of the most high-

frequency and lowest cost urban

rail operations in the UK for both

passengers and taxpayers. It’s

also the fastest-growing light rail

system outside London in terms of

passenger numbers.

As the High Speed Rail bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons, HS2 Ltd announced details of the team to take forward construction of the London - Birmingham section next year.

CH2M, Atkins and SENER will

merge together to form a team

which will be fully integrated

within HS2 Ltd. The aim is to

drive long-term efficiencies.

Initial work now centres on

the letting of the main civils

contracts for the London

to Birmingham stage of the

route. All three companies

have significant experience of

driving project innovation and

efficiency, with employee-owned

CH2M and Atkins involved in

London’s challenging Crossrail

project, and SENER bringing

recent experience from Spain’s

extensive high-speed rail

network.

Says HS2 Ltd managing

director - construction, Jim

Crawford, ‘(This) contract award

marks an important milestone as

we continue to move towards the

start of construction in 2017.

‘It is vital that we constantly

challenge our suppliers to ensure

we deliver long-term value for

money for the taxpayer as well

as a world-class railway for all

our passengers, stakeholders

and communities along the

Team effort for HS2

A three-year investment programme worth more than £800 million has been officially launched at London Waterloo, Britain’s busiest railway station.

The improvements at London

Waterloo will be supported by

capacity expansion at Vauxhall

and Surbiton and 10 local stations.

The former Waterloo International

Terminal will be rebuilt, allowing

platforms 20-24 to be brought

back into use with modern

facilities, new track and signalling

and a layout suitable for thousands

of domestic passengers.

Platforms 1-4 will be lengthened

to accommodate longer 10-car

trains. This work will take place

during August 2017. A spacious,

modern and accessible station

concourse near platforms 20-24

will be created.

Says Transport Secretary

Patrick McLoughlin, ‘From 2017,

passengers will benefit from

a bigger and better London

Waterloo station and 150 new train

carriages providing more space

for passengers arriving at London

Waterloo over the three-hour

morning peak – this is in addition

to the 108 extra carriages that

have already been added since

2013.’

Investment is also being

made in a fleet of 150 new

train carriages to create extra

capacity for passengers. ‘We

are delighted to be part of the

continued investment in the UK’s

rail network and to be introducing

a new fleet of 30, five-car

Siemens Desiro City Class 707

trains,’ says Steve Scrimshaw,

managing director of Siemens

Rail Systems. ‘The new trains

are lighter, more energy efficient

and will significantly increase

the amount of available seats for

passengers.

Waterloo rebuild announced

Nexit

line. That’s why I’m pleased to

welcome CH2M/Atkins/SENER

to the team, and look forward

to seeing HS2 benefiting from

their considerable skills and

experience of delivering world-

class infrastructure on time and

on budget.’

RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

6 NEWS RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

Virgin Trains has unveiled the first of its new fleet of Azuma trains in a ceremony at King’s Cross attended by Sir Richard Branson.

The new fleet could get journey times

between Edinburgh and London down to

about four hours. Azuma means ‘east’ in

Japanese. The Azumas are being assembled

by Hitachi at its plant in Newton Aycliffe,

County Durham.

‘We’ll be adding 65 Virgin Azuma trains to

our fleet from 2018, providing an extra 12,200

seats to services on a new and improved

timetable,’ says Sir Richard Branson. ‘What’s

more, the Azumas have the potential to

reach speeds of 140mph (subject to Network

Rail delivering on the track), meaning our

passengers will get to their destinations much

quicker. It’s an incredibly exciting time for

all of us at Virgin Trains East Coast and for

passengers across the UK.’

Secretary of State for Transport Patrick

McLoughlin said, ‘Intercity Express trains

heading to Virgin Trains East Coast will transform

rail travel for passengers between London,

the north east and Scotland. These new trains,

combined with Virgin’s exciting plans for the

franchise, will provide more services, more

seats, and faster journeys, helping to place

passengers at the heart of the railway.’

Whilst the trains will initially reach speeds of

up to 125mph, a cross-industry working group,

including Network Rail, will investigate the

potential for the East Coast route to enable

their operation at 140mph.

The Azumas will accelerate more quickly,

slicing up to 22 minutes off East Coast

journeys and making four-hour London-

Edinburgh journeys, and two-hour London-

Leeds journeys, the norm.

The faster journeys will make direct routes

to new destinations such as Middlesbrough

and Huddersfield possible, as well as a big

increase in through services to places such as

Harrogate and Lincoln.

Says David Horne, managing director of

Virgin Trains East Coast, ‘Since Virgin Trains

launched services on the East Coast in 2015,

we have committed more than £40 million to

improving our existing fleet for passengers.

As part of this we’re bringing in brand new

interiors with new seats in both first and

standard, new carpets and mood-lighting – a

first for trains in the UK.

‘I’m delighted that today we have been

able to showcase how that transformation

will continue, with the first of our brand-

new Azumas alongside one of our existing

spruced-up fleet.

‘We’ve already celebrated the return of the

restored Flying Scotsman to the route and

now we are able to celebrate the stars of

tomorrow, count down to 2018, and usher in a

new era for the East Coast.’

The train unveiled at King’s Cross is a test

train which has measuring equipment on

board rather than seats.

Eastern promise

Network Rail staff from across the country joined forces on International Women’s Day to celebrate the unstoppable rise of women in railways.

At the company’s training centre in

the West Midlands, women from across

the business discussed ways to further

improve diversity in the workplace.

Network Rail has set a target of

increasing the proportion of women in

the firm from around 15 per cent currently,

to 30 per cent. Significant progress has

been made over recent years, with a

growing proportion of women on the

board and executive committee as well

as on its flagship apprenticeship and

graduate schemes.

Women's day at Network Rail



Transport for London’s London Overground network will be run by Deutsche Bahn’s Arriva subsidiary from November 2016.

The new arrangement supersedes the existing

contract with London Overground Rail Operations

Ltd, a joint venture between MTR of Hong Kong

and DB Regio UK Limited, formerly Laing Rail, and

also owned by DB.

Arriva also won the Northern Rail franchise

last December - and took over on 1 April

2016. Headquartered in Sunderland, Arriva

is responsible for Deutsche Bahn’s regional

passenger transport services outside Germany.

Christian Delhasse, the driver of the Brussels underground train that was bombed, has been praised for helping lead survivors to safety.

Mr Delhasse returned to work the

following shift, just hours after the attack. He

remains a reluctant hero. ‘I’m a driver of the

metro, who has done his work, in specific

circumstances. Any other driver in my place

would have done the same thing.

‘The heroes are our firefighters, our law

forces, and our army.’

Christian Delhasse, who lives in Neder-

Over-Heembeek, has worked on the metals

for 30 years. A union colleague said, ‘He

has demonstrated unparalleled composure.’

The Maalbeek metro station explosion

came an hour after the twin bombings at

Brussels Airport.

Overground contract for Aviva

Brussels driver back to work

FirstGroup’s star performing Hull Trains, an open access operator, is set for another 10 years on the metals following an agreement with the rail regulator.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

approved the application for a further 10

years track access from 2019. Award-winning

First Hull Trains recently scored among the

highest customer satisfaction levels of any

operator in the country. FirstGroup now plans

to re-equip the company with new bi-mode

trains that can take full advantage of the

electrified East Coast Main Line.

Says Steve Montgomery, FirstGroup’s Rail

Division managing director, ‘First Hull Trains

is a great success story and its enduring

high customer satisfaction scores really

demonstrate how open access can deliver

for passengers in certain markets.

‘We’re pleased that the ORR has granted

us a further 10-year period of operation as

it allows us to progress the plans that we

have for new rolling stock and investment

in the line, allowing Hull to play its part as

a key region in the Government’s Northern

Powerhouse proposals.’

FirstGroup is also involved in a separate

application to the ORR on new open access

plans to operate five trains throughout the

day each way between London King’s Cross

and Edinburgh, designed to compete with

low-cost airlines and open up rail travel

between the two capitals to thousands

of new passengers. The outcome of the

application is due later this year.

Hull Trains - another decade

CHRISTIAN DELHASSETRAIN DRIVER



Protecting our members’ interests is our priorityJoin us todaywww.rmt.org.uk FREEPHONE 0800 376 3706

Britain’s Largest Specialist Transport Union

£€

Deutsche Bahn ÜbernehmenDeutsche Bahn Take Over

Local authorities in the North of England, through a body called Rail North, will jointly oversee the Northern Rail franchise with the government.

According to Rail North’s own estimates passenger demand for the North’s railway will soar by 50% over the next fifteen years. Despite this, and the clear need for investment, the government has stated that the annual subsidy will be cut by over 50% by the final year of the franchise. This will be realised through attacks on the quality of service available to passengers and the loss of hundreds of skilled, safety critical railway jobs.

Why do we continue to subsidise rail fares and help improve services around Europe but not in the UK?

Something needs to be done – we need a nationalised People’s Railway.

Northern Rail

Since 2007 Northern Rail has paid £179 million of passengers fares in dividends to previous franchise owners.

Arriva, owned by German state railway Deutsche Bahn, begin operations on 1 April.This is no April fools joke ...

Foreign state- owned rail companies use profits to keep fares down in their own countries and deliver a better all round service,

FACT.

Protecting our members’ interests is our priorityJoin us todaywww.rmt.org.uk FREEPHONE 0800 376 3706

Britain’s Largest Specialist Transport Union

£€

Deutsche Bahn ÜbernehmenDeutsche Bahn Take Over

Local authorities in the North of England, through a body called Rail North, will jointly oversee the Northern Rail franchise with the government.According to Rail North’s own estimates passenger demand for the North’s railway will soar by 50% over the next fifteen years. Despite this, and the clear need for investment, the government has stated that the annual subsidy will be cut by over 50% by the final year of the franchise. This will be realised through attacks on the quality of service available to passengers and the loss of hundreds of skilled, safety critical railway jobs.

Why do we continue to subsidise rail fares and help improve services around Europe but not in the UK?Something needs to be done – we need a nationalised People’s Railway.

Northern Rail

Since 2007 Northern Rail has paid £179 million of passengers fares in dividends to previous franchise owners.

Arriva, owned by German state railway Deutsche Bahn, began operations on 1 April.This is no April fools joke ...

Foreign state- owned rail companies use profits to keep fares down in their own countries and deliver a better all round service,FACT.

Mott MacDonald has appointed Chris Dulake as major projects portfolio director.

Chris has nearly 30 years’

experience as a civil engineer

and has worked on major

infrastructure projects around the

world. He joins Mott MacDonald

from HS2, where he was

engineering director for Phase 1.

Prior to this, he spent seven

years as chief engineer on the

Crossrail project. He joined the

project in 2008, working on all

underground works and the

Canary Wharf and Woolwich

station projects.

Mott MacDonald is involved

with many major infrastructure

projects, including Crossrail and

HS2.

Says Mike Haigh, Mott

MacDonald Group board director,

‘Chris is a fantastic appointment

for us as he has great insight

into the priorities for clients

undertaking major infrastructure

projects.

‘He will be a hugely valuable

resource for our staff due to

his vast experience and our

clients can only benefit from his

knowledge to help realise their

project ambitions.’

Chris has previously held

positions with Arup and AECOM

and was involved with the King’s

Cross project. He is a Fellow of

the Institution of Civil Engineers.

David Waboso CBE, capital programmes director at London Underground, is to join Network Rail as managing director, Digital Railway.

Waboso will lead the Digital Railway

Programme designed to boost the capacity

of Britain’s rail network using digital signalling

and train control technologies.

The internationally renowned engineer

and project manager started his career in

road construction after gaining degrees in

civil engineering at Coventry University and

Imperial College London. Then he changed

direction and became a maths teacher in

Stoke Newington, a tough area of London.

The experience, he later said, taught him the

value of good communications.

‘I have always been comfortable with the

spoken word,’ he said. Good communications,

he argues, are essential to any career in

engineering.

Going underground A passionate rugby player, David Waboso

was advised by a school master at the Crypt

School, Gloucester, to go for civil engineering

and work on dams, rivers and railways. Initially

David worked for two years on water supply

and transportation projects in Nigeria - his

father was one of the country’s leading

gynaecologists. Nigeria introduced him to

railways.

Back in Britain in 1990, he joined The

Nichols Group and went to work on the DLR

upgrade, Jubilee Line Extension, West Coast

Route Modernisation and TPWS. He led a

cross-industry team delivering the ERTMS

implementation plan.

A Fellow of The Royal Academy of

Engineering, he is already a keen supporter

of the digital railway. Replacing old

technology, particularly signalling, is essential

to increasing capacity and reducing cost.

Eventually intelligent signalling and train

control will be sited on board.

Mark Carne, Network Rail chief executive,

did not take long to work this out after taking

the job two years ago. He sees Waboso’s

role as crucial to driving forward the digital

railway. ‘Attracting someone of David’s talent

highlights the progress we have made and

our determination to use technology to unlock

capacity on Britain’s congested network. I

look forward to working with him.’

Mount KilimanjaroDavid Waboso was recently appointed

president of the Association for Project

Management. He was awarded a CBE in

2014 for services to transport in London

and the infrastructure leader prize in the UK

Black British Business Awards. He starts at

Network Rail in June, taking over from the

much respected Jerry England, who is a

big supporter of the Railway Children, and

climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2010. Jerry

has announced he will be retiring once the

handover is complete.

Waboso goes digital at Network Rail

HS2 man for Mott MacDonald

Arriva has confirmed its management team at Northern Rail.

Alex Hynes, who was appointed

by Arriva as managing director

designate in January, heads the

team.

Rob Phillips has been appointed

as finance director of Northern.

Rob held the same position

at Arriva Trains Wales where

he was also part of the senior

management team.

Richard Allan, currently

Northern’s commercial director,

has been appointed as the

franchise’s new customer and

people experience director.

Rob Warnes takes up a new

role as performance and planning

director. Alan Chaplin, becomes

programme director. Andrea

Jacobs continues to lead the

safety and environment team.

Four regional director

appointments have also been

announced by Arriva. Sharon Keith,

currently managing director for

the Arriva-operated Tyne & Wear

Metro, becomes a regional director,

alongside Liam Sumpter who joins

Northern from Network Rail.

Paul Barnfield, currently

operations director for Northern,

has also been appointed to

a regional director post with

Mike Paterson joining from PA

Consulting to take up the fourth

regional role.

Alex Hynes will be speaking

at the Rail Franchise Summit in

Leeds on 19 May - his subject:

‘A Sustainable Railway for the

North.’

Hynes heads Arriva Northern

10 PEOPLE RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016


Phil White, former chief executive of National Express Group, has been appointed chairman of Porterbrook Leasing.

White, 66, a chartered

accountant, was one of the

pioneers of the privatised bus

industry. He takes over from Alan

Lewis, who has been chairman for

seven-and-a-half years.

Sheffield-born White, attended

High Storrs Grammar School and

went on to read accountancy at

Sheffield University - apparently at

the suggestion of his Latin teacher.

After graduating, he worked as

an articled clerk in Liverpool and

audited the accounts of a bus

company in Yorkshire. Offered a

job with Yorkshire Rider, he helped

lead a successful management

buy-out (MBO). The company

subsequently ended up as part of

FirstGroup.

Phil White later worked for West

Midlands Travel, which is owned

by National Express, and joined

the NEG board in 1996 just at the

start of railway privatisation. He

served as chief executive from

1997 to 2003.

White remains a keen

Sheffield Wednesday supporter,

celebrating its recent 3-0 triumph

over Nottingham Forest. The

club motto, ‘consilio et animis’

(by wisdom and courage) may

well underpin his tenure at

Porterbrook.

Itself the result of an MBO in

1996, Porterbrook has a rolling

stock fleet of around 6,000

vehicles on lease or on order,

which includes over 4,000

passenger vehicles and over

2,000 freight locomotives and

wagons.

In October 2014, Porterbrook

was acquired by a consortium of

Alberta Investment Management

Corporation and Allianz Capital

Partners.

TBF is all about people...people in the public transport industry, people just like you!

A wide range of benefits including financial, medical, convalescence and professional advice is available to you, your partner and dependent children for just £1 a week.

Call us today to find out how we can help you.& 0300 333 2000 8 www.tbf.org.uk [email protected]

The Transport Benevolent Fund (known as TBF) is a registered charity in England and Wales (1058032) and in Scotland (SC040013)

SNC-Lavalin has announced three appointments to its Rail & Transit team - formerly Interfleet.

Senior engineer Luke Tandy joins from Network Rail where he was

previously part of the Plant, Traction and Rolling Stock team in the

Safety, Technical and Engineering Directorate. Luke helped introduce

the fleet of Mobile Maintenance Trains (MMTs).

Senior engineer Adrian Staples has taken up the position of section

head, On-Track Plant. Adrian joined the former Interfleet business in

2013 and last year was

appointed as an RSSB

Signatory for On-Track

Plant.

Engineer Dan Smail

has joined SNC-Lavalin

from JCB Attachments

where he was a design

and development

engineer.

Graham Goswell has joined Hitachi Information Control Systems Europe as director, Railway Operations.

Goswell joins from Network Rail

where he was the professional

head of operations in charge of

competence, standards, rules,

audit and resilience - appointed in

August 2013.

He has worked in frontline

operations for the last 18 years,

having started as a signaller in

1998. Goswell became a signaller

manager in 2002 and progressed

to operations manager overseeing

the day-to-day running of trains in

the North East.

From 2011, he worked as

strategic lead on ERTMS,

heading up a team of industry

specialists developing ETCS

on both the Great Western

and East Coast routes. HICSE,

formerly known as the Railway

Engineering Company Ltd, TRE,

was acquired by Hitachi Ltd in

December 2012.

Clear signal for Goswell Phil for Porterbrook

New appointments at SNC-Lavalin

Stobart Rail has appointed Andrew Sumner as the company’s new contracts director.

Andrew will be responsible

for commercial, estimating

and business development

departments within Stobart Rail.

Andrew, who started his career

at British Rail (BR) in 1988, joined

Stobart Rail in 2013. He had

previously held senior positions

at FirstGroup, Direct Rail Services

and Network Rail.

Director role for Sumner

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 PEOPLE 11


Pledges to significantly

improve services and

buy new trains aren’t

‘PR fluff’ but promises

of real change, says

Northern’s Alex Hynes

(pictured right).

On 1 April, Alex was

joined by TransPennine

Express managing

director Leo Goodwin, David Hoggarth,

director of Rail North, and MP Andrew

Jones to celebrate the start of the new

Northern and TransPennine Express

(TPE) franchises.

The occasion was marked with a

launch event at Manchester Piccadilly

station. Northern, now owned by

Arriva, had a stand in the main

concourse and TPE, which has been

retained by FirstGroup until at least

2023, showed off a reliveried Class

185 on Platform 12.

The franchises promise more seats,

better facilities and a combined £800

million investment in new trains.

BI-MODEThe North has been given a £1

billion shopping list to transform rail

services, says Alex. A stark contrast to

the previous franchise, which assumed

no growth in services and included

limited investment. In fact, passenger

numbers rose by 50 per cent.

The franchises will introduce 140

brand new trains between them by

2020. Prior to the launch, TPE, now

minus the First, announced that it and

Angel Trains had ordered the first

batch of new trains from Hitachi.

The majority of the 19 bi-mode

trains will be built at Hitachi’s factory in

Newton Aycliffe and will start to arrive

on the network from December 2019.

The arrival of these new units will

see TPE relieved of half its Class 185

fleet by 2020. The half it keeps will

undergo a complete overhaul.

Northern has already signed

a contract with CAF for 281 new

carriages - a combination of electric

and diesel units. The last of these

trains needs to enter service by the

end of 2018 if Northern is to achieve

the target of phasing out all of its

Pacers within the next four years.

‘Even when a Pacer is clean and on

time, and [has] great service on board,

it’s still a Pacer. They’ll be gone in 44

months.’

Alex is not a fan and believes his

staff and customers ‘deserve better’.

‘I will not be sad to see them go at all.’

But Northern’s rolling stock

problems can’t all be blamed on the

Pacers. ‘We do not operate a single

train which meets the minimum

standard for the next Northern

franchise,’ says Alex. ‘So even our

more modern trains, the 333s in West

Yorkshire and 319s in the North West,

which customers actually like, they’re

not good enough.’

DEVOLUTIONNorthern and TPE are the first

rail franchises to be managed in

partnership by the Department for

Transport and a regional transport

authority, in this case Transport for

the North (TfN). TfN described the

devolution deal as ‘ground-breaking’.

‘This isn’t PR fluff; this is hard stuff,’

says Alex Hynes, who retained his role

as managing director following Arriva’s

takeover of the franchise. ‘Brand

new trains; we’ve never had brand

new trains. Thoroughly refurbished

trains; we’ve never had thoroughly

refurbished trains before.’

Alex says that by the end of 2019,

every Northern passenger will be

travelling on either a new or a fully

refurbished train - all of which will offer

free Wi-Fi. ‘This isn’t new seat covers,’

he says.

By 2019, Northern will operate

2,000 more services a week than it

does today, with peak time capacity

increasing by 37 per cent. TPE says

it will deliver 20,000 additional

peak seats a day and add 13 new

destinations to its network in the same

period of time.

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BIG COMMITMENTS TO TRAININGNew trains are just part of the plan for the new

franchises. Arriva’s Northern employs more than

5,000 people. The new franchise, which runs until

2025, will go much further than in the past in terms

of recruitment and training, says Alex. Northern is

making ‘big commitments in terms of training, big

commitments in terms of development,’ he says.

Northern has specified minimum

targets for new apprentices,

graduates and trainees, has

committed to scrapping zero-

hour contracts and will make

a concerted effort to recruit more people from

disadvantaged backgrounds. There are also plans

to invest more than £2 million improving staff room

facilities.

Contrary to claims made by several of the trade

unions, staff numbers will increase during the

new franchise, says Alex. In fact, Northern’s staff

numbers increased on the very first day of the new

franchise. Following the event in Manchester, Alex

travelled to Windermere to talk to former TPE staff

who have been moved over to Northern. ‘There’s

going to be absolutely no reductions in frontline staff

whatsoever, and the number of people we employ

is going to go up and not down.’

His opposite number at TPE, Leo Goodwin,

echoed this, ‘We’re going to be investing in our

team, our colleagues, as well to equip them with the

skills and tools that they need to do the job to the

best of their ability.’

He added, ‘We need to attract the next

generation of railway professionals into our industry,

so we’re going to be significantly expanding both

our apprenticeship and graduate programmes.

We’ve committed to hire 36 new apprentices in the

next few years, for example, and that will hopefully

attract the talent that our industry’s going to need to

continue to grow and thrive.’



A record number of apprentices were nominated for Crossrail’s annual Apprentice Awards.

Charley Whitelock, 20, from Bexleyheath

in London, took the top spot. Described as

an ‘inspirational and unstoppable’ young

woman, Charley is currently working on track

installation at Crossrail.

Charley Whitelock is also managing to

study for a Level 4 NVQ in public relations

with Alstom TSO Costain (ATC).

Charley was nominated after being hailed

as the driving force behind a partnership with

the Prince’s Trust and JobCentre Plus that

gave dozens of people aged between 18 and

25 the opportunity to work on the project.

Charley has been described by colleagues

as having ‘energy’, ‘determination’ and the

‘ability to inspire others for the better’.

Says Charley, ‘It feels really surreal to have

won, it’s such a surprise, but I’m really proud

of what I’ve achieved and it’s great to be

recognised by my colleagues.

‘I started an apprenticeship when I was 17

as it was a great opportunity to work and earn

money while I learn and I’ll finish with amazing

experience at Crossrail on my CV.

‘I’d encourage anyone thinking about doing

an apprenticeship to go for it, it’s a fantastic

opportunity.’

The awards ceremony comes during

National Apprenticeship Week 2016. Crossrail,

Transport for London (TfL), London Transport

Museum and their suppliers are holding a

range of events and activities to celebrate the

contribution apprentices make.

Transport Minister Lord Ahmad said, ‘I

would like to congratulate Charley as well

as all the winners and nominees for their

achievements – I hope this is the start of a

long and happy career in transport.’

Crossrail apprentice record

The Glasgow Subway, 120 this year, is celebrating by re-equipping with a brand new train fleet.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport

(SPT) has agreed contracts with the Stadler

Bussnang AG - Ansaldo STS Consortium

for the supply of new trains and signalling

equipment, valued at £200 million.

The move is part of the modernisation

programme that will see the famous

underground railway move to remote

operation.

Says SPT chairman Jonathan Finlay, ‘The

SPT Partnership Board is delighted at this

award of contract which continues the great

work that our staff has been engaged in over

the last few years modernising our Subway

stations and infrastructure. The new rolling

stock will provide the travelling public with

a much-improved journey experience and

the system will be more flexible in terms of

frequency and availability.’

The dimensions of the Glasgow Subway

are unique. New trains will be the same length

and size as existing rolling stock but will be a

four-car set, as opposed to the current three-

car sets, with open gangways. The system will

include new platform screen doors, which will

be ‘half height’ to preserve as much space

and openness within the stations as possible

while still maintaining passenger safety and

security.

New trains for ShoogleThe Isle of Man’s Steam Railway has been awarded a £1.1 million by the Manx government to help renovate its main station at Douglas.

The island’s parliament, the Tynwald,

has backed plans drawn up by

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne.

The spectacular railway connects

Douglas, Castletown and Port Erin. The Isle

of Man Steam Railway is the longest narrow

gauge steam line in Britain that still uses its

original locomotives and carriages.

The three foot narrow gauge railway

was opened in 1874.

Manx thanks



Andrew Knowles, a senior electrical engineer at ESG Rail, is pushing himself to complete nine challenges over nine months to raise money for two charities, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and Combat Stress - the mental health charity for veterans.

Andrew will be completing

one challenge every month

between March and November,

with the aim of raising £2,500 for

the charities. Challenges include

climbs, hikes, runs and open

water swims at locations across

the UK and Ireland. He undertook

his first event on 12 March, with a

nine-hour climb up Ben Nevis, the

highest point in the British Isles at

4,409 feet (1,344 meters).

In April, Andrew will be hiking

up Scafell Pike, the highest

mountain in England, in the Lake

District.

Andrew Knowles served

over five years in the Royal Air

Force flying Chinook helicopters

and completing four tours of

Afghanistan.

Says Andrew, ‘Although I only

served a reasonably short career,

uncomfortable, stressful and

traumatic experiences are rarely

avoided; particularly during times

of conflict.’

The charity, Combat Stress,

supports ex-service personnel

suffering from a wide range of

mental ill-health issues. The charity

spends almost £15 million annually

and offers free-of-charge support

to those in need.

Andrew’s support for CRY is

equally personal. ‘In 2011 a friend

of mine, 23 years old at the time,

died suddenly from an underlying

heart condition of which neither he

nor his family were aware of. Many

of his close friends and family have

raised a huge amount of money

for this worthy charitable cause.

‘My intention is to add to that

where I can in the hope that other

young lives can be saved through

further screening and research.’

Andrew says he was shocked

at the statistics relating to

undiagnosed heart conditions.

‘Twelve young lives are lost every

week due to undiagnosed heart

conditions. That equates to over

600 lives over the course of

a year. It is thought that further

screening and research could

save many lives in the future.’

Expeditions include swimming

Lake Windermere and shinning

up Ireland’s highest peak,

Carrauntoohil, in County Kerry.

Anyone wishing to support

Andrew in his epic challenge can

donate at www.justgiving.com/

teams/9monthchallenge

TRANSPORT MINISTER FOR SCOTLANDDEREK MACKAY WITH LAURA FRIEL

Scotland’s Transport Minister, Derek Mackay, marked Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2016 by joining ScotRail apprentice Laura Friel, 19, from Kilsyth, at Glasgow Queen Street station.

Laura was advising passengers

of changes to services and

distributing flyers ahead of the

Queen Street High Level Tunnel

closure.

Mr Mackay was happy to

help and wants to see more

apprenticeships offered to

young people. ‘The Modern

Apprenticeships programme is a

great way to introduce talented

people to the railway industry

and ensures that we continue

to deliver first class customer

service for passengers across the

network,’ said Mr Mackay.

He added, ‘Scottish Modern

Apprenticeships week is an

excellent opportunity to draw

attention to the value that

apprenticeships can bring to

employers and encourage more

organisations to offer these

opportunities to young people

across Scotland.’

Laura Friel will shortly start work

in the ticket office at Queen Street

after a spell working on the Class

385 mock-up at Waverley station.

Says Rob Shorthouse, ScotRail

Alliance communications director,

‘Working on Scotland’s railway

is an interesting and challenging

role. Our Modern Apprentices

rise to any challenge that they

face and bring with them a fresh

outlook which benefits our

company and our customers. We

are just delighted to have Laura

on board – and look forward to

having many more young people

like her working with us in the

years ahead.’

Minister helps out

Novathon for ESG man

The Railway Mission has just opened its first office in Scotland in a specially renovated office between platforms 2 and 3 at Paisley Gilmour Street.

The new office has been

provided by ScotRail.

Says Heather Collins,

ScotRail’s station manager for

Ayr, Inverclyde and Dumfries,

‘It’s really nice for us to be able

to give something back to the

Railway Mission for all their

support over the years, and

it’s a comfort knowing that the

Chaplains are here.

‘The office was vacant and we

are more than happy that it will

be used to complement what the

company already offers and will

help us support our staff when a

tragic incident occurs.’

The only loser could be the

local Starbucks. Says Ruth

McBean, chaplain for the West of

Scotland, ‘It’s wonderful to have

a permanent base as I usually

work from home and consider

Starbucks as my office.

‘The office at Paisley Gilmour

Street, which is Scotland’s fourth

busiest station, is accessible and

it’s a welcoming place where

people can come and feel

comfortable and relaxed.’

Ruth went on to thank ScotRail

and the local library. ‘I’m grateful

for the support of ScotRail for

allowing us to use these facilities

and others such as Paisley

Library, which donated the office

furniture.’

Paisley tie for mission



Lewis Vaughan, who works for Virgin Trains as a customer service assistant in Edinburgh, has caused a social media sensation with a fundraising campaign for Marie Curie cancer care.

Lewis, 32, who has terminal cancer,

decided to upload a picture of himself in

a different hat every day and encourage

people to donate to Marie Curie.

Recently he travelled from the Marie Curie

Hospice in Edinburgh to Edinburgh Waverley,

where he was met by family and friends.

Then a train bearing the #LforLewis hashtag

pulled into the station, accompanied by a

piper.

Passengers across the country have been

encouraged to donate £1 to Marie Curie and

post a picture of the train as it passes through

their station. It follows on from the #LforLewis

campaign which has seen hundreds of

pictures posted in support of Lewis on social

media channels and raised thousands of

pounds for charity.

A different hatLewis was diagnosed with terminal cancer

last April. ‘I’m absolutely blown away, just

overwhelmed by the positive and generous

human nature of this,’ he said. ‘I didn’t plan a

fundraising campaign, it was just something

to keep myself occupied during my illness.

There’s an online concept of taking pictures

of yourself every day, in the same place

and with the same background for a year. I

had planned to take a photograph of myself

with a different hat on every day and it just

evolved from there.

‘I could have put depressing status

updates on Facebook, but instead I wanted

to put up pictures that would be a pick-me-

up for myself and other people in the same

situation. I’m so thankful for everything that

everyone has done.’

Overwhelming responseColleagues and passers-by had started

posting pictures of the #LforLewis train as

it left Inverness at 7.55am and journeyed

to London. When it reached Edinburgh at

11.17am, dozens of rail workers, passengers,

friends and family members had gathered to

cheer on Lewis.

His father, Jim, said, ‘I want to pay tribute

to my son Lewis and the way he’s battled this

disease so bravely and with such humour. I

also want to thank his colleagues at Virgin

Trains for all the work they’ve done. Lewis has

been through a tough time since last April

and he’s handled it well. The response to the

campaign has been overwhelming and Lewis

has been overwhelmed by the whole thing.

It started as a modest fundraising exercise

but it’s snowballed and attracted national and

even international attention.’

A good friendSays Adrian Bayne, a friend of Lewis and

a Virgin Trains driver, ‘Lewis has united a

workforce in his courageous fight with cancer.

He has been a good friend and it’s been

an honour to help him with the Marie Curie

fundraising. None of this could have been

done without the tremendous support from the

railway family and the members of the public

who have backed the #LforLewis campaign.’

To contribute to the campaign go to

uk.virginmoneygiving.com

Hats off for Lewis



Intrepid BTP officers are investigating the collision of a drone with the Flying Scotsman on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

The device was flying next

to the steam train as it passed

between Grosmont and Pickering

when its camera became

dislodged after the drone flew

too near a tree. BTP has warned

people to keep drones at least

50 metres away from trains or

they could face prosecution.

Already the rogue drone

operator has been apprehended.

Says Inspector Bob Moody

of British Transport Police,

‘While no damage was caused

to the train, we would like to

point out that the use of drones,

or any other small unmanned

aircrafts, within 50 metres of

a train is prohibited and is an

offence due to the fact that they

can cause an obstruction and

endanger the safety of the train.

We have identified the person

responsible.’

The Flying Scotsman spent a

week running services on the

NYMR - all services were sold

out.

Bear in the air

It is three years since BTP introduced its 61016 text number, which has now received more than 32,500 messages from rail users.

The service allows the public

to report non-emergency

incidents on the railway

discreetly, 24 hours a day, 365

days a year.

Says BTP’s Deputy Chief

Constable, Adrian Hanstock,

‘We recognise the way people

want to communicate with us is

changing and no other force in

the country takes reports by text

message to the extent we do.’

BTP officers have responded

to almost 5,000 incidents and

recorded just over 2,300 crimes

- all as a result of a simple text

message.

London Midland is helping

celebrate by introducing the

SMS Express -a train wrapped

with the 61016 text number.

The aim is to encourage more

people to contact BTP when

they spot something amiss on

the rail network. The train runs

between Lichfield and Redditch

via Birmingham New Street,

carrying more than one million

passengers a month.

Says Sarah Forrest, Virgin

Trains station manager at

Rugby, ‘At Virgin Trains, safety

is always our priority and the

British Transport Police’s text

number is a great way to help

our customers feel safe when

travelling.’

Long arm of the law

Rail staff surveyHave your say and win!

To complete the survey visit www.brtr.pl/railstaff

of vouchers for a store of your choice or one of five £50 vouchers

£250you could win

© National Railway Museum



Spring got off to a good start for telent which last month announced it had won a 14-year contract with National Express Group to provide a service delivery contract for c2c.

The contract involves looking

after 200 CCTV cameras and

approximately 250 monitors

across 60 platforms as part of

Driver Only Operations (DOO).

DOO is a safety critical system

that allows the drivers to see the

train and the platform without

relying on dispatch staff.

Says Steve Pears, managing

director, telent Rail, ‘We are

delighted to lead the industry with

the provision of our whole life

service delivery model to National

Express Group.

‘Telent already supports

equipment on a third of UK rail

stations, and we are therefore well

placed to deliver this service.

‘In addition to providing a vital

service which supports the safety

of rail customers and staff, the

service model also ensures a

cost-effective solution for National

Express Group, and we are certain

that other TOCs would also realise

similar benefits.’

c2c deal for telent

A group of big-hearted drivers in Cleethorpes have donated a portion of their Eco-Drive earnings to a local hospice.

The drivers at First

TransPennine Express’ (FTPE)

Cleethorpes depot gave £3,378

to St Andrew’s Hospice.

The ‘EcoDrive’ programme

is run by FTPE and provides a

financial reward for drivers who

reduce their environmental

impact by driving more efficiently.

St Andrew’s Hospice is an

independent charity providing

care and treatment for those

living with life-threatening

illnesses.

Cleethorpes driver Mark

Sheppard said the drivers

decided to donate the money

to the local charity because of

personal experiences, including

recently with his own grandson.

‘I’ve seen the great work the

hospice does first hand; I fully

understand where the money we

have donated will be spent and

feel this is a worthwhile cause.

‘It’s such an important service

for the whole community;

providing support for the patients

and families across the whole of

Lincolnshire. Without donations,

the hospice would fail to provide

such fantastic services.’

Lauren Alexander, from

St Andrew’s Hospice, was

overwhelmed by the generosity

of the drivers. ‘A huge thank you

for your fantastic donation,’ says

Lauren. ‘This will go a long way

to ensure we can continue to

provide palliative care for local

people,’ she added.

Drivers support Lincolnshire hospice

Hitachi Rail Europe boosted International Women’s Day by holding a ‘Ladies Day’ at the Newton Aycliffe depot.

The company already has

many women working in rail - but

it’s not enough says HR manager

Julia Potts. ‘Although we have a

large number of women working

in Hitachi Rail in general, our

manufacturing and engineering

teams are not so equally

represented.

‘We thought it was time to

try and improve the gender

balance and dispel the myth that

manufacturing is a man’s world.’

Ninety women registered to

attend the recruitment event and

were able to meet members of

the Hitachi Rail team.

Stacey Ord, from Redcar,

was one of the attendees at

the event, ‘It was an excellent

opportunity to look around the

new facility, see the sorts of tasks

involved and be able to ask

questions to the team. To be part

of Hitachi Rail is an opportunity

not to be missed.’

Karen Boswell, managing

director of Hitachi Rail Europe,

wants to see more women taking

up engineering. ‘It’s fantastic

that more and more women are

considering engineering and

manufacturing as a career option.

‘The rail industry has one

of the highest rates of growth

of any sector in the UK today

and Hitachi is committed to

encouraging more women to

pursue a career in this dynamic

and rewarding industry.’

Newton Aycliffe, County

Durham, is home to the InterCity

Express Programme (IEP) making

trains for the East Coast Main

Line and Great Western Main

Line, as well as AT200 commuter

trains for Scotland. 730 jobs have

been created at the site including

apprenticeships.

Ladies day at Newton Aycliffe

L-R Mark

Simpson, Mark

Sheppard, Nic

Blair, Andrew

Gorge, Glen

Piper and Lauren

Alexander.



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www.directwelding.co.uk

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Direct Welding& Site Supplies Ltd.

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STAND A31 WWW.INFRARAIL.COM

Direct Welding& Site Supplies Ltd.

The Rail Alliance is once again delighted to be attending Infrarail along with several of our Rail Alliance members who are exhibiting as part of the Rail Alliance Hub. Member’s include:

• AJT Engineering Ltd

• Aluminium Lighting Company

• Anderton Concrete Products Ltd

• CHG Electrical Ltd

• Exova Warringtonfire

• Flexicon Ltd

• iLine Technologies

• Keyline

• Lanes Group plc

• Lista UK Ltd

• Optical Coating Technologies Ltd

• Prysmian Cables & Systems Ltd

• Royal British Legion Industries

• Silver Fox Ltd

• Step On Safety Ltd

• Visual Systems

While visiting the show, companies can

take advantage of the rail mentor programme

and find out how it can help businesses

grow. If you are an SME and would like to

find out more about the clinics, please contact

[email protected]. From Tuesday,

11am- 3pm Rail Mentor clinics will be available

throughout the day (North Gallery Room 8) and

can be pre-booked via mentor@railalliance.

co.uk. Other Rail Mentor clinics on Tuesday

and Thursday will be run as drop in clinics and

no appointment will be necessary.

Tue 12 April:• 11am-12pm & 1pm-2pm - Rail Mentor Clinics

(drop-in)

Wed 13 April:• 9am -11am – Rail Alliance breakfast

networking meeting

• 11am-3pm –pre-arranged RSG/mentor

meetings (managed by Lucy Prior)

Thur 14 April:• 11am – 12pm: BIM O’clock (BIM in Rail)

• 12pm – 1pm: Rail Mentor Clinics (drop-in)

www.railalliance.co.uk / www.railmentor.com

RAIL ALLIANCE AT INFRARAIL 2016

NEW MEMBERS

Rail Alliance launches first in a series of Rail Supply Group Best Practice Workshops!

The Rail Supply Group’s Best Practice

Programme got off to a flying start at the AMTC

in Coventry. Organised and hosted by Rail

Alliance, a panel of senior speakers from HS2

Ltd., Atkins Global and Network Rail set the scene

for this series of supply chain events, delivering

fascinating content on the lead topic of Whole

Life Cost / Whole Life Value.

Lively interaction from the assembled SME

delegates certainly provoked challenging

dialogue, the output of which will be fed into the

next workshop on Building Information Modelling

(BIM), which will be held on the 26th April, 2016

at the same venue. For further information

please visit the programme website: www.

rsgbestpractice.org

Rail Alliance puts the spotlight on Rail Lighting, Safety and Security with “Light after Dark”

The wind and rain on the 9th March did little

to dampen the spirits of the rail industry lighting,

safety and security community which gathered

together to hear and see for themselves some

of the best solutions available on the market.

Supported by the Lighting Industry Association

and the Society of Light and Lighting, the event

was very well attended and feedback has been

very positive.

There were 34 exhibitors inside the marquee

and a further 15 outdoor demonstrations taking

place as well as stimulating and interesting

presentations with speakers: Helen Waters,

Business Development Director at Arriva Trains;

Philip Shadbolt, Chairman & CEO Zeta Lighting;

Jeff Shaw, Associate Director ARUP /President of

the Elec. SLL; Bob Phelps, Business Development

at ALC; Lee McCarthy, Technical Applications

Director Designplan Lighting; John Charles,

Business Development Manager at DW Windsor;

Mark Stokes from the British Transport Police

and Neil Carter, Director of Special Operations at

Smartwater Technologies Ltd.

The next date for this event will be in

February 2017.

ESG RAILUK rolling stock development

consultancy, part of the DB

Systemtechnik organisation.

Innovative, value-led Strategic,

Technical and Integration solutions.

www.esg-rail.com

DEIMOS SPACE UKUK subsidiary of the Spanish satellite

technology company Elecnor Deimos.

Real-time passenger information

hardware and systems.

www.deimos-space.com

JONATHAN LEE GROUPRecruitment consultants to the

manufacturing and engineering

sectors.

www.jonlee.co.uk

EJOT UK LTD.Leading industrial fixings brand.

Specialist fasteners and fixings for the

UK Rail, Construction, Aerospace and

Automotive industries.

www.ejot.co.uk

HTA GROUPLeading subcontractor supplier of laser

cut parts, sheet metal components and

fabricated assemblies.

www.htagroup.co.uk

TRACK ACCESS SERVICESOperating in the UK for over 10 years,

supplying a wide variety of survey and

data / asset management products and

services.

www.trackaccessservices.com

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION INDUSTRIES‘Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing

Company.’ State-of–the-art production

of lineside signalling, providing

employment for wounded, injured or

sick ex-military staff.

www.rbli.co.uk

MORGAN ADVANCED MATERIALS PLCDesign, development and manufacture

of lightweight composite structures

with particular focus on vehicle

defence and protection systems.

www.morganadvancedmaterials.com

PAULEY (INTERACTIVE)Immersive 3D, Virtual and Augmented

Reality Training.

www.pauley.co.uk

A-PLANT RAILSupplier of a wide range of specialist

rail hire equipment for track renewals,

S&C, S&T and infrastructure projects.

www.aplant.com


20 RAIL ALLIANCE RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016



Talia Grantham, 17, from Northampton is the winner of this year’s Could IT Be You? competition.

Miss Grantham will receive a

financial prize equal to her first

year’s university tuition fees and a

paid work placement at Network

Rail’s national centre in Milton

Keynes. The prize also includes

a year’s worth of coaching and

mentoring from the Network Rail

IT team.

Five runners-up will also receive

one week’s paid work experience

and a year’s worth of coaching

and mentoring with Network Rail’s

IT team.

Network Rail set up the Could IT

Be You? competition three years

ago amidst concerns about the

slide in the number of women

entering the UK’s IT sector. Only 13

per cent of students on IT-related

degrees are female, and the

proportion of women working in

the sector has more than halved

since the 1980s.

Says Talia, ‘I’m really interested

in a career in business strategy,

but I hadn’t really thought about

opportunities in IT until now.

Meeting the people at Network

Rail really opened my eyes to the

massive role IT plays in our daily

lives and how it keeps our rail

network running each day.

‘The people at Network Rail

have a really varied background

and there’s a huge variety of skills

needed to work in IT that aren’t

necessarily computer-related. I will

definitely consider an IT career

now. I’m really looking forward

to doing my work experience at

Network Rail in the summer and, of

course, starting my degree course

in September.’

A team of 10 apprentices is sweeping all before it at Norwich.

The 18 to 24 year olds are

working in a wide variety of

roles in Abellio Greater Anglia’s

award-winning customer services

department while completing a

Level 2 NVQ qualification.

In a transatlantic bonus for the

rail industry, apprentice Reece

Orford, 21, says, ‘I moved back to

the UK from Canada in 2010 and

have since worked as a business

administrator. I wanted to join

Abellio Greater Anglia because

the apprenticeship offers so

much scope for progression.’

Says Andrew Goodrum,

customer service director at

Abellio Greater Anglia, ‘We

are very pleased to welcome

our new apprentices. This

customised training course will

offer a range of transferable

skills.

‘The railway is a great

place to work with a wealth

of opportunities and fantastic

benefits. We already operate

a very successful engineering

apprenticeship and this new

scheme will help strengthen our

customer service department.’

Young team boost Abellio Greater Anglia

IT was me!

Burdett House, 15-16 Buckingham Street, London, WC2N 6DU Tel: 0207 434 0300 Email us on: [email protected]

Deploy UK Rail are a specialist blue and white collar supplier to the Rail Industry and LUL in Power, Signalling, Electrification, Telecoms and Civils.

We have in-depth knowledge of supplying and planning Rail Safety Critical, Civils, Cabling, Troughing, Trades and Electrical resources to the industry specialising in 3rd Rail environments.

Deploy UK Rail hold the following qualifi cations:

• RISQS Approved via Audit 5*

• RCC (Rail Contractor’s Certifi cate) to supply SWL (Safe Work Leaders)

• RIPS (Railway Interface Planning Scheme) 5*

• ISO 9001, 18001, 14001

• ROSPA Bronze

We are part of the DE Group of companies which all hold individual RISQS Certification as a contractor which complements the services we offer in Rail by providing expertise in Demolition, Asbestos Surveying and Removal and H&S consultancy specialising in Principle Design Services to clients for CDM.

We work closely with our clients to help them achieve their project goals by delivering a professional reliable service which is flexible and adaptable to the ever changing Rail and LUL environment.

The core of our business is built up of professionals who have serviced both the recruitment and site requirements for over 10+ years each. We have strong client relationships built on trust and delivery.

As a business we are able to supply a turnkey solution P.S.D.S (Plan – Supply – Deliver – Safely).

Deploy UK Rail was created with the vision that we can provide a one stop solution to delivering client needs by going above and beyond expectation.

Due to expansion we have opened offices in Plymouth and the North West to be able to extend our services to our clients.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT OLD DALBY

REPORT BY MARC JOHNSON

Being invited to visit a

live test site is a good

indication that things

are going pretty well

for a project - not

something you would

say the sub-surface

lines (SSL) resignalling

programme has had

much experience of.

Metronet and Bombardier both took

on the project with little success. But

since London Underground awarded

the contract to Thales last year, things

seem to be making real progress.

Within just four months of awarding

the contract, the first new S Stock

train ran along the test track at Old

Dalby, Leicestershire, under ATO

(automatic train operation) control,

providing some reassurance that this

complicated signalling project will finally

be delivered. Last month, RailStaff was

invited to the test centre in Old Dalby to

see how far the London Underground/

Thales partnership has come.

‘It is a huge, huge step forward,’

says Stuart Harvey, capital programme

director, London Underground,

explaining the benefits Thales’

Communications Based Train Control

(CBTC) signalling system will bring to

the 152-year-old SSL network. Once

fully operational, the system will

increase the frequency of services

across the Metropolitan, District,

Hammersmith & City and Circle lines

from the current 24 trains an hour

to 32 trains an hour - a 30 per cent

capacity increase.

The CBTC system being

implemented is an upgraded version

of the technology previously installed

by Thales on the Jubilee and Northern

lines. Lineside sensors spaced 25

metres apart along the track tell the

control room where every train is on

the network. Using that information,

the system is able to create the

additional capacity by running trains

much closer together than is possible

with the existing signalling.

ATOFor the new signalling system to

work, a large number of infrastructure

works will need to be completed

across the 300-kilometre network,

including track modifications, an

upgrade of the power supply and the

installation of the lineside signalling

equipment. New stabling facilities will

also be constructed at Farringdon and

upgrades delivered at the four depots

that serve the SSL network: Neasden,

Ealing Common, Upminster and

Hammersmith.

The S Stock fleet is, of course, a

significant component of the project. At

the end of last year, Bombardier invited

the press in to see the last of the 1,700

S Stock carriages it was building for

London Underground undergoing the

latter stages of its fit-out. All together,

Bombardier has supplied 191 trains for

the SSL network - a combination of

seven and eight-car trains.

For the past few months, Thales

and London Underground engineers

have been trialling the new signalling

system on the test track at Old Dalby,

which was renamed Rail Innovation &

Development Centre (RIDC) Melton by

Network Rail after it acquired the site

in 2015.

© Marc Johnson

© M

arc

Joh

nso

n


22 FEATURE RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

All together,

Bombardier

has supplied

191 trains

for the SSL

network - a

combination

of seven and

eight-car trains.

The Up Reversible line includes four

kilometres of 630/750V DC fourth rail,

as is found on London Underground.

With ATO in operation, the test train,

dubbed V1, completes a series of

runs along the 7.5-kilometre line,

automatically stopping at virtual stations

along the way. In the future, the trains

will operate a semi-automated service,

where the driver's role is limited to

starting the train, opening and closing

the doors and manually driving the train

in an emergency.

The V1 test train is a laboratory

on wheels, with cables strapped to

hand rails, technicians on laptops and

exposed computer cabinets. The next

phase of testing, known as V2, will

involve fitting all the equipment as it will

be when the train is in service.

CBTCRunning trains closer together

creates obvious risks and the SSL

network throws up several new

challenges.

For example, where London

Underground trains share the

Metropolitan line with Chiltern Railways

between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and

Harrow-on-the-Hill, axle counters have

to be used to detect trains without the

The Metropolitan line

will be the last route to be

completed in 2023. Although

this is still seven years away,

it is really just the start.

Once the SSL resignalling

scheme is complete,

London Underground will

move onto New Tube for

London - another enormous

engineering and political

challenge.

on-board equipment needed for CBTC.

Axle counters also provide a backup if

the connection between the train and

control room were to fail.

Installation of the onboard equipment

will be carried out back in Derby, where

the S Stock fleet was built. The current

timetable will see 53 trains completed

by July 2018, up to 80 by September

2018. By the middle of 2019 - possibly

earlier - the first section of the Circle line

will operate with ATO.

© M

arc Joh

nso

n


RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 FEATURE 23

COMMITTEDMARK BULLOCK, MANAGING DIRECTOROF BALFOUR BEATTY RAIL, TALKS ABOUTWHY RAIL IS, AND WILL CONTINUE TOBE, AT THE FOREFRONT OF BRITAIN'SLARGEST CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING COMPANY

‘It makes me smile actually,’ says Mark Bullock, managing

director of Balfour Beatty Rail. He’s referring to rumours that

Balfour Beatty, one of Britain’s largest and longest-standing

construction and engineering firms, is pulling out of rail. It’s

a rumour which has been fuelled by the sales of Parsons

Brinckerhoff and Signalling Solutions but, according to Mark,

these events only tell part of the story.

‘It makes me smile because we remain a very large and

significant player in the UK rail infrastructure market,’ says

Mark, who has been in charge of the rail division since 2012.

He’s now setting the record straight. ‘I think internally

there’s been a need for us as leaders of this business to

reassure our staff that that’s not the case and when they

read silly things in the press that often it’s not true.

‘Some of our competition thinks it, but they can think what

they like about us; we don’t really mind as we have been

quietly going about improving our business and working

hard to ensure customer satisfaction.’

The Balfour Beatty Group’s financial performance has

been pored over by journalists and analysts in detail

over the past few years. Its past difficulties have led to

the appointment of a new chief executive, Leo Quinn, in

January 2015 and the formulation of a long-term, company-

wide transformation programme, Build to Last.

Judging from media and analyst reaction to the

company’s full- year results, the programme is working. In

Balfour Beatty's own words, it has made strong progress, is

taking hold and is returning the company to strength. But

in this time of change for the group, the rail business has

carried on as normal and has been performing well, says

Mark.

‘I think it’s worth stating that the rail business’ trading over

the last couple of years has been pretty much in line with

our plan.’

What did change in that period were

the rail division’s priorities. UK projects

became the focus and a number of

international rail businesses, established

in the hope that they would open the

door for Balfour Beatty in new markets,

were sold off.

‘Rail activities had been quite

successful in gaining a share in overseas

markets but other parts of the business

had not followed,’ Mark explains. ‘So

at the end of 2012, when you stepped

back and looked at it, we actually had

a number of effectively stranded rail

activities in markets that didn’t fit with the

core strategy of the group.’

Balfour Beatty

is building

the Crossrail

station at

Abbey Wood

and associated

infrastructure

works.

TO THE CORE

24 INTERVIEWS RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016


24 INTERVIEWS

COMMITTED

STRATEGIC REVIEW

International businesses in Italy, Scandinavia and Germany

have been sold off in the past couple of years. Last year,

Balfour Beatty also sold its 50 per cent stake in Signalling

Solutions and the year before that WSP acquired its

professional services division, Parsons Brinckerhoff.

‘When we looked at the UK market, we were very

successful from 2012 through to 2014 in growing the

business, so we saw quite a significant growth in turnover

during that period of time. So the business, despite coming

out of our international activities, continued to be a really

important part of the group and was making very good

progress.

‘But when we looked at our portfolio, I guess like any

business, there were some parts of it that were performing

better than others. Therefore we carried out a strategic

review of the UK rail activities and made a decision that

certain aspects we wanted to continue with and others, for

the time being, weren’t for us.’

RAIL SYSTEMSBalfour Beatty Rail provides multidisciplinary rail

infrastructure services across the lifecycle of rail assets

and can be broken down into four distinct business units,

says Mark: Rail Systems, Rail Plant, Traction Power and

Engineering and Technology Solutions. It is the Rail Systems

side of the business that has made significant contributions

to major projects like Thameslink and Crossrail.

Balfour Beatty is building the new Crossrail station at

Abbey Wood and is delivering the associated infrastructure

works. ‘I think we can rightly boast that we were the first

contractor to hand over a piece of useable rail infrastructure

to Crossrail out of Abbey Wood.’

TO THE CORE

We're hugely

optimistic and

enthusiastic

about the

future.

'When I joined Balfour Beatty Rail, I came with a clear objective to further improve our safety performance'...

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 INTERVIEWS 25


INTERVIEWS 25

Track Partnership, a joint venture

between London Underground

and Balfour Beatty Rail, represents

another large chunk of the company’s

activities. In March, Balfour Beatty

was awarded a £170 million two-year

extension to its Track Partnership

contract for London Underground.

‘We’ve grown this contract over

the last few years quite significantly,’

says Mark. ‘As we’ve delivered more

and more innovation and productivity

for the client, they in turn have been

generous enough to give us more and

more work.’

GROWING AREASAlthough the refocusing of Balfour

Beatty Rail has involved divesting of

certain areas of the business, it has

also targeted growth in other areas,

including the company’s OLE, P-Way

and civils design team.

Balfour Beatty’s withdrawal from

the final stages of the North West

electrification scheme made the

headlines but, again, they didn’t tell

the whole story. ‘Whilst it’s true to say

we’ve withdrawn from that specific

scope of work, by mutual agreement

with Network Rail, we actually have just

signed two contracts to provide design

resource for the schemes that are

currently being worked on, so we’re in

there with the design capability; we’re

just not building it.’

Interestingly, some of this work is

being carried out more than 6,000

miles away by engineers in Balfour

Beatty’s office in Kuala Lumpur. ‘In

the past they’ve done work in the

local market and in the future they will

continue to do so, but at the moment

actually most of their work is for the

electrification in the North West of

England, so that’s a case of us going

overseas and actually importing some

of those skills back to the UK.’

Another area in which Balfour

Beatty Rail is investing is its plant hire

and maintenance business with the

company currently operating and

maintaining plant for Network Rail,

London Underground and Irish Rail.

CLEVER TECHNOLOGYMark gets particularly excited when

discussing the company’s Technology

Solutions division, ‘There’s some really

clever technology in there.’

Specifically, he’s referring to

intelligent asset monitoring systems.

Developed by Balfour Beatty Rail

engineers, the systems monitor assets

and detect failures before they occur.

On the Singapore Metro, the company

has installed signalling monitoring

technology.

Balfour Beatty engineers are also

involved in the Intercity Express

Programme (IEP), developing a laser

monitoring system which will be fitted

to the trains to create a 3D scan of

the infrastructure as it passes by. Says

Mark, ‘That business has been very

successful in expanding its product

range and it’s been very successful in

the last two to three years in expanding

overseas, so we now export quite a lot

of our technology to overseas markets.’

PASSIONATE ABOUT SAFETY

Mark explains that Balfour Beatty

Rail has taken an approach which

brings management and the front line

workforce together to consider and

take action on risk. This has included

critically re-examining risk, and

encouraging employees and supply

chain partners to do the same.

He says that following this change

the company has seen a greater

awareness for risk and more direct

involvement from employees in

helping to identify potential hazards,

which in turn has increased the

reporting of close calls and delivered

a positive impact on injury frequency

rates.

Mark’s passion for safety is clear,

‘When I joined Balfour Beatty Rail, I

came with a clear objective to further

improve our safety performance and

this objective remains at the forefront

of everything I do. We will continue

to drive improvements and efforts

towards creating a safety-comes-first

culture across the company.’

CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE

In January, the High Speed Two

Balfour Beatty VINCI joint venture

appointed a managing director, Peter

Anderson, who was the previous

MD of Balfour Beatty Rail. The

joint venture is looking to secure

a significant share of the HS2

construction programme, including

enabling works, main civils works,

stations and elements of rail systems.

‘HS2 is a huge prospect that we’re

really excited about. We’ve been

working on it for probably four years

now, which sounds incredible when I

say it,’ says Mark.

Balfour Beatty Rail employs around

1,600 people and recruited just fewer

than 300 people last year. Its growing

workforce includes 23 apprentices, 21

graduates and 40 trainees.

Balfour Beatty is a member of The

5% Club, it was the first infrastructure

company to sign up in 2013 which

means it has committed to having at

least 5 per cent of its UK workforce

made up of apprentices, graduates

and sponsored students within five

years of joining. The company has

already achieved 4.6 per cent in just

three years.

Mark says the outlook is positive.

‘At this point in time, we’re hugely

optimistic and enthusiastic about

the future. We’ve had a sustained

period of growing the profitability of

our business over the last few years

and that’s given us a great deal of

confidence in the future.’

Plant hire and

maintenance is

a key growth

area for the

business.

26 INTERVIEWS RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016


For more information, contact us:[email protected]

www.balfourbeatty.com/rail

With our extensive experience and expertise, our customers rely on us to deliver effi cient, innovative solutions that keep the railway moving. As industry leaders in safety, we believe that everyone has the right to go home safely every day.

We are committed to the future of the rail industry.

A trusted partner

BBG-3112 Rail ad_A2.indd 1 01/03/2016 17:01

RAIL'S ROLE IN CROSS-INDUSTRY DRIVE TO TACKLE SILICA DUST

NOT JUST

Representatives from the rail sector were involved

in a cross-industry debate to develop a new,

more collaborative approach to controlling silica

dust in the workplace.

High above the part-transport hub, part-

construction site that presently is London Bridge

station, a common hazard facing rail workers was

being discussed.

Sat around a table on the 34th floor of The

Shard, representatives from the Office of Road

and Rail (ORR), Crossrail and Network Rail spelled out the

challenge they face to prevent workers from breathing in silica

dust.

Whether through handling ballast dust, the tunnelling process

or cutting concrete as part of a station redevelopment, the

scope for exposure is wide-ranging and varied. Yet rail isn’t

alone in having to face up to the health risks posed by respirable

crystalline silica (RCS).

That is why experts from construction, mineral products and

various trade, health and industry associations also joined in the

discussion, sharing how they tackle the issue in their workplaces.

The debate was facilitated by the Institution of Occupational

Safety and Health (IOSH) and aimed to identify good practice that

could be used throughout industry to deal with RCS.

It coincided with the launch by IOSH of new guidance for

businesses on RCS, as part of its No Time to Lose occupational

cancer awareness campaign.

NOT JUST DUSTAn estimated 500,000 people are exposed to RCS at work in

the UK. According to Imperial College London research, around

800 people in Britain a year die from lung cancer caused by

prolonged exposure to RCS in the workplace, with 900 new

cases being diagnosed annually.

Professor John Cherrie, from Heriot-Watt University and the

Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh, who took part

in the discussion, said many employees are currently being

exposed to RCS above the acceptable limit in the UK and

throughout the world.

He said, ‘Construction is the biggest industry where people

can get exposed to RCS, but anyone working in a workplace

that uses mineral products may face exposure. It could be

in foundries, at brickworks

and quarries or premises

where stone products are

manufactured.

‘Dust can often be accepted

as something that just naturally

occurs as part of work

processes, and it shouldn’t be.

If you can see dust you need to

do something about it.

‘Getting people to change

their attitude to dust and take

this issue seriously is key.

This discussion was a real

opportunity to shape how we

deal with silica dust across

industry in the years to come.’

Kevin Stevens, health and

safety manager at the Mineral

Products Association, said

much work to prevent RCS

exposure has been done in

his sector that other industries

could learn from it.

He said, ‘Silica dust is one

of the oldest occupational

health diseases we know of.

The common challenge across

industry is about educating

individuals on the issue.

‘Without question, the

information is out there but we

need to make sure it is shared

among all those who require it.’

THE RAIL PERSPECTIVE

The debate heard that much

good work is being done

across all sectors around RCS,

including rail, but that each

industry is rarely aware of the

measures the others are taking.

Dr Claire Dickinson,

occupational health

programme manager at the

ORR, said awareness of silica

dust in the rail sector was

growing, particularly around the

use of track ballast. More work

needed to be done to highlight

the issue to those working on

other construction projects in

the rail sector, she added.

‘We really need to up our

game at getting through to the

managers and supervisors on

track and working at station

construction sites,’ she said.

The ORR, Crossrail,

Network Rail, CIRAS and MTR

Corporation Ltd are among

over 100 leading businesses to

have pledged support to the

No Time to Lose campaign.

Steve Hails, director of health

and safety at Crossrail Ltd,

spoke of his work to protect

employees undertaking

sprayed concrete lining (SCL)

works, using prevention and

dust suppression to minimise

RCS exposure.

Modifications to the standard

processes and material

substitutions were considered

from the outset to reduce the

use of silica, and therefore the

risk of dust exposure.

De-duster units, forced

ventilation, spray misters and

tools fitted with spray systems

have also been used to

dampen dust where necessary,

REPORT BY BRYAN HENESEYDUST28 HEALTH+SAFETY RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016


with personal respiratory

equipment regarded as a last

resort.

In making Crossrail’s pledge

to No Time to Lose, Steve said,

‘We believe that an effective

occupational health programme

is essential to the success of

the Crossrail programme - good

health has a positive effect on

employees and the delivery of

Crossrail.

‘So we’re pleased to back

IOSH’s No Time to Lose

campaign, and welcome its

focus on one of the most serious

occupational health issues facing

industry today – managing

carcinogenic exposures at work.’

MTR Corporation, meanwhile,

has put controls in place to reduce

the risk of silica dust exposure

during tunnelling work in Hong

Kong.

As well as using ventilation and

water suppression techniques,

such as wet drilling and rock

breaking and damping spoil, MTR

also regularly monitors silica dust

concentrations in its tunnels and

carries out health hazard and

hygiene checks on workers.

Stephen Pollock, project safety

manager at MTR Corporation

Ltd, said, ‘MTR’s commitment is

tangible. As well as providing

extensive information and training

to the contractor workforce, we

provided free health screening

on site for up to 2,000 workers in

March.

‘In addition to this, our full-

time nurses are available at our

construction site to give advice

and monitor health controls.’

MTR has also shared good

practice around work-related ill

health with 450 senior leaders

and over 140 safety managers

working in its supply chain.

Keith Morey, chair of the IOSH

Railway Group and construction,

design and management

integration manager at Network

Rail, also took part in the

roundtable meeting.

He said ballast dust has been

a major consideration in the rail

sector for some time, with the likes

of the Ballast Dust Working Group

(BDWG) promoting best practice

and technology throughout all the

main contracting companies on

the railways.

‘We must continue to look

into ways of reducing exposure

to RCS. Simply fencing off the

in-question area will not suffice,’

Keith added.

OUTCOMEThe cross-industry group

agreed to work collaboratively

with IOSH to develop a new way

of sharing good practice around

tackling RCS exposure across

industry.

Shelley Frost, executive director

of policy at IOSH, said, ‘Dust is not

just dust – it can contain elements

that are potentially harmful and

can cause chronic ill health.

‘We brought together people

from very different disciplines

so we could really establish

a collaborative and collective

approach on raising awareness of

RCS, and also address some of the

current issues.

‘What was really clear is there

are many examples of good

practice across industry and

that should be celebrated. Our

responsibility is to break down the

barriers that exist in sharing this

across all industry.’

Silica dust is one of five common

agents associated with work-

related cancer registrations and

deaths in the UK that IOSH is

highlighting through No Time to

Lose.

Asbestos, diesel engine exhaust

fumes, solar radiation and shift

work are the others, with IOSH

aiming to get work-related cancer

more widely understood and help

businesses to take action.

For more information about

the campaign, and to download

the free resources on RCS, visit

www.notimetolose.org.uk or

follow @_NTTL on Twitter. Further

information about the IOSH Railway

Group and its activities can also

be found at www.iosh.co.uk/

railwaygroup.

BRYAN HENESEY WORKS AS A MEDIA OFFICER AT IOSH.

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 HEALTH+SAFETY 29


To improve our already impressive health, safety and environmental record, this coming year Stobart Rail aim to reinforce and support this record by introducing a new Safety Vision:

Stobart Rail are proud of the Safety, Health and Environment Culture it has actively created.

Our aims are to have:

Zero Accidents

Zero Complaints

Zero Health Issues

Zero Environmental Issues

Zero Incidents

As part of a new initiative “Think Safety, Act Safely” Stobart Rail commissioned Carlisle based Cloudscape Studios to design 30 bespoke posters to aid and support a new culture campaign.

The campaign has allowed Stobart Rail to introduce some unique characters that deal with a wide selection of

safety issues that the workforce can relate to. The poster topics came from a number of sources including the Lifesaving Rules, accident and incident statistics from the last 5 years, high risk activities Stobart Rail carry out, wellbeing issues and behavioural based safety.

An extensive range of subjects have

Following the rules whether this be a procedure or site specific rules including the Network Rail Lifesaving Rules

Reporting any shortcomings to line management

Stopping work when something is not right or has changed from the planned activities

Staff using the training they have been given to carry out their roles and responsibilities to create a safe working environment

Robust Planning

Improving communication between all parties to learn and improve

Ensuring the Just & Fair Culture process we have in place is applied

Continuing to hold Stand Down days

Continuing to encourage the reporting of Close Calls

Providing the correct equipment and resource to carry out the works we conduct

Leading by Example

How will we achieve this?

For queries please contact:

Andrew SumnerContracts [email protected] 07736108749Office 01228 882300

Website: www.stobartrail.com

facebook.com/stobartrail

twitter.com/StobartRailLtd

Improving communication between all parties to learn and improve

Ensuring the Just & Fair Culture process we have in place is applied

Continuing to hold Stand Down days

Continuing to encourage the reporting of Close Calls

Providing the correct equipment and resource to carry out the works we conduct

Leading by Example

The Safety and Wellbeing of our staff is our highest priority. This campaign is based on relatable circumstances

that our staff encounter regularly, with characters they identify with. It’s about raising personal awareness to threats that we’re exposed to on a daily basis.

We all want to stay healthy and stress

free. We want to travel to and from work safely. We want to do this whilst being considerate to the Environment

and the Communities we work in.

Kirk TaylorStobart Rail Managing Director

been covered from working at height to wellbeing information all with the goal of raising awareness and providing information to Stobart Rail staff.

It is hoped that these bespoke posters are well received by our workforce and clients alike, acting as a constant reminder of the risks and hazards we face at work every day and how to eliminate them.

The speed of organisational change for our

railways looks set to increase. My concerns are

for the potential adverse effects on safety that

may result. ORR originally was the acronym of

the Office of the Rail Regulator, an individual

who within politically set limits had the power to

regulate our railways.

The Rail RegulatorThis organisation was set up to isolate the

funding and development of our railways away

from short term political decision making. A couple of years

ago Sir John Armitt proposed the setting up of our National

Infrastructure Commission for the long term planning of

infrastructure development.

It is now chaired by Lord Adonis with Sir John as one of its

Commissioners. But for our railways we now have both the

Hendy Report and the Shaw Report; how will they fit into the

development of long term infrastructure development?

Shaw Report – route devolutionThe Shaw Report released on March 16th could affect our

industry in a radical way. The identification by the Institute

of Economic Affairs of Network Rail’s growing debt on the

Government’s balance sheet has contributed to an urgent

situation. According to the Institute’s forecast the debt could

reach £50 billion by 2020. Comparisons with rail funding in

other European countries are interesting.

However, the Shaw Report advocates route devolution

for Network Rail together with independent regulation. It

proposes a step change in the autonomy delegated to their

routes. This is supported by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

and is intended to give routes the freedom to plan how they

will individually meet the needs of both its passenger and

freight customers.

The report goes on to suggest that the industry needs to

explore new ways of paying for the growth in passengers

and freight before recommending the involvement of private

sector finance in speeding up improvements for rail users.

If transferring decision making to the routes leads to more

strategic management focus on local staff and supplier

understanding, everyone could gain.

Rail suicides increasing

In 2010 a joint initiative was

launched by the Samaritans and

Network Rail with the objective

of achieving a 20% reduction in

suicides on the railways by 2015.

Despite a £5 million investment in

this initiative male suicides increased

by 31% by 2013! Bristol University

is now looking at the long lasting

effects of such tragedies on train

drivers and their families.

In published reports there is

no mention of the involvement

of track or operational staff who

have to deal with the aftermath of

these events. The pressures on

worksites under possession and

repairs whilst trains are still running

have never been higher and in

my experience it is often the most

conscientious who are involved in

accidents.

35 mph within the possession

Network Rail’s Safety Central

website now includes a bulletin

issued on March 3rd giving some

factual details of a collision and

derailment that occurred on 27th

February at Ivybridge in south

Devon.

A loaded engineering train, gross

weight 1,119 tonnes, collided with a

rake of stationary but loaded Falcon

wagons. The accident occurred

within a track relaying site.

The train driver had been given

permission to enter the worksite

by the Engineering Supervisor. The

loaded train travelled three quarters

of a mile down a falling gradient

before reaching the eight Falcon

wagons which were also loaded.

The train reached a maximum speed

of 35 mph but was braked down to

just 13 mph before running into the

eight stationary wagons.

There were no injuries but the

locomotive derailed all wheels as

did two of the wagons. The Rail

Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB)

is investigating.

Ivybridge has a history of

incidents. Way back in 1868 on

October 7th a goods train was

derailed there. The primary causes

were established as “driver error

and inadequate worksite protection”.

Two short rails had been removed

and were to be replaced. In 1868

the train simply ran off the end of the

tracks!

RRV fell onto its side in the cess

The same Network Rail website

also features bulletin 16/04 issued

on March 8th.

This reported an accident

that occurred at Riding Mill in

Northumberland on the Newcastle

to Carlisle route in the early hours of

February 2nd. Piling contractors were

at work stabilising a bank slip that

had blocked the line.

As may be seen in the picture

a Colmar RRV (Road/Rail Vehicle)

T10000 derailed and fell onto its

side in the Up Cess.

REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER

THE KEY TO A SAFER RAILWAY?

ROUTE DEVOLUTIONAND UPSIDE DOWN MANAGEMENT

32 TRACK SAFETY RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016


The machine had been fitted

out with a piling rig attachment

and was moving slowly forward

when a wheel flange climbed the

cess rail and this resulted in the

derailment and overturning of the

machine. Again the report advises

that there were no injuries.

Signal winch failureAnother bulletin only gives the

location as “East West Project” and

also omits the date of the incident.

However the description of what

happened is comprehensive.

A Dorman integrated

light weight signal weighing

approximately 125 kg was being

lowered when the winch failed

and the signal fell.

No-one was injured but the

picture on the bulletin shows a

cable drum with a twisted and

distorted cable on it. The post-

accident instruction requires the

re-testing of all similar equipment

against the “Lifting Operations and

Lifting Equipment Regulations”

(LOLER) and gives further

instructions to those using the

equipment on the need for them

to control cable drum winding and

rope lay tension.

Passing a signal at danger at 1-30 am

The RAIB are also investigating

a District Line London

Underground derailment that

occurred at around 0130 am on

the morning of March 2nd near

Ealing Broadway Station.

T: 0208 527 [email protected] Unit 3 Waltham Park Way,

Walthamstow, London E17 5DU

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London Underground

District Line derailment

near Ealing Broadway.

AND UPSIDE DOWN MANAGEMENT

Colmar T10000 RRV derailment and overturn

Issued to: All Network Rail line managers and RISQS registered contractors

Ref: NRB 16/04

Date of issue: 08/03/2016

Location: Riding Mill, Northumberland

Contact: Gary Costello, Senior Commercial Manager

Overview

During the early hours of 2 February 2016, a team of piling contractors were carrying out emergency bank slip works on the NEC2 line. During the works a RRV Colmar T10000 derailed and fell over onto its side landing in the up cess.

The machine with piling rig attachment fitted was slowly moving forward when the wheel flange appears to have ridden up the cess rail leading to the machine itself derailing.

The machine operator although shaken fortunately escaped injury.

This event is currently subject to a level 2 investigation which will formulate and share recommendations.

Discussion Points

Whilst we are investigating the causes of this incident please discuss the following with your teams:

Prior to planned works with RRVs, how do we consider the track geometry, in particular in relation to twist and cant levels?

How are checks made to confirm that the track geometry is compatible and within the machine's working limits as set out in its Engineering Acceptance Certificate?

When RRVs involved in piling works are required to transit with the rig attached, how is everyone's understanding of the correct measures to maximise stability assured?

In particular: o Aligning the rig so it is parallel

with the track and centred in the four foot;

o Fully lowering the piling rig and hammer for a lower centre of gravity?

Copies of Safety Bulletins are available on Safety Central

Part of our group of Safety Bulletins

Riding Mill, Northumberland.

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 TRACK SAFETY 33


Every year the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers presents the Wing Award for

Safety to an individual who has made an outstanding personal contribution to

improving trackside safety, and we are now seeking nominations for the 2016 Award.

The Wing Award remains as relevant as ever, and improving track safety rightly continues

to be a dominant theme both on the railways in the UK and in other countries as well.

The Award is managed by the IRSE on behalf of the rail industry, and is open to

everybody regardless of their specialism.

To � nd out more about the award and how you can make a nomination please visit

www.irse.org/about/public/wingaward.aspx

Wing Award 2016

SafetySummit

Tel: +44 (0)1530 816 456www.railsummits.com

@railsummits

SSSSaaaaffffafaaaafafaafaaaaafaa eeeefeffffefeffefffffeff tttteteeeeteteeteeeeetee yyyySSSSuuuummmmmmmmiiiitttt

®

Tel: +44 (0)1530 816 444www.railmedia.com

@rail_mediarail_media22

A train from Upminster had

been held at signal WP17 which

was set to danger for an hour due

to a track circuit failure. Staff had

secured points 38 on the route

from signal WP17 to platform 7 but

had not identified points 39A as

also needing to be secured.

Consequently it was at these

points that the train derailed albeit

at a speed of less than 5mph. The

driver had been authorised to

pass signal WP 17 at danger.

Level Crossing FatalityOn February 23rd a fatal

accident occurred at Grimston

Lane level crossing between

Ipswich and Felixstowe. The

pedestrian was struck and fatally

injured whilst using the footpath

crossing over the single line

railway which connects the two

parts of Grimston Lane.

The Lane is a tarmaced but

unclassified road on the western

edge of Trimley St Martin that

continues through farmland to

Trimley Lower Street. RAIB are

investigating the accident and

focussing on the sequence of

events as well as the design and

management of the crossing.

Devolution and accountability

The implications of the Shaw

report recommendations for our

railways and their safety could be

good.

I hope the degree of route

devolution is sufficient and the

regulation and funding of our

railway development is kept at

arms-length from the politicians.

The accidents and incidents I have

described this month all have one

thing in common; the ability we all

have to make mistakes.

I strongly believe that devolution

of responsibility and accountability

to local levels together with closer

working between rail service users

and those owning and operating

the railways will bring benefits.

Human ErrorsCloser integration of and

understanding between train

operators, rail infrastructure

owners and regulators will be

enhanced if and when long term

sustainable levels of railway

investment are agreed to provide

us all with the railways we need.

Unsurprisingly, these same

initiatives will also be good for

safety. This is reflected in the

agenda and speakers list for this

year’s Safety Summit at the Royal

College of Physicians in London

on Thursday May 5th (have you

got your tickets yet?). Two things

I believe affect our error making

rate: motivation and concentration.

Both can always be improved by

on the ground management of

those doing the work.

I am still convinced that far too

few unannounced site and place

of work visits are being carried out

by senior management.

“Upside down management” for routes?

The “upside down”

management style used by the

Chief Executive of Timpsons’ shoe

repairers and key cutters has been

publicised recently. John Timpson

has a reputation for “straight

talking, common sense front line

management” and it works!

He personally visits around

650 of his retail outlets each year.

I presume he doesn’t use an

inspection proforma since he is

quoted as saying that his visits are

not for auditing or checking up but

to meet the staff, get to know them

better and hear what business is

like.

He also lets each outlet make its

own decisions and he encourages

the growth of a mutual trusting

work ethos. If Network Rail now

moves to do likewise safety and

productivity with reducing costs

must surely result?

© Sam Lane Photography

34 TRACK SAFETY RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016


Dave Brailsford revolutionised British Cycling. Under his

leadership, Team GB led the sport’s medal table at the

2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, winning eight gold

medals at both. In part he did that by championing

the philosophy of ‘marginal gains’ which involved

breaking down the act of competitively riding a bike

into its many component parts, then strived to improve

each by 1 per cent. Its success is self-evident, pushing

overall performance up to a level that had previously

been unattainable.

We can - and do - apply a similar principle to the safety of our on-

track workforce. Realistically, no single intervention will prevent deaths,

injuries and unsafe acts. If such a panacea existed, the industry

would surely have taken it. But what can be achieved is to deliver

incremental benefits by refining competence, risk management and

front-line safeguards.

In the early days of the railway, many platelayers lost their lives

to locomotives they hadn’t seen. Nowadays, every prime mover is

fitted with a headlight. As steam gave way to diesel, train visibility was

further enhanced by the now-familiar panel of yellow paint on the front

end. This latter ‘marginal gain’ was simple, practical and effective; yet

a trackworker’s ability to rely on it has now been lost at the behest of

Standards custodians.

New Railway Group Standard GM/RT2131 (Audibility & Visibility of

Trains) came into force on 5th March. It establishes a framework for

the introduction of new or modified rail vehicles onto the mainline

network. Those complying with the headlamp requirements in the

Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI) for Locomotives and

Passenger Rolling Stock (LOC & PAS) are no longer obliged to have a

yellow front end.

The Standard asserts that “The presence of a headlamp meeting

the requirements of the LOC & PAS TSI will give sufficient visual

warning that a train is approaching.” ‘Will’ is a big, unequivocal word

in this context. There can be no doubt that headlights have got

considerably brighter over recent years, to the point where they might

be regarded as dazzling on occasions. But whether the Standards

committee has tested its assertion in direct sunlight or where the train

comes into sight on a curve - resulting in the headlight being viewed

off axis - is not clear.

OP

INIO

N

NOW Y

OU SE

E IT,

NOW Y

OU DO

N'T

Responsibility for ensuring that

a train is visible to those who need

to see it is now being devolved,

typically onto the operating

company. In choosing a front-

end colour other than yellow, a

collection of risks will have to be

assessed. These include:

• All operating conditions likely to

be experienced by the train

• Any impact on the safety of

trackworkers, passengers,

members of the public and level

crossing users

• The effect of front-end colour

on the perceived position of a

stationary train when a driver is

undertaking a permissive move

into a platform occupied by

another unit

• Reliability and maintenance of

the headlamps

• All relevant duties under health

and safety legislation.

In other words, what was

straightforward has just become

over-complicated. Effectively, the

Standard now says that there is no

standard.

Whatever happens in the

years to come, it’s worth asking

a couple of pertinent questions.

Are trackworkers more or less

safe as a result of this change?

Notwithstanding the headlight,

if it was historically beneficial to

improve every train’s visibility by

adding a panel of yellow paint, why

is that no longer the case?

What the Standards committee

has done here is to remove

a requirement which might

prevent a near miss - or worse -

in an unfortunate conspiracy of

circumstances. And to what end?

Is there an overarching

performance need for a train’s

front end to be a colour other

than yellow? Will it free-up money

for investment elsewhere? One

suspects not. This is about

corporate livery: a purely cosmetic

issue in both the literal and

metaphorical senses.

For a highly-scrutinised industry

that professes a commitment to

safety, this conscious downgrading

provides ammunition to the

sceptics who believe actions

speak louder than words.

Change is an inherently good

thing; without it there is no

progress. Just ask Dave Brailsford.

But there needs to be positive

motivation driving it.

Whilst yellow front ends might

only be a ‘marginal loss’, how

confident can we be that it won’t

prove a critical one for some ill-

fated trackworker?

REPORT BY GRAEME BICKERDIKE

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 HEALTH+SAFETY 35


What more is there to

write about Thameslink?

The project will forever

change rail travel through

central London for the

better, transforming one

of the capital’s busiest

interchanges and helping

to develop the next

generation of signalling

technology.

At the project’s heart, London Bridge is

undergoing a significant transformation. It may

have the same name, but it will be a very different

station in 2018. All of the platforms are being

demolished and rebuilt and the track realigned

to create nine through and six terminating

platforms. It will have a new roof and a new,

larger concourse.

MAPPING IT OUTSAFE DELIVERY OF LONDON BRIDGE STATION REDEVELOPMENT

36 HEALTH+SAFETY RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016


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More than 1,400 individuals

from numerous different

companies are involved in the

redevelopment of the London

Bridge Rail Station at any given

time, coordinated by the project’s

principal contractor, Costain.

So how do you oversee and

organise such a large number of

different technicians and trades

safely?

LIKE A GIANT CHESS BOARD

One way in which the project

is addressing this challenge, can

be seen just by walking around

the site. The concourse level is

divided up into segments, which

are physically marked out with

paint on the ground like a giant

chess board. The system has

been called the ‘Safety Grid’ and

it’s improving the way work is

planned and delivered on the

project.

‘We’ve got different trades

working on the concourse so

we’ve got interfacing challenges,’

says Des Roy, head of health

and safety at London Bridge.

The Safety Grid system has only

been in place for the past four

months but is already helping to

support the project’s good safety

record. London Bridge hasn’t had

a reportable accident in over a

year - the equivalent of five million

man hours.

The Safety Grid makes it

clear who is working in each

sector and allows the delivery

team to spot any clashes early

on and approach planning and

programming in a smart and

coordinated way. Having the grids

physically marked on the ground

also means no one is able to

stray into a grid without knowing

about it. It ensures that teams think

carefully about how their actions

impact on those delivering other

aspects of the project.

‘Everyone going to work on the

project has to have a Start of Shift

briefing,’ says Des. ‘This briefing is

to get people to understand how

their works will be affected or may

affect other works; the Safety Grid

helps with this.

‘The system complements the

‘healthy engagement culture’

shown across the project as a

whole,’ explained Des.

‘One indicator of workforce

engagement is demonstrated

through discretionary reporting

- the project regularly books in

excess of 1,000 safety-related

observations a month, which

include Close Call hazard

identifications, suggestions for

improvement and good practice

observations.

‘We also carry out quarterly

culture surveys that have given us

‘real’ feedback. The surveys show

a continuous improvement in the

workforce’s views on what it is like

to work on London Bridge.’

INNOVATIONThe Safety Grid is one of a

number of innovative safety

initiatives that have come from the

London Bridge project.

In January, project manager

Trevor Sharp won a Thameslink

Good Practice Award for coming

up with the idea of equipping

site supervisors with 3M noise

monitors to help them identify

areas where noise levels may

present a hazard to the workforce.

The noise monitors help identify

the ‘noisy areas’ and allow for

the setting up of areas where

hearing protection must be worn.

The monitor flashes red when the

background noise level is above

85 dBA, allowing them to set up

more accurate protection zones

than previously possible.

Innovation at London Bridge

hasn’t always come in the form

of gadgets and equipment. The

project came up with a novel

way of stressing to its team

the importance of carrying out

detailed risk assessments and

following processes.

The project team held a mock

legal trial, complete with real

barristers, at One Great George

Street, the Institute of Civil

Engineers' headquarters.

The scenario imagined that

there had been a fatality on site

resulting from uncontrolled plant

movements; members of the

delivery team, including the supply

chain and the client, Network

Rail, got to be the jury, hearing

evidence from both the defence

and prosecution to give them an

idea of the kind of questioning

and detail that is scrutinised in the

court room.

Further ways of communicating

the key messages and engaging

with the workforce have included

the use of Dramanon, a corporate

drama company, to perform mock

scenarios to demonstrate the

often far-reaching consequences

of accidents and incidents.

FLAGSHIP PROJECT‘As the flagship project for

Costain and the Thameslink

Programme, we take very

seriously our responsibility to the

people working hard to safely

deliver the project,’ says Des.

‘Whilst it is essential to always

have the basics in place, we

are always pushing to move

health, safety and environmental

performance on to the next

level.

‘Innovative ideas that may

at times be technical but are

increasingly targeted at a

behavioural approach are

necessary to help us ensure we

reduce the potential for harm to

people working with us.

‘The engagement of the

workforce is absolutely critical

in this as we move away from

a directing culture towards an

involving one where everyone is

involved in making it safer.’

38 HEALTH+SAFETY RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016


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in association with

Station to Station is a network-wide initiative encouraging

the rail industry to get involved in the national celebrations

of Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday.

On Sunday, 12 June 2016, railway stations across the

UK will welcome passengers, rail staff and the public in an

upbeat celebration of the monarch’s milestone birthday.

The rail industry aims to support the local communities

it serves following the inspired example of the Queen.

Station parties will offer jamborees, live entertainment,

displays and performances by local artists. The event

provides the perfect opportunity for the industry to celebrate its close

connection with successive generations of the monarchy - Queen Victoria

first embraced rail travel. The Royal Train and royal interest in railways has

continued to this day.

These events have a dual purpose: first as a salute to the Queen

but secondly, and just as importantly, an opportunity to raise money for

various charities and groups close to the hearts of the communities where

celebrations are being held.

The industry is already hard at work joining together to prepare for the

day. British Transport Police, DfT, Women in Rail, NSARE, YRP, ACoRP, RSG,

Rail Forum East Midlands and RailStaff are all involved.

In addition, Station to Station has formed links with organisations outside

the industry to help stage the actual events and bring communities

together. These include the Scout Association, Community Transport

Association, The Teenage Market and National Federation for Women’s

Institute.

The events will support a number of charities including; Railway

Children, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Railway Mission together with local

charities.

Best of all, Station to Station provides a big opportunity to attract more

people, particularly young people, to the rail industry by demonstrating

jobs and opportunities on offer as well as getting across the enduring

magic of railways - a royal way to travel.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?If you are a supplier to the industry and you would like to support this

weekend of national celebration, please contact:

Vicky Binley at Nimble Media Ltd

Tel: 0845 1 700 300

Email: [email protected]

ARRIVA TRAINS WALES‘Arriva Trains Wales are supporting the

Stations to Stations celebration because

stations form the heart of communities, helping

them to connect to people and places that are

important to them.

‘We also recognise the important contribution

that rail makes to communities as key

employers providing jobs and careers with a

strong focus on developing talent and inspiring

innovation.

‘Station to Station provides an opportunity

to showcase this, as we celebrate the Queen’s

90th birthday, to our current and future

customers and neighbours.’

CROSSCOUNTRY‘CrossCountry is delighted to be involved in

the Station to Station celebration this year as it

provides us with a way of showcasing many of

the great destinations we serve across our vast

network.

‘We hope the initiative will inspire our

customers to explore more of the rail network

and to support their local stations.’

GOVIA THAMESLINK RAILWAY‘GTR are committed to working with all our

communities across our network and our aim

is to put our stations and services at the heart

of the areas they serve. We do this through

supporting local charities, community groups,

supporting teams who adopt our stations, whilst

also delivering educational sessions on safe

and independent travel to young people.

‘The Station to Station Queen's Celebration

provides an ideal opportunity to work together

with many of our community partners to

produce tailored events, which can be enjoyed

by frequent users of the station or visitors

QUEEN'S BIRTHDAYRAIL INDUSTRY TO CELEBRATE


40 FEATURE RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

from other areas. By collaborating with Sussex

Community Rail Partnership and local Station

Partnerships we know the events run will

provide enjoyment for all the family.

‘We hope that many will come down and get

involved to celebrate this unique occasion.’

ARRIVA RAIL NORTH‘Arriva Rail North is delighted to support

Station to Station. Arriva, a DB-owned company,

took over the Northern Rail franchise on April

1st 2016 and we are committed to expanding

community adoption of stations and promoting

special events such as that which bring the

railway and the community closer together.’

VIRGIN TRAINS‘At Virgin Trains, we are known for going

above and beyond in terms of the service we

provide onboard and we put the same game-

changing customer care into everything else

we do too.

‘We are much more than just a train company,

we are a big part of the communities we

service. We are connected to and care about

those communities and we strive to contribute

positively and responsibly to them.

‘We don’t do this because we have to, we do

it because we want to. Putting our customers

and our communities first is in our DNA. We

are really proud to be working alongside our

partners across the rail industry to be part of the

Station to Station Queen’s Celebration’.

EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS‘The team at East Midlands Trains are really

looking forward to helping to celebrate such an

historical event for the country.

‘The Queen has visited a number of our

stations over the past few years, and it has

always generated a real sense of excitement

and local pride and we know that this year’s

celebrations will mark a key date in history for

our teams.

‘Along our network, we have a number of

stations eager to help mark the celebration

and even compete against each other to see

who can come up with the best ideas for the

Queen’s special birthday. With our team of

community rail partners and station adopters,

we are certain East Midlands Trains will put on

a great show to celebrate the Queen’s 90th

birthday.’


RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 FEATURE 41

‘Steady as she goes,’ is the underlying message of the Shaw Report into the future of Network Rail. No change of ownership is envisaged. The author herself is also going - Nicola Shaw respected head of HS1 will be alighting at the next stop for a new job as chief executive of National Grid Plc.

The Shaw Report rules out the break up

and privatisation of Network Rail. The railway

is a national asset and should be retained

and expanded as such. Shaw recommends

devolving further power to route managers

to increase accountability and efficiency - a

continuation of the devolution principle

instituted by Sir David Higgins, former chief

executive of Network Rail.

This will catalyse a greater focus on the

needs of passengers and freight forwarders,

which, the report argues, should sit right at the

heart of the rail industry.

Pulse beat Shaw urges greater clarity about the role

of government as paymaster and customer

of Network Rail. Moreover, the DfT needs to

develop a 30-year vision for the railway as

it more clearly defines its relationship with

Network Rail. The railway needs long-term goal

setting based on outcomes rather than specific

projects. Aspirational goals should be aligned

with those of the new National Infrastructure

Commission.

A new route, or focus of management, in the

North should be created. Greater capacity for

freight should be encouraged. If customers are

at the heart of the industry then people are its

pulse beat. Railway staff, old and new, are one

of the industry’s greatest assets, says Shaw.

The railway needs to do more to support and

expand its workforce.

Local private sector investment in railways

is to be welcomed. Ideas range from letting

a concession, or involving suppliers in

technological investment. Routes should

also be empowered to find local sources of

funding and finance. These include property

developers and local businesses who

stand to benefit from new or additional rail

capacity.

Silver bullets

Reaction has been a general sigh of

relief. Shaw has not gone native as her new

appointment proves, but has talked to many rail

staff and backed the rail industry in its current

endeavours. Shaw has managed with studious

and informed insight to capture the verve and

imagination which informs work at all levels in

the industry.

It’s not a breathless document but a quiet

implication that the railway is best run by railway

people and not politicians. Shaw says there are

no magic silver bullets to resolve the riddle of

funding and revenue; a combination of ideas

will work best.

Rail chiefs broadly support the conclusions

Shaw draws. Mark Carne said, ‘I’m pleased

that she has concluded that the reforms we

are introducing in Network Rail are the right

ones. We are committed to putting passengers

and customers at the heart of what we do, and

our devolved business model will put decisions

in the routes, closer to the passengers and train

companies.

‘I also endorse her desire to see more

private finance coming into the railways. We

have been successful with this in the past, and I

consider that more private money and funding

from the people who will benefit from railway

improvements is a sensible way to deliver

a bigger and better railway for the nation.’

Carne went on to promise, ‘We’ll work with the

Department for Transport as they now consider

these recommendations.’

Reaction and reliefThe rail freight sector is pleased, too. Maggie

Simpson, Rail Freight Group executive director,

said, ‘We are pleased that Nicola Shaw has

listened to the voice of the freight industry and

made balanced recommendations which will

support growth in our sector. We look forward

to working with Network Rail and Government

to develop the details of these proposals over

the coming months.’

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail

Delivery Group, added his support, ‘The review

acknowledges the importance of continuing

to create a bigger, better railway for Britain.

Our biggest challenge is to plan and build for

the ever-growing demand for rail, increasing

capacity and modernising to provide more

and better services which meet the needs

of passengers, freight customers and the

economy.’

Return of the red pen However, Shaw warns that financing Network

Rail needs rethinking. The arrangements for

Network Rail’s financial control, incentives,

accountability and governance are no longer

fit for purpose, the report says. The public-

sector infrastructure organisation operates in a

resource constrained environment, and current

arrangements do not provide sufficient focus

on financial discipline.

The report marks a high point for Nicola

Shaw who has led High Speed 1 Ltd since

2011. Before that she was an executive director

of FirstGroup in charge of the European bus

division. She’s also on the board of Aer Lingus.

Says Rob Holden CBE, chairman of HS1,

‘During her time at HS1, Nicola has proved to be

a dedicated and inspiring leader, developing

HS1’s position to become a central part of the

UK’s transport infrastructure, respected for both

trusted delivery and continual innovation… The

board and I thank her for her work and extend

to her our very best wishes for the future,’ - a

view seconded by many in the industry.

Not so ShawYOUNG PEOPLE GET INTO RAILWAYS Four young people have been offered

permanent positions with Southern

Railway after taking part in ‘Get into

Railways’ - run in partnership with The

Prince’s Trust.

The four-week programme was split

between classroom-based learning and

practical work at a station. East Croydon

station manager Hannah Barnard-

Rance said, ‘Everyone who attended

the programme approached it with

enthusiasm and worked really hard to

make a good impression. I’m sure that

all who took part will take away some

valuable workplace experience, and we

look forward to helping them all further

over the next six months.’

NARROW FUNDING GAP FOR BROADWAY As we go to press, the Gloucestershire

Warwickshire Steam Railway is launching

a £1,250,000 share issue to fund the

extension to Broadway. The aim is

to restore train services between

Cheltenham and Broadway in time for

the 2018 season - nearly six decades

since the last train made that journey.

GWR has just one mile of line to

complete, from Little Buckland to

Broadway where a new station is rising

on the site of the original, which closed

in March 1960.

NEWS IN BRIEF

© Sam Lane Photography



How can you help?If you are a supplier to the industry and you would like to support this weekend of national celebration, please contact:

Vicky Binley at Nimble Media Ltd E: [email protected]

T: 0845 1 700 300

LET’

S CELEBRATE TOGETH

ER

The rail industry and community organisations will join together to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 90th Birthday, with the Station to Station Queens Celebration.

Coming to a station near you!

We are actively calling all rail industry suppliers to join in and help promote the broad spectrum of career

opportunities the industry has to offer

To find out how you can join in this wonderful event please visit our websitewww.queenscelebration.com

11/12 JUNE 2016

EVENTSGUIDE TO UP COMING EVENTS IN THE RAIL INDUSTRYTHE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AT A GLANCE

Rail Safety

Summit 2015.

APRIL

GROWING THE NETWORK – THE EXPANSION OF THE DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

18th April, London

imeche.org

SMART RAIL EUROPE

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

19th - 20th April, Amsterdam

smartraileurope.com

24TH ANNUAL: RAIL FREIGHT GROUP CONFERENCE 2016

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

20th April, London

waterfrontconferencecompany.com

SCOTRAIL ALLIANCE – THE FIRST YEAR

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

21st April, Glasgow

imeche.org

MENA TRANSPORT

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

Congress & Exhibition

25th - 27th April,

Dubai

uitp-mena.com

IDTECHEX SHOW

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

27th - 28th April,

Berlin

idtechex.com/events

SCANDINAVIAN RAIL DEVELOPMENT 2016

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

24th May, Stockholm, Sweden

scandinavianraildevelopment.com

WORLD METRO RAIL CONGRESS (TERRAPIN)

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

26th & 27th May, London

terrapinn.com/events

RAIL POWER

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

26th - 27th May, London


ASIA RAIL SUMMIT

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

26th - 27th May, Bangkok,

Thailand

ourpolaris.com/2016/ars

RAILTEL 2016

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free



LIGHT RAIL 2016

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free



RAILPOWER

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free



METRO RAIL

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

27th May , London


11TH WORLD CONGRESS ON RAILWAY RESEARCH

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

29th May - 2nd June, Milan, Italy

wcrr2016.org

MAY

RAIL SAFETY SUMMIT

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

5th May, London

railsummits.com

MAINTAINING THE PENDOLINO - 12 YEARS ON

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

10th May, Preston

imeche.org

RAIL SOLUTIONS ASIA

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

11th -13th May, Malaysia

tdhrail.co.uk/rsa

CORE 2016

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

16th - 18th May, Melbourne, AUS

core2016.org

GLASGOW SUBWAY DEPOT

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

19th May, Glasgow

imeche.org

RAIL FRANCHISE SUMMIT

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

19th May, Leeds

railsummits.com

RAIL EXEC HS2 NETWORK LUNCHEON

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

19th May, Leicester

railexec.com

EVENTS KEY CONFERENCE

EXHIBITION

TECHNICAL VISIT

PRESS CONFERENCE

NETWORK

AWARDS

DINNER

FREE TO ATTEND

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free


44 EVENTS RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

5th MAY 2016LONDON

Purchase your tickets now at www.railsummits.com

Rail SafetySummit 2016

SafetySummit

RAIL SAFETY SUMMIT 2016 – AGENDA

1. Keynote speaker: Graham Hopkins (Network Rail)

2. The new RSSB’s ‘Leading health and safety on Britain’s railway – A strategy for working together.’John Abbott (RSSB) and Roan Willmore (Network Rail)

3. Fatigue• Fatigue risks and management. Mark Young (RAIB)• New models/products to lower fatigue such as the wrist bands

from Crossrail & TfL & a new shift model. Jill Collis (TfL)• External view on managing fatigue. Army. Johnny Shute (ORR)

4. Health and wellbeing• Overview on H&W in the industry & the improvements that have

been made. Mick Kearney (ASLEF)• Design for H&W – High Gate Control Room. Steve Coe (TSSA)• Health and wellbeing – what does ‘good’ look like and what

benefi ts can result? David Nancarrow (Atkins)

5. Road Risk• An overview from the Road Risk Project Group on industry

statistics and what is being done to lower accidents.• Case study from Colas Rail on there approach to Road Risk

– from an employers perspective. Paul Taylor (Colas Rail)• Hear how monitoring overnight hotel usage can signifi cantly

lower road accidents. • A review from an external industry expert on how they manage

road risk. Shaun Hellman (Transport Research Laboratory)

6. Workforce safety• Overview on Workforce Safety in the rail industry,

what improvements have been made, the future. Chris Hext (ABC Electrifi cation) and Rupert Lown (Network Rail)

• How leaders are empowering their teams to take ownership of their own safety. Emma Head (HS2)

• New innovations programme to improve track worker safety. Pino De Rosa (Bridgeway Consulting Ltd)

On top of listening to the speakers, you can visit our sponsor exhibition stands and network over refreshments and lunch.

URBAN TRANSPORT 2016

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

21st - 23rd June, Crete, Greece

wessex.ac.uk/

conferences/2016

GLOBAL RAIL FREIGHT CONFERENCE

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

22nd -24th June, Rotterdam

grfc2016.com

AFRICA RAIL

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

28th - 29th June, Johannesburg


RSSI CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

28th - 30th June, Texas, USA

rssi.org/2016-portal

JULY

COMPRAIL 2016

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

19th - 21st July, Madrid, Spain

wessex.ac.uk/

conferences/2016

ANNUAL UK LIGHT RAIL CONFERENCE

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

27th - 28th July, Birmingham

riagb.org.uk/events-diary

Thursday 19th May 2016Addleshaw Goddard Offi ces, LEEDS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

The event will offer an insight into how the DfT’s new approach to franchising, which focuses on service quality, and capacity growth will improve rail services across England and Wales. Taking the recently awarded Northern Franchise, as an example, this conference aims to show how this investment has wider implications for the development of the Northern Powerhouse through new and innovative developments.

It will also highlight how through engaging with key community stakeholders sustainable business growth can be delivered.

FranchiseSummitNEW FRANCHISING

Delivering a Sustainable Railway for the Future www.railsummits.com

JUNE

EXPORAIL SOUTH EAST ASIA

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

8th-10th June, Thailand

exporail-southeastasia.com

NRM NATIONAL BLACK TIE DINNER

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free9th June, York

nrm.org.uk

STATION TO STATION

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

11th-12th June

nrm.org.uk

RAIL LIVE

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

22nd -23rd June, Long Marston

railalliance.co.uk

ASSET INFORMATION & DATA MANAGEMENT FOR SMART RAIL

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

14th - 15th June, London

infrastructureassetinformation.com

RAIL & METRO

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

14th - 16th June, Shanghai, China

10times.com/metro-china-expo

APTA RAIL CONFERENCE

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

19th - 22nd June, Phoenix, USA

apta.com

AUGUST

MICHIGAN RAIL CONFERENCE

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

17th - 18th August, Michigan, USA

rail.mtu.edu

AREMA CONFERENCE

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

28th - 31st August, Orlando, USA

arema.org

SEPTEMBER

APTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

11th - 14th September, LA, USA

apta.com

RAIL EXEC NETWORKING LUNCHEON

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free15th September, London

railexec.com

INNOTRANS

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

20th - 23rd September, Berlin

innotrans.de/en

OCTOBER

RVE 2016

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

6th October, Derby

onyxrail.co.uk

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free8th October, Coventry

railstaffawards.com

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT CONGRESS & EXHIBITION

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

19th Oct, Singapore

sitce.org

EXPORAIL 2016

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

26th - 28th October ,Russia

exporail.mx/en

NOVEMBER

18TH INTERNATIONAL WHEELSET CONGRESS

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

7th - 10th November, Chengdu,

China

iwc2016.com

RAIL REVENUE WORLD CONGRESS

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

16th - 17th November, Belgium


DECEMBER

RAIL EXEC GALA DINNER

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free

press conference

network

conference

exhibition

tech

awaards

dinner

free1st Dec, Derby

railexecgala.com


46 EVENTS RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

22-23JUNE 2016

LONG MARSTON

The largest outdoor rail show in the UK showcasing best practice and innovation in the sector. Come and see live demonstrations against the backdrop of a real rail environment.

2016

2016

infrastructure & civils | traction & rolling stock | electrifi cation | signalling | rail maintenancematerials & product development/testing | safety | digital | innovation

To book as an exhibitor or as a visitorplease go to:

www.raillive.com

Steve Featherstone Track Programme DirectorNetwork Rail ‘

The railway is always evolving and as an organisation measured by performance, we need to embrace innovation and best practice in the rail sector.

We are looking forward to Rail Live 2016, a well-established event that really does set out to address and meet industry challenges now and for the future.

Paul Lennon, community relations executive at Network Rail, who has been deaf since birth, has been urging young people not to lower their expectations.

Paul took part in a Deaf Role

Model Conference in Essex. ‘I

wanted to show them that they

can achieve the same things

others can – the only thing we

can’t do is hear and my point

to the children was if you work

hard and don’t give up, you can

achieve.’

Paul’s work includes

investigating queries and

complaints from members of

the public, councillors, MPs

and passengers, as well as

holding community engagement

events in the run-up to planned

improvement works. Paul uses a

variety of ways to communicate

including using an interpreter and

e-mail.

With a law degree under

his belt, Paul came to work at

Network Rail in February 2015

after working for a charity and a

stint as a chef. At the conference,

he stressed young deaf people

should not give up. Paul also

spoke of railway safety.

‘I wanted to share my

experience with these young

people to help them think about

what they might want to do in

the future,’ says Paul. ‘I have

always been told that I wouldn’t

be able to do this job or that job,

and I think people wanted me

to lower my expectations. But

I told everyone that nothing is

impossible, as long as you are

prepared to work hard enough.’

Paul hopes that his diverse

experience and success story

will leave a real impression on

the children, encouraging them

to always aim high and focus on

what they can do – not what they

can’t.

Nothing is impossible

The new Kirkstall Forge station on the Bradford - Leeds line is ready for action.

Says Joe Bennett, project

manager for Spencer Group at

Kirkstall Forge station, ‘We are

delighted and proud of our work

on the new station at Kirkstall

Forge, which is going to be

crucial in rejuvenating this part of

Leeds.’

‘The station will help connect

major new developments in

Kirkstall, including new housing,

office blocks and retail units

adjacent to the station.

‘During the project, we

were based on I & H Brown’s

site – the main contractor for

the adjacent development. We

interfaced with them particularly

well and developed a great

rapport.’

The station is a joint project

between Spencer Group, West

Yorkshire Combined Authority,

Network Rail, Northern Rail and

the Commercial Estates Group.

Spencer Group’s work

involved the construction

of two new platforms, each

measuring 100 metres in length.

Modifications to four existing OLE

masts were undertaken to suit

the new platform layouts, with six

new OLE masts and one gantry

installed.

The original station closed in

1905.

SSE Enterprise Rail has passed a comprehensive audit resulting in 168 new RISQS codes, bringing its total number of individually recognised qualifications to over 200.

RISQS is the single entry point

for suppliers to the rail industry.

Buyers of products and services

throughout the rail industry

use RISQS as their supplier

qualification service.

RISQS codes signify an

organisation’s capability in

specific areas of operation within

the rail industry.

Says Raj Sinha, managing

director of SSE Enterprise Rail,

‘We have built up a great track

record over the last 15 years

in a range of disciplines on

Britain’s railways. As a growing,

progressive company, with

ambitions of increasing our

market share within renewals,

enhancements and power on

Britain’s railways, the securing

of these new RISQS codes is

hugely important.’

He added, ‘We can really start

to capitalise on the potential that

has always existed among our

highly skilled personnel.’

Audit triumph for SSE Enterprise Rail

KIRKSTALL FORGEHEATS UP



Baltic Training Services has played

an important role in our apprenticeship

programme, identifying people who

are relevant to our culture and offering

training and support alongside ours

once they’ve been recruited.

Tony Dougan Technology’s operation manager at Aspire

baltictraining.com

[email protected]

FIND OUT MORE:

IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS -INVEST IN AN APPRENTICEAre you considering an IT, Software or Social Media apprentice?

BENEFITS:Support local young people

Fill specific job roles

Amazing ROI

Enhance your workforce

01325 731 065

APPRENTICESA MIXED BAG

For some

organisations, it

was a good time

to announce the

creation of more

opportunities: London

Underground said it

plans to bring in 350

new apprenticeships

to help deliver major

infrastructure schemes like the

Northern Line Extension. But the

week also presented a platform

to address some areas in need of

improvement.

Network Rail chief executive

Mark Carne acknowledged

that a stigma still exists around

apprenticeships. They should be

treated as a positive choice, he

believes, not an inferior option

to full-time education. He said,

‘Our graduated apprentices are

living proof that there should

be no stigma associated with

apprenticeships, and that with the

right attitude and work ethic, you

can reap the rewards alongside

those who have chosen a university

route.’

The issue of diversity was also

raised. A report by the Young

Women’s Trust found that for

every 25 male apprentices in

engineering, there is only one

woman. It suggested that women

are paid less and are less likely to

be offered a full-time job once their

apprenticeship is complete.

The report highlighted the

distance that many industries,

including rail, still have to go. The

discourse from industry leaders

indicates that things need to

change if the growth of the railway

is to continue. They acknowledge

that a diverse range of skills will be

needed in the future - a mixed bag

of candidates are now being urged

to look at a career in rail.

30,000 BY 2020Working with industry, the

Government has set a goal of

creating 30,000 apprenticeships

in the transport sector by 2020 to

make up for the shortfall of 60,000

engineers who will retire in the next

five years. The man leading this is

Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan,

who began his career as an

apprentice some 50 years ago. He

estimates that there are currently

around 7,000 apprentices in the rail

industry - a figure that highlights the

scale of the challenge.

‘At my grand old age, it really

feels as though I’m giving

something back,’ said Terry,

speaking to RailStaff shortly after

addressing Rail Exec Club guests at

the Institute of Directors in March.

He was joined by Loraine Martins

MBE, director of diversity and

inclusion at Network Rail, and Siv

Bhamra, systemwide director on

Crossrail for Bechtel.

Terry feels strongly about

cultivating home-grown skills. ‘It’s

always something I’ve felt very

strongly about and at one stage in

my life, I actually thought I’d almost

given up the crusade, about the

importance of giving everybody

an opportunity, particularly through

vocational skills, to learn their craft.’

Terry says he has seen many projects

throughout his career rely on immigration to

bridge the skills gap. ‘For me it was always

a solution you could use but nevertheless,

in legacy terms, left a huge gap of lost

opportunities for our own people.’

Having commentated from the sidelines

throughout his career, Terry said by taking

on this new role he now has no one left to

criticise other than himself. But things are

beginning to improve, he believes. Crossrail

set out to employ 400 apprentices throughout

the course of the project - it currently has

around 550.

Crossrail, like many other organisations,

brought its apprentices to the fore during

National Apprentice Week. ‘Having only been

on the project for three months, I feel like I’ve

learnt so much,’ said Laing O’Rourke’s Zoe

Conroy, who stars in a video produced by

Crossrail about its apprentices. ‘Every day I’m

out on site learning more and more because

the environment is constantly changing.’

Terry believes that HS2 will go even

further than Crossrail. ‘They’ll start earlier,

they’ll take the learning from what we did

and that will make a huge difference in terms

of their commitment.’ He is also confident

that, with investment in facilities like the new

high-speed rail academies in Doncaster and

Birmingham, the infrastructure is being put in

NATIONAL APPRENTICE WEEK WAS LARGELY

EMBRACED AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE

THE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION OF APPRENTICES

Terry Morgan.


50 TRAINING RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

‘Every day I’m out

on site learning

more and more

because the

environment

is constantly

changing’ said

Laing O’Rourke’s

Zoe Conroy

place. ‘And there will be more,’ said Terry. ‘I mean Network

Rail is building a new national college in Warwick, so

there’s a lot of things happening. It makes me feel as

though we’re putting in the capacity to support the

ambitions that we’ve set out for apprentices.’

DIVERSITYBut the strategy isn’t just about numbers. Diversity

underpins everything.

Loraine Martins said she doesn’t believe that rail has

a problem with diversity; it’s just ‘come to the party a bit

later than others’.

Opening the event last month, Loraine said diversity

makes business sense for organisations. ‘There’s lots

of evidence that indicates that where you have diverse

teams you perform better, you have greater engagement;

when you have greater engagement, you have greater

safety; where you have greater safety, you have higher

performance.’

Speaking to RailStaff, Loraine, who worked with the

Olympic Delivery Authority prior to joining Network

Rail, said she also felt that the debate sometimes

needs to be extended beyond gender and

ethnic background. ‘You’re also thinking about

the diversity of experience and expertise

backgrounds and you might want people who

are not from the rail industry to come and help

the industry modernise itself.’

On day one, National Apprenticeship Week

was trending on Twitter, with more than 13,500

tweets including the #NAW2016 hashtag. By that

measure it’s been a huge success, but we will

have to wait until 2020 to know for sure.

Terry Morgan and Loraine Martins spoke at

the first Rail Exec Club event of the year on 10

March. The next event will be held at The Grand

Hotel in Leicester on 19 May.


RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 TRAINING 51

ENGINEERING WINNING YOUNG HEARTS AND MINDS

Three of the biggest challenges with today’s railway

are attracting the right talent for tomorrow’s railway,

increasing the number of female engineers and reducing

the risk associated with level crossings.

I recently met up with Jennifer Gilleece, Chris Uren

and Peter Rock of Network Rail to hear of a scheme they

are involved with that tackles all three issues.

The expansion of the rail industry is well documented,

along with the shortage of available engineers and

talented people to build and operate the network. This

requirement is growing and there are already great apprentice and

graduate recruitment schemes in place, but there is a need to do more.

In particular, the percentage of female engineers is still low, so this is a

missed opportunity for the engineering community.

IMAGE PROBLEM The railway still has an image problem and the industry needs to get

the message over to the next generation of the rewarding, interesting

and exciting challenges that a career in the railway industry can

provide.

I was involved with graduate recruitment and mentoring in the

rail industry for many years. It was not unknown for the assessment

process to select great candidates, only for some to turn an offer down

as they had received ‘a better opportunity’ from another industry.

Financial reward was not always the issue, but the candidates simply

thought a role in the rail industry was not interesting or exciting enough.

We had made a good job of assessing the right candidates, but had

failed to sell the rail opportunity.

SELLING THE RAILWAYLike all successful projects and plans the key is to start early and

lay good foundations. It’s the same with attracting the next generation.

We need to start selling the railway to young people well before they

have completed their education. This is where Jennifer, Chris and

Peter come in with the Engineering Development Trust (EDT) and their

Engineering Education Scheme (EES). Their’s is one of the many teams

who go into schools to run EES sessions.

The EDT delivers over 30,000

STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics)

experiences each year, for young

people age 11-21 across the

UK. The range of work related

learning schemes provide

opportunities for young people to

enhance their technical, personal

and employability skills.

The schemes include: First

Edition - Hands-on STEM

activity days for Year 7-11 &

S1-S5 (11-16 year old) students

providing experiences for

under-represented groups (girls,

ethnic minorities etc), Go4SET -

Environmental themed 10 week

STEM projects for Year 8/9 & S2

(12-14 year old) pupils and EES -

Real life 6 month STEM projects

for Year 12 (16-17 year old) students.

FEMALE STUDENTSThe team has experience with

the Go4SET scheme and last

year (2014/2015) Chris mentored

a group of female students in the

EES scheme which focused on

solutions to the national problem

of low parapet walls on existing

rail over bridges, especially

in areas of electrification, and

compliance with the new

European standards. Chris said

the group had come up with

some really interesting solutions.

REPORT BY PAUL DARLINGTON


52 TRAINING RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

Managing the

risks from rail

user worked

crossings.

Research

level crossing

mis-use and

identify how

they could

reduce it.

This year (Nov 2015 – April 2016) the Network Rail team is

involved with another group of five pupils from the Swanshurst Girls

School and their project which is focused on managing the risks

from rail user worked crossings. The remit the Network Rail team

set the school group was ‘To research level crossing mis-use and

identify how they could reduce it.’

AFTER SCHOOL HOURS At least one of the team of Network Rail engineers visit the

group for 1 to 2 hours each week after school hours. They

challenge, support and guide the group, but it is down to the

young people to decide the action to take and what their solution

will look like. Some of the school group had no experience of

railways or crossings so the team is there to support all aspects of

railway engineering. Jennifer was an electronics graduate and is

now a telecoms engineer. Chris is a civil engineer and Peter a civil

engineer/project manager, so the girls receive advice from more

than one discipline and are able to look at the problem from a

systems perspective.

At the end of April there will be a presentation to a team of

experienced engineers along with projects from other schools.

The team with the best project will receive an award. ‘It’s not about

the prize though,’ said Jennifer ‘it’s all about stimulating the young

people’s STEM skills to tackle one of the rail industry's biggest risks

and attracting them to engineering and hopefully the rail industry.’

UNIVERSITY PLACEMENT Part of the year’s EES programme is a university placement

to help the students with for example modelling, and this was

arranged to coincide with a visit to the Mock User Worked Crossing

at Cannock Chase. The ORR and Network Rail have installed this

crossing as a resource to raise awareness among employers,

employees, contractors and the self-employed of the safety risks

associated with crossing the railway on such crossings.

The crossing is not connected to the rail network. It consists of

a section of track with a 3.6m wide crossing surface. There are

two crossing phones and a battery operated air horn to mimic

a train horn and signage. There are also dummy 33kV lines and

a transformer. The visit allowed the young people to familiarise

themselves with all the issues with user worked crossings in

complete safety.

MORE THAN OILY CLOTHES The solution the young people have arrived at consists of a track

circuit operated sounder and light which would only operate if the

crossing was being used and a train approaches. This is to stop

any nearby residents being disturbed by every passing train. The

research undertaken by the group identified the risk of animals

running across the crossing and a solution to deter animals by

spraying water is being evaluated.

Chris concluded by saying, ‘We all got a lot out of the

programme ourselves and it’s great to be able to put something

back into the rail industry. We have been able to educate

the young people that engineering is not all about people in

oily clothes, and for example, we have taught them to write

professional engineering reports, with a synopsis, steps, and

conclusion rather than the prose type of writing they are used to.’

It will be interesting to see if any of the girls do find their way into

the rail industry in a few years’ time.

Paul Darlington has spent nearly 40 years in the rail industry at BR, Railtrack and Network Rail mostly specialising in telecoms engineer-ing for S&T. Paul was signalling asset manager for the north west and is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers and Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Paul writes regularly for Rail Engineer and RailStaff and runs an engineering consultancy.


RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 TRAINING 53

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54 CAREERS RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016


Principal / Senior / Junior Electrical Design EngineersKent, London or York£NegotiableJob Ref: 1603-73

WWe are looking for electrical design engineers to join a growing team, offering investment into your future. You will be providing electrical engineering expertise throughout project life-cycle (tendering / procurement / design / installation / commissioning).

Signalling LeadLondon£70,000 - £80,000 per annumJob Ref: 1603-51

An outstanding opportunity has arisen to work An outstanding opportunity has arisen to work with a market leader in the rail industry and its growing engineering base. You will be leading the signalling team responsible for design works for clients and contractors on the rail system and implementing the signalling element of the works involving design.

Technical OfficerKent£40,000 - £45,000 per annumJob Ref: 1603-29

As As Technical Officer you will be expected to coordinate all permanent way aspects of construction and associated works with the other disciplines. You will deliver construction work safely to the level of quality expected by the company and the client; to budget and in line with all relevant standards, processes and procedures.

Telecoms InstallersLondon£NegotiableJob Ref: 1602-58

An opportunity exists for an experienced An opportunity exists for an experienced Telecoms Installation Engineer to work for a telecoms railway contractor on various projects in London. If successful you will be responsible for the installation and commissioning of systems including, CCTV, PA, CIS, Help Points, Access / Management Systems and Networking Systems.

Commercial ManagerMaidenhead£450 per dayJob Ref: 1603-43

One of the laOne of the largest programme and project management companies in the world is currently looking to take on two commercial managers on a contract basis. The successful candidate will be working on one of the largest rail projects in Europe, so previous experience on large scale projects is essential.

Civils Manager East London£50,000 - £55,000 per annumJob Ref: 1603-49

YYou will be managing the Civil & Track (Structures and Permanent Way) teams, ensuring the safety of all infrastructure assets and staff whilst formulating and implementing asset maintenance strategies and policies to ensure the safe operation of the infrastructure.

For further information & to apply for these roles, please search for the relevant job ref provided on our website at advancerailwayjobs.com or alternatively call our rail team today on 01483 361 061

01483 361 061

[email protected]

advancerailwayjobs.com

@railwayjobs

PM OPPORTUNITIES ON THE CP5 FRAMEWORK

Derby£55-60k, Package & Car

Unmissable opportunity to Project Manage a portfolio of works involving several £multi-million footbridges and platform extensions. The client is a top-10 contractor that has been awarded over £25 million of work on CP5 providing a varied and secure workload up until 2020. This is your chance to developyour career within an employee focused, aspirational company with a foreseeable workload in the Midlands!

DON’T MISS OUT, APPLY [email protected]

SUB AGENT REQUIRED, GET YOUR CAREER ON TRACK

SwindonExcellent Salary, Car & Benefits

to make a positive impact on a fast paced £30 million rail project working for a highly regarded civil engineering contractor. The types of work you will undertake include bridge & tunnel reconstructions, station works and various OLE works.

To be considered all you need is Rail Civil experience and a passion for what you do!

[email protected]

SKILLED ENGINEERS REQUIRED FOR UK’S LARGEST TRAIN OPERATOR

South London£33- £40k + Final Salary Pension

An amazing opportunity has arisen for experienced Maintenance Engineers to join a rapidly expanding train operating company who have recently been awarded a multi-million pound project in London. The company pride themselves on their extensive training and development opportunities for both new and existing employees and have a fantastic depot culture!

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UPLOAD YOUR CV AND APPLY AT:

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For further information on the above roles or to enquire about other vacancies with ATA, please contact the Rail team on: 0333 011 2046 and choose option 1 for Rail Jobs or apply now at www.ata-recruitment.co.uk

Job's advert.pdf 2 04/04/2016 08:52

DON’T MISS OUT, APPLY NOW! DON’T MISS OUT, APPLY NOW!

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 CAREERS 55


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