railstaff july 2016
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RailStaff July 2016TRANSCRIPT
Staff
JULY 2016 | ISSUE 224
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FEATURESHEALTH & SAFETY
EVENTSTRAINING
GEAR + TECHCAREERS
INTERVIEW
+
RAILSPORT GAMES 2016
MATCH REPORT20
THE LIFE OF A CROSSRAIL APPRENTICE
34
For more information scan here to visit Network Rail’s Safety Central Website.
RAILSPORT GAMES 2016 | 20A roundup of the results from this year’s event,
and the history behind railway sport competitions
in the UK and overseas
RAIB ANNUAL REPORT | 26Colin Wheeler discusses the findings of the
RAIB’s 2015 annual report with
chief inspector Simon French.
LIFE OF A CROSSRAIL APPRENTICE | 34George Holder, who had been training to be
a doctor, explains why he chose
to pursue a career in rail.
SOMME OFFENSIVE MARKED BY RAILWAY | 44The rail industry commemorated the First World War with a series of events to
mark the Battle of the Somme in which one million soldiers were either killed or
wounded.
NIGHT TRAIN TO MOSCOW | 52David Shirres makes Europe’s longest train journey - the 3,483 km Paris to
Moscow service run by Russian Railways (RZD).
NATIONAL WOMEN IN ENGINEERING DAY | 58Marc Johnson visited PROCAT to see
how Thales is working to bring more
women into engineering.
34
20 26
58
52
CHALLENGETHREE PEAKS RAIL CHALLENGE | 38
This year’s Three Peaks Challenge raised
close to £165,000, bringing the total raised for
the Railway Children charity to £2.4 million.
44
JULY 2016 | ISSUE 224CONTENTS
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Editor: Andy Milne
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Staff
Post-EU Britain has a choice: Make a success of country, job and self, or descend into a madness of imagined failure and what Welsh socialist Aneurin Bevan called the Poverty of Aspiration.
The central challenge of every business,
sports team, apprentice and careerist is the
nagging doubt: Can I do this?
Right at the start of RailStaff a platform
dispatcher, a woman, was offered a position
as community relations manager on the
basis of several school visits she’d made.
She initially turned it down, saying working
class people like me don’t do this. I’m not
clever enough. The local PR manager, with
some delicacy, argued that her superiors at
HQ hardly dwarfed her with their vaunting
intellect.
This magazine exists to encourage people
like her to take up that challenge, promotion,
new job. The railway is effective because it
is led by so many people who worked their
way up.
Britain needs a consensus that we can
do this; we can make a success of the fifth
strongest global economy fuelled by the
imagination and ingenuity of its peoples from
around the world. Be assured the world’s
oldest functioning democracy is not about to
crumble because its political class succumbs
to a fit of the vapours.
For self-confidence consider the magic
of Rail Live 2016 and the 1,000s of staff and
suppliers who came together to exchange
views and take part in live on-track equipment
demonstrations - a ballet of positive thinking.
Lest we grow over-whimsical, contrast
this with the industrial relations at ScotRail
and Southern. Staff and public remain
deeply suspicious of driver only operation.
Change is a constant, but the strikes prove
the fundamental importance of taking your
workforce with you - lest it Votes Leave.
Consider too the great efforts made at
RailSport Games and the many fundraising
activities like the Three Peaks Challenges and
innumerable cycle rides, triathlons, dances
and dinners undertaken by motivated staff
from every conceivable background. Many
demonstrate the humour and grass-court
eloquence of Marcus Willis. Everyday folk
astound with extraordinary achievement.
The implosion of politics is a rare delight
we should savour. Let new leaders emerge
who believe in Britain and its unique heritage.
Ignore the hand wringing of the establishment,
the BBC and big business. Write a new script
where an industry and a country, freed of
witless bureaucracy, ride undreamt of thermals
to success. In this story, the secret aspirations
of everyday workers, apprentices and new
immigrants fuel a country and a culture that is
the envy of the world.
Secret aspiration
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RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 NEWS 5
A bright future beckons for Derby as Network Rail announced further plans to base another 88 staff in the historic railway city.
Two different teams within
Network Rail are looking to
expand their workforce. Half
the jobs will be with the team
leading the Midland Main Line
electrification. The rest will join the
new measurement train – dubbed
the Flying Banana.
The high-energy team will
support new technology for plain
line pattern recognition based
on the train. Highly sophisticated
monitoring equipment on the
new measurement train takes
high-definition photographs of
the track while traveling at over
100mph.
High-speed cameras take
photographs of the continuous
welded track at 70,000 frames
per second (or every 0.8mm
of track). These are streamed
Bananarama
Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan CBE has received a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016.
Sir Terry Morgan CBE was
appointed as Crossrail chairman
in 2009 and chair of the HS2
College Governing Body in 2015.
Last year, he was appointed
by the government to lead the
development of a transport
infrastructure skills strategy.
The knighthood caps an
extraordinary career for the
former apprentice. Terry Morgan
was educated at Croesyceiliog
School - motto Learning,
Respect, Ambition - in Cwmbran,
South Wales. He served his
apprenticeship with Lucas Girling
and later made time to read
for an MSc in engineering and
industrial management at the
University of Birmingham.
He went on to rise to the
head of Rover Group. He is
married with two children and his
interests include golf and rugby.
Says the Secretary of State
for Transport, Rt Hon Patrick
McLoughlin MP, ‘I am delighted
that Terry Morgan has been
honoured for all the extraordinary
work he has done in overseeing
the delivery of the Crossrail project
and developing the government’s
transport infrastructure skills
strategy. By placing engineering
skills development at the heart
of Crossrail, he has shown that
delivering huge infrastructure
projects on time and on budget
and investing in skills go hand in
hand.’
Over the last 50 years, Sir Terry
has been a powerful advocate of
apprenticeships. He pioneered
the Tunnelling and Underground
Construction Academy (TUCA)
in east London. Sir Terry is a
Fellow of the Royal Academy
of Engineering, the Institution
of Engineering and Technology
(IET) and the Institution of Civil
Engineers and is the past
President of the Chartered
Management Institute. He was
previously Chief Executive of
Tube Lines; Group Managing
Director, Operations, BAE
Systems and Managing Director
Land Rover.
‘As a former apprentice
himself, Sir Terry has inspired a
new generation of apprentices
and encouraged more women
and young people into this
vital sector, whatever their
background and aspirations.
He has been both a leader
to his peers across industry
and a relentless champion for
vocational skills. This honour is
a well deserved recognition for
many years of hard work,’ adds
Patrick McLoughlin.
Arise Sir Tel!
together and compared against
the established pattern and
anything that doesn’t match is
marked as a potential fault. Urgent
faults are flagged by an expert on
the train to the local track manager
for immediate attention. While a
small number of jobs are based
on the train itself, the majority are
office-based data analysts.
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6 NEWS RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
Engineering staff at Dover have had to brave rock-throwing thugs on the cliffs above.
Rail staff are working to repair the railway
along the beach at Dover which has been
closed since Christmas 2015. Network Rail is
creating a new, 235m long viaduct that will sit on
134 piles - steel and concrete columns - of which
more than 100 have been completed so far.
Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke has
condemned their actions, saying, ‘The rocks
missed site workers by inches and if they hit
anyone, they could have been killed or at the
very least have been seriously injured.’
He appealed for help in tracking down the
perpetrators and praised the efforts of the
team at Dover. ‘I’ve been massively impressed
by the hard work and dedication of the team,
who worked tirelessly to rebuild our railway
and we need to support them in any way we
can and do our bit to help keep them safe.’
Network Rail’s programme manager, Steve
Kilby, is pressing ahead with cliff top security.
‘The consequences of a serious injury or
fatality as a result of someone being hit by
one of these stones would be enormous. We
are taking action to put our own 24/7 security
and lighting at the top of the cliff,’ said Steve.
More than 500 cubic metres of concrete
was poured into place over one weekend,
in a 15-hour continuous operation involving
a fleet of 13 concrete vehicles from Kent
supplier Brett concrete, using their plants at
Dover and Ramsgate.
Says Steve Kilby, ‘This was a serious feat
of organisation, and we knew that once we
started to pour the concrete, we couldn’t stop
until the whole pour was completed. That way
we knew the deck would be one consistent
slab with no joins.
‘I’d like to pay tribute to our contractor
Costain and concrete supplier Brett Concrete
for their work this weekend. We’ve now got
to do it three more times before the viaduct
structure is complete!’
White cliffs terror threat
Over 40 tonnes of soot has been removed from the Severn Tunnel. Cleaning what amounts to a chimney is an important part of preparatory work ahead of a six-week project to upgrade the railway in the 130-year-old tunnel this autumn.
The tunnel will close to trains for six
weeks between 12 September and 21
October 2016.
The work forms part of Network
Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan and the
electrification of the line between South
Wales and London.
Says Dan Tipper, area director at
Network Rail Wales, ‘It was initially
anticipated that around four to five tonnes
of soot would be cleared, but the build-up
of soot was greater than anticipated, and
the team of engineers have removed over
40 tonnes.
‘Removing the build-up of soot is
an essential element of the extensive
programme of preparation work that is
taking place.’
Carbon footprints
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RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 NEWS 7
A pilot scheme launched by Network Rail and Wigan University Technical College (WUTC) looks like attracting more young people to seek careers on the railways.
Sixth-form students at WUTC will be able to
take part in a two-year work placement as part
of the engineering course. Ten students are
expected to start the pilot in September. If it works
out more will follow and the scheme could be
extended to other sixth forms.
Students on the course will undertake work
experience at Network Rail two days a week,
whilst studying at Wigan UTC for a level three
engineering qualification. Work includes track
and signalling maintenance, renewals and
conversions and safety-critical lineside vegetation
management.
The head of Suicide Prevention at British Transport Police (BTP), Mark Smith, has been given an MBE. Mark Smith, 53, who lives in Colchester, joined the force in 1981 before retiring as Chief Superintendent in 2013.
As a senior investigator he assumed
responsibility for the investigation into the
Ladbroke Grove train crash in 1999 where
31 people were killed. He also led the
investigation following the Potters Bar train
crash in 2002 where seven people died
and many people were left injured.
Later he became the national police
lead for corporate manslaughter and
worked with the government to develop
new corporate manslaughter legislation.
His leadership of many investigations has
been of immense benefit to BTP and the
rail industry. Following his retirement as a
police officer, he took up his current role
as head of Suicide Prevention and Mental
Health for BTP.
Mark developed ground-breaking work
around the management of fatalities and
suicide prevention initiatives.
Says Mark, ‘I am deeply honoured and
delighted to have received this award. I
have had the privilege to have led some of
the most high-profile investigations during
my career as a police officer and now have
the opportunity to influence how the force
deals with fatalities on the rail network. As a
team, we’re working to make real changes
to improving how we help those in crisis and
help prevent suicides on our railways.’
Sixth form pilot Top cop honoured
People from TransPennine Express are giving up their time to take part in the Make the Grade Programme - helping equip young people to become the engineers and drivers of the future. More than 40 rail staff, ranging from conductors to managers are running a range of activities that encourage secondary school children from across West Yorkshire to develop skills and learn more about the world of work.
Bridging the gap between young people
and businesses, the Make the Grade
scheme supports children with skill sharing
through mentorships, science, technology,
engineering and maths (STEM) workshops,
careers advice and talks about safety.
Says Sue Whaley, HR director for TPE, ‘We
are delighted to be involved with this project
which will run for the next two years. As the
intercity rail operator for the North, we have
a responsibility to the communities we serve
and a vision to Take the North Further.
‘It’s vital that future generations have the
skills and support needed to strengthen their
career prospects and we all have a part to
play in this.’
The rail industry is growing rapidly and
career prospects are bright for skilled
workers. The programme got off to a good
start with students from Leeds City Academy
checking out different roles and the skills
required at Huddersfield railway station.
Youth partners
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Britain’s Largest Specialist Transport Union
PlatformTrain InterfaceSupport RMT’s fight for safe staffing levels
Top independent rail ticket retailer Trainline has appointed Victoria Biggs as European director of communications to help drive the Trainline brand throughout Europe.
In March this year, Trainline
took over Paris-based Captain
Train, Continental Europe’s
largest rail ticket retailer.
Victoria joins Trainline after
six years at MSL Group London.
Previously she was at Burson-
Marsteller and before that Out
of the Blue Communications.
She spent seven years at Freud
Communications and three years
at eBay UK as director of PR.
Biggs read French at the
University of Reading.
Trainline and Captain Train
together create the world’s
leading independent European
rail ticket retailer. The combined
business will be a one-stop-shop
for people travelling by train in
and around Europe, offering
the broadest coverage of 22
countries across 37 operators
and access to the best available
fares all on one easy-to-use
online platform.
Victoria joins Trainline in
August.
Stuart Fletcher has joined Alstom as sales director.
Fletcher was previously in charge of the sales
and commercial team at Knorr-Bremse Rail
Services.
Prior to his role with Knorr-Bremse, Stuart
worked for Porterbrook from 2000 to 2014 and
for Alstom, at the Washwood Heath manufacturing
facility, from 1991 to 2000.
He has a degree from the University of
Manchester Institute of Science and Technology
(UMIST) in electrical and electronic engineering.
Interests
include keeping
fit, squash and
rugby, his family,
backgammon and
good food.
Stuart is a
chartered engineer
and a Fellow of
the IET. He also
holds the MCIPS
qualification having
led the procurement
team at Porterbrook
for five years.
Know-how boost for Alstom
Trainline ticket for European director of communications
Graeme Castle is the new managing director of ABC Electrification; he joins from Laing O’Rourke.
ABC Electrification was
formed in 2012 by Alstom,
Babcock and Costain to support
Network Rail’s ambitious OLE
programme. ABC has made
dramatic progress under the
current chief executive, Alan Kay.
Graeme Castle was the rail
sector and operations leader
at Laing O’Rourke, having
previously held senior roles at
Morgan Sindall, Balfour Beatty
Rail Projects and Scott Wilson
Railways.
ABC Electrification is now
one of the largest electrification
contractors in Europe. Under
the UK National Electrification
Programme, ABC has been
awarded three significant
electrification programme
elements, controlled from
three centres: Bristol for the
Great Western Rail Modification
(GWRM), Newport for GWRM
Wales, and Rugby for the Central
Power & Electrification Team
(CPET).
Castle move for ABC
Noel Travers has joined Unipart Rail as deputy managing director.
Formerly managing director and interim
chairman of Bombardier Transportation UK
Ltd, Travers will oversee the work of George
Tillier, managing director T&RS and Graham
Jackson, managing director infrastructure
and manufacturing. He will report direct to
overall chief, John Clayton. Both businesses
have ambitious strategies for growth.
Noel Travers joined Bombardier in
2008, initially as sales director UK, Ireland
and South Africa. He read mechanical
engineering at Loughborough University
and subsequently gained an MSc in rail
systems engineering at the University of
Sheffield.
Travers did a spell at British Rail as shift
production manager at InterCity West
Coast’s Wembley Depot.
In 1995, he went on to work for
Freightliner for five years as T&RS engineer
- this at the time when the company staged
one of BR’s most successful management
buy-outs. Then followed three years with
the Chicago-based rail leasing and financial
services giant GATX.
In 2002, Travers joined RBS Global
Banking and Markets, the Royal Bank of
Scotland’s wholesale banking arm where he
stayed until joining Bombardier.
Unipart Group’s acquisition of Railpart and
NRS from BR saw substantial investment
and the implementation of the Unipart Way
to ensure that both businesses deliver
high levels of customer service and top
performance.
Unipart Rail is now one of the most
successful rail supply organisations in
Europe, with an expanding international
portfolio.
The team at Unipart Rail puts its success
down to a strong set of principles which
underpins corporate responsibility, safety
and employee engagement.
Travers joins Unipart Rail
10 PEOPLE RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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Andy Derbyshire has been appointed to the new role of chief operating officer for London South East at Network Rail.
Andy, currently business unit
director metro and rail franchising
for Amey Plc, is a chartered
engineer and has extensive rail
industry experience, having held
senior roles at TfL, Bombardier,
Alstom and Virgin. He will join in
the next few weeks.
After 18 months with Network
Rail, Alasdair Coates, route
managing director, South East
Route, has decided to leave the
organisation. Taking his place will
be John Halsall, currently route
managing director for Wessex.
Stuart Kistruck, currently route
asset management director for
Wessex, will become interim route
managing director, Wessex.
Phil Hufton, managing
director, England and Wales,
acknowledged that performance
in the South East continues to
struggle. ‘More progress needs
to be made to support the return
of the train service to acceptable
levels of punctuality and reliability.
The creation of a new chief
operating officer role will bring an
even greater focus to the daily
delivery of a better train service.’
Derbyshire read engineering at
Leeds Beckett University. A keen
footballer, he also captained the
England Universities football team
and still coaches junior soccer in
his spare time. After graduating,
he trained as an engineer with
BAE Systems where he stayed
for 10 years. His career has also
seen him working for Rolls Royce
and in the rail industry as project
manager responsible for the
acceptance of the Class 390
Pendolino fleet at Virgin Trains.
At Alstom he worked on fleet
operations on the Northern and
Jubilee line and was fleet ops
director for Pendolino service
provision. A spell at Eurostar as
head of engineering preceded his
move to Bombardier in Derby.
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signalling renewals and
enhancements as primary
supplier in three out of eight
geographical regions in the UK
and secondary supplier in four
other geographical regions.
Recently, Nick secured
Alstom’s largest ever UK
signalling contract for the full
re-signalling of the Great Western
Main Line between Reading and
Paddington.
Tom Kerins takes up the role of managing director at TES as Tony Evans steps up to the position of CEO.
Tom brings more than 18 years’
of professional experience,
gained in a number of senior
leadership roles and most
recently as operations director at
C Spencer Ltd.
Tom Kerins was educated
at CBS The Green in Tralee,
Ireland, and the University of East
London where he graduated
with an honours degree in civil
engineering. He began his career
as a site engineer with Birse in
the civil engineering division.
Kerins has delivered major
infrastructure projects in railways,
transport, water and mining in
Britain, Ireland and Australia.
Notable projects include the
M1 Motorway construction in
Ireland, CTRL St Pancras station,
Sandgate Grade Separation and
Maitland to Minimah 3rd track
in New South Wales, Australia,
with John Holland. Tom also
progressed Gravesend Station
Remodelling and East Kent
Resignalling Phase 2.
Tom’s appointment will lead
TES towards becoming a more
project-led business with its
focus on delivering Pway,
OLE and civils projects, whilst
retaining existing services such
as possession management,
isolations and worksite
management.
Says Tom, ‘It’s a great privilege
to be joining a company with
such a great reputation in the rail
industry. We have an abundance
of talent in the business who
are specialists in the complex
aspects of the railway. This
will help us capitalise on
opportunities within the market
and establish us as a project
delivery business.’
New MD for TES
New focus for London and South East Route
Alstom has promoted Nick Crossfield to the position of managing director for UK & Ireland. He is currently managing director for train control.
Nick joined Alstom last year
and has extensive rail industry
experience. Crossfield is a
former managing director of
Siemens Rail Automation UK and
was also managing director of
Invensys Rail Ltd and director,
contracts and procurement at
Network Rail.
At Alstom, Nick has been
in charge of the growing UK
signalling business and has
successfully led the integration of
the newly acquired SSL Ltd into
Alstom’s UK & Ireland business.
Alstom has become
responsible for providing
Crossfield to lead Alstom UK
RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 PEOPLE 11
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A new rail freight terminal is planned for the West Midlands near Birmingham.
The 600-acre freight terminal
at Four Ashes, four miles west of
Cannock in Staffordshire, will be
situated near junction 12 of the M6
and on the West Coast Main Line.
Speaking as a public
consultation got underway,
Philippa Edmunds, Freight on
Rail manager, said, ‘Terminals are
the freight equivalent of stations
for passengers.Without more
terminals in the right locations near
population centres with good road
and rail links, rail freight cannot
expand its market and reduce
the adverse impacts of freight
distribution.
‘Interchanges like Four Ashes
could realise a step change in
the use of rail for transporting
consumer products as they allow
rail to compete with HGVs by
reducing costs. Each freight train
out of this hub could remove 60
HGVs from the congested road
network. We have long called for
the need for a strategic terminal
in this region. Now the public can
have their say on the proposals.’
If successful, the new freight
interchange could be as big as
DIRFT - Daventry. The project is
being led by Kilbride Holdings,
a partner in Four Ashes Limited,
which specialises in developing rail-
related infrastructure projects.
ScotRail is to run more Sunday steam services on the Borders Railway, beginning on Sunday, 7 August. Following the success of last year’s sell-out trips, on Sundays during August and September, vintage steam-hauled specials will run between Edinburgh Waverley and Tweedbank.
August’s trips will be hauled
by 46100 Royal Scot, and
September’s will see the return
of the popular 60009 Union of
South Africa. ScotRail is teaming
up with local companies to offer
passenger excursions from
Tweedbank.
Says Cathy Craig, commercial
director for the ScotRail Alliance,
‘These journeys give people a
chance to appreciate the new
Borders Railway from the wonderful
setting of a vintage steam train.
This is a fabulous opportunity to
showcase the line, and in such
a romantic style. Not many train
journeys can match the outstanding
scenery on this route.’
More steam for Borders
Freight hub
Karen Boswell, managing director, Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s June Birthday Honours List.
The OBE recognises a strong and game-
changing contribution to the rail industry. Karen
Boswell was managing director of East Coast
from 2009 to 2015 as part of the government-
owned operation brought in after the failure of
two previous franchisees. Boswell and her team
rebuilt staff and consumer confidence, making
the train company profitable and preparing it for
a return to the private sector.
Before East Coast, Boswell worked at
FirstGroup leading service improvement
strategies for Thameslink as part of First Capital
Connect. In 2015, Karen Boswell was elected
president of the Railway Study Association for
2015/16 - the first female president in its 106-
year history. She is a Council Member of the
Railway Industry Association and a Fellow of the
Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts,
Manufacturers and Commerce.
Karen Boswell was appointed managing
director of HRE in June 2015. HRE is currently
delivering the InterCity Express Programme
providing new fleets for East Coast and Great
Western, new commuter trains for Scotland
and innovative bi-mode trains for the West of
England and TransPennine Express.
Karen Boswell currently leads an HRE
team of over 800, which is expected to
increase to some 2,000 employees in three
years’ time, operating from service delivery
and manufacturing facilities across the UK.
In September 2015, HRE’s brand new £82
million Rail Vehicle Manufacturing Facility at
Newton Aycliffe, County Durham was opened
by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, thereby
bringing the manufacture of rolling stock back
to its UK birthplace in the North-East of England.
Says Karen Boswell OBE, ‘I am extremely
honoured and thrilled to be appointed an OBE.
It’s a great privilege to serve within an industry
which makes such a positive difference to the
lives of millions of people who travel for work
and pleasure on Britain’s railways every year.’
OBE for Boswell
MTR and FirstGroup are joining together to bid for the South Western rail franchise, currently run by Stagecoach.
The DfT has approved the move. FirstGroup/
MTR will be one of two shortlisted bidders for
the franchise, which is due to start in June 2017.
Says Steve Montgomery, First Rail managing
director, ‘We have extensive expertise of
running commuter, inter-urban, regional and
long distance services - such as those that make
up the South Western franchise - and a strong
track record in delivering passenger growth.’
Jeremy Long, chief executive - Europe,
MTR, agrees, ’South Western is a complex mix
of shorter and longer distance services. Our
joint venture will combine MTR’s experience
of running successful London Overground
and TfL Rail commuter services in the UK, and
Stockholm Metro commuter and MTR Express
intercity services in Sweden, with FirstGroup’s
strong track record.’
New bid for South Western
RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 NEWS 13
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Keltbray Aspire has named its innovative new wiring unit after one of its longest-serving engineers, Les Blake.
The vehicle has been named after rail
industry veteran Les Blake, who has worked on
virtually every major electrification project since
the early 1960s.
The overhead electrification wiring unit,
which was displayed at Rail Live 2016, is a
first in the UK. Developed by Sweden’s SRS
Sjölanders AB and German-based ZECK,
the road/rail vehicle can run out contact and
catenary wires at full tension, halving the
time it typically takes to install conductors for
rail electrification. The unit also offers more
flexibility than a conventional wiring train - it
doesn’t rely on the availability of train crews
and drivers.
Les came up with the initial design and led
the team which brought the concept to fruition.
Now 73 years old, Les began his career in the
freight department of British Rail before moving
over to rail electrification. He said the naming of
the unit was ‘a proud moment’.
Says Les, ’I’ve always been committed to the
rail industry and electrification… I’ve always set
high standards - even as a trainee lineman.’
Says director of Keltbray Aspire Martin
Brown, ‘Les has worked with rail overhead line
electrification for 54 years and is well known
in our industry. He has worked on nearly
every major electrification project in the UK
since 1962, and despite being in his 70s, he is
showing no signs of slowing down.
‘Besides being out there at the coal face,
working night shifts and supporting our
projects, Les is an expert on problem solving
and innovation. He is also a fantastic mentor for
our apprentices.
‘Beyond Keltbray, Les acts as a key industry
adviser on projects worldwide, and most
recently his knowledge and expertise have
been sought after to support projects in
Australia.’
Keltbray Aspire has invested almost
£6 million in the development of new rail
electrification plant over the past two years.
The Les Blake road railer has been approved
by Network Rail and has already installed
overhead catenary for AmeyInabensa on the
Great Western Main Line.
Inspiring wiringUK Power Networks Services has been awarded an elite safety accreditation by the SafeContractor assessment scheme.
Says Lucy Innes, a safety expert at UK Power
Networks, ‘As a business we are very proud to
have gained this accreditation, which ensures
clients can be confident of our high commitment
to safety. It also helps create a better working
environment for all our colleagues. We are
always striving to improve our practices.’
Over the course of a three-month period,
UKPNS said the assessors ‘took a magnifying
glass’ to the company’s practices. The
accreditation puts UKPNS in front of more than
200 companies which have signed a pledge
to only hire contractors with SafeContractor
accreditation.
John Kinge, Safecontractor’s technical
director, said, ‘Major organisations simply cannot
afford to run the risk of employing contractors
who are not able to prove that they have sound
health and safety policies in place.
‘More companies need to understand the
importance of adopting good risk management
in the way that UK Power Networks Services
has done. The firm’s high standard has set an
example which hopefully will be followed by
other companies within the sector.’
Safely does it
Region power for Northern Rail
As part of a plan to bring its business closer to the people it serves, Northern Rail has launched four new business regions based in Leeds, Manchester, Preston and Newcastle.
July marks the start of the new system and
four regional directors have been appointed.
Liam Sumpter, based in Manchester, will
lead Central. Paul Barnfield heads up East
- Northern’s largest new region, based in
Leeds. North-East region will be lead by Mike
Paterson from Newcastle. Sharon Keith is the
regional director, West, working from a new
Northern base in Preston.
Liam Sumpter, regional director Central,
joins from Network Rail, where he was
area director for the West Midlands &
Chilterns - closely involved with operations
and maintenance at Birmingham during the
construction of the revitalised New Street
Gateway.
Liam joined Railtrack in 2002. His Railtrack
career included roles in engineering,
innovation and finance. He was financial
controller for Sussex route. Liam was born in
Leeds and read history at York University.
Former conductor Paul Barnfield, regional
director East, joined Northern in 2010, rising
to director of operations. He joined from
National Express East Anglia in 2007 where
he started as London Terminals manager.
Paul’s career started in 1993 as a conductor
and station co-ordinator in Sheffield. After
becoming a chartered member of the
Institute of Transport he joined Midland
Mainline in 1998 as a train manager,
eventually leading to a top role in customer
service.
Mike Paterson, regional director North
East, joined Northern from PA Consulting.
Prior to this, he spent 26 years in the
Royal Navy - rising to the rank of captain.
As Captain of HMS Gloucester he saw
operational deployments to the Persian Gulf.
He has served in Afghanistan, the Congo,
Lebanon and the Falklands. Paterson has
an MA in defence studies (international
relations) from King’s College London and
is a Fellow of the Chartered Management
Institute (FCMI). One of Mike’s first naval
appointments was as the Navigating Officer
of HMS Newcastle, which included a number
of visits to its namesake city.
Sharon Keith, regional director, West joined
Northern from Tyne & Wear Metro, where
for the last 18 months she was managing
director. Her six-year career at Metro also
included roles as customer service director
and the dual role of customer services and
operations director. Before Metro, Sharon’s
career included time at GNER, Airtours and
npower.
Says Alex Hynes (pictured above),
managing director, ‘Regions are at the heart
of our new franchise. They will enable the
transformation of Northern, bringing our
people and service delivery closer to the
communities and customers we serve.’
14 NEWS RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 NEWS 15
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Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh made an historic rail journey between Coleraine and Bellarena in June to officially open two new station platforms, marking a major milestone in Translink’s Coleraine – Londonderry Railway Renewals Project.
The route takes in the
spectacular North Coast of Ulster
and is popular with tourists. The
railway runs alongside the River
Bann.
When the line was built two
tunnels named Castlerock
and Downhill had to be cut
and blasted using 3,600 lbs
of gunpowder. These are the
longest railway tunnels in Ireland
measuring 668 and 307 yards
respectively.
The journey continues along
Benone Strand and the Atlantic
Ocean – a popular surfing
location.
On board the Royal Train were
local school children, railway staff
and representatives from the
Railway Preservation Society of
Ireland.
On arrival at Bellarena, Her
Majesty was met by Translink
chairman Frank Hewitt and
unveiled a commemorative
plaque. The event marked a
major milestone in the £46.4
million renewals project.
Royal renewal for Coleraine Line
TransPennine Express together with Network Rail’s National Stations Improvements Programme has upgraded Huddersfield station with three new glass waiting rooms, a cycle rack and a first class lounge.
The facilities will be a part of the new-look Huddersfield station. The
original building with its neo-classical frontage was designed by James
Pigott Pritchett and built in 1850. It’s not only passengers and staff
who benefit. Felix the Huddersfield station cat is understood to have
backed the scheme.
TransFeline Felix
© Shutterstock.com
16 NEWS RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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Kirkstall Forge station has reopened to passengers - more than 100 years after the original station was closed on the Leeds to Bradford railway.
Kirkstall Forge is one of two
former stations to be reopened
on the route as part of the
£15.9 million West Yorkshire Rail
Growth (WYRG) - the other being
Apperley. Having waited 10 years
for a new railway station, West
Yorkshire has now opened two in
six months.
The first service to use the
stations was the 8.38 from
Leeds on Sunday, 19 June. A full
opening was held on 27 June,
attended by the Under Secretary
of State for Transport, Stuart
Andrew.
Built by Spencer Group, the
new Kirkstall Forge station
includes a 297-space car
park and new two 100-metre
platforms. A new modular
footbridge was also installed
and as well as constructing new
OLE masts, existing overhead
electrification masts had to be
modified to accomodate the new
platform layouts.
The station will serve a
new £400 million mixed-use
development area.
Says Dave Taylor, project
director 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.
‘During the project, we were
based on CEG’s site – the
developer for the adjacent
development. We interfaced
with them particularly well and
developed a great rapport. For
our part in the scheme, there
were zero RIDDORS and the
project was delivered extremely
safely – which is something we
always strive for.’
Councillor Judith Blake,
Leader of Leeds City Council,
added, ‘The station has a key
role to play in realising the
major regeneration potential
of the broader Kirkstall Forge
development, bringing with it
new jobs, training opportunities,
housing and a range of office
and leisure facilities to offer a
significant boost to the local
economy.’
HMRC expense changes, what you need to know.
Are you a temporary or
contract worker affected by the
latest HMRC changes?
Since April 2016 many
contractors employed through
employment intermediaries are no
longer able to claim tax relief on
travel and subsistence expenses
for their regular work commute.
By introducing new rules
HMRC aims to equalise tax
breaks between contractors and
permanent employees.
Contractors working on
contracts operating under IR35
and what HMRC defines as
supervision, direction or control
(SDC) will have been affected.
What is SDC?• Supervision: someone
overseeing your work - ensuring
you are completing the work
correctly and to the required
standard.
• Control: someone dictating
what work is done and how it
should be completed. (This also
includes having the authority
to move you from one job to
another).
• Direction: someone ensuring
you work in a certain way, by
providing instructions, guidance
or advice; or generally co-
ordinating work undertaken.
How does this affect me?
If your role meets even just
one of these SDC criteria the
new regulations state you can
no longer claim tax relief or
National Insurance contributions
on travel and subsistence
expenses for your regular work
commute. This could result
in you paying more in tax.
However, these changes do not
apply if you are sent to visit a
site or temporary location away
from your main place of work.
At Advance-TRS we
make every effort to ensure
contractors are fully supported.
For help and advice on
contractor benefits and rights
give Advance-TRS’ operations
director, Paul Merton, a call on
01483 361061 or visit
www.advancerailwayjobs.com
for your next career move.
Expense changes
Forging ahead
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18 NEWS RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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Passengers and staff celebrated the Queen’s official birthday, her 90th, at stations across Britain in a unique celebration of rail’s royal connection.
At Hexham the Vieux Carré
Jazzmen played on the platform
at an event organised by the
Tyne Valley Community Rail
Partnership. Passengers at Bexhill
station enjoyed a sweet treat,
as free cakes and soft drinks
were handed out to mark the
Queen’s 90th birthday. The event
was organised by the Sussex
Community Rail Partnership, with
financial support from Southern.
Staff at Abellio Greater Anglia
dressed up, decorated stations
and gave out more than 7,000
cupcakes.
Says Keely Pagdin, head of
customer service, ‘The railway’s
links to the Royal Family go back
as far as the mid-nineteenth
century when Queen Victoria
chartered the first royal coaches,
so we are delighted to celebrate
Her Majesty’s 90th birthday at
stations across the network as
part of the national Station to
Station Queen’s Celebration
campaign.’
Station to Station Queen’s
Celebration, held between 10-12
June, has so far raised tens of
thousands of pounds for charity.
Says Chris Leech, founder
of Station to Station, ’Without
doubt, the UK rail industry has
the largest community footprint in
comparison with any other sector.
Albeit for just one weekend, we
have challenged through our
collaborative actions a decade
or more of negative media and
public perceptions.’
Adding, ‘This very special
weekend has helped to
demonstrate that railways are
more than just transport hubs
in the centre’s of communities
but that they are also integral to
those communities.’
On the day that she became
Britain’s longest-reigning
monarch last year, on 9
September 2015, Her Majesty
opened the Borders Railway.
During her reign, Queen
Elizabeth has opened many
new stations across the country,
notably Birmingham New Street
last November and Reading in
July 2014. Crossrail is to be called
the ‘Elizabeth Line’ in her honour.
Photos from the Station to
Station Queen’s Celebration
weekend can be found at www.
queenscelebration.com/image-
gallery. If you’d like to submit
images from your event, contact
Friends and family of Lee Walker, operations manager at Morson, are rallying round to help raise money for treating his daughter, Lee-Anna.
Mr Walker is a popular figure at the
company’s Canning Town office, in East
London. Lee-Anna, 17, was diagnosed with
leukaemia in February. She now needs funds to
support her treatment. Lee-Anna isn’t a British
citizen so this treatment is not available on the
NHS.
On Sunday 17 July, 13 brave friends plan a
skydive at Sibson airfield. Keeping their feet
firmly on the ground, staff at Morson will be
holding a Charity Golf Day at the Shire Golf
Club in Barnet, Hertfordshire on Thursday, 4
August. The course itself was designed by
golfing legend Seve Ballesteros and is of
Masters’ quality.
The day includes entertainment and a slap-
up dinner. Jack Roberts and Paul Anscombe at
Morson are organising the golf tournament.
‘Summer is a busy time for the rail
infrastructure industry, but we believe it’s
important to make time for Lee-Anna too,’ says
Jack.
‘Lee himself makes a great contribution to
Morson and the wider industry. We want to
stand with him and do what we can to help
save a bright, brave intelligent girl any one
would be proud to call their daughter.’
Lee-Anna was diagnosed with acute myeloid
leukaemia - a cancer of the myeloid line of
blood cells.
Time is precious. Lee-Anna, from Jamaica,
has completed two cycles of chemotherapy
treatments. The assessment received from the
consultants is that the disease is a lot more
severe than originally thought, and as such,
Lee-Anna will require an urgent bone marrow
transplant if she is to survive this life-threatening
illness.
Cost estimates total £100,000. Treatment
to date has cost well over £40,000 which
has depleted the family’s savings. Please
make a donation - however small - at https://
crowdfunding.justgiving.com/joanne-hewitt.
Jack Roberts can be contacted at jack.
Golf-rail colleagues rally round
A health unto Her Majesty
For more details and an application form visit: www.railsport.ukor visit www.facebook.com/railsport or contact David Frankson 00 353 87 2141831 or email [email protected]
28TH
SportGames
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BOOK YOUR PLACE IN THE 28TH NATIONAL ANGLING CHAMPIONSHIP 2016
AT MAKINS FISHERY WOLVEY (WARWICKSHIRE)WEDNESDAY 17TH AUGUST
LOROL capped their victory in this year’s
RailSport Games five-a-side final with a
beautifully lofted goal from behind the
halfway line - a high quality finish to what
had been a hard-fought day of competition.
Teams representing companies from
across the rail industry competed in the 23rd
RailSport Games at Blackpool’s Stanley Park
on 11 June.
LOROL wrestled the title from defending
champions Lucchini Unipart Rail with a 5-3 victory in
the penultimate match of the day. Lucchini had won the
previous two competitions and now head to Austria to
represent Great Britain on the international stage.
Both teams made it to the final with relative ease:
Lucchini thumping Faiveley Transport 5-0 in the quarter
finals and Northern Rail Dynamo 4-1 in the semis, while
LOROL came past Merseyrail 6-3 and ScotRail 5-1.
The depth of Irish Rail’s squad showed in a competitive
final for the Over 35s six-a-side competition as they beat
Keolis Amey Docklands 2-1 (pictured right). Trophies
for the winners and runners up were presented by Rail
Media’s managing director Tom O’Connor.
Drizzly conditions in the North West presented a
challenge for the cricket competition, but the sun shone
through just enough to allow Thales Paddy’s Marauders
to take hold of the final against Thales Tornadoes to win
by just 13 runs.
Like the cricket, the rounders final was a single
company affair, with RVEL’s Smack My Patch Up getting
the better of Son’s of Pitchers.
The men’s badminton tournament was also keenly
contested. Network Rail’s Craig Harrop won the singles
event, beating Mike Koscow from London Underground.
Craig was also in action with Duncan Fraser, formerly of
East Coast Trains, to take the doubles’ trophy. Duncan
Taylor continued the pair’s domination, winning the
veterans title against Merseyrail’s Sheen Matthew. Rail
Media’s Adam O’Connor and Chris Davies put in an
admirable performance to finish third.
On the other side of the sports hall, Dave Fox beat
Network Rail’s Darren Morgan 3-2 in the final of the
table tennis. Recovering from his loss in the singles final,
Darren paired up with Network Rail colleague Matt Coups
to win the doubles.
Away from Stanley Park, Northern Rail’s
John Pattison scored 611 pins to take the
men’s Ten Pin Bowling title. The women’s
competition was won by Louise Lamb from
TransPennine Express. The Abellio Greater
Anglia pairing of Phil Croydon and Jerry
Chapter saw gold in the doubles and DB
Schenker came first in the team event.
The darts tournament took place in the
nearby Talbot Club. Darius Festijo, Network
Rail, beat LOROL’s Steve Morris to win the
men’s singles. Di Kellow, of Great Western
Railway, won the women’s singles against
Merseyrail’s Sally Ralston. Darren Bowell
from London Midland and Steve Morris
teamed up to win the men’s doubles. In
the mixed doubles, husband and wife team
Derek and Sally Ralston retained the title
they won last year.
The individual chess tournament, held
over two days, was won by Hassan Mugalu
from Abellio Greater Anglia, while the team
event went to a joint Abellio Greater Anglia
and South West Trains, which included
Hassan Mugalu, Peter Eldridge and Trevor
Jones. Graham Bolt, Will Taylor and Mike
Broad, Network Rail, were runners-up.
A history of sport on the railwayRailSport celebrated its 23rd birthday this
year, but the history of sporting competition
among railway companies goes back well
over 100 years.
Records dating back to the 19th century
reference the achievements of railway
football teams, and a number of current
professional teams can trace their roots
back to the railway - even one of the
largest, most successful teams in the world.
Explains research fellow at the National
Railway Museum Dr Oliver Betts, ‘Although
arguably the biggest impact railways had
on the development of British Football
was in terms of transport, enabling away
fixtures and travelling supporters, there was
RailSport
MATC
H REP
ORT
Games 2016
20 NEWS RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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MATC
H REP
ORT
an active football culture in the
railway companies themselves.
‘From the late 19th century
onwards many of the larger
railway companies encouraged
their workers to participate in
athletics or simply provided
financial support for teams and
associations already underway.
‘Some of these clubs
morphed, over the years, into
household names today. In 1878,
for instance, the Lancashire
and Yorkshire Railway gave
permission for men in the
Carriage and Wagon Department
to form a team that became
known as Newton Heath LYR.
In 1902, with few ties left to the
railway company, this became
Manchester United.’
The arrival of professional
footballers and the Football
League in the late 19th century led
to a decline in participation. Even
so, competition among railway
companies has endured. The
National Railway Museum has a
scrapbook compiled by the GWR
Drawing Office Staff at Paddington
Station from 1901 which includes
a light-hearted report of a works
football match. The book also
suggests that as well as football,
workers competed in swimming,
cycling and shooting.
Angling to kegels - Rail sport in the UK and overseas
Since the early 1990s, RailSport
has been encouraging railway
staff to reignite their long-held
hopes of sporting glory and
compete to be crowned the
industry’s best.
The tournament, which
since its opening weekend
has welcomed thousands of
competitors from around the rail
industry, was established by the
British Rail Staff Association, in
part as a way to curb the drinking
culture for which the organisation
had become notorious.
BR was becoming more
attuned with health and wellbeing
issues and set about creating
the competition, hiring a full-time
RailSport manager to oversee the
organisation of the event.
David Franks, the current
chief executive of Iarnród
Éireann (Irish Rail), has been
involved in RailSport since the
GAMECHANGINGGAMES – 2017
GAMEGAMECHANGING
CHANGINGGAMES – 2017GAMES – 2017
CHANGING
CHANGING
CHANGING
CHANGING
CHANGING
CHANGING
railsport.uk
BIGGER&BETTER TH
AN EVER.
RailSportis moving…
…to Loughborough University– the home of UK Sport.
With the same great games plus new disciplines,this is an energetic, fun-packed weekend for all.
For more info and to find out how you can compete,visit railsport.uk or call 01530 816 444.
RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 NEWS 21
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very beginning and became its
chairman in the mid-1990s at a
time when privatisation cast a
shadow over the future of the
competition.
‘It was when the full-time
resources that existed weren’t
there anymore yet we still
had a lot of people that were
desperately keen to take part
in events and particularly the
international events,’ said David.
Despite this, RailSport has
been held every year since,
kept going by a team of loyal
volunteers.
24 member countriesIt’s not just the UK which hosts
annual rail sport competitions.
The International Railway Sports
Association (USIC) - the sporting
equivalent of the International
Union of Railways (UIC) -
comprises 24 member countries,
each with their own national
competitions.
USIC events, which are held
every four years, bring together
the best teams from around the
world - although predominantly
Europe - to compete
internationally. It is taken very
seriously: USIC, which was
formed in 1947, even has its own
anthem and opening ceremony.
Every two years, USIC trophies
are presented to the countries
that have accrued the most
points in the men’s and women’s
events. Points are given for
participating in sports, so it’s not
necessarily the best performing
teams but those competing in
the most events that come out
on top.
David recently stepped down
as president of USIC, having
served the maximum two terms.
’It’s clearly competitive and we
want people to compete at the
highest possible level, but it’s
also an opportunity to meet
colleagues from other countries
and to share some cultural
experience.’
As well as helping to
organise the events, David has
represented Great Britain in
the angling. Ahead of his first
USIC event in 1988, David was
asked to step in and lead the
team after the team manager
at the time took ill and tragically
passed away. Team GB went on
to win the championship. The
competition offers staff a rare
opportunity to represent their
country.
The international competitions
were a chance to be paid to
travel around Europe playing
football, one BR veteran
explained. The first year he took
part, the team over-indulged
on the journey and were duly
thrashed. Next time around,
they were well drilled, trained
hard, abstained from alcoholic
beverages and… suffered a
similar drubbing. The quality of
play was, and still is, striking.
That said, the UK has a
respectable record internationally,
doing particularly well in angling,
golf and orienteering. Great Britain
has even managed to field a
competitor for the Nordic Skiing
competition. The event gives rail
industry staff the opportunity to
compete in a wide, even obscure,
22 NEWS RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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variety of sports. ‘There have been
things like kegels [the German
version of skittles]. I mean I didn’t
even know about kegels until I
joined USIC,’ said David.
Health and wellbeingDavid described the event’s
standing in recent years as
‘cyclical’. It relies on its volunteers
and support from the industry,
which has been impacted by
changes in franchise holders and
the reclassification of Network
Rail.
In other countries, like India
and Russia, there is significant,
consistent funding for rail sports.
In the Netherlands, competitions
are being held every week, said
David.
But as health and wellbeing
topics become more central once
again, he’s finding the interest in
RailSport is finding new vigour.
This was demonstrated during a
recent meeting with health and
safety representatives. ‘It was
the most enthusiastic of all the
subjects from everybody that was
in the room. I mean it really got
the juices flowing, and I was quite
impressed, surprised, actually,’
said David.
‘I started it off by saying,
traditionally we would have
considered safety to be staff
and customer accidents and
operating incidents and the
like… We wouldn’t easily have
recognised that actually health
and wellbeing of our employees,
and occupational health issues,
are as important as those other
things.
‘And when you get people
realising that this is about looking
after you not necessarily making
sure we’re getting it right for
customers and everything else,
you suddenly get people really
sit up and take notice, and sport
plays a massive part in helping
keep people fit.’
Information about upcoming
USIC competitions can be
found at www.usic-sports.org
RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 NEWS 23
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Abig thank you to everyone
who made Rail Live the
success it was this year!
We had the biggest show
yet - packed with exhibitors
showing a huge range of
products and services.
Thousands of visitors in
orange hi-viz attire flooded
through the entrance gates
of Rail Live 2016. Demonstrations, both on
and off track, wowed visitors with innovation
and solutions to challenges faced everyday
by the rail sector.
For the show highlights, please see
the fantastic video produced for the Rail
Engineer - www.railengineer.uk/2016/06/24/
video-rail-live-2016/ and also the web gallery
packed full of images captured over the two
days of the show: http://elirees.zenfolio.com/
p133088777. We could not deliver a show
like Rail Live without the incredible support
from our sponsors and partners!
Show Partners:Rail Media - Thank you to Rail Media
which has been part of the core delivery
team for Rail Live. Rail Media has developed
the website, created the Rail Live identity
and branding, digitised and maintained the
site plan, supported the show with marketing
communications material, provided exhibitor
support and designed and produced the Rail
Live show guide.
ISS Labour - We are hugely grateful to
CEO Simon Higgens and his team from
ISS Labour for once again ensuring that
operations and delivery ran smoothly and
safely on-site over the days building up to
the show, show days and the aftermath.
VP plc - With the breadth and depth of
service that VP plc offers the rail sector, VP
company ESS Safeforce provided radios for
the control team and a sophisticated CCTV
set-up for site security. Temporary roadway for
the exhibitor car park was delivered by sister
WHAT A SHOW!NEW MEMBERS
company, Torrent Trackside, and a personal
thank you goes to Paul Smith for organising
extra hands and specialist suppliers needed
during the set-up phase of the show.
Express Catering - Visitors and exhibitors
will not have been disappointed by the
excellent choice and quality (and value)
on-site throughout the duration of the show.
We are delighted that Express Catering (Rail
Alliance Member) received an award at Rail
Live 2016 for the Best Newcomer!
Safeaid - With so many visitors coming
through the gates - the additional supply of
hi-viz vests supplied by Rail Safety Workwear
Specialist, Safeaid, was well needed!
Link2 & Cisco - Without the specialist
expertise of some very clever people, Rail
Live exhibitors would be without connectivity
which is an essential tool for any business.
Wi-Fi also meant that visitors could be
scanned into the show site over the two
days. Delivering a Wi-Fi solution across the
entire exhibition site (which is essentially
open fields) is no easy feat!
TXM - The assistance from the tele-
handlers provided by TXM was exemplary.
There were so many requests from
exhibitors to respond to - from delivering
track panels and sleepers, to moving bags of
ballast and lifting equipment off low-loaders
- and all done with a smile! No wonder they
were selected as Rail Live Award winners for
Best Stand and Sam Snelson (who works for
TXM) for Best Plant Engineer.
Quinton Rail Technology Centre - Without
the QRTC there would be no show! This is
the home of Rail Live, and we give a special
thanks to Steve Dunmore and his team from
Motorail who ensures that the site is ready
for the show as well as providing all the
essential support services to exhibitors from
special track panel requests to undertaking
demonstrations using facilities and
equipment on site.
Rock Safely - With vast experience
and knowledge of managing safety and
ALUMASC WATER MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONSwww.alumascwms.co.uk
NEOPUL UKwww.neopul.pt
NETERSON HOLDINGS LTDwww.tritechgroup.co.uk/
www.yeovil-precision.co.uk
P.P. GROUP OF COMPANIESwww.ppgroupltd.co.uk
VORTOK INTERNATIONALwww.vortok.com
minimising risk at large events, Chris Burke
was our man on the ground for health & safety
prior to the event and throughout the duration
of the exhibition keeping everybody safe.
Sponsors:• Lloyds Bank - A fantastic show of support
from this major high street bank who
sponsored the Business Zone at Rail Live this
year - a facility set up with support services
and information for businesses in rail.
• Shannon Rail - Sponsors of the Rail Live
Awards evening
• Prea - Manufacturer and supplier of the Rail
Live Award trophies
• Batch Plant - Sponsors of water bottles
• Ballyclare - Sponsors of water bottles
Steve Featherstone, programme director
track, Network Rail, said, ‘This was the 8th
Rail Live event, which has come a long way
from its origins in a Westwood car park to now
being the rail plant event of the year.
‘The basic idea is to bring people with
challenges and people with solutions together
in a live railway environment so that best
practice can be shared, safety can be improved
and work can be delivered more efficiently.
‘Well done and thanks to the Rail Live team.’
For info on Rail Live 2017, contact
Networking Events:• 11th August: Asset Management,
Communications & Data
• 13th September: First Time Approvals
• Oct: Opportunities in Infrastructure
• Nov: Education in the Supply Chain in
Rolling Stock
• Dec: Members Only Christmas Lunch
In October, Rail Vehicles and
Enhancements (RVE) will be held at the
Riverside in Derby. Rail Alliance members are
eligible for a discount if they book before the
31st of July.
RAIL LIVE 2016 - BIGGEST SHOW YET
RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF
24 RAIL ALLIANCE RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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The Rail Accident Investigation Branch
recently issued its annual report for the
calendar year 2015. Headline details for 2015
include 32 accidents and incidents reported
with another 21 full investigations started.
During the year 20 reports were published
in which 74 recommendations were made. In
addition three bulletins and five safety advice
notices were also published.
Luck prevented multiple fatalitiesThe RAIB has now completed more than a decade of
accident and incident investigation. In his foreword their Chief
Inspector Simon French rightly claims that the country’s safety
record is “amongst the best in Europe”.
He also draws attention to the fact that there were, “a
number of events where luck prevented an accident involving
multiple fatalities”. Sadly I remember all too well knowing
some decades ago that on average two members of my staff
were killed on track each year. Over 18 months had passed
without a fatality. Tragically the following week two track
patrollers working together were hit by a train and suffered
fatal injuries. I still remember the incident, but do today’s
managers and supervisors need the same experiences? Is
that the only way to achieve a safer working environment?
13 recommendations out-standing from 2011!
The format of the Report is one
which I hope will be continued.
It sets out their operational
activities during the year and their
recommendations, the identification
of recurrent issues and other
activities.
The first of four appendices A,
lists the narrowly avoided multiple
fatality accidents. B summarises the
recommendations still outstanding
through to and including those
made in 2015, whilst C and D
provide a glossary of abbreviations
and acronyms.
The review of recommendations
sadly shows that of the 93
recommendations made in 2011,
no fewer than 13 have yet to be
implemented. One is now classed
as “non-implemented”. Another six
are “in progress” and a further six
are categorised as “implementation
ongoing”. “In progress” means
that the safety authority is not yet
satisfied that a plan, timescales are
in place but work is in progress to
provide these. “Implementation
ongoing” means that work to deliver
the recommendation is agreed
and in process of being delivered.
I am dismayed that so many
recommendations from 2011 still fall
into these categories.
“Repeated causality”The report identifies Lundridge
Farm User Crossing accident
reported in 2013 as having had
“actions inappropriate or insufficient”.
Another four incidents from 2014 are
listed as having had action taken,
but RAIB still has concerns.
“Repeated causality” is another
piece of RAIB jargon used to
describe incidents which “might
have been avoided had previously
identified factors been addressed
more fully or in a more timely
fashion”.
“Safety Digests” The year also saw the publication
of their class investigation into
engineering protection irregularities
and I look forward to reading the
class investigation into on track
working whilst trains are running;
hopefully later this year.
The report announces another
new initiative namely the issuing of
“Safety Digests”. These are to be
used when, after initial investigation
RAIB has concluded that further
investigation is not justified.
The Digests will provide safety
information.
REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER
DISCUSSED WITH THEIR CHIEF INSPECTOR SIMON FRENCH
RAIB ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2015
26 TRACK SAFETY RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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Future prioritiesAs to the Branch’s future
priorities, three are listed:
• Continue to improve good
engagement with the
industry, regulators and other
stakeholders.
• Explore ways to further reduce
the average time taken to
publish reports, without
compromising on quality.
• Find additional effective ways to
disseminate key information to
stakeholders, press and media.
In its conclusion the report
identifies the following as
priorities still to be addressed;
safety of track workers, track
quality (including staff resources
and competence), freight train
condition, platform train interface,
level crossings, earthworks and
structures.
I could not agree more whilst
noting that nearly all involve
railway civil engineering.
Elsewhere there are references
to the importance of leadership,
planning and clear instructions
for track-workers. Derailments
due to defective track, spigots
and containers together with
comments about the Planning &
Delivery of Safe Work are also
amongst my concerns.
2
4
6 7
3
5
8 9
1
Unit 3 Waltham Park Way, Walthamstow,
London E17 5DU
T: 0208 527 [email protected]
1. MultiBand Insert Rail Wallet
2. COSS / Engineering Supervisor Insert
3. COSS / First Aider Insert
4. COSS / Machine Controller / Crane Controller Insert
5. COSS / Site Warden Insert
6. COSS/Machine Controller Insert
7. Sire Warden / First Aider Insert
8. COSS / Crane Controller Insert
9. MultiBand Insert Holder
MULTIBANDARMBAND
Summary of
recommendations of
RAIB concern.
Annual Report2015
RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 TRACK SAFETY 27
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Interview with Simon French
As a follow up to studying the
2015 RAIB Report I interviewed
Simon French at the Department
for Transport Offices on
Horseferry Road in central
London on May 27th.
I continue to admire how
since its formation to meet one
of the recommendations of the
Cullen Report it has fulfilled its
role in investigating accidents
and incidents. Its expertise and
consequently the respect with
which it is regarded has grown
year on year.
I questioned Simon French
about the recommendations
made in reports which are still
outstanding; some going back as
far as 2011! These include what
RAIB describes as “repeated
causality” events. Understandably
his response was to suggest that
my question should be put to the
Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
That is now my intention.
Class Investigation “red zone” report this year
We discussed his Class
investigation of “red zone”
working incidents and accidents.
Simon confirmed that he expects
to publish the findings later this
year.
He hopes the report will trigger
track level discussions with front
line staff, management and the
trades unions. On the subject
of track worker safety, I referred
to the current impasse over the
Planning and Delivery of Safe
Work (PDSW) initiative.
He told me that he agreed
with my view that assigning track
safety responsibility to a COSS
(Controller of Site Safety) who
is often not the most senior or
influential voice on the site, is not
the best way to do things in future.
We then went on to discuss
both the inadequacy of timely
information provided to track
staff and the excessive amount
of irrelevant and unnecessary
information paperwork provided
in many safe system of work
packages.
Simon added that he is
continually disappointed by
investigation findings that include
the identification of a lack of
awareness of the requirements
mandated by the Rule Book.
I suggested that the time may
have come when the industry’s
aim should be for all track work
to be done under signalled
protection as is planned for High
Speed 2.
He responded by saying
that speed is the relevant factor
in deciding on methods of
protection. He added that the use
and scope for the use of lookout
protection in the future is one of
the focus points for the current
RAIB red zone working class
investigation.
Reports take average of 11 months to complete
In the early days of the RAIB
I was critical of the time taken
between an incident or accident
and the publication of their report.
The average time has reduced to
11 months which Simon is confident
will be maintained if not reduced
further.
He stressed that his first priority
in carrying out investigations is the
quality and content of the report.
He has no intention of setting
a target time and reminded me
that finalising a report includes
time spent liaising with the
organisations involved.
One of his priority tasks is
communicating information to the
industry and sharing the technical
evidence which may include
the issuing of urgent safety
advices. For the future his focus
is on providing more web page
updates of factual information to
ensure their findings, and more
particularly recommendations
are available and in the public
domain. He cited the recent
Ivybridge information digest as
an example setting a precedent
for the future.
RAIB’s remitI pressed him on the sufficiency
or otherwise of actions on their
report recommendations. For a
second time he referred me to the
Office of Rail and Road.
The RAIB was set up
in response to one of the
recommendations of the Cullen
Report Part 2 Ladbroke Grove
Inquiry. Its recommendations
on accident investigation are
numbers 57 to 74 in that report
and relate to the purpose and
practices to be used by RAIB.
Chapter 11 is devoted to its
formation; it is worth re-reading.
Simon explained how, when
progressing an investigation
RAIB collects and share factual
evidence with both the Police and
Office of Rail and Road. Evidence
is taken in accordance with police
standards but written statements
are not shared.
He reminded me that the only
way in which they could ever
be shared would be as a result
of a Court Order following a
determination of “Public Interest”
as defined in the Cullen Report.
He added that in the 11 years
since their formation there has not
been a single case where this has
occurred.
RAIB’s focus, responsibili-ties and concerns
The role of the ORR Simon
sees as complementary to that
of RAIB. Ian Prosser as Chief
Inspector of Railways and
Director of Railway Safety at ORR
clearly has the responsibility for
driving the responses to RAIB
recommendations as part of
his responsibilities as well as
deciding how and when to take
enforcement actions.
In the current financial climate I
was pleased to learn that the RAIB
last month began the process
of recruiting inspectors to fill the
vacancies they have.
I also asked about the growing
number of reports I have read
about accidents and incidents
at the train/platform interface.
Speaking of a recent RAIB
investigation Simon confirmed that
having examined timetables and
actual stopping times generally
he was satisfied that they were
both adequate from a safety
perspective.
However he shares my
concerns over the reports of
“trap and drag” incidents. His
main concern based on their
investigations is of a belief that the
electronic door closed warning
system alone may be relied upon
when in fact safety checks before
setting off are all important. Over
reliance on train warning systems
he commented had contributed to
recent incidents.
Next we discussed his concerns
about track quality, which have
grown due to the findings of
a number of RAIB reports that
have already been published. In
particular he said he has been
dismayed by the limited technical
knowledge exhibited by some
track maintenance engineers.
I responded by raising my
own reservations after reading
a number of RAIB reports that
a similar comment was maybe
applicable to those carrying out
both annual superficial as well as
detailed structural examinations of
structures.
28 TRACK SAFETY RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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Things don’t always go to plan.
In fact, they rarely do go as we
expect.
With two of Portugal’s key
defensive players ruled out, Wales
looked certain to make the final
of the European championships
and do the impossible, but were
undone within just a few minutes
during the second half of their
semi-final.
The idea of the UK exiting the
European Union (EU) seemed
wholly unlikely a month or so
ago. Suddenly MPs are trying to
unravel Britain’s entangled legal
and political relationship with its
continental neighbours.
Things are no different in the rail
industry. It was announced earlier
this month that the railway between
Edinburgh and Glasgow now won’t
be energised until July 2017 -
several months behind the original
schedule. An unfortunate delay
to a project which has otherwise
demonstrated tremendous
ingenuity and technical precision.
But there are some events which
put these moments into context.
At the 2015 RailStaff Awards,
Heathrow Express duty manager
Brian Keenan, who we caught
up with this month, won the
Rail Manager of the Year Award
for saving the life of one of his
passengers. That event has had a
major impact on his life, let alone
the man he saved that day.
It is the events we never could
have predicted that often leave the
deepest impressions on us. The
most common response we hear
from RailStaff Awards winners is
‘I never expected this’. It is this
reason that it means so much and
the reason they were probably
nominated in the first place.
Nominations for 2016 are
open - you’ve probably seen the
posters around - and we are fast
approaching the evening itself.
Please don’t delay, don’t put it off
until next week, and nominate a
deserving colleague today.
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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 201630
The majority of people in the UK will benefit from at least one Amey
service every day, says the company’s business director for the North,
Richard Walker.
Richard was astonished by that fact when he joined the company
a few months ago from Network Rail. Amey is Network Rail’s second-
biggest supplier and heavily involved in the rail sector, but the extent of
its reach will surprise many. The list of sectors the business serves vary
from power, water and gas to healthcare, environmental services like
waste collection and treatment, facilities management and social justice,
which can include activities as diverse as running offender rehabilitation
schemes or escorting criminals to prison.
Amey, which employs more than 21,000 people nationwide, currently
holds Network Rail signalling, electrification and track framework
contracts and is involved in the electrification of the Great Western Main
Line. As well as its design and consultancy services division, Amey
looks after more than 100,000 Network Rail assets as part of its civils
examination framework contract. Only recently, the company was also
named as a member of the construction alliance which will deliver
Manchester’s Ordsall Chord.
Celebrating staff achievement is one of the company’s central tenets,
says Richard, and so this year Amey is sponsoring the Rail Plant and
Equipment Person or Team of the Year category at the RailStaff Awards
to celebrate those who operate the big yellow plant which works
around the network day and night.
Efforts and energies‘It’s lovely to be nominated, it’s lovely to be recognised for what you
do and for me the awards are about thanking people for their efforts
and their energies to make the railway a better place to work; I think it’s
absolutely spot on,’ says Richard, who has
A multi-disciplinary, multi-talented bunch
himself been nominated for an award in the past.
Attracting and retaining people is essential to any business and
finding ways to salute their efforts is part of that. Richard continued, ‘As
a business, we’re trying to recruit the right people and these kind of
awards are absolutely complementary to getting the right people in our
industry. There’s no better way of keeping people with you if you thank
them for what they do and recognise their hard work.’
The Rail Plant and Equipment Person or Team of the Year Award was
first introduced in 2015. Network Rail’s High Output transition team,
which successfully transferred over 507 staff members when Network
Rail decided to move the delivery of High Output Track Renewals
(HOTR) in-house, won the first ever award. The transition itself was big
news, but it was the first real praise to be heaped on the team that
ensured it went smoothly.
Richard says he has seen how for some people the awards had
‘really kicked their careers on’.
‘It does raise team morale, it does raise team performance and it
does get people thinking about their own personal development and
what more they can do, what more they want to do.’
Biggest, best and brightest‘For me they just take a whole cross section of the people that
actually run the railway and recognise people’s personal input and
commitment to the industry,’ says Richard, when asked for his thoughts
on the ethos behind the RailStaff Awards.
‘I do like the variety and the background and also it’s good to see
what other people are doing and other new ideas.’
Visit www.railstaffawards.com/nominate and make someone’s year!
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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2016 31
Supported by
A registered charity
Samaritans is proud to sponsor the Lifesaver award at this years’ RailStaff Awards
TALKING SAVES LIVES
For more info and to nominate a colleague www.railstaffawards.com
10,000 rail industry personnel and British Transport Police officers have been trained with the skills to help a person in need. These skills can encourage people to talk about their problems and help save lives.
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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 201632
Stories about railway staff members approaching and calming people
in distress are becoming more common. The industry has gone to much
further lengths in recent years to ensure its people have all the skills they
need to help prevent the loss of life at stations and on track. But these
interventions can take many forms.
At 5.20am on 4 April last year, Heathrow Express duty station manager
Brian Keenan received a call from a member of staff aboard an inbound
train informing him that a passenger had fallen unconscious and, despite
the best efforts of fellow passengers to deliver CPR, was displaying no
signs of life.
‘Ironically, at the time, when the call came through, I’d just finished
doing my compliance checks, so I was literally walking away after
checking the defibrillator on the platform,’ said Brian, who has worked
at Heathrow Express for 12 years. Prior to that he had been dispatching
planes, rather than trains, at the international airport.
As Brian made his way to the platform, he tried to remember his first aid
training. ‘The good thing is I had seven to eight minutes at that point to try
and get myself ready for it; for the worse-case scenario.’
When the train arrived at the platform, Brian began working on the
passenger, switching between the defibrillator and CPR. He continued
Where are they now?Brian Keenan, winner of the Rail Manager of the Year Award 2015,
remembers the day he saved a passenger's life
treating the passenger as the
paramedics arrived and after 10
minutes, he saw his first signs
of life.
Clean bill of healthBrian was praised by the
paramedics on the scene;
he was even asked by the
London Ambulance Service if
he’d be interested in joining its
rapid response team. But, not
knowing what happened to the
passenger, Brian wasn’t able to
appreciate what he had done
that day. The following Friday, as
he was cleaning out his garage,
Brian received a call to tell him
that the man he had brought
back to life had left hospital with
a clean bill of health.
‘For that first week afterwards,
I couldn’t even raise a smile
because that guy went into
the back of the ambulance
still unconscious… It’s at that
point when he went in that the
paramedics said you should be
really proud of your achievement
just to get him this far.’
15 minutes of fameBrian described the response
from his colleagues at Heathrow
Express and around the industry
as ‘unbelievable’; he’s since won
several awards, including the Rail
Manager of the Year category
at the RailStaff Awards. ‘If
someone says you get
your 15 minutes of
fame, I’ve certainly
exceeded that,’
Brian’s actions
are now recited
by Heathrow
Express as
part of its first
aid training. But
he said it was the
RailStaff Awards
honour which
really stood out.
‘As I said on the
day, it was an
honour: it was an honour to be
nominated, it was an honour to
be winning.’
He added, ‘I just hope that if I
had a heart attack or something
happened to me someone would
put themselves out. That’s all I
would ask.’
Remarkably, Brian isn’t the first
person in his family to perform
such an heroic act. Before Brian
was born, his dad had pulled a
man from a burning building, for
which he subsequently received
a commendation for bravery. The
father of two hopes the awards
leave a similar legacy for his own
children. ‘I was proud of my dad
for doing that: I wasn’t even alive
when he did that, but I was proud
and now that’s the same type of
thing with my boys.’
The 2016 RailStaff Awards
will be held at Coventry’s
Ricoh Arena on 8 October.
Keen to return, Brian is urging
those around him to nominate
exceptional staff members. ‘To
actually have a night out and
recognise just individuals who
do their normal job, and the
occasional people who go up
and beyond that, it’s brilliant.’
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It is difficult to precisely quantify the contribution made
by apprentices. Spread so widely and embedded so
deeply, there are probably few major programmes
that haven’t benefited from their work at some point.
With skills in such short supply, their contribution is
needed more now than ever. ‘We’re certainly not
just making tea or doing photocopying,’ said George
Holder, a higher apprentice employed by the Alstom,
TSO and Costain (ATC) joint venture working on
Crossrail.
George is one of the 550 or so apprentices to have
been recruited through the Crossrail programme. The
project is achieving well above its original target to create
400 apprenticeships through the project - a fact Crossrail’s
chairman Sir Terry Morgan, who was an apprentice himself, is
extremely proud of.
George, who is originally from Hampshire but now lives
in London, is an innovation and knowledge exchange
champion for Costain within Crossrail’s ATC joint venture.
He works across different teams to find clever solutions to
engineering challenges by looking at what technologies
and techniques are being applied in other areas of the
project.
‘It sounds a bit cliche, but it really is a fantastic first project
to be on,’ said George. ‘To get such a huge exposure so
early on in my career is obviously fantastic. To be working
with such a large number of apprentices and graduates as
well on the project is very enjoyable.’
PART OF SOMETHING BIGGERGeorge’s pathway into the industry differs from most. The
24 year old had been training to become a doctor. However,
two years into his studies, a somewhat disenchanted George
decided his future lay elsewhere.
‘I just wanted a career change, but still one that was
involved in the sciences and provided a benefit to society,’
said George. ‘I still wanted to be contributing to something
bigger - that’s a main part of why I enjoy working for Costain
and working on Crossrail. I’m really quite enjoying being part
of something much bigger and that’s going to provide a lot of
benefit to a lot of people when all is said and done.’
After leaving medical school, George joined a health
and safety consultancy, which at the time was working with
Costain on its Prince’s Trust programmes - the initiative works
with young people who are not in employment or education
to give them the skills needed to work on a construction
site. While in that role, he found out about the opportunity to
pursue a higher apprenticeship with Costain.
‘I don’t look back on it with any
regret,’ said George, reflecting on his
decision to pursue engineering over
medicine. ‘It was certainly something I
was very passionate about at the time. I
still have the greatest amount of respect
for my friends who still are working and
studying… so no bad feelings about it,
but it was just a very personal decision
as this is not the career that I want to
work towards. What else can I apply for?
What else can I apply myself to that’s
still beneficial, worthwhile?’
Crossrail's
Plumstead
railhead in
South East
London.
REPORT BY MARC JOHNSON
LIFE OF ACROSSRAIL APPRENTINCE
All Photos © High Viz Media
34 INTERVIEWS RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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34 INTERVIEWS
APPRENTICE FORUMUpon completion, George will achieve an NVQ Level 5 in construction
management and a HND Level 5 in construction in the built environment from
East Berkshire College. With his apprenticeship almost over, George is looking
forward to moving on to the three-year Costain Graduate Scheme, which he is
eligible for thanks to credits earned while at medical school and courses he’s
completed since, in his spare time, through the Open University.
The contribution of ATC’s apprentices is clear. It was an ATC apprentice,
Charley Whitlock, who won Crossrail’s Apprentice of the Year award in
March. Several more apprentices were highly commended and ATC won
the Outstanding Tier 1 Contractor award for the work it has done around
apprenticeships. ‘I think that the management on the project are both very
supportive of apprentices and provide us with a number of very beneficial
opportunities for work on the project.
George had
been training
to become a
doctor before
choosing
a career in
engineering.
CROSSRAIL APPRENTINCE
RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 INTERVIEWS 35
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INTERVIEWS 35
the nature of the roles that they go into,’ said
Caroline Towner, Costain’s apprenticeship
manager. ‘They need to be able to learn on the
job quite quickly and they need to have really
good organisational skills and they need to be
able to communicate effectively.’
Later this year, George will become the
first Costain apprentice to join the graduate
scheme. Caroline said she was immensely
proud of George’s achievements and hopes
to see more apprentices going down this
route. ‘The buzz for me is to see them achieve,’
said Caroline, who has been managing
apprenticeship programmes for 23 years.
POSITIVE CHOICEApprenticeships are a positive choice,
says George, when asked about the stigma
that still exists, to some degree, around
apprenticeships. However, there is evidence
to show this is changing. In 2015, the
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
(UCAS) recorded a 20 per cent increase in
apprenticeship applications.
With the option to study up to degree level
with an apprenticeship, George thinks it’s not
just a positive choice, but the obvious one.
‘Do you want to spend three years and get
something like £30,000 into debt to get a
degree or would you rather spend five years
earning for a company that actually values
you and still get a degree at the end of it?’
‘We’re given an appropriate level
of responsibility, but one that certainly
pushes and challenges us. We’re
certainly not just making tea or doing
photocopying, but equally we’re not
just left out on our own.’
‘We’re expected to be the trainee
engineers,’ he added. ‘We’re expected
to be able to represent and answer
questions on, and provide information
on, our respective disciplines. We are
certainly seen as full members of the
teams that we work within.’
George has also helped to establish
an apprentice forum within the ATC
Systemwide joint venture, which allows
the 15 or so apprentices working on the
C610 contract the opportunity to meet
with Costain’s apprentice manager
once every couple of months to discuss
any issues. ‘I think apprenticeships as
an entity, are hugely beneficial and
positive for the industry,’ said George.
‘You’re actually bringing in people who
want to work and contribute to the
company, to something bigger, whilst
learning as well.’
Costain currently employs 114
apprentices. Of these, 48 work within
the rail business as civil engineers,
surveyors and administrators.
‘It’s the nature of the project. It’s
Do you want to spend three years and get something like £30,000 into debt to get a degree or would you rather spend five years earning for a company that actually values you and still get a degree at the end of it?
36 INTERVIEWS RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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Delivering whole life, end-to-end asset lifecycle solutionsAs one of the UK’s leading engineering solutions providers, we specialise in technical delivery, innovative expertise and sustainable solutions.
We are engineering tomorrow today, through more innovative products and services that will shorten lead times, enhance the quality of project delivery and, above all, provide cost-effective solutions.
We bring our extensive knowledge and experience to deliver value to our customers’ assets across all phases of the project lifecycle:
Advisory and design Complex programme management Operations and maintenance
Speak to our Rail team today
01628 842444
www.costain.comScan here to discover why
you should choose Costain
0457 Mackenzie Rail Sector Magazine Ad.indd 1 14/04/2014 09:53
THREE PEAKS TRIUMPHTHIS YEAR'S 3 PEAKS CHALLENGE BY RAIL HAS RAISED CLOSE TO £165,000 FOR RAILWAY CHILDREN, BRINGING THE TOTAL RAISED FOR THE CHARITY TO £2.4 MILLION.
Three Peaks by Rail was launched in 2004.
A team from the Department for Transport
achieved the fastest time this year, completing
the combined 11,200 feet of climbing in just 13
hours 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
Says Katie Mason, events manager from
Railway Children, ‘This year we introduced
a new award for ‘Best Team Support’, which
was won by Ashurst. One of their young team
members, Michael Smith, lost most of his sight
a few years ago, yet still managed to climb every mountain
with help from his team members, who talked him through
each step. It was very emotional and inspiring when they
crossed the finish line at Ben Nevis.’
A team from Rail Media completed the gruelling challenge
along with 39 teams. Teams tackled Britain’s three tallest
mountains in one weekend.
Starting at Euston and picking up more climbers at Crewe,
the first stop was Bangor where, after a short coach ride,
the teams tackled Snowdon in the dark, rain and mist. Not
pleasant, but there was still a sense of achievement once the
first peak was reached.
Says Rail Media’s Paul O’Connor,
who completed the challenge for
the fourth time, ’As soon as you
step back onto the train having
completed Ben Nevis, you say to
yourself ‘never again’, but a couple
of months later you’re signing up
for next year. There’s something
addictive about it.
‘Physically, it is a real challenge, but
the support team are amazing and
the atmosphere among those taking
part really helps to drive you on.’
Katie Mason thanked the legion
of support staff who crewed the
train and looked after the climbers.
‘The on-board crew of volunteers
were amazing as always, preparing
delicious food and refreshments.
Their unrivalled commitment has
been an integral part of everything
we have achieved over the years. A
special thanks also needs to go to
one of our train drivers, who donated
his day’s salary to the charity and
the companies supporting this year’s
challenge - Riviera, DRS, Network
Rail, Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway,
ATOC and Rail Gourmet.’
Paul O’Connor added, ‘It’s a great
cause to support and a small sacrifice
to make given the situations of the
thousands of children and young
people the charity supports.’
The Rail Media team of Adam
O’Connor, Jolene Price, Karen
Edwards and Paul O’Connor were
all snug in their waterproofs that
had been supplied for the occasion
by PPE specialists Gore, along with
head torches from Tower.
Ravenglass was the next stop,
where a change of trains onto the
narrow-gauge Ravenglass and
Eskdale Railway brought hikers
closer to Scafell Pike, although
it was still a two-hour walk to the
bottom of the mountain. After a
sunny and drizzly climb, it was off
to Fort William to tackle Ben Nevis.
This time the weather was much
better so a good view greeted the
39 teams, all of which completed
the course. A very happy, and tired,
group made it back to the train for
home.
38 NEWS RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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THREE PEAKS TRIUMPH
Tough on
the legs, but
beautiful views
power you on.
The weather
was relatively
kind to the
teams this year.
'Physically, it is a real challenge, but the support team are amazing and the atmosphere among those taking part really helps drive you on.'
RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 NEWS 39
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39
Cat Gibson is a big supporter of Safeguarding Children on Transport (SCT). Now training and competency manager at Network Rail, Gibson was shift station manager at Manchester Piccadilly from May 2007 until March 2016. It’s a challenging job in one of the North’s biggest and busiest premier gateway stations. She talked to Andrew Collis at Railway Children.
‘I decided to get involved with the SCT
programme because I was already the single
point of contact with BTP for Piccadilly station,’
says Cat. ‘I had contacts with all 18 of the
stations that Network Rail manages nationally,
so I was well placed to extend the scheme… I
thought if it’s worth doing here, it’s worth doing
everywhere.’
Gibson sees the programme as a logical fit
with proactive security mindfulness. Training is
thorough and professional.
‘The training builds on what I was already
doing with BTP and the Counter Terrorism Unit
and organisations like the Samaritans. It’s all
about looking beneath the surface at what’s
really going on. With young people it particularly
equipped me to look beyond antisocial
behaviour - to stop seeing that surface issue as
if it’s the main issue - and understand what might
be going on to drive that behaviour.’
A case of conversation ‘The training provided me with a useful toolkit
for starting conversations. That’s what we need
to be doing at stations - not just to stop the
behaviour or to move people on but to start a
conversation and ask some questions.’
SCT training helps build confidence and
bridge the gap between how effective people
think they are - usually over modest - and in fact
how effective they can be. It’s a case of initiating
conversations - often with people very different
from yourself.
‘Rail is a male-dominated industry. I think
some of my male colleagues particularly felt
a bit of fear about starting conversations with
young people at stations - about how that would
be perceived - but the training has just helped
give us the confidence and understanding to
know we can and should be doing that.’
Sadness in the eyes
Haunting images from the course stay with
Cat. ‘There’s a picture from the training materials
that really sticks in my mind: it’s a young
person sort of hiding - out of the way - in the
sort of places we do sometimes see them at
Piccadilly - like under a stairwell. It’s the sort of
situation where you’d walk past and think ‘Uh
oh! Trouble. What are you up to?’ When we did
this with the group, everyone’s initial response
was just that - that the young person looked like
they were up to no good. But actually when you
look at the picture more closely you can see
bruising on the person’s face. And there’s a sort
of sadness in the eyes. So when you look again,
you see so much more. I thought that was really
powerful and my colleagues responded to that
really well too.’
The SCT training is soon put to good use.
Just a few weeks after attending a training
course, Cat Gibson encountered a young
man and a girl, 16, spending a lot of time at
Manchester Piccadilly. ‘They were quite abusive
to our staff. They’d swear and shout and say
things like ‘you know you can’t touch us’. We
worked with BTP to find out what was going on
and to start that conversation.’
It turned out there were serious problems
- including the relationship with the male -
alcohol, and the girl’s care home, which planned
to ask her to leave, citing antisocial behaviour.
Following on from that initial conversation,
helped by the BTP and social services, the girl
received remedial support and kept the place
where she lives.
Nephews and nieces The value of the course in SCT lies in
knowing what to do when confronted with
outwardly recalcitrant youngsters at railway
stations. It’s a basic skill set in non-threatening
intervention.
‘I believe anyone who works on the
frontline of the railway would benefit from
the SCT training. It is so simple: Be Aware,
Be Concerned. Look and look again. It is not
a complicated new skillset – the SCT trusts
that you as frontline staff already have the key
skills to deal with safeguarding issues. It simply
gives you the confidence and structure to
start a conversation where perhaps you would
usually just walk past. We so often avoid getting
involved because we don’t know what to do.
This is an opportunity to gain that confidence
and use the experiences we deal with every
day to help vulnerable young people.’
Gibson brings the point home by urging staff
to think about those close to them. ‘Think of
your own family. Think of your children, nieces
and nephews. How would you feel if they
ended up on the streets or they came to a
station because they had nowhere else to go?
You would want to know that rail staff would be
there for them and would help them, wouldn’t
you?’
Light and busy Why do railway stations attract runaways and
homeless children? Food kiosks are expensive.
It’s more basic than that. ‘Our stations, and the
railway in general, appeals to young people as
a safe place to go. Stations are light and busy
and much safer than the street.’ The runaways
are already there. What the railway does
about them reflects on the industry as a whole.
Frontline staff have an essential role to play.
Certain behaviours have underlying causes
not immediately apparent. Vulnerable adults
and people with mental health issues make for
stations too.
‘Our staff are our key resource. Equipping
them to deal with scenarios that present
themselves every day is important for an
engaged workforce. It also helps ensure that the
railway is a safe place for everyone. Too many
vulnerable children and young people pass
invisibly through our stations every day. Who
knows what difference a simple conversation
with someone who is willing to spend the time
might make?’
Open return to childhood ‘If you look at the bigger picture again,
building a strong workforce, that’s not afraid
to have difficult conversations, has benefits in
many ways.’ Not least it can make a lifetime’s
difference to younger, more vulnerable people
at stations.
‘We are all entitled to a childhood. Most of
these vulnerable young people have already
A sadness in the eyes
40 NEWS RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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Railway Children and British Transport Police have joined forces to back a new Safeguarding Children on Transport programme.
Developed by Railway
Children, the programme aims
to improve staff awareness of
vulnerable children and young
people on the railway. According
to research, every five minutes
a child runs away from home
in the UK. Railway Children
estimates that 16,500 children
are at risk of sexual exploitation
every year.
Children in need of care and
affection will often seek this
in inappropriate places. They
become easy prey for child
abusers who operate to groom
children without them realising.
In 2014, British Transport Police
(BTP) received approximately
6,000 reports of child
safeguarding incidents at railway
stations.
Says Terina Keene, chief
executive at Railway Children,
‘Children often behave in ways
we perceive to be troublesome,
but this can be the result of
things that have happened, or
are happening, to them.
‘By enhancing the awareness
of railway staff and retailers at
stations, we can create a network
of people who understand,
identify and support children who
are vulnerable or at risk across
the railways.’
BTP’s Assistant Chief
Constable, Mark Newton, says
staff are the eyes and ears of
the new campaign. ‘Children
are a priority and in forming
this collaborative group, we are
able to share our professional
knowledge and ensure that we
safeguard children in the best
way we possibly can.
‘Staff play a vital role in
spotting and reporting unusual
behaviour. They can be our ‘eyes
and ears’ as they go about their
day-to-day work by providing us
with the information we need to
recognise signs of vulnerability or
potential exploitation.’
Railway Children is also
working with BTP, train operating
companies and charity sector
partners to ensure better
For the second year running, the Rail Rugby charity tournament took place at the birthplace of the sport, Rugby School in Warwickshire, raising £70,000 for Railway Children.
With the support of Network
Rail, 14 teams from across the rail
industry competed to become
the 2016 Rail Industry Touch
Rugby Champions.
Says Katie Mason, events
manager at Railway Children,
‘The success of last year’s
inaugural tournament was
always going to be a tough act
to follow, but the enthusiasm
and extraordinary commitment
from our rail industry supporters
was outstanding, ensuring a
great day and £70,000 raised
for vulnerable street children. A
big thank you to everyone who
contributed to making the event
such a success, in particular our
tournament sponsor VolkerRail
and Nuffield Health for giving
amazing sports massages.’
The tournament is the
brainchild of Katie Ferrier, a
senior programme manager at
Network Rail. ‘The continued
success of this charity
tournament is an inspiring
response for a great cause and
its significance goes beyond the
money alone.
‘At the heart of this event’s
success is the generosity of
the competitors and volunteers
involved, all coming together and
helping to give a louder voice
to the millions of street children
across the world,’ said Katie.
Morson International were
the winners (pictured). The day
concluded with an evening with
rugby legend Kyran Bracken,
sponsored by ABC Electrification.
Touch rugby win for Railway Children
BTP Safeguarding help
reporting of incidents and
to increase availability of
emergency accommodation for
16 and 17 year olds.
Says Mark Newton, ‘We all
have a responsibility to look
after children and whilst these
incidents are rare, if you see
something that doesn’t feel
right, please report it to us,
however small or insignificant
you may think it is. Your
information may just help to
save a young life.’
aid to a young woman. I didn’t ask
her age, but I could see she was
really just a teenager. Her face was
really cut up. I needed to clean her
injuries but she said, ‘don’t touch
me - I’m HIV positive.’ I persuaded
her that it was OK and anyway I
had gloves on.
‘She let me help her and talked
to me a bit. I asked her how she
got hurt and she said, ‘at work.’ She
was working in the sex industry.
She called herself a dancer. I gave
her the number for MASH - a
sexual health charity. This was
before the SCT training and before
our work with Railway Children. I
don’t know what happened to her
- or if she accessed any help - but I
still think about her.’
The programme has seen
different elements of the railway -
station staff, train crew and police
- coming together to make a real
difference. Supporters hope the
programme will be expanded
across the rail network. A recent
SCT Champions training day in
Leeds was a great success. More
are planned. To get involved contact
[email protected] or go to
www.railwaychildren.org.uk/SCT
been deprived of that right. By
simply starting a conversation and
passing on the right contact details,
maybe we can ensure that some
of these young people get some
of that back.’
At Manchester Piccadilly
enthusiastic staff, alert to the
dangers young people face, are
starting conversations, looking
again rather than dismissing what
looks like antisocial behaviour.
‘I’m keen to roll out the training
to other more remote rail locations
in my new role. I would like to take
the training to trackside staff who
might be the first to see a young
person trespassing on the line. I
would like them to understand that
they need to do more than just
getting that person away from the
line. They can talk to them too.’
HIV positive ‘I’ve seen so much at Piccadilly
over the years - especially on
night shifts. There’s one incident
that really sticks in my mind - from
years ago. It was about 03.30 on a
Saturday morning. The station was
full of drunk young people hanging
around. I was called to give first
RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 NEWS 41
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Prior to any significant construction
or remedial works being
undertaken on the infrastructure
a ground investigation (GI)
is carried out. So what is the
purpose of a GI?
A ground investigation is
carried out in order to enable
a geotechnical and geo-
environmental assessment
of the ground conditions and to analyse the
engineering and environmental considerations
related to the proposed site.
These investigations are usually carried
out initially at GRIP 2/3 stage and then a more
detailed Investigation at GRIP3/4 once the single
option has been decided upon. So what sort of
equipment carries out this challenging work? In
short, the most suitable type of plant for the job.
Bridgeway Consulting Ltd specialises in
planning and executing the most challenging
of GI’s on the network by utilising an array of
standard and bespoke equipment.
WHAT LIES BENEATH
RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF
42 GEAR+TECH RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
TRIAL PITTINGThe basic method of attaining sub-strata
information on or off track. On track generally
hand dug due to the cost of on-track plant
and the limited working area.
Pros: Relatively cheap, able to extrude
large bulk samples for testing, easy to gain
California Bearing Ratio (CBR) readings from
base of the pit employing TRL probe, exposes
foundations to structures, allows good
examination of material types and layers in-
situ, allows slow careful excavation to expose
services.
Cons: Limited information for design
purposes can be gained, limited depth
without Form C for temporary works design
(shoring) in rail environment, limited in location
with regards to the track support zone.
WINDOW SAMPLINGThe workhorse of rail GI. These relatively
lightweight rigs are easily transportable by
hand trolley and manoeuvrable on track. The
maximum depths achievable are dependent
upon ground types and conditions which
should be ascertained and estimated at
desktop study phase.
WS RIG
Pros: Maximum achievable depth 12m
drilling 15m probing, strength profiling
possible DP-H, DP-SH, & SPT, cased
holes, good sample recovery, disturbed &
undisturbed samples (Ut70) samples possible,
Portable on site, moved via hand trolley on
track, 108mm diameter maximum decreasing
with depth.
Cons: Requires possession of the line or
safeguarded (all lines blocked) line blockage,
decreasing diameter sampler gives limited
sample size for testing.
ROTARY PERCUSSIVEDRILLING
Rotary rigs are conventionally used to
‘follow on’ when a cable percussive rig
hits bedrock. These rigs have the ability to
take quality samples of bedrock for further
geotechnical testing.
COMMACHIO GEO 205PERCUSSIVE RIG
Pros: Maximum achievable depth 60m,
standard mob 20m equipment, strength
profiling possible through DP-SH & SPT, cased
holes, good sample recovery, disturbed and
undisturbed samples (U100, Ut100) samples,
cored samples of bedrock, can core through
platforms & car parks, 20m per eight-hour
shift achievable depth with testing in suitable
ground conditions.
Cons: Difficult to access track side without
road rail vehicle, Noisy for night works as it
runs a compressor in addition to the engine,
Requires relatively large working space
compared to other methods available.
SLOPE DRILLINGWhile slope climbing rigs have been around
and utilised for a number of years, over the
past few years they have been embraced in
the rail sector as they allow the works to be
conducted often with the line open to traffic.
IBEXBESPOKE SLOPE CLIMBING RIG
Pros: Can access up to and including 55
degree slope from greenfield/brownfield
access, maximum achievable depth 30m,
standard mob 15m equipment, strength
profiling possible through DP-SH & SPT,
cased holes, can rotary auger, good sample
recovery, disturbed and undisturbed samples
(U100, Ut100) samples, cored samples of
bedrock, quick installations.
Cons: Large machine, track access requires RRV, mobilisation costs are quite high due to size and weight for haulage, not as powerful conventional rotary rig as the GEO 205, noisy for night works as it runs a compressor in addition to the engine, requires relatively large working space.
CABLE PERCUSSIVECable rig drilling has been the mainstay
of the GI industry for many, many years.
Conventional cable rigs are large, bulky
and have to be towed by a vehicle. BCL
developed a cable rig transportable like a
Window Sample Rig to work in areas usually
inaccessible to this proven method of
investigation.
D1500TRACK PERCUSSIVE RIG
Pros: Maximum achievable depth 50m,
standard mob 12m equipment, strength
profiling possible through SPT, cased holes
6 inch standard, 8 inch possible for shallow
depths, good sample recovery, disturbed and
undisturbed samples (U100, Ut100) samples,
12m per 8 hour shift achievable depth with
testing in good ground conditions
Cons: Not the same pull back power as a
standard rig but far more mobile. Mast has
to be stripped to ensure the rig is under the
maximum permissible weight for hand trolleys.
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RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 GEAR+TECH 43
SOMME OFFENSIVE MARKED BY RAILWAY
The rail industry
continues its
commemoration of
the First World War
with a series of events
to mark the Battle of
the Somme in which
one million soldiers
were either killed or
wounded. On the first
day alone 57,000 British troops died.
The Somme Offensive lasted from
1 July 1916 until November.
Staff from TransPennine Express
(TPE) took part in the Somme
commemoration parade on Friday
1 July 2016 in Manchester. Matt Strode,
a TPE driver based at Manchester
Piccadilly, said, ‘I served in the Royal
Navy as an Able Seaman Radar
Operator for seven years from 1992
– 1999, aboard the HMS Exeter and
HMS Glasgow. I served in Singapore,
Mombasa and most of Europe too,
but on Friday the main reason I was
marching is to honour the memory of
my great uncle, William John Strode,
who was killed at the Battle of the
Somme at just 19 years of age.’
We’re here because we’re here
Men dressed as soldiers in First
World War uniforms visited trains and
stations, sang marching songs and
handed out cards with the names
of soldiers who fell. Cities visited
included London, Belfast, Sheffield,
Manchester and Glasgow.
The National Railway Museum
(NRM) marked the day by opening
a new exhibition featuring the
Ambulance Trains used to ferry
thousands of seriously injured troops
away from the front.
Descendants of ambulance train
medical staff gathered with museum
experts to mark the anniversary
by opening the new display, which
explores the little-known story of the
trains that evacuated injured soldiers.
Ambulance trains reconstructed
The centrepiece of the exhibition is
an historic railway carriage of the type
that would have been converted for
use in a First World War ambulance
train, transformed inside and out to
recreate the atmosphere on board
these hospitals on wheels.
The carriage has been carefully
transformed both inside and out
to enable visitors to step on board
and move through spaces including
a ward, a pharmacy and a nurses’
mess room. Digital projection, sound
and historic images, alongside
interior fittings, recreated an intense
atmosphere of these confined trains.
Jane Sparkes, interpretation
developer at the NRM, said the
exhibition, Ambulance Trains, not
only explores stories of the wounded
soldiers who travelled with their
harrowing memories of warfare,
but also the medical staff who
worked tirelessly in claustrophobic
conditions to provide comfort and
care.
‘It also looks at the railway workers
who built the carefully designed trains
at incredible speed to keep up with
demand, and the wider public who
saw the grim reality of the overseas
war when these trains pulled into
British stations.’
'Their name
liveth for ever
more.'
REPORT BY ANDY MILNE
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44 FEATURE RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
SOMME OFFENSIVE MARKED BY RAILWAY
Nurses honoured
Among the descendants of
ambulance train medics gathered
to open the exhibition was Caroline
Stevens, whose ancestor Kate Evelyn
Luard worked on an ambulance train
in France for the entirety of the First
World War. Caroline Stevens said, ‘My
great-aunt Kate Evelyn Luard worked
on First World War ambulance trains
for the first year of the war.
‘From 1915-1918, she also served
in a field ambulance and as sister in
charge of casualty clearing stations
on the Western Front. She carried
out her duties with unfaltering
composure and dedication to those
in her care under difficult and often
dangerous conditions and was one
of the few nurses to be awarded a
Bar to her Royal Red Cross. We are
delighted to be at the opening of
the National Railway Museum’s new
exhibition which has been inspired
by people like her and which
features extracts from the numerous
letters she sent back to her family
from France.’
Barbed wire The Battle of the Somme was an
attempt by the French and British
to break the emerging stalemate
on the Western Front. The attack
was launched on a 20-mile long
front, from north of the Somme
river between Arras and Albert. An
eight-day bombardment failed to
destroy German positions or barbed
wire entanglements. British troops
running across open ground were
often caught in the barbed wire and
mown down by machine gun fire.
Allied commanders continued to send
French and British troops over the top
all summer.
Railways on battlefieldsA further exhibition, now on tour at
stations around the country, highlights
the role played by railways in the
Somme Offensive.
Jeremy Higgins, customer service
director of CrossCountry Trains and
author of Great War Railwaymen:
Britain’s Railway Company Workers
at War 1914-1918, said, ‘The Somme
is rightly remembered for its
unprecedented loss of life. With
military stalemate on the horizon,
the railway stepped in to support
the delivery of vital supplies to
the Western Front: thanks to the
leadership of senior railwaymen
such as Sir Eric Geddes, new rail
developments helped change Britain’s
military fortunes, leading to eventual
victory in 1918.’
Reginald and Gerald Wilkinson
Organised by the Rail Delivery Group
the exhibition tells the story of how
Britain’s railwaymen revolutionised
military operations by building battlefield
railway lines. By 1917, over 2,000 miles
of track had been laid on the Western
Front. This helped ensure ammunition
and supplies reached the frontline.
Approximately 1,000 railwaymen were
killed at the Somme.
The exhibition features the story of
two of them – Reginald and Gerald
Wilkinson, brothers from Yorkshire
who had worked for the North Eastern
Railway. Both men were killed on 1
July 1916, the first day of the Battle of
the Somme. The exhibition will be at
York station until September when it
moves to Swansea until October then
Birmingham New Street through till
December 2016. In the new year it
moves to Glasgow Central for January
and February 2017. ‘Their name liveth
for ever more.’
'The Somme
is rightly
remembered
for its unprec-
edented loss
of life...'
All Photos © NRM
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RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 FEATURE 45
Irish Rail currently use two General Motors built
locomotive types for their passenger and freight
requirements, the 1976 built ‘071 class’ and the 1994/5
built ‘201 class’. The 071 class were the prime Intercity
locomotives on passenger services. 18 years later, the
more powerful and faster 201 class flew in - the first (201)
being delivered by an Antonov An-124 aircraft arriving
from Canada on 9 June 1994. The 201 then assumed
most main line passenger duties with the 071’s being
used on freight and departmental services.
Tim Casterton reports on the milestones reached this year
for both types - the 071s turning 40 and the 201s reaching a
point where a ‘mid-life’ refurbishment is required following 20
years of hard acceleration, fast running and frequent stops
taking its toll.
New engines at mid-life refurbishment for 201sThe Iarnród Éireann 201 class, built in 1994/95 by General
Motors in London, Ontario was an order of 34 locomotives –
32 for IÉ and two for Northern Ireland Railways (208 and 209)
for the jointly operated cross-border ‘Enterprise’ services.
There are three variations with locomotives 201 to 205 and 210
to 214 supplied with fixed buffers and shackle couplings most
suited for freight use.
The remaining locos were modified before delivery to
have retractable buffers, electronic fuel gauges, automatic
or shackle coupling options and push-pull capability. For
operating the cross-border ‘Enterprise’ passenger services,
nine are fitted with HaslerRail 2500 Event recorders, NIR train
radio and TPWS/AWS.
By 2014 after twenty years of intense use and with a life
expectancy of 40 – 45 years, the class was due for a midlife
refurbishment as reliability was becoming an issue. Having
seen the success of the replacement of the HST engines in
the UK, Peter Smyth, the Chief Mechanical Engineer, looked at
the feasibility of replacing the ‘as built’ EMD 12-710G3B diesel
engines with a more fuel efficient type.
Although one of the most widely used types of engine used
internationally, it is basic 2 stroke with mechanical fuel with a
maximum power output of 3200hp (2,388kW). It also pre-dates
current emissions standards.
Technical visitsSmyth set a project brief to replace the current engine,
coolers, generator and loco control system with a modern, fuel
efficient replacement. The specification is to meet continued
mixed traffic use on 160 kph / 100mph push-pull passenger
trains and freight trains of various tonnage up to 1300t gross
weight (trials are currently taking place for longer freight trains).
To assess what the market could offer a number of companies
in the UK and Europe were visited.
Bogies and traction motors will remain
as now.
The current axle weight is 18.6 tones
and to maintain the current tractive
effort capabilities the re-engineered
locomotives will need to retain a
similar weight which may require some
ballasting.
Smyth received assistance from
Derby-based industry consultant
Russell Birnie for a feasibility study and
when that was completed in mid-2015
it showed a strong business case to
repower based on reduced life cycle
costs from maintenance and fuel
savings.
The study considered the suitable
engine types available in the market
and evaluated them considering various
scenarios. Birnie also assisted with a
technical specification.
Market interestIn March 2016 tendering for the work
commenced. Smyth advises that the
project created considerable interest
from the market. A lead integrator was
sought to take the locomotive and to
engineer and implement the solution
including choice of engine – the study
considers solutions of 1, 2 or 3 engines
could be possible.
Evaluation of tender returns is being
carried out this year with a contract
award being made early 2017. A
prototype will be developed and from
2017 to 2019 up to 4 locomotives at
any time will be worked on. The initial
requirement is for 22 locomotives with
options on a further 12. The 22 include
two owned by Translink Northern
Ireland Railways (208 and 209) and the
company has been involved and is fully
supportive of the project.
V.I.P. Charter use loomsTwenty two locomotives are currently
required for services employed on
the push-pull passenger trains on the
WORKHORSE LOCOMOTIVE REACH MILESTONES
IARNRÓD ÉIREANN
Cork line whilst the ‘Enterprise’ cross-
border services to Belfast sees them
used on the Bombardier push-pull
carriages. Number 216 is currently
being overhauled and re-painted as
the Belmond ‘Royal Hibernian’ luxury.
charter train. The class also sees regular
use on the IWT freight trains from Dublin
Port to Ballina.
Forty Years of the IÉ 071 Class2016 marks the 40th Anniversary of
the introduction of the Irish Rail 071 class
locomotive and it is being celebrated
with tours organised by the IRRS and
the RPSI. These revered diesel electric
locomotives were built at the LaGrange,
Illinois works of General Motors EMD in
1976 with an order of 18 type JT22CW
being placed.
Despite a few bumps and bruises
along the way all remain in service
in 2016. The 18 locomotives were
transported from the USA to Ireland
on Lykes Lines barge carrier ‘MV Tillie
Lykes’, arriving in Dublin Bay on 2
September 1976. Following off-loading
they were towed to Inchicore for
commissioning.
CIE and General MotorsFrom the early 1960s CIE had fallen
in love with General Motors (GM)
locomotives following earlier issues
with locomotives sourced from UK
companies. The smaller GM 121, 141 and
181 classes of Bo-Bo wheel arrangement
locomotives ran on the Irish network
for around 50 years and the 071 was
basically a development of these.
The 071s at 57’ in length were
around 13 feet longer, had a Co-Co
wheel arrangement and a top speed of
90mph with mixed traffic capabilities.
As delivered they had General
Motors 12 cylinder 645 E3C turbo
charged engines developing 2450 hp
at 900 rpm and with 2250 hp being
available for traction. The use of a
turbocharger gave some 50 per cent
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IARNRÓD ÉIREANN
greater power than was achieved
from a similar sized engine. Traction is
supplied through six axle-hung, nose
suspended series wound motors
driving independently.
Maximum tractive effort is 65,000
lbf with a continuous tractive effort
of 42,390 lbf (at 15.1 mph) providing
1823hp power at rail. Following an
engine failure that couldn’t be rectified,
locomotive 076, was re-fitted with a
645 E3E engine sourced from Sweden.
All of the locomotives are fitted with
straight air brakes.
Introduction to serviceFollowing delivery, an industrial
dispute resulted in the class being
stored at Inchicore Works for around 9
months with the first service train, the
14:30 Dublin to Cork, being worked by
082 on 23 May 1977. Once introduced
the locos could be seen operating
passenger services on all main lines
from Dublin except initially the Rosslare
line and the Great Northern route to
Belfast.
By autumn of that year the class were
noted on Knock Pilgrimage trains (to
Claremorris) and other special workings.
In 1979, the locos took over workings
on the line to Rosslare, however due
to interoperability requirements of
the ‘Enterprise’ services to Belfast,
introduction was delayed until 1982
when Northern Ireland Railways
purchased three similar locomotives
(designated 111 class) to operate the
jointly run services.
It wasn’t until 1996 that the class was
able to work the Ballina Branch due to
strengthening works being required
to the Moy bridge. Early in their career
the Co-Co bogies suffered some
issues, but these were resolved by
fitting additional dampers. The class
remained on front line passenger trains
until the introduction of the 201 class
locomotives in 1994 and of the 22000
class ICR railcars from 2007 onwards.
Four liveries over 40 years Initially locomotives wore a black
and tan livery with the CIE ‘broken
wheel’ logo displayed on the cab fronts.
Over the years new liveries have been
applied, the first revision being the
‘Supertrain’ livery with a bright orange
colour and the ‘plug’ logo.
Once the 201 class had arrived in
service and had taken over principle
passenger trains and subsequently
with Inter City Railcars operating the
remaining passenger services, the 071
class became the primary freight and
permanent way train loco on the Irish
network. Post 2011 a new freight livery
of black and silver was applied to the
class with the orange finally vanishing in
May 2013.
The latest livery is the ‘slate grey’ with
077 being the first painted in it in April
2013. The repaint into ‘slate grey’ also
coincided with substantial body work
and bogie overhauls. UIC numbers
are being applied (for example – 071
becomes 0117071). Whilst initially only
the UIC numbers were applied, now
the IÉ three figure number is also being
displayed. At the time of writing around
two-thirds of the class have received
the new livery.
None of the 071 class were named,
however 082 carries a commemorative
plaque in Irish and English reading
‘CUMANN NA NINNEALTOIRI / THE
INSITUTION OF ENGINEERS OF
IRELAND’. 071 and 076 both carry a
plaque to commemorate the 40 years
of services and this reads: ’40 years
1976 – 2016’ (with the old CIE ‘flying
snail’ logo underneath).
Overhauls and modificationsFrom 2011 onwards body repairs
were carried out to the locos at
Inchicore Works. A more substantial
repair and overhaul programme was
commenced in 2013 encompassing
engine rebuilds, refurbishing bogies,
under-floor piping renewal, air
tanks, new cab metal work and sealing to prevent drafts.
Modifications include: a new handbrake system, a Driver
Reminder Appliance (DRA) to reduce SPADs and structural
modifications to under-frame mounted diesel fuel tanks.
AccidentsTwo of the 071 class were sadly involved in serious
accidents involving loss of life. On 1 August 1980 number 075
was involved in the Buttavant derailment (2 miles north of
Mallow). The derailment occurred due to poor practice whilst
permanent way works were being undertaken and resulted in
the loss of 18 lives with 62 recorded injuries.
On 21 August 1983, 086 was involved in slow speed collision
in poor weather with the rear of a failed train at Cherryville (near
Kildare), this resulting in seven deaths and 55 injuries. The high
toll on the latter collision was due to wooden bodied carriages
and resulted in recommendations for restrictions in their use.
Trailblazers and tours This year several members of the class (076, 077, 079 and
083) were involved in the Irish Railway Record Society (IRRS)
celebratory tour to Limerick, Cork, Tralee and Waterford over
the weekend of 9 and 10 April. The RPSI operated a 40th
Anniversary diesel tour on 13 May as a prelude to the weekend
steam tour and IÉ repainted the class leader back into the
orange and black livery for this.
076 working the first container train from Dublin for 4 years
on 20 August 2009 and 081 the first diesel hauled passenger
train to both M3 Parkway and Docklands stations. In 2015 the
class were used to haul the first luxury railtour of Ireland, the
“Emerald Isle Explorer”, operated by Railtours Ireland.
Future assuredThe 071 class is still in great demand on freight services from
Navan, Dublin, Westport and Ballina as well as permanent way
materials trains. On freight services, two are required every
weekday on the Tara Mines to Dublin Port ore trains and they
see regular use on the IWT and DFDS intermodal trains and
pulpwood trains. With the current overhauls and the possibility
of more freight workings on the cards, the future requirement
for all 18 locomotives looks assured for some time yet.
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Freightliner Poland has taken delivery of the first of six new Dragon locomotives to bolster capacity for its growing Polish business.
In a special ceremony at Warsaw’s
Warszawa Wschodnia station the loco was
named ‘Ernest Malinowski’ – after the Polish
railway engineer and Peruvian freedom
fighter.
The Newag Dragon locomotives are built
in Gliwice, Upper Silesia, by Newag S.A. a
railway rolling stock manufacturing company
based in Nowy Sącz, southern Poland.
Ernest Malinowski was born in Poland in
1818 and raised in France where his father fled
after problems with the Russians - at that time
occupying Poland.
After studying at the National School of
Roads and Bridges, graduating in 1838, Ernest
Malinowski worked in Algeria and France
before moving to Peru.
The country was still trying to shake off
Spanish hegemony. Malinowski helped
build defences and commanded artillery
units at Port of Callao on the Pacific Coast.
The Spanish were unable to land their fleet
and Peru’s independence was assured.
Malinowski was proclaimed a national hero.
He went on to build the Central Trans-
Andean Railway - in 1870 - the then highest
altitude railway in the world. At the highest
point of the railway stands a memorial to
Ernest Malinowski. He died in 1899.
Fifty rail workers from Network Rail’s S&C South Alliance have transformed the grounds of Stratford upon Avon Youth Hostel.
They completed more than £10,000 of
landscaping and maintenance work in a
single day. The rail effort was part of S&C
South Alliance’s pledge to donate 1,000 days
of volunteering over the next 12 months.
The Youth Hostel is on Wellesbourne
Road in Alveston and work involved clearing
vegetation, replacing fences and undertaking
essential maintenance work.
As well as supplying staff, S&C South
Alliance also brought plant and equipment
used to maintain the rail network to undertake
substantial landscaping work. A disused
area of the car park was formed into the
New Shakespeare’s Amphitheatre. The new
outdoor theatre will be used by the hundreds
of students and school groups who visit the
Youth Hostel as part of their studies each year.
Stephen Dodgson, manager of YHA Stratford
upon Avon, said, ‘I am overwhelmed at what
has been achieved in a day by so many people.
‘The work has made a huge difference to
the youth hostel.
‘The new amphitheatre looks amazing, and
I can’t wait to see it put to use by the school
groups that stay with us. It will make their
stay at YHA Stratford upon Avon even more
memorable.’
YHA is a charity and aims to inspire people
to broaden their horizons through adventure
and discovery.
Rail help for youth hostel
Spirit of Peru
A team of intrepid cyclists from ATA Derby plans to raise money for Railway Children with a tough 1,000 mile cycle ride round Carsington Water in Derbyshire.
All the riders have been training hard in
the lead up to the challenge on 16 July.
As well as riders, the team is
fielding a dedicated array of first
aiders, mileometre-ologists, caterers,
puncture repairers and cheerleaders.
All that ’s needed now are donations
- go to: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.
com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/
showFundraiserProfilePage.
action?userUrl=ATABikeChallenge2016
ATA plans 1000 miler
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Railway staff at Thameslink have been helping unemployed locals in Luton. Working with Noah Enterprise, local station managers, Joe Healy and Sam Bowler, devised a programme which included help with interview techniques, a trip to Hornsey depot and lunch with Thameslink’s senior team in London.
Says Sam, ‘It’s been all about
building the confidence of
those involved and helping
them realise that they are
worthwhile individuals. By giving
them a little time and treating
them with respect they have
all really brightened up. When
they came to King’s Cross, we
had a small lunch where the
top teams spent time talking to
them. Apparently they had not
experienced anything like this
before. It’s quite humbling to see
a man actually stand a bit taller
and prouder as the day goes on.’
David, one of the participants,
who has now secured work in
Flitwick, said, ‘Before coming to
Noah, I had not been in work for
11 months and I felt my age was a
barrier to finding work.
‘My favourite part of the
course was the day trip to
Thameslink’s headquarters,
as this helped me to consider
different job roles that might
be available. The motivational
aspects of the course helped
me to understand my skills and
what I was looking for.’
Jim O’Connor MBE, chief
executive of Noah Enterprise is
delighted with the scheme. ‘A big
thank you to Sam, Joe and all
their colleagues. The visit to the
depot at Hornsey was a special
highlight and such a different
experience for our people. My
team puts great store by the
value of mentoring that has
been provided by Thameslink’s
managers. All of this is greatly
appreciated.’
More than 220 telent employees have joined forces to undertake a 1,100km-long relay around the UK to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
The relay has two starting points
- one in the north and one in the
south - with the teams making their
way to the finish line at telent’s
headquarters in Warwick. Many
others will be volunteering their
time to plan the various relay
legs, pit-stop logistics and will
be supporting their colleagues
en route with refreshments and
general encouragement.
Says Mark Plato, chief executive
at telent, ‘I am delighted that so
many staff, as well as some of our
customers, are getting behind the
challenge.
‘Macmillan is an extremely
important charity as many of us
have and will be affected by
cancer in some way during our
lives.
‘Through continued donations
and fundraising efforts, Macmillan
is able to provide much needed
support during very difficult times.
We’ve set ourselves a target of
£100,000 and are asking people
to dig deep to support the charity’s
on-going efforts.’
Adam Nash, account manager
at Macmillan Cancer Support, is
enthusiastic about the ambitious
race. ‘We are delighted that our
corporate partnership with telent is
continuing to go from strength to
strength.
‘Their staff are really pushing
themselves with their fundraising,
and we’ll look forward to
supporting them through this huge
challenge as well.’
To support the telent team in
raising funds for Macmillan, please
donate here: www.justgiving.com/
teams/challenge1100
Integrated transport takes on a new and dynamic dimension this summer as Orion Group’s rail division joins Turn Eight Racing as a sponsor.
The aim is to spread the
message that the rail industry and
rail businesses can be winners
in every race. The message will
reach contractors and individuals
seeking work and training
opportunities.
Turn Eight driver Pip Hammond
walked away with an armful of
trophies after three wins and
three fastest laps at Snetterton
in June.
Says Orion Group’s marketing
and communications director,
Scott Burns-Smith, ‘Our rail
division is delighted to be
sponsoring Turn Eight Racing,
and we look forward to seeing
the team on the podium in 2016.
‘This is our first season with
the guys and we are hoping for a
successful year ahead on and off
the track.’
Driver Gavin Johnson says he’s
delighted to have won backing
from top performing Orion
Rail. ‘Orion values its people
and is known for operating
at a consistently high level.
Something we hope to emulate
as a racing team,’ he said.
Snetterton Racing Circuit in
Norfolk is among the best in the
business and has undergone a
refurbishment in recent years.
It’s based on the former airfield,
RAF Snetterton Heath, base of
the United States Army Air Force
heavy bomber squadrons in the
Second World War.
Challenge 1100 for telent staff
Taller and prouder
Orion racers take off
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
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Three times a week Russian Railways (RZD) train number
024 leaves Paris Gare de l’Est at 18.58 to arrive, just over 37
hours later, at Moscow’s Belorussky station. The train has 17
stops which include departures from Strasbourg at 23.25,
Berlin at 07.13, Warsaw at 13.40 and Minsk at 01.04.
There is quite a history of trains between Paris and Moscow. After 1945, there was no through service until 1960 when a train using Russian sleeping cars was introduced. In 1969, this train became the Ost-West Express which also included through coaches from
Ostend to Moscow. In 1994, this train only served Brussels and stopped running in 1999. A through Paris-Moscow sleeping car started in 2007 and took about 48 hours. In 2010, a train between Nice and Moscow was introduced. Such was the demand for these services that the Paris to Moscow train started in December 2011.
Branded teapot The train consists of three luxury sleeping cars, five standard
sleeping cars and a restaurant car. The luxury cars have four spacious double occupancy compartments with their own toilet and shower for which the fare is about £820. These were built in 1994 and were recently refurbished.
The standard cars have eight compartments configured for either first class, with two passengers, or second class, with four, as well as an attendant’s compartment and two toilets, one of which has a shower. The first class fare is around £320 and the second class about £220, slightly less for the upper berth. Occupants are given bedding and a key card for their compartment. Snacks are available from the attendant. A nice touch is the Paris-Moscow branded teapot in each compartment that can be filled with continuously available hot water in the attendant’s compartment. Drinking water is also available.
These standard cars were built under a RZD order for 200 sleeping coaches awarded to Siemens and Russian coach builder Tverskoy Vagonostroitelny Zavod in 2009. They are the first Russian-built vehicles to meet RIC standards for use on networks of International Union of Railways (UIC) members. They weigh 59 tonnes, can run at 200 km/h and have interchangeable Russian and standard gauge bogies.
NIGHT TRAINTO MOSCOWDAVID SHIRRES MAKES EUROPE'S
LONGEST TRAIN JOURNEY - THE 3,483KM
PARIS TO MOSCOW SERVICE RUN
BY RUSSIAN RAILWAYS (RZD)
Standard
sleeper
compartment.
Bogie change
at Brest.
52 INTERNATIONAL RAIL RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
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Dinner with Russian familyI am on the train as RZD had invited me to
their 1520 Strategic Forum in Sochi. I share my four-berth compartment with Michal, Olga and their son Evgenia who welcomed me to ‘their’ compartment and insisted I share the meal they had brought onto the train. Their warm welcome was typical of my previous experience travelling on Russian trains. Although they speak little English, and I little Russian, I learn they are returning from a holiday in Paris and are to leave the train when it enters Belarus at Brest.
The train is full, although the restaurant car manager advises that it is less busy in winter. I wonder why people choose this train which takes 10 times longer than flying for about the same cost. He tells me that only about 40 per cent of its passengers are travelling from Paris to Moscow as many join and leave at Berlin and Warsaw. Some use the train because of the amount of luggage that can be carried for free. For others the experience of travelling on this train is an attraction in itself, especially for those who have treated themselves to the luxury cars.
Various overheads
The nine-coach, 523-tonne, train left Paris hauled by SNCF 25kV AC class BB 26000 locomotive. In Berlin and Warsaw there are stops at the city’s main station and one just beyond for operational reasons. In Berlin, the DB class 120 locomotive, which had hauled the train under the German 15kV 16 2/3 Hz AC electrification system was replaced by a Traxx class F140M locomotive that can operate under 25kV AC, 15kV AC, 3kV DC and 1.5kV DC overhead lines. This was needed to haul the train through both Germany and Poland, with its 3kV DC overhead line system.
At Warsaw, the restaurant car was removed. This is operated by the Polish train operating company, PKP Intercity. Its manager explained that this could not travel through to Moscow because of customs regulations. As it was the train’s third coach, its removal required a number of shunting moves.
Wheels within wheels
At the border between Terespot in Poland and Brest in Belarus, the train’s passengers faced their first customs and passport check to ensure that those travelling to Moscow had the required transit visa through Belarus. The train arrives at Brest at its standard gauge platforms. It is then shunted to a siding to empty toilet tanks and then, past sidings with dozens of bogies, to the two-road gauge changing shed. Here the train is split into two portions, each of which is split into individual coaches.
The standard gauge bogies were then disconnected and the coaches jacked up. These bogies were then pushed from under the coaches by a ‘train’ of Russian-gauge bogies moved by a cable system. Each Russian bogie was then positioned under its coach and the jacks lowered. It takes an hour to re-bogie the entire nine-coach train. This is done on tracks which are mid-gauge (between the 1435 mm standard gauge
NIGHT TRAINTO MOSCOW
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and 1520 mm Russian gauge). As a result, the standard gauge wheelsets have their rims near the railhead and Russian gauge wheelsets have their flanges against the rail.
Brest in the westMore shunting sees the Russian
restaurant car attached and the train moved to Brest’s Russian-gauge platforms. After a Russian class ChS4T 25 kV AC locomotive has been attached, the train leaves Brest 137 minutes after arriving at the station’s standard gauge platforms.
Although the Russian border is crossed at about 04.00, no-one is woken up for passport checks as the border check at Brest was also a passport check for Russia. At 09.21, RZD’s train 024 arrives on-time at Moscow’s Belorussky station.
At the head of the train is a ChS7T locomotive under 3kV DC overhead lines. After at least five locomotives, with a change of restaurant car and bogies the train has averaged 94 km/h between Paris and Moscow. It is certainly not the fastest journey
between the two cities but, for anyone with an interest in railways, it is the best way to travel.
Further information about this train is available from the man in seat 61 website.seat61.com/paris-moscow-express
Shunting at
Warsaw.
8,300 hp
Class ChS4T
locomotive at
Brest.
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has to offer young people, apprentices and graduates,
and I’m delighted to support them in encouraging
people to consider a career in the sector.’
Claire Perry MP, offered the support of the DfT
to help make Rail Week a success, saying, ‘We are
making the biggest investment in the railways since
the Victorian era, with major projects such as HS2
and Crossrail improving journeys for passengers right
across the country.
‘The career opportunities in rail are huge. And we
need skilled young people – men and women – to
build a future in the rail industry and help us deliver
these projects.
‘Who doesn’t remember waving at a train as a
child and the excitement we felt? It’s a question
of harnessing that enthusiasm and helping young
people understand what the possibilities are in rail.
‘That is what Rail Week is doing. I am delighted to
support it and I applaud the Young Rail Professionals’
initiative in making it a reality.’
The inaugural Rail Week has been a resounding
success, inspiring the industry to work collaboratively
to address the skills gap, and reaching thousands
of young people too. YRP and its partners are now
already planning for next year, learning lessons and
building upon the great groundwork to make 2017
bigger and better.
Turning vision into reality: our Rail Week journey
The concept of a national Rail Week was first
conceived by Young Rail Professionals in July 2014 as
we looked overseas to see what was being done to
attract young people to rail, and at what other sectors
were doing with similar goals.
Our vision for Rail Week was published in Autumn
2015, along with a strategy to deliver this pioneering
YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALSRAIL WEEK: PIONEERS
TACKLE THE SKILLS CRISIS
The inaugural Rail Week took place at the end of June, a pioneering
initiative co-ordinated by Young Rail Professionals which aimed to
showcase the opportunities and diversity available across the industry,
inspiring future generations to join this thriving sector.
Over the course of a week more than 70 train operators,
infrastructure companies, government departments and charitable
bodies threw open their doors to give students, teachers, career
advisors and parents a behind-the-scenes look at how the rail industry
keeps the UK moving.
Rail Week reached more than 1,500 young people at schools,
colleges and universities with over 125 events taking place across the country. These
were reinforced by 100 Rail Week STEM Ambassadors who visited schools to run rail-
themed educational activities; YRP worked with the educational charity STEMNET to
deliver this ambitious outreach programme. Among the schools to welcome Rail Week
STEM Ambassadors were St Mary’s High School in Hereford, All Saints R.C. School in
York and Warminster School.
Rail Week also coincided with seven regional Big Bang Fairs organised by
Engineering UK, and Rail Week STEM Ambassadors reached out to hundreds of
children at each event.
Equally, the Rail Week team was determined that over the course of the seven
days there would be a celebration of the passion and variety that is central to the
success of our railway industry; the fastest-growing and safest in Europe. By showing
off the diverse roles, career paths and entry points, Rail Week also emphasised the
importance of ensuring that the industry is open to everyone, irrespective of gender,
background or ethnicity.
Needless to say, with such an array of events happening across the country from
Portsmouth to Glasgow, it’s impossible to list each one, but a few of the site tours
which stood out included:
• A visit to the partly-completed Crossrail station at Farringdon in central London,
hosted by Bechtel and Crossrail Ltd;
• A tour of the Bombardier rolling stock factory in Derby;
• A visit to the control centre for the Merseyrail network in Liverpool;
• The ‘Rocket to Bullet’ exhibition at the National Railway Museum, York.
Nor were visits and open days the sole focus. Reflecting on the many multifaceted
disciplines necessary to support a complex network, the Department for Transport
held a seminar looking at the commercial aspects of the rail industry; Arriva
CrossCountry offered an Introduction to train planning; and Temple Group highlighted
the sustainability lessons taken from recent major rail projects.
‘YRP and our members know first-hand that the rail sector is a great place to work,
with exciting projects to get involved in, good career prospects, and a wide range of
different roles to undertake,’ explains YRP national chairwoman Sabrina Ihaddaden.
‘Unfortunately, many children, parents and teachers don’t realise the variety of jobs
and opportunities available. We hoped to change this with Rail Week.
‘Through Rail Week, we gave young people, parents, teachers and career advisors
first-hand experience of the projects, ideas and technology leading the sector today.
We welcomed them in to see behind the scenes of some of the biggest and most
innovative projects and show them how exciting and varied an industry rail is.’
‘The need to attract highly-skilled and capable talent is one of the biggest
challenges and most exciting opportunities facing the rail industry,’ added Nicola
Shaw, outgoing chief executive of HS1 Ltd and author of the recent Shaw Report into
Network Rail. ‘The long-term future of the sector is dependent upon drawing in ever
more diverse talent to the fantastic careers that are available in rail. Initiatives like Rail
Week are commendable for the work that they do in highlighting what the rail industry
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56 YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
initiative. The ambition was huge,
but in order to make an impact we
knew we needed a lot more than
just a list of possible events and a
database of ambassadors.
Our PR, communications,
branding and website workstreams
were created to help the industry
and education engage with Rail
Week. We also needed to equip
ambassadors and interested
companies with resources and
activities to promote the rail sector
in its best light.
Our Education Resources and
Industry Promotion workstreams
developed these materials, thus
creating a crucial repository for
the future. Rail Week’s interactive
activities are designed to help
young people understand how
their knowledge can be applied in
the real world.
YRP is always reliant upon
young people donating their
spare time in evenings and
weekends to deliver all of its
activities, and Rail Week was our
most ambitious challenge yet.
Our strategy recognised this, and
we sought help from industry
partners to provide support to our
workstreams.
In a fragmented rail sector
which is running to keep pace with
demand, it was always going to be
down to the volunteers of YRP to
take the lead in getting Rail Week
across the finishing line. But we
did have important assistance in
key areas, including funding for
public relations activity provided
through the High Speed Industry
Leaders’ Group.
In addition, YRP has managed
the Routes into Rail Universities
Presentation Programme for two
years and we know how tough
it can be to manage complex
events programmes. For this
reason we approached the
educational charity STEMNET
to help us form Rail Week STEM
Ambassadors, connecting the
rail industry to schools across the
country.
In spring of this year, more
and more industry players
were expressing an interest in
taking part in Rail Week, and
our workload became more
taxing still. Thanks to a generous
grant from the Department
for Transport, Department of
Business, Innovation & Skills,
Rail Alliance and the Railway
Industry Association, YRP was
able to hire Hannah Jones as Rail
Week delivery manager for three
months.
Hannah has been the unsung
hero behind Rail Week giving it
real momentum and transforming
the vision into reality. Under her
SUMMERBBQ
Happening in a region near you!
Meet like minded professionals, hear from our committees and find
out more about the YRP.
Good food, good company
Find out more about this, our latest news and events on our
website
youngrailpro.com
Network Rail and the Institute of Civil Engineering
(ICE) visited Twechar Primary School to help
encourage its pupils to become the engineers of
the future with an innovative hands-on workshop
– the Bridges to Schools initiative.
watch, Rail Week expanded from
25 participating companies to 66,
and from a dozen events to 125.
YRP would also like to give
credit to the following people
who’ve made outstanding
contributions to Rail Week:
• Giulia Lorenzini, RSSB
• Nick Kingsley, Railway Gazette
• Olivia White, TfL
• May-Ann Lew, SNC-Lavalin
• Mohanad Ismail, Telent
• Mutsa Kamudzandu, Telent
• Temi Afolabi, Lendlease
• Tom Aley, CPC Project Services
Lastly we must also give
particular credit to Adam Stead of
Instead Consulting. A former YRP
chair, Adam has led Rail Week
from its inception; conceiving
the idea and vision, and bringing
the programme team and
industry together to achieve the
unprecedented.
Our thanks also go to YRP’s
Corporate Members, without
whose continuing financial support
initiatives such as Rail Week would
not be possible.
The Shaw report published in
March 2016 called for a pan-
industry strategic focus on skills
and diversity in rail. We hope
we have risen to the challenge
through Rail Week, and we
look forward to continuing to
collaborate with the rail industry to
bridge the skills gap in 2017 and
beyond.
For more information on Rail
Week, visit www.railweek.com or
email [email protected].
SUMMERBBQ
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Meet like minded professionals, hear from our committees and find
out more about the YRP.
Good food, good company
Find out more about this, our latest news and events on our
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57 RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS
There was a time when women ruled the railway. By the end of the First
World War, an estimated 70,000 women worked on the network. Then,
as their male counterparts returned from the front line, they were either
let go or shuffled back into their pre-war roles.
Things have moved on in the decades since. Now the railway wants
them back.
In some areas the industry has been progressive: women now occupy
senior leadership roles in a way they didn’t 30 years ago and female
students are no longer blocked from certain careers on the railway
altogether. But the number of women in the rail industry, and engineering
more widely, hasn’t radically improved, and if things don’t change soon it could be
several generations before women are fairly represented.
NATIONAL WOMEN IN ENGINEERING DAYEngineering consultancy, AECOM made this point in the run up to National Women
in Engineering Day last month. The company suggested that if action isn’t taken,
it would be at least another generation before women are equally represented
in engineering fields. AECOM quoted figures from the Department for Business,
Innovation & Skills, which indicated that women make up less than 8 per cent of
apprentices in engineering and manufacturing technologies and that the numbers
have been tumbling, not rising, in the past few years.
‘I suppose it’s not really bothered me that I’m the only female in meetings,’ said
Philo Daniel-Tran, head of strategy at Thales. ‘What is nice as well though is to see that
there are more girls/women starting in fields of engineering and that the diversity has
improved, which just makes it a more natural working environment.’
Philo, alongside her colleagues Lydia Saunders and Lisa Walker, visited Prospects
College of Advanced Technology (PROCAT) in Basildon last month to speak to a
group of female students from the Chelmsford County High School for Girls about
what it is to be an engineer.
Thales, along with the likes of Eurostar, Virgin East Coast, Bombardier, Atkins and
TfL, sponsors PROCAT’s railway academy and uses the facility to train its apprentices.
The academy has its own full-size, functioning station platform, which includes
equipment donated by Thales.
The specialist technical college says it is engaging with its employers to encourage
more young women to pursue apprenticeships in rail engineering, but currently only 5
per cent of PROCAT’s engineering apprentices are female. Numbers did improve last
year, but it was a small increase overall.
Reflecting on what it is like to be a woman in the engineering sector, Philo said that
throughout her 20-year career she had ‘never felt wrongly done by’.
‘I’ve always felt like I’m just another individual,’
she said. ‘I’m good at what I do and I’ve been
there doing my work and I’m the best at what I
do, which is why I’ve got to the next position…
so I’ve never really felt that I’m a female and I’m
special or unique in that way.
‘I’m just another engineer doing my day job
and working with my colleagues, and they just
happen to be mostly male, sometimes they’re
female.’
Lydia (pictured above), a human factors
engineer, and Lisa, a systems engineer, both
agreed. It’s a scenario they’ve just grown to
accept. Speaking to one of PROCAT’s female
apprentices, it seems the new generation share
this view. ‘You just learn how to handle it,’ said
Sarah Stoppel, 20, a telecomms apprentice with
Thales. She is the only woman on her course,
but that doesn’t faze her.
Says Sarah, who is at the end of her second
year at PROCAT, ‘I started doing electronics
when I was like 13/14, and I was the only girl in
that… I’ve only ever been the only girl and I just
get used it.’
OUTREACH PROGRAMMEAre individuals like Sarah and Philo the
exception? Is engineering really just for boys or
is that rubbish? ‘Yeah, I think it is rubbish. I think
it’s about knowing what’s out there,’ says Philo.
Thales’ transportation business, as part of a
wider UK STEM outreach programme within
the company, has so far visited more than
25 schools, addressing in excess of 3,000
students aged between 14 and 16. It appears
to be having some success already. Of the
applications Thales received for its most recent
work experience week, around 40 per cent
were from female students.
LEARNING FROM THE PAST FOR THE SAKE OF OUR FUTURE
WOMEN INENGINEERING
REPORT BY MARC JOHNSON
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58 TRAINING RAILSTAFF JULY 2016
"I'm just another
engineer doing
my day job..."
Philo Daniel-Tran
Says Philo, ‘I think if you give them all the same
information, they make the decisions based on their
preferences, that this is actually a viable career and a great,
rewarding career to have.’
Some of the other stories to come out of National
Women in Engineering Day showed that many want to see
the end of the ‘used to it’ mentality shared by women in the
rail industry.
Women in Rail announced its list of the 20 Most
Inspirational Women in Rail, illustrating some of the
notable female role models within the industry. Women in
Construction, another organisation which promotes the
role of women in STEM fields, said it had placed its 600th
candidate into paid employment since 2011. The press
release announcing the news included a quote from Sir
Terry Morgan, who spoke about the success Crossrail has
had in the area.
‘Crossrail is doing everything it can to make construction
an exciting and attractive career option for women,’ said
Sir Terry. ‘Thanks to partnerships with organisations like
Women into Construction, Crossrail has been able to give
opportunities to hundreds of women who would not have
considered construction as a career. The benefits of a
diverse workforce are clear, but the construction industry
must continue do much more to grow its talent pool and
create a workforce capable of delivering the huge pipeline
of projects planned.’
DIVERSE WORKFORCE
To mark the day, Network Rail published
testimonies from several of its female engineers
and managers, including its chief engineer
Jane Simpson, who believes that the industry’s
acceptance of the need for a diverse workforce
will lead to change.
‘The railway industry has and hasn’t changed
since I joined in 1996,’ said Jane. ‘The core of what
we need to deliver and the passion and ambition
of our people to deliver a safe, reliable service is
the same.
‘When I joined I couldn’t fail to be impressed
by how much passion staff have for the industry
to be successful and this hasn’t changed. What
has changed is the understanding that we need
to be more inclusive if we are to get a more
diverse workforce that is representative of the UK
population.’
The railway once fielded 70,000 women in the
UK’s hour of direst need. In a challenging future
rail bosses see Jane, Lydia, Lisa and the returning
thousands are the cavalry.
Thales is currently running a STEM outreach programme, visiting more than 25 schools...
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Isolation Staff Required
Due to our continued success and business growth, TES 2000 are recruiting!
TES are at the forefront of safety, developing best practice and setting the standards for safer working in the industry. Specialising in Isolations, Electrification, Possession Management, Technical, Track Services and Safety Critical Training, there is no better time to join our team.
Working predominantly in the Anglia, Greater London, LNW South and LNE South areas, we are looking for skilled, enthusiastic and motivated people to join our operational teams with the following grades;
• Nominated Person
• Authorised Person
• Possession Support Staff
• Crane Controllers
• Qualified Trackman
• COSS/IWA
• Engineering Supervisor
• Linesman
• OLEC 3
Salary and Benefits
Competitive rates of pay apply and excellent
training and development opportunities will
be available to successful candidates.
Applications
To apply, please contact the HR team on:
Tel: 01206 799111
Email: [email protected]
>
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