railway strategies april-may 2013

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April/May 2013F o r S E N I o r r A I L M A N A G E M E N T

FOCUS ON

Geotechnical Engineering

Crossrail ‘s London tunnel marathon

NEWSNetwork Rail

launches Long Term Planning

Process

Government announces a fresh

start for franchising

Crossrail awards last major

construction contract

Delays caused by cable

theft halved

DLR carries one million passengers

in a year

Work starts at Manchester

Victoria

The Crossrail route includes a marathon-

equivalent 26 mile section of tunnels

Interview

RAILWAYS T R A T E G I E S

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FOR SENIOR RAIL MANAGEMENT

2013

Event preview P4

Crossrail’s chief engineer Chris Dulake explains how the tunnelling project is navigated

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2013Live

Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR Thursday June 27 th 2013

Inspiring ExcellenceCreating a Modern Railway for the Next Generation

For all enquiries contact Dave King or Mark Cawston on 01603 274 130

Gold Sponsor Silver Sponsors

Speakers to include: The Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP - Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade

Annette Gevaert - UK Director of the Rail and Transport Sector, Achilles Richard Holland - Vice President, Europe, UK & India, TBM Consulting Group

David Clarke - Director, Enabling Innovation Team Andrew Wolstenholme - CEO, Crossrail

Dr Martyn Chymera - Chairman, Young Railway Professionals David Waboso - Director of Capital Programmes, London Underground

Chris Rolison - Founder of Comply Serve LimitedRichard Price - Chief Executive, Office of Rail Regulation

Principal Speaker

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 1

ChairmanAndrew Schofield

Managing DirectorMike Tulloch

Editor Martin Collier

[email protected]

Managing EditorLibbie Hammond

Art EditorJon Mee

Advertisement DesignerJamie Elvin

Profile EditorKirsty Birkett-Stubbs

Advertisement SalesDave King

Andrew Bruns

Head of ResearchPhilip Monument

Editorial ResearchersKeith Hope

Karl Riseborough Gavin Watson

Joe Wright

AdministrationTracy Chynoweth

Circulation & Events

Karen Baur

No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means

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While every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content, the publishers cannot be held responsible for

any errors or omissions. Views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher.

Published by

Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre,

Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich NR4 6AU

Tel: 01603 274 130Fax: 01603 274 131

Wanted: great ideas

The rail industry is getting the taste for forward thinking

and long-term planning, beyond the Control Period

horizon. Following the recent ‘Radical Train’ competition,

the Enabling Innovation Team is offering a prize fund of

one million pounds for fresh thinking in the area of customer

experience. Online submissions are now invited, with final judging

at a live pitch event later this year. No doubt further similar

competitions will follow. TfL is also attempting to ‘stimulate

innovative thinking within and outside the transport industry’ by

means of the recently launched web-based Innovation Portal.

Ideas submitted by staff, suppliers, industry and academia will be

reviewed against a set of criteria including business impact and

ease of implementation. But in this instance there’s no suggestion

of any reward! In another new move, Network Rail is peering ten

to 30 years into the future in a series of market studies aimed at

predicting capacity requirements. The first of these looks at long

distance travel, London and South East passenger travel, regional

urban passenger travel, and freight.

From the Editorzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzHave your details changed? Are you reading someone else’s copy of Railway Strategies?Please email: [email protected] to amend your details or request a regular copy

Issue 78 April/May 2013 ISSN 1467-0399

Railway Strategies by emailWe are pleased to announce that, from now on, Railway Strategies will also be available by email as a digital magazine. This exciting development is intended to complement the printed magazine, which we will continue to publish and distribute to qualifying individuals, whilst also giving added value to our advertisers through a more widespread circulation. To secure your continued supply of Railway Strategies in either digital or hard copy format, please contact our subscriptions manager Iain Kidd ([email protected]).

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76

Features

22 InterviewInterview – Chris Dulake 22Kirsty Birkett-Stubbs

How to keep your train catering services on track with mobile technology 52Simon Pont

Putting the rail passenger first 54Lior Arussy

Who goes there? Over 180 years of railway trespass 56Jamie Wilson

Taking the initiative 60Adeline Ginn

Sustainable & efficient tram depots in the 21st century 68Virgil Grot

The little black box that can keep trains on the tracks for longer 74Bryn Parry

Reviving Nigeria’s railways 92Malcolm Dowden

To protect & serve 119 John Hanratty

Profiles

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzContentsIssue 78 April/May2013

FP McCann 20Sprayed Concrete Association 32SRS Rail System Ltd 44AEG Power Systems 46Cambridgeshire Guided Busway 70Greenbrier 76Group Ermewa 80Inter Ferry Boats 84The Survey Association 86 Nottingham Tramlink 89 The Danish Railway Group 93 Greater Anglia 96 FT Transformers 99 SJ Rail 102Pod -Trak 104 ATG Access 107Socomec 112Arriva Trains Wales 116

20

News

61

29

Focus on... Geotechnical

Engineering

Focus on... Plant &

Equipment page 42

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzContents

New members 16

Industry News 11

Contracts 29

Products & Services 31

Franchises 50

Training 55

Security 57

Health & Safety 58

Stations 61

Integrated Transport 67

Rolling Stock 75

Freight 79

Conferences & Exhibitions 120

Getting technical 36Tony Wilcock

42

36

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

Event preview 4Hosted in association with


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Live2013

Network Rail



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2013Live

You can also follow the event on Twitter @RLive2013

Inspiring Excellence – Creating

a Modern Railway for the Next Generation

is aiming to combine all the fresh thinking

in this sector and bring it together in one

place. The event will highlight a number of

new perspectives on rail, from legislation

and technology to how the sector can

benefit UK PLC.

This event, which will have a totally new

and original approach, is taking place

on Thursday 27th June at the highly

prestigious Royal Geographical Society

in London (www.rgs.org).

The Royal Geographical Society is a

respected venue located in a wonderful

part of London, offering additional

benefits to attendees – this should attract

the largest audience to date. It has a

fully equipped, spacious auditorium, a

landscaped terrace and garden (which

should be utilised to its full potential with main sponsors).

Delegates should not fail to be drawn to that area for what

is planned.

Working in very close affiliation with the Rail Alliance and

its members, Railway Strategies Live 2013 will deliver a

conference that is designed to be a useful and memorable

learning experience for all delegates, and valuable resource for

sponsors and exhibitors.

Speakers have been lined up from leading UK rail

companies. Many of the topics associated with the future of

the rail sector, as well as current issues, will be covered.

Ten leading figures from the industry will be appearing –

Colin Flack, Chief Executive, Rail Alliance, Richard Holland,

Vice President, TBM, Principal Speaker - The Rt Hon

Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State

for Business, Innovation and Skills and

President of the Board of Trade,

Dr Martyn Chymera, Chairman, Young

Railway Professionals, Chris Rolison,

Founder of Comply Serve, Richard Price,

Chief Executive, Office of Rail Regulation,

Annette Gevaert, UK Director of the Rail

and Transport Sector, Achilles, David

Clarke, Director, Enabling Innovation

Team, Andrew Wolstenholme OBE,

Chief Executive Officer, Crossrail, and

David Waboso, Director of Capital

Programmes, London Underground.

Four senior procurement

representatives from Network Rail will

also be on hand to provide networking

opportunities throughout the day:

Jim Carter - Head of Contracts and

Procurement, Operations; Steve

Armstrong - Head of Category Management; Ken Blackley

- Head of Contracts and Procurement, NDS; and Gillian Scott -

Assurance Manager, Infrastructure Projects. They will also join the

main speakers for an interactive panel debate during the day’s

programme.

Adrian Shooter, former Chairman of Chiltern Railways, and

current non-Executive Director of Wabtec, Chairman of Oxford

LEP and Director of CBI West Midlands will also be joining the

panel debate and participate in networking opportunities.

Inspiring Excellence

The seventh annual conference from Railway Strategies Hosted in association with



2013Livezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Scan the QR code to visit: www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

The Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP is the Secretary of State

for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of

Trade within the coalition Government

formed in 2010

Principal Speaker

If you wish to get involved in what is promising to be an exciting and dynamic event contact: Mark Cawston on 01603 274 130Email: [email protected]

Guest Speakers

Agenda


Colin Flack Colin Flack is the Chief Executive of the Rail Alliance, a position that he has held since its formation in September 2007. He has a wealth of experience in the rail industry, based on running a successful rail logistics and engineering business of his own; as well as that gained from his current role in keeping abreast of the issues faced by over 250 member companies. After a distinguished career in the Army, Colin left the Services in 2004 and began two start-up companies within the rail industry. He has also previously been a long-standing member of the Rail Freight Group management board. Colin sees his role primarily as acting as a conduit for networking, both within the group and in a wider industry, and acting as a voice for all the members.

Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP Dr Vince Cable was appointed Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in May 2010. He is the Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham.Vince was educated at Nunthorpe Grammar School, York and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, where he studied natural science and economics and was President of the Union. He then studied for a PhD at Glasgow University.He served in the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet as Spokesman on Trade and Industry from 1999 to 2003, and Shadow Chancellor from 2003 to 2010. He was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2006 to 2010. After graduating, Vince worked as Treasury Finance Officer for the Kenyan Government between 1966 and 1968. From 1968 to 1974 he lectured in economics at Glasgow University. He then worked in a range of senior economic and foreign policy roles, before becoming Shell International’s Chief Economist in 1995.

Principal speaker

Conference chairman

08:00 – 09:00 Registration, Coffee & Networking, Exhibition viewing

09:00 – 09:15 Introduction and Welcome from COLIN FLACK, Chief Executive, Rail Alliance

09:15 – 09:45 RICHARD HOLLAND, Vice President, TBM (Gold Sponsor)

09:45 – 10:00 Introduction to Principal Speaker - VINCE CABLE

10:00 – 10:30 The Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade

10:30 –11:00 Dr MARTYN CHYMERA, Chairman, Young Railway Professionals: A view from the next generation that will deliver the future railway

11:00 –11:30 Coffee & Networking Opportunity

11:30 –11:45 CHRIS ROLISON, Founder of Comply-Serve

11:45 – 12:15 RICHARD PRICE, Chief Executive, Office of Rail Regulation

12:15 – 12:30 ANNETTE GEVAERT, UK Director of the Rail and Transport Sector, Achilles

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch & Networking Event

13:30 –14:00 DAVID CLARKE, Director, Enabling Innovation Team

14:00 – 14:30 ANDREW WOLSTENHOLME OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Crossrail

14:30 – 14:45 Coffee & Networking Break

14:45 –15:15 DAVID WABOSO, Director of Capital Programmes, London Underground

15:15 – 15:45 Q&A session with key speakers

15:45 Conference close

Richard Holland Richard Holland is Vice President, TBM, and leads operations for TBM consulting services in Europe, the United Kingdom and India. A lean practitioner since 1995 and a Six Sigma Black Belt, Richard Holland comes to TBM with more than ten years in discrete manufacturing in the automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods industries. He brings expertise in supply chain management in both inbound and outbound distribution channels as well as freight management, machining, and assembly. Prior to joining TBM, Richard was supply chain director and then divisional vice president of operations at Whirlpool’s Amana Refrigeration plant, with nearly $1 billion in sales. Before moving to the U.S. and joining Amana, Richard worked for Perkins Diesel Engines in Peterborough, U.K., where he held the site improvement position, working with Shingijutsu to implement lean throughout the facility. He then moved on to become production manager at Perkins’ large engine plant. When Perkins became part of LucasVarity, Richard moved to Lucas Aerospace where he led the LeanSigma improvement team for 27 Lucas sites worldwide, and participated in moving plants in France and the design of new facilities New York.

Please fill in your details and fax to: 01603 274 131Data protection: This information provided by you will be used for correspondence, billing and accounts for this event.

The data will also be held on a database to provide you with information on services that Railway Strategies magazine and Schofield Publishing provide in the railways field. We do not sell data information to third parties. If you do not wish to receive details of future events and services, please tick the box.


Dr Martyn Chymera Dr Martyn Chymera is the newly elected chairman of the UK-based networking association Young Railway Professionals (YRP). The organisation was founded in 2009 to bring together young people from across the global railway industry and is dedicated to promoting the railway industry as a great place to develop a career, and inspiring young people in rail to drive forwards through innovation and collaboration.

David Waboso David Waboso is an internationally renowned engineer and project manager, and is currently the Director of Capital Programmes at London Underground, where he is accountable for delivering the biggest upgrade in LU’s history, comprising of over £1bn of investment per annum in new trains and infrastructure.He has a passion for training and education of engineers and also the wider communication of engineering and its fundamental importance to human advancement. He has served on committees into the teaching of science and mathematics in schools, and speaks regularly to the media and radio/TV on engineering matters.

Andrew Wolstenholme OBEAndrew Wolstenholme is CEO of Crossrail, the largest addition to the southeast rail network in 50 years. Andrew was programme director on Heathrow’s £4.3bn Terminal 5 and later became BAA’s director of capital projects. He joined Balfour Beatty in 2009 and left, as director of innovation and strategic capability, in 2011 to take up the chief executive role at Crossrail.

David Clarke David Clarke is director of the Enabling Innovation Team (EIT) that has been set up by the rail industry to accelerate the uptake of innovation. The EIT reports into TSLG, and is supported by the Rail Delivery Group, Planning Oversight Group, and RSSB’s Board as well as the Department for Transport.

Richard Price Richard Price is Chief Executive of the Office of Rail Regulation. He joined the Civil Service after gaining his MSc in Economics in 1989. He then spent four years at HM Treasury, before leaving to work as a consultant for NERA Economic Consulting. In 1997 he returned to the Treasury before moving to the Home Office as Chief Economist and then Strategy Adviser to the Permanent Secretary. Richard was also a project director at the Prime Minister’s Performance and Innovation Unit in 2000-01. Between 2002 and 2006 Richard led the Treasury’s Enterprise and Business team, working on the development of industry and enterprise policy to drive UK economic growth. Richard was closely involved in the Hampton Review. Most recently he has worked at Defra in the dual posts of Chief Economist and Director of Corporate Performance, where he led a group of 230 staff. He has an enviable background - regulation; advising government at the highest levels; private sector; and spearheading transformational change.

Guest Speakers

Chris RolisonChris is the founder of Comply Serve Limited, a UK-based innovator that has developed a unique web-based project compliance system. With a background in electronics engineering, over the past 27 years he has been involved in taking a number of leading edge technologies to market with various organisations, including GEC, Racal Electronics, Zuken Inc., Gemstone Inc. and Telelogic UK (now part of IBM). Chris first discovered the need for improved project compliance and assurance solutions in the rail industry while at Telelogic AB, where his team was involved in delivering systems engineering related technology and services to a number of key rail projects. With a focus on project delivery and supply chain management, Chris founded Comply Serve in 2005 to bring a viable industry project compliance solution to market. Comply Pro is now used across many UK and international infrastructure projects by over 40 companies, including Crossrail, Banedanmark and Etihad Rail.

Annette Gevaert Annette Gevaert is Director of the Rail and Transport sector for Achilles in the UK and is responsible for the overall service delivery to more than 115 buying and 3500 supplier organisations that are members of the Achilles rail community, Link-up. Link-up is the UK rail supplier qualification scheme, which involves information collection, validation and monitoring. Annette manages a team of Account Managers and it is also her responsibility to develop the strategy for the scheme. Before taking responsibility for the Rail and Transport sector at Achilles, Annette was the Achilles Group Strategy Manager. She has also previously worked as a Programme Director at SAP. She holds an MBA from INSEAD, is a certified Project Management Professional and studied Business Administration at the University of Applied Studies in Stuttgart, Germany, in collaboration with Daimler.

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Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR Thursday June 27 th 2013

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Registration form:Please complete and return this form, together with payment details to:Railway Strategies Live 2013Schofield Publishing, 10 Cringleford Business Centre, Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich NR4 6AU

Sponsors & Exhibitors contact: Mark Cawston on 01603 274 130 or Delegates contact: Maxine Quinton on 01603 274 130 Web: www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

In the recent Budget, George Osborne outlined

his plans for the SBRI (Small Business Research

Initiative) scheme to incentivise innovation in

British industry. Indeed, UK rail currently offers

huge opportunities for innovation and the sector could

enormously benefit UK PLC but progress is slow due

to the prohibitive difficulty for smaller businesses to

place their innovative products and services in the

hands of buyers.

Fortunately, there are several organisations

designed specifically to enhance innovation in the rail

sector and answer this problem. Enabling Innovation

Team, the Rail Innovation Fund, Network Rail’s

innovation platform and member organisations like

the Rail Alliance are all encouraging SMEs to become

more active in the rail sector. Events such as Railway

Strategies Live are also a great way of encouraging

interactions between buyers and sellers. And Achilles’

Link-up community is playing a significant role in

continuing to drive innovation in rail.

Achilles works hard to enable buyers to make

informed procurement decisions and to pre-qualify

suppliers against the same standards. Instantly, this

transparency creates a level playing field for even the

smallest and newest of suppliers. When a significant

barrier involves mitigating the risk of innovation,

proving auditable standards is necessary for a chance

of inclusion in any tender.

Derek Day is the operations director at Emico,

an SME mechanical and electrical contracting firm

focused on the rail sector. Emico is a member of

the Achilles Link-up community and Day perfectly

articulates our vision. “We would love people to say,

‘Well, even though you’re a smaller company, you

have management systems and arrangements and

standards of quality and safety that are industry-

leading’.” Pre-qualification should be paving the way

for innovative products and services to take their

rightful place at the forefront of rail infrastructure.

If SMEs want to compete alongside the big players,

they have to demonstrate the same commitment

to health and safety through audits and the supply

chain information processes with Achilles Link-up. All

suppliers have to be registered on Achilles Link-up to

be considered for projects within the industry. And to

become a member, they have to undergo a rigorous

pre-qualification process. This is welcomed across the

industry by suppliers.

Derek Day epitomises this support for Achilles

Link-up from SMEs: “We aspire to be the best, so we

absolutely want to demonstrate that we can comply

with all of the requirements of the industry that we

are choosing to work in, and to discharge all of those

responsibilities with a high degree of professionalism.”

However, it can be a struggle for smaller and

relatively newly established companies with genuinely

innovative products to ensure that they are included

in large tenders. Infrastructure managers know which

suppliers and contractors they can rely on, which

leads to a gravitation of the whole supply chain to that

of a closed shop. Breaking through legacy providers

is an enormous barrier for SMEs and one that is

unfortunately still stifling innovation.

Derek Day explains how this was one of the

challenges they had to overcome: “The same people

turn up to go through the same processes and there

has been, in the past, very little opportunity for smaller

suppliers to get involved.” The consequence of this

is that viable suppliers can sometimes be precluded

from tender processes which would have been

enriched by their presence.

Ultimately, the process of promoting innovation

within our culture must therefore begin with the

procurer. Infrastructure managers need to allow

contractors the space and freedom to decide

upon suppliers within their own projects, and the

contractors must become more willing to trust

external audits and see innovation as a mitigated,

rather than overwhelming, risk. Every innovation is

an opportunity for improvement, therefore the more

willing the buying community is to embrace these

innovations, the more positive strides will be made

by the industry.

Advice to SME suppliers:

l Understand the fears of buyers and use

certification to assuage them

l Network extensively

l Understand the supply chains that cultivate the

rail industry – where are the opportunities and where

is the demand for innovation? Those likely to have

responsibility for tangible opportunities on the rail

infrastructure may be constrained by their traditional

risk aversion, which can limit innovation and the

opportunities for smaller suppliers

l Take advice from organisations that support the

promotion of innovations, such as the Rail Alliance

l Communicate with similar suppliers – understand

the market. zz

Promoting and supporting innovation

8 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

Contact details for the Achilles Link-up team are:

Tel: 01235 838 193 Email: [email protected]

Web: www.rail.achilles.com

ANNETTE GEVAERT has oversight of Achilles Link-up, the UK rail industry supplier registration and qualification service, which comprises 77 per cent SMEs. Here she offers suggestions on how the rail industry can further develop innovative working

Annette Gevaert is director of rail and transport at Achilles, the leading provider of supplier information management services

Supply Chainzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

‘catch-up’ and is often incomplete

at project completion. The value of

progressively demonstrating design and

build compliance is lost as assurance

requirements are caught up in laggard

contractual boundaries and where a strong

reliance on ‘paper’ based systems results

in many versions of the ‘truth’. Lack of

visibility of compliance progress often leads

to dispute and litigation. Project progress

is measured by the quantitative elements

of time, money and resource – often giving

an ‘over-optimistic’ sense of progress

where visibility of how compliant a project

is at any time is rarely available – ultimately

contributing to project impairment and

escalating costs.

Systems engineeringThe systems engineering approach,

pioneered in the defence and aerospace

industries, evolved to bring a structured

approach to the design and manufacture

of complex systems – providing the

backbone for the assurance process. The

use of these principles in the rail industry,

although improving in recent years, is

relatively immature and its application

sporadic – often employed at a level where

the real advantages of a system level

approach are lost. The challenges of the

rail and similar infrastructure sectors are

very different to those in aerospace and

defence and the application of systems

engineering techniques need to adapt.

Unlike aerospace and defence, typified

by highly integrated teams, railway

projects are often organised across

large and geographically distributed

teams where collaboration is difficult

and responsibility for design and build

compliance is devolved across large

supply chain organisations. Design

verification and the validation of the build

process – key elements of the systems

engineering approach – are often left

to contractual boundaries where the

advantages of the ‘system’ view are lost.

This leads to the duplication of activity,

inefficiency and cost escalation. The client

or programme management organisation

struggle to develop and deliver the

assurance case and loses the many

advantages of the systems engineering

approach enjoyed by their military and

aerospace colleagues.

T he development and successful

delivery of a viable safety

assurance case is fundamental to

demonstrating that a rail system

is fit for purpose and meets all required

standards and regulations. However,

most rail projects fail to successfully

master the sheer complexity involved in

bringing together the many thousands

of interdependent requirements and

processes involved – let alone on a

progressive basis that keeps in step with

design and build progress.

Typically the assurance process lags well

behind project delivery and is in perpetual



e-Collaborative project assurance for rail projectsCHRIS ROLISON discusses

the project assurance challenge in rail and

considers how an e-Collaboration approach

can reduce duplicated effort, improve design and

build quality, and reduce whole-life costs

Project Assurancezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zz

Chris Rolison is the founder of Comply Serve. He will be speaking at Railway Strategies Live, being held at the Royal Geographic Society on 27th June 2013.

close and handover to the operator; and

its employments throughout the project

lifecycle improves design and build

quality, reducing whole-life costs.

The unprecedented visibility of

progressive compliance ensures

that issues are trapped much earlier,

reducing the cost of rework and ensuring

delivery timescales. Full traceability of

project requirements from the sponsor

specification throughout design evolution

and build phases allows fast impact

analysis – dramatically reducing the cost

and time to determine the impact and

cost of change.

The e-Collaborative project assurance

approach delivers the advantages of

systems engineering across large and

complex infrastructure projects with all

the attendant advantages realised in the

defence and avionics domain; greatly

reducing duplicated effort, improving

design and build quality and reducing

whole life costs. zz

For further information, please go to www.complyserve.com

Project Assurancezz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

e-Collaborative project assuranceThe e-Collaborative project assurance

approach adapts the delivery of systems

engineering principles to reflect the

challenging dynamics of infrastructure

projects. The underlying systems

engineering and assurance processes are

captured and maintained centrally by the

client or programme management team.

The resulting ‘system’ provides the core

assurance backbone across the entire

programme, accessible from anywhere

through a ‘cloud’-based easy-to-use

interface.

Powerful work-flow control processes

and role-based access allow all engineers

across the programme to collaborate

and contribute to the overall assurance

process directly. This breaks down

and simplifies the assurance task,

removing duplicate processes, delivering

unprecedented visibility of progressive

assurance coverage with ‘one version

of the truth’. Programme-wide registers

ensure the efficient co-ordination of issues,

assumptions, hazards, interfaces and

risks – and the easy availability of access

ensures that the assurance processes

becomes an integral part of the design

and build process – for verification and

validation.

Ultimately e-Collaborative project

assurance ensures that the project safety

assurance case is complete at project


l Crossrail incorporates various worldwide bodies and thousands of specific requirements. A dedicated Crossrail project client team, along with a project delivery partner and industry partners, manages the delivery of all works. Key parties involved in designing and delivering the Crossrail project are located together where possible, to assist in providing consistent leadership and optimising collaboration.

ComplyPro, industry-leading project assurance software, provides a structured assurance regime. Crossrail involves complex relationships amongst civil infrastructure and railway systems. An integration process and assurance regime has been established that will allow a progressive build-up of evidence, both geographically and system-wide.

The ComplyPro software is deployed as a web-hosted capability that provides project engineers and supply chain suppliers with a common, role-based and always up-to-date view of the evolving specification, greatly reducing the dependency on paper-based processes. ComplyPro is centrally implemented by Crossrail and made available across the project and supply chain teams, allowing straightforward and accessible communication.

This provides the backbone for managing change as it occurs, through design and delivery stages, managing both the ‘flow up’ of change as informed through the issues management process and the re-base lining and ‘flow down’ of the project specification. Unprecedented visibility of issues as they occur is provided by the system, engineering and project management have ‘real time’ project compliance metrics that allows them to pinpoint problems much earlier than with traditional approaches. This ensures that the assurance case is delivered progressively with a complete audit trail of associated compliance evidence.

An example of a Systems Engineering Assurance Process diagram

Case Study: Project Assurance with Comply Pro

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Industry


Big reward for innovating customer experience l The Enabling Innovation team (EIT) is launching a competition

with a prize value of £1 million, aimed at bringing innovation

to customer experience in the rail industry. It will be open to

applicants in May and final judging and awards will take place at a

live pitch event in London later on this year. The competition will be

developed and managed by InnoCentive and IXC UK Limited.

There are opportunities to improve the customer experience

within GB rail in areas of service culture, business process, journey

planning, seamless journey experience and design of facilities. The

detailed scope of the competition is being developed with industry

stakeholders and will be designed to complement the Technology

Strategy Board‘s Digital Railway competition.

David Clarke, director of EIT, said:

“The rail industry constantly strives to improve the customer

experience, but there is always scope to do more. We want to use

this competition to showcase successful ideas and approaches

from other customer service sectors and create the environment

where the best of these ideas can be brought into the rail industry.”

An initial stakeholder workshop held in February identified the

broad challenge themes, which focus on delivering improvements

for regular and commuter passengers, discretionary and potential

new passengers and freight customers.

Further details of the competition and instructions for online

submission will be announced on the EIT website in May.

Contact the competition team via:

[email protected]

Competition to find Crossrail operator l Transport for London (TfL) is seeking a train operator to

run Crossrail services from May 2015. Crossrail services

will be let as a concession by TfL, similar to the concession

let by TfL for London Overground, which is now one of the

most reliable railways with some of the highest levels of

customer satisfaction across the UK. TfL will stipulate the

level of services to be provided including hours of operation

and staffing levels.

The successful bidder will run the train services and

many of the stations along the Crossrail route, providing

customer service and operations staff. The services on

Crossrail will be phased and will initially operate on existing

rail lines between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, taking

over the stopping services currently operated by Greater

Anglia. The route through Canary Wharf, the City and the

West End will open in late 2018, with the full route running

in 2019.

Services to Shenfield will initially operate with the current

rolling stock but will be gradually replaced in 2017 by the

new Crossrail trains. It is expected that an operator will be

appointed by late 2014.

Phyllis reaches Bond Street stationl Crossrail’s lead tunnelling machine has arrived at the new Crossrail

Bond Street station and has constructed her 2000th tunnel ring as

she passes through the first metres of the station. Tunnelling machine

Phyllis has reached the south of the new Bond Street western ticket

hall at Davies Street having completed 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) of

new tunnels. Bringing up the rear is tunnelling machine Ada who will

reach the new Bond Street station later in the spring. Both machines

will reach Farringdon at the end of the year where they will finish their

journey. Collectively Phyllis and Ada have constructed over

5.5 kilometres (3.7 miles) of new rail tunnels

New approach to rail planning l The first steps towards a new map for the future of Britain’s railway

were taken in April with the launch of four consultation documents as

part of Network Rail’s Long Term Planning Process. These documents

– market studies for London and South East passenger, regional urban

passenger, long distance passenger, and freight – are the first in a new

style of research designed to look ten to 30 years into the future. Open

to consultation for 90 days from the end of March, the final versions

of these studies will set out how passenger and freight demand

is expected to change in each of these markets in Control Period

6 (2019-2024) and beyond; they reflect the need to gain a better

understanding about how plans for the railway impact on the economy

and make sure that strategic change, such as the implementation

of the Crossrail, Thameslink and Northern Hub programmes, and

the development of HS2, can be effectively considered in rail industry

planning.

Network Rail’s director of network strategy and planning, Richard

Eccles, said: “This is part of our new approach to planning, which

looks at the role that rail plays in the economic life of Britain.

“What we need to decide is how the network should develop

to achieve economic growth, help reduce carbon emissions from

transport and improve quality of life for people. This approach allows

greater freedom of thought and is not constrained by current service

patterns or cost and deliverability, though of course we will look at

these issues in subsequent planning stages.”

Research for the twelve route studies will begin this autumn and the

first six should be available for consultation 18 months later.

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk12



Record passenger journeys and revenue

l Rail usage statistics published by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in March

show that over 385 million passenger journeys took place on Great Britain’s railways

in Q3 2012-13 (1st October to 31st December 2012) – 14 million more than the

same period last year. This is also the highest number of franchised passenger

journeys in a third quarter since records began.

ORR’s latest passenger usage figures highlight that:

l The number of passenger journeys grew in all sectors when compared to both

the same quarter last year and Q2 2012-13. There were 262.0 million journeys on

London and South East services in Q3 2012-13, a 5.1 per cent increase on the

same period last year. There were 32.6 million journeys on long-distance services, a

1.8 per cent increase. For regional services, there were 90.4 million journeys, a

1.1 per cent increase.

l The total number of kilometres travelled by rail passengers in Q3 2012-13 was

14.6 billion kilometres, this is an increase of 2.8 per cent compared to the same

period last year.

l Total franchised passenger revenue in Q3 2012-13 reached £1.96 billion, an

8.3 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. This is the highest

recorded level of revenue generated within any quarter. Non-franchised passenger

revenue rose to a record high of £12.7 million, this is a 16.1 per cent increase

compared to the same quarter last year.

With rail passenger usage at record levels, ORR is determined to see Britain’s

railways build on its current achievements and success. The regulator is currently

reviewing Network Rail’s strategic business plan for 2014-19 to make certain that

the plan is in the best interest of customers and taxpayers, delivering real value for

money. ORR is studying and challenging the plan to verify it is affordable and that

every penny is made to count towards meeting what users and Governments want

from the railway. To view these statistics, visit ORR’s National Rail Trends (NRT) Portal

at: http://dataportal.orr.gov.ukTransport Systems Catapultl The new technology and innovation centre for

integrated transport systems has appointed Steve

Yianni as its chief executive. He joins the Catapult

from Network Rail where, as technical director,

he has been pivotal in delivering the 30-year rail

technical strategy, which received industry-wide

recognition. Steve starts his new role on August 1st;

the Transport Systems Catapult will be active later

this year.

DLR franchise shortlistl Transport for London (TfL) has announced the names of the companies shortlisted to

bid for its new Docklands Light Railway (DLR) franchise. The bidders are:

l Stagecoach Rail Projects Ltd

l A joint venture between Keolis (UK) Ltd and Amey Rail Ltd

l A joint venture between Go Ahead PLC and Colas Rail Ltd

l Serco Ltd.

This shortlist is as a result of the pre qualification process undertaken following the

publication of a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.

TfL will now be issuing an Invitation to Tender to these companies within the next few

weeks. Under the new franchise, TfL wants to ensure that:

l Service reliability continues to improve

l Trains, stations and track are maintained to support service reliability and are used

efficiently over the long term

l Capacity on the railway continues to grow to support development in the Docklands

area and along the railway’s routes

l Customer satisfaction continues to grow

l The environmental impact of the railway is reduced

l Safety performance continues to improve

l A good value-for-money service is delivered for passengers and tax-payers.

The new franchise is due to commence on 14th September 2014.

Signalling a better futurel Transport for London has announced that the new

signalling system on the Northern line has gone live

between West Finchley and High Barnet. When the

installation is complete next year, a capacity increase

of about 20 per cent should be achieved as trains

run more frequently and closer together..

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ansp

ort f

or L

ondo

n

New Crossrail directorl Rob McIntosh,

who is currently

Network Rail project

director for European

Train Control

System and Traffic

Management, has

been appointed

as Network

Rail director for

Crossrail. In this role he will be responsible for

overseeing the £2.3 billion upgrade of the existing

rail network for Crossrail services.


T he Secretary of State for Transport,

Patrick McLoughlin MP, has

paid a visit to the University of

Huddersfield in order to launch a

research unit that will play a major role in

the safety and environmental sustainability

of the railways of the future

The University of Huddersfield’s

Institute of Railway Research (IRR), which

has 16 researchers based in a suite of

and the Rail Safety and Strategy Board.

Professor Simon Iwnicki, who heads the

Institute, welcomed Mr McLoughlin and

described key areas of research taking

place at the IRR. The Secretary of State

met a succession of the Institute’s experts.

He saw some of its specially installed rigs

in action as they simulate the crucial and

complex areas of contact between rail and

wheel. He also saw how the Institute used

computer modelling to seek solutions

to modern challenges, including the

development of new types of track.

After his tour of the Institute, Mr

McLoughlin told guests that he was under

constant pressure from MPs for new rail

services, so that the major challenge was

to increase capacity.”

Professor Iwnicki, who is academic co-

chair of the Rail Research UK Association

(RRUKA), said that the work being carried

out at the IRR was helping the railways to

meet the challenges of increasing capacity

for passengers and freight while still

operating safely and reliably. zz

speciallyequipped labs, is involved in a

wide range of projects – in Britain and

overseas – with partners that include

Network Rail, London Underground, TATA

Steel, the Rail Research UK Association

Transport Secretary opens Institute of Railway Research

(L-R) Kirklees Council Leader Mehboob Khan, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin MP, Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney, the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan and Head of the Institute of Railway Research Professor Simon Iwnicki

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry


Young Railway Professionals’ Dinner and Awardl The Young Railway Professionals celebrated their fourth annual Black Tie Dinner on

March 14th, together with the presentation of the first ever Young Railway Professional of

the Year Award.

Guests enjoyed hearing Terry Morgan, chairman of Crossrail speak about his

experiences as a young man working his way into the rail industry, and newly elected

YRP chairman Martyn Chymera spoke of the YRP’s exciting plans for the coming year.

The event, sponsored by CPC Project Services, brings together young professionals

who are making their mark on the industry, and was well attended by 400 guests from all

corners of the rail market. With so much evidence of young talent in the room, the evening

provided a natural backdrop from which to present the first Young Railway Professional of

the Year Award. The award, sponsored by Colas Rail, was designed to celebrate

young professionals at the start of their journey through the rail industry, and competition

was fierce.

(L-R) Charles-Albert Giral, CEO of Colas Rail; Lucy McAuliffe, YRP Award Winner; Martyn Chymera, YRP chairman; Shauni O’Neill, Award Finalist; Tim Whitcher, Award Finalist

Nominations were collected during the lead up to the event, and were whittled down to

three finalists – Lucy McAuliffe of Network Rail, Tim Whitcher of CAPBROWN Consulting

and Shaunie O’Neill of London Underground. The finalists were all very worthy candidates,

but after lengthy deliberation the panel of judges decided that the first award would be

presented to Lucy McAuliffe. Charles-Albert Giral, CEO of Colas Rail presented the award.

The judges felt that Lucy was a deserving winner thanks to her unerring dedication

to the industry. Whether in her position as a station manager for Network Rail managing

a 150-strong team at St Pancras, Ebbsfleet International and Stratford stations, in her

additional work as an assessor for Network Rail’s Track and Train graduate programme, or

through her passion for the improvement of customer service and team work on the front

line, Lucy is a driving force pushing forward projects that benefit not only people working

within the industry, but also its customers.

For more information about the Young Railway Professionals, or the Young Railway

Professional of the Year Award, visit www.youngrailwayprofessionals.org

Merseytravel appoints new chief executivel Merseytravel has appointed a

‘pioneering’ new chief executive/

director general. David Brown,

who currently heads South

Yorkshire Passenger Transport

Executive, will shortly be taking

the helm at Merseytravel – the

organisation responsible for

transport throughout the city

region. He has been involved in

the adoption by the Department

for Transport of major rail projects

such as a High Speed Rail

station in South Yorkshire, and

commitment to electrification

of the Midland Main Line and

to £230 million investment in

improving journey times on

the East Coast Main Line. He

has also led the largest Bus

Partnership in the UK, and is

chair of the Passenger Transport

Executive Group, which

promotes the interests of the six

Passenger Transport Executives.


Most improved railwaysl Britain’s railways are the most improved in Europe, according to the most comprehensive comparison study yet published of the rail networks

in all 27 EU countries. The report looks at how the railways in Europe have progressed and improved since the 1990s according to a range of

14 different factors. Britain came top in four of the factors, second and third in another two and fourth in three, coming top overall. Europe’s

other big rail networks – Germany, France and Italy – came 7th, 10th and 23rd respectively.

The study can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/kallas/headlines/news/2013/01/doc/swd(2013)-10-part3.pdf

Apex Engineers LtdApex Engineers has been established for over 25

years for the supply of services and equipment to the

Energy Measurement and Preventative Maintenance

sectors. Energy measurement includes the supply and

specification of metering of utilities (electricity, gas,

water, oil etc), the data collection from remote sites/

locations to a central point, and software to manage,

analyse and report. Preventative maintenance includes

the supply of a wide range of primary and secondary

injection testers, circuit breakers and substation

testers and measurement equipment. A new range of

ultraviolet (UV) corona cameras is helping to identify

faults and problems on high voltage systems. These

partial discharges can be seen in daylight and the

extent of a problem component or line can be measured

with software to collate and manage a maintenance

schedule.

Tel: 01630 661 313

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.apexengineers.co.uk

dBD Communications & Management Consultancy Ltd dBD Communications & Management Consultancy Ltd

was formed in 2002 to support the RF & microwave

markets throughout Europe. Experienced in military,

avionics and commercial communications, the

company’s aim is to supply both product requirements

and business management solutions in many market

fields.

Tel: 01268 449781


Web: www.dbdcom.co.uk

National Composites CentreThe NCC provides industrial scale R&D facilities to meet

the needs of companies wishing to capitalize on the

high-strength, low weight, corrosion-resistant qualities

of composite materials.

Tel: 0117 370 7600


Web: www.nccuk.com

Precast Advanced Track Ltd (PCAT) PCAT (PreCast Advanced Track) is a new concept in

railway construction and challenges the traditional

engineering method of supporting railway track on

loose ballast by replacing unbound ballast with a low

maintenance slab track.

Tel: 01565 633 111

Email: info@ precastadvancedtrack.com

Web: www.precastadvancedtrack.com

Stirling Lloyd Group plc Stirling Lloyd Group plc is a UK manufacturer of high

performance coatings for the protection of infrastructure

and buildings. Established over 40 years ago with a

single-minded commitment to developing new and more

effective ways to extend the life of structures, Stirling

Lloyd has become a global leader supplying to more than

fifty countries worldwide. Stirling Lloyd is a Joint Venture

partner for PCAT referred to above.

Tel: 01565 633 111


Web: www.stirlinglloyd.com

Recent new members of the Rail Alliance


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Rail Alliance www.railalliance.co.uk

For further information, please contact:The Rail Alliance Tel: 01789 720 026 Email: [email protected] Web: www.railalliance.co.uk



Segment factory creates jobsl A new

tunnel segment

manufacturing

facility at Chatham

in Kent is in full

production to

produce and ship

110,000 concrete

segments that will

line the eastern

tunnels of the new

Crossrail route

through London

and the south-east.

More than 120

new jobs have

been created

and filled by local

workers at the Chatham Dockyard factory, including

five apprenticeships. The facility began operation

last year and is now in full production, operating

24/7 and manufacturing more than 300 concrete

tunnel segments a day. Each eight segments

produced form a complete tunnel ring in the new

Crossrail tunnels and the Chatham factory has now

produced over 2200 tunnel rings.

The Chatham site was selected due to its

dockyard location allowing concrete segments

to be delivered by barge from Chatham to the

entrance of Crossrail’s eastern tunnels at Limmo

Peninsula near Canning Town. Each 50 metre long

1200 tonne barge can deliver around 320 tunnel

segments, the equivalent of 40 lorry loads.

Official re-opening l Translink officially re-opened the railway line between Derry~Londonderry and

Coleraine on Friday 22nd March 2013 following almost eight months of closure

to complete essential safety and engineering work. The re-opening marks the

completion of the first phase of the Renewals Project at a cost of over £30 million,

which involved major engineering track safety and improvement works. Renewals

Project Phase 2 will commence in 2014 subject to funding. It will comprise a

passing loop and new signalling which will allow the running of an hourly train

service between Derry~Londonderry and Belfast from 2015.

Cros

srai

l

TfL opens the door to innovative ideasl Transport for London (TfL) has launched an online Innovation Portal. It

will enable staff, suppliers, industry and academia to share and capture

pioneering and efficient solutions to TfL’s biggest future challenges, as it

continues with its multi-billion pound programme to modernise the Tube

and transport network.

As part of a wider drive to create a climate for innovation, such as

exploring the use of aerospace materials for trains, the web-based portal

went live on 11th February, and is geared towards stimulating innovative

thinking within and outside the transport industry.

Currently focused on London Underground (LU) and rail challenges, the

Innovation Portal will aid TfL to develop new technology and approaches

to the challenges that it faces across the Capital’s transport network,

including:

l Customers: Delivering faster, more frequent and reliable services to

customers while improving information provided via frontline staff

l Value and sustainability: Using technology to improve efficiency while

reducing noise and environmental impact

l Delivery: Finding new technologies and ways to achieve reliable and

safe first-class delivery, with minimal closures and costs

l Reliability and dependability: Targeting the use of smart data

and technology to help achieve our target of a further 30 per cent

improvement in reliability over the next three years

l Safety: Finding innovative solutions to improve customer safety and

security

l People: Making sure our workforce is skilled to the highest standard

by developing the tools and processes that will encourage even greater

performance

Ideas submitted via the TfL Innovation Portal are reviewed by

technical experts as well as against a number of criteria including

business impact, innovation focus, TfL brand and ease of

implementation.

Log on and submit ideas at tfl.gov.uk/innovation

Network Rail has been working with

experts from the colliery since

movement was detected in early

February. Initial estimates had

indicated the line could be restored as soon

as July. However a combination of the difficult

conditions and continuing bad weather mean

that date is at risk.

Phil Verster, route managing director,

explained: “This site is incredibly complex and,

if not properly managed, potentially dangerous.

We have been actively involved on site for

several weeks but the processes required to

make the ground safe to work on are slower

than we had hoped. I fully appreciate the

importance of restoring a direct rail service to

communities and businesses in Cleethorpes,

Scunthorpe, Goole and other places affected

by the slip and my team and I are committed

to do so as quickly as possible. We continue to

aim for restoration of services in July, however

we now anticipate that the railway may not be

repaired until September this year.

“We will do anything we can do to safely

accelerate the repair programme and to

reinstate services. In the meantime we are

working with the operators of passenger and

freight traffic to make best use of the network

during this difficult time. That process continues

and if there are changes we can make to

improve the service we are able to offer then

we will. We remain grateful to the patience of

passengers and freight customers as we deal

with this issue.”


Hatfield & Stainforth update

The complex job of stabilising the spoil heap at Hatfield colliery which slipped and caused extensive damage to the railway continues. However it is now anticipated this may take until the end of the summer to complete.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry

Phil Verster

Aerial view of the spoil heap slip

Track damage at Hatfield & Stainforth

Several sets of engineering works which

had been planned by Network Rail are being

revised in order to keep as many services

running as possible. In particular the GNGE

line project is being adapted in order to allow

the 140 freight trains which would normally

run through Hatfield & Stainforth each day to

be accommodated on the Brigg and Lincoln

lines. These trains are essential to the UK

economy as, among other goods, they carry

oil for aviation fuel, steel which is critical for

production process and rail works and coal to

the power stations for electricity generation.

Mr Verster added: “The events leading to

the disruption to rail services were entirely

outside the control of the railway. We are

working actively and tirelessly to minimise

that disruption and to restore services as

quickly as possible. Working with the colliery,

we are making good progress on the repair

which requires around a million cubic metres

of material to be moved. We will continue to

work with train operators to publish detailed

timetables and information to allow passengers

to plan their journeys.

“An important date for the railway is 20th

July when work starts to fully upgrade the

signalling and track layout at Nottingham

station, further restricting the paths available

for essential freight trains. The following week


All images courtesy of Network Rail

work is scheduled at Selby, blocking that route

for trains. We continue to make every effort

to complete the fix at Hatfield & Stainforth

before these dates. However our train planners

are also working with operators to develop a

robust plan which can be used in the event

that the repair at Hatfield is not complete.

This includes making sure there is a viable

route connecting Hull and east Yorkshire with

Doncaster and the East Coast Main Line. Hull

will not be cut off from the main network.” zz

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Track damage at Hatfield & StainforthSpoil recovery in March

Excavating spoil at the beginning of April


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz FP McCANN

King’s Cross

Growing from a small family-run

business in Northern Ireland,

FP McCann is now one of the

region’s leading civil engineering and

construction materials companies. Through

key strategic acquisitions, notably Hepworth

Concrete Products in 2005 and Ennstone

Concrete Products in 2009, FP McCann has

firmly rooted itself in the UK mainland as a

major producer of precast concrete products.

With experience in both construction

and project management, throughout the

course of its history FP McCann has taken on

schemes across the public and private sectors

including roads and bridges, rail infrastructure,

renewable energy, and public realm. Drawing

on a network of Northern Ireland quarries,

asphalt, ready-mixed concrete, and precast

plants, FP McCann also supplies a wide

range of heavy building materials into the

construction sector.

Today the company is widely recognised

As part of this we appointed a new sales

manager Samantha Sprules, which has given

FP McCann national coverage in meeting

with new clients and building on the Infrarail

exhibition success in 2012, ahead of our

presence at Railtex this year,” he continues.

The company is also researching the

opportunities for innovative new products in

its markets. In this respect, FP McCann has

been working with rail partners to develop

an effective cable protection trough locking

system, which it is now seeking approval for

under its Network Rail Link-up supplier status

prior to launch.

The manufacture of ‘C’ series cable

protection troughs and lids for the rail industry

as the UK market leader in the

manufacture, supply, and delivery of

precast concrete drainage products.

This precast concrete offering also

extends to include products such

as shaft and tunnel segments,

power cable ducting, railway

components, concrete fencing

posts and panels, and bespoke

products to meet non-standard

design specifications. All precast

rail products meet the necessary Network Rail

and London Underground requirements, with

FP McCann also a Link-up and Supply Line

approved producer for such components.

Having invested strongly in its five UK

manufacturing facilities, including a new

£1 million Coote wet cast line at Cadeby,

FP McCann offers the latest in modern

product manufacture to a discerning market.

“We have established a reputation for quality

products and quick reaction times due to the

levels of stock held at the Cadeby depot,”

reveals Stuart Carson, rail products manager.

“New moulds have been purchased for

copings on the standard and PC LUL ranges,

which has contributed to the consistency of

the finished product.

“We’ve also increased our customer base

due to targeted marketing and sales efforts.

When it comes to precast concrete products FP McCann’s range appears to be the perfect fit for the market’s many needs

Well cast


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

is something

FP McCann is already

well versed in with over 30 different types in

stock, alongside other core components such

as platform copings, edge warning tactile

pavings, trestle slabs, and oversail blocks.

Alongside its product range, the scope of

projects within which FP McCann has been

involved has also grown. Just last year the

company completed work on the £6.7 million

upgrade and redevelopment of Cambridge

station delivering a total of 600 concrete

copings, 1400 buff offset tactile paving slabs,

and 220 platform oversail blocks. It is also

currently supplying material to the £43 million

redevelopment of Peterborough station. The

works are expected to be completed by

the end of year and include new platforms,

extension of existing concourses, and

construction of a new freight line loop. As a

nominated supplier FP McCann is supplying

the ‘C’ series precast concrete cable

protection troughs for this section of works.

As well as station projects, FP McCann

has seen strong uptake of its products for

use elsewhere on the railway such as in

the Stourbridge to Hartlebury re-signalling

scheme. This project represented one of

FP McCann’s largest single scheme contracts

with over 15,000 ‘C’ series precast concrete

cable protection troughs supplied to carry

the new power and communication cables.

The company has even seen inclusion of its

precast products in the prestigious Crossrail

project.

Working with main contractor Costain

Skanska joint venture (CSJV) and Joseph

Gallagher Ltd, FP McCann has supplied 525

precast concrete segmental linings for the

construction of five 15-metre compensation

grout shafts at Crossrail’s Bond Street station.

Due to restrictions at the sites,

FP McCann operated a just-in-time (JIT)

delivery programme, which was executed

smoothly throughout. The company is also

due to complete a 105 segment order for

another 15-metre grout shaft as part of the

Tottenham Court Road station development.

Back across the water, March saw the

official re-opening of the railway line between

Derry~Londonderry and Coleraine ahead

of schedule, after almost eight months of

closure to allow for essential track renewal

works to be carried out. Executed through

a joint venture consisting of FP McCann

and BAM Rail the work included safety and

improvement measures such as substantial

bridge work, re-railing and rehabilitation of

ballast, and track renewal at the two end

sections of the line. In total over 5600 tonnes

of new rail was used and approximately

100,000 tonnes of ballast from FP McCann’s

Cookstown quarry.

As with all of these projects, time and

planning have been key issues but with stock

levels of products on the ground

FP McCann has been able to work to meet

any programme. In Ireland the company

has also been looking to further develop

partnerships with other rail maintenance

providers.

Reiterating how such projects contribute

to FP McCann’s wider ambitions, Stuart

concludes: “We want to further establish

FP McCann in the rail sector for service and

quality and to gain market leader status in

precast concrete platform copings and cable

protection troughs. We are in the market for

the long haul through continued investment in

products and people,” he concludes. zz

Web: www.fpmccann.co.uk

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StarconConcrete Handling System

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Starcon Anchor System

Rapid Anchor System

As one of the most populated cities in Europe, the visible face of

London is always a hive of activity. Yet, below ground things aren’t

as quiet as you’d expect. Amongst the utility connections and

London Underground (LU) tunnels, new ground is being broken to

facilitate the passage of Crossrail.

In terms of scale, Crossrail is not only Europe’s largest civil engineering

project at a cost of £14.8 billion, but also one of the largest single

infrastructure investments undertaken in the UK. Within its 118-kilometre

length, which extends from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west to


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz INTERVIEW I Chris Dulake

Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, the project includes the first

complete new underground line within the city for more than 50 years.

From improving journey times across London, to easing congestion

and offering better connections, Crossrail will change the way people

travel around the capital.

As chief engineer of the project, Chris Dulake acts as a technical

authority to make sure that any decision that needs to be made on

engineering is done so in a timely manner and managed sensibly.

Underpinning this is a desire to ensure that every part of the project is

As Crossrail’s tunnel boring machines inch along underneath London, chief engineer Chris DuLAke explains to kirsty Birkett-stubbs how such a project is navigated

Beneath the surface

done right first time.

“As an organisation we have let all of the main civil engineering

works, which are out for construction, as well as the key station

contracts, so we’re now engaging with the next phase of contractors,

which are bringing the systems and completion of the railway. We are

concentrating on making sure that the contracts for the civil engineering

works deliver what is required,” he notes.

This includes the delivery of the 21 kilometres of new twin-bore rail

tunnel required by Crossrail. Eight purpose-built tunnel boring machines

(TBMs) are being used in this construction, each at a

length of 148 metres and weight of 1000 tonnes. The other

major construction works include eight new underground

stations, alongside a new surface station at Custom

House.

The tunnelling strategies for the western and eastern

sections of the project are very different, with the TBMs

in the west creating the running tunnels first, and the

station tunnels will then be enlarged around these later.

Platform enlargement will take place after the TBMs have

passed through the stations at Bond Street, Tottenham

Court Road, and Farringdon. Meanwhile in the east,

the station tunnels and platforms are being built before

the TBMs pass through. This includes Liverpool Street

and Whitechapel. At Paddington the lower part of the

station box is built around the already constructed

tunnels. The TBMs will pass through the completed boxes at Canary

Wharf and Woolwich.

“We currently have five TBMs in the ground,” highlights Chris. “Two

are coming in from the west out of Royal Oak Portal and are making

good progress. Phyllis has already passed to the south of the western

ticket hall at Bond Street, and crossed over the top of the Jubilee line,

which is the second of our crossings over LU deepTubes, whilst Ada

is under Hyde Park. Then to the east we have a further two machines

– Elizabeth and Victoria – that went down at Limmo Peninsula and are

moving towards the Canary Wharf box, which has been

prepared ready to receive them.”

Ground controlThe TBMs themselves are not only tunnelling, but

also removing the excavated material and building

the concrete tunnel segments as they go. Of the eight

machines, six are earth pressure balance machines,

with the other two being slurry TBMs. Chris explains the

reasons behind this difference: “The geology of London is

quite interesting as the centre of the city has a very good

tunnelling medium in London Clay, which is a relatively

stable material with a stand-up time of between six and

12 hours before you need to put support in.

“Further east you find sand and gravel creeping into the

clay and this requires de-watering to create a stable medium

before you open up an excavation. Even further down the

strata you come to chalks, which contain flints, and it is this

medium that we are driving the Thames Tunnel through.

If you don’t protect the machine properly the shards of

flint can wear them away very easily, so we have to actively

manage this,” he adds.

It is the Thames Tunnel which is being constructed using

the slurry TBMs in reflection of these ground conditions. The

first of these – Sophia – is moving towards the Woolwich station box

from Plumstead, and will be joined by the second shortly. A fourth

pair of TBMs will come into play to drive down from Pudding Mill Lane

to Stepney Green, and finally one machine will be put back into the

ground at Limmo Peninsula to drive to the Victoria Portal and

complete the network.

“The other thing that is happening on the ground is the re-use of the

Connaught Tunnel, which sits between Victoria Portal and London City


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Chris Dulake, Crossrail’s chief engineer

Main image: TBM ‘Elizabeth’ lowered into main shaft

Above: Crossrail Tunnel Boring Machine – cutterhead being installed at Westbourne Park


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz INTERVIEW I Chris Dulake

Airport. It’s a Victorian structure, which we are enlarging by rebuilding

the central section under the dock and there is a very limited timeframe

to do that in which the team are now working to deliver on,”

describes Chris.

Navigating hazardsAs an organisation, one of the things that Crossrail has had a firm

grip on since the beginning is risk management, particularly in relation

to working within an underground environment. This encompasses

everything from the detailed design risks tabled during the initial

process to geotechnical investigations and geohazards, and then

process-based and third-party risks. “The challenge is to stay in

control of all the risks that we believe might materialise,” states Chris.

One way that Crossrail has worked to mitigate these is through the

introduction of innovative working practices and systems. “We have

been working with Cambridge University to install fibre-optic monitoring

of strain in diaphragm wall construction. This is to try and correlate

the performance of the design in real time against ground loading and

deflection to make sure we have a thorough understanding of how all

these issues interact to produce a design that functions as intended,”

Chris continues.

“The value of this is that we can use the data for the next projects to

look at how some of the codes

and standards are potentially refined. We work

quite collaboratively with HS2 for example to make sure that the

lessons we are learning whilst we build Crossrail are translated across.

From this we saw that the use of fibre-optic monitoring in spray concrete

construction was the next natural extension as the installation of strain

and stress monitoring of these types of structures hasn’t

been done before in the UK, so we’re now doing it on a very large

scale in Crossrail.”

Other ways in which the project is capturing innovation includes the

Crossrail Innovation Forum, a contractor programme to look at on-site

productivity gains, and an annual papers competition. The winning paper

for 2012 was “The Use of Shape Accel Arrays (SAA) for Measuring

Retaining Wall Deflection”. This technique and equipment permits remote

monitoring of deformation in the ground and walls and has the potential

to become the industry norm.

Hotting upAside from maintenance and certain holiday periods, Crossrail’s TBMs

are running almost 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and with each

manned by a ‘tunnel gang’ of up to 20 individuals, health and safety is

a top priority. In light of these, each TBM comes equipped with a fire

Top left: Crossrail Tunnel Boring Machine – cutterhead being installed at Westbourne Park

Top Right: TBM ‘Elizabeth’ lowered into main shaft

Western tunnels

Hanover Square at Bond Street East Ticket Hall SCL works

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

chamber which has an independent fresh-air supply, as well as self-

contained breathing apparatus and oxygen supplies to sustain life for

over 24 hours whilst assistance is sent or any incident is dealt with.

The project is also looking to set another new standard in the UK

tunnelling industry with its approach to fire testing the segments of

the running tunnels. As on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link the concrete

structures are being fire hardened through the addition of between one

and two kilograms of monofilament polypropylene fibres. The fibres

vaporise when heated allowing moisture within the concrete to released

and hence preventing spalling. Unlike other projects, Crossrail has gone

one step further by fire testing the segments while under a design service

structural load to ensure that their ability to bear support would not be

compromised in a fire.

Delivering a railwayAs progress below the surface marches on, the shape of Crossrail is

clearly emerging. However it is not only stations and tunnels that make a

railway, and it is these other elements that are now increasingly coming

into play. “The next big challenges are thinking about and planning the

systems installation, and mechanical, electrical and public health (MEP)

services within the station boxes. In terms of design we have a mixture

of full designs for the civil engineering works, and effectively a back-end

design and build arrangement with

the contractors for the MEP installation and

certain architectural components,” agrees Chris.

“It is Crossrail’s intention to ensure that the entire project is built

as designed rather than designed as built. A lot of our challenges

are around making sure we manage any changes to the design to

maintain the configuration between the different aspects of the railway.

Crossrail has used Building Information Modelling (BIM) to configure

the designed spaces. This approach provides confidence that the civil

engineering structures, MEP, and station and railway systems can be

accommodated.”

Referring to the level of underground construction currently underway

Chris points out that: “Even though tunnelling is currently highly visible,

Crossrail is not just about holes in the ground.” He continues: “We’re

working in a self-certification environment so it’s very much about getting

all aspects of the railway right first time and setting a high benchmark for

delivering railways in the UK.” zz

CrossrailTel: +44 (0) 345 602 3813Email: [email protected]: www.crossrail.co.uk

Western tunnels


l Together the five machines have created

more than 5km (three miles) of tunnels so

far with nearly 500 metres built in the single

biggest week of tunnelling to-date

l In the western tunnels alone tunnelling

machine Phyllis has put over 1500 tunnel rings

in place between Royal Oak and Park Lane at

the edge of Hyde Park

l The western tunnelling machines will pass

through the new Crossrail station at Bond

Street this spring followed by Tottenham Court

Road and Farringdon later this year, while the

eastern tunnelling machines will break through

into Canary Wharf station box this spring

l Tunnelling underway beneath four central

London station sites using Sprayed Concrete

Lining ‘mining’ techniques – Bond Street,

Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street

and Whitechapel

l Sprayed Concrete Lining will be used to

build a total of 12km of platform tunnels and

cross passages at stations along the

Crossrail route

l Sprayed Concrete Lining underway at the

huge 34.5 metres deep Stepney Green shaft

in east London – one of Europe’s largest

underground caverns which is large enough

to fit 100 double-decker buses. The works are

to allow the two eastern tunnelling machines

to pass through the shaft later this year on

their way to Farringdon via Whitechapel and

Liverpool Street

l Crossrail’s sixth and seventh tunnel boring

machines will begin further tunnelling work in

Plumstead and Pudding Mill Lane later this year

l Refurbishment works well underway at the

135-year-old Connaught Tunnel in southeast

London which will be brought back into use

for Crossrail. A section of the Royal Docks will

shortly be drained to allow major works later

this year to open the tunnel from above for the

first time since its construction in 1878. zz

Following the release of aerial images of

Crossrail construction sites in January,

new tunnelling images show how

Europe’s biggest construction project is

also making its mark beneath the capital. The

latest images show tunnelling work underway

at a number of Crossrail sites, including:

l Five tunnelling machines now in operation

– Phyllis and Ada in west London, Elizabeth

and Victoria in east London, and Sophia in

Plumstead, southeast London


CROSSRAIL zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

All images courtesy of Crossrail

The new Crossrail route from Maidenhead and Heathrow

in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the

east includes a marathon-equivalent 26 mile (42km)

section of tunnels

The London tunnel marathon

Whitechapel Crossrail station tunnelling works

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

All images courtesy of Crossrail

Crossrail’s Western tunnelsSprayed Concrete Lining at Hanover Square site – Bond Street Crossrail station

Stepney Green shaft tunnelling

Work in progress at Connaught Tunnel site

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk28



zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Crossrail ContractsCr

ossr

ail

Crossrail’s Thames Tunnels at Plumstead tunnelling site

Major tender for surface works l Network Rail has issued a major

invitation to tender for the majority

of Crossrail works planned on the

northeast surface section of the

Crossrail route, between Stratford in

east London and Shenfield in Essex.

The invitation to tender includes

the design and build of major station

improvements at Romford and Ilford

as well as improvements at stations

including Forest Gate, Goodmayes,

Harold Wood, Gidea Park, Chadwell

Heath and Brentwood.

Platform extensions will allow

longer, higher capacity trains to

run, and new lifts to enable step-

free access will be installed at

many stations along the route.

The detailed design phase will

commence in early 2014 and

main works will take place between

late 2014 and 2017.

Other works will include various

infrastructure improvements, such

as extra train stabling capacity and

turnback facilities that will improve

the reliability of passenger services. The following organisations have

been invited to tender:

Balfour Beatty, Costain,

Hochtief and VolkerFitzpatrick.

The contract will be awarded

in late 2013.

Traction power supply

l Crossrail has awarded the high

voltage traction power supply contract

C644, worth in the region of £15

million to AC Joint Venture (Alstom

Transport and Costain Limited). The

scope of works includes the provision

of traction power, distributed within

Crossrail’s central section extending

from Royal Oak Portal in the west to

Pudding Mill Lane in the east, splitting at

Stepney Green Junction and running to

Plumstead Portal in the southeast.

The works will involve the

construction of a feeder station at

Pudding Mill Lane where power from

the 400kV National Grid network will be

converted down to 25kV before being

fed into the overhead line equipment that

will power the new Crossrail trains. A

separate feeder station will

be constructed by Network Rail at

Kensal Green.

Plumstead to Abbey Wood contractl Network Rail has awarded a major contract, with

a value of approximately £130 million, to Balfour

Beatty Rail for the construction of a two-mile

section of the Crossrail route from Plumstead to

Abbey Wood in southeast London.

The contract will include:

l The installation of two new dedicated Crossrail

lines from Abbey Wood to the Plumstead portal,

providing access to the new Crossrail tunnels. The

Crossrail lines will run alongside the existing North

Kent lines

l Works to modify several bridges along the route

to accommodate the overhead electric wires and

two new lines that will be used by the new Crossrail

trains.

The contract will also include construction of

a new station building at Abbey Wood with a

new Crossrail platform that will allow for easy

interchange with North Kent services. Designs for

the new station are currently being finalised. The

main construction works will start in 2014, with

some preparatory work expected to start later this

year, and completion is expected in October 2017.

Tunnel fit-outl Crossrail has awarded the contract to undertake the major fit-out of the new rail tunnels to a joint

venture comprising Costain Ltd, TSO and Alstom Transport. The award of the tunnel fit-out

contract C610 is the last major construction contract to be awarded by Crossrail.

The C610 Systemwide main works contract incorporates the C630 Tunnel Mechanical &

Electrical Systems contract. When C610 works begin, the contractors providing high-voltage power,

communication and signalling systems will work alongside the C610 teams to complete the fit-out of

the tunnels.

As construction concludes, work will get underway to fit-out the tunnels with the necessary track,

overhead power equipment and services to enable Crossrail trains to operate from 2018. This will

include the installation of over 40km of track, overhead electric conductor rails to power the trains as

well as ventilation and drainage systems.

Communications and control systems l Crossrail has awarded the contract

for the central section communications

and control systems, contract C660,

to Siemens PLC. The scope of

works includes the design, testing,

installation and commissioning of key

communications and control systems

within Crossrail’s central section including

CCTV and public address systems at

stations, customer information displays,

staff and emergency services radio

systems and the data networks that

will carry information to and from the

route control centre. Installation will get

underway in spring 2015.


Watford Junction and Reading signallingl Invensys Rail has been awarded two new contracts under Network Rail’s Signalling

Framework Agreements, the contracts covering the re-signalling of Watford Junction

station and the re-locking and immunisation of life-expired signalling equipment,

interlockings and control systems in the Reading area.

The scope of the Watford Junction project includes the renewal of all signalling,

control systems, power and cabling, as well as providing support for the ongoing track

remodelling programme. Covering 143 signalling equivalent units (SEUs) as well as a

significant amount of non-SEU work, the contract is valued at £33.5 million and will

deliver Invensys Rail’s WESTLOCK computer-based interlocking and WESTCAD control

centre display technology. The main project commissioning will take place in

December 2014.

The £19.4 million Reading programme which will have its main commissioning in July

2014 covers 117 SEUs together with a great deal of non-SEU work. Invensys will be

the principal contractor for both programmes, undertaking design, supply, installation,

testing and commissioning activities, with telecoms, civils structures, permanent

way and electrification and power work being provided by its domestic framework

subcontractors as required by each project.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Contracts

Mark 3 coach overhaulPorterbrook Leasing has awarded a £5 million contract to Railcare to undertake the

C6 overhaul of 111 of its Mark 3 coaches which are currently operated by Abellio

Greater Anglia on the London to Norwich route. In addition to the scheduled C6 overhaul

Porterbrook Leasing, the vehicle owner, has extended the contract to include additional

corrosion repairs. The scope of work will involve shot blasting of the vehicle exterior, a full

examination of the vehicle structure and exterior and corrosion repairs as required. The units

will then be fully repainted in the new red and white Greater Anglia livery. The contract is due

to start in October 2013 and be completed in July 2016.

SCADA RTUs for West Coast substationsInvensys Rail has been awarded

a contract by ABB in support of

Network Rail’s £115 million Power

Supply Upgrade Project on the West

Coast Main Line. Covering Phase

3B of the overall programme, the

scope of the contract awarded to

Invensys includes the design, supply

and factory testing of Supervisory

Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)

Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) for 11

of the enhancement project’s new

containerised traction substations.

Work on the SCADA element of the

overall Power Supply Upgrade Project

is already underway and is scheduled

for completion in December 2014.

East Coast catering payment servicesECR Retail Systems has been awarded a

five-year contract by train operator East

Coast to provide the first fully PCI-compliant

payment service for passengers buying food

and drink on its services. ECR’s successful

bid for the £1.8 million tender means it will

supply East Coast’s on-train catering staff with

handheld devices to process payments from

passengers making purchases from trolleys

and buffet cars on all routes. The terminals

can also be used for the sale of other items

such as newspapers and magazines.

By the summer, ECR will supply

140 handheld units and 60 tablets on

46 trains, replacing the existing system

East Coast has been using for the past

eight years. ECR is also currently working with

East Coast’s catering supplier, Rail Gourmet,

in Ireland.

TfL revenue collection beyond 2015Ten years on from the launch of Oyster,

Transport for London (TfL) has issued an

OJEU notice for the contract to take the

Capital’s transport ticketing systems into

the next decade. The Electra contract,

which was posted to the Official Journal

of the European Union (OJEU) on 27th

March, will assume responsibility for the

provision and maintenance of front and

back office revenue collection systems

for all of TfL’s services, including

approximately 4000 retail outlets, and

at National Rail stations where Oyster is

accepted. The new contract, which is

valued at up to £1 billion over ten years,

will begin in August 2015, when TfL’s

current five-year contract with Cubic

Transportation Systems is complete.

Underground upgrade contractLondon Underground has engaged UK

Power Networks Services to undertake a

major upgrade on substations and cables

on the Sub Surface Railway, known as

package SSR3B. The design and build

project is part of the London Underground’s

sub-surface railway upgrade programme,

being carried out on the Metropolitan, Circle,

Hammersmith & City and District lines to

introduce new rolling stock and signalling to

increase passenger capacity and improve

journey time capability. The upgrade will

support the increased demand for power.

New high voltage, direct current and low

voltage switchgear, transformers rectifiers,

cables, batteries, chargers and marshalling

cabinets are all part of the SSR3B package

of new equipment required to be upgraded

or installed.

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Zonegreen helps future-proof modernised rail depot

Online supply chain management system l Balfour Beatty Rail is implementing a new supply chain management system to ensure a

consistent and standardised approach to supplier qualification and evaluation, and enable

companies of all sizes to have a free ‘shop window’ with its procurement team. The firm

has implemented a total supplier management solution (TSMS) in partnership with Achilles

– which helps organisations manage potential risks in their supply chains to protect people,

planet and profit.

Suppliers for Balfour Beatty Rail are being asked to complete standardised registration,

pre-qualification and assessment processes online. Information will be stored in a

centralised database, hosted by Achilles. This will enable Balfour Beatty Rail to effectively

manage data, assess companies consistently, and prevent potential issues in the supply

chain.

The new system, called Balfour Beatty Accreditation and Supplier Information System

(BBASIS), will work in conjunction with Achilles Link-up – the UK Rail Industry’s supplier

registration and pre- qualification scheme. Link-up enables businesses that carry out

potentially medium to high-risk services to qualify to work for 115 rail organisations, through

completion of a single questionnaire.

Now Balfour Beatty Rail is extending that principle to all of its suppliers, asking them to

complete standardised processes online, at no cost, to gain a complete picture of activity

across its entire supply chain. It will also help Balfour Beatty Rail achieve sustainable

procurement objectives.

l Rail safety specialist, Sheffield-

based Zonegreen, is transforming a

Victorian maintenance facility into one of

of the most secure and efficient

depots in the UK. London Midland’s

Tyseley depot, near Birmingham, is

the latest British facility to implement

Zonegreen’s SMART Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS™). The intelligent control

network has been fitted to all 13 lines at Tyseley, to provide safer working conditions for

maintenance staff and increase the speed and efficiency with which trains are moved.

Zonegreen’s installation is one of a series of upgrades at Tyseley, commissioned by

Network Rail through their principal contractor J. Murphy & Sons Limited, as part of London

Midland’s expansion in Birmingham and Network Rail’s commitment to improving workplace

safety. It has included the addition of new fleet and the introduction of a £1.6 million washing

facility, capable of cleaning 120 trains each day.

DPPS™ uses powered derailers, road end control panels, train detection equipment,

warning signals and personal datakeys to protect staff and infrastructure in busy rail depots.

Zonegreen’s flagship technology is the most advanced, reliable and tested product of its

type. It can be combined with the firm’s depot manager software to offer a complete depot

overview and a fully traceable system.

Zonegreen’s SMART DPPS™ is installed in some of the largest and most sophisticated

maintenance facilities in the world, including Temple Mills, which serves the Eurostar, and

Dubai Metro depots, Jebel Ali and Rashidiya.

For more information about SMART DPPS™ or Zonegreen’s range of depot safety equipment, telephone (0114) 230 0822 or visit www.zonegreen.co.uk

zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Products & Services

Emergency response servicel Keyline’s National Rail Division has

launched an Emergency Response

Service to provide immediate access

to civil engineering and specialist

products for unplanned work and

repairs. The 24/7 solution will ensure

rail contractors and organisations can

source materials round the clock

to better respond to out-of-hours

incidents and minimise disruption to

the transport network.

The rapid response service will

be managed from Keyline’s national

rail office in Canning Town, East

London, and will be available to all

MAFA, track work, civil engineering

and building contractors, as well as

rail organisations such as Network

Rail and London Underground. An

out-of-hours helpline will co-ordinate

all emergency requirements with

nationwide coverage provided via

a network of 88 branches along

all mainline rail routes and in close

proximity to rail, Underground and

metro stations.

KeylineTel: 0844 892 2677 Email: [email protected]: www.keyline.co.uk

Achilles awarded top security accreditationl Supply chain management company

Achilles has shown it adheres to the highest

standards of information security, after

achieving the British Standards Institution

ISO 27001 certification. Achilles, which

manages supply chain data on behalf of

77,000 buyers and suppliers in 23 countries,

achieved the global standard after a rigorous

assessment of its information technology

systems and processes. The certification

demonstrates that Achilles excels at several

aspects of IT security including:

l Protecting sensitive information

l Maintaining accurate data held on its global

IT platforms

l Encouraging staff at all levels to maintain

optimum levels of security and control over

information

l Legal and regulatory compliance

AchillesWeb: www.achilles.co.uk


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Sprayed ConCrete aSSoCiation

Sprayed concrete is an ideal method of

concrete application, due to the requirement

for little or no formwork, high early strength

gain and the ability to convey materials

quickly in excess of 500 metres to the point

of application. Sprayed concrete, having

been used on the Channel Tunnel and CTRL

rail link, is currently being used in London

on the Crossrail Project, working on arch

strengthening contracts in Manchester, and

numerous tunnel repair works throughout

the rail network. With continued Government

investment in new infrastructure projects

and Network Rail investment in improvement

works, the SCA is predicting sustained high

levels of activity in the sector.

Recognising that the quality of sprayed

concrete application is dependent on the

operatives in the field, the SCA has worked

closely with the Construction Industry Training

Board (Construction Skills) to introduce an

NVQ qualification. Furthermore, together with

EFNARC, the Association has produced a

European Specification for sprayed concrete

which it makes available to operators. It

also supports other programmes such as

Founded in 1976 by a small group

of gunite contractors, the Sprayed

Concrete Association (SCA) is dedicated

to the promotion and development

of sprayed concrete methods, training and

implementation. The organisation is dedicated

to quality solutions and its membership has

always included contractors, material suppliers,

machinery manufacturers and consultants that

fall into four main categories of membership.

From full members such as contracting

companies, to associate members, overseas

members and honorary members, the

organisation’s series of meetings throughout

the year provide a forum for shared expertise

and innovation.

The SCA focuses on both dry processed

and wet processed sprayed concrete

applications for the construction industry,

especially for water retaining structures,

underground construction, protective coatings,

and strengthening and repair works. For the

rail industry, its specialist knowledge is utilised

specifically in the restoration and rehabilitation

of tunnels and structures, as well as the

stabilisation of embankments.

Strong foundations

With a membership network spanning all areas of construction, the Sprayed Concrete Association encourages high performance and training throughout the industry

Finished arch

Harrietsham tunnel

Marple slope sprayed concrete


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Sprayed ConCrete aSSoCiation

actions of the nozzleman that determine the

quality and consistency of the final product. In

order to achieve this, training and certification

within the industry must be both supported and

maintained.

For its own part the SCA insists upon,

and verifies, its members for assured quality

deliverance, whilst encouraging and promoting

the ongoing training of operatives to increase

understanding of the technicalities of the

sprayed concrete process. All of its members

subscribe to the same core philosophy

of superior workmanship, with each new

addition being assessed to ensure that the

SCA maintains its high quality credentials.

The Association looks to enhance its internal

performance and understanding of sprayed

concrete through close partnerships with

the Construction Skills Certificate Scheme

(CSCS) which looks to extend certification to a

common standard across the industry.

As such, it is vitally important that specifiers

and designers insist upon, and verify, the

training methods adopted by their prospective

contractors. For many years the SCA has

recommended a formal record keeping, training

and certification scheme, as it is the on-site

Shortlands junction

Labour Supply

Equipment Hire

Spares and service provided for MEYCO and Putzmeister spraying equipment

T: 01580 714 747F: 01580 712 321E: [email protected] www.shotcrete.co.uk

Contract Works

Consumable Sales

The sprayed concre te exper ts

SHOTCRETE


university research establishments such as

Loughborough University, Imperial College and

TUCA Tunnelling Academy.

Today, one of the greatest challenges of the

Sprayed Concrete Association is the use of

sprayed concrete by contractors who are not

members, and as such may not subscribe to

the same quality and training criteria as the

SCA. By choosing an SCA member, clients can

rest assured that they will receive a high quality

end product delivered by a competent and

qualified workforce.

Recently the Sprayed Concrete Association

(SCA), Concrete Repair Association (CRA)

and the Corrosion Prevention Association

(CPA) have formed the Structural Concrete

Alliance. This new Alliance brings together

over 70 companies drawn from contractors,

manufacturers, distributors, consultants, test

houses and equipment suppliers. It will offer

a single point of contact for major clients and

a definitive source of information and advice

for all involved in the repair, refurbishment and

management of concrete infrastructure and the

protection from corrosion of a wide range of

structures.

The Alliance pools resources and provides a

single portal for anyone wanting to know about

how to repair or manage degrading structures.

The strengths of each Association complement

each other and together provide a unified

voice. Although all three Associations will

continue to operate, providing detailed advice

and comment within their individual speciality

areas, the Alliance will reduce duplication

in many areas, including the development

of publications and technical guidance

documents.

The Structural Concrete Alliance aims

to advance education, technical training

and health and safety in the sector and

will campaign for greater recognition of

competence and quality for both services and

products. zz

Web: www.sca.org.uk

zzzzzzzzz zzSprayed ConCrete aSSoCiation

Market Rasen arch strengthening

Tamworth station completed


With a change in structure, and new governing policies, Network Rail is applying fresh thinking to the challenge of geotechnical asset management

Getting technical

Pontsmill

Pontsmill

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Geotechnical Engineering

Services to support the ten Routes as well

as the central corporate departments such

as Planning and Regulations, and Safety

and Sustainable Development. Our new

organisation will be more efficient and also

provide improved customer service”.

A change in policyIn order to build the new geotechnical policies,

Network Rail has taken a rounded approach,

drawing on internal expertise, as well as input

from outside the immediate organisation.

Personally Tony has also carried out a lot of

benchmarking from around the world looking at

the geotechnical asset management policies of

France, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, and

Hong Kong.

“What we’ve delivered in terms of a

geotechnical asset management policy for

railway infrastructure is at least as good, if not

better, than what’s available in Europe and

south-east Asia,” highlights Tony. “The key

difference to what we had previously in CP3

and CP4 is that we’ve developed a prescriptive

risk-based policy. This directs Network Rail’s

investment to those assets, which pose the

greatest threat to safety and performance,

with deliberate prioritisation of the former over

the latter.

“In CP4 there was perhaps a lot of focus

on renewals, and less on the smaller, more

numerous interventions so that we manage

our earthworks, drainage, and vegetation

to achieve better whole-life costings for a

stated level of asset performance. As such

we’ve developed a policy that advocates a

range of interventions such as maintenance,

refurbishment, and renewals which we’ve

Sitting amidst Network Rail’s asset

management programme, geotechnical

engineering is focused on the proper

administration of an asset base

consisting of embankments, soil cuttings, and

rock cuttings. This work plays a vital role in

ensuring the efficient upkeep and continuous

improvement of the rail system, and to prevent

earthwork failures which can then impact on

train services.

The network itself is segmented into five

chain, or 100 metre, lengths, and any cutting

or embankment of more than three metres

in height is marked for formal management.

This means that it is examined at a certain

frequency of one, five, or ten years depending

on whether it is in poor, marginal, or serviceable

condition.

Leading the wayOverseeing this activity is Tony Wilcock, who

for the last three years has been head of

civils asset management for geotechnics and

drainage at Network Rail. Having worked for

Network Rail, and its predecessor Railtrack, for

16 years, Tony’s past roles have included zone

structures engineer, and territories civil engineer

for the London North Western (LNW) route.

In his asset management position, Tony

has led all the geotechnical resources on the

routes, and also Network Rail’s mining team,

which oversees the interface between its rail

operations and the country’s mining legacy.

Following the devolution of Network Rail at

the end of 2011, this role has shifted towards

leading the development of Network Rail’s

geotechnical asset management policy for

Control Period 5 (CP), which runs between

2014 and 2019, and the drainage asset

management policy.

The biggest change though has come

recently with the reorganisation of the central

team, which amongst other things has

created six new professional head positions.

These roles are intended to deliver technical

leadership and authority across Network Rail

in track, signalling, structures, buildings, plant,

and geotechnical, which Tony has assumed

the professional head position for.

“Network Rail has responded to the McNulty

report and moved to a devolved organisational

route-based model, to realise efficiencies

and adopt closer working relationships with

the train operating companies (TOCs),” he

describes. “At the same time the central asset

teams have been engaged in delivering the

new policies for the next five years, and with

those policies now essentially in place, we have

reorganised and created Asset Management


Getting technical

Buxworth

Copperas Wood

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Geotechnical Engineering

workshopped with the wider Network Rail

geotechnical community from the routes,”

he continues.

Model approachBy looking at the whole asset base and

applying these different interventions, in CP5

Network Rail will be carrying out work on

approximately ten per cent of this base over the

five years, as opposed to the 1.5 per cent of

CP4. This does not equate to a tenfold increase

in costs though as much of the work will be

maintenance and refurbishment activities.

Another new aspect of the current

submissions is building in of whole-life cost

models, which demonstrate both the volume

and mix of works needed to be done on the

asset over the CP to deliver a certain outcome.

“We’ve concentrated wholly on the volume

in this piece of work as that then drives the

cost, so it’s about getting a much better

understanding of the condition that our asset

is in, the rate of degradation, and then how we

can achieve what we need to, going forward,”

notes Tony.

“We have around 175,000 of these 100-

metre long slopes in the portfolio, which we

have modelled not only over CP5 but over the

next 100 years such that in calculating the

volume and type of work that we’re looking

at long-term sustainability. It’s leading edge

portfolio asset management as modelling the

deterioration of a soil embankment or cutting

is tricky, and whilst we have repeat data on

about 20 per cent of the network we don’t have

a long trend dating back over the age of the

asset as to how it has deteriorated. This is the

start of a proper asset management journey

as we will continue to monitor our calculations

on degradation rates and fine tune them going

threats mean we may need drainage where

we currently don’t have any. These plans are

subsumed within our earthworks and track

policies, but due to the focus on flooding over

the last 12 months we have created a formal

drainage management policy for the first time.”

Since 2003 Network Rail has kept rigorous

reports on the number of earthworks each year,

which are then reported to the Office of Rail

Regulation (ORR). The last five financial years

have seen an improving trend from 107 failures

in 2007 to 28 in 2011, but this year is heading

towards 145. “The improvement was yielded

in part by investment and improvement in the

asset, but also in a large part by the weather.

Clearly there is still a lot of work to be done

to improve the resilience of our asset further

through directed investment. For instance we

already have additional allowances of

20 per cent capacity over and above the design

calculated requirements when constructing new

drainage to give us some headroom for future

climate change,” outlines Tony.

Reflecting on the current approach as a

whole, he concludes: “We are in a completely

different space to where we’ve been previously

in terms of asset management policies, and

evidencing these using whole cost models.

We continue to advocate a proactive approach

to earthworks management, and prioritisation

of sites with the highest safety risk, so that

remediation takes place before it starts to

impact on the train service.” zz


forward, but what we’ve built in CP5 are the

models and policies that are a robust platform

of the future,” he adds.

Proactive stanceFurthermore, Network Rail has put together its

first integrated drainage policy, which covers all

earthwork and track drainage. This comes off

the back of a first generation national survey

of drainage assets, which serves as a base for

future planning. “We have branded drainage as

a servant asset in that its purpose is to support

the performance of the earthworks. Once again

we are being quite prescriptive with a range of

interventions from inspection and maintenance

to refurbishment, renewal and new-build,”

explains Tony.

He continues: “This is because we recognise

that we may have some stretches on the

network where changes in land use or other

Network Rail GeotechnicalTel: +44 (0) 8457 114 141Web: www.networkrail.co.uk

St Bees

Removal of track

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Geotechnical Engineering


O ne of the most recent releases

from TERRAM, a division of

Fiberweb Geosynthetics Ltd.,

is Hydrotex, a permanent

way solution for trackbed stability that

substantially reduces laying costs by

eliminating the need for a sand layer and

performing as an effective filter/separator

for the prevention of clay pumping.

Hydrotex is a strong blanket consisting of

two opposing needle-punched non-woven

layers sandwiching a thermally bonded

central filter layer. This effective three

layer geocomposite allows upwards and

downwards water transmission through the

permeable layer, but prevents the upwards

passage of particles even as fine as 0.002mm.

It is sufficiently flexible to perform on rough

surfaces but the outer non-woven layers are

amply robust to perform effectively under

ballast. Stability is aided since pockets of

the consequent saving in labour not only

for pouring the sand but also for the prior

excavation required. As an environmental

spin-off it saves the need for land-fill soil

disposal and provides a considerable

reduction in lorry traffic to and from site.

It is sold in standard rolls 25m & 50m long

by 3.9m wide but other sizes are

available on request.

The product’s efficacy is endorsed by

approval from Network Rail under PADS

No. PA05/0545 and Hydrotex has already

established a reputation in the industry for its

winning combination of cost efficiency plus

speed and simplicity of laying zz

slurry beneath the geotextile layer become

dessicated with the passage of water and

do not remain as semi-liquid pockets. Since

it is laid direct from the roll installation is

extremely simple, non labour intensive and

without need of specialised equipment. The

greatest advantage of TERRAM Hydrotex is

in preventing the need for a sand layer and

Troublefree trackway stability

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzGeotechnical Engineering

For further information, please contact:Fiberweb Geosynthetics LtdTel: 01621 874 200Email: [email protected]: www.terram.com


itmsoil is a leading designer, manufacturer

and installer of instrumentation systems

for the monitoring of buildings and civils

assets on railway infrastructure. While

generally remaining stable, circumstances

can force a change in condition, especially

under the influence of external forces such as

extreme weather events, collisions and other

accidents, adjacent construction work, or

simply deterioration through age. An increasing

incidence of extreme weather events, such as

storms and flooding, means that it is a good

time for transport infrastructure operators to

look at revising their risk management strategy

to make it more efficient and reliable. Well

managed instrumentation monitoring is often

the key to this.

A wide range of instrumentation is now

available to provide data and images on the

condition of these assets, however these can

produce so much information that it can be

Nick Slater, business development manager

at itmsoil, says: “Our monitoring systems

combining sensors and cameras have already

proved themselves in delivering data about the

performance of slopes, embankments, tunnels,

bridges and cuttings. Now we can provide more

efficient and insightful data, made possible by

the intelligent monitoring software.”

Concerning the prioritisation of remedial work

Slater comments: “It is not viable to fix all

deteriorated infrastructure at once, though

a programme of works is under way. Our

monitoring enables engineers to understand

how their assets are performing. It helps risk

management and has the potential to extend

the useful life of an asset while long-term

solutions are put in place.” zz

difficult to manage. To counter this itmsoil focus

on well-designed automated systems that

make the best use of instrumentation, and data

delivery software that provides convenient, well

organised information.

itmsoil’s intelligent monitoring software

includes an innovative ‘batching’ procedure that

collates individual outputs from related sensors

and cameras, whether data or images, into

one place, this means the information can be

reviewed in context to properly assess risk. This

combination means changing situations can be

assessed easily and decisions made quickly.

False alarms triggered by instrumentation can

be counter-productive, the new software from

itmsoil prioritises alarm indicators to reduce the

likelihood of false alarms that can disrupt the

rail network. The responsible manager can then

make a fully informed decision that may allow

train movements to continue at, for example, a

reduced speed.

itmsoil makes fixed asset monitoring more efficient‘Intelligent’ software from itmsoil is aimed at efficient management of structures & earthworks

For more information on itmsoil’s advanced monitoring systems contact Nick Slater at: itmsoilTel: 01825 765 044 Email: [email protected] Web: www.itmsoil.com

Geotechnical Engineering zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Ground A consultant’s viewpoint

“The geotechnical business is full of surprises,” says JEFF MAITLAND. Here he considers some of the issues and their solutions

Often taken for granted, competency

of the ground – or terra firma – as the

Italians would have it, is an essential

part of any engineering process.

This is especially true in railway practice,

where instability below running lines of just

a few millimetres can push track geometry

beyond acceptable trigger limits, threatening

derailment at worst or, at the very least, the

imposition of an emergency speed restriction

and consequential train delay.

The slopes of embankments and cuttings

can also pose problems from either natural

causes such as hyper-saturation due to

changes in weather conditions, or man-made.

The recent ground slip at Hadfield, which

closed the adjacent main lines, is a clear

demonstration of what can happen when

ground ‘goes on the move’.

Long experience derived from major railway

schemes undertaken throughout the country

dictates not only extreme caution when

attempting engineering works such as large

diameter tunnelling but also, on occasion, the

need for ‘reverse engineering’ whereby design

options and construction techniques may have

to be modified according to prevailing ground

conditions so as to ensure that no nasty

surprises are encountered ‘on the night’.

Whilst all of this may possibly sound

somewhat hypothetical, over the years

perched water tables have been discovered

hidden halfway up steep embankments, layers

of stiff horizontal clay strata have twisted and

become vertical, and even the sturdiest rock

faces have been found to crumble and fail after

just a few years’ exposure to damp and frost.

In addition, it is as well to remember that

tidal influences often reach far inland, on

one occasion creating floatation of buried

sewer chambers (located several miles from

the coast) to such an extent as to require

pipe joints to be specially manufactured with

expandable metal bellows.

All in all, this geotechnical business is full

of surprises, especially when there is a need

conditions, including specialist geo-technical

investigations, needle-probing, ultrasonic

detection, and use of remote sensors, whilst

incorporation of track monitoring to the

appropriate Network Rail compliance ensures

the continued safe passage of trains during

construction and maintenance activities.

Additional precautions include ensuring that

all excavated ground is adequately supported

(including the foundations of drop shafts which

may suddenly ‘heave’ due to pressure build-

up from beneath) and, on occasion, ground

stabilisation may also be employed, including

injection of cement or resin-based grouts.

Dewatering techniques may also be an option

whereby, under controlled conditions, ground

water is carefully extracted via well-points

driven deep into soft sand strata to leave a firm

cohesive material through which excavations

can then safely take place.

Terra firma maybe, but often only in name,

and certainly not always in practice! zz

to include for the effect of even such simple

operations as driven piling, the transmitted

vibration from which may create settlement

to nearby running lines, or the foundations of

lineside buildings. Similarly, a relatively small

quantity of water pumped from a flooded

manhole and discharged down a cutting slope

may create a major slip within just a few hours.

Yes, it really has been known to happen.

Fortunately, there are many solutions

available when faced with unstable ground

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzGeotechnical Engineering

Jeff Maitland is director of Vital Consulting UK Ltd. He and his team make good use of their wide-ranging knowledge and experience to assist outside parties undertake schemes on or adjacent to the operational infrastructure, whether initial consultation, or full ‘design and build’.

For further information, please contact:

Vital Consulting UKTel: 0845 894 9020Email: [email protected]: www.vital-consulting.co.uk

This photo, taken during recent culvert replacement work at Machynlleth, (Sutton Br. to Aberystwyth Branch) clearly demonstrates that you don’t always have to dig far below

the track formation to experience poor ground conditions. The job necessitated extreme

caution during the placing and strutting of side supports across the single line railway to a depth of just under four metres in order to

ensure continued stability, the sub-foundation of the embankment being a complex mixture

of loose sands, and fine grey silt.

W hen Senator Dipl. Ing. Hellmuth

SWIETELSKY founded a

new construction company

in Austria in 1936 he trusted

in his own knowledge and that of a few

trusted and enthusiastic employees. Since

then SWIETELSKY has grown into one of

Austria’s largest construction companies

with over 6600 highly motivated and

well-trained staff. Headquartered in Linz,

SWIETELSKY now has subsidiaries in

Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic,

Slovakia, Switzerland, Poland, Croatia,

Italy, Romania, Montenegro, Norway,

Australia and the United Kingdom. In

the 2011/12 financial year SWIETELSKY

reached a turnover of 1.4 billion Euros

with construction activities spanning

railways, highways, bridges, tunnelling,

and heavy civil and structural engineering.

The company also provides a variety

of specialist construction services

including building in difficult mountainous

regions, sports and recreation facilities,

environmental technology, scientific and

laboratory services, and PPP infrastructure

projects.

As a leading provider of track

construction, maintenance and renewal

services, the SWIETELSKY Rail Division

uses a fleet of over 500 high-performance

rail-mounted machines deployed on behalf

of railway authority clients internationally.

The fleet contains several world firsts

including the RU800-S combined high

output ballast cleaning and track relaying


Distinct by innovation

Plant & Equipmentzz

Founded in 1936, SWIETELSKY has grown

into one of Austria’s largest construction companies

and is an international provider of track

construction, maintenance and renewal services

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzSWIETELSKY’s RU800-S

combined high output ballast cleaning and

track relaying system

09-32/4S high output S&C and plain line tamper (now working on High Speed 1 in the UK)


Distinct by innovationIn recent years SWIETELSKY has

developed a series of market-leading

crane-based technologies. Innovative

attachments designed and built in-house

such as the robot arm and automatic

sleeper relaying beam have transformed

our Kirow cranes into multi-functional

track renewal systems which are the most

versatile and capable in the market.

SWIETELSKY’s UK Joint Venture

business with Babcock (SB Rail) has

developed and brought into operational

service the KRC 500 S & SG. This

fixed formation double jib crane system

incorporates two KRC 250 UK rail cranes

with an integrated wagon for installing all

modular track designs and panels up to

and including ‘SG’ switches. The system

has a number of key advantages over

conventional or larger systems, including

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzimprovements in: safety, speed and

accuracy of installation, and working under

challenging height restrictions.

Breaking new groundSB Rail has also developed and brought

into service a high output crane-based

piling system which works in an entirely

self-contained production line methodology.

By bringing with it all materials and taking

away any residual supplies the system

doesn’t rely on site deliveries and enhances

safety by significantly reducing the number

of machines and movements on site.

Using the superior power of the KRC

250 cranes, the system is able to achieve

significantly higher pile-driving rates than

conventional road-rail machines with

the added capability of removing any

stopped piles in the event of unexpected

ground conditions. Additional system

enhancements are already underway,

including the possibility to transport and

install further OLE equipment such as

masts and portals.

Latest newsSB Rail will soon introduce another first to

the UK industry, the Plasser & Theurer

UNIMAT 09-4x4/4S tamping machine.

The new design will offer the highest

output universal tamping capability in

the UK and, requiring less depot-based

maintenance than its predecessors, it will

provide enhanced availability and reliability.

The machine will be equipped with the

most recent developments in tamping and

on-track machine technologies, including

advanced performance monitoring and

EN-compliant geometry recording systems.

Investment in and development of the

equipment and methodologies described

above demonstrates SWIETELSKY’s

commitment to offering innovative solutions

to today’s railway engineering problems. By

continuously improving quality, reducing the

impact of engineering works on operational

networks, lowering the unit cost of delivery

and reducing the environmental impact of

these operations, SWIETELSKY is

distinct by innovation. zz

system and the PM1000-URM formation

rehabilitation system featuring three-

chain excavation and advanced recycling

technology.

In addition to its fleet of larger renewals

systems SWIETELSKY also owns and

operates a substantial number of other

high-capacity machines, including:

l 09-4X the highest output plain line tamping technology available.l 09-32/4S the most advanced S&C

tamping system available.

l BDS 2000 the complete ballast

management system.

l APT 1500 R the advanced flash butt

welding and rail tensioning system.

These machines support their larger

counterparts or work independently

forming a comprehensive offering perfectly

suited to working in the technically

demanding environment of high speed

lines where access comes at a premium

requiring both the highest possible outputs

and quality available.

SWIETELSKY uses and develops

the latest on-track technologies and

methodologies resulting in the capacity to

deliver significant volumes of high quality

track infrastructure works. Typical annual

volumes are shown in the table below.

BDS 2000 ballast management system

For more information please contact Gordon Suthorn, business development manager at:Swietelsky Construction Company LtdEmail: [email protected]: www.swietelsky.at

Electrification piling

KRC 500 S & SG double jib fixed formation crane system

Robot arm and 28 sleeper fully automatic relaying beam

l Track relaying 1015 kmlTrack formation rehabilitation 276 kml Track ballast cleaning 344 kml Turnout replacement and renewal (including ballast) 475 units

l Rail grinding 724 kml Turnout grinding 1200 unitsl Renewals tamping, lining and stabilising to design 5200 km

l Maintenance tamping, lining and stabilising to design 7500 km

l Flash butt welding 4000 No.l Track design 2800 km

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


zz •

SRS RAIL SYSTEM LTD

Combined capabilities

Born out of the railway itself, the

SRS road rail vehicle concept was

pioneered by the chief civil engineer of

the Swedish railway over 30 years ago.

Designed to reduce the amount of time it took

to bring materials from a depot to a railway

work site, these vehicles are based upon lorries

converted to run on both roads and railway

track. The idea has since expanded to include

a comprehensive range of mounted equipment,

which enables the vehicles to be used for

many tasks.

SRS Rail System Ltd came along five years

later as the sales entity for these vehicles

into the British market. In order to widen the

market awareness of the road rail concept, the

company set up a hire fleet so that prospective

customers could see them in action. Today this

numbers around 40 vehicles of either 17 or 25

tonnes in weight, and one 44 tonne articulated

vehicle fitted with a Palfinger PR750 crane.

Looking at how the business has fared

since the beginning of 2013, company director

John Rooke reflects: “Network Rail’s exciting

plans for improving the network are generating

a corresponding increase in demands for

our equipment. In fact we have had to turn

down work virtually every week this year. The

multiplication of overhead electrification projects

is particularly demanding in terms of machines,

skilled operators and trained linesmen alike.

“Recent work has included the transport

and erection of steelwork coupled with running

catenary, contact and reverse current wires for

SRS Rail System Ltd is adding to its road rail vehicle offering with the launch of a new vehicle together with a leading Chinese railway manufacturer

fit, John notes: “I have visited every IAF/VDEI

exhibition in the last 38 years and exhibited in

most. It is simply the best railway infrastructure

exhibition in the world for a number of reasons.

It occurs only once every three years allowing

time for plenty of change, and it concentrates

on infrastructure only, not aspects such as

rolling stock, electrification, and signalling.

Furthermore, the larger companies invite

decision markers from all over the world, which

benefits the smaller exhibitors.”

Of course SRS Rail System is hoping that

its presence will lead to high levels of interest

in its new vehicles, and for this to translate

into sales. The company sees exhibition such

as IAF/VDEI as important marketing tools as

much of its history has been concerned with

the operation and maintenance of road rail

vehicles for hire. As such, selling is a relatively

new part of the business, and it has paved the

way for its entry into this market by attending

exhibitions in Australia, China, Poland,

Scandinavia, and Turkey.

As previously indicated, SRS Rail System

believes there is a huge wealth of opportunity

still for road rail vehicles, particularly on the

international market. “Road rail vehicles are

already used in ever-increasing quantities in the

UK, Europe, and the US,” agrees John. “Our

task now is to educate the rest of the railway

world. The amazing versatility of the road rail

truck means that it is something that no railway

should be without,” he concludes. zz

Web: www.srsrailuk.com

Babcock on the Paisley Canal electrification

project. This was, incidentally, completed within

budget and ahead of time,” he continues.

Currently SRS Rail System is gearing up

to launch a brand new road rail vehicle to

the market in partnership with Chinese State

Railways (CSR) Sifang. Outlining how this

came about John says: “With some 25 years’

experience in the operation of road rail vehicles

and nothing else, we are uniquely placed to

appreciate the incredible versatility of these

machines. We believe that this versatility has

only been recognised by a fraction of the

world’s railway industry, and there is still a real

gap in the market.”

The first of the new Sifang SRS vehicles will

be a 17 tonne unit with an access platform,

which will be followed by a series of similar

vehicles with different ancillary equipment. The

next step will be the development of a 25 tonne

road rail vehicle of this type. “The new vehicles

will have the same capabilities as the current

fleet in terms of access, lifting, carrying, drilling,

cabling and placing – the list of applications is

endless. Virtually any tool which is required to

maintain a railway can be carried on a road rail

vehicle. However, many years of maintaining

road rail vehicles has taught us a great deal,

and so the new design will benefit from this

knowledge,” reveals John.

The company has chosen the upcoming

IAF/VDEI exhibition in Münster as the launch

setting for the Sifang SRS vehicle. Revealing

the reasons why he believes this is a good


HAZE is a private joint venture

company comprising mainly English

and some Chinese investors, bringing

together over 20 years’ experience in

quality battery manufacturing. Nicholas Wood

and Johnson Yuen are co managing directors

of HAZE based at the Dayawan production

facility. David Wood, the third owner, is

based in Hong Kong and oversees all things

commercial. HAZE has representative offices

and agents in USA, Europe, Asia, Africa and

Australasia. In Europe Haze has an extensive

network of highly motivated and competent

distributors run by a European office based in

the UK.

ProductsHaze manufactures a very broad range of

maintenance-free sealed lead acid batteries.

From 1.2AH to 3850AH in 2, 4, 6 and 12volt

varieties. Product ranges are distinguished by

design life with 5, 12 and 15-year products

available. In 2007 Haze also added OPZS and

OPZV ranges of products.

Key to the success of HAZE has been the

extensive and competitively priced product

range enabling the company to attract a

number of very high profile clients in the

telecoms industry who themselves have

experienced tremendous growth. In addition

Haze has been very successful in some

newly emerging markets: mobility, leisure and

renewables. If you align this with the reputation

of Haze to produce quality products with

consistent and durable performance in various

extreme applications, the company’s recent

success is easy to understand.

Quality systemsHAZE incorporates stringent quality systems

into its production processes at all levels of the

organization and in January 2003 was awarded

full ISO9001 accreditation status from SGS

Europe. HAZE was also awarded ISO 14000

on the current production facility in 2006. zz

Standby batteries

For further information, please contact:Haze Batteries UK LtdTel +44 (0)1536 205 952Email: [email protected]: www.hazebattery.com

Haze Batteries Ltd is an international supplier of sealed lead acid Batteries for worldwide standby applications. All batteries marketed by Haze Battery Company are quality assured and designed to comply with BS6290 Part 4, EUROBAT (draft IEC 896-2) standards and are a recognized component of UL 1989 under the category dealing with standby batteries

HAZE is located at Dayawan in the

Guongdong province of southern

China. To visit the company takes a

1.5-hour journey by either ferry or bus

from Hong Kong

HAZE employs over 1500 workers at its

factory of 125,000 square metres. Turnover

will be over US$120 million in 2013

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzPlant & Equipment


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz AEG PowEr SolutionS

As a long thinking industry, the

rail market is recognising the

value of AEG Power Solutions’ total

cost of ownership mindset when it

comes to high-end power solutions

requires participating UPS suppliers to meet

their very tough standards,” describes Kevin

Pateman, UK business development manager

for rail. “All of the equipment that we supply

into the rail industry has this accreditation

attached to it.”

Iain Campbell, industrial director for UK

and Ireland, continues: “Most of these

key industries set a minimum standard

as they have to achieve a reliability figure,

and therefore need to make sure that the

equipment is electrically designed in such a

way that it meets the environmental conditions

and other factors. We have a minimum agreed

specification with the transport industry, and

then depending on a specific location or

application we will add additional features to

the equipment.

“A lot of these systems have to operate in

fairly harsh environmental conditions such as

high heat or humidity, high levels of brake dust,

shock and vibration, and even underground.

As such, the equipment structure has to be

very resilient and robust in order to operate

A leading provider of premium power

electronics, AEG Power Solutions

works with customers across the

globe to meet their power challenges

with innovative, world-class solutions. Backed

by more than a century of experience, AEG

Power Solutions offers a wide portfolio of AC

and DC protection and control solutions for

the transport sector and other demanding

industries where quality, reliability, and total cost

of ownership are key factors.

In the case of rail these span on-track,

wayside and rail infrastructure applications.

AEG Power Solutions is particularly recognised

for its expertise in uninterruptable power

supplies (UPS), which provide redundancy

for mission or safety-critical equipment. Other

core products include industrial chargers

and rectifiers, batteries, power controllers

and converters, LED drivers, communication

interfaces, and even complete turnkey power

solutions tailored to specific needs.

“As you would imagine the UK rail market is

driven predominately by Network Rail, which

Engineered excellence


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reliably in the midst of this for a long design life

of 20 plus years,” he adds.

Recognised for its engineering excellence, it

is AEG Power Solutions’ ambition to add value

to its customers in such a way that it delivers

efficient and reliable systems and good service

with a life cycle management approach. This

means that as well as designing the equipment

itself, the company also maintains strong

delivery and customer service capabilities

to continue to respond to the operational

requirements of its customers.

Commenting on those strengths which

enables AEG Power Solutions to offer this

kind of complete spectrum service Gert Buist,

managing director North-Western Europe,

says: “Extensive knowledge and expertise of

complex customised engineered solutions for

industrial applications is more or less a key

competence of our entire organisation. We also

have strong project management capabilities

in order to be able to execute these projects in

close co-operation with our customers, and we

pride ourselves on our ability to offer innovative

service solutions.

“By combining these three key factors

we are able to deliver customised systems

and services which add value by combining

high efficiency and reliability whilst minimising

the total cost of ownership during the life

cycle of the installation. This is our life cycle

management approach: differentiating

ourselves on added-value solutions during

the entire lifetime rather than on the initial

investment.”

Certainly it would seem that AEG Power

Solutions is very much on the same track as

its customers, with the rail industry actively

looking for ways in which to reduce its

operational costs. “We are able to offer this

cost saving through better designs, greater

mean time between failures (MTBF), reduced

mean time to repair (MTTR), and more

quantified maintenance regimes, amongst

other measures,” notes Kevin. “We have a very

large design establishment in Germany which

provides us additional engineering resource


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

l FIAMM Group is a private Italian manufacturer with 3000 employees and approximately €530 million revenue throughout the world. Since 1942 FIAMM has produced batteries for industrial and automotive use, as well as energy storage solutions, horns, antennas and organic LED (OLED) lighting systems for vehicles.The Group is present in over sixty countries with about 70 per cent of its sales overseas. In order to be close to customers FIAMM has a solid and competitive industrial base with plants located in different regions and a global distribution and commercial network. In the last decade FIAMM has focused decisively on the green economy. In 2011 the company acquired FIAMM SoNick, a company in Switzerland that produces Sodium Nickel Chloride (salt) batteries.

FIAMM Industrial Batteries has built up over 60 years of experience and capability to supply backup energy solutions. The Industrial division provides a complete range of batteries to ensure continuous power supply in case of interruption of the mains and to store excess energy generated from renewable sources. Other than the traditional lead-acid accumulators, FIAMM produces sodium nickel chloride batteries with outstanding performance, ideal for applications in extreme temperature conditions. FIAMM UK Limited is the sole UK & Ireland agent for FIAMM S.p.A. and they are centrally located in Cannock, Staffordshire. The UK warehouse has an extensive stock holding of VRLA AGM batteries and has direct contact with the manufacturing facilities to source traditional products. The dedicated support team has sales and technical expertise to quickly and efficiently respond to all your requirements.

FIAMMGroup


when required and whom work very closely

with the UK in delivering the best solutions for

the rail industry.”

Far from content to rest on its laurels, this

year alone AEG Power Solutions is looking to

bring on-stream a number of new designs,

including two which are currently going

through product approval at this time. “These

are applications which Network Rail have

asked us to look at,” reveals Kevin. “There’s

new technology being developed in addition

to new application equipment and once

that has been approved it will be launched

back into the network. As well as by our key

customers, development is also driven by our

own research and development engineers

who are always looking for continuous

product improvement.”

This commitment to the rail industry,

along with the company’s global engineering

strength, is perhaps just one of the reasons

behind AEG Power Solutions’ recent award of

a multi-million pound contract with Crossrail.

“We have been chosen as the Crossrail

partner for UPS suppliers and are very proud

to be involved in the project,” enthuses

Kevin. “Although the system isn’t to become

operational until 2018 we will start delivery

for that next year. In the meantime we have

already secured all the work for Crossrail

ancillary equipment, such as PSPs and REBs,

for the inner and outer regions, which is

already being delivered into the field.”

Even at this very early stage of delivery,

AEG Power Solutions is already working

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzAEG PowEr SolutionS

EPS is a company that has built its reputation on providing quality engineering solutions. As a non manufacturing company, EPS perfectly complements AEG PS as a Power Partner, which gives both strength and support from its engineering staff. EPS is able to carry out important functions such as installation, maintenance and repair works to the standards required of a Power Partner.

call 01487 832357 or [email protected]

Emergency Power Services Ltd

For more information:

on-going service contracts with many rail

operators, but as the installed base grows

AEG is commited to ensure that service

commitments are continuously exceeding

customer requirements.

“We’ve made a number of appointments

within the company to support project

management and documentation control,

which is being put in place to meet the ever-

increasing workload that we see. Crossrail

is obviously a major driver for us over the

next years and fits neatly into our long-term

business plans to expand the company to

meet these expectations. At this moment

we would consider ourselves number one

in the transportation power market in the

UK, and hope to continue to move forward

in that facet through our customer focus on

everything from initial conception to end of

life,” concludes Kevin. zz

Web: www.aegps.com

in close partnership with many of the main

contractors to ensure that the design

parameters are correct and any risk eliminated.

In this sense AEG Power Solutions is able

to apply its expertise and detailed know-

how in guiding how these designs should

be delivered, and as the designs evolve to

become more reliable and

robust, incorporate

these changes.

“We are solutions

providers so we’re

not just quoting

to a specification,

we are actually

contributing to it,”

adds Iain.

The other thing that

AEG Power Solutions

is looking at for this

year is increasing its

support on the ground. The

company already operates

In addition to publishing, for the first time

ever, a detailed transparent timetable for

all rail franchises over the next eight years,

the Transport Secretary announced the

immediate start of the competition for the East

Coast franchise, currently directly operated,

with the expectation that the new franchisee

will carry its first passengers by February 2015.

The new approach to franchising:

l Will provide long-term certainty to the

market

l Support the Department for Transport’s

massive programme of rail investment

l Deliver on the independent Brown Review

of rail reform ahead of the April deadline for

implementation of its recommendations.

In rolling out the programme the Department

for Transport will work closely with the

industry to negotiate further new services and

more capacity in franchising contracts while

delivering the best deal for both passengers

and taxpayers. The new approach will see

the interests of passengers strengthened within

the franchising system, with passengers’ views

on train company performance playing an

enhanced role in deciding whether to continue

an operator’s contract.

On the day before the 50th anniversary of the

Beeching Report (27th March), the Transport

Secretary was also able to confirm the three

stations most likely to be built with support

from the Government’s New Station Fund.

These are Ilkeston in Erewash (Derbyshire), Pye

Corner in Newport West (South Wales) and Lea

Bridge in Walthamstow (East London). A final

announcement will be made in May.

In order to oversee this ambitious programme

the Government is also establishing the

Franchise Advisory Panel, headed by Richard

Brown, which will provide independent advice

to support the Department’s work on rail

franchising.

Delivering on Brown Review recommendations,

the new programme will provide a more


East

Coa

st T

rain

s

A fresh start for franchising

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Franchises

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin

has unveiled long-term plans designed to drive

improvements to rail services, deliver on

major infrastructure projects, and put

passengers at the heart of a revitalised rail

franchising system

East Coast Trains will be returned to the private sector in 2015

Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin MP

sustainable schedule for rail franchising

by delivering no more than three to four

competitions per year, and staggering the two

principal Intercity franchises, West Coast and

East Coast, so they will not be let at the same

point in the economic cycle.

In order to stagger the franchise start

dates the Government will use a mixture of

extensions to existing franchises and direct

award contracts to ensure the realignment

of the programme. During this process the

Department will look to negotiate further

passenger benefits, which will ensure the best

deal for taxpayers.

This process started with the Government

serving notice on First Capital Connect and

Southeastern to call contractual six-month

extensions.

The programme has been designed so that

as it is rolled out the Department and Network

Rail can continue to deliver on the massive

programme of rail investment which will bring

more trains and services to the network.

These include:

l The completion of a £500 million package

of enhancements that make up the Northern

Hub programme. This will enable more

services and greater capacity to be delivered

between major cities including Manchester.

Liverpool, Blackpool, Sheffield, Leeds and

Bradford by the end of 2018.

l Electrification of the network in the North

West by December 2016 and across the

Pennines by December 2018 which will allow

franchise operators to run faster and more

reliable electric trains.

l The electrification of the Great Western

Main Line and the Cardiff Valley Lines which

will transform train travel across the South

West and South Wales, including faster and

more reliable journeys to London.

l The delivery of new state-of-the-art

British-built trains from 2017 as part of the

Government’s £4.9 billion Intercity Express

Programme.

l The electrification of the Midland main

line which will deliver more passengers to

destinations across the East Midlands and

Yorkshire including Sheffield, Derby and

Nottingham.

l Increased passenger services between

Cambridge and King’s Lynn, and Cambridge

and Norwich following work to improve Ely

North Junction.

l The completion of the £14.5 billion

Crossrail project, the biggest construction

project in Europe, and the £6 billion


ww

w.ra

ilimag

es.c

o.uk

DfT

Thameslink Programme, including the major

redevelopment of London Bridge, which

will provide massive benefits to passengers

across London and the region.

l A major capacity enhancement

programme across London and the South

East, which together with Crossrail and

Thameslink, will allow an extra 120,000

passengers to travel to Central London

during the morning peak by 2019.

l The introduction of new services

between Oxford and Marylebone and

Oxford/Aylesbury and Milton Keynes/

Bedford following investment in new and

upgraded lines. zz

A fresh start for franchising

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Franchise Owning Group Current Duration of Start date of(Operator) franchise franchise new franchise expiry date extension and/or direct award

Essex Thameside National Express May 2013 16 months September 2014(c2c)

Thameslink (FCC) FirstGroup Govia 12 months (FCC) and Southern and n/a (Southern) (Merge to becomeThameslink, Southernand Great Northern East Coast Directly Operated n/a n/a February 2015 Railways Northern Abellio/Serco April 2014 22 months February 2016

Transpennine First Group/Keolis April 2015 10 months February 2016(TransPennineExpress)

Great Western First Group October 2013 33 months July 2016(First Great Western)

Greater Anglia Abellio July 2014 27 months October 2016

InterCity West Coast Virgin/Stagecoach November 2014 29 months April 2017(Virgin Trains)

London Midland Govia September 2015 21 months June 2017

East Midlands Stagecoach April 2015 30 months October 2017(East Midlands Trains)

South Eastern Govia April 2014 50 months June 2018(Southeastern)

Wales and Borders Arriva October 2018 n/a October 2018 (Arriva Trains Wales)

South West Stagecoach February 2017 26 months April 2019(South West Trains)

Cross Country Arriva April 2016 43 months November 2019

Chiltern Arriva December 2021 n/a December 2021

The new franchise programme

September 2013 (FCC) and July 2015 (Southern)

September 2014 (FCC) and July 2015 (Southern)

Southeastern could have a 50-month extension to its franchise

C onsumers have a right to expect

great customer care when they

buy products and services from

any organisation. With social media

allowing instant reprisal if people don’t

get what they pay for, providing the best

experience possible is paramount.

Nowhere is this truer than the rail sector.

Even though good discounts are available

if passengers buy their tickets at the right

time, fares can still be a sizeable sum

of money; not least on daily, rush-hour

commuter routes. So in terms of adding

value to their journey, what can train

operating companies do to provide a

first-class service?

One of the requirements of any train

franchise is the provision of an on-board

catering function. In most cases, this

means operating an at-seat trolley service

on all routes. This is a real boon for the train

passenger: stressed-out parents no longer

need to take their children on a trek to the

buffet car which may be several carriages

away; the business traveller doesn’t have to

abandon expensive computer equipment

while they head off for a sandwich.

But running an at-seat catering service

isn’t simple. There are many considerations:

the best way to take payments; how to

ensure the trolley stays stocked; feeding

information back to headquarters. These and

other complex operational issues all have a

common requirement – mobile information

management. And, for that, there is a

single solution.

Mobile, hand-held terminals with

functionality that will ensure a smooth ride for


How to keep your train catering service on track with mobile technology

Technologyzz

SIMON PONT discusses some of the

issues surrounding the provision of

on-board at-seat catering

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Simon Pont is CEO of ECR Retail Systems

l Cost reduction through management

of stock flow

l Tailored stock and sales reports

l Real-time replenishment prompts,

reducing the need for manual completion

of paperwork; catering bars can stay

open longer during a journey

l Enhanced customer service with a

professional image.

Because of the terminals’ ability to transfer

data electronically, staff are less at risk of

drowning in paperwork; information is also

more timely and accurate, enabling more

detailed management and decision making.

The data can be analysed at the touch of a

button, producing reports on seasonal,

weekly and even single-journey sales,

which means advance orders can be

accurately placed.

The development of the handheld terminal

for on-train catering was driven by a desire

for providers and their staff to gain an

accurate view of sales, and control revenue

reporting and management. The knock-on

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzeffect of this technology is that a train should

never be overstocked or undersupplied,

meaning less food and drink is wasted, and

fewer passengers are left with rumbling bellies.

That is important, because in this age of

high-speed trains and time-poor passengers,

the simple things are still vital. Create a good

experience with perfect customer service and

people will want more. Make life harder for

them than it needs to be and your on-board

catering operation could well hit the buffers. zz

catering crew and customer alike are now in

use. These devices include built-in software

that uniquely has the dual capability of

handling product sale as well as PCI-compliant

Chip and PIN payment through the same unit.

The technology gives complete compatibility

with existing GPRS networks, and WiFi where

available, meaning payments can more

often than not be taken online. Hand-held

terminals must also be fully compliant with Rail

Operations Standards.

Of course, many passengers – not least the

hungry employee on their way back to head

office from a meeting – require a receipt for

their transaction; that’s not a problem, as the

terminals include a fast, silent thermal printer

to issue receipts. Other features include a

touch-screen barcode scanner that makes

product entry, and therefore stock control, fast

and accurate. Retail transactions are logged

on the system and all sales, stock, tender and

operator information can then be sent back to

a server at head office.

All of these things help to keep at-seat

catering on course, improving the passenger’s

experience, increasing the likelihood of repeat

purchase and boosting revenues. The UK

Customer Satisfaction Index (January 2012)

highlighted that there is a strong correlation

between customer satisfaction and sales (with

a score of 0.63 on the CSI). Better customer

service drives sales.

Other benefits of the system include:

l Monitoring on-board catering performance,

enabling operators to tailor products to

customers by journey and time of day

-


Putting the rail passenger firstA recent passenger satisfaction survey by Which? highlighted worrying levels of dissatisfaction

recorded by UK travellers. LIOR ARUSSY explores ways in which operators can keep customers happy

More than half of UK train companies

received a customer satisfaction

score of 50 per cent or lower

in the recent Which? survey,

which can be directly attributed to the rail

industry focusing too heavily on operations

and not investing in customer relations. Most

companies are designed around a product or

service and not the customer experience.

Surveys like this only serve to further

highlight how this approach is no longer

effective and that customers will continue

to demand more. Travellers do not always

feel or see the benefits of investments in

infrastructure; of the 7519 people surveyed

– mostly commuters travelling an average of

37 train journeys each year – more than half

reported their dissatisfaction with service, with

individuals citing delays, overcrowding and

dirty carriages.

While rail companies should continue to

invest in infrastructure, they need to recognise

that this alone will not improve customer

satisfaction levels. To do this, rail operators

must become exceptional communicators

and add value. Customers understand and

accept when things go wrong; the real test is

how those moments are communicated by

the rail operators and their staff. By improving

communications, such as giving credible

reasons for a delayed or cancelled train, and

easy to access information, rail operators can

improve customer relations and encourage

positive engagement.

Adding to consumer frustration is the fact

that UK rail companies have been awarded

franchises and responsibilities for certain routes

and are therefore operating as monopolies.

This results in little choice for passengers and

the perception that network operators have

little motivation to invest in customer loyalty.

This creates a problem. A perceived lack of

value for money can lead to the belief that

companies are not playing fairly. It can also

be frustrating for organisations that believe

they are doing their utmost to offer great

service. Therefore, Government should make

customer relations a serious consideration

when awarding franchises and assessing the

performance of rail companies.

The mismatch between the service offering

and the perception of service is one that

operations-driven organisations often come

up against. Traditionally, those in senior roles

within these sectors have years of finance

and operational experience and very little

customer relations and marketing expertise.

This results in a primary focus on deliverables

such as health and safety and efficiency, and

not on customer engagement. This often

leaves CEOs questioning why customers

are dissatisfied when, in theory, the system

is working. Operators must add value and

offer clear propositions that make life easier

for customers. For example, provide greater

access to routes, make it easier to purchase

tickets, introduce further flexible tariffs and

create a welcoming experience throughout the

customer journey.

For network operators to prosper, building

customer relationships and retaining customer

loyalty is key. Customers are putting experience

before needs and want their expectations not

just to be met but to be exceeded. As travellers

increasingly demand more from their service,

rail companies need to place the customer at

the heart of everything they do.

So what action can operators take to keep

customers happy?

Be in the people business – Make a

conscious choice to define your business

around people.

Experience the customer journey –

Experience your service offering from the

customer’s point of view in order to understand

their delights as well as their frustrations.

Enhance the enjoyable aspects of travel and

tackle the issues that cause dissatisfaction.

Do not paint over the cracks – Customer

service can end up being a chain of superficial

statements that do not translate into a reality

for the customer. Show increased commitment

rather than talk about it. Make genuine

changes to fulfil your promise to the traveller.

Customers see through cover-ups.

Get out of the monopoly mindset –

Competition is always around the corner.

Innovate based on what your customers want.

What else could you offer that enhances the

customer experience? This will ultimately

grow your business as well as delight your

customers.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Customer Satisfaction

Chose the right leadership – Include people

who naturally put the customer first in your

strategy development process. Core roles

at C-level often centre on operations, or on

profit and loss, so hire people who instinctively

remain connected with the needs and wants of

the customer into senior positions.

Give employees a reason to have pride in

your brand – Employee brand pride is key to

your future success. Connect your employees

to the brand heritage and develop a clear

programme to disseminate that emotional bond

throughout the organisation and beyond.

Don’t lose the passion – Passion drives

business. It becomes contagious and captures

the customer’s imagination. It is something that

is often found in smaller companies but can

easily become lost as an organisation grows.

Maintaining a dynamic spirit is essential, even

for well-established companies.

Be in it for the long haul – Structure your

customer relationships around the long term.

The point of sale should not be seen as a one

off, but rather as a milestone in a much longer

commitment. Although commuters may buy

one ticket each month or year, find ways to

treat them as repeat customers every day.

In the rail industry, investment in

infrastructure, safety, maintenance and

scheduling are paramount however customer

satisfaction and communication must also be

held up as a priority. To do this takes action,

and above all, the ability to carefully listen to,

identify with, and then concretely respond to

the rail passenger, putting their needs first. zz

Lior Arussy is CEO and president of Strativity Group,

a global customer experience transformation firm.



Prospects for young rail engineers l A new apprenticeship scheme to recruit and train the next generation of highly

skilled rail engineers has been launched by Thales UK and Prospects College.

Apprentices will be trained to work on signalling and communications

installation, testing and commissioning and on-going maintenance and services.

The new apprenticeship scheme will supplement Thales’s successful graduate

recruitment programme, offering an alternative approach to maintaining

the company’s skills base. The scheme ensures that, by the end of the

apprenticeship, the young engineers will have had 3-4 years to work in and

fully understand the Thales business. On completion, the apprentices will have

received a full range of technical and specialist rail training.

Prospects College will provide a complete apprenticeship management

service to Thales, including the recruitment of the apprentices, planning of

the four-year apprenticeship, delivery of the engineering practical and theory

training, and assessment of competence in the workplace.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Training

New careers website a ‘game changer’ for passenger transport employersl People 1st has launched a brand-new website to promote career opportunities

available in passenger transport and travel. Developed in association with the award-

winning website UKSP, Careers that Move (www.careersthatmove.co.uk) is

breaking new ground for passenger transport with its online career tools and guides for

employers, training providers and job seekers.

The initial phase of the website features an interactive Career Map, which shows

the wide range of roles and career paths in the industry, with each linking through to a

detailed job description and relevant training courses. People 1st has also been working

closely with employers to make sure that the website meets the needs of the passenger

transport and travel industries for recruitment and training.

Electrification skillsl Vital Services Group has signed a joint

venture agreement with Spanish overhead

line electrification firm, Electren, which is part

of Vias, a corporate group that belongs to

Dragados which is a company of the ACS

group. The partnership will see Vital Rail, a

specialist provider of integrated services for

rail, light rail and underground infrastructures,

working with Electren which has a proven

track record of working on major overhead

line and electrification contracts across

Europe.

According to the two companies, their joint

expertise will provide the rail industry with

the skills, processes and standards to help

facilitate the ambition to upgrade the UK’s rail

network to 2019, including the planned

£4 billion investment in electrification.

In addition, the joint venture will see

Vital Skills Training, the training arm of Vital

Services Group, working with Electren to

transfer skills and knowledge between

both companies. Following an intensive

English speaking course, a group of highly

qualified Spanish overhead line engineers

will be embarking on a training programme

to ensure they are equipped with the

qualification to work in the UK rail industry,

including personal track safety and overhead

line electrification construction.


Who goes there? Over 180 years of railway trespass!

JAMIE WILSON explains how technology can be used to save lives and prevent theft in ways unthinkable when

railways were first becoming established

If you have switched on the television in the

UK during the past few months it will have

been hard to have missed a programme

that focused on the rail network. Whether

it is Michael Portillo following his Bradshaw

guide, Dan Snow giving a potted history

of the locomotive, the fly on the wall BBC

documentary ‘The Railway: Keeping Britain on

Track’, or the national news.

For those of you who know your rail history

(or like to watch a lot of television) it didn’t start

well, when at the opening of the Liverpool and

Manchester Railway, on the 15th September

1830, William Huskisson was killed after

standing on the track and being hit by George

Stephenson’s Rocket.

Whilst some aspects may look familiar,

almost every component of rail network in the

UK has evolved way beyond what Huskisson,

Stephenson, Brunel and countless other

significant figures in the history of the railway

could imagine. Whilst watching the story

about Mr Huskisson I was reminded of the

now famous YouTube video, of a woman who

fell on the tracks of a Boston metro station

several years ago (Ref. 1). The quick reactions

of the driver were rightfully commended but

it was also the combination of real-time video

analytics in operation at the station that were

used to warn the driver and which saved the

woman from a similar fate as Mr Huskisson.

As the rail network has evolved so has the

challenge of making it safe and secure for

passengers, staff and the people who live and

work near stations, tracks and crossings. In

fact it is well reported that each year there are

approximately 28 million incidents of railway

trespass across the network, resulting in

15 days’ worth of train delays.

King’s Cross was one of the stations

featured in the BBC Show ‘The Railway’ and

as well as being one of the busiest, it is also

one of the most forward-looking stations in the

UK. As part of an upgrade in 2012, the station

invested in a situational management solution

– a more advanced PSIM (Physical Security

Information Management) application –

which provides the control room with a

single interface from which to monitor activity

across its CCTV, access control, fire, help-

points, customer information and public

connected to a manned control room could

be used to help notify drivers and relevant

authorities of an upcoming obstruction, in

much the same way as the incident on the

Boston metro.

Other benefits of an integrated approach

to real-time monitoring (whether via cameras,

sensors, alarms or a combination) include

protecting infrastructure from theft (copper

theft continues to be a problem, as well as

air-conditioning units and IT equipment in

communications boxes) and criminal damage

such as vandalism and graffiti, all of which

can cost many tens of thousands of pounds

to repair.

Fifty years since the publication of

Dr Richard Beeching’s report that resulted

in over 5000 miles of railway and more than

2000 stations being closed, the future of the

railway is looking in good health with passenger

numbers high, and long-term investment in

infrastructure such as High Speed 2 and old

tracks being re-opened.

Similarly, there are many projects and

initiatives – such as King’s Cross – that are

making rail travel safer and more efficient

than ever, however there is still a lot that can

be done to reduce the number of trespass

incidents and their repercussions. But for those

who remember the old British Rail slogan from

the 80s: ‘We’re getting there!’ zz

ReferencesRef. 1: http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=kcHkK0C5mFY

Ref. 2: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/

aspx/4817.aspx

address systems.

Security alerts from each system are

immediately flagged on-screen to the

surveillance team in the control room, enabling

the operator to take the appropriate course

of action using an adaptive workflow in

adherence to the station’s predetermined

processes.

However, it is not only in and around the

station that this technology can have an

impact. Network Rail maintains 7000 level

crossings and its 2011/2012 statistics

(Ref. 2) revealed that that there were ten

collisions with road vehicles at crossings,

three incidents of a train striking a pedestrian

and a further 389 near misses. Of course no

technology or educational programme can ever

eliminate the risk altogether, as a spokesperson

on the BBC documentary rightly observed –

the only safe level crossing is a closed one.

However, in the absence of manned crossings,

the use of analytics-enabled cameras that are Jamie Wilson is with NICE Systems

Web: www.nice.com

King's Cross station

Security zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Security


Faster incident response

l A dedicated police

response vehicle is being

used across south and

west London to help reduce

disruption to passengers

caused by emergency

incidents on the railway. The

vehicle, which has been

commissioned and funded

by the Network Rail and

South West Trains Alliance

in partnership with British

Transport Police, is the first

of its kind to be used full-

time and follows successful

trials during the Olympics.

It allows railway engineers,

driven by and accompanied

by BTP officers, to get to

incidents using blue lights

and sirens which helps to

reduce response times

and decreases the length

of delays to passengers.

The vehicle is being used

to respond to incidents that

are causing, or have the

potential to cause, disruption

on the Wessex route out of

London Waterloo and has

already had a positive impact

on disruption levels.

Delays caused by cable theft halvedl Rail passengers are reaping the benefits of years of

work to tackle the issue of metal theft on the railway,

latest industry figures show. Network Rail has been

working with partners in the railway and from other

essential infrastructure industries to tackle this crime

which, at its peak, caused more than 6000 hours worth

of delays to trains in a single year. As a result of these

efforts, delay was down to a combined 2700 hours in

2012/13.

Neil Henry, head of operations and performance

at Network Rail, said: “These figures show the true

success of partnership working and are great news for

passengers and our freight customers.

“The improvements we have seen are down to a

number of factors, including British Transport Police

targeting thieves and the scrap dealers buying stolen

metal. Our engineers are working with suppliers and

other industries to make metal – particularly our cables

– harder to steal and easier to identify and our teams around the network introducing new ways

of working to reduce delay and fix thefts more quickly. We believe the introduction of new laws

following our work with other industries to explain the need for change to government will continue

to help to stifle the market for stolen metal.”

Financial No. of Delay Compensation TotalYear incidents minutes cost cost

2012/13 285 160,260 £5,823,094 £12,765,935

2011/12 845 344,680 £12,000,679 £18,337,504

2010/11 995 365,430 £12,132,860 £16,404,255

2009/10 656 321,570 £10,931,350 £13,511,889

2008/09 742 283,167 £7,858,516 £12,315,811

(Note: total cost figures are an estimate and a regional breakdown of this figure is not available)

Legislation

It is already illegal to sell scrap metal for cash – this legislation was introduced in

December 2012. Network Rail supported the Private Member’s Bill introduced by

Richard Ottaway MP to regulate scrap metal dealers. The Bill was passed in February

2013 and the act will become enforceable as the Scrap Metal Dealer’s Act in autumn

2013. The Home Office is issuing guidance to councils, police, the legal services and

all those involved with the implementation of the Act, the key features of which are:

l Scrap metal dealers must be licensed and local authorities have the power to

refuse unsuitable applicants and revoke licences

l Police have the power by court order to close unlicensed scrap yards

l All sellers of metal must show verifiable ID which dealers must record and retain

l Cash trades for scrap metal are now illegal without exception and subject to

unlimited fines

l A public national register of scrap metal dealers will be created to help make sure

that sales of scrap metal are accounted for and that all people trading scrap are doing

so legitimately.


To find out more on the awards and how to enter, please visit: www.iosh.co.uk/railwaygroupaward.aspx.

Entries can be sent to [email protected], or to Events Team, IOSH, The Grange, Wigston, Leicestershire, LE18 1NN, by 15th September

Health & safety award to celebrate fatigue management

Innovative schemes to manage fatigue in the railway industry will be celebrated in an award from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)

Companies are being encouraged to

enter their projects to the IOSH

Railway Group Award 2013

for Fatigue Management,

which is open for nominations

from April to September. This

year, the Award singles out

individuals, teams and

companies who have

developed successful

projects to tackle the

issue, reducing the

risk of dangerous

errors and protecting

the safety of those

travelling and working

on the UK rail

network.

Now in its second

year, the prize aims

to raise the profile of

occupational health issues

in the sector.

IOSH Railway Group chair

Martin Leeks said: “Fatigue

can cause injuries and deaths to

workers and passengers on our railways.

It hampers mental alertness and affects

performance, causing errors because of

reduced concentration, perception, judgement

and even memory. Ultimately, it can lead to

drowsiness and involuntary sleeping, which

may cause accidents.”

Fatigue management involves developing

and implementing policies, designing shift

rosters, carrying out risk assessments,

monitoring levels of mental and physical

tiredness and educating on shift work.

In 1988, 35 people died and 500 were

injured in a crash involving three trains, during

rush hour at Clapham Junction. In the wake of

this, in 1989, Anthony Hidden QC completed

an investigation into the accident and fatigue

was named as one of the underlying causes.

As a result, limits on working hours were

introduced in the railway industry. Fatigue is

now governed by the Railways and Other

fatigue management, promoting good practice

and helping companies to meet modern

guidelines, we hope underperforming

companies will put in place their

own schemes.”

IOSH wants to see the

rail industry follow airline

companies’ example,

where pilots’ hours

have been reduced

in favour of ensuring

they are fit for work.

“Regulations are

there for a reason –

we don’t just want

rail companies to

pay lip service to

them. Any which are

subjecting staff to too

many working hours are

not only breaking the law,

but risking the health and

safety of those employees,

their passengers, as well as

their bottom lines,”

Mr Leeks concluded.

The award winner(s) will be announced

at the National Rail Industry Conference

2013, at the Congress Centre, in London,

on 28th November. zzGuided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations

2006 (ROGS) and the Working Time Directive,

2003/88/EC, among other laws.

More recently, smaller-scale accidents have

been caused by fatigue. But increasingly, Rail

Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) statistics

are showing that people are phoning in sick

with fatigue-related health problems.

Martin Leeks added: “The issue of fatigue

has been bubbling under the surface for a

while, so it’s vital our rail industry deals with it

now. We need another culture change, where

long working hours are seen as a hazard to our

employees, companies and passengers on the

network. We absolutely shouldn’t be waiting

until the situation is so bad that we risk another

Clapham Junction disaster.

“By shouting about good examples of

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Health & Safety


I am a 24-year-old full-time

sales executive with a great

passion for football. Growing

up I always had the desire

to play football professionally, but

for whatever reason this did not

happen for me – I’m pretty sure it’s

because I slipped through the net

rather than not being good enough of course!

I’ve always loved playing football and, being

a realist, I soon realised that my hopes of

becoming a pro were fading. However, my love

for the game was ever present and I carried on

to play semi-professionally.

Sadly, as a consequence of sustaining

injuries there have been times when I have not

always been able to play football. The most

recent injury, in which I tore my patella tendon,

kept me out until the end of last year and it

was so hard not being able to play.

I soon began to realise that not playing

football was having an effect on me. Physically

I began to feel more sluggish and unfit and

overall just less active in everything I was doing.

Little things like waking up for work were

becoming an effort and I began to realise how

much of an ‘escape’ playing football was.

Working as hard as we all do in London you

just need time to switch off and this is easier

said than done. Also, being physically inactive

can have a toll on your mental state too.

I finally got back playing football again and

it’s really had a positive effect on me, both

physically and mentally. When I’m playing

football it completely clears my mind and

it’s the best feeling in the world to switch off

from the day-to-day stress and believe you’re

Steven Gerrard for an hour and a half.

Being active helps me in all aspects of my

lifestyle: I start to eat healthier just because I

know I have to if I want to play football – that

goes hand in hand with drinking more water.

Due to the fact of my diet improving because

of football I unintentionally feel more active

in everything I do whether it is at home or

at work. The worst thing for me is having

a bad night’s sleep. This was a regular

occurrence for me when I was not playing

football and being active. Since playing

again I’m sleeping like a baby!

Being active is physically and mentally

great for me and has a positive effect

on my lifestyle. zz

For further information, please contact:Express Medicals LtdTel: 020 7500 6900Web: www.expressmedicals.co.uk

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzHealth & Safety

Kicking it into shape

Martin Begg

MARTIN BEGG is a firm believer in an active lifestyle



Taking the initiative New industry group Women in Rail aims to further the success of women in the rail industry and highlight their role in its future

About 18 months ago I was on my way

to a business meeting with my CEO

when we started discussing the lack

of women in the rail industry,” begins

Adeline Ginn, founder and chair of ‘Women in

Rail’. “At a time when diversity is very much on

the agenda, I found it frustrating that there was

no suitable network for women in railway – to

support those in the industry and to try and

bring in new talent.”

Its seeds sown, Women in Rail has

very quickly branched out. From that initial

discussion Adeline started talking to MPs to

get their views and support for the group,

and contacting other women in the industry

to see if they shared her feelings. This saw

the formation of a steering committee which

includes representatives from Angel Trains,

Bombardier Transportation UK, Clifford

Chance, East Midlands Trains, ESG, Network

Rail, Northern Rail, and the Office of Rail

Regulation. The positive feedback received

encouraged Adeline to establish the Women in

Rail LinkedIn Group.

Driving changeIn April 2013 the new industry group had

its official launch in Westminster, which was

attended by prominent members of the rail

industry. “The sector has been incredibly

supportive,” remarks Adeline. “A lot of people

have come back to me and asked how they

can get involved and support the initiative. The

positive of Women in Rail is obviously that it

is for women to get the industry to recognise

mentoring scheme up and running, and to

have established clear and solid links with

certain organisations such as Young Railway

Professionals and National Skills Academy

for Railway Engineering. “It’s about how we

can approach schools and universities to

raise awareness of a career in rail. These

organisations are already doing things together

and if we can we will help provide volunteers

and time to support those initiatives. We’re also

looking to arrange more networking events to

address some of the issues facing women in

the industry such as confidence,” highlights

Adeline.

As it stands, Women in Rail already

appears to have entered into the rail industry’s

consciousness as a recognised body,

and Adeline is keen to capitalise on this

momentum. “As became apparent from the

event we’re all absolutely passionate, men and

women, about making a difference, but it’s

something we can only do if everyone in the

industry works with us. With Women in Rail the

aim is to be an industry body that is an enabler

to change,” she concludes. zz

Women In RailTel: 0207 592 0796Email: [email protected]: www.linkedin.com/groups/ Women-in-Rail-4403652/about

that it needs to tap into that talent pool, and its

business case is about the economic benefits

of having diversity in the workforce.”

As a sector rail is historically male

dominated, and as such perhaps one of

the biggest challenges in attracting more

women to the industry is to overcome this

perception. Adeline explains the three main

objectives of Women in Rail, which aim to

contribute to this image change: “The first is

to provide a structure within which women

can network, meet like-minded women, make

new friends, and discuss current issues. The

next is focused on setting up a mentoring and

coaching scheme to give women as much

support as they want to further their career and

realise their full career potential.

“The third is to raise awareness of the

benefits of working in rail by talking to schools

and universities, and getting graduates and

young children to have rail in the frame as

a possible career. There are great women

out there who have the potential to have a

rewarding career in rail and make a substantial

contribution to the industry but who won’t

either because they don’t know they can, rail

not being on the standard menu of possible

careers, or because they are daunted at the

prospect of working in a male-dominated

environment,” she continues.

Team effortIn terms of the next steps, there’s a real

focus on education and support. By the

end of the year Adeline is hoping to have a

Women in Rail zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

''

The event's high calibre speakers taking questions from the audience

Adeline Ginn, founder and chair of Women in Rail, asked the industry to work together to shape the future of rail

Netw

ork

Rail

Netw

ork

Rail

London stations still dominate top of the stops listl Waterloo has retained its position as the busiest station

in Great Britain as top stations continue to attract growing

numbers of passengers, reveal statistics published at the

beginning of April by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR).

Station usage statistics for April 2011 - March 2012 estimate

that there were 94,045,510 entries and exits made by

passengers at Waterloo station – an increase of 2.5 per cent

compared with 2010-2011 figures. London Victoria comes

second with 76,231,290 entries and exits (an increase of

3.6 per cent) and London Liverpool Street third with

57,106,502 (up 2.4 per cent). Eight out of the top ten

busiest stations were located in London, with Birmingham

New Street eighth with 31,213,842 (up 26.4 per cent) and

Glasgow Central tenth with 26,639,418 (up 6.8 per cent) the

busiest stations outside London.

The station usage figures and accompanying notes

may be viewed at:

www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Stations

Manchester Victoria transformation beginsl Work has begun on a spectacular new roof at Manchester

Victoria station as part of a £44 million transformation. The new

roof is part of a scheme to bring the station up to 21st century

standards and turn it into a major regional interchange and will

include a better, brighter and more open concourse, a new ticket

office, information booth, waiting room and toilets. The project will

also include careful restoration and enhancement of some of the

station’s key period features, including the glazed canopy at the

front of the building.

Key elements of the overall scheme include:

l A new, brighter replacement roof that allows for future

expansion of the station

l Improved station concourse area, including a new bridge link to

the Manchester Arena, making the entire station fully accessible

l Improvements to the footbridge spanning platforms 3-6 allowing

for future growth in passenger numbers

l Sympathetic refurbishment to Grade II listed parts of the Victoria

Buildings, (including the war memorial, glass dome, Soldiers Gate

and the wall map) restoring them to their former glory

l Refurbishment of the external canopy, new lighting and glazed

entrances to revitalise the Victoria Buildings

l Revamp of existing retail spaces and provision of new retail

facilities for a better shopping experience

l Improvements to the ticket hall and external improvements to

the paving on station approach

l Upgraded Metrolink facilities.

The works will future-proof the station, allowing for the

imminent electrification of the line to Liverpool and will allow

for improvements to services included in the Northern Hub

rail capacity expansion scheme which could see the numbers

of people using the station double by 2019, with faster, more

frequent trains running to Leeds and Liverpool.

Funding for the station transformation is being provided jointly

by Network Rail, Manchester City Council and Transport for

Greater Manchester and is expected to be completed by the

end of 2014.

Waterloo station

ww

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ilimag

es.c

o.uk

An impression of how the station will look with the new roof in place

Three new lifts transform accessibility at Crystal Palace stationl Three new lifts with connecting glass walkways have been

opened at London Overground’s Crystal Palace station to complete a

£7.5 million refurbishment and transform accessibility at the historic

station.

The 11,000 passengers using the station each day will benefit not

only from the lifts but also improved CCTV, customer information

screens, a PA system, and new signage which were delivered last

September in the first stage of the refurbishment.

The station was originally built in 1854 to serve visitors to the

nearby spectacular Crystal Palace building relocated from the Hyde

Park Great Exhibition of 1851.

Four other London Overground stations are also currently being

made step free following TfL securing £5 million from the Department

for Transport’s (DfT) Access for All scheme – Hampstead Heath,

Kensal Rise, South Tottenham and Blackhorse Road.

Alliance anniversaryl A passenger train has used an international platform at Waterloo

station for the first time since the last European service left more than

five years ago. The special service from Woking pulled into platform

20 on Monday 29th April to demonstrate that the terminal can and

will be used for passenger services by April 2014. The journey

into the Waterloo International Terminal was made to mark the first

anniversary of the Network Rail and South West Trains Alliance and

to provide an opportunity to illustrate the Alliance’s commitment to

provide extra capacity into the country’s busiest station. Extensive

work is required to ensure platform 20 can be used for full passenger

services. This includes opening a new exit through onto platform 19,

bringing signalling back into use, re-railing parts of the track, roof

repairs, platform work and installing new CCTV and lighting.

The first passenger train for more than five years in

the Waterloo International Terminal



Netw

ork

Rail

Details revealed for new railway station in Rochesterl Plans for a new £26 million station have been revealed. Network

Rail is proposing to build the new station as part of its commitment

to increase capacity on the railway and deliver better facilities

for passengers in Medway and Kent. The new station, which is

planned for land at Corporation Street, is part of a wider

£135 million investment programme in the county by Network Rail

as the number of passengers using the railway continues to grow.

A formal planning application is due to be submitted to Medway

Council by Network Rail this spring with the new station due to

be completed in winter 2015 when it will be operated, as is the

current station, by Southeastern. The end of the beginningl Passengers at Reading now have a bigger, better station after

Network Rail successfully completed the first part of an 11-day

programme of upgrades over the Easter weekend. More than 2000

engineers from Network Rail and its team of contractors worked

around the clock from late Thursday evening through to the early

hours of Tuesday morning to carry out work which would ordinarily

have taken around 20 full weekends.

As a result, the station now has two new entrances, four new

platforms and a new 110-metre-long, 30-metre-wide passenger

bridge, with escalators and lifts providing step-free access to the new

platforms. Reading station is used by 14 million passengers annually,

with numbers predicted to more than double to 30 million by 2030.

Station users will now have more space, easier access to platforms,

and new passenger information screens.

New era for Newcastle Centrall Plans to transform Newcastle Central station into

an impressive new gateway to the city and the wider

North East region have been unveiled by station and

train operator East Coast. The £8.6 million project

will provide a stunning new facility for thousands of

passengers, and will enhance the historic original

Victorian station design.

The new-look station will provide a welcoming first

impression for visitors to the city, and will be a key

part of wider regeneration in the surrounding area

of Newcastle city centre. Its centrepiece will be the

pedestrianisation and glazing of the station’s front

portico, to create a dramatic new public and retail

space.

The architectural heritage of the station is at the heart

of the new design. The station’s simplified layout will

open up sightlines towards the Castle Keep, whilst

showcasing the distinctive curvature of the arched roof.

The station improvement work is due to begin in May,

and is expected to be completed in April next year. The

station will operate as normal throughout the works.

Newcastle Central station’s iconic portico following the £8.6 million redevelopment

An impression of the new station at Rochester

An artist’s impression of Newcastle Central station’s main concourse following the £8.6 million redevelopment

East

Coa

stEa

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Stations

K one, which celebrated its 100th

anniversary in 2011, is a global

leader in the elevator and escalator

industry and has more than 30 years’

experience of working in the UK rail sector,

often on demanding public transport projects.

Its infrastructure team works in all rail and

underground tube line environments and major

international airports including all terminals at

London Heathrow and Gatwick.

Key rail clients include network Rail,

Crossrail and the London Underground, which

carries more than one billion passengers each

year and is the world’s oldest underground

railway network system. Kone maintains a

total of 150 escalators and 45 elevators for the

London Underground.

Kone’s expertise in the successful operation

of major infrastructure projects was highlighted

during the London olympics 2012 when it

not only supplied new equipment but also

supported the London Underground team to

ensure a smooth and seamless transit for the

millions of passengers who travelled on the

tube during the Games.

Among the olympic deliverables were five

elevators at Farringdon station, where car-to-

car transfer solutions – entry through one set

of doors and exit through another set at the

side – ensured good passenger flow. Working

with the Underground team to help keep

passengers moving as efficiently as possible

was also firmly on Kone’s agenda.

An example of this efficiency has been

cited by Russell Rowland, the London

Underground’s elevators and escalators

maintenance manager.

“Following the triathlon event, there were

half a million people in Hyde Park. The Marble

Arch station escalators were exits only; and

Lancaster Gate was the main entry. Kone

service technicians, who were on standby

throughout the olympics, were positioned at

Lancaster Gate station and ensured efficient

running of the elevators down to the Tube,” he

confirmed. “We successfully moved 500,000

people through this hotspot.”

enabling this type of smooth and efficient

People Flow® experience is at the heart

of Kone’s ethos. “our brand promise is

‘Dedicated to People Flow’ and we deliver this

by developing and delivering solutions that

enable people to move smoothly, safely and

comfortably,” says Peter Gill, infrastructure &

escalator director for Kone.

“We work closely with our customers at


Stations zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

KONE has just completed a handover of 19 escalators to Reading train station as part

of the station’s £897 million expansion. It has also recently announced details of an order

to supply elevators to eight new Crossrail stations under

construction in central London including the maintenance

of the elevators up until 2032 and modernisation packages

when the need for upgrades are required, and was a key player in

helping the successful transit of thousands of passengers on the

London Underground during the 2012 Olympic Games.

Dedicated to people flow

Canary Wharf Tube station

A KONE service technician

every phase of a project’s lifecycle – often

before a commissioned elevator or escalator

exists. We need to understand their unique

requirements and also in turn, the impact any

work will make on their own customers.

“We look at site access and other specific

issues such as interface with the existing

systems. We assess the rest of the physical

structure and work to identify the best possible

equipment to meet our customers’ needs.

“Installations within infrastructure related

projects are often complex for a number of

reasons. The first is that wherever possible

all sites need to ideally remain efficiently

operational whilst work is being carried out.

The London Underground, for example, has

a throughput of 3.5 million passengers each

day and the more than 19 million passengers

a year now use Reading station – an increase

of ten per cent on the previous year. Reading is

one of the country’s busiest railway stations.

“As well as installing new equipment,

we also undertake numerous upgrade and

modernisation projects. Sometimes access

is difficult and this is why collaboration with


Stations zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

KONE has won an order to supply elevators to eight new Crossrail stations under construction in central London. The new Crossrail stations will also provide interchanged connections with other transport services including London Underground, National Rail and/or Docklands Light Rail. An additional four elevators will be installed in two London Underground stations at Bank and Hammersmith. KONE’s solutions will help increase accessibility and smooth People Flow® in London’s public transportation. The order includes 47 KONE MonoSpace® Special elevators. Two durable KONE TranSys™ freight elevators will be installed at Bond Street station. All of the elevators are machine-room-less, which saves space at the stations, and are powered by the energy efficient KONE EcoDisc® hoisting machine. KONE will also install five inclined elevators. The elevators will be equipped with KONE E-Link remote monitoring system to ensure high availability of the equipment. The elevators at the stations will be installed over a five-year period beginning in 2013, and the new rail line is expected to be operational in 2018.

our client and initial site evaluations are so

important. We have to take both of these key

elements and more into consideration when

planning our works programme. Maximum

efficiency with minimum disruption is essential.”

KONE is committed to understanding the

needs of its customers, providing industry-

leading elevators, escalators and automatic

building doors as well as innovative solutions

for modernisation and maintenance including

structural planning, high quality equipment and

maintenance. Its solutions are cost-effective

and eco-efficient. In fact, KONE has cut the

energy consumption of its volume products

by over 70 per cent from 2008 to 2012.With

buildings accounting for 40 per cent of the

world’s energy consumption and elevators and

escalators accounting for up to ten per cent of

a building’s energy consumption, there is huge

potential for energy savings to be made using

the right type of KONE elevator, escalator or

automatic door. zz

To find out more about KONE’s infrastructure

expertise visit www.kone.com

‘ International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) is an

insurance association established in 1925, which insures

2000 different businesses throughout the world and is

recognised as the leading mutual provider of professional

indemnity insurance in its field. ITIC works closely with transport

professionals and their insurance brokers to provide specialist

guidance and advice on their risks in their working environment,

both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

ITIC has concluded that many insurers do not understand the

work that professionals in the rail industry undertake. Often, these

insurers do not analyse the work of the professional working

on a project and, as a result, your premiums are increased

unnecessarily.

ITIC’s insurance includes worldwide cover for bodily injury and

property damage as standard; this is of paramount importance

to those working in the rail industry and differentiates ITIC’s

insurance from many traditional underwriters who either exclude,

or expect you to pay an additional premium for this important

element of cover.

ITIC makes four recommendations to professionals working in

the rail industry:

1. Ask your current insurers or brokers if they understand

exactly what it is that you do. For example, if you are a signalling

systems design engineer, your direct involvement in the day to

day operational environment is limited. You design a signalling

system on a railway network, but you are not necessarily the party

who operates and maintains it. Your liability is substantially less

than the operator and, therefore, you require an insurance that is

adapted specifically to cover your liabilities if you make an error in

Rail professional opportunity

Are you a rail professional open to offers for new business? ITIC, a rail and transport sector specialist insurer, needs a network of rail specialists in the UK and overseas, to advise and consult on claims

the design of the system. However, the liabilities resulting from an error in

the use of the system you have designed fall under the

operator’s liability insurance programme.

2. Enquire about a longer term, non-contract specific, business-wide,

professional indemnity policy. It is more expensive to buy insurance for

each individual contract or tender than buying an annual policy that covers

all your work.

3. Ask your insurance broker or underwriter whether bodily injury or

property damage cover is included in your policy at no additional cost.

4. Ascertain whether your policy of insurance provides you with

worldwide cover. zz

To express an obligation-free interest please contact Roger Lewis, ITIC’s underwriting director: ITICTel: 020 7338 0150Email: [email protected]: www.itic-insure.com

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Insurance


‘‘The service that we provide and the width of our professional indemnity insurance has resulted in a significant growth in the number of companies involved in the rail industry insuring with ITIC over recent years,” says Roger Lewis, ITIC’s underwriting director. “To help us support this growing rail portfolio we need a bigger network of consultants we can call upon to help with specific claims on a call by call basis.

Nex

us


l The year’s one hundred millionth

passenger was recorded travelling

on the 25-year-old Docklands Light

Railway (DLR) in the early afternoon

of Sunday 31st March. The DLR

was opened by the Queen in

August 1987, with 11 trains serving

15 stations and in its first year of

operation it carried 6.7 million people.

Today the railway – which is entirely

step-free – has 45 stations, 46 km of

track and 149 carriages.

The network was one of Britain’s

first light rail systems, and it has one

of the safest and most advanced

automatic train control systems in

the world. Since opening, it has

been extended to Bank, Beckton,

Lewisham and Woolwich Arsenal.

During the 16 days of the London

2012 Olympic Games, 7.2 million

passengers were carried on the

DLR – up 100 per cent on normal

levels; on 3rd August 2012, Day7

of the Games, the DLR carried

over 500,000 daily passengers – its

busiest day ever.

l Metrolink

services to

Rochdale – the

latest chapter

of the network’s

expansion

– opened to

passengers for

the first time at the

end of February.

Continuing on from

the existing Oldham

line at Shaw & Crompton, the 7.4km (4.6-mile) extension runs to Rochdale railway

station, serving the former railway stations at Newhey and Milnrow and two brand-new

destinations: Kingsway and Newbold. The first in-service tram from Rochdale railway

station on Thursday left at 5.59 a.m., while the first tram to Rochdale left Manchester

Victoria at 5.08 a.m.

By the time new lines to East Didsbury (summer 2013), Ashton (winter 2013/14),

Oldham and Rochdale town centres (2014), and Manchester Airport via Wythenshawe

(2016) are complete, the network will cover 95km (59 miles): more than three times the

original 30km (18.5-mile) network that opened in 1992. A further line – a second,

1.6km (1 mile) route through Manchester city centre – is also being progressed.

zzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Integrated Transport

New look for trams unveiledl A refreshing new look for Nottingham’s trams has been unveiled

at the start of a refurbishment programme worth over £300,000

for the existing fleet. The first tram to benefit from a smart new

livery rolled out of the NET depot at Wilkinson Street on 8th March

and went straight into service, helping to celebrate the network’s

ninth birthday. The rest of the 15 tram fleet will undergo a similar

transformation that also includes new LED lights, the installation of

new seats and a thorough ‘deep clean’. They’ll also benefit from

revised signage and information graphics.

All aboard for Rochdale!

l Nexus, which owns and manages Tyne and Wear

Metro, has begun testing its new station validators which

passengers will soon be using to access the system using

smartcards. Validators, automatic gates and smart Metro

ticket machines are being installed as part of the roll-out of

the new smart travel system on Metro – the Pop card. The

yellow validators are situated at all Metro stations which

do not have automatic ticket gates installed. Passengers

will use the validators to ‘touch in’ and ‘touch out’ of

Metro stations, in a similar way that the Oyster Card is

used on the London Underground.

© Tr

ansp

ort f

or L

ondo

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Tran

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ater

Man

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Councillor Jane Urquhart, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation at Nottingham City Council, and NET general manager Paul Robinson officially unveil the new-look tram

Nexus smart ticketing programme manager David Bartlett tests a Pop card on one of the new validators at Regent Centre Metro stations

POP card validators put through their paces

DLR carries record-breaking one hundred million passengers in one year

NET

West Europe for the construction of sustainable

tram depots and efficient infrastructure

l Constructing four benchmark tram depots

l Creating a favourable local and overall

context for the realisation of high-quality public-

transport infrastructure.

TramStore21 was funded by the European

Union through the INTERREG IVB programme.

Additional funding helped the partners improve

the environmental performance of their depots.

Other reasons for co-operation were that cities

have little experience in the construction of

tram depots. These buildings are built once

every 50 or more years. Combining know-how

helps prevent errors. The construction of new

depots in Brussels (Be), Dijon (Fr), Blackpool

(UK) and Rotterdam (Nl) gave the partners a

good opportunity to learn from each other.

They shared their experiences and knowledge

about sustainable tram vehicle housing,

maintenance and services. An important

aspect of the project was to explore how


Sustainable & efficient tram depots in the 21st century

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Integrated Transport

Building sustainable and efficient tram

depots for cities in the 21st century’ is

the result of a five-year co-operation

between public transport operators

RET (Rotterdam, Netherlands), STIB (Brussels,

Belgium), local authorities Grand Dijon (Dijon,

France) and Blackpool Council (United

Kingdom) and the Fraunhofer Institute for

Material Flow and Logistics (IML) (Dortmund,

Germany).

Virgil Grot, project co-ordinator for RET

says: “RET, the partners and I personally can

look back at a valuable and unique experience

of which hopefully many others will benefit

from as well. I’m very happy to be able to

share the story of our modern, sustainable

and multimodal Beverwaard depot in this

publication.”

About six years ago the five partners started

with the TramStore21 project.

The project had three main goals:

l Collecting existing good practices in North-

A unique publication about sustainable and efficient tram

depots was presented in Brussels at the

TramStore21 event on the 21st of March.

VIRGIL GROT describes the project

Virgil Grot, TramStore21 project co-ordinator for RET

‘


depot characteristics

against the

dimensions of

sustainability it is interesting to

see the different choices that can be made to

improve the sustainable performance of such

a specific structures like a tram depot. In our

TramStore21 publication this is presented

very clearly.”

RET’s Beverwaard depot differentiates itself

from the others though the combined function

of the building. It has a Park and Ride facility

on the roof of the tram stabling area with

room for over 500 cars, giving passengers the

opportunity to park their cars here for free and

travel to the city centre or soccer stadium by

tram. The latest additions to the depot are the

charging stations for RET’s electric company

cars. Maybe the most innovative feature of the

Beverwaard building is the heating and cooling

system which uses energy piles. The principle

of the energy piles is quite simple. Under the

entire depot there are 2800 concrete piles,

512 of them are energy piles. These have

plastic elements through which water runs and

changes temperature by use of heat pumps.

The soil acts as a buffer, so in the winter

the fluid that is running through the piles is

heated by the warmer soil, in the summer the

process works in the opposite direction and

can be used for cooling. RET saves about

60 per cent its energy costs with this system

compared to a more conventional heating

and cooling system. This is the first time in the

Netherlands that this principle has been used

on such a big scale.

The four depots that are featured in the

project and in the publication are in fact very

different. However the publication tries to put

the choices in perspective and helps future

depot builders by giving an overview of the

different aspects of depot building, what is

possible and shows the implications of certain

choices. All this information is supported

by clear photos, tables and graphs which

gives the book a very rich and colourful

appearance. The writing team of Espaces

Mobilités has done its best to make it a very

readable and colourful publication suited

for a broader audience interested in depot

building. zz

The publication is available online in English,

French, German and Dutch on

www.tramstore21.eu

tram depots could optimally support tramway

networks while reducing the impact on their

urban context. The TramStore21 publication

summarizes the work of the transnational

working groups of experts in which each

partner reviewed each other’s depot projects

and tram operations.

The TramStore21 publication and the four

new depots are the result of the co-operation

between the partners. The publication

explores different aspects related to tram

depots like decision-making, functional

design, environmental design, building

site management, maintenance and daily

management. The depot projects all have

their own specific focus on sustainable

characteristics. However there are similarities

like the use of natural light in the design, water

recycling in tram wash installations, insulation

measures and improved staff working

conditions.

Virgil Grot: “If you place the partners’ specific

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Integrated Transport

Beveraard depot


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Cambridgeshire guided busway

Having exceeded initial

expectations, the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway

has become a deep-rooted part of Cambridge’s public

transport

“Since the Busway opened the numbers

in terms of ridership is far outstripping the

business case projections, so it’s a very

successful and well received scheme,” notes

Joseph Whelan, head of passenger transport

services at Cambridgeshire County Council.

“We have received a number of delegations

from across England, and wider Europe,

to visit the scheme in order to see how it’s

working, and most importantly what it does

in terms of linking places of new and existing

employment, education, and housing.

“Its role in underpinning economic

development is crucial by offering a transport

option that does not add to traffic congestion

and links housing to employment and

education/training. The Busway services will

connect to the Enterprise Zone at Alconbury

Airfield where 5000 new jobs are to be

created, and already serves the southern fringe

of Cambridge where a further 9000 new jobs

will be created at the Cambridge Biomedical

Campus next to the existing Addenbrooke’s

Now nearing its two-year milestone,

the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway

has been even more of a success

than anticipated in bringing a new

transport alternative to the congested A14

corridor in Cambridgeshire. As the longest

guided busway system in the world at present,

‘the Busway’, as it is often known, consists

of a network of routes covering the market

towns of Huntingdon and St Ives in the north

to Cambridge city centre, and then on to

Cambridge rail station and Addenbrooke’s

Hospital in the south. Recently services have

been extended to Peterborough.

The actual guided part of the system is 16

miles in length and stretches from St Ives to

the northern edge of the city, with a southern

section from Cambridge railway station to

Addenbrooke’s and Trumpington. Operating

within a busy corridor parallel to the A14, the

Busway has been readily taken up as a fast,

frequent, and reliable public transport service

for the local area.

Well guided


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Hospital site.”

In fact key figures such as passenger

numbers in the first year of operation have

been around 46 per cent higher than forecast

for the service, which is incredibly encouraging

going forward. “At the same time it reinforces

the thinking behind the scheme in the first

place, which dates back over ten years now,”

describes Joseph. “The Busway as a solution in

terms of the corridor between Huntingdon and

Cambridge, was given birth to in a multi-modal

study undertaken by the Government. This then

found its way into various planning documents

as a very important piece of infrastructure to

underpin the continued economic success of

Cambridge and the market towns along the

route.”

Following up on its recommendations,

80 per cent of the cost of the scheme was met

through Government grants, with the rest of

the funding being made up from developers

building in and around the route. This was

particularly important as the Busway is viewed

as being key to helping absorb travel demand

from these new developments, including a

proposed new town at Northstowe.

Certainly it seems that a guided busway was

the correct choice of mode for this particular

application. Whilst the buses have the flexibility

to operate within the heart of Cambridge and

other settlements on the route on normal

roads, they are also fitted with two small guide

wheels which then allow them to be steered

along a purpose-built concrete track at up to

60 miles per hour.

The service itself is run by two local

operators, Stagecoach and Go Whippet,

across three different routes. Both have

invested in high quality and environmentally

Southern fringe

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friendly new bus fleets specifically for use on

the Busway. Describing how this operational

partnership has developed since the beginning

Shaun Harrison-Fuller, Guided Busway

team leader, says: “Last year both operators

increased their respective fleets, which

has enabled them to increase their service

frequency, particularly at peak periods. For

example, Stagecoach’s mainline Busway

services have gone from a ten-minute interval

up to every seven or eight minutes when

demand is high.

“Although both operators serve the Busway,

they have different overall services which link

in with rural communities and existing local

bus services. Go Whippet serves villages

out beyond St Ives at the northern end of

the Busway, while Stagecoach has actually

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Cambridgeshire guided busway

VixVix is a global provider of integrated transit

and mobility systems, making it easy

for people to use and pay for transport.

Vix understands that you want to help

passengers travel in the simplest, most

effective way – so it brings together expertise

across Fare & Fleet Management, Passenger

Information, as well as Service, Operations &

Maintenance. Vix provides solutions utilising

best-of-class technologies which are not

limited by proprietary or closed systems. The

result is greater flexibility and cost benefits;

allowing its customers to take advantage

of emerging technology and evolve their

systems ahead of the rest.

Stagecoach bus at St Ives


priority is given to buses wherever possible.

“Looking slightly ahead of that the County

Council is promoting a new rail station

(Cambridge Science Park Station) to the north

of the city, and a key issue for us is to ensure

the Busway links into the new station. This will

continue the integrated nature of the system

and offer convenient access to the station,

which will be 45 to 50 minutes from central

London in journey times.”

This interchange opportunity between rail

and buses at the proposed new station and

existing stations at Huntingdon and Cambridge

is at the very heart of what the Busway is

intended to do in terms of underpinning

ongoing economic developments in the area.

Furthermore the Busway continues to deliver

the County Council’s existing transport strategy,

including the promotion of more sustainable

modes.

Joseph concludes: “It has been a busy and

successful two years since the opening of the

Busway. The scheme required a wide range of

partners including the local district and parish

councils to work together to deliver it. Looking

to the future, there are further opportunities to

build on the success of the Busway and the

transport choice it offers, which is where we

need to be as an organisation.” zz

Web: www.thebusway.info

extended one of their services out as far as

Peterborough. There are aspirations to link

more existing bus routes to the guideway as

it offers a nice quick shortcut past the A14

congestion,” he continues.

The council are not merely reflecting on

the success of The Busway so far though.

As Joseph explains, further planning and

improvements are also underway in order to

guarantee the continuation of this performance:

“There is a new development in and around

the southern fringe of Cambridge being built,

which will provide some further funding that

can be used, wherever possible, to continue

to build the timetable in terms of frequency.

Reliability of the Busway is underpinned by

journey times being guaranteed along the

guided sections and for the on-road sections

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Cambridgeshire guided busway

Addenbrookes Bridge

Northstowe area

Guide wheel

Close up of guidewheel and guide arm

Close up of a guidewheel

running on the kerb


The little black box that can keep trains on the tracks for longer

Power electronics isn’t perhaps an area that is conventionally associated

with locomotive reliability. However, when power systems fail the result

is costly and causes extensive downtime, with locomotives

taken off the track for scheduled or unscheduled maintenance, and in times where train operators are

under increasing pressure to reduce costs, increase efficiency and improve

reliability. BRYN PARRY discusses a possible solution

T he challenge facing many train

operators and maintenance companies

today is how to keep ageing electric

locomotives available cost effectively

as they reach the end of their operational life.

Economic circumstances dictate that budgets

are not available for capital expenditure on new

locomotives, and moreover, that locomotives

must be maintained at lower operational cost.

One approach that is gaining popularity is

to move to what is called a Reliability Centred

Maintenance (RCM) strategy. A key aspect

of this is to monitor constantly the mission

critical systems to look for signs of change in

performance or failure in the system, known as

Condition Based Maintenance (CBM).

Imagine then a scenario where one of the

key components – one that is essential to the

running of the train – is treated as an unknown

quantity, where engineers have little or no idea

whether it’s in a good condition or likely to fail,

with the locomotive being taken out of service

for weeks at a time as a potential result.

Yet traditionally the power modules at

the heart of electric trains have been left

to their own devices with only on, off or

to roll out such a system and although testing

is in its early stages, the increase in track

time availability already indicates possible

improvements of over ten per cent, with a

consequent reduction in maintenance costs.

In addition to this, the rolling stock used in

this train network depends on dated power

electronics.

Empresa de Manutenção de Equipamento

Ferroviário, S.A (EMEF) has leading

responsibility for rail maintenance in Portugal,

and has developed a solution called

‘Lusogate’, a modular product to upgrade and

renew the locomotive traction system. This

new module replaces aged technology while

monitoring train performance and maintenance

requirements in real time using newer,

energy-efficient modules based on Amantys’

Power Insight.

While power electronics isn’t a subject likely

to set pulses racing, it is one to which train

operators are paying closer

attention.

A solution that can

reduce running costs,

reduce CO2 emissions and

at the same time improve

reliability by gaining a

better understanding of

what’s happening with

key power components

could make all the

difference. zz

fault as the signals available outside. This

leaves maintenance engineers reliant on

driver feedback, scheduled maintenance or

guesswork as to how close the system might

be to failure. For parts subject to so much

electrical and thermal stress every day, this

approach is costing operators time and money.

Innovative monitoring techniques can gauge

the performance of key primary and auxiliary

electrical systems on board the train, including

carriage electricity supply, air-conditioning,

and even down to the functionality of each set

of doors. Monitoring and analysing this data

allows the operators to observe changes in

performance that may flag potential risks of

failure. This can then allow them to identify

the real need for maintenance, which can

dramatically reduce the off-track time of

locomotive systems. Clearly, this is preferential

to waiting for a failure before spending days

tracing and fixing the fault.

This insight can be combined with extra

data points such as GPS information,

to see what sections of the network are

putting the most stress on the trains and

issue guidance to drivers to prolong the life

of the train. This real-time data monitoring

provides the diagnostics and communications

necessary to detect performance excursions,

plan preventative maintenance practice and

increase the track availability of a locomotive.

The author’s company is currently working

with a major European rail operator in Portugal

Innovative monitoring techniques can gauge the performance of key primary and auxiliary electrical systems on board the train, including carriage electricity supply, air-conditioning, and even down to the functionality of each set of doors

One of Amantys'

founders in 2010,

Bryn Parry is

VP corporate

development

Introduced in 1992, the Siemens 2400 Series EMU now requires

a carefully managed life extension programme

Electrical Engineering zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

100th Class 377 refresh completed l Southern has just completed the refresh of the 100th

Class 377 Electrostar train. The refresh programme, which

started in August 2011, will see the total fleet of 182

Class 377 trains (700 carriages in all) upgraded by January

2015. The refresh of the exterior and interior of the train,

includes a deep clean, new carpets and seat covers, interior

paint repairs, and graffiti-resistant panels. The programme

also includes the overhaul of the bogie which means that

crucially, the time the train is out of service is considerably

reduced. All 700 carriages will have been completely

refreshed by January 2015, having done around a million

miles each.

Class 455 upgradel South West Trains has launched a £40 million upgrade of its Class 455

train fleet. The upgrade will deliver even greater reliability for services which

operate on the Metro area from London Waterloo to Reading, the Hounslow

loop and the Shepperton branch. The 91 Class 455 trains, which are

already the most reliable trains in the country, will be fitted with new traction

equipment which promises to enhance performance and improve reliability

even further.

The programme – which will be rolled out over the next three years –

involves removing the existing DC traction equipment, including the motors,

and replacing it with an even more reliable modern AC traction system.

Regenerative braking is the dominant factor in the business case for new

traction as projections show it will return over 20 per cent of traction

electricity on inner suburban services and around ten per cent on main line

services. The new traction units will also be lighter, reducing the amount

of wear and tear on the rail infrastructure. An additional benefit of the new

traction units is the increased mileage that can be carried out between

major servicing and maintenance works, which will increase from

10,000 to 15,000 miles.

The prototype train will be fitted at Wimbledon depot with the remainder

of the fleet fitted at Eastleigh depot. The project should be finished by

spring 2014.

Spring cleaning gets underway on Greater Anglia trainsl Greater Anglia has commenced a further ‘deep clean’ programme

across its entire fleet of trains. Every train in the Greater Anglia fleet will

benefit from the deep-clean programme in addition to the usual cleaning

routine. Additional staff have been recruited to work alongside Greater

Anglia’s existing teams to give extra attention to train interiors and exteriors,

including carpet cleaning, seat cleaning, a thorough clean of toilet facilities

and enhanced hand washing of train exteriors (in addition to routine exterior

washing). The main focus is currently on Greater Anglia’s Class 321 rolling

stock, with one train being deep-cleaned per day.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Rolling Stock


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King’s Cross

This is delivered through three manufacturing

facilities in the US and Mexico, and a network

of 38 sites across the country.

It’s a model the Group hopes to replicate

in the European market where it has had

a presence since 1998 when it acquired

the Polish freight car manufacturing facility

WagonySwidnica SA. The intervening years

have seen Greenbrier Europe design, build,

and back a portfolio of proven railcars that

are as diverse as its customers, and become

recognised as one of the leading wagon

As a Group, Greenbrier is one of the

leading designers, manufacturers

and marketers of railroad freight car

equipment in North America and

Europe. In the US, the railcar business revolves

around a proven system of tightly integrated

services including manufacturing, leading,

asset management and repair, and parts.

Greenbrier Europe is moving towards a more

balanced distribution of its business across design and

manufacture, and repair and maintenance

Green shoots

Tank wagon Production facility panorama

Aggregate wagon for the transport of sand, stone and aggregate materials

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz GREENBRIER EUROPE


builders on the continent.

In the last couple of years the company

has worked to establish itself as a major force

in repair, maintenance, and even conversion,

an aspiration which has been accelerated by

the recent opening of a second repair shop in

Poland.

“Our mother company in the US has a lot of

repair shops, and step-by-step we are looking

to adopt the same system here in Europe,”

reveals Thomas Müller, vice president of sales

Europe. “It is however more difficult to secure

such premises over here but the benefit to

our customers is that we can now offer these

services as part of our overall offering. It also

means that we have a more balanced business

portfolio which puts us in a stronger position in

the case of changes in the market.”

However, this is not just a shrewd business

move. As Dionizy Studzinski, vice president

and director of technology and development,

explains, Greenbrier Europe also believes

it can bring a different level of competence

to such activities: “Through our discussions

we believe that generally maintenance and

repair services are not always at the level they

should be. Many of the employees within these

workshops do not have enough knowledge

about the basic specifications which were used

during the development of a specific railcar,

and therefore are merely doing what they think

is best. By transferring our experience as a

producer into the maintenance sector we hope

to increase the quality and operational safety of

these older units.”

This expertise incorporates the majority of

general purpose wagon types including hopper

wagons, high and low pressure and specialist

tank wagons, open and closed car carriers,

bogies, intermodal products, and flat wagons.

However, what Greenbrier Europe really prides

itself upon is its role as a developer of new, and

often more complex, wagon types. Each of

these individual railcar concepts can require a

Production facility panorama

Car carrier

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz GREENBRIER EUROPE


completely different level of work from

600 man-hours up to 2500 for one unit.

“We may not be the biggest producer of

freight cars in Europe in terms of volumes, but

we are the market leader from a development

point of view. In the last 15 years we have

developed more than 140 different types of

railcar, and each year we continue to add to

this figure with a few completely new designs

put into production. Often this is in line with

requirements from the market to increase

transportation efficiency, but sometimes it

can also be to reduce the cost of the unit,”

describes Dionizy.

Being a development company does

mean that Greenbrier Europe faces certain

challenges, such as ensuring its wagons

complete all of the necessary approval

processes. As a well established producer

working in many different countries

throughout Europe the company has a long

experience in these types of requirements,

including the new Technical Specification for

Interoperability (TSI) regulation.

“We received the first TSI certificate in

Europe for freight cars just a few days after

the regulation was introduced,” notes Dionizy.

“However we have found that since the first

introduction of TSI some six years ago the

rules are still not yet clearly uniform. Different

countries still have different procedures for

the approving railcars, which we have to

fulfil. Previously when we worked with the

International Union Of Railways (UIC) the

development time for a completely new railcar

including design, prototype construction,

testing and approval was generally between

eight and 13 months. At present it is between

12 and 18 months, which as a producer

means that our end customers are having to

wait longer for their units.”

Whilst this is a situation that Greenbrier

Europe clearly hopes will change as the TSI

regulations continue to be modified, at present

it doesn’t seem to be impacting much on

business. Certainly the market for the company

was good throughout 2012/2013, although

there is some expectation for this to contract

during 2013/2014. “We do see that there is

perhaps a drop in demand for this next period,”

confirms Thomas. “Given the nature of our

business we need to place orders in advance

as it takes a minimum of six months to deliver

on our ready-approved designs, and at least

12 months if it is a brand-new concept.

“At the moment car carriers

and tank wagons are two of

the main business lines for

us, as well as shimmns with

new modern arms for securing

payload from ground level

for increased safety. Whilst

the market for 2013/2014

doesn’t look as strong, we do

expect it to pick up going into

2015/2016. This is because

some changes to the rules

regarding tank wagons for

chemicals and the like are likely

to be introduced, which will

mean a lot of the older units

could be out of service and

fleets renewed. Some of our

clients are already looking into

this and preparing for such an

eventuality so we could see

an influx of work as a result of

that,” he concludes. zz

Web: www.gbrx.com

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz GREENBRIER EUROPE

Open car-carrier for the transport of automobiles and vans


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Freight

Strategic Freight Networkl In a recent newsletter, Network Rail comments that ‘it is investing

in freight-specific infrastructure in a way that has never been seen

before, opening up new business opportunities and working towards a

prosperous future for the rail freight industry’. Several key developments

have already, or will soon take place. These include:

l The opening of the Nuneaton North Chord (October 2012)

The Nuneaton North Chord was described by Network Rail’s freight

director, Tim Robinson as “the single most important piece of freight

infrastructure in years.” This new freight only line provides extra capacity

for traffic originating from the Port of Felixstowe destined for terminals in

the North West and Scotland.

l Completion of the

Peak Forest Train

Lengthening Scheme

The Peak Forest

Train Lengthening

Scheme aims to

provide additional

capacity to/from the

Peak Forest quarries

to accommodate

longer and heavier

aggregates services

on the Midland

Mainline. Due to

be completed in

December 2013, this project will allow for the better utilisation of train

paths, offering cost and efficiency savings to freight operators.

l Completion of the Ipswich Chord

The Ipswich Chord, due for completion in March 2014, will link the East

Suffolk and Great Eastern Main Lines removing up to 750,000 lorry

journeys off the road each year. This 1.4km section of track will reduce

journey times for intermodal services by approximately 30 - 60 minutes.

l Completion of the Southampton to West Coast Main Line Train

Lengthening Scheme

In March 2014, Network Rail will complete the Southampton to West

Coast Mainline Train Lengthening Scheme. This scheme will allow freight

services to run at an improved length of 775 metres from Southampton to

the West Midlands and beyond, carrying more containers and improving

the efficiency and profitability of each service.

l Completion of

the Water Orton to

Doncaster Clearance

Scheme.

The Water Orton to

Doncaster Gauge

Clearance Scheme

will allow intermodal

traffic with

9ft 6in containers to

travel between the

East Coast and West

Port of Felixstowe to double rail capacityl Port of Felixstowe is set to double its rail capacity

with the arrival of three state-of-the-art rail-mounted

gantry cranes (‘RMG’). The cranes form part of a new

rail terminal at the port which will further increase the

range of rail services provided. These first three RMGs,

manufactured by Liebherr in Ireland, will span the new

nine-track rail terminal at the port, making them the

biggest intermodal rail terminal cranes in the UK.

The terminal, co-financed by the European

Union Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T)

programme, will dramatically increase the port’s

rail capacity at a time when logistics operators are

increasingly seeking low-carbon transport options,

future-proofing Felixstowe’s rail offering for the

foreseeable future. The port already has the UK’s

busiest intermodal rail hub by far and the new terminal

will double its rail handling capacity.

Civil engineering work is near completion, with 10km

of track laid and the UK’s only intermodal rail traverser

successfully installed in February 2013. Designed to

handle trains up to 35 wagons long, the new North

Rail Terminal reinforces the port’s commitment to

sustainable distribution.

Port

of F

elixs

tow

e

Doubling the track at Chinley to provide extra capacity for freight trains serving the Derbyshire quarries

Gauge clearance works at Alfreton Tunnel. Part of the Water Orton to Doncaster Scheme

Coast Mainlines. Due to be completed in March 2014, this project will

provide a gauge-cleared route for traffic from Southampton bound for

the North East.

Strategic Freight CorridorsAs well as providing new infrastructure, Network Rail is improving the

way it manages and analyses freight activity on the Network. Through

the creation of the Strategic Freight Corridor (SFC) Programme,

Network Rail is leading the way in freight performance analysis.

The SFC programme is providing the industry with accurate and

enlightening data, highlighting poor performance and removing

boundaries through collaboration and investment.

Netw

ork

Rail

Netw

ork

Rail


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ErmEwa Group Sa

Founded in 1956 in Switzerland,

Ermewa Group SA is a leading

provider of railcar and tank container

leasing services. As such, Ermewa

specialises in designing, optimising and

managing strategic assets for the global

supply chain helping customers become

more efficient in their core activities.

Today headquartered in France, with

operations throughout Europe for railcars and

worldwide for tank containers, Ermewa offers

local expertise to customers from the steel,

petroleum, chemical, construction, mining,

food, and transportation industries. Since

2010 the company has operated as part of

the SNCF Geodis Group.

Although not alone in the railcar lease

liquid, gaseous, bulk, and diversified

general cargoes.

“As we differentiate ourselves through

our technical expertise, most new wagons

are dedicated and optimised to the specific

needs that our customers might have. This

is opposed to standard wagons where the

value we can add is comparatively small.

What is growing is the requirement for new

and more efficient railcars to face the current

competitive environment and we at Ermewa

remain optimistic that there is still plenty of

potential for improvement that our clients

can benefit from,” he continues.

Another fundamental factor is that

Ermewa is able to execute these services

locally throughout Europe. Centered

market, Ermewa has become something of

a global leader for such rental services as a

result of the diversity and reach of its fleet, as

well as its service and safety mentality. With

a fleet of over 50,000 railcars in operation,

27,000 tank containers, and 17,000 IC/IBCs,

the company clearly offers a unique scope

of solutions tailored to meet each customer’s

needs as closely as possible.

“Traditionally these were mainly tank cars

for liquids and gases, but the range has

progressively evolved to cover every segment

of the market,” elaborates Olivier Ghesquiere,

CEO of Ermewa. “As such our fleet now

comprises wagons of types such as hopper,

container, open-top, box, and flat suitable for

transporting hazardous and non-hazardous

Re-groupingEurope’s leader in specialist

rail wagon rental, Ermewa Group SA has opened a new satellite

office for the UK


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

our product offers steadily over the next few

years as we currently have a small number

of railcars operating in the UK including

container, steel coil, and tank wagons.

“Having only just started as a direct

operation, we have spent the last six months

working on making more wagon stocks

available and on building awareness of our

company as a potential wagon supplier. In

general we have been welcomed into the

market because importantly the wagon

supply situation is not always ideal, and

the entrance of a major new player will help

ensure more types are available, which may

well make the difference between freight

going by rail instead of road,” he elaborates.

Re-grouping

www.astrarail.com

Freight Wagon Production and Engineering ServicesThe combination for your highest demands ■ The largest freight wagon capacity in Europe ■ The innovative strength of the two leading developing centres

Please visit our website or contact us for your production and Engineering requirements.

S.C. ASTRA RAIL Industries S.R.L. 41-43 Aurel Vlaicu Street 310141 Arad, ROMANIA

Telephone: +40 257 202 231 E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.astrarail.com

ISO certified quality

around three main offices in Paris, Berlin,

and Geneva, the rail leasing operations are

also supported by branch offices in the

Netherlands, UK, and Czech Republic. “In

line with our strategy of proximity to our

clients we opened an office in Thame, UK,

last year,” notes Vincent Bellangé, managing

director of the Ermewa Industrial Wagon

Division. “This fills a gap as we have operated

in the UK for more than

20 years but thought it was now time to have

a physical presence.”

Manager at the new office, Phillip Archer

continues: “The site opened in September

2012 in Thame, Oxfordshire as a good

central location for serving all potential

customers and suppliers. We expect to grow

With more than a century of experience, the company employs a team of 210 at its Douai site with an annual production ranging from 500 to 1,000 wagons according to market needs.

Performance is the key word in the design of our equipment: optimal discharge and load time, payload maximized and lower maintenance costs.

We are attentive to the needs of renters, railway companies and end users to provide them with the best possible equipment

- Pascal VARIN, C E O.

“

”Her shareholder, TWL, TITAGARH WAGONS LIMITED, Indian leader in the sector, supports the development of its international subsidiary as well as her innovation generating value for its customers: TWA has developed a new generation of optimized powder wagons (tare weight, discharge time / connection, residual) and modular aggregates wagons who will emerge from its plants in 2013.

TITAGARH WAGONS AFR


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzIn addition Ermewa maintains four fully

dedicated and certified workshop sites

across France to carry out maintenance,

repairs, and modernisation services, as

well as the manufacture of new ranges of

specialised rolling stock. Rounding out the

company’s assets are the offices of its tank

container and IC/IBC businesses – Eurotainer

and CCR. These consist of core sites in

Paris, Rotterdam, Houston, and Singapore,

and branch offices in Sao Paulo, Dusseldorf,

Saint Petersburg, Manchester, Istanbul,

Tokyo, Shanghai, and Brisbane.

“This part of the business manages a

fleet of specialised ISO tank containers

used to transport liquids, powders, and

gases including cryogenic gases,” clarifies

Olivier. “The combined structure delivers

benefits of scale and as such increased

levels of profitability in a substantially lower

cost structure, as well as access to a global

customer base. The container leasing

operations are supported by a range of

ancillary services including e-commerce

capabilities and internet-based access to key

operational, technical, and commercial data.”

Despite the difficult economic environment,

Ermewa has actually seen consistent year-

on-year growth, as highlighted by Olivier:

“This is the result of our long-term strategy

of always looking for innovative solutions

to make the supply chain of our customers

ever more efficient. This is really part of

our philosophy. If there are efficiencies

to be gained, we have to ensure that our

customers adopt them and preferably with

our railcars or containers.”

A key part of Ermewa’s business model

zz ErmEwa Group Sa


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

has been a consistent programme of

investment, which last year yielded a

record delivery of over 2000 containers.

Furthermore, the company also anticipates

over 1000 further railcars to be delivered this

year. As a rule Ermewa does not invest on

a speculative basis due to the specialised

nature of its railcars, but has programmes in

place to supply dedicated railcars for specific

purposes.

“We have worked with Total Germany to

supply optimised rail tank cars (RTCs) for the

transport of diesel, which are smaller and

lighter and therefore more efficient in terms

of payload for their specific use. This has not

happened without challenges related to this

ground-breaking approach but these railcars

have now been in operation for almost a year

delivering greater economy and efficiency

to the customer. In a similar approach,

our design office developed a new hopper

wagon for aggregate with increased capacity

and reduced payload. Also illustrating our

proactive approach, Ermewa has recently

developed a standardised specification

for AHF railcars together with well-known

manufacturer Greenbrier. This has allowed

us to place a global order, reducing the unit

cost to our customers for these railcars on

the German market,” enthuses Olivier.

Having assumed the role of CEO at

the start of the year, Olivier has brought

Ermewa into 2013 with a clear vision to both

leverage its current reputation, and grow

its international foothold: “A company’s

performance is made by the performance

of its people. Ermewa is a business with a

strong culture of technical expertise and

quality of service and this will continue to

be the basis of our success in the future. As

for the railcars, there are always efficiencies

and improvements that can be achieved.

To ensure this, a new organisation rich in

competent and qualified people is in place.

“Growth is indeed one of our priorities,

and we have the right team and resources

to achieve this goal. With the support of our

strong existing customer base, Ermewa will

continue to grow both in our current markets,

but also with a deeper international emphasis

underpinned by a close proximity to our

customers in order to truly add value,”

he concludes. zz

Web: www.ermewa.com


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Inter Ferry Boats (IFB)

King’s Cross

continental container rail transport across

Europe. In addition to its regular connections,

the company can arrange specific transport

services to any destination within Europe.

A strong foothold

To this end IFB has a complete pan-European

intermodal network at its disposal, with a strong

foothold in the Benelux. This is then broken

down into areas for each geographical region.

Area North follows up and enhances current

connections, and develops new transports

between the main North Sea harbours, and

important industrial centres in Europe. Area

South manages the northern Europe to Italy

axis, and is active also between northern

Europe and France and Spain. Finally, the

gateway solution Area East deals with all

transport towards the east and across Europe.

As well as railway connections, as a

multimodal provider IFB deals in barge

transportation between the North Sea harbours

and the economic centres in the Rhine area

through its subsidiary H&S Container Line.

Inter Ferry Boats (IFB) is a leading

intermodal and terminal operator delivering

high-quality transport and logistics

solutions by rail and barge across Europe.

The business is an autonomous subsidiary of

SNCB Logistics Group and acts as a neutral

player on the European market. Having just

celebrated its 90th anniversary, the company

has over the years remained committed to

several principles.

Primarily these are to deliver reliable

container transport for transport companies,

shipping lines, and forwarders across Europe,

and multimodal high-quality logistics solutions

through the use of rail and barges. IFB also

offers operational and commercial assistance

close to the customer through its international

network, and terminal operation and value

added logistics in Belgium, France, and

Germany.

Working on behalf of its clients, IFB

organises maritime container rail transport

from the main harbours of Belgium and

the Netherlands to the hinterland, and

With a wide European network for rail and barge transport, Inter Ferry Boats (IFB) help customers make the most of intermodal solutions

Making the mode of it


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

On top of its transport offering, the company

operates its own intermodal terminals in

Belgium, including three in Antwerp, each of

which is equipped with modern EDI systems

and container handling devices.

All of this comes together to position IFB

as more than just a mover of goods. The

company strives to make container transport

as simple as possible for its clients with a full

package of services. This is backed by readily

available specialists across the network that

guarantee quality control from end-to-end,

and create solutions towards specific logistic

needs.

Fast and efficient transport is a fundamental

desire of all operators, and whilst road has long

been a preferred choice there are alternatives

that make economic and environmental sense.

In this way, IFB organises connections that

are supported by the Marco Polo programme.

This is the European Union’s (EU) funding

programme for projects which shift freight

transport from the road to sea, rail, and

inland waterways. This means fewer trucks

on the road and therefore less congestion,

less pollution, and more reliable and efficient

transport of goods.

The vision The company is also one of 14 partners

engaged in the EcoHubs project led by BMT

and aimed at elevating Green Hubs to a

strategic component of sustainable transport.

This is in accordance with the vision to

provide interconnectivity and interoperability

in European co-modal networks and facilitate

the reduction of congestion, and the combined

improvement of environmental performance

and efficiency in these networks.

Similar benefits can be seen from the

use of intermodal transport in general. This

has become the fastest growing segment

in the transport sector with more and more

companies looking for alternative and

sustainable combined solutions for transporting

their goods. Each of the different modes

have very mixed energy intensity and carbon

emission profiles. Rail and barge transport

for example are the least energy consuming

modes, with trucking between two and four

times more energy-intensive than rail, and at

the same time avoid on-road congestion.

By optimally balancing loads between

these different modes, with rail and barge

being used for the bulk distance, operators

can benefit from a more environmentally

friendly and efficient transport offering.

However, at the same time reliability, seamless

quality, and cost-effectiveness are core

expectations. As an intermodal operator with

a reliable European network for barge and

rail transportation, IFB offers a sustainable

alternative with prices and quality that is

comparable to, or better than, other transport

modes.

Whether it’s a large or small quantity of

containers, IFB will work every time to find

the best logistics solutions for transporting

them. Its broad network of high-frequency

connections, and customer-orientated

organisation means that even new customers

can make the modal switch to combined

transport with ease, and together with IFB

realise the benefits this can bring. zz

Web: www.interferryboats.be

subjects that are relevant to the industry. We

even employ political lobbyists in London,

which report every month on things of interest

to our members, or of relevance to the

surveying or construction industry.”

Today TSA has more than 140 members,

which are classified across five membership

categories of Full, Associate, Supplier, Affiliate,

and Academic depending upon their role in

the industry. Of these there remain a handful

which have been with the association from the

very beginning.

Each of these members in turn has access

to a huge range of benefits which includes

discounts on insurance, equipment, and

health and safety schemes, a free support

helpline, and free technical seminars four or

five times a year concentrating on a certain

aspect of work.

Education in particular is one of the greatest

challenges that TSA sees in the industry

today with much of the training provision for

surveying having dropped away. In response

it has been running its own survey training

The Survey Association, or TSA as it

is more generally known, is the trade

body for commercial survey companies

in the UK formed in 1979 to provide a

focus for private sector businesses in land and

hydrographic surveying.

Having started out with 30 members, the

association has grown substantially over the

years, leading to the establishment of its own

secretariat in 2006 to oversee day-to-day

operation and liaise with the membership.

Beyond this TSA is governed by an elected

council comprising 12 member companies,

which is subdivided into four core committees:

PR, MIA, Technical and Finance.

“The aim of TSA is to promote the survey

industry in general, and our members in

particular as a trade association and to raise

standards within this sector,” describes

secretary general Rory Stanbridge. “We also

work very closely with the Royal Institute of

Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered

Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors

(ICES) meeting on a regular basis to discuss


Getting to grips

Railway survey

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzThe Survey ASSociATion

For over 30 years The Survey Association

has been helping both members and clients

get to grips with the lie of the land

Station survey

Rory Stanbridge MRICS FCInstCES secretary general of The Survey Association


Buxworth

Bridgeway Consulting Ltd are a valued and trusted railway solution provider, delivering quality through extensive experience.

Our Geomatics and BIM Teams are able to deliver results that add real value to your project.

Key Benefits:

Contact us today to discuss your project needs.

Geomatics & Building Information Modelling (BIM) Services

Building Information Modelling (BIM)

l Bridgeway Geomatics Team continues to play an important role within the Railway Industry providing track and topographical survey services, as well as 3D laser scanning on a nationwide scale.

In line with the governments mandate to deliver level 2 BIM by 2016, Bridgeway has developed the new capability to help facilitate our clients in meeting the above legislation. Due to the strong and proven railway expertise, Bridgeway also aims at tailoring this service to the railway specific requirements ensuring high level of compatibility with existing standards.

accurate point cloudl Safety – reduced time on site and remote data collection techniquesl Reduced design risk – early identification of construction clashesl Production efficiencies – advanced, automated extraction of the required data (2D plans, cross sections, 3D visualisations etc.)

Bridgeway offers the ability to create traditional BIM models from 2D CAD data or internal measured building surveys. In addition 3D point cloud data is commonly used for BIM modelling of existing buildings, structures, stations or sites ensuring the high quality designs with significant risk reduction. BIM models created from the clouds of points are data rich and accurate with the level of detail tailored to the individual needs. The quality of the provided service is supported by state of the art instrumentation, industry leading software and highly skilled, experienced and passionate staff.A few of many advantages of the BIM models include:l Reliability – established data cross checked with the

For more information on BIM modelling, please contact Simon Hatch at [email protected]: www.bridgeway-consulting.co.uk

The New Capability

courses at the Survey School in Worcester for

the last ten years, which to date has seen over

300 graduates. The association also maintains

a stringent application process and annual

audits to ensure that standards are kept high

across all of its members.

As such, many of TSA’s members have

found work on the UK railways, which has

its own rigorous requirements. This includes

monitoring of assets and structures like

tunnels, new track and clearance work, and

support on new projects such as Crossrail.

“One of the things we do is to produce

guidance notes on various aspects of industry,

which are available on our website,” notes

Rory. “One such area was Global Positioning

Systems (GPS) and we have now seen this

guidance adopted as part of their specification

by Network Rail.”

One of the ways in which TSA is working

to continue to promote its services is to try

and introduce a new benefit for members

each year. In this vein the association is

currently producing new guidance on Building

Information Modelling (BIM), and working with

the British Standards Institute to produce a

Publically Available Specification (PAS) on

required in country needs a survey at the

beginning, and yet these services are still very

undervalued. At TSA we aim to be a growing

vibrant representation of all that is excellent

about the survey profession, and to be the

first port of call for clients needing to carry out

these works,” concludes Rory. zz

Web: www.tsa-uk.org.uk


Utility Mapping.

Part of the initial ethos behind TSA was

to get clients to use only its members for

their surveying work, and it appears this is

increasingly becoming the case. “Recently

we’ve had a number of companies asking

for application packs as they have been

advised by clients such as the Environment

Agency and Thames Water to join TSA. It is

noteworthy that every piece of construction

Railway embankment slip at Old Dalby

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzOuseburn Viaduct point cloud from a 3D laser scanner

The Survey ASSociATion


. zz

zzzzzzzzzz zzNottiNgham ExprEss traNsit

With intentions of creating a tram

network for the city, Phase Two of the

Nottingham Express Transit programme is

well underway

Trams have become a familiar sight in

the streets of Nottingham ever since

the launch of Nottingham Express

Transit (NET) in 2004. This light-rail

tramway began with just a single line between

Nottingham railway station and Hucknall, a

distance of 14 kilometres, with a short spur

to Phoenix Park. From the outset NET has

been delivering on the principles that drove its

creation, namely in terms of helping encourage

regeneration of the conurbation after the

closure of primary industries such as mining in

the 1980s, and sustaining economic growth.

This is predominantly through the use of NET

as a means of tackling congestion on major

radial routes into the city, and serving key built-

up areas and destinations such as universities

and hospitals. Its impact has been significant

with the service driving up the use of public

transport in the corridor it serves by 20 per cent

in the peak periods, and achieving high levels

of customer satisfaction.

“On the back of that success, and because

the aspiration was always for a tram network

for Nottingham, Phase Two of NET was

pursued,” begins Chris Deas, NET project

director at Nottingham City Council. “This will

see the tramway extended by a further

17.5 kilometres in the form of two new lines

to the south and south-west of the city with a

similar blueprint of serving main built-up areas,

and relieving traffic congestion on the major

road network. These new lines will link directly

into the existing Line One at Nottingham railway

station.”

In December 2011, the Council awarded

Nottingham Tram

interior

On board


the NET Phase Two contract to Tramlink

Nottingham, a new consortium created

specifically towards this project. As well

as constructing the new lines, Tramlink

Nottingham has also secured a 22 and a half

year concession to operate and maintain the

current Line One, and the network as a whole

once Phase Two is completed.

Bringing together world class expertise

in operations, investment and construction,

Tramlink Nottingham is made up of six core

shareholders – Vinci, Alstom, Keolis, Wellglade,

Meridiam Infrastructure, and InfraVia. Operation

and maintenance of the system is in turn

subcontracted down to Nottingham Trams Ltd

(NTL), which is a partnership between Keolis

and Wellglade, whilst construction is delivered

through the joint venture Taylor Woodrow

Alstom (TWA).

“We have put together a very strong team

in Tramlink Nottingham to effectively guide

and assist both the construction team and

the operator,” describes Phil Hewitt, CEO

at Tramlink Nottingham. “As a concession

company we have formed a very strong

relationship with the City Council, and have

been working with the different construction

and operations teams to set out that vision for

how NET should contribute to the greater good

of Nottingham.

“These discussions have also helped get

us all into a common position where we

understand that we are all working towards a

single end which is the success of NET within

the policy and political frameworks that the

City Council set, and actually that it’s a shared

success. The contractors understand that

whilst they might only be here for three or four

years, they are defining the future of NET for

the next 22 and a half years,” he continues.

NET general manager, Paul Robinson said:

“Whilst work is continuing to provide what

will be an exciting expansion to the network,

the operation of the existing system remains

crucial. As part of the overall investment in

NET we are upgrading parts of the current

line and have also introduced a major

refresh programme for our existing fleet. We

are providing a very reliable service to our

customers who continue to give us extremely

high satisfaction ratings.”

The first year of the contract was dominated

by enabling works, site clearance, and design,

but as the second year continues apace so

has the scope of works ramped up. This year

will see the delivery of many of the big civil

engineering and systems works, such as the

installation of a new bridge over Nottingham

railway station. Traditionally this type of

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Keolis“Keolis is one of the world’s leading transport

operators and currently actively working to

deliver better public transport in 13 countries

around the world. Here in the UK we operate

and maintain trams for Nottingham Express

Transit as part of the Nottingham Tramlink

Consortium. We also run four rail franchises,

Southern, Southeastern, London Midland

and Transpennine Express, as part of joint

ventures.”


As to the future beyond Phase Two, the

potential scope of NET as a network does

not yet seem exhausted: “The wider vision

recognises that Nottingham will grow beyond

its current geographical and economic

position, so although there aren’t any firm plans

undertaking would have been linked to one big

possession, but in this case has been executed

incrementally during normal night time works

whilst the station is still operational.

“There’s also currently a big push on utilities

and the commencement of track-laying, which

means the co-ordination and sensitivity of

traffic management is a huge factor in how we

go forward this year. Unlike a railway, we are

building only a few feet from the front doors

of residents and businesses so we have to

understand the impact of our activities on the

public and do everything we reasonably can to

minimise disruption,” notes Phil.

“The construction work being so visible

is on one hand a challenge, but on the other

an opportunity for the people of Nottingham

to see the investment being made, and have

confidence in the future of the city,” adds Chris.

Whilst one of the great ambitions of the

expanded network is to improve the local

economy, in the interim Phase Two is itself

providing employment opportunities to those

in the area. At present around half of the 800

people working on the project have been

recruited locally, including some that have

been trained up to work on Alstom’s innovative

Appitrack machine.

Although NET is a key foundation to

Nottingham City Council’s transport strategy,

it is an integrated concept and as such other

modes such as buses, rail, cycling, and walking

all have their part to play. To this end it is hoped

that the introduction of a new multi-modal

smart ticketing product, Kangaroo, will help

encourage this integration by making it easy for

passengers to hop on-and-off the

different modes.

yet for NET Phase Three, we will be looking at

where growth may be best served by trams,

such as the proposals for a HS2 stop at Toton,”

concludes Chris. zz

Web: www.thetram.net

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNottiNgham ExprEss traNsit

Appitrack and first section of track

Trusses from the bridge over Nottingham station

Artist’s impression of the Nottingham Citadis tram


Reviving Nigeria’s railways The Nigerian Government has

signalled a strong commitment to the revival of rail, seeking to

reverse decades of decline and mismanagement

before 2009, when rail services were closed

down. While the service which resumed in December 2012 is

infrequent and plagued with slow speeds and mechanical faults, the

Government insists its efforts to improve it are real,

with a new two-way railway being built and an existing

one under repairs

Rehabilitation is crucial to Nigeria’s

economy. The Federal Government’s

August 2010 draft National Transport

Policy outlined the principal benefits

of rail as “the most cost-effective, affordable,

energy-saving and environmentally form

of transportation”. It envisaged significant

benefits stemming from the movement of

large numbers of inter-city passengers and

high volumes of containerised cargo or bulk

freight such as oil, coal, steel or agricultural

produce.

To realise those benefits rail development

must overcome a range of structural,

practical and legal challenges. The scale and

complexity of the task includes the need to

redesign a rail system that still reflects its

colonial origin and purpose, transporting

goods from the hinterland to ports for

shipping to Europe. Nigeria’s rail advocates

argue for a system capable of becoming

use pose a particularly significant challenge

to sustained and integrated development.

Despite attempts at reform in 2009

significant issues stem from the long-term

effects of the Land Use Act 1978 and, in

particular, its constitutionally-embedded

status. Land use and access, including

the availability of eminent domain and

compulsory acquisition to facilitate

development, remains problematic.

As well as the degree of co-operation

required between the Federal

Government and State Governors,

rail development designed to connect

cities and settlements currently not

served by rail depends in large part on the

ability to secure possession of land. That

involves overcoming resistance from informal

settlements and disputes arising from

questions concerning land tenure.

In practice, the Government’s most

difficult task may be to maintain a strong

and consistent message of commitment to

rail development to secure potential private

sector investors’ confidence. Even with

cogent legislative reform and continuing

Federal Government commitment, concerns

relating to political and social stability may

restrict private sector investment. Examples

include the motion listed for debate in the

Federal House of Representatives on

19th March, highlighting security and safety

standards on the recently improved Lagos-

Ibadan route and its call for the Committee

on Land Transport to launch an urgent

investigation. Add to that concerns arising

from the activities of Boko Haram and the full

economic benefits of a secure and efficient

rail service will be hard-won. zz

a flexible and competitive component of

the country’s internal transport system.

However, there is ample scope for debate,

not least to determine the priority of

investment between long-distance express

and urban mass transit systems, freight and

passenger revenues.

From a legal perspective, the most

immediately pressing issue must be a

major overhaul of rail legislation to permit

transition from the Nigeria Rail Corporation

Act 1955 to a properly regulated system

permitting private sector participation,

likely to be based on up to three regional

concessions. A likely structure is one in

which railway infrastructure remains with the

Federal Government, while concessionaires

provide rolling stock and operate services.

Track access charges during a concession

period of 25 – 30 years would, on that

model, provide private sector funds for the

rehabilitation, maintenance and expansion

of infrastructure. However, well-advised

concessionaires would undoubtedly seek

to ensure that track access terms would

include provisions suspending access

charges, or for compensation of direct

and consequential losses, in the event of

infrastructure failure or disruption. The model

would not provide risk-free funding.

Looking beyond legislation concerned

specifically with rail, land access and land

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzInternational Railways

Malcolm Dowden is a consultant

at Charles Russell LLP


. zz

zzzzzzzzzzz zzThe danish railway group

Exporting KnowledgePromoting and

supporting its members within the

wider market, the Danish RailWay

Group delivers export and networking

opportunities

T he Danish RailWay Group (DRWG)

represents a wide range of Danish

suppliers operating within the

international rail industry. This

membership includes specialists in everything

from interior design and upholstery and

furnishings, through to profiling and

construction of reinforced plastics and dynamic

load detectors. DRWG provides customers

with direct access to this supply base, which

is focused upon delivering tailored solutions to

individual needs.

DRWG is also one of 13 networks within the

Danish Export Association, which are divided

by customer segment, and as well as rail

include marine, offshore, mining and quarry,

export marketing, and wind energy. This private

non-profit organisation works to encourage

trade between Danish and international

companies. The Association provides a

framework within which each network, and

member companies, can work to increase

its international sales. Hands-on commercial

experience has made the Danish Export

Association the largest organiser of export

promotion, networking and joint marketing.

This includes export activities in 50 different

countries over the last ten years, with 610

companies working with the Association in

2012 to widen their field of operations. Being

part of such a network has demonstrable

benefits with the Danish Export Association’s

members on average achieving 49 per

cent more exports in several markets, than

comparable Danish export companies.

Recently, the Danish rail industry

demonstrated its ability to implement the same

signalling system across the entire country at

the same time. This willingness to co-operate

at such a high level, combined with specific


Greenwood Engineeringl With 20 years of international experience, the Danish company Greenwood Engineering A/S is the world-leading manufacturer of high precision, full contact profiling equipment for the global railway sector. The MiniProf measuring systems, developed by Greenwood Engineering A/S, are simple handheld tools designed in pure titanium for monitoring the cross sectional profile of wheels, rails and brakes. The MiniProf systems are also available in TwinHead configurations to obtain the maximum accuracy when joint profiles are measured simultaneously. Based on high-resolution technology and direct contact measurements, the MiniProf systems give you the absolute best accuracy available on the world market and generate exact and reliable measurements without being affected by oil, dirt or reflecting light.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Initially developed in 1992 and with more than 1500 end-users globally, the MiniProf brand is well established in the worldwide rail industry and offers numerous ways of making individual calculations and easy profile manipulations. The key to the MiniProf systems are the extremely accurate profile measurements, a strong software package and numerous calculations, which enable you to monitor and analyse the conditions of your wheels, rails and brakes. A precise overview and the possibility to optimise work and budgets result in financial savings and increased lifetime of the asset. MiniProf is certified by Deutsche Bahn (DB).

The MiniProf systems will be displayed on Railtex 2013 in London represented by Greenwood Engineering and MiniProf agent Bakerail Services at stand no. nr. J26.


superior solutions on offer.

DRWG is also able to offer support to its

members further afield with the help of the

Danish Export Association’s representative

competencies and skills, is an enduring

characteristic of the country’s supply chain.

DRWG’s members are experts in providing

common solutions with that well-known Danish

high quality.

Membership within the DRWG enables

companies to become part of a much larger

network where they can draw upon each

other’s market knowledge, experience, and

contacts. Furthermore, the visibility of individual

companies within the international market

is increased as a result of the Group entity,

which helps promote these business interests

throughout Europe.

Attending key events So far this year, DRWG intends to maintain a

presence at the Nordic Rail 2013 exhibition

in Jönköping, Sweden. In the past the

organisation has also attended such key events

as InnoTrans, and implemented its own export

promotion tour in the UK in 2011.

InnoTrans in particular is of great importance

to the Danish railway industry as it offers close

links to many of the major players within the

international rail market. This helps create

the basis for Danish subcontracting in this

marketplace. The DRWG has organised a

pavilion at the fair since its foundation in 2000,

and in 2012 14 of the current 25 member

companies took advantage of this presence.

The Danish Transport Minister also visited

the stand to peruse the most environmentally

friendly, cost-effective, and technologically

office in Shanghai, China. There are varying

different degrees of assistance offered including

use of meeting facilities, HR recruitment,

establishment of a representative office,

business office or manufacturing site in China,

translation of product catalogues, information

on legislation and certification, and trademark

registration.

Other areas of interest

Other international areas of interest are the

UK, and the BRIC countries with some of

DRWG’s member companies already making

significant contributions to projects in India. The

investment into Denmark’s own rail network can

also not be ignored, as despite its small size at

just five to ten per cent of that UK rail market,

high levels of expenditure have been earmarked

over the coming years. For these types of

project there will likely be a need for close co-

operation between the major international rail

players and the smaller national suppliers. It is

in such a role that DRWG believes its member

companies can offer significant value.

Likewise it is becoming more and more

common for rail projects in general to be

delivered out of several markets, with the train

built in one country and assembled in another,

with components supplied from all over the

world. Therefore it is ever more vital that

companies, like those within the DRWG, are

more globally minded, and it is in embracing

such thinking that the Group extends a

supportive hand to its members. zz

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzThe danish railway group


King’s Cross

particular focus on customer service.

It would appear to be working with the

company achieving a moving annual average

(MAA) punctuality result of 92.4 per cent, which

is the highest figure ever recorded for the

Greater Anglia franchise area. There has also

been a huge increase in customer satisfaction

to 83 per cent in the most recent National

Passenger Survey (NPS). Perhaps the greatest

endorsement of the improvements made by

Greater Anglia though has been it’s naming

as Train Operator of the Year at the annual

National Rail Business Awards for 2012, just

11 months into the franchise.

This positive progress is in no small way

driven by the alliance that Greater Anglia has

formed with Network Rail in order to increase

reliability and deliver a better service for

customers. “They are a crucial partner in that

to get the infrastructure up and reliable, and

working with them to improve contingency

plans has delivered a far better operational

performance, which is then reflected in

customer satisfaction,” describes Ruud Haket,

managing director at Greater Anglia.

Taking on the running of any rail franchise

for a short-term period is a challenge,

but for Greater Anglia this has been

exacerbated by the nature of the

inherited legacy of train services in East Anglia.

Part of the wider Abellio transport group, which

also operates the Northern Rail franchise and

Merseyrail concession, since February 2012

Greater Anglia has risen to this cause with a

With results that were even greater than expected,

Greater Anglia’s raft of improvements have seen

it named Train Operator of the Year 2012

Great aspirations

MPs and stakeholders at the launch

of the East Anglian rail prospectus

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Greater anGlia

Ruud Haket

receives

the Rail

Business Award

for Train

Operator of

the Year

A Class 379 train


“One of the biggest concerns was the

number of weekend blockades on this piece

of railway, but by working with Network Rail

we have been able to reduce that from 26 full

weekend blockades to eight Sundays and two

Saturdays only. The overall agreement is that

between five and eight weekend blockades

is the maximum permitted for any given year.

We are now together looking ahead at track

renewals that are planned from 2015 onwards,

and how that can be delivered, what services

can still be run, and what can be changed to

assist that. So it’s a very close co-operation

to find the best solution in terms of customer

service, and still make that affordable,” he

continues.

Another development that has had a real

impact is the Department for Transport’s

(DfT) allowance of Greater Anglia to take over

full asset management and maintenance

of infrastructure and stations. It is the

first franchise in the UK to assume such

responsibility, and the difference it brings

in being able to act on issues and execute

action has been huge. “In terms of day-to-

day operation we can just go in and do what

needs to be done without delays over whose

responsibility it is,” agrees Ruud.

“By integrating all of the knowledge and

activities in-house we are also far more capable

of taking better advantage of re-developments.

For example we have added additional money

and services to a National Station Improvement

Programme taking place at Chelmsford, Great aspirations

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzInterior of refurbished Class 156 train which has been fitted with new disabled person accessible toilet


including the introduction of a CyclePoint, so

we now have a development of £3 million to

completely renew the station. We are able to

do this because we can look at the station in a

holistic way,” he adds.

These schemes once again typify Greater

Anglia’s focus on improving the customer

experience in all areas, with many projects

already having been successfully delivered

including improvements to the website and

frontline training for over 1,600 staff. Within this

though Greater Anglia recognises that it is the

trains themselves that sit at the heart of that

experience.

As such, recently 17 Class 321 electric

trains have experienced a light refurbishment

including new floor and seat covers, whilst the

fleet as a whole is now undergoing a second

deep-clean programme in addition to the usual

routine cleaning. However the company agrees

that much of the fleet does require major

investment, which is not physically possible

within its short 29-month franchise term.

It is an issue though that Greater Anglia is

hoping to raise in light of the announcement

of an extension to all franchises in the wake

of the wider industry upheaval. Although this

contract has not yet been negotiated and

agreed, Greater Anglia expects this may extend

its operational period up to October 2016. Part

of the discussion will be focused around what

can be done in this timeframe to improve the

customer experience and invest further in rail

transport in East Anglia.

Greater Anglia has already played a major

role in developing the East Anglian Rail

Prospectus and engaging with stakeholders in

the areas regarding the aspirations it outlines. It

is now looking to gather views on what should

be considered in the extension period that it

can put forward to DfT. Given the long time

scale of rail investments this could prove to be

a valuable opportunity to set in motion some

of the proposals that will enable passengers to

enjoy the benefits of faster journey times, more

seats, and further increases in service reliability.

As to the immediate future though, Ruud

remains clear about the way that Greater

Anglia is presenting itself: “The message has

not changed in that we still put the passenger

first, and we recognise that there is still a lot

more we can do to improve further. Our main

focus is to get the operational service and

customer service delivery of a consistently

high level every day. As a business we are

determined to never just be satisfied with

what was delivered yesterday, and believe that

tomorrow has to be even better than today

with an unrelenting focus on quality,”

he concludes. zz

Web: www.greateranglia.co.uk

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Liverpool Street station first class lounge after recent upgrade

Interior of refurbished Class 321 train

Greater Anglia phone app

Greater anGlia


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzFT TRANSFORMERS

King’s Cross

Samuel James, May Gurney, NG Bailey and

Kent PHK. Last year was very memorable as

we manufactured transformers for the 2012

Olympics line, and in the past have worked

with Hong Kong Railways on their underground

network.”

In a drive to reduce costs and improve safety,

reliability and performance, it is Networks Rail’s

desire that all new signalling renewal projects

incorporate Class II power supply systems.

In response to this, FT Transformers has

created an innovative range of Class II hybrid

transformers, ranging between 250VA and

2kVA in size, which sit at the very upper end of

the marketplace at very competitive prices.

“It was through our relationship with

FT Transformers, formally known

as Forrest Transformers,

was established in 1937 and

supplies many original equipment

manufacturers (OEMs) in the drive, rail and

general industrial sectors. The business is one

of the UK’s leading manufacturers of power

transformers, line reactors, chokes and power

supplies, with a comprehensive stock range of

transformers from 50 volt-ampere (VA) up to

1.5 mega volt-ampere (MVA), and voltages up

to 11 kilovolts (kV).

Since 1937 there have been three changes

of ownership, which have all contributed to

the growth of the company, culminating with

the current managing director Bob Wright.

Today that business is divided across five core

divisions: rail, industrial, aviation and offshore

transformers, along with drives and controls. In

2010, FT Transformers bought the intellectual

rights to SKOT Transformers, broadening its

product range with the addition of UL product

approval (E 208721).

“We have been dealing with the railway

for over a decade now. Originally we

started working with Invensys on Class I

signalling transformers, and then proceeded

to manufacture larger transformers for

subcontractors such as Baldwin & Francis,

With its brand-new Class II hybrid transformer and coating development,

FT Transformers is turning its customers’

wishes into reality

Transforming the market

Black box display

General manager Richard Bradley

FT Transformers’ managing director Bob Wright

Shop floor manager Steve Adkins

•


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz FT TRANSFORMERS

Invensys that we began to get involved

with the Class II Systems,” explains Bob.

“We looked at a product they asked us

to manufacture on their behalf, and found

that the coating did not reach the required

standard at the time. Through extensive R&D

and working in conjunction with GLS Coatings,

we developed a coating that can insulate the

enclosures against voltages of up to 20,000V.

This far exceeds any other Class II enclosures

on the market.”

Confident in the capabilities,

FT Transformers submitted an application

for product approval. Tahir Ayub at Network

Rail, currently leading the Class II initiative,

will be giving guidance on this application.

At the same time the company proposed to

manufacture Class II hybrid transformers with

a zero inrush current. This not only saves costs

by preventing a surge of electricity through

the transformer, but also means the major

components can be reduced in size. In fact in

a cost comparison on five smaller signalling

projects carried out by NG Bailey, the use of

FT Transformers’ Class II design could

have generated savings in excess of

£200,000. As such the potential savings

to Network Rail over a 12 month period

could be insurmountable.

In recognitionBob continues: “In recognition I would

like to thank Richard Bradley, our general

is preparing itself to begin manufacture on a

large scale with investment being placed in the

business in order to cope with the perceived

levels of demands for the UK market and

overseas trade. “Beyond this we are looking to

do further developments on the coating with

Network Rail as we believe that its insulation

properties could make it ideal for overhead

applications. At present we have already past

40,000V so we believe we will reach up to

50,000V in insulation protection. We are also

seeing interest from enclosure manufacturers

and other companies looking to use our

transformers in their location cases.”

FT Transformers boasts a long track

record in quality and reliability. It is this kind

of assurance that underpins its forays into

new innovations ensuring that these live up

to the high specification of their applications.

“There’s nothing in the marketplace at this

time that can compete with the range of

Class II transformers that we manufacture in

terms of performance and safety. We are also

developing new transformers for companies

in the UK drive control market, and looking at

breaking into the mining industry. We already

supply products throughout the world and

with assistance from the Trade & Industry

Board we will broaden our overseas market, to

begin with Turkey, Sweden and Denmark.” zz

UK Insulations (UKI)UK Insulations is a well-established, class-

leading, UK-based supplier of low-voltage

electrical insulation materials, lead-wires

and ancillaries with the stockholding and

production capabilities to meet the needs of

discerning and demanding customers, in the

UK, Europe and the rest of the world.

FT Transformers has been a UKI customer for

many years. The company takes great pride in

the partnerships it has with all its customers

and its ability to meet their needs and

demands in a timely, effective manner.

manager, having a wealth of experience

overseeing the Class II project from the start

and receiving assistance from Steve Bosworth

and Andy Grizzle who are engineers at NG

Bailey, in developing the product. At present

we have a patent application pending for the

coating, and we have chosen to send our

range of Class II Transformers for independent

testing to ERA Technology in Leatherhead for

certification. We are confident that we will be

successful. We will then hand the product over

to Network Rail for their certification. Ultimately

we anticipate proposals for its use will be

included in their future specifications.”

With the new venture attracting interest

already, FT Transformers

A selection of FT Transformers’ recent projects on essential signalling supplies are:Water Orton resignalling – 4 No Principal Supply Points (8x transformers 30kVA – 60kVA)Cotswolds SP&C and stations – 3 No 12hr Auxiliary Supply Points (6x Transformers)EMSR Part 1: North Erewash – 2 No Principal Supply Points (4 x Transformers)EMSR Part 2: South Erewash – 2 No Principal Supply Points (4 x Transformers)Walsall & Cannock Lines resignalling – 2 No Principal Supply Points (4x 60kVA & 40kVA)Newport Area resignalling - 9 No Principal Supply Points (18x transformers (30kVA – 100kVA)

For further information please contact Richard Bradley via: Email: [email protected] Tel: 0121 451 3204 Fax: 0121 433 4577 Web: www.ft-transformers.co.uk

Shop floor manager Steve Adkins makes some finishing touches

With services from Narvik in the

north to Copenhagen in the

south, Statens Järnvägars (SJ) is

Sweden’s largest train operator.

More than 150 years after its first train pulled

out of Gothenburg central station, the company

is carrying over 100,000 people every day on

a suite of different train types. In the process,

SJ has accumulated a market share of

approximately 55 per cent of the total Swedish

passenger rail sector, and 90 per cent of

long-distance passenger train travel for

100 kilometres and over.

The landscape within which SJ is operating

has also changed during this period. Since

2001, it has been a limited liability company

owned by the Swedish state, with SJ formed

as a state authority. This incorporation saw SJ

lose its monopoly on rail transport, and since

October 2010 the whole railway market in

Sweden has been open to anyone.

This hasn’t stopped SJ growing its business

though, with passenger numbers increasing

by another three per cent in 2012. Significant

investment into reliability has meant that

between 2008 and 2012 SJ was able to

reduce train-related delays by 75 per cent, with

punctuality currently at above 90 per cent.

At present SJ operates four main types of

service – regional, intercity, night train, and

high speed. It is under the last banner that the

company has introduced its newest flagship

offering – SJ 3000. “The fleet consists of 20

four-car trains with a bistro,” begins Claes

Broström, senior vice president of the fleet

division at SJ AB. “The first SJ 3000 was

introduced in February 2012, and the last

came into service earlier this year. The fleet has

proved highly successful from day one, with no

teething problems, which is very positive.”

Comparing it to SJ’s other high speed fleet

SJ 2000, the SJ 3000 has a number of new

design features that Claes is keen to highlight:

“The whole interior design is protected by

SJ, and is very modern and user-friendly,

particularly for handicapped passengers,

with a focus on comfort. There is an onboard

infotainment system which offers internet,

radio, games, and movies for purchase, and

a lot of passenger information alongside the

dedicated PIS. We’ve also put a lot of work

into the environmental impact of the trains with

reduced noise measures, and the use of 98 per

cent recyclable parts in the construction.”

Like the SJ 2000, and certain other trains

operated by SJ, at least ten per cent of the

energy used by the SJ 3000 when braking is

returned to the grid. This is paired with training

in efficient driving to produce the best possible

results. With an environmental policy that dates

back to 1988, SJ has a number of other green

measures in place such as the sorting of waste

both onboard the trains and in its depots, and

the use of renewable energy to power the

trains.

The company is also looking for efficiencies

elsewhere in its business model. As part of the

ongoing good performance of its trains, SJ

has invested in developing its depots with the

introduction of lean production for example.

“We are now achieving around 15 per cent

more maintenance today at 12 per cent lower

cost than before,” highlights Claes. “We have

also increased capacity at our main depot in

Stockholm by 40 per cent, which is a

The first name in Swedish rail, SJ is targeting

investment into life cycle management, as well as

new flagship trains

Operating strongly

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz SJ


huge improvement.”

When it comes to the maintenance plans

themselves for the fleet, SJ has adopted a

life cycle management mentality looking at

the trains in terms of ten or 20 years from

now. This enables it to plan different types

of system upgrades to keep the trains in a

good condition. “We are much more proactive

working with maintenance before we have an

issue instead of taking care of it afterwards.

For parts of the fleet we have remote vehicle

monitoring capability which means we can

see what happens inside a certain train,

or subsystem, from our central office and

understand in advance if there is going to be

a failure,” elaborates Claes.

He continues: “In order to support this

we are introducing a new IT system where

we can follow all trains’ activities and

maintenance plans for the whole life cycle

of the vehicle. We are also discussing and

preparing a system upgrade for the SJ 2000

fleet in order to prolong its life for another

20 to 25 years. The SJ 2000 is a specialist

train that has been built specifically for the

Swedish infrastructure, and therefore it is

impossible to buy a similar train off-the-shelf, so

we need to maintain it for the long-term.”

It’s measures such as these that the

company hopes will put it in a stronger position

than ever for the future. This is particularly

important as it seems the effects of the

incorporation are to spread to long distance

traffic as well. As such, from 2014 SJ expects

to have competition in this market as well. In

order to maintain its position at such a time the

company not only looks to having a modern

and reliable fleet, but also an efficient

business model where maximum value can

be realised. zz

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

BombardierOn Sweden’s highly deregulated rail market,

efficiency, customer focus and co-operation are

key success factors. The SJ and Bombardier

partnership leverages innovative strength and

design and operational skills, ensuring excellent

reliability and performance. The SJ 3000, an

EMU for medium-density intercity lines, began

operating in 2012. It provides service availability

levels averaging 99 per cent and outstanding cold

weather performance, setting new standards in

the Swedish rail sector and boosting the overall

competitiveness of rail travel.


Getting you there.

Day in, day out, throughout the long winter, Bombardier takes thousands of people

wherever they need to go. Be it to the best place for cross-country skiing or just to

work: The SJ 3000 will get everyone conveniently to their destination. No matter what

the weather is like, Sweden is in for a smooth ride. On trains made by Bombardier. www.transportation.bombardier.com


King’s Cross

overhead lines and third-rail works.

Since these beginnings, Pod-Trak has grown

steadily and branched out to become more

of a multidiscipline provider with capabilities in

civil engineering and permanent way works.

This was in accordance with the needs of

its clients, which reflects Pod-Trak’s belief in

building strong long-term relationships.

With offices in both London, Manchester

and a new Depot in Tyne & Wear Pod-Trak

is able to execute projects throughout the

length of the UK. Retaining its expertise in

electrical installation, to date Pod-Trak has

successfully delivered conductor rail installation

projects including aluminium and steel type

rail. The company can supply a complete

installation package for the rail and associated

cabling, as well as provide support for smaller

maintenance works.

It also undertakes all aspects of overhead

line installation and maintenance services, and

general cabling services such as continuity

bonding, substation cabling, and negative

track bonding. Drawing on its accumulated

civils skills, Pod-Trak can undertake small

Established in 2007, Pod-Trak Ltd is a

privately owned company specialising

in the installation and maintenance

of electrical systems to rail and tram

infrastructure. Starting out as a specialist labour

supplier to carry out conductor rail renewals

on the Docklands Light Railway, in particular

Pod-Trak became known for the installation of

With skills in both electrical installation and civils,

Pod-Trak Ltd is gearing up for Network Rail’s network

electrification plans

Wired into the market

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz POD-TRAK LTD


to medium sized work packages including

platform extensions, concrete and foundation

works, installation of cable troughs and routes,

temporary works, walkways and access

roads, and drainage projects.

In addition, Pod-Trak is a source of

specialist labour for the rail industry including

overhead linesmen, permanent way staff,

safety critical personnel, PTS electricians,

cable installers, and track labourers. All

employees maintain the relevant certification

necessary for their discipline to work within

the rail industry.

Describing the market outlook for Pod-

Trak, managing director and owner Paul

O’Donnell appears positive: “We have

grown successfully over the last five years

which is thanks to the forward thinking and

commitment from our staff, and for the next

five years Network Rail are emphasising

electrification upgrades for a number of

routes, which will further improve our growth

substantially as we’re in a strong position to

assist with the delivery and supply into this

market.

“The challenge is being able to supply for

the vast amount of work that could come

out of this,” he continues. “We currently

have adequate resources to deliver, however

since there is limited capability in the country

especially for overhead line work we are

investing into training our existing staff

and hoping to implement our own training

programme to meet the demands and the

possibility of taking in skilled personnel from

overseas.”

With the company also maintaining a fleet of

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

In addition, Pod-Trak has been helping

execute works for some of London’s major rail

projects. This includes permanent way and

ETE works including removal of existing track,


plant and vehicles such as vans, HGVs, trailers,

rail-adapted MEWPs, and specialist small plant

and hand tools, the last 18 months has seen

Pod-Trak invest heavily into new overhead line

equipment and heavy plant in order to meet the

supply needs of this investment cycle.

In terms of current activity, Pod-Trak is

involved in a number of key projects. “For

the last few years we have been working on

an installation contract on the Manchester

Metrolink to facilitate the upgrade of the

existing signalling and electrical systems, and

the extension of the tram network for MPT. At

present we’re now moving onto delivering the

line to Manchester Airport.

“We’re also working with C Spencer to

electrify a Siemens train depot in Manchester.

Our remit covers the supply and installation

of all of the overhead line system for that

development. Another major project is drainage

works in the Heathrow Express tunnels out to

Heathrow Airport, so these are some very big

contracts for us,” he adds.

and installation of new track alignment and

conductor rail at Royal Victoria Docklands Light

Railway to accommodate the Crossrail Victoria

Dock portal and Custom House station for

Serco. Likewise the company has just delivered

civils work for the Thameslink Programme Key

Output 2 for Balfour Beatty.

With the electrification market firmly at the

front of Pod-Trak’s focus for the rest of 2013

and moving into Control Period 5 (CP5), the

company is looking at what other measures

can be taken to maximise its role in this

delivery. “We have just teamed up with A&M

Electricals Ltd to strengthen our ability to

deliver the full packages required by our clients

from substation fit out to the conductor. This

is an associated business of Pod-Trak and will

help push our investment into the market for

CP5 as substation upgrades works is another

key element of the electrification projects. This

activity sits hand-in-hand with our business

as Pod-Trak enabling us to act as more of a

one-stop-shop, and bid for larger and more

complete packages of work,”

concludes Paul. zz

Web: www.pod-trak.com

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz POD-TRAK LTD

BBK Construction have worked with Podtrak, on a number of Docklands Light Railway & Network Rail projects, including 4km of concrete cutting in the rail tunnels at Heathrow Airport.

BBK Construction specialise in bridge & viaduct spandrel tie-bars & associated track monitoring & surveys, aswell as scour protection works & brickwork repairs.

BBK have a bespoke high pressure water jetting unit to remove brickwork graffiti & clean structures.

BBK Construction Services LTD28 Galloway Drive, KenningtonAshford, Kent, TN25 4QQ

tel. +44 (0)7738 477579email. [email protected]

BBK ConstructionServices Limited


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzATG ACCESS

ATG Access, Europe’s largest

manufacturer of security bollards and

vehicle barrier systems, is experiencing good

growth in the rail sector

Delivering all aspects from design and manufacture to

installation, ATG Access is Europe’s largest manufacturer

and designer of security bollards, vehicle barrier systems,

and access control measures. Born out of a larger

Group, ATG Access became a privately owned company in 2001

following a management buyout. Although its core business

is within the UK, the company also has a growing presence in

the export market with systems installed in over 42 countries

worldwide.

Developed through years of experience ATG Access is able to

offer a unique and high quality portfolio of security products to

meet the project requirements of many different industry sectors.

Within this is infrastructure, and specifically the rail market. These

products are divided into three main areas: manual bollards, traffic

management and access control, and high security barriers.

Securing successSt Pancras station•


King’s Cross

The manual and fixed post family consists

of manually operated retractable security

posts, lift-out perimeter hoops, pedestrian

posts, and retractacast bollards. Amongst

other applications these can be used to

secure driveways, and protect against ram-

raid and vehicle theft. Sitting under the traffic

management and access control umbrella

are automatic bollards and security barriers to

control traffic flow or restrict entrance.

Finally the high security range is designed

specifically for use in providing perimeter

protection to government infrastructure or

high profile areas, and is vigorously tested

using the latest British and American security

standards. This includes PAS 68 and PAS 69

certification, which ensures that each product

has been tested to meet certain criteria. ATG

Access is also the only manufacturer of the City

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzATG ACCESS

Jason HydraulicsThe Directors and staff at Jason Hydraulics

wish ATG Access every success with its current

expansion plans and look forward to continuing

to support the company as it approaches new

markets and opportunities.

Over our 14 year strong relationship, we are

proud to have been integral in the design,

manufacture and supply of many different

hydraulic cylinders and components used in

ATG’s quality products distributed worldwide.

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Gibfield Works, Colliery Lane, Atherton, Manchester M46 0RD

Tel 01942 883 046 Fax 01942 896 025 Email [email protected] Web www.stephensoneng.co.uk

CoatingsEngineering/DesignForging

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under various security schemes, with products

installed at over 30 stations. “We’ve also had

products specified on a lot of the Crossrail

works, and are currently going through a

of London impact-tested bollard system and

the City of Westminster impact tested bollard

system.

One of ATG Access’ greatest strengths

is that as an integrated design house and

manufacturing company it can use cutting-

edge engineering to develop innovative new

products that suit the market needs. In fact,

ATG Access was the first company to design

and successfully test a high security bollard

against a 7500kg truck at 50mph. Likewise,

its groundbreaking shallow-mount technology

enables high security barrier installation with as

little as 112mm (4”) foundation depth.

“Our products have evolved greatly due to

the circumstances of each project and job site,

and rail is a good example of that,” notes Iain

Moran, high security manager. “For example,

we have a vast range of shallow-mounted

products which are far less disruptive to install

outside a station. We also have systems that

we can guarantee won’t affect the substructure

in the event of impact by controlling the amount

of energy transferred into the ground. This is

important when services such as the London

Underground may be running in the vicinity.

“The need for certain access measures

within the railway also presented some

challenges so we have created products that

we can remove and retract without the need

for a power supply, which removes all that

infrastructure that might be difficult to install in

the station environment,” he continues.

As such, it is perhaps unsurprising that ATG

Access’ products have had a strong take-up

in the rail market. The company has been very

successful in securing station security work

lot of design work for that at the moment.

We’ve already completed four or five Crossrail

packages, and expect to start seeing orders

over the next 18 months to two years for the

stations and everything being developed due

to that,” adds Iain.

Perhaps ATG Access’ most prominent

project to date though was the London 2012

Olympics. “Last year we were strongly involved

with the Olympics, and carried out some

specialist product development for that. A lot

of our standard products were also suitable

for such an application, as being so shallow

mounted they can be installed temporarily and

then removed and re-used elsewhere. In total

we delivered over 400 units to the Olympics

site in Stratford and the remote venues as

well,” enthuses Iain.

“Putting that experience together, we

believe stands us in good stead for securing

contracts for the 2016 Olympic Games in

Rio de Janeiro, the 2014 FIFA World Cup in

Brazil, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in

Glasgow,” he continues. “We’re in the design

phase of several contracts with companies



Fabricationcutting / bending / welding

TEL 017683 72200 [email protected]


working towards these. Such large projects are

important to the business as they aid growth,

but we also value the smaller projects that form

more of the bread-and-butter of the business.

We have a very good proven track record as

well, which means a lot of people continue to

come back to us for their security needs.”

Towards these aspirations ATG Access

has welcomed a new official Brazilian partner,

Bollards Brasil Representação Comercial Ltda,

which will support the business in gaining

perimeter security contracts throughout Brazil

and the South American region. Further to

this, ATG Access hopes to shortly announce

new manufacturing facilities for the region, also

based in Brazil.

Clearly, international growth is a key

aspiration of ATG Access as over the next


ABEX Power Components

Formed in 1984 as a dedicated distributor of Power Transmission equipment, we are the biggest independent supplier in the North West of Bearings, Belts, Sprockets, Pulleys, Motors, Gearboxes, Lubricants, Wheels & Castors, Fixings & Fastenings, PPE and recently we moved into the field of Pneumatics & Hydraulics.

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St Pancras station•


year the company estimates that it will export

as much business as it turns over in the

UK. However, perhaps recognising that the

company is only as strong as the systems

it sells, ATG Access will continue to actively

innovate and develop its portfolio. “We’ll

keep on developing products that will aid the

marketplace. Our idea of where the market

is heading means that we see our products

as needing to be stronger but also smaller,

slimmer, and shallower. As such, we are

working closely with our key clients to establish

what they need to make things better from a

security perspective and how we can meet

that in a way that is also financially viable,”

concludes Iain. zz

Web: www.atgaccess.com



King’s Cross

where technology has stood still for quite a

long time. We had been developing products

principally for industry and the data centre

sector, which had moved on from a product

capability point of view, and we felt we could

apply some of the new technologies we had

developed to the rail market,” he continues.

On entering the market Socomec found that

much of the equipment being used was either

out of date, or not as robust and efficient as its

own systems. In some cases what was being

used was not even considered fit for purpose

given the environment it was in. This promoted

Socomec to tailor a product offering specifically

for the rail sector, which combines its cutting-

edge UPS and power process capability with

an understanding of the harsh operational

environment.

“If you put equipment into a rail application

it has to stay there for decades sometimes,

and our products are built to do that. In many

situations though, the old legacy equipment

has become or is becoming obsolete and

that’s an area of vulnerability in the network.

As a business that looks after the complete

lifecycle of a product, we are able to audit a

customer’s site and their existing equipment,

and flag up anything that might be putting the

Across the rail industry there is a raft of

critical equipment and systems from

signalling and traffic management, to

ticketing and passenger information

that requires continually available electrical

energy. As such uninterruptible power supplies

(UPS) are commonplace in order to ensure the

redundancy of these systems.

As an international group, Socomec has

been a leader in its core business – the

availability, control and safety of low voltage

electrical networks – since 1922. In the UK the

company has two main lines of business; the

first specialising in critical power and UPS, and

the second power control and safety solutions

including switches and meters for measuring

power consumption.

As regional managing director Andrew

Wilkinson is responsible for Socomec’s activity

in the UK, as well as Ireland, Mexico, Canada,

and the US. He explains the company’s

relatively recent entry into the rail and transport

infrastructure sector: “Socomec as a business

is one of the most innovative critical power

manufacturers in the world in terms of the

equipment we have.

“Two years ago we recognised that rail was

an expanding sector, and also a segment

Protecting some of the most critical

parts of the network, Socomec’s

innovative power solutions are rapidly

finding their feet in the UK rail sector

Switched on

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz SOCOMEC

Socomec Switching and Protection


system at risk,” adds Andrew.

In terms of the product offering itself, Nick

Golder, sales manager for rail and transport

infrastructure, elaborates: “Looking at UPS

we have one particular product developed for

rail called Masterys IP+Rail, which is the only

UPS on the London Underground Approved

Product Register (APR). Although my main

focus is UPS and Static Switches (STS), we

also provide Automatic Transfer Switches (ATS)

to the rail market.”

He continues: “What we look to do is

provide equipment that is applicable for the

environment in which it is going, but in more of

an off-the-shelf product where we can provide

short lead times and good value for money. We

have a portfolio that is applicable across the

range in rail, from overground to underground,

that makes it very easy for all interested parties

to work with us.”

What Socomec is focusing on for 2013 is

adding Network Rail approval to its offering.

The company is also working to bring further

products on to the London Underground APR,

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Socomec Masterys IP+ Rail


which in turn will be applicable across the rest

of the industry. “Our equipment technically

exceeds anything that rail currently buys,”

notes Nick.

Andrew agrees: “We’ve found that when

you look at the performance of our product

compared to our competitors we are

essentially unmatched. At the same time we

offer extremely good value for money, and

therefore have had a very positive reception

from purchasers in the industry.”

Certainly Socomec’s presence can

increasingly be felt with the company delivering

equipment into the King’s Cross station

redevelopment, and for works at Manchester

Piccadilly. Most recently the company won

the Manchester Metrolink contract for the

refurbishment of 28 stations with new UPS

equipment and associated switchgear. “Rail is

very strategically important for our business,”

emphasises Andrew. “What we try to do is

offer a complete solution to customers, and

part of that is the product, but also the project

management, pre-sales work, installation, and

maintenance. As such, customers benefit from

ongoing lifecycle support.”

The company’s ambition may not be small

in terms of becoming the largest and most

significant supplier of critical power solutions

into the UK rail sector, but it believes it has the

technical capability to do just that. “If you look

at UK rail infrastructure today we can break it

down into two parts,” says Andrew. “There’s a

lot of new investment going in and we’re fairly

active in that area, but we’re also now learning

that there’s a lot of existing infrastructure, which

is getting very old and not functioning correctly.

“This should be giving the industry some

cause for concern because these systems

are put in place because customers have

something to protect, be that in emergency

lighting or signalling, and this may be put at risk

because of the age and vulnerability of their

critical power infrastructure. Therefore we are

keen to work with the industry to assess where

these points of risk exist, and to support them

with technically advanced products for the next

generation,” concludes Andrew. zz

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzSOCOMEC

Socomec Statys

YUASA Battery Sales (UK) LtdYUASA Battery Sales (UK) Ltd is

honoured to be a strategic supply

partner of Socomec Sicon Ltd within

Europe! YUASA is a global supplier of

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Socomec Sicon Ltd. YUASA is also

proud to have worked closely with

Socomec Sicon Ltd on a number of

major projects through recent years and

looks forward to continuing to do so for

the foreseeable future.

Web: www.socomec.comEmail: [email protected]


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ARRIVA TRAINS WALES

King’s Cross

Above

When Arriva Trains Wales (ATW)

was awarded the rail franchise

for Wales and the Borders in

2003, it undertook a number of

key commitments. After ten years of working

to deliver superior levels of performance and

customer satisfaction, the company has

achieved great results, including a dramatic

improvement in train punctuality, high and

growing customer satisfaction, longer and

additional trains, a £30 million investment from

parent company Arriva, a good safety record

and increased staff levels.

These results have only been achievable

because the company took over the franchise

with a determination to invest for sustained

growth and enhanced performance, and

over the years it has completed numerous

improvement projects, ranging from timetable

changes and rolling stock refreshments to

station refurbishments and the introduction of

new, industry-leading ERTMS technology.

But passenger satisfaction always remains

at the heart of what ATW does, and in order

to fulfil what its customers are looking for, over

the past 18 months there has been a focus on

offering extra services in response to continued

growth in passenger numbers. So for example,

in May 2012 ATW announced a third of a

million seats being added, followed quickly by

another 125,000 extra seats for commuters

announced in September 2012. These new

improvements have been provided in addition

to the contractual requirements in Arriva Trains

Wales’ Franchise Agreement and represent a

substantial investment to improve comfort for

ATW passengers.

Less than a year after these improvements

were publicised, ATW announced that its

train seats would be doubled between Cardiff

& beyondArriva Trains Wales

is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2013 - over the past decade

it has delivered amazing performance

and capacity improvements


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzand Ebbw Vale on its busiest services (March

2013). Ian Bullock, the newly appointed

managing director for ATW commented: “One

of our main priorities is to work closely with the

Welsh and local Government to ensure that

our finite fleet is always used to its maximum

efficiency, delivering carriages and capacity

where they are needed most.

“The Ebbw Vale line has seen growth in

passenger journeys of 31 per cent since the

line reopened in 2008 and we expect this

growth to continue as rail services support the

sustainable development of these important

communities.”

Furthermore, as recently as April 2013

ATW announced that extra services and

more carriages would be offered for West

Wales, commencing from 19th May 2013.

Key changes to its timetable have been made

possible through the completion of works to

replace the Loughor viaduct and re-double the

line between Swansea and Llanelli. In addition,

it has reviewed the deployment of its fleet of

trains and has been able to offer additional

capacity on the busiest services in West

Wales.

Mike Bagshaw, commercial director at

ATW added: “We regularly review our services

in partnership with the Welsh government,

other key stakeholders and by listening to

our customers. Many passengers, including

commuters and visitors to the area will see real

benefits from this package of changes.”

The company has also been highly

successful in attracting finance through the

National Stations Improvement Programme


(NSIP) and matched funding to deliver far-

reaching improvements to stations throughout

its network. It is particularly proud that the

redevelopment of Swansea station won Best

Large Station and Best Overall Station at the

2012 International Station Awards.

At the opening of the station, Mike

commented: “The new station will have

a positive impact on local people in the

community using the station for work or leisure

journeys. We were pleased to deliver this

important project alongside our partners and

will continue to work to deliver other projects

and unlock further funding to improve stations

elsewhere on our network.”

It is clear that great strides have been

made by ATW as the Welsh rail operator.

But the organisation remains ambitious and

determined to leave a legacy in 2018 that is

very far removed from the franchise it inherited.

As a result it has already identified several key

issues to be addressed in the future, which

include the Valley Lines Electrification, the

Northern Hub and its impact on cross border

services, north-south journey times and the

Cardiff Area Signalling Renewal or ‘CASR’

project.

The CASR is Network Rail’s £220 million

three-year programme, aimed at easing

congestion on rail services around Cardiff and

the south Wales Valleys network. It represents

a welcome challenge, as it will give rise to a

lot more capacity for trains coming in and out

of Cardiff, which means there is the potential

to run more trains on the Valleys network and

improve performance.

Fundamentally, the CASR will help Arriva

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ARRIVA TRAINS WALES

Trains Wales in its aim to constantly to improve

the quality of the services it offers to customers.

This continual focus has already paid off as in a

2012 National Passenger Survey ATW scored

almost 90 per cent on customer satisfaction,

and its scores are consistently higher than

benchmark and franchise targets. Furthermore

overall passenger satisfaction has risen

consistently over the past ten years.

Going forward Arriva Trains Wales’ vision is to

be recognised as the leading transport services

organisation in Europe. As a top five industry

performer and second-best right-time operator

(trains arriving and departing within one minute

of scheduled time) the company has already

exceeded its targets, and it plans to continue to

go above and beyond customer expectations

for the next five years. zz

Web: www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk

W hen the railway industry was privatised,

employees who had previously enjoyed

a specific level of pension benefits were

given Protected Person status, which

decreed that their pension benefits in the future would

be ‘no less favourable’ than they would have been

had they stayed with their non-privatised employer.

Over the past 12 months, there have been

attempts to clarify the extent of Protected Person

rights. One of these cases, which involved a former

British Rail employee, led the Deputy Pensions

Ombudsman to determine that, in the railway

industry, Protected Person status does not survive if

an employee voluntarily changes employer to one that

is not associated with the original employer, even if

the new employer is also a participant in the Railways

Pension Scheme.

In short, this means that if an employee has

voluntarily left a participating employer of the Railways

Pension Scheme to join another participating

employer, he or she may have inadvertently

surrendered their Protected Person status.

Protected Person statusThe Protected Person status was introduced as a

result of the Railways Act 1993, which opened up

the market for the privatisation of railway services. To

guarantee that an employee’s pension rights were

upheld and that the new pension was, in fact, no

less favourable than before, the Railways Pension

Scheme was established. Any member of staff who

had transferred from British Rail was given the right to

be a Protected Person, as long as their service was

continuous.

Indefeasible RightIn addition to the Protected Person status, it was

determined that employees would also have an

Indefeasible Right to be members of the Railways

Pension Scheme. This meant that, as long as the

employee continued to work in the rail industry for

a company that was a participating employer in the

Railways Pension Scheme, that employee would

have the right to remain a scheme member.

Rights in practice The Deputy Pensions Ombudsman’s recent

determination in relation to the British Rail case has

demonstrated the differences between the Protected

Persons and the Indefeasible Rights provisions.

The employee, Mr Stodart, had been employed by

British Rail and had transferred to a vesting company

when services were privatised in 1995. From there,

he moved to Connex South Central Limited, before

moving to a role with Thameslink in 1997. Following

this move, he transferred his pension from the

Connex section of the Railways Pension Scheme to

the Thameslink section. In 2004, Mr Stodart changed

employment again and moved to Wessex Trains, part

of Wales and West Passenger Trains.

Following a restructure of Mr Stodart’s conditions

of service with Wessex Trains, he complained to

the trustee of the Railways Pension Plan that his

updated pension package was not in line with his

previous package, and thus did not meet the ‘no

less favourable’ agreement. Mr Stodart argued that

he had the Indefeasible Right to Protected Person

status because of the Railways Act 1993, and

related regulations, orders and statements made in

Parliament during the privatisation debates.

The trustee of the Railways Pension Scheme

responded to the complaint, pointing out that the

Protected Persons provisions were separate from

the Indefeasible Rights provisions and that, as

the Protected Persons provisions only subsisted

while the employee had continuous service with

associated employers, Mr Stodart’s decision to

terminate his service with Connex South Central

Limited had meant the end of his continuous service.

Consequently, Mr Stodart had voluntarily ended his

Protected Persons protection in 1997, but as he had

joined another employer in the Railways Pension

Scheme, his Indefeasible Right to continue to

participate in the Railways Pension Scheme remained

unchanged.

The trustee declared it had a duty to operate

the Railway Pension Scheme in line with governing

legislation and could not allow parliamentary

discussions, which had not found their way into

legislation to override statute.

Mr Stodart’s appeal under stage two of the internal

dispute resolution procedure upheld the stage one

findings, resulting in him taking his complaint to the

Office of the Pensions Ombudsman.

The Deputy Pensions Ombudsman’s findings

were in line with those of the trustee, echoing that

by voluntarily moving to an employer that was not

connected with Connex, Mr Stodart had broken his

continuous service.

It will be interesting to see whether the Deputy

Ombudsman’s determination will be appealed to

the High Court, in order to provide some clarity

on who is to be treated as a Protected Person.

However, the determination is a welcome clarification

of the distinction between the Protected Persons

requirements and the Indefeasible Rights provisions,

and could have implications for all participating

employers in the railway industry sector. zz

To protect & serve


A recent determination by

the Deputy Pensions Ombudsman has

concluded that an employee who transfers between

employers in the Railways Pension

Scheme will forfeit their ‘Protected Person’ status if

those employers are not connected. JOHN HANRATTY

looks at the Protected Person

status, how it differs from ‘Indefeasible Rights’ and what these two terms

mean in practice

John Hanratty is director and pension specialist at

business law firm DWF

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzLegal Signals

26-30 May – World Congress and Mobility

& City Transport Exhibition

Geneva

Organisers: UITP

Web: www.uitp.org

28-30 May – 26th International Exhibition for

Track Technology

Münster

Organisers: VDEI-Service GmbH


Web: www.iaf-messe.com

4 June – Annual Rail Freight Conference

London

Organisers: Waterfront Conference Company


Web: www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com/

conferences/rfg2013

12-15 June – RailLog Korea – Korea

Railways & Logistics Fair

Busan

Organisers: BEXCO and Messe

Frankfurt Korea Ltd

Tel: +82 51 740 7391/3512


Web: www.raillogkorea.com

27 June – Railway Strategies Live 2013

London

Organisers: Railway Strategies

Tel: 01277 368 318


Web: www.railwaystrategies.com

10-11 July – Railway Engineering 2013

London

Organisers: ECS Publications

Tel: 0131 447 0447


Web: www.railwayengineering.com

30 September – 2 October – European Transport

Conference 2013

Frankfurt

Organisers: Association of European Transport

Tel: 020 7348 1970


Web: www.aetransport.org

This listing represents a selection of the events about which we have been notified. It is strongly recommended that direct contact should be made with the individual organiser responsible for each event before booking places or making travel and accommodation reservations. Cancellations and other last-minute alterations are liable to

occur. The editor and publishers of RAILWAY STRATEGIES are not responsible for any loss or inconvenience suffered by readers in connection with this guide to events.

zzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Conferences & Exhibitions


18-20 September – Many Parts One Railway:

integrated delivery across the rail industry

Hertfordshire

Organisers: IMechE Railway Division

Tel: 020 7973 1291


Web: www.imeche.org/events/S1755

8-10 October – Intermodal Europe 2013

Hamburg

Organisers: Informa Exhibitions

Tel: +44 (0)207 017 5112


Web: www.intermodal-events.com

12 November – Life Cycle Management

Frankfurt

Organisers: Europoint Conferences & Exhibitions

Tel: +31 (0)30 698 1800


Web: www.lifecycleconference.eu

13 November – Track Access Charges 2013

Frankfurt

Organisers: Europoint Conferences & Exhibitions

Tel: +31 (0)30 698 1800


Web: www.trackaccesscharges.eu

14 November – Wayside Train Monitoring

Systems

Frankfurt

Organisers: Europoint Conferences

& Exhibitions

Tel: +31 (0)30 698 1800


Web: www.waysidemonitoring.eu

20-22 May 2014 – Infrarail 2014

London

Organisers: Mack Brooks

Tel: 01727 814 400

Web: www.infrarail.com





2013Live

Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR Thursday June 27 th 2013

Inspiring ExcellenceCreating a Modern Railway for the Next Generation

For all enquiries contact Dave King or Mark Cawston on 01603 274 130

Gold Sponsor Silver Sponsors

Speakers to include: The Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP - Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade

Annette Gevaert - UK Director of the Rail and Transport Sector, Achilles Richard Holland - Vice President, Europe, UK & India, TBM Consulting Group

David Clarke - Director, Enabling Innovation Team Andrew Wolstenholme - CEO, Crossrail

Dr Martyn Chymera - Chairman, Young Railway Professionals David Waboso - Director of Capital Programmes, London Underground

Chris Rolison - Founder of Comply Serve LimitedRichard Price - Chief Executive, Office of Rail Regulation

Principal Speaker

EditorMartin Collier

[email protected]

Sales ManagerRob Wagner

[email protected]

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

Schofield Publishing10 Cringleford Business Centre

Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU

T: +44 (0) 1603 274130F: +44 (0) 1603 274131



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