railway strategies issue 107 final edition

RAILWAYS T R A T E G I E Szzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Final Edition 107F o r S E N I o r r A I L M A N A G E M E N T

NEWS

Interview Alison Munro: the challenges & triumphs of HS2

FOCUS ON

HS2 report What the industry thinks

Being preparedProcurement strategy for HS2

Safety at 200mphAre automated systems the key?

Transport Committee calls for evidence

£300m for Underground stations

Three finalists for aesthetic overhead lines

The person steering this ambitious

High Speed Rail

Clear, succinct and brief:With case summaries, indexes and bullet points so you can easily pick out what’s relevant to you

Practical, informative and comprehensive:Health and safety news reported and analysed, with full references supplied for your ease of use

Unbiased, trusted and critical:Gives you the facts

Request the latestissue free of charge

Subscriptions: £195 for 12 issues Contact: Maxine Quintont: 01603 274280 e: [email protected]

www.healthandsafetymonitor.com

Health & Safety Monitor is the newsletter of choice for professionals across all industries because it is:

If you don’t Have tHe tIMe to read It all, read wHat you need

http://www.healthandsafetymonitor.com

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 1

ChairmanAndrew Schofield

Managing DirectorMike Tulloch

Editor Gay Sutton

[email protected]

Managing EditorLibbie Hammond

Editorial Designer

Jon Mee

Advertisement Designer

Jenni Newman

Profile EditorLibbie Hammond

Advertisement SalesDave King

Head of Research

Philip Monument

Editorial ResearchersKeith Hope

Gavin WatsonVita LukauskieneTarj Kaur-D’Silva

Mark Cowles

AdministrationTracy Chynoweth

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

(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other) without prior written permission being obtained from the publisher.

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

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01603 274 130Fax: 01603 274 131

I could not have asked for a better time to take over as editor of Railway

Strategies. The rail industry is undoubtedly a fast moving and exciting

place to be, and there will be a great deal to report.

An unprecedented amount of investment is going into rail, including the

electrification, upgrade and replacement of the existing infrastructure,

all based on a vision for UK rail that is evolving fast.

Crossrail and Thameslink are set to liberate train movements through the

bottleneck of central London and relieve congestion on the Underground,

while HS2 has the potential to speed journeys and create considerable

additional capacity between London and the north.

It has been interesting to speak with HS2 Ltd CEO Alison Munro about

the challenges of guiding this ground breaking project through the sensitive

areas of public debate and Parliamentary process (page 6), and to hear from

Richard Mould head of corporate procurement about the organisation’s new

procurement strategy (page 12) – both are must-reads for all prospective

suppliers to the project.

Meanwhile, Network Rail and its supply chain are in the process of

evolving their processes to keep pace with the speed of change and the

challenge of delivery.

It will be my pleasure to keep you up to date with developments in this

fast evolving environment. If you have any comments or suggestions to

make, or would like to add your voice to the debate, please contact me at:

[email protected]

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 107 ISSN 1467-0395

Railway Strategies by emailRailway Strategies is also now 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]).

Arriving at platform one

http://www.itic-insure.com

FeaturesInterview – Alison Munro 6 Gay Sutton

Keeping the Hallandsås tunnel project on track 30 Sweco

Making the most of early morning hours 32 Jeremy Long

A double edged sword 34 Liz Wilson-Lamb

Infrarail preview 36

SAFETY–on level crossings 19 Arnab Dutt

Is rapid response truly on the horizon? 20 Udi Segall

Harnessing aircraft technology 27 Harvey Alexander

NewsIndustry 4Contracts 28 Stations 29Appointments 41Conferences & Exhibitions 71

Focus on High Speed RailHS2 under the spotlight 10 Accent/Railway Strategies

The art of being prepared 12 Richard Mould

Staying on track at 200mph 14 Kevin Mappelbeck

Gaining by experience 16 Alistair Gordon

Property boom for Birmingham 17 Ray Withers

zzzzzzzzzzzzzContents

6

1444

72

Review

Profiles Konecranes UK 42 RPA Dublin – Luas tram 44 Henry Williams 47 Southeastern 50Silicone Engineering Ltd 52 Heathrow Express 55Southern Railway 58 InnoTrans 62 Arriva Trains Wales 64 Sitron Sensors 66 Irish Rail 68Metroselskabet 72 Mendip Rail 75 FCC Environment 78

Cover story

Page 22

Thameslink unearths more rare artefacts at London Bridge station

l Medieval floors, 16th century tobacco pipes and thousand-year-

old timbers are just a few of the hundreds of artefacts that have been

unearthed as the £6.5 billion Thameslink Programme continues with the

rebuild of London Bridge station.

During excavation of the station’s original brick arches, hundreds

of historic items were found, dating back to the first settlements in

the area. Timber piles from trees felled between AD59 to AD83 may

have been part of a substantial waterfront building on the edge of a

settlement south of the first London Bridge.

Fragments of medieval floors and walls have also been unearthed.

These could be part of the large houses along Tooley Street that are

known to have belonged to important medieval clerics such as the

Prior of Lewes. More recent discoveries, dating from the 16th to 18th

centuries, include evidence of industry in the area such as kilns for

making clay tobacco pipes.

Nicky Hughes, head of communications for Network Rail, London and

South East, said: “As London Bridge is one of London’s oldest stations

it’s not surprising that we are unearthing such a range of interesting finds

shedding light on London’s development through the ages.”

Earlier finds at the Borough provide evidence of early Roman military

occupation and the Boudican revolt. A previously unknown Roman

bathhouse was unearthed under Borough High Street, along with

substantial evidence for the Saxon and medieval defences.

4 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

www.railimages.co.uk

Transport committee calls for evidence l The Transport Committee is launching an inquiry to

scrutinise the impact and deliverability of Network Rail’s

£38 billion investment programme over the next five

years, and to identify investment priorities after 2019.

Louise Ellman MP, Chair of the House of Commons

Transport Committee, said: “Much debate has taken

place recently about HS2. We now want to focus on

investment in the existing classic line, including how serv-

ices can be improved and how efficiency in the railway

can be increased, improving passenger satisfaction.”

The Committee is calling for evidence on

the following topics:

l What are the main features of the rail investment plan

for CP5 and how will the railway be different in 2019

following delivery of the plan?

l What is expected to happen to passenger satisfaction

over this period? Is the rail industry measuring this in the

right way?

l Is Network Rail confident that it can deliver, and meet

its targets for efficiency and punctuality? How should

train operators assist in ensuring that Network Rail

delivers? How will the Office for Rail Regulation ensure

that planned investments represent value for money?

l Has Network Rail prioritised the right schemes for the

purpose of improving the railway’s resilience?

l How might reclassification of Network Rail as a

central government body in September 2014 affect rail

investment?

l Is the balance between passenger and freight

investment right? What additional demand for freight

movements might be released with a different balance of

investment?

l What will be the railway’s demand for new rolling stock

over the next decade and how will this demand be met?

l How will electrification affect the passenger experience

of the railway, rolling stock requirements and rail freight?

l What should be the priorities for investment after 2019

(CP6), particularly in relation to connecting the classic

railway with HS2?

Submissions by Friday 13 June, to: www.parliament.

uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/

commons-select/transport-committee/inquiries/

parliament-2010/railway-investment

Remains of a medieval brick floor

Arrow head

Remains of a pipe kiln

Beautifully preserved clay pipes

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry



Netw

ork

Rail

Aesthetic overhead lines come a step closerl Three designs have made it through to the finals in the international competition to design

aesthetically pleasing overhead lines for the UK’s rail network. Each will receive funding to undertake

detailed technical development of their design and consider their route to market.

Moxon Architects with Mott MacDonald from the UK and two Danish companies, Bystrup

Architecture Design and Engineering and COBE, were selected from a shortlist of 10.

Mark Howard, head of power and traction at HS2 Ltd said: “All those shortlisted have really

understood the technical practicalities whilst coming up with eye-catching structures. I look forward

to developing these ideas further and perhaps one day seeing them alongside the UK’s much

needed high speed rail

network.”

The competition was

launched by FutureRailway

in conjunction with HS2

Ltd and the Royal Institute

of British Architects (RIBA)

in December 2013, to

carry new technologies

through the critical stage of

development.

The HST design from

Bystrup reduces the

overhead rail line to two

elements; a triangular cable

network carrying the power,

and an aesthetic T-shaped

mast which supports twin

systems serving adjacent

tracks.

Tomahawk from COBE is

a family of overhead line

structures that minimises

the visual impact of the

entire line by reducing the

overall height, reducing

the number of structural

elements and using

contemporary materials and

manufacturing techniques.

Finally, the Integrated OLS from Moxon is simple slender and tapering. It is designed to reduce the

visual impact in the landscape by simplifying the components of the power line support

equipment, replacing insulating pots with built-in insulating properties through the use of a

densified laminated wood.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Industry

Abellio’s short term franchise for Greater Anglia extendedl The Greater Anglia rail

franchise which includes

most passenger train

services in East Anglia,

is to be extended by

more than two years,

the Government has

confirmed. Abellio Greater

Anglia will continue

providing services between

London Liverpool Street

and major towns and cities

across Cambridgeshire,

Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex

for the next 27 months.

Under the agreement

with Dutch-owned Abellio,

there will be an increase

in services on the Greater

Anglia network, including

twice as many weekday

off peak services between

Stansted airport and

Cambridge, a global centre

of technological expertise.

Intercity carriages on the

Great Eastern Main Line

route between Norwich,

Ipswich, Colchester and

London are to be improved

with new seat covers and

carpets, better lighting and

at-seat power sockets.

The new agreement

paves the way for the next

franchise competition on

the Greater Anglia network.

Transport Secretary Patrick

McLoughlin said: “This

agreement is further proof

that the government’s new

franchising schedule is on

track, is delivering value for

money for the tax payer,

and is supporting the

ongoing multi-billion pound

investment programme in

our railways.”

HST design from Bystrup Architecture Design & Engineering

The Tomahawk design from COBE

The integrated OLS design fromMoxon Architects with Mott MacDonald

No one could ever say HS2 has been a typical rail project. Its

current vision, size, and scope make it more ambitious and

challenging than anything that has been attempted in the UK

for generations. It is certainly the largest national infrastructure

programme since the construction of the M25 some 30 years ago. Its

scope is continuing to evolve, and is managed by HS2 Ltd which was

originally formed in 2009 to examine the case for building a new high

speed rail link between London and Birmingham.

CEO Alison Munro has been with the project since the beginning, and


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

admits there is considerable pressure on the organisation to deliver an

efficient and cost effective solution within a rather tight time frame. To

the outsider, though, the measured pace of the legislative process may

not give this impression. “We simply can’t afford to lose momentum,”

she explained, not only speaking on behalf of HS2 but also for the

nation. “The current line to the West Midlands will reach capacity by

the middle of the next decade, and this will have a significant impact

on the economy of the region. When you allow for the time needed for

the planning process and then construction, we have to move forward

quickly now if we are to deliver the necessary capacity improvements

before that date.”

There are currently two phases in hand. The initial link to Birmingham

is Phase 1, and extensions to Manchester and Leeds are Phase 2.

Meanwhile, a future spur to Heathrow is a possibility while a hub at

Crewe has been proposed by HS2 Ltd Chairman Sir David Higgins, and

there could be a possible third phase to Scotland in the future. Each

phase however is at a different stage of development. So let’s begin by

reviewing progress over the last couple of years.

INTERVIEW I Alison Munro, CEO, HS2 Ltd

High speed approach

Alison Munro CEO, HS2 Ltd

Artist’s impression of a cutting

The HS2 project has hardly been out of the news over the past few years. The person steering this ambitious rail project through the sensitive planning stages to construction is CEO AliSOn MunrO. She talks to Gay Sutton about the challenges and achievements so far

The legislative process

The route from London to Birmingham was agreed by the Secretary

of State for Transport in January 2012, following a consultation that

took place between February and July 2011. Once HS2 received the

go ahead it embarked on an intense period of detailed environmental

assessments and associated design work, and this formed the foundation

of the Hybrid Bill which was submitted to Parliament in November 2013.

The crucial second reading of the Bill took place on 28 April this year.

MPs hotly debated the need for a high speed rail link but it was voted

through by a significant majority. The next step in the legislative process

is to set up a Select Committee to examine the Bill, consider petitions

made against it and make any necessary amendments.

If passed, the Bill will effectively give the organisation planning

permission and powers to acquire the land en route, build and maintain

Phase 1 of the project.

Phase 2 is following the same legislative process. The consultation

on the proposed routes has been completed, and Government hopes

to announce a decision by the end of this year. Then it will progress

through the environmental stages and a Hybrid Bill for this phase will be

submitted to Parliament. Further decisions about extending the line to

Scotland are very much for the future.

Getting the groundwork right

Successfully bringing the Hybrid Bill for Phase 1 to Parliament has

been an administrative and technical marathon that has involved more

consultation than any infrastructure project that has gone before. The

environmental statement alone came to over 50,000 pages, while every

single land interest along the route - thousands in total – had to be

identified and examined with mitigating proposals produced.

“HS2 will clearly impact on people who live along the route, and this

has been a huge challenge for us,” Alison said. “Throughout this stage

we have been working to identify how the high speed line will affect the

local communities and surrounding areas, and then looking at how we

can best address those impacts and mitigate them as far as possible,”

she continued. “There is a lot we have been able to do by designing the

route so that it’s low in the landscape, and proposing noise barriers and

landscaping screens.”

Significant stretches of Phase 1 will be tunnelled, including the

routes in and out of London and Birmingham, and under Crewe.

Meanwhile, 11 miles of track through the Chilterns, a designated area

of outstanding natural beauty, will be in tunnel, green tunnel or cutting.

Achieving the best outcomes for the communities and the

environment, however, has been something of a balancing act. HS2

is going to be an expensive public investment. Phase 1 and 2 are

estimated to cost £42.6 billion at 2011 prices including a contingency

of around £14.4 billion while the rolling stock is likely to cost around

£7.5 billion. “We have to control costs and make sure we deliver the

capacity and service the country needs within a tight budget,”

Alison said.

Already this has proved to be something of a double edged sword.

“In some cases that means we just haven’t been able to justify the

mitigation people want,” she continued. “And looking to the future this

is going to be a continuing challenge for us as we continue through the

Select Committee stage and into construction.”

Public opinion and the art of communication

One of the hallmarks of this project has been the sheer intensity of the

public debate it has aroused. And this has ranged from claims that the

money would be better spent upgrading the existing network, through

the irreparable damage that would be done to local communities and

countryside, to claims that other parts of the country will see no benefit

and are likely to decline as a result.

Handling such sensitive issues has become increasingly pressing.

“Over the last year we have responded by devoting considerable

effort to articulating the argument that this is far more than just a new

railway,” Alison explained. “HS2 will be a catalyst for growth up and

down the country, and there are many benefits that will flow from it.”


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The environmental statement alone came to over 50,000 pages, while every single land interest along the route - thousands in total – had to be identified and examined with mitigating proposals produced ‘‘

Alison Munro CEO, HS2 Ltd

Artist’s impression of a cutting

Artist’s impression of a green tunnel portal


http://www.hwilliams.co.uk

http://techpolltd.com

http://www.railimages.co.uk

zzzzzzzzzzzzz zz

A number of official reviews and reports have added to the discussion

including the David Higgins review published in March this year. The

Department of Transport’s Strategic Case for HS2 published in October

2013 set out detailed economic arguments and argued why the

alternatives are not likely to provide the long-term solution the country

needs, while the HS2 Growth Task Force led by Lord Deighton analysed

the growth prospects. Others have clearly contradicted them

The HS2 team has been communicating this message of growth

extensively to key cities along the route. “What has been rewarding

for us over the past few months is the growing realisation of the

opportunities high speed rail will bring them.” Birmingham for example

has developed an ambitious master plan for the redevelopment of the

whole Curzon Street area, which in turn will be another catalyst for

jobs. Meanwhile, eight key cities in the North - Sheffield, Leeds, York,

Newcastle, Nottingham, Liverpool, Derby and Manchester – have

formed a powerful coalition called Connected Cities, to promote and

support HS2. “So what we have now are other voices, not just our own,

making the case for HS2. And preparations are being made through the

Midlands and North to capitalise on the benefits it will deliver.”

The next stage of evolution With the construction of Phase 1 due to start in 2017, Alison Munro

is beginning to orchestrate the crucial transition from a planning

organisation to a construction one. There is a wealth of knowledge and

experience in the UK that HS2 can draw from, including HS1, Crossrail

and Thameslink, and parallel projects such as the Thames Tideway

Tunnel. However the supply chain will need to be strengthened if it is

to have the capacity to deliver this enormous project. Last year, HS2

began addressing this through workshops and meetings with interested

suppliers. The aim was to open communications, articulate and work on

a procurement strategy and engage suppliers in the debate.

INTERVIEW I Alison Munro

Another need that must be addressed is the weakness of the

engineering skills base within the UK. “Even without HS2 we have skills

gaps in science, technology, engineering and maths, and we’re working

with BIS to address that.” Bids are currently being sought from cities with

a strong rail link to host the proposed High Speed Rail College. “We

would like to see this develop in a hub and spoke arrangement,” Alison

said, “with the college as the main hub and links to further education

establishments and engineering academies around the country, so we

can grow a diverse and effective skills base for HS2, and for rail projects

in the future.”

Continuing the balancing act

What HS2 has achieved over the past two years is a solid foundation

from which it can move forward into construction. “The amount of

consultation on this project has been incredibly valuable for us, and

although we’ve not always been able to give people what they want,

it’s given us a much better understanding of public concerns. That puts

us in a much better position as we continue through the Parliamentary

process,” Alison concluded. “What we are clear on is that we only have

this one chance to get this right. And we are going to make absolutely

sure that we do and that this project will be as good as it can be.” zz

l February 2011- July 2011: Consultation on proposed route from London to Birminghaml January 2012: Phase 1 route agreed by the secretary of State for Transportl Period 2012-2013: Detailed environmental studies with the associated design workl November 2013: Hybrid Bill submitted to Parliament. (When finalised this will provide planning permission and powers to acquire the land en route, build and maintain Phase 1 of the project.) l 28 April 2014: Second reading of the Bill voted through overwhelmingly - 452 for and 41 against

Phase 1 next stepsl

Select committee to examine the bill, consider petitions against it and make any necessary amendmentsl Undertake detailed engineering and design work

Phase 1 milestones

Phase 2 milestones

HS2 facts at a glance

Artist’s impression of the new Curzon Street station in Birmingham

l 143 miles of track between London and Birmingham l Birmingham to Manchester is around 95 milesl Birmingham to Leeds is around 116 milesl More than half the Phase1 will be in cuttings or tunnelsl Around 56.5 miles of Phase 1 will be partially or totally hidden to reduce visual effects and noise l 10.9 miles of track in the Chilterns will be in tunnel, green tunnel or cutting. l Only 1.5 miles will be on the surfacel The new network – Phases 1 and 2 and possible Heathrow spur - around 330 miles

l January 2013: Initial proposed routes for HS2 extensions to Manchester and Leeds announcedl July 2013 - January 2014: Consultation on proposed routesPhase 2 next stepl Government to announce results of consultationl Will follow the same process as Phase 1

How the redesign of Euston station might look



In this, the first of a series of special reports from

Accent and Railway Strategies, our exclusive panel

of rail industry executives were asked to share their

views on the HS2 project. The majority, 82 per cent of

executives asked, were in favour of the HS2 project while

only nine per cent were against the project.

Changed views With recent controversy over the cost of this project we

asked our executives if their views had changed since the

start of the process. The majority, 91 per cent, said that

their opinions had not changed with only nine per cent

saying that their thoughts had altered. Mike Grimsey at

TRL said: “I believe that the need for providing additional

capacity within the national transport system cannot be

adequately or affordably met by any other alternative

project or solution. This has been more of an emerging

view based upon gaining an increased awareness of

the project.”

Benefits

Executives were then asked what they believe the

main benefits are. The table below highlights our

respondents’ answers.

Alternatives

With the investment for HS2 being significant, executives

gave their views on the possibility of alternatively spending

the money on existing rail lines rather than on HS2. Keith

Pullan at Mott Macdonald Ltd said: “Existing rail lines are at

or exceeding design capacity, there is a clear need for high

HS2 under the spotlight

speed rail and the transfer of passengers from existing

lines to HS2, this will increase capacity and allow greater

flexibility on classic lines. There has been a great deal of

money invested in the project to date and this money

should not be wasted on further deliberation, it is time

to build.”

In addition Colin Flack at Rail Alliance said: “I believe

that it is naive to think that the existing lines could cope

with the scale of change/shift that is required. If it was that

simple it would have been done or proposed. Most of

the arguments supporting such a view are flawed! In real

terms across the life of the project these are relatively small

amounts of government funding.”

Whilst Malcolm Robertson at Mirror Technology Ltd has

a conflicting view and added: “I think that upgrading and

increasing capacity on existing lines would be

more useful.”

Scotland Discussions then moved on to the possibility of extending

the line to Scotland for which we asked our executives for

their thoughts. 27 per cent thought it was essential and

36 per cent said it would be a good idea while only nine

per cent thought it wasn’t a good idea and 27 per cent

thought it was neither a good idea nor bad idea.

Benefits to Scotland

When asked what the main benefits of extending the line

would be, Mike Grimsey at TRL said: “Longer distance

connectivity to Scotland will naturally suit the dynamics

and provisions of high speed rail, I am just not so sure of

the economics or business case. And, with the Scottish

Independence Referendum approaching, that adds an

interesting dimension too.”

Mark Bott at Preserved Traction Technical Services Ltd

added: “Separating long distance high speed trains from

As planning for the HS2 route from London to the north progresses, rail industry executives share their opinions and questions about this ambitious project

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz High Speed Focus

‘‘I think that upgrading and increasing capacity on existing lines would be more useful

Accent/Railway Strategies RESEARCH REPORT


HS2 under the spotlight

other traffic is the only way forward. The French discovered

this back in the 1970s after spending a large amount of

money on the existing PLM route. Long distance freight

services are essential for the economic growth of the UK.”

Supply Chain

The conversation then moved onto the issue of the supply

chain for HS2 and our executives were asked if they felt the

UK has enough resources available to carry out the project

given other infrastructure commitments like Crossrail.

Over half, 64 per cent, said ‘Yes’ and the remaining

respondents, 36 per cent, said ‘No’.

Chris Hallam at Pinsent Masons LLP believes we are

going to need to import: “engineering skill, eg tunnelling

expertise. The experience gained by UK members of

JVs on Crossrail may help, but the UK market is not in

a position to compete with the continental tunnelling

contractors who have far more experience.

Whilst another executive added: “I would imagine

that although it may be reported that British companies

will be at the forefront of the building of the project,

sub-contractors who we heavily rely on will in fact look

elsewhere for cheap skilled labour.”

Value of investment

Finally, executives were asked if they felt that the long term

benefits will outweigh the initial investment. The majority,

82 per cent, said ‘Yes’ whilst the remaining executives

answered ‘Don’t know’.

We asked executives to state their reasons, Michael

Whelan said: “Any information given on long term benefits

are made on projected values. The government has failed

repeatedly in years gone by to give accurate projected

values - instead releasing information that gives a rosy

outlook for whatever result they wish to obtain.” Another

executive said: “Very few large scale infrastructure projects

fail to exceed all expectations of them over time. There are

vibrant regional economies like Birmingham, Manchester

etc who will ensure that the most is made of this

opportunity if they are given the chance.”

ConclusionIn conclusion the consensus of opinion on our panel of

rail executives is that HS2 is likely to boost rail capacity,

job creation and economic growth. The debate over

whether the money is best spent on this project or

upgrading the regional networks is still not settled. And,

while the majority of respondents believe extending the

line to Scotland is a good idea, the upcoming Scottish

referendum is casting doubts on the economic viability.

We would like to hear your opinion on HS2.

Email [email protected]

There are many unanswered questions which could in

turn lead to other interesting debates. For example, will the

capacity liberated by HS2 create an environment in which

the volume of freight carried on the UK rail network can be

significantly increased? Indeed should we consider using

extra capacity for freight, or would we just be jeopardising

the hard won easing of congestion for passenger traffic?

What is the future vision for freight on the network, and

how will this impact on the logistics industry and road

traffic? zz

If you would like to take part in this and future debates

you can also email: [email protected]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

‘‘The HS2 concept will solve specific problems that spending on alternate projects won’t achieve

‘‘HS2 creates a dedicated expensive service with limited passenger appeal

‘‘We need to invest in our future. It is difficult to choose one project over another - they all have merit


HS2 is big. Very big. Fifteen years of construction

time, a £42.6 billion budget, nine major new

railway stations and more than 350 miles of new

track, bridges, viaducts and tunnels to free up

much-needed space on our increasingly crowded railways,

and shorten travel times between Britain’s biggest cities.

To build a programme of this size will require the

mobilisation of a supply chain on an unprecedented scale.

Business opportunities will be available in a range of

sectors, from civils, construction and systems to catering,

cleaning and security.

In fact, across the UK we believe the whole supply

chain could easily create tens of thousands of individual

business opportunities.

At the heart of the HS2 project is a plan for a Y-shaped

rail network providing direct, large capacity high speed rail

links between London and Birmingham and Manchester

and Leeds. Services to cities further north would then

continue on the existing rail network to Liverpool, York,

Newcastle and Scotland.

As well as improving long distance travel, HS2 will

also provide much needed extra capacity on our existing

rail network, taking long distance trains off the West Coast

Mainline and making space for much-needed

local services.

Once complete, HS2 could support an estimated

400,000 jobs according to the Core Cities group’s analysis

and KPMG reported last year that it could bring an

economic benefit of up to £15 billion a year to the

UK economy.

All of this came one step closer on 28 April when the

High Speed Rail Bill (London to West Midlands) passed its

second reading in the Commons. At 11pm that evening

452 MPs voted in favour of the project, establishing the

principle of a high speed railway line running between

London and the West Midlands. The Bill will now pass

through the rest of the Parliamentary process and once

The art of being prepared

Royal Assent has been granted we expect to have spades

in the ground in early 2017.

So the formal construction phase is scheduled to

begin in 2017 but there is much work to be done in the

meantime. There are ground investigations to be carried

out, as well as the initial planning and preparatory work,

which all need to be completed alongside the on-going

procurement process.

How will it all work?Like other large infrastructure projects, we will be

directly buying and managing a relatively small number

of contracts with what are known as tier 1 contractors.

These contractors will in turn be buying a wide variety of

goods, works and services from a large number of smaller

suppliers and contractors. This forms the supply chain for

delivering HS2.

For example, HS2 Ltd will procure a tunnelling

contractor at tier 1 who will enter into contract with a

groundwork subcontractor at tier 2. This groundworks

subcontractor will hire plant from a plant hire specialist

at tier 3, who subcontracts catering services to another

supplier at tier 4 – and so on.

Of course, it will take some time for the major contracts

to be awarded and for opportunities to flow down to

the different tiers of the supply chain. However, with a

target cost for Phase One alone (London to the West

Midlands) of over £17 billion, this pyramid of suppliers

means that the number of opportunities to work on HS2

is quite unprecedented. For example, London’s Crossrail

project is estimated to have created over 75,000 separate

business opportunities. HS2 is a far larger project.

So where are we now?Preparation for procurement began last year. The phase

one outline procurement strategy was developed and

peer-reviewed through 2013. During the summer HS2 Ltd

Procuring for the massive HS2 project is going to be a challenge, not only for HS2 Ltd, but also for the UK supply chain. RICHARD MOULD, head of corporate

procurement, HS2 Ltd, explains the organisation’s strategy and how it is working with suppliers to prepare for the opportunity


Richard Mould is head of corporate procurement, HS2 Ltd


The art of being prepared undertook a desktop study on the supply base,

mapping the likely HS2 supplier landscape and potential

market constraints.

We also held a series of workshops with potential

suppliers focused on how best to foster collaboration up

and down the supply chain, how to incentivise companies

further down the chain, looking at where risk should be

owned and how to encourage innovation throughout

the chain.

In November last year we held a major supply chain

conference in Birmingham attended by over 600

organisations, the majority of which where SMEs and over

half specialists in the construction, civil engineering or

infrastructure, rail and transport sectors.

Following the Birmingham supply chain conference we

launched a market engagement exercise to engage with

and listen to the industry’s views. The focus is on how we

plan to package and how we plan to contract for

the requirements.

The engagement includes a survey of potential

suppliers, as well as work with umbrella bodies and

trade associations, and meetings with local enterprise

partnerships across the country.

These will be followed, later this year, by specially tailored

category industry days – with, for example, rolling stock

suppliers or tunnelling firms – designed to engage with

and inform the supply chain of upcoming

procurement opportunities.

As the project develops, working with the market will

remain a priority.

Getting involvedOn a programme such as HS2 where we are managing

multiple contracts across multiple projects with multiple

parties and interfaces, there is a compelling need for a

suite of contracts that enable collaboration, incentivise

success, allocate risk appropriately and facilitate integration

throughout the supply chain.

It may seem like 2017 is a long way off, but there’s

plenty to do before the serious construction gets

under way and we have already started some early

works procurements.

First being a £60 million framework for ground

investigation services PQQ; responses have been returned

and the ITT is targeted for issue in the middle of the year.

During procurement and delivery we will be testing

the supply chain’s ability to deliver against a number of

critical success factors. These critical success factors

will underpin HS2 strategic themes and form a balanced

scorecard which we will apply during procurement - to

pre-qualify suppliers, evaluate tenders, and measure

performance during delivery.

We will also be promoting the use of CompeteFor

throughout the supply chain and mandating it for all

tier 1 contracts where appropriate. CompeteFor is an

online brokerage tool which allows buyers to match

up with potential suppliers and find out about HS2

opportunities. The system was used by London 2012 as

well as other major infrastructure projects, like Crossrail

and the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

We are also working on developing a dedicated supplier

section within the website, which will go live later this

year. This will include information on what we are buying

and how we are buying, as well as our policies and

procedures. It will also include information on contracts

which HS2 Ltd will be procuring directly – including details

of tenderers and how to get in contact with these.

In addition, we are in the process of developing a

supplier guide which will be available on our website

later this year. This will be the supplier bible containing

all the information you need to identify and compete for

opportunities on HS2.

So as you can see there is much being done and much

still to do as we look to deliver a world-class 21st century

transport network that will further underline the railway’s

renaissance and show Britain at its very best. zz


HS2 London Euston station interior


T he safety of high speed train travel has been in the

news recently due to the unfortunate accidents in

France, Spain and Switzerland. Much has been

discussed about the systems used in trains and

how they work or do not work to protect passengers as

they travel at high speeds from one location to another.

Within the UK, high speed rail travel is developing a high

profile, with HS1 and HS2 routes under scrutiny not only

for their price tags, but also to ensure that they are safe

and efficient. The lessons of tragedies such as Potters Bar,

Hatfield, Bexley and Southall must be applied, combined

with the latest research and innovation, to ensure

complete safety.

There are three basic issues that form a bedrock of

safety: speed, avoiding other trains on the track and

ensuring that the train behaves as intended. To address

these complex mechanical factors, sophisticated software

systems in the train control centre and on-board the train

can control these functions.

Staying on track at 200mph

Automation comes into its ownAutomated safety systems have a strong track record

in the aerospace industry and work very well in the rail

industry if properly implemented. Train control systems

with sensors on the track and on the train, for example,

can govern the speed of the train and its ‘movement

authority’. Just like the autopilot on a plane, overspeed

protection will not allow the train operator to exceed the

designated speed for that portion of the track.

Of course, systems and software can only do so much.

The terrible accident at Angrois, Santiago de Compostela

in Spain occurred on a part of the track that did not have

automated systems for overspeed protection in place,

allowing human error to occur. The train’s data recorder

showed that it was travelling at about twice the posted

speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour (50mph) when it

entered a bend in the line.

To ensure complete passenger safety, full automation –

and therefore full compliance to safety protocols – is vital.

As the HS2 project moves towards into the early design stage, KEVIN

MAPPELBECK of Ansys looks at the factors that influence the

effectiveness of automated safety systems, which are key to safety at

such speeds

Kevin Mappelbeck is ESU market operation manager, UK, ANSYS



In the wake of the Angrois

incident, the Spanish rail

authority Adif installed three balises – track-

mounted programmable transponders which communicate

with the on-board computers and will initiate automatic

braking if speed restrictions are not obeyed.

Safety from the ground upHS2 is in a strong position to integrate this at an early

stage of design, which bodes well for the safety of the

project. However, designers need to look at the software

that governs the safety critical systems.

The effectiveness of that software – in terms of its

safety – is defined by how well it answers the specific

safety concerns of a given route. Some eighty per cent of

the software issues in rail safety systems are caused by a

misunderstanding of requirements and specifications in a

detailed fashion before the engineers start to code.

These complex systems need to be correct by

construction. By using model based techniques to remove

the ambiguity of requirements and specifications, to verify

the detailed design against those requirements and ensure

it is correctly implemented, safety begins to be implicit.

And finally, to remove the possibility of human error, the

tools that automate the coding must be compliant with

international safety specifications.

Of course there are areas for improvement. As high-

speed rail starts to become a reality in the UK, there are a

few things that will make riding the rails at 200 mph a bit

safer. A structured, overarching safety standard is one. At

present, the international rail industry does not have one

global standard that must be adhered to.

Despite France and Germany leading the world in high

speed rail travel, standards vary from country to country

in Europe. If one standard for development of rail systems

and software was available, requirements would be

less complex with no variants. Perhaps rail could take a

page from the aerospace industry where all commercial

planes and helicopters must be certified under the same,

demanding international standard. The ERTMS system is a

good sign of progress here, and the ERTMS level 2 system

is particularly well suited to high speed passenger rail.

However, in application as well as development,

automation is key. If an entire train is automated, safety

is vastly improved. By deploying the latest generation of

automated train control techniques, the ride is as safe

as possible. From a business perspective, this level of

automation also improves efficiency and

energy use.

HS1 and HS2 are set to become

defining elements of the UK rail

landscape. To ensure a safety record

that is as impressive as the engineering

that enabled these high speed links,

automation and comprehensively designed

safety systems that can account for, and in

some cases override human error, will

be vital. zz



T he UK may be a world leader in rail, but it is

now something of a laggard when it comes to

high speed services. While our model for rail

privatisation has become a benchmark for other

markets, we must look overseas for the nous required to

deliver a successful HS2.

In the Keolis Key Connections report, published last

year, I drew on examples of best practice from France to

see how we could integrate high speed networks into our

towns, cities and their infrastructure.

Always readyOne recurring theme in France is preparation; the existing

transport infrastructure and networks of our towns and

cities need to be invested in today if HS2 is to deliver the

significant economic benefits it is capable of.

Before the TGV arrived in major French cities such

as Lyon and Bordeaux, their networks were expanded,

upgraded and then fine-tuned to work in perfect synergy

with the new high speed services.

Get off a TGV service in Bordeaux today, for example,

and you can almost immediately step onto a light rail,

metro or bus service, while outside of the station car

share and cycle hire schemes provide even more

connectivity options.

Monitoring the systemKeolis in France constantly tracks and studies passenger

behaviour, so tweaks and adjustments can be made to

timetabling, to ensure local networks are operating as

efficiently and effectively as possible. In Lyon, one such

study led to a major re-timetabling exercise on its metro

and tram systems that helped to yield a nine per cent uplift

in passenger numbers.

In essence, operators need to think like a passenger.

Adopting this mind-set will be key as we introduce HS2

in the UK.

Apply this to HS1The UK does of course have one existing high speed

network. HS1 is operated by Govia – a partnership

between Keolis UK and Go Ahead – and by drawing on

similar lessons from France we have helped the network to

realise its full potential as an enabler of growth in the south

east of England.

St. Pancras, where the service connects in London,

operates like any TGV hub in France. As one of London’s

most integrated stations, passengers can board a bus,

bike, Underground, or main-line intercity route as soon as

Gaining by experience

they disembark from HS1.

The challenge with HS2 is that few UK cities are as

well integrated as the capital. Crossrail and the on-going

growth of the overground network will only further enhance

London’s position as the UK’s most integrated city.

The London lessonHS2 cannot deliver the majority of its benefits through

journey times alone, as early arguments for the scheme

demonstrated. It cannot exist in isolation, but will require

the development of networks in existing cities to ensure it

can achieve its potential.

Money has been a sticking point throughout the

legislative process, and it is perhaps an inconvenient

truth that further investment will be needed to support

and enhance existing infrastructures. That said, better

frameworks to ensure greater collaboration between the

operating companies of local transport franchises will be

needed so that timetables can be better aligned with HS2.

Though public finances appear to be an issue on

the surface, there are new powers available to local

governments – such as City Deals – that can give

them greater autonomy over ways in which they can

fund transport infrastructure investments. Manchester

has shown how closer working between neighbouring

authorities and innovative funding models can help

support major new projects.

ClaritySuch investment can only take place with a degree

of certainty that HS2 will definitely proceed. Our Key

Connections report demonstrates that our local leaders,

economists and politicians understand the blueprint for

best practice. Once a final commitment is set in stone,

they can help the UK prepare for HS2. zz

ALISTAIR GORDON, chief executive, Keolis UK, looks at some of the lessons HS2 can learn from high speed rail projects in the continent of Europe

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz High Speed Rail

Alistair Gordon is chief executive of Keolis UK

Download from: www.keolis.co.uk/news/key-connections

The report includes contributions from co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on High Speed Rail, Stuart Andrew MP and leader of Birmingham City Council, Sir Albert Bore.

Key Connections Report


I’ve taken a keen professional interest in Birmingham’s

real estate market over the years and particularly since

the idea of HS2 was first raised. Journey times of 48

minutes between Birmingham and London will make

it a realistic possibility for professionals to work in London

while living in Birmingham, with an inevitable effect on

prices. We’ve already seen this happen in a range of towns

and cities within London’s commuter belt. Prices in places

such as Brighton, which is 53 minutes by rail from London,

have been extensively inflated by proximity to the capital.

Birmingham’s development plans around HS2 are

ambitious. Infrastructure improvements over the coming

years include a £600 million update to Birmingham New

Street station, a £128 million Midland Metro extension

and linkage with the tram line at Snow Hill, plus some

£181 million of capital expenditure on various major

transportation schemes by the local council.

While the space-age design of the proposed new

station at Curzon Street is still under discussion, a similarly

dramatic redevelopment is being planned for New Street

Gateway, which has recently been granted £88 million in

government funding.

Of course, HS2 is permanently in the background

when any such schemes are considered and what is so

interesting is that it is already impacting on Birmingham’s

property prices. The ambitious regeneration and rail plans

are set to create tens of thousands of jobs in Birmingham,

attracting a host of new workers to the city. This is

reflected in the latest data from Nationwide which shows a

10 per cent year-on-year house price increase in the city.

Although price rises are consistently below the levels

we are seeing in London, rental yields in Birmingham

are higher than one can expect in London, creating

an extremely buoyant buy-to-let investment market in

Britain’s second city. What we’re seeing is a trend of savvy,

Property boom for Birmingham

forward-looking buy-to-let investors opting out of the

London market in favour of more exciting opportunities

in Birmingham.

The latest nationwide data from Move with Us

positioned Birmingham as the highest yielding rental area

in the UK when considering rental income as a percentage

of the property’s purchase price, which emphasises the

impact that the plans for HS2 have already had.

Market analysis shows that by 2031 a further 150,000

people will call Birmingham home, and some 80,000 new

homes will be required. Given Britain’s current difficulties

with building sufficient homes to keep up with demand –

on average we’re building 95,000 homes per year fewer

than required – it’s fair to assume that construction work in

Birmingham will fall behind the required level of demand.

With the addition of HS2 to Birmingham’s many

attractions, I believe that the impact on the city’s property

prices will be profound. We’re already seeing price rises

and increasing demand before a single sleeper has been

laid – once construction begins the property market can

be expected to respond swiftly and certainly. My advice?

If you plan to invest in property in Birmingham, do so now,

while it’s still affordable. zz

www.propertyfrontiers.com

Having grown up in the Birmingham area, RAY WITHERS of Property Frontiers examines the potential impact of the planned HS2 rail connection

on the city’s property sector and asks: can construction keep up with demand?

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzHigh Speed Rail

Ray Withers is chief executive of

Property Frontiers

MPs vote overwhelmingly in favour of HS2

l The crucial second reading of the HS2 Hybrid Bill took place in the Commons at the

end of April, and was passed by a majority of 452 in favour and just 41 against.

Go-HS2, a pro-high speed rail consortium from the West Midlands said that the

size of the majority in favour showed how the benefits of HS2 were widely recognised

and understood.

However, in view of the three line whip on the vote, the vocal anti HS2 lobby,

HS2 Action Alliance, suggested that the number of absences and abstentions was

proof that many MPs do not openly support HS2.

Cllr John McNicholas, chairman of transport authority Centro, said: “Last night’s vote

brings HS2 a significant step closer but we now need to press on as a region and put

in place the infrastructure we need locally to realise and maximise those benefits.”

Next step for Old Oak Common

l Transport for London has appointed WSP to develop options and make

recommendations for a London Overground station at the proposed

HS2 /Crossrail interchange at Old Oak Common.

WSP will be acting as lead consultant, providing railway engineering and

infrastructure services for a Grip 3 study of three options, having completed the

Grip 2 study for the four shortlisted options in late 2013. Architect planners

Farrells have been appointed by WSP to provide master planning and

architectural support.

Project director Dave Darnell said: “This is a hugely exciting scheme that has

the potential to create a major new regional transport hub, taking some of the

demand off existing overloaded routes by providing links to HS2 from the west

and south west without travelling into central London and offering better access

into the area of Old Oak Common for existing and future residents.”


www.railimages.co.uk

Rallying behind HS2

l Both private and public

organisations in the West

Midlands have rallied behind

the HS2 project, while

concurrently submitting

petitions to the HS2 Bill in an

attempt win an even better

deal for the region.

Research has established

that the West Midlands could

secure a £4 billion a year

economic boost and more

than 50,000 new jobs by

making sure the region’s two

high speed rail stations are

well connected to existing

transport links and good use

is made of the additional rail

capacity released by HS2.

Birmingham City Council,

Birmingham Airport, the

National Exhibition Centre

and Centro have asked for

amendments to be made to

the Bill including the inclusion

of a high quality interchange

facilities between the region’s

existing rail stations and the

two proposed HS2 stations,

Birmingham Curzon and the

HS2 Interchange close to the

airport and NEC.

The city council and Centro

are seeking a link between

HS2 and the existing HS1

high speed line to the Channel

Tunnel to be reinstated. This

would enable services to

operate directly between the

West Midlands and Europe.

Other requests include a

common concourse between

the Curzon and Moor Street

Stations, a tram extension

to Curzon and an improved

alignment of the proposed

people-mover linking the

HS2 Interchange with the

airport, NEC and Birmingham

International rail station.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz High Speed Rail


Every day, somebody tries to commit suicide on our

rail network, and tragically 200 people each year

succeed in ending their lives that way. As well as

the personal tragedies, these incidents result in

terrible trauma for the victims’ families and huge disruption

to services, which in turn presents a significant cost to

the taxpayer and businesses, not to mention significant

inconvenience for passengers. It’s also very traumatic

for rail staff.

Network Rail, with the help of the Samaritans, is trying

to do something about it. Working in partnership with the

Samaritans, Network Rail aims to reduce the number of rail

suicides by 20 per cent by 2015.

Four per cent of all UK suicides take place on our rail

network. More than four fifths are men aged 30 to 55.

In times of economic hardship, the figures go up, as

financial difficulties trigger stress or exacerbate mental

health conditions.

Working with the Samaritans and the train operating

companies, Network Rail has been working to raise

awareness and provide training to station staff – how to

identify tell-tale signs such as noticing the person waiting

on the side of the platform but not boarding a train. The

Samaritans teach station staff how to approach individuals

and start a supportive dialogue. This allows time for

professional help to be called and qualified counselling

to be given.

The number of suicides on our railways dwarfs the

number of accidental deaths, but here too Network Rail

is taking admirable action. Mark Carne, the new CEO of

Network Rail, like Sir David Higgins before him, has put

safety front and centre for our railways.

The tragedy at Elsenham where two young girls Olivia

Bazlinton and Charlotte Thompson, lost their lives on

a level crossing, and the subsequent court judgement,

created a huge amount of public exposure for the issue.

Without wanting to discount the significance of that

incident, I hope that it does not create an idea in the

minds of the public that our railways are unsafe. That is far

from the case. In 2012, 1765 people were killed

on Britain’s roads. By comparison, in 2012-13, nine people

were killed on level crossings.

The response from Network Rail to the Elsenham

incident has been to close 800 out of 6000 level crossings,

to invest in new technology, regular maintenance and

oversight, and to implement an education campaign that

raises public awareness of the potential danger of level

crossings. This campaign is spearheaded by a national

level crossings team, which includes Tina Hughes, the

mother of Olivia Bazlinton.

So how does the UK compare with its European peers

on rail safety? The Parliamentary Advisory Council for

Transport Safety (PACT) reported figures that show the UK

has half the injuries or deaths of the EU average. In terms

of total rail safety, the European Rail Agency reported that

the UK rail network has the lowest fatality rate at level

crossings, at a rate of 19 per billion rail kilometres. The

Office of Rail Regulation has also stated that Network Rail

is on target to reduce level crossing fatalities.

The UK rail network is not only one of the busiest in

the world – it’s just about the safest. Even so, the industry

does not believe that is good enough. It can do better,

and with a complete focus on safety for all stakeholders,

the UK rail industry is setting a standard of continuous

improvement that other countries could do well to emulate.

This is a cultural shift started by Sir David Higgins, believed

in and taken to heart by the rail industry, and now being led

by Mark Carne at Network Rail.

On a personal note, as a public member of Network

Rail overseeing corporate governance on behalf of all

stakeholders, it has given me great satisfaction and pride

to witness the evolution of a safety culture at Network Rail

and throughout the British rail industry.

I believe we are on the journey to making our

railways the safest they can be for everyone, and an

international exemplar.

Network Rail will spend £38 billion in CP5 with safety

at the heart of the investment programme. Meanwhile,

Sir David Higgins has taken this culture with him to HS2.

I doubt there are any other companies whose corporate

mission statement is “Everyone home safe every day”.

Something to be proud of, I believe. zz

With safety on level crossings again in the public spotlight, ArnAb Dutt, managing director at Texane, explains why he believes partnership and investment

are key to saving lives on our rail network

SAFETY – on level crossings

Arnab Dutt, managing director at Texane

Safetyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzW

alte

r Bax

ter


Passengers have simple expectations. They want

their trains to arrive on time, to have a safe journey

and arrive at their destination when expected.

However, speak to anyone involved in running

railways around the world and they will explain how

complicated it is to consistently deliver high-levels of

reliability and availability across the network.

The biggest factors that affect whether trains run on

time are the incidents that occur across the network on a

daily basis. Because of the sheer scale of rail infrastructure

it means that there is a huge range of things that can and

do go wrong such as signal failure, bad weather causing

trees to fall and block sections of track, adverse weather,

suicides, mechanical failures, train collisions, derailments,

signal problems and acts of terrorism.

Probability versus impact Of course, there are some incidents that are prone to

happen on a relatively frequent basis and some that are

rare but when they do happen have a severe impact.

So, how do you improve the operational efficiency

of the railway, achieve performance targets, reduce

penalties from the regulators and compensation payments

to passengers as well as improve safety and security

across the network? The key is to find a way to reduce

the number of incidents that take place and improve the

management, ie reduce the handling time of incidents

that do occur.

The first step in this process is to understand that

every single incident can be divided in to a lifecycle of

Is rapid response truly on the horizon?

three distinct phases – preparation, management and

investigation. How successfully an incident is handled rests

on the quality of the preparation that has been put in place,

the speed at which the incident is detected, and the ability

of those responsible to carry out their duties as quickly and

effectively as possible to prevent unnecessary escalation.

Finally, you need to be able to review the incident and learn

from it, in order to mitigate the risk of it repeating, and

reduce its impact if it reoccurs.

The lifecycle of an incidentThis is of course a well-trodden path but with the aid of

new technology there are a growing number of railways

that have recently announced implementations of

situation management platforms, all geared towards

shortening and improving the quality of the entire incident

handling lifecycle.

For the vast majority of incidents that take place

the management of the situation is typically overseen

by an operator in the control room, with many other

stakeholders needing to be co-ordinated and kept

abreast of developments. At this time the speed at which

the operator responds and disseminates the relaxant

information to the relevant stakeholders and the decisions

he makes can mean the difference between minutes or

hours of delays and in some instances life and death.

Therefore, ensuring the operator has situational awareness

and his actions and the actions of field personnel are

guided by organisational best practices, is key. So they

need situation management access to all of the information

that they require to make informed decisions. However,

the challenge is how to do this with so much data being

funnelled through the control room.

In recent years rail networks have undergone huge

investment, adding to the number of lines, opening new

stations and implementing technology such as advanced

Accidents and incidents may seem unavoidable during the daily route of railway management but Udi SegAll, director of business development at NiCe Systems, believes their frequency can be

reduced and the speed and efficiency of response improved considerably. Here’s how

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Safety

Udi Segall is director of business development at

NICE Systems


Train Management Systems (TMS), GIS, operational

databases that hold information with respect to the cargo

on each train wagon, and technical specifications of the

train. While CCTV is in many aspects regarded as a security

tool in incidents such a collision on a level crossing, getting

a live feed from the location can help the emergency

services and the operation team to better assess the

situation and respond more effectively.

Situational awareness Using a situation management platform enables all of

these data feeds that can easily overwhelm the operator,

to be collated and correlated into one holistic view. From

their desk the operator (see image below) can have the

confidence, awareness and capability to

manage any incident from beginning to end, with the

assistance of adaptive workflows that have been

pre-defined in accordance with the network’s standard

operating procedure.

Here is a typical example of how a situation

management system works.

A freight-train collides with a lorry at a level crossing.

The crossing is manned and the person in attendance calls

in the incident. The operator in the control room opens

a ‘case’ and is instantly presented on-screen with the

workflow relevant to such a collision. The operator follows

the instructions presented to him, ensuring every piece of

relevant information is captured. Based on the information

being inputted (much of which is auto-populated to save

the operator critical time) the system triggers a series of

actions, some of which are implemented automatically,

others instruct the operator regarding what information

he needs to share with field personnel and when. At the

three-screen desk the relevant GIS map is displayed on the

screen pinpointing the location of the crossing, on another

a live CCTV feed from the camera located at the crossing is

being projected (providing the operator with the capability

to pause and rewind the footage, whilst monitoring events

in real-time).

As leakage from a carriage has been detected, the

operator is presented with a cargo manifest and can see

that the lorry has collided with a refrigerated container unit.

He is able to send this insight along with the other relevant

tasks to the first responders from the emergency services

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzen route (along with still and/or video images) to ensure

they are prepared with the right hazmat equipment on

arrival at the scene.

The operator is able to co-ordinate and manage the

diversion of trains that are destined to pass through the

crossing, minimising further disruption. He is also able

to send generated reports of the salient points to other

departments in the organisation.

When the operator is satisfied that that incident has

been handled the incident is closed. Every piece of video

and radio communication between train driver and the

traffic operation centre, from initial alarm to final action, is

captured and stored in the system (imagine a black box

for capturing the data relating to the incident). So, whether

immediately after the event or days, weeks or even years

later, the entire incident can be reconstructed in multimedia,

synchronised and replayed in chronological order, whether

for training and de-briefing, as part of a continuous cycle of

improvement, or for evidence submission.

Continuous improvement Transforming the ever-expanding unstructured data into

meaningful information and then to operational knowledge

means it can in turn be used to know how best to respond

to an unfolding event, which delivers huge value to the

operational performance of the rail network. Moreover

strong debriefing and analysis tools can provide a holistic

perspective and insights that increase the organisation’s

wisdom. This wisdom can help in shortening the handling

time of elements in the incident lifecycle.

By taking this approach incidents are handled faster

and investigations can be carried out more quickly and

in far more detail. This can be fed back into the system

immediately and then becomes the new standard, so if

a similar incident occurs the operator will be hand-held

through a new improved workflow. In fact, it has been

proven that call intake can be reduced from 15 minutes

down to four minutes, which can not only save lives but

also deliver huge operational savings that can reach into

hundreds of millions each year!

Reducing the probability of an incident happening and

lessening the impact of those that will inevitably occur,

not only creates a safer and more secure environment for

all on the rail network, but also delivers huge operational

gains, the positive effects of which will be felt right across

the network, and these of course are then reflected in the

performance rating of passengers. zz

the industry’s crucial issues. “We live in an era

where foreign ownership of big business is the

norm. However, although our OEMs and tier

1 suppliers may have their roots around the

world, the real powerhouse of the UK economy

is the SME-base. That supply chain is very

much UK-based, and is in rude health,” he

said. “The conundrum is how we can compete

effectively and fairly for the billions of pounds

of UK tax payers’ money that the railways will

spend over the next ten to 20 years.”

Colin believes we need to be more

competitive. The lack of a clear route to

market, the propensity of buyers to fail to see

the value for money in terms of whole life costs,

the lack of scrutiny in the application of British

Standards which are required for contracts but

are too often conveniently forgotten in favour

of similar continental standards are all stacked

against us.

“However, our SME-base is nothing if not

resilient, ingenious and simply brilliant. SMEs

are networkers by nature; they collaborate

and hunt in packs. What they need is an

environment where they stand a chance and

can work the magic of financial recovery, where

it really makes a difference.”

Working as a packThe recently set up Rail Supply Group (RSG) is

still very much in the formative stages but has

the prospect of making a significant difference

to the rail supply chain. Its chairman Terence

Watson, who is also UK country president and

managing director of Alstom Transport UK &

Ireland, set out the thinking behind RSG and

the progress that has been made so far.

He began with some facts and figures. More

As a prelude to the event, Platinum

Sponsor TBM Consulting Group invited

a small group of rail executives to a

private dining meal at the

St Jame’s Hotel and Club, Kensington to

discuss current challenges facing business

leaders in the Railway industry and within

that intimate and relaxed environment, the

discussions ranged across many of the issues

that would surface during the conference the

following day. One theme surfaced above

all others: people management. From this

perspective the industry has changed over the

years beyond recognition. The real challenge

for management today is how to communicate

and engage with staff and colleagues to get the

very best from them. But more of this later in

the review.

IntroductionThe conference was chaired by Colin Flack,

head of the Rail Alliance, and he opened

proceedings by summing up the day’s themes

in what he called a Flack-centric view some of

Railway Strategies LIVE 2014 took

place at the Royal Geographical

Society in London on Thursday

15 May, in glorious sunshine. And

that was perhaps fitting. The venue, which has been

the launch pad for some of world’s

greatest journeys of exploration, played

host to a conference that focused on the needs, challenges,

changes and tremendous

opportunities in the UK rail supply chain

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Railway Strategies 2014Live


Colin Flack

long term public investment is being made

into the UK railways now than at any point

in history. That expansion is being mirrored

globally, making the rail sector a huge and

robust marketplace for products and services.

Yet we are exporting less than we were at

privatisation. Just seven per cent of UK rail

output is exported. In France the figure is 37

per cent, and in Germany it’s 47 per cent.

The SME supply base, however, is vibrant

and innovative. But to capitalise on these

huge opportunities, the supply chain needs

a coherent strategy and a single voice to

articulate its needs to industry and government.

“We can only do that together,” Terence

said. “Moreover, we can’t dominate just the

home market. We need to innovate with new

technology and capitalise on the growing

global marketplace and export our capabilities,

creating a future for the railway business.”

The RSG is being developed to fill this gap.

Co-chaired by the secretaries of state for DfT

and BIS and populated by representatives from

the supply chain, TOCs and major projects

such as HS2, its vision is to develop a coherent

strategy for the industry, to stimulate growth,

collaboration, innovation, inward investment,

exports, skills and change. “Clearly we are just

at the start, but what we hope to get out of

this is a single unified strategy for the whole

industry for the first time.”

The board’s council will be an excellent

environment for exchanging of information and

promoting collaboration. Aware of the need

for continuity, fresh thinking and greater input

from the SME community, the RSG will report

to a new industry board of 20 representatives

from the supply chain who will take part on a

rotational basis. These will become the RSG

council members of the future. “We need the

next generation to be involved in this now,”

Terence concluded.

In young handsMartyn Chymera, former chairman of the

Young Rail Professionals, gave an inspirational

update on the organisation’s activities, impacts,

thoughts and concerns. The Young Rail

Professionals have been busy during 2013 with

a programme of outreach designed to help

tackle the skills shortage and attract young

people into the industry, and will be expanding

this through 2014.

The organisation is very active on behalf

of its members, organising meetings, events,

networking opportunities and dinners with

top industry speakers. These offer excellent

opportunities for networking and skills

development. Meanwhile it is increasing

extending its reach overseas, and today some

30 per cent of members live outside the UK.

.

Lack of funds, however, has been an

issue, stifling many good ideas within the

organisation. To tackle this, they have launched

a corporate membership scheme which

enables large companies to effectively sponsor

future activities.

From the young professionals viewpoint,

one of the industry’s biggest issues is its poor

reputation. The UK railways are now Europe’s

safest, with the highest frequency of service,

quality and cleanliness. “Despite these good

results we still get negative headlines,” Martyn

said. It is something that must be addressed.

And he pointed to the one exception that

stands out as a triumph for the sector: media

reporting of the industry’s response to the line

washout at Dawlish.“That is something we can

all be proud of. And it was great PR.”

Speaking on behalf of the young members, he

expressed their eagerness for innovation and

for the investment in rail to be continued into

the longer term. However he also articulated

their concerns for the sustainability of sector,

with its current small debt levels, once interest

rates begin to rise.

The human touchRob Willis, chief executive of TRL (Transport

Research Laboratory), the non profit making

transport consultancy that provides advice to

industry and Government gave a presentation

on evidence based research to help drive

innovation in a growing railway. To do this,

he focused his attention on the human

perspective.

“Studying human interactions is a scientific

discipline,” he said. “We have, for example,

been working with RSSB on the train despatch

process, studying human behaviours at the

platform and train interface, and this is being

fed through to national strategy.”

Level crossings have been another major

research focus. Some 90 per cent of incidents

are caused by abuse of the way crossing

should be used, so TRL has been examining

the behaviour of different types of people as

they approach rail crossing, and looking at

ways of improving behaviour.

Another area of recent research has been

driver performance, including the levels of

information in the cab, driver stress, and the

challenges presented by increasing automation.

“What is the risk of the driver ‘tuning out’?”

he explained. “How can we make sure that

the ‘under load’ of drivers at less critical times

doesn’t create safety issues?”

He finished by summarising some elements

of future thinking. Passengers are looking

for more comfortable seating, more secure

luggage storage, toilets that work and don’t

smell, better catering options, wireless

network for those working on the train, journey

information updates. When innovating and

introducing new products and systems to

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Rob Wallis

Terence Watson

Martyn Chymera

cost of electrification.

Last year, EIT undertook capability mapping

of the UK supply chain. “We’ve established

that we have a strong capability in rolling

stock, and in whole life system optimisation

on infrastructure and rolling stock,” David

said. “What we don’t have is much capability

in integrated customer solutions, big data,

transaction management and cyber security.

However, the rest of UK PLC is good at that,

so if we can draw this expertise into the

railway and prove it can deliver, then we will

have a platform to sell internationally.”

Based on the first year’s success, the

innovation funds from TSLG, Network Rail

and RSSB are being brought together under

EIT which is being renamed Future Railway.

This will generate a significant sum of

£125 million for CP5, which the organisation

hopes to double through match funding

with the innovators. It is also look at further

sources of funding including the Innovation

Franchising Fund which could bring in another

£100 million and the European Shift to

Rail fund - another possible £1 billion for

innovation.

Other methods by which Future Railway is

enabling innovations include a suggestions

box for ideas that don’t fit existing

competitions, and a subsidised testing and

trialling scheme to help companies test

their innovations live on the railways at a

reasonable cost.

Future Railway is now looking for the next

set of challenges. “For example we could

unlock a huge amount of capacity if we could

find ways of making trains run safely closer

together – possibly in a convoy. There are

huge opportunities here and our competitors

overseas are already looking at this,” David

explained. “So we need to ask: is enough

being done here to achieve that? If not, then

what do we need to do to fill the gap?”

Companies looking to improve their

success with innovation can go to the Future

Railway website where they will find many

useful tools, information, and details about the

lates open competitions.

www.futurerailway.org

High performance cultureRichard Holland, vice-president of TBM

Consulting Group Europe completed the

morning’s presentations with a talk on

creating a high performance culture in the rail

industry.

If companies are to take advantage of the

solve these issues, it is vital to understand

the behavioural aspects and to manage

expectations.

Seeing the wood for the treesChris Rolinson, founder of ComplyServe, spoke

about the value of progressive assurance for

large scale infrastructure projects, and how

it enables those who sponsor and manage

projects to them make truly informed decisions.

Simplistically, at the conceptual stage of a

new project a considerable amount of effort

goes into putting the specifications together.

From this, the high level specifications are

developed, then partitioned into work packages

and issued to contractors. Compliance is then

monitored during design and build stages. “But

it’s not that straight forward,” he said. “The

supply chain is an extremely complex beast.”

Progressive assurance joins the project from

top to bottom, linking the high level functional

requirements of the project through all the

stages of design and build. So if anything

changes in one part of the project, for example,

the impact on the rest of the programme can

be seen almost instantly rather than weeks or

months later.

From a supply chain perspective, the

advantages include a common repository of

information that can be accessed globally at

any time, and a common compliance process.

To succeed, such a system must know who

you are, what your role is and where you can

go in the system. It must capture the complex

assurance processes on the project, and make

them available to the entire community. It has

to be highly intuitive and extremely easy to

use, and accessible worldwide in a cloud-

based format.

All this information is aggregated into a

powerful programme-level dashboard enabling

management to manage by exception. “There

is no doubt in my mind this will become the

standard approach for all major projects in the

future. It will change contractual boundaries

and relationships and will give the Government

and stakeholder communities the governance

they demand.”

Bridging the innovation gapDavid Clarke, director of Future Railway began

his presentation on enabling innovation with

a quick description of how the Future Railway

grew out of the findings of the Rail Technical

Strategy.

Created at the end of 2012 to stimulate

innovation in the rail sector by helping fund the

costly processes of demonstrating prototyping

and commercialising innovative ideas, it

was initially called the Enabling Innovation

Team (EIT). Launched with just £30 million

Government funding, it has converted that sum

into £60 million of investment through match

funding from the innovators and commitments

from other funding organisations. “We’re now

supporting well over 150 companies, many

of them SMEs, to bring their ideas closer to

market.”

The strategy is to establish what problems

the industry has, and then run a competition

to find identify innovative ideas to solve them.

Among those that are currently being funded

are concepts for an electric/electric hybrid

capable of running on battery power over non

electrified stretches of track and under the

pantograph on electrified sections, and the

Avoidance Of Bridge Reconstruction scheme

which could help save 25 per cent of



Dave Clarke

Chris Rolison

enormous growth opportunities over the next

few years they will need the entire organisation

to be invigorated, working with them and

pulling together in the direction of company

strategy.

“Many companies put processes in place

to do this but find they don’t work,” Richard

said. “And this is largely about how to engage

people. We need an environment where the

people in the organisation have the right

mindset and a way of thinking that’s aligned

with the strategy you are trying to implement.”

The method for achieving this is the same,

regardless of whether it is in a 14,000 people

company that is spread across the world or in

a 50 person SME. And it can be broken down

into the following steps.

Firstly, distil the essence of the company

strategy into a short message that is exciting,

very simple and can be communicated easily

across the business. Secondly define the short

and medium term steps by which this can be

achieved. “And this is where the execution

often falls down. This is about strategy and not

about hitting budgets or deadlines. You have to

have a separate management system for that.”

Communicate all of this effectively, and create

a strong visual presentation of it which every

individual can see on a daily basis.

The next step is to create KPIs for everyone

in the business. These should not only be

the usual measures of outcomes, but should

also measure the health of the processes

that deliver those outcomes. “This is very

informative and effective because it will

get everyone in the business engaged in

performance and change culture. The outcome

will then take care of itself.” Then set up a

management structure to review the KPIs and

performance at different levels of the business,

and to cascade the information to the top.


This culture change is not likely to succeed,

however, unless people are effectively coached

during the review process. “Leaders often tend

to tell their teams how they’re performing and

then try and solve their problems,” Richard

said. “What you need to do is empower the

team members to analyse their performance

and find their own solutions to improve it.

People need to be challenged. They will rise

to the challenge. Teach them how to respond,

and give them the tools to use.”

The final part of Richard’s message was that

you have to change the way you talk to your

people, and the way they communicate cross

functionally to solve the issues in the business,

a point that had been very well expressed

at TBM’s Railway Executive dinner the night

before.

Ushering in change at Network RailNetwork Rail went live with its new supply

chain configuration on 14 April. The National

Supply Chain (NSC) headed up by managing

director Nick Elliott replaces the previous NDS

functions. Now, just one month in, head of

procurement Jim Carter explained some of the

changes and what suppliers can now expect.

Firstly Network Rail recognises it has not

been easy to do business with. “So this has

been a profound reorganisation and not just

been a matter of tacking teams together,”

Jim said. From now onward there will be one

primary contact for suppliers and customers

dealing with Network Rail, and this is achieved

through six clearly defined outward facing

directorates.

The Delivery directorate has four regional

sections, and is responsible for infrastructure

haulage, seasonal delivery and tampers.

Mark Palmer is the primary contact for the

routes in the north, Rob Davis for the south,

Stephen Armstrong in the east and Emma

Osborn in the west.

The National Railway Services directorate

under Paul Gilbert brings together vertically

aligned teams to run services such as

stoneblowers, grinders, road fleet and

infrastructure monitoring with full responsibility

for the end to end service provision.

Mark Black heads up the Finance

directorate, with a remit for financial control and

performance reporting for all business activities

as well as responsibility for key NSC systems.

The Technical Services directorate is

responsible for all aspects of safety and

sustainable development, quality and

fleet technical services and business

activities including key systems such as

ISO9001, ISO14001 and enterprise content

management. This is headed up by

Brian Mayo.

Ian Sexton leads a 700-strong team at

Strategic Services with responsibility for

the development and delivery of category

management, procurement, supplier

relationship management, external business

development, marketing and communications.

And finally Katrina Law is in charge of

Materials and Logistics, which supplies and

delivers railway materials such as rail, sleepers,

ballast and components to customers. The

directorate has responsibility for the end to end

service provision.

From the customer service perspective there

is now a strong regional presence that offers

local knowledge, and clear points of contact.

According to Jim, the reorganisation creates

good visibility and data analytics and should

enable the organisation to make better use of

its resources. The charters for each department

have also been realigned to speak to the

entire organisation.

View at the topProf. Richard Parry-Jones, chairman of

Network Rail then took the stage and gave an

information packed speech that outlined some

of the opportunities for companies to innovate,

bring new technologies to the railways and

improve economic growth in the UK.

From Network Rail’s perspective, all

infrastructure investments are designed to

improve the customer experience, where the

term customer encompasses not only the train

and freight operating companies but extends to


Jim Carter

Richard Holland

the end user – the consumer.

“Something I’ve brought from other

industries is that it’s easy to underestimate

how huge the effect of technology is at

changing the customer experience. In many

cases change is evolutionary but sometime it’s

transformational,” Richard said. “The speed

of adoption of technology in the rail sector is

slow compared with other industries. So there

are real opportunities to grasp technological

change more aggressively.”

Currently, some of the biggest opportunities

in innovation stem from the transition from

analogue to digital railway, and how data

collection across the network can be used

to improve performance. But it doesn’t stop

there. “We’re also moving into digital asset

management and automated traffic control.

And we’re about to embark on the biggest

signalling revolution since the railways

began,” he said.

Another trend he perceives is the move to

true collaboration. “I think we all recognise

that we have achieved all the gains we can by

trading with each other,” he explained. “The

next step in performance improvement will

come through collaboration and optimising

across all systems.”

From Network Rail’s perspective innovations

should apply to one of these key strategic

areas: safety of the public and the workforce;

quality, reliability and resilience; capacity; cost

efficiency; and sustainability.

He then talked freely about some of the

longer-term possibilities in innovation. Here

are just a few examples. “Digital processing

and transmission bandwidth are on a very

clear trajectory to becoming infinite and free.

If that happens, how would we reconfigure

our business?” he asked. “It will be no good

crunching more and more numbers if we can’t

extract useful insights from those numbers

efficiently. So having analytic capability is going

to be a huge competitive advantage and a core

competence for companies in the future.”

He sees a shift towards megatronics - where

digitally controlled actuation devices are used

on mechanical systems the systems can be

configured to behave in an extremely non-

linear way.

From the safety perspective there are many

possibilities. Remote asset surveillance could,

for example, take the form of acoustic sensors

in the embankments listening for soil particle

movements. Data from this could predict earth

movements well ahead of an event, and trigger

maintenance to prevent a dangerous land

slip. Remote condition monitoring could also

step up a notch and contribute to improved

designs.

He believes the industry should be looking

at exoskeletal robotics, a robotic suit that

track workers could ‘wear’. It would enable

them to perform skilled manual and intellectual

tasks and employ the mechanical power of

the suit to perform the physically challenging

elements of the work. The concept is already

being developed in other industries, and would

significantly improve the long term health of

track workers.

Transponders on trains and on the

maintenance team’s personal protection

equipment could give warning of an

approaching train. And for the sticky issue of

safety on level crossings: “Why don’t we work

with Apple or Google so when pedestrians

are listening to music on their iPhones, it will

use the GPS data and mute the music to

warn them when they are approaching a level

crossing. The technology is already there. This

could be done at very little cost.”

The railways already use geotechnical

developments such as micro piling and bound

ballast to reduce maintenance costs. But

Richard is really keen to look at coatings for the

rail industry, and sees huge opportunities in the

wheel track interface in for example the design

of bogeys and the points systems.

On the civil construction side, the trend is to

move towards off-site fabrication and systems

integration, and this has already been used by

Network Rail in bridge construction. Further

areas of interest include advanced reliability

engineering, and hybrid drives and automated

driver support.

All in all, it was a quick but fascinating romp

through all the technologies and developments

currently on the horizon, and it certainly

provided a lot of food for thought.

ConclusionThe range, vision and quality of this packed

speaker programme made this an essential

event for all rail supply chain companies

inhabiting or wanting to work in this fast

moving space. It is easier, now, to see

the shape of the industry to come, the

opportunities that are available and steps that

can be taken to establish the UK supply chain

in the global marketplace.

It was not all intensive listening, though.

The speaker programme was complemented

by lunch time and coffee breaks during which

delegates could wander through the exhibitor

areas making contact and asking questions.

Many also took the opportunity to catch up

on networking opportunities either inside this

beautiful historic building or outside in the sun

drenched garden. It was a day packed with

opportunity. zz

zzzzzzzzzzzzz Railway Strategies 2014Live


Richard Parry-Jones


T he UK is not the only country debating the merits of

high speed rail: Investment in infrastructure for high

speed rail is increasing around the world, especially

across Asia and the Arab states.

One example is the Beijing-Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong

Kong high speed rail line which is due to open in 2015

and which will be the longest of its kind in the world at

1,390 miles.

It will halve the journey time between the Chinese capital

and Hong Kong, and clearly the ability to dramatically shrink

journey times is the main reason why high speed rail is

becoming so popular.

Passengers who enjoy such modern journey times also

expect modern standards of comfort on-board and would

baulk at old-fashioned toilet systems which simply deposit

waste on the track.

In many countries, the UK included, concern for the

cleanliness of the railway track has led to legislation requiring

new rolling stock to be fitted with controlled emission toilet

(CET) systems which end that practice.

However, high speed trains are expensive, and operators

who have made significant investments don’t want the

rolling stock to be lying idle: there has also been an increase

in trains running around the clock.

This leaves less time for maintenance – giving rise to a

need for fully automated CETs that can be emptied swiftly,

allowing the rolling stock to return to service within minutes

rather than half an hour.

Thankfully advances in the design have resulted in the

latest model being able to empty three times as many tanks

in the same time as a conventional system.

Automated CET systems have the capability of cleaning

out tanks on a 12-carriage high speed train in just three

minutes, which is a vast improvement on the half hour

which the task would previously have taken with a

conventional system.

This speed has been achieved by harnessing

technology used in aircraft toilets – yet another example

of how trains are a method of passenger transport that is

truly fit for the 21st century.

The same restrictions on time apply to the cleaning of

the rolling stock itself. With more high speed trains running

around the clock washing has to be efficient and effective

no matter the local conditions.

High speed trains provide a premium service and as

such have to present a highly professional image, with a

smart livery (that has often cost a small fortune to design)

clearly visible to advertise the service.

As weather conditions vary enormously around the

world – from the dry, hot, sandy environment in the

Arab states to the heat and humidity of Thailand to the

constantly changing British sunshine and showers – so too

do the details of automated train washing systems.

Each automated train washing system has to be

adapted to the local conditions, through the use of different

materials and special design consideration. Selecting a

manufacturer that can adopt a bespoke approach to each

individual order is the key to success. zz

As high speed trains spread across the world, they are accompanied by an increasing demand for thoroughly modern and operationally efficient passenger comforts.

HArvey AlexAnder, chairman of Smith Brothers & Webb, explains how these work

Aircraft technology for clean rails

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzMaintenance

Network Rail announces track delivery partners for 2014 -19 l Network Rail has announced

preferred bidders for the delivery of its

£800 million conventional track

renewals and enhancements programme

for 2014-19.

Over the funding period from April

2014 - March 2019, Network Rail will

be renewing more than 7,000km of

track – enough to stretch from London

to Mumbai – as part of a £25 billion

investment programme to improve the

railway infrastructure in the UK.

Following a competitive procurement

process, three bidders – Babcock,

Carillion and Colas – have won contracts across seven geographic lots to deliver

conventional plain line track works worth around £375 million. The renewal of switches and

crossings will be delivered by two alliances that combine designer, installer and Network

Rail. The contracts have gone to Amey Sersa and Colas URS, each winning work on one of

two larger alliance areas worth up to £400 million over the next ten years.

Meanwhile, delivery of the national high output track programme will not be outsourced

during the next funding period. Instead, when the existing contract with AmeyCOLAS

expires in March 2015, Network Rail will bring the existing high output team in house.

Steve Featherstone, Network Rail track programme director said: “Our full-time,

professional high output track renewals workforce is fundamental to delivering a safe,

reliable railway. By creating a single team within Network Rail we can make step changes in

training and development in order to further improve safety and productivity within this key

part of the industry.”

Alstom lands €220 million contract in Spain l An Alstom-led consortium

comprising Alstom, Bombardier

and Indra, has won a €410 million

contract to supply its ERTMS

Level 2 signalling system and

maintenance for a period of

20 years for Spain’s new north-

west high speed line.

The contract, from Spanish

railway infrastructure

management company ADIF,

applies to 310 km of new high

speed line from Valladolid to León

and from Venta de Baños to

Burgos.

Work will include project

design, procurement, installation,

commissioning and maintenance

of the signalling, the fixed

telecommunication and the

Automatic Train Protection

systems, the centralised

traffic control, the security

equipment, the mobile GSM-R

communications equipment and

infrastructure for trains and mobile

phone operators.

Masabi smartphone ticketing for New York’s trains

l The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has

awarded a contract to mobile ticketing and payments

specialist Masabi, to provide mobile ticketing for both the

Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road.

The technology will enable passengers to buy and use

electronic tickets for both railroads using their smartphones.

The system is already used by 18 global transit agencies

including: Thames Clippers, Virgin Trains, First Group,

Boston’s MBTA, NICE Bus, San Diego MTS and

CrossCountry Trains.

Based on Masabi’s JustRide platform, it is an end-to-end

mobile ticketing and fare collection system that includes

features such as ticket purchase, user display and easy

validation together with sophisticated back-end infrastructure for secure payments, ticket management, customer service,

reporting and real-time analytics.

“This is a step forward as we look to use the latest technologies available to make fare payment at all our agencies easier, faster,

and more convenient,” said Thomas F Prendergast, chairman and CEO of the MTA.

New York’s Grand Central Station


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Contracts

£330 million stations programme l Underground passengers across the network will see their

stations modernised with upgraded flooring, walls and ceilings,

CCTV systems and energy-efficient lighting in a £330 million

Station Stabilisation programme over the next seven years.

London Underground (LU) has selected more than 20 contractors

and three multi-discipline design firms to bring a new innovative

and collaborative approach to the work, which will see 70 stations

modernised and maintained to a common standard that will

mean no significant further work should be needed for ten

further years.

The new approach’s principle is ‘production leads, everything

else enables’, a shift in focus that has been assisted with LU’s

adoption of Stuttgart-based DS Consulting’s Collaborative

Planning methodology, a process to provide trade supervisors

with the tools to drive production at the work-face.


Food banks launched l National Express train operator c2c has launched a collection for

local food banks through its stations to help support local people in

need. Passengers are able to join staff by donating long-lasting food

items, such as tins, rice and pasta, cereals, and tea and coffee at

any c2c station. The food is then being donated to one of five local

food bank collections, spread across the c2c route.

c2c Group Station Manager Julie Davis, who is helping to co-

ordinate the appeal, said: “We started this as a community appeal

among our staff, but then realised our stations provide the perfect

opportunity for our customers to get involved too. Local food banks

play a vital role and always need more donations, so anyone who

wants to donate items can just drop them off at their local station.”

Sliding into place l On Easter Saturday, 19th April 2014, Freyssinet Limited successfully

completed the slide of an 800 tonne subway box structure across the

London to Sittingbourne Railway track, just west of the existing Rochester

Station. The subway will form an integral part of the brand new station

currently being built by the East Kent Resignalling Phase 2 Project (EKR2).

The slide was completed in approximately eight hours during which time

the reinforced concrete structure was moved 36 metres from its as-cast

position beside the rail embankment to its final position in the middle of

the embankment. C Spencer Ltd, a collaborative partner for EKR2, had

previously dug a channel through the embankment on Good Friday before

the slide, and they completed the backfilling around the new subway on

Easter Sunday, as part of the Easter blockade of the track.

Freyssinet used the Autoripage technique to move the structure. At

Rochester, the system used ten jacks to lift the 800 tonne box off the ground

by 100mm so it was clear of obstructions. Each jack was bolted to an Air

Pad, which ran along a steel skidway. By injecting pressurised nitrogen

gas into the Air Pads they acted like mini-hovercraft, riding on a cushion of

nitrogen along the skidways. This meant that the friction between the Air Pad

and the skidway was a very low one per cent requiring a pushing force of

only eight tonnes to move the subway across the line of the railway.

Station enhancements l Eurostar has unveiled the first phase of a brand new

ticket office in St Pancras International station, as part of an

extensive programme of station improvements to enhance

the passenger experience.

The stylish new ticket office has been relocated from St

Pancras station’s southern entrance to Eurostar’s existing

check-in area dramatically improving customer access. The

new ticket office features a striking contemporary design in

a bright, elegant and welcoming space with dedicated ticket

desks where passengers can speak to Eurostar’s customer

service staff about their bookings.

The second phase of the upgrade, a new Business Premier

ticket office and an area for self-service ticket machines will

open before the end of May. Once fully unveiled, the new

ticket office facilities will help streamline Eurostar travellers’

journeys through the station.

Mikaël Lemarchand, Director of Stations of Eurostar

commented: “Throughout our 20th year of operation we are

investing in every area of our business with our stations at

the forefront of this investment programme. Stations are a

central element of every journey our passengers take and

we are committed to making the experience as seamless as

possible. The new ticket office at St Pancras station is the first

stage of a series of enhancements and passengers will also

see exciting changes in Paris Gare du Nord, Brussels Midi

and Lille Europe over the next 12 months.”

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Stations


T he construction of a railway tunnel through

the Hallandsås ridge in southern Sweden has

a long history, but the end is in sight with the

start of traffic services scheduled for late 2015.

To help meet the demanding project schedule and the

challenges of performing tunnel excavation and detailed

engineering design in parallel, Trafikverket, the Swedish

Transport Administration, chose to advance its use of

Building Information Modeling (BIM) practices with the

help of Sweco Infrastructure AB. Sweco was given the

responsibility for all BIM related strategy and co-ordination

of the Hallandsås project including helping the project team

implement effective BIM processes to optimise production,

develop integrated 3D models through a collaborative

design process, and use that information throughout the

project lifecycle. The successful BIM implementation on

this project, using Bentley® ProjectWise®, MicroStation®,

InRoads®, Bentley Rail Track, and Bentley Navigator,

has resulted in innovative methods, reusable resources,

a reduction in costs, and productivity improvements that

help keep the project on schedule.

A challenging project creates opportunitiesWhen completed, the tunnel through the Hallandsås ridge

will increase the railway capacity from four to 24 trains

per hour, enabling more traffic to be moved from road

to rail. Building the tunnel however, has been a major

challenge caused by the geological nature of the ridge,

with partly cracked and disintegrated rock and large

amounts of water. Construction originally began in 1992,

but was discontinued five years later due to alarming

impacts on the environment. The project restarted in 2003,

after thorough investigations, legal trials, and political

discussions. New tunnelling techniques and equipment

enabled the creation of a fully lined water-tight tunnel

to minimise environmental impact. While minimising the

environmental impact is crucial, the project still had to be

completed in time for the start of traffic services in 2015.

As the project progressed, and Trafikverket realized

that planning and detailed engineering design of track and

related infrastructure would need to happen in parallel

Keeping the Hallandsås

tunnel project on track

with the tunnelling, it sought new and innovative ways of

working to keep the project on schedule. “Trafikverket

have been using BIM techniques and methods since 1994

for its rail projects but concluded that increasing its level

of BIM adoption would help improve productivity and

reduce rework on the Hallandsås project,” said Leif Malm,

technology strategist for major projects at Trafikverket.

Developing effective BIM processesWorking with BIM can often require a shift of focus, as

processes and the organization of information are just as,

if not more important than, the technology or products

used. For a successful BIM project, it is vital to create

distinct processes that enable all engineering disciplines

to access and deliver the right information, to the right

people, at the right time. Clear directives concerning

classification of all constructible objects including track,

catenary, substations, and buffers, were required, as well

as specifications for the metadata/information each object

must contain. Procedures for systematic risk management

and quality assurance of the digital model must also be

established. Well defined working methods, including

coordination meetings and communication between

the different stakeholders, provide the ability to detect,

analyze, and solve problems as early as possible.

Sweco worked with Trafikverket to create an integrated

3D-object library, as well as automated scripts for when

objects are inserted into the CAD models. Every object is

specified with detailed information such as type, codes,

part number, description, and web links. This standardised

library not only ensures project quality for the Hallandsås

project, but also means that every 3D object can be re-

used by Trafikverket on future projects. The 3D model not

only allows visualization of design and function, it enables

automatic generation of drawings and reports, facilitates

simulation and analysis, aids in the identification and

avoidance of clashes, and much more.

Reusability has been a leading star in the Hallandsås

project, both in terms of functionality and methodology.

Recurring items are modeled, attached with attributes, and

compiled into a 3D object library. These objects can be

‘Live BIM’ implementation enables the project team to meet the challenges of designing in parallel with production on Swedish rail tunnel

zz Infrastructure zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Project SummaryOrganization:

Sweco Infrastructure AB

Solution: Rail and Transit

Location: Hallandsås, Sweden

Project Objectivesl Implement a systematic

and integrated work process for BIM to keep the project

on schedule,and increase the project quality throughout the

entire lifecyclel Develop reusable BIM

objects, methods, and techniques

l Use structured model information for asset

management when the tunnel is operational

Products UsedBentley Navigator, Bentley

Rail Track, InRoads, MicroStation, ProjectWise

Fast Factsl Sweco developed a

standardised co-ordination process, supported by

Bentley Navigator and MicroStation that allows the

reduction of design faults and increases quality.

l By combining ‘as-built’ tunnelling data and the

latest engineering design information, the team can

effectively manage the changing conditions as

tunnelling progresses.


linked to different processes, including time management,

logistics, and procurement planning.

Choosing the right technical platform for Live BIMA successful BIM project needs a software platform

capable of handling large amounts of data including

advanced objects with integrated information, as well

as managing the flow of information to multiple parties.

Bentley software has a long and proven pedigree on

railway engineering projects in Sweden. With Trafikverket

and Sweco both long-time users of products including

MicroStation, InRoads, and Bentley Rail Track, Bentley

software was the natural choice for the Hallandsås project.

Bentley Navigator is used to visualize and inspect the 3D

digital model, while ProjectWise is the hub for document

management and administration. “Bentley’s products can

manage large amounts of data with real-world coordinates,

which is of central importance in infrastructure projects,”

said Daniel Ahnsjö, BIM strategist and team manager

at Sweco.

As tunnelling proceeds, by continuously feeding the

as-built data from the tunneling production into the 3D

model, integrating it with the latest design and engineering

information, the team can effectively manage the changing

conditions. The shared information empowers the design

engineers to analyse the effect of, and react to, changes

immediately, avoiding the risk of costly surprises during

the construction as a result. “We call that Live BIM – to

use information from the ongoing production as basis for

impact assessments and adjustment of the engineering,”

explained Ahnsjö.

Co-ordination ensures production efficiency“The most important contribution is our co-ordination

process, which efficiently reduces design errors and

increases quality. We have monthly coordination meetings

with all involved engineering consultants. Before the

meeting, all current design files are loaded into a digital

model and pre-inspected using the Clash Detection

functionality in Bentley Navigator. Thanks to the pre-

inspection, which highlights design problems and obvious

errors, affected parties can discuss and solve issues in

advance. At the coordination meeting, the entire design

is reviewed using dynamic views and section cuts of the

digital model. The day after, results are published and

made easily available as 3D PDF files,” explained Ahnsjö.

Thanks to the co-ordination process, 200 non-

constructible conflicts and 3000 unique collisions have

been detected. By resolving these at the design stage,

the production cost for correctional and additional work

caused by design faults has been reduced by

50 per cent. For the Hallandsås project, with a contract

sum of SEK 700 million for the work embraced by BIM,

the cost saving is estimated to be up to SEK 50 million.

“The BIM methodology obviously constitutes a great

potential for improvements in project efficiency. BIM is all

about building and adapting information to its purpose.

Bentley’s products provide flexible conditions for coding

methodology and structure, in order to achieve more

project value,” concluded Ahnsjö.

Another BIM objective has been to enable, enhance

and reuse engineering design information in downstream

processes. In addition to providing the construction layout

and geometrical drawings, the 3D design model has

been prepared to supply data for machine control and

guidance, survey layout, quantities and specifications,

time management, cost control, analysis, as-built

models, and more. “Reinforced by the basic features

of Bentley software, and especially the Clash Detection

inside Bentley Navigator, we have shown a very positive

effect in terms of increased quality of the construction

documentation, reduced production cost for correctional

and additional work, and more efficient risk management,

which means we can secure the production schedule,”

said Ahnsjö. Long-term, the model will eventually be used

in operations and maintenance to provide up-to-date

asset management data. Hallandsås is the first and most

advanced of a group of official BIM pilot projects within

Trafikverket. As a result of the progress made, technology

used, and benefits achieved on the project, Hallandsås

will set the standard for all future projects, with

Trafikverket mandating the use of BIM in all investment

projects by 2015. zz

Web: www.bentley.com

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

ROIl Resolving non-constructible conflicts during the design stage reduced construction rework by 50 per cent, reducing costs and ensuring the project stays on schedule.l Detecting conflicts and avoiding collisions in the design has saved an estimated SEK 50 million in rework.l Trafikverket’s central database of all 3D objects, templates, and scripts used on the Hallandsås project, will save time and ensure quality for future projects.

“To be successful with BIM, you need to change your mindset and way of working. Bentley software provides great freedom for creative users to challenge the conditions of the project.”

– Daniel Ahnsjö, BIM Strategist, Sweco Infrastructure AB

Controls and analysis with BIM

Effective BIM process to optimize the production

3D-object library of rail


Hong Kong’s MTR is one of the most intensively

used metros in the world. Maintenance work is

confined to just a few overnight hours, allowing

train services to run as normal during the day and

on weekends without affecting the passengers.

MTR’s night maintenance methods have recently

attracted the attention of Transport for London (TfL), which

has been considering a 24 hour weekend tube service.

TfL then sent some of its personnel to Hong Kong on a

fact-finding mission to observe MTR’s overnight works.

What they saw reassured the visiting delegation that they

could deliver the service in London from 2015 by adopting

intensive night maintenance on week nights.

In Hong Kong, continuous repairs to the network reduce

the chances of faults along the lines and help to avoid

delays. This is one of the reasons why the MTR in Hong

Kong has a punctuality rate of 99.9%. In this article, I will

highlight some of the methods MTR uses during the night

maintenance works for early detection and repair of any

irregularities in the railway network.

PlanningHong Kong’s MTR carries 5.2 million passengers a day

on its 218 km network, so the pressure on the trains and

the infrastructure is immense. Planning maintenance work

is therefore essential to ensuring the network is in a good

condition in order to prevent delays.

Each night the maintenance team only has a small

window of three to four hours in which to carry out the

works. MTR has therefore developed the Engineering

Work and Traffic Information Management System (ETMS),

which is an intelligent workflow system that maximises the

number of repair jobs done in this small space of time.

All related work must be put into the ETMS, which

Making the most of early morning hours

schedules the works, checks for any conflict between

tasks and assigns possession protection measures

according to Rail Safety Rules.

InspectionThere are around 800 workers that maintain the Hong

Kong MTR every night, inspecting tracks and overhead

lines. The teams use a combination of sophisticated

technology that can detect faults, and visual inspections.

Visual inspections by patrolmen are conducted every

72 hours. The inspection ensures the integrity of

infrastructure equipment including rail, track support,

cables, service pipes and tunnel lining. Faults could be

identified at an early stage and remedial actions can be

arranged in advance. Visual inspection is conducted on all

rail lines as part of normal inspection procedures.

Track inspection & maintenanceOne of MTR’s most sophisticated machines is an

ultrasonic testing vehicle (UTV), dubbed the ‘Rail

Detective’, and MTR has recently invested in a new and

improved UTV. It can be seen rolling along the tracks on

the open sections of the network during the early morning

hours, scanning for minute irregularities in the rails. With a

maximum design speed of 35 kph it is able to check the

entire Kwun Tong line in just three hours. The UTV can

‘see’ through solid steel via ultrasonic waves emitted by

external wheel probes that roll along the rails. These waves

are sent to computers onboard the UTV for the technician

to analyse.

The improved data analysis function means that the

state of individual sections of rail can be automatically

compared with data collected in the previous survey

in real-time. Prior to the adoption of the new vehicle,

A regime of intensive night maintenance on Hong Kong’s metro contributes considerably to its impressive record for punctuality. Jeremy Long, Ceo europe, mTr, explains the intricacies of this regime

zz Maintenance zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Jeremy Long is CEO Europe, MTR

Rail welding


technicians would have had to download this information

and compare it manually, which is more time consuming

and less efficient. The new UTV has therefore freed up more

manpower for other inspection and maintenance works.

In addition to using the UTV, MTR employs dye and

penetrant testing on its tracks. This method is one of

the most common, non-destructive testing methods for

detecting open surface defects. It is useful for testing rail

components that cannot be tested reliably using ultrasonic

methods. And this includes the half rail section of rail

expansion joints, switch rails and cast austenitic manganese

steel (AMS) crossings. It can also be deployed to test

locations where the validity of ultrasonic testing cannot be

assured such as at wheel burns.

Keeping overhead lines in checkAnother machine that MTR uses to assess the tracks also

checks the overhead lines on a monthly basis. The track

and overhead line geometry recording vehicle and track

recording car (TOV) is an on-track machine that looks at

the geometry of the system to check if anything is out of

alignment or has excessive wear, for example. The vehicle

contains several optical and electronic systems to provide

the function of measurement including track super-elevation,

twist, gauge, longitudinal alignment, overhead line (OHL)

stagger and wear, among others things. This vehicle also

measures the track’s condition under a dynamic loading

similar to that which occurs when the train travels on

the track.

In addition to the monthly TOV inspections,

maintenance personnel conduct visual inspections of the

overhead lines every two to three days. And once a year,

technicians conduct further close-up inspections and routine

maintenance of overhead line equipment on

elevated platforms.

TrainingTraining for frontline staff takes place when the MTR is

closed in the early hours of the morning, so that normal rail

operation and passengers are not affected. The training

equips staff with operations-related knowledge and

strengthens their understanding of various railway facilities.

MTR also works with government departments such as

the Police and Fire Services to perform major drills each

year during non-service hours. The drills test readiness and

emergency response capabilities for various scenarios.

Our integrated advantageIn Hong Kong, MTR operates a fully integrated railway.

This means, we have a comprehensive set of skills: from

planning and constructing railways to operating the

service, and maintaining the infrastructure and rolling

stock. And we can share those skills with others around

the world, which is something we have in fact done with

the London Overground and Stockholm Metro.

By understanding how all network equipment and

infrastructure should function, including condition

monitoring, we can help identify symptoms at early stages

of deterioration, thus enabling early intervention which can

save cost and improve reliability. A fault at a wheel, for

example, could have a knock-on effect on the whole track

and in turn affect other wheels and related equipment.

Early identification and tackling of the problem at source

could avoid the repair work otherwise necessary. Through

better optimisation of all assets, we also reduce long-term

operating costs.

ConclusionRunning a prompt and efficient metro system requires a

world class maintenance regime. Detecting faults early

and before they become a problem during service hours is

key. MTR spends around £400 million (HK$ 5 billion) each

year on maintaining Hong Kong’s metro, upgrading assets,

buying new equipment and investing in new technologies.

The metro is an essential part of everyone’s daily life in

densely populated cities such as Hong Kong and London.

Without a highly reliable metro such cities would simply

not be able to function. And Hong Kong and London

are not the only cities in the world that are facing this

imperative today. zz


The Rail Detective

Night rail replacementWelding rail replacement

Rail welding


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Procurement

It’s not every day that transport professionals are warned they

might soon struggle to cope because so many billions of

pounds are being invested into infrastructure improvements.

But that’s exactly what happened over the last few weeks.

Network Rail announced another £38 billion is being spent

over the next five years to further improve the railway and its

infrastructure, after Control Period 5 was rubber stamped.

Almost simultaneously, the DfT announced that a

£24 billion framework of improvements to strategic

highways and local authority roads, originally in the

spending review, had got the go-ahead.

But this bonanza of work also brings the potential

for additional risk. As almost all of these new

contracts will be awarded by public sector bodies

or regulated contracting entities, and will be subject

to a raft of new EU Procurement Directives – which

have just been agreed after the biggest overhaul in

a decade.

The changes are designed to bring more

simplicity, clarity and flexibility to the rules governing

above-threshold contracts, create a level playing

field for SMEs and fill in gaps in legislation where

historically, experts have had to find a solution using

only examples of case law.

But they are also something of a

double-edged sword, offering greater

opportunities to main contractors and

SMEs, while potentially exposing

buying organisations to a far greater

number of challenges. The most

appropriate starting point is to

gain an understanding of

the main changes.

Removal of the distinction between Part A and

Part B servicesPart A services are those opportunities

clearly covered by EU legislation, which

were likely to attract interest from providers

beyond the awarding member state. These

opportunities, if above threshold, have always

had to follow the full OJEU process.

Part B services – which were historically

deemed not to be of the same interest to other

member states – were not subject to the same

comprehensive process. Reports suggest that

historically, some awarding organisations were

assigning opportunities incorrectly as a Part B service

to shortcut the more lengthy process – but that

would now risk incurring a challenge.

In future, the full force of the regulations will apply

to the majority of services, which means more

opportunities must also be published in OJEU.

A double edged sword?LIZ WILSON-LAMB talks us through the ‘double-edged sword’ of the new EU procurement rules

Liz Wilson-Lamb is EU services manager at Achilles, one of the world’s largest service providers of global supply chain risk management solutions. www.achilles.com


Exemptions for sub-central bodiesNon-central government bodies, such as local authorities,

will now be able to use a process similar to that already

used in the utilities sector, which is EU regulated.

Procurement managers will be able to use a prior

information notice (PIN) as a call for competition in the

restricted or competitive procedure with negotiation without

the need to publish a notice in OJEU afterwards.

This enables public sector bodies to speed up the

procurement process, with shorter timescales for responses.

Shortlisting of suppliers for contracts Buyers will now only be able to specify that a potential

supplier’s minimum financial turnover is no more than two

times greater than the value of any contract. In addition,

buyers are also being encouraged to explain, in the call for

competition, why they decided not to divide large contracts

into lots; potentially creating a new avenue of challenge for

disgruntled losers.

These changes follow a series of complaints that

suppliers have been wrongly precluded from bidding for

contracts, due to demands for disproportionately high

turnover high figures.

There are also new rules around self-certification. In the

past, SMEs tendering for above threshold contracts were

required to provide evidence of compliance at the pre-

qualification stage. Now, they will only need to do so when

the contract is awarded.

Excluding suppliers from contractsBuyers have also been given additional clarity on what

are the permitted grounds for excluding bidders from a

tender process.

Suppliers can be shut out of a process where they

have shown “significant or persistent deficiencies in the

performance of a substantive requirement under a prior

public contract… which led to early termination, damages or

other comparable sanctions.”

Other new grounds for exclusion include involvement in

child labour, human trafficking, collusion with other bidders,

or attempts to influence or gain an advantage over a

tender process.

Buyers must, however, ensure they have a robust case

before they exclude any company which they feel may have

underperformed in the past.

Greater opportunities to negotiateThe new rules include three measures to improve

negotiation and dialogue.

First, there is a new “competitive procedure with

negotiation,” aimed at allowing more discussion with

suppliers. The principle is welcome but it comes with a

warning for buyers – minimum requirements and award

criteria are non – negotiable, and there are stringent

requirements to be followed, in line with the

Treaty principles.

There have also been amendments to the competitive

dialogue, and finally, “innovation partnerships,” have been

introduced. These would be used where authorities tender

for goods or services which are not currently available in

the market.

Speeding up the tender process

Mandatory time limits for tenders to be submitted have

been reduced, from 52 days to 35 in the open procedure

(or 30 if the process is electronic). In the restricted process,

it’s dropped from 40 to 30 (or 25 when electronic). For

competitive dialogue, the minimum requirement for receipt

of requests to participate is 30 days.

Management of contracts The new directives define more closely what constitutes

a ‘substantial’ or ‘material’ change to a contract to

protect suppliers from being un-necessarily precluded

from bidding for contracts. The risk of course is that the

actual contract being delivered is significantly different

to the one advertised. This constitutes a new contract

awarded without a call for competition and is a risk of

‘ineffectiveness,’ and can be cancelled by a court.

If an agreement changes substantially, then potentially,

buyers can be challenged. To protect themselves,

buyers must post a notice in the OJEU explaining

proposed changes. zz

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

l Read up on the new rules With a lucrative pipeline of work on the way and more opportunities for suppliers to challenge, buyers must protect themselves by knowing the new rules as soon as possible. With the risk of heavy penalties for a breach, it is worth investing in specialist training for teams involved in procurement and contract management. Although the directives are yet to be interpreted into UK law, it is likely that the courts may take a view that they should be moving in the direction of expected legislation.

l Go through your contracts with a fine tooth combBuying organisations need to be confident that their existing contracts and procedures are water tight and in line with expected legislative requirements.Organisations need to ensure there is no ambiguity over what is required from suppliers and they will have to check that the right processes are in place to prevent contracts from changing substantially over time. That can be challenging – particularly when those responsible for setting the contract, ensuring compliance and managing arrangements on an on-going basis are from different departments.

l Get ahead of the gameThe UK Government has 24 months to implement the new rules into its own legislation. However, the Cabinet Office has signalled its intent to complete this sooner, with a suggested deadline of six months.Smart buyers will update their processes now to ensure compliance by the due date. Even in the event of a challenge, it is helpful to show willing.

Top Tips for buyers


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Now in its tenth year, Infrarail always provides a

unique opportunity for companies serving the rail

infrastructure market to showcase their products

and services. At a time of continued investment

in the rail market, the exhibition positions itself as the place

for people from throughout the industry to meet face to

face, make connections and do business.

Infrarail exhibitions are held biennially and have

successfully served this market for nearly 20 years. At

Infrarail in 2012, over 210 exhibitors including Invensys

Rail, Rittal, Unipart Rail, Vital Rail and GGR Rail maximised

the business opportunities presented by over 4500

visitors. The 2014 event promised to offer another unique

opportunity for the rail infrastructure market to connect

against a backdrop of business generation, discussion

and innovation.

To add further interest for visitors, The Civil Infrastructure

and Technology Exhibition (CITE) was co-located with

Infrarail 2014 - making the largest infrastructure exhibition

held in the UK this year. CITE focused on infrastructure,

civil engineering, energy, geotechnical, tunnelling,

waste, water and utilities, while Infrarail focused on rail

infrastructure.

In addition to exhibitors’ stands, Infrarail 2014 included

dedicated display areas, as well as an extensive range of

supporting activities. These included programmes of free

technical seminars and keynote presentations that ran

throughout the show. On each day of Infrarail, a leading

influential figure delivered a keynote speech, starting

with an address by the Minister of State for Transport.

In addition, the rail engineer, published by Infrarail Media

Partner RailMedia, hosted a programme of seminars

by senior managers responsible for the implementation

of current UK rail projects and by representatives of

companies taking part in Infrarail highlighting developments

in technology.

Cleverly divided into sections - The Platform, The Track

and The Yard - Infrarail’s Hall offered a wide choice of

offerings for visitors. The Platform, hosted once again

by Rail Champions and this year in partnership with Rail

Technology Magazine, sought to engage, offer debate

and share insights into ‘gear changing’ principles that

business leaders should be adopting. It featured three new

expert panels, which were held over the three days of the

exhibition.

The Track displays were a key feature at Infrarail. Two

Infrarail 2014The UK’s definitive rail infrastructure event took place at Earls Court 2, London from 20th to 22nd May 2014


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzlengths of track were laid in the Hall where suppliers

displayed their products in situ. There is no better way to

experience a product than to see how it sits, works and

looks on track as it would in the field. The Track included

displays from Rosehill Rail, BCM and Tata Steel.

The Yard is where exhibitors had the opportunity to

display large machinery in a dedicated area. The Yard at

Infrarail brought the outdoors in, and gave companies

the opportunity to showcase equipment to thousands of

visitors.

Further additions to the Hall included the Rail Alliance

Hub, which was a dedicated area where members of

the Rail Alliance exhibited alongside one another and

promoted their products, services and innovations.

UK Trade & Investment, working in partnership with

the Railway Industry Association, also held a series of

Exports events at Infrarail for UK rail sector suppliers.

These events were open to all UK-based companies

and were free to attend, although prior registration was

essential.

Finally, The Recruitment Wall at Infrarail, powered by

RailwayPeople.com, offered visitors the opportunity to

search exhibitor vacancies live and find their next career

move. They were then able to visit the company’s stand

and discuss the vacancy directly.

A very popular part of this year’s event was the

Infrarail Awards dinner, which acknowledged exhibitors’

successes. Held on Wednesday 21 May, the Awards

were designed to recognise excellence within the

organisations that exhibit at Infrarail or CITE. The host

for the Infrarail & CITE Awards was football legend Kevin

Keegan, and demand for places was high - attendees

don’t have to be shortlisted to attend.

2014’s Infrarail promised to be a fascinating event

for anyone involved in the rail industry. As exhibition

manager Heidi Cotsworth notes: “With so much

investment in UK rail infrastructure, some of it looking

well ahead, business prospects for companies

supplying this market appear very promising. This tenth

Infrarail provides a great opportunity for firms seeking

a share of that business to present their capabilities

in an environment that the whole industry knows and

respects.” zz

Visit: www.infrarail.com for more details

The label guys Silver Fox, a leading UK manufacturer of labelling solutions, exhibited its solutions

for the rail industry at the 10th International Railway Infrastructure Exhibition (Infrarail

2014). On its exhibition stand, Silver Fox showcased its wide range of labelling

solutions but especially its Fox-Flo UV-stable, low smoke, zero halogen (LSZH) tie-on

cable labels. Independently verified as meeting tough, stringent standards with regard

to durability despite the most demanding of operating conditions, Fox-Flo labels

printed in conjunction with along with the Silver Fox Fox-in-a-Box Cable Label System

is approved for use by London Underground (LUL) – especially for labelling both low

and high voltage power cables.

According to Nick Michaelson, CEO of Silver Fox, the Silver Fox Tie-On cable marking

system is ideal for large cables and cable bundles - including use with nylon or

stainless steel cable ties – such as are used in the rail industry. For example, they are

used on LUL compliant cable labels for power, co-axial and fire alarm cables.

He added: “At a time of continued investment in rail, Infrarail 2014 provided

an excellent opportunity for companies, such as Silver Fox, that serve the rail

infrastructure market to showcase their products and services. We were delighted to

be heading to Earl’s Court for this event.”

Visit Silver Fox on stand H66

Pillar of strengthLucy Zodion Ltd is a leader in the design and manufacture of pre-wired, customised

feeder pillars and distribution panels to the UK rail industry. It additionally provides

exterior lighting control solutions. With a choice of finishes and base materials, the

Lucy Zodion range of pillars is able to withstand a variety of hostile climatic conditions

for extended periods of time, virtually maintenance free. If a particular application

requires a tailored product, the company engages its design and engineering services

to create a bespoke solution. Its product range now also includes the innovative

DistRX distribution panel and the Westminster retractable power pillars.

Visit Lucy Zodion on stand F51

Gain the advantageInstarmac Group is home to a portfolio of fast, contractor-friendly repair and

maintenance products for the rail, road and transport sectors. Its products for the

installation and maintenance of kerbs, sleepers, public facilities, platforms, paving and

pedestrian areas have all been developed and manufactured in the UK with fast set

times and contractor-friendly application.

At Infrarail Instarmac intended to portray how such repair materials can be used

to the contractor’s advantage - minimising possession times and ensuring first

time permanent repairs. Visitors could view products from this experienced British

manufacturer and see how rail industry specialists can benefit from fast project

turnarounds.

Visit Instarmac Group on stand B63

Tools of the trade

Jafco Tools is an established manufacturer of specialist insulated & non-insulated

railway track tools. Over the last 25 year it has developed a comprehensive range of

track tools in partnership with London Underground and Network Rail.

The Jafco stand at Infrarail featured new and existing products to include the

following: open jaw spanners, tee spanners, slewing bars, ballast & trackside tools,

keying hammers, jack handles, manipulating tools, punches/sets, line scraper, point

cleaner, spanapullers, hook switch poles, short circuit bar, trough lid tilter, torque

wrench, long handled grafters and vegetation tools.

Visit Jafco on stand D11

Exhibitor focus

Facilities investment l Investment in new and improved facilities at 23 different stations

on the East Midlands Trains network has delivered a wide range

of benefits for passengers including around 800 additional cycle

spaces, better waiting facilities, new seating and refurbished toilets.

Larger scale investment has seen the complete refurbishment of

ticket offices at Lincoln and Market Harborough and additional ticket

machines at Nottingham and Sheffield.

Andy Moore, head of stations for East Midlands Trains, said: “As

well as working on the larger station schemes, such as Nottingham,

our teams have been busy working on a range of improvements to

stations right across our network. We’ve invested over

£1.5 million over the past year to deliver better station facilities with

extra bike spaces, better toilets and improved waiting areas. We’ve

also completed a number of accessibility improvement schemes

providing accessible toilets, better station entrances and tactile

maps to help visually impaired passengers find their way around our

stations more easily.

“This has been a great start to the year, and we’re sure

passengers will welcome this significant investment in our stations.

There’s still plenty to come for the year ahead however, with the

major improvements at Nottingham, opening of three major new

cycle hubs, Kettering station’s First Class Lounge and further station

accessibility improvements to look forward to.”


Raising the roof l Morgan Sindall has installed the first of 15 curved steel ribs

for the ultra-modern new roof at Manchester Victoria Station.

The project is part of a £44 million investment by Network

Rail to create a modern station environment while retaining

the building’s Grade II listed features.

The team used a goliath sized 1200 tonne crane, of which

only one of its type is available in the UK at any one time, to

lift two of the 1.2 metre deep and 0.5 metre wide ribs over

a city tram route and onto 18 metre high columns and four

metre high buttresses.

Nick Fletcher, managing director of civil engineering at

Morgan Sindall, said: “We are delighted to be working with

Network Rail on this prestigious scheme to enhance the

historic station structure and improve passengers’ journeys.”

The new roof structure itself has been designed to allow

natural daylight to flood into the station through the use of

lightweight, transparent ETFE – the material used at Piccadilly

station in London, the Eden Project in Cornwall and the

swimming pool built for the Beijing Olympics, known as the

Water Cube.

Elegant façade l London and Rotterdam based architecture firm, Maccreanor

Lavington has completed a major new metro station in

Amsterdam, Netherlands. Work on the new 550m² station and

1880m² platform in the neighbourhood of Bijlmermeer started in

2010, and it sits on the site of the original station, built in 1970.

The metro station features a ground level entrance with new

escalators to take passengers up to the platforms, a major

improvement for citizens as the old station only had stairs. The

ground level entrance provides the main focal point of the station

with an elegant stainless steel façade with a floral design. The

laser cut design allows plenty of natural light to flow through the

entrance, helping the passenger journey to seamlessly flow from

the external surroundings into the station.

At night time the design allows the station to be a lantern for the

local neighbourhood, creating a sense of warmth on street level

and creating an instantly recognisable feature for the station. The

architects’ chose stainless steel for the external façade due to its

durability and low maintenance enabling the station not to need

constant upkeep.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Stations


Copy

right

© E

urot

unne

lzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Industry

Eurotunnel slashes rail freight charges

l In the year that Eurotunnel celebrated the 20th anniversary of its opening, the organisation

has committed to significantly reducing the charges for rail freight services through the tunnel.

The changes, which take effect from June 2014, will see tolls for the ‘off peak’ period,

when most freight traffic operates, cut by 25% compared to 2013 levels. There will be no

further increase until at least 2018.

Eurotunnel’s ETICA incentive scheme, launched in May last year to encourage the start

up of new intermodal freight services, is also being enhanced. New freight rail services will

receive an average overall discount of 35 to 40 per cent and the programme will be extended

to five new categories.

Maggie Simpson, executive director of Rail Freight Group commented: “This is good

news for rail freight and will help deliver a growth in services through the Channel Tunnel.

This offers significant benefits to businesses in the UK seeking efficient, affordable and

environmentally sound transport links.”

Rail freight through the tunnel rose by 10 per cent in 2013, and by 13 per cent in the first

quarter of 2014.

Pamplona acquires Beacon Rail Leasing

l London-based

investment group Pamplona

Capital Management has

acquired British rolling stock

leasing company Beacon

Rail Leasing from BTMU

Capital Corporation, a

subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ

Financial Group.

The deal, which includes

commitments to firm

future orders for

locomotives, is worth

around $US 450 million.

Headquartered in London

with additional offices in

Boston and Rotterdam,

Beacon’s current assets

include 77 locomotives,

632 freight wagons, and

20 passenger train units

on lease in the UK, France,

Belgium, Norway, Sweden

and Germany.

In addition, the company

has ordered 15 diesel-

electric and 10 dual

mode locomotives from

Vossloh for lease to Direct

Rail Services in the UK.

These locomotives will be

delivered from 2014 through

2016, increasing Beacon’s

locomotive portfolio to

102 units.

Beacon currently serves

three of the top freight

operators in the UK

as well as RheinCargo

from Germany, France’s

Europorte and VFLI, and

Norway’s CargoNet.

Ted Gaffney, President

of Beacon, will continue

to lead the company

supported by the existing

management team.

Rail freight delivers £1.5 billion to UK economy

l British businesses are saving £1 billion a year – or £2.7 million a day – by using rail to transport goods,

according to a new report published by the Rail Delivery Group.

Based on analysis carried out by accountants KPMG, the report reveals that a further £500 million a year

of economic, environmental and social benefits are derived directly from decreasing the number of lorries

on the roads, and over 7.6 million road journeys were saved last year alone.

Investment in freight rail since the mid 90s has, for example, resulted in more efficient, longer trains, each

carrying an average of 50 per cent more cargo than 10 years ago. This has played a part in growing rail

freight by 70 per cent over that period.

The sector is now recognised as vital to Britain’s economic competitiveness, transporting over £30 billion

worth of goods a year from supermarket groceries and premium whiskies to over half the fuel delivered to

power stations to generate electricity.

Peter Maybury, chairman of Freightliner and the RDG freight group, said: “Rail freight has been

transformed over the past two decades and is set to keep growing. By continuing to drive efficiency and

improve performance, operators could help more than double the size of the sector over the next three

decades and increase the economic benefits of rail freight to over £4 billion a year.”

Rail journeys continue to risel The total number of rail passenger journeys across England, Scotland and

Wales increased by 3.3 per cent over the past year to 1.27 billion, according to

figures from the Office for Rail Regulation (ORR), and now stand at more than

double the number of journeys in 1995-1995.

Other key findings from the Regional Usage Profiles are: journeys between

regions increased by 2.7 per cent, largely driven by journeys to and from London.

Journeys wholly within regions rose by 3.6 per cent, boosted by the huge

6.3 per cent increase in London, and 4.2 per cent rise in the east of England.

Industry eyes £32million savingsl The first in a range of new resources is now available through the

RSSB to help rail sector companies understand and tackle health and

wellbeing issues. The human and economic costs of compromised

health are well documented and recognised, and it is estimated that

by working collaboratively across the industry to address health and

wellbeing the sector could save £32 million a year.

This programme, managed by RSSB, is a collaborative effort on

behalf of Network Rail, train and freight operators, rolling stock leasing

companies, infrastructure companies and suppliers, and supported by

the Office of Rail Regulation.

The first publications in the programme are available from the RSSB

website, and include six booklets supporting the development of health

policies, and five pieces of supporting research.

At the launch, RSSB chief executive Chris Fenton said: “The

material we’re publishing today will help individual rail businesses

to manage health and wellbeing issues among their staff, including

having a pro-active health policy, surveillance and screening, managing

mental health and stress, getting people back to productive work and

employee wellness.”

A new cross-industry policy group will be set up to drive

improvements forward.

www.rssb.co.uk

Record order from South Africal Intelligent drives specialist, Voith, has received an order for 4,800

Scharfenberg couplers for 600 new passenger trains in South Africa.

This is the largest single order for Scharfenberg couplers in the

company’s history. The couplers will be fitted to new model series

X’Trapolis Mega passenger trains from Alstom, which are being built in

South Africa.

The couplers will be delivered over a period of ten years starting in

autumn 2014.

PRASA, the state owned Passenger Rail Agency of South

Africa, intends to exchange out-of-date suburban trains in Pretoria,

Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, and will procure more than

7,000 rail vehicles over the next 20 years.

Gatwick Express reaches 30l Gatwick Express, Britain’s first dedicated airport

service, began carrying airport passengers on 10 May

1984, and has carried around 70 million passengers

over the intervening years. That equates to around

46 million miles of journeys – or nearly 100 trips to the

moon and back.

New chair for IMechE railway divisionl The incoming chair of the Railway Division of IMechE,

Professor Simon Iwnicki, plans to focus his attention on

promoting engineering among the young during his year

in office.

Due to take up the post in June, Professor Iwnicki

heads the expanding Institute of Railway Research (IRR),

based at the University of Huddersfield. The Institute

will soon be the home for the £20 million Government

funded Centre for Innovation in Rail.

“My theme for the year (as chairman) will be

education of the next generation of engineers,” he said.

“This issue is becoming really important to engineering,

especially railway engineering. There is a tremendous

skills shortage and we at the IMechE need to try to

address that.”

Professor Simon Iwnicki

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry



David Dickson becomes route MD for Scotland

l Network Rail has

appointed David

Dickson to the post

of route managing

director for Scotland.

David has worked

for Network Rail for

12 years, and has

previously been

director for the

west of Scotland.

In this new post he will be responsible for the

day-to-day operation and maintenance of the

railway as well as delivering ambitious plans to

enhance the network.

Commenting on his appointment, David

said: “I’m exceptionally proud to have the

opportunity to take on the role of route

managing director as we enter what will be a

unique and exciting time for Scotland’s railway.”

With a degree in mechanical engineering from

the University of Glasgow, David spent

14 years with the Weir Group before entering

the rail industry.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Appointments

David Strahan to move to Translinkl The Northern Ireland Transport Holding

Company has appointed David Strahan as

group chief executive of Translink. Strahan is

currently chief executive of Dee Valley Group

plc which supplies drinking water to domestic

and business customers in north east Wales

and the north west of England. Prior to

that, he was managing director of Phoenix

Supply Ltd, the largest natural gas supplier in

Northern Ireland.

Making the announcement, NITHC

Chairman Mr. John Trethowan said: “We

are delighted with this appointment which

follows a competition that attracted significant

interest and a very high calibre field. In David

Strahan we are confident that we have found

a skilled and experienced individual and the

right person to lead Translink, one of Northern

Ireland’s most high profile businesses which

provides an essential service to so many.

The date at which he takes up the post is

yet to be announced. In the interim, Gordon

Milligan will continue to act as group

chief executive.

Arriva’s Steve Murphy to join MTR Corporation

l Steve

Murphy will be

joining MTR

Corporation as

chief operating

officer –

European

business,

reporting

to Jeremy

Long, CEO-

European

business.

He will be coming from Arriva where

he was COO UK Rail. Prior to that, he

led the successful London Overground

concession as managing director from

start-up in 2007 to 2012. He will be taking

up the post in August 2014.

Commenting on the appointment

Jeremy Long said: “We are very pleased

that Steve is joining us. Steve will bring

considerable operational experience and

knowledge to our current business in

London and Stockholm, and will play a

leading role in our development plans.”

Network Rail Consulting appoints new director

l Network Rail

Consulting has

appointed Andy

Harrison as director

of signalling and

control systems

to lead its delivery

of assignments in

asset management,

maintenance and

renewal programmes.

A chartered engineer, Andy has spent the last

thirty years working for international companies

such as Invensys Rail, Ansaldo STS and

Praxis Critical Systems, delivering large-scale

projects. His experience includes the technical

management and leadership of railway

signalling and control systems through the

design, development application and project

delivery of novel safety critical technology.

Nigel Ash, Network Rail Consulting’s

managing director, said: “Andy is passionate

about railway systems and a dynamic leader.

I am delighted to have him on board and have

no doubt that he will assist in adding further

success to Network Rail Consulting.”

BIM expert Paul Clark-Edwards joins Mott MacDonald

l Mott MacDonald

has appointed Paul

Clark-Edwards as

building information

modelling (BIM)

practice leader for

its transportation

business. Paul

will develop and

implement the

consultancy’s BIM strategy of using the

technology and process as the preferred

method for project delivery.

Paul has extensive experience of BIM at

Parsons Brinckerhoff where he worked on

Qatar Rail’s development programme and as

BIM manager and co-ordinator for London

Underground (LU).

Paul Norris, director of Mott MacDonald’s

metros and civil business, said: “Paul has a

proven track record of implementing large

programmes of work in the field of BIM. His

ability to balance the multiple aspects of BIM

and deliver advanced project support ensures

a, robust, trust based and collaborative

BIM process.”

New programme director for Crossrail

l Crossrail has

announced the

appointment of

Simon Wright

to the post of

programme

director. Simon is

currently project

development

director at

Network Rail, and brings considerable

experience with him. Prior to this, he was

director of infrastructure and utilities with the

Olympic Delivery Authority.

Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail chief

executive said: “Simon Wright is an

outstanding candidate who successfully

led the delivery and commissioning of the

infrastructure for the London Olympic and

Paralympic Games; Crossrail will benefit

enormously from his knowledge and

expertise.”

He will take up his new position with

Crossrail role this summer.


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzKONECRANES UK

Indeed for more than 80 years, Konecranes has been

dedicated to improving both efficiency and performance

by providing businesses with cranes, lifting products

and services that they can trust. As a truly global

organisation, Konecranes can provide access to a unique

source of experience and knowledge which, when combined

with local know-how, effectively enhances the lifting

solutions on offer, whilst reducing downtime and increasing

productivity in the process.

Here in the UK Konecranes provides a truly national

service to the rail and intermodal sector. Alongside its UK

Head Office and Parts operation based in Castle Donington,

Konecranes operates a crane manufacturing plant in East

Kilbride, Scotland, not to mention one of the country’s most

extensive crane service networks. What’s more, such is the

depth of Konecranes’ experience with the lifting and material

handling field that customers can also tap into increasingly

popular crane modernisation programmes, whilst also

benefitting from a centralised machine tool service operation.

All in all, and as can be seen below, it is the constituent

parts that serve to make the whole, and which enables

Konecranes to provide comprehensive and performance

driven solutions that can be seamlessly integrated into any

type of customer process.

IntermodalIt goes without saying that Konecranes recognises the

strategic importance intermodal freight transport will play

in the future of the global transportation industry, so much

so that last year Konecranes organised its first ever UK

Intermodal Seminar – ‘Tracks To Success’.

The seminar was hailed a huge success as it served to

reaffirm Konecranes’ capabilities as an already established

equipment and service provider across a number of global

intermodal terminals. And with cranes and lifting equipment

forming an integral part of all future intermodal locations,

Konecranes used the platform to stress the need for end-

users, project managers, designers and contractors to

engage lifting equipment specialists at every stage of the

design, build, commissioning and operational process.

Rail/Intermodal equipmentKonecranes’ offering for the rail intermodal container

handling sector includes Rail Mounted Gantry (RMG)

Konecranes - lifting business like never beforeAs a world-leading group of lifting businesses, it comes as little surprise that Konecranes serves a diverse range of industries,

including manufacturing and processing, automotive, shipyards, ports and terminals, nuclear, waste to energy and, of course, rail. And regardless of a customer’s lifting needs, Konecranes is committed to providing effective and cost-efficient

equipment solutions that serve to add real value to businesses.


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzand safety standard

advances, but at a

fraction of the cost.

Such schemes

broadly fall into one of

two categories:

pre-engineered upgrades

and engineered crane modernisations. Within

the former process, Konecranes offers upgrades and

smaller improvements that can be applied to equipment

conveniently at a customer’s site or sites. These upgrade

services improve the functionality of the cranes, therefore

cutting down on the incidence of repeated failures that

often result in inconvenient downtime and associated

increase in cost.

Engineered modernisations are projects for overhead

cranes and port cranes. Here experts in crane electrics,

mechanics, and automation combine to deliver a complete

and often turnkey solution.

Centralised machine tool service

Serving to optimise all important customer response times,

Konecranes has also recently centralised its North and

South Machine Tool Service operations within its main

crane-manufacturing site in East Kilbride and at its Head

Office location in Castle Donington.

With a support team of over 20 skilled technicians, the

division is responsible for providing a diverse range of

customised maintenance and improvement solutions for

customers covering all types and brands of machine tools.

Parts first

Based at Konecranes’ Head Office in Castle Donington, the

UK parts operation accommodates some 5,000 individual

and immediately available items that translates into a parts

stock inventory of more than £1million. The Konecranes UK

parts operation is co-ordinated by a 23-strong team that

helps support a 24-hour emergency call out service.

Investment in training

Recognising the importance of training across all aspects

of its business, Konecranes operates a state-of-the-art

training centre located at its UK headquarters in Castle

Donington. Serving to set benchmark industry standards,

this latest facility is one of the most advanced across

Konecranes’ 48 worldwide locations.

As Pat Campbell, Konecranes’ Director of Market

Area – West Europe, states: “Across all aspects of the

Konecranes’ business here in the UK and Europe, the

future looks extremely healthy. The overall picture is one of

continued investment in the depth of product and service

provision that we are constantly and dynamically adapting

to meet the ever-changing needs of customers. At the

same time, we are working equally as hard in the fields of

education and training and health and safety, which will

contribute to ensuring Konecranes retains its competitive

edge in a world of fast moving change.” zz

cranes, man-driven or automated for accurate, smooth

and efficient container handling in intermodal locations with

high throughput.

Also available are Rubber Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes

with patented Active Load Control technology that

eliminates container sway. Such cranes are an excellent

fit for intermodal operations that are too big for reach

stackers, but too small for RMGs.

Konecranes also provides reach stackers and container

lift trucks for both laden and unladen container handling.

Konecranes lift trucks have a wide range of appreciated

standard features including an ergonomic cabin, load-

sensing hydraulics and a strongbox chassis. They also

include a wide range of optional features such as hybrid

power and engine start/stop.

Finally, Konecranes straddle carriers can prove an

excellent choice for intermodal handling thanks to their

proven manoeuvrability and low power consumption.

Industrial cranes

When it comes to industrial cranes, Konecranes sets

the industry benchmark for safety, reliability, cost saving

and productivity-enhancing innovation. Designed and

manufactured at Konecranes’ UK plant in East Kilbride

comes an almost infinite range of overhead cranes. Add in

standard heavy-duty cranes that include electric overhead

cranes up to 1,000+ tons and explosion-proof cranes and

components, and a true picture capability wise begins

to emerge. But that’s not all, as customers can tap into

workstation lifting systems by specifying ceiling-mounted

monorails and free standing cranes systems, jib cranes

and manual lifting products, not to mention electric chain

hoists that operate up to 7500 kg.

Crane service

In addition to the supply of lifting equipment, Konecranes

is revered for the magnitude of its in-the-field service

operation that centres on a 250-strong team of highly

experienced technicians that operate from a network

of 12 crane service locations. It is through this process

that customers can gain access to an extensive range of

services and unique capabilities dedicated to improving

safety, whilst helping decrease the cost of downtime and

increase the productivity of uptime.

Most recently, Konecranes’ customers have benefited

from the introduction of such innovative services as remote

monitoring and reporting tools, such as TRUCONNECT®.

Also on offer is a range of safety and maintenance surveys,

such RailQ Runway Surveys, Crane Geometric Survey and

Wire Rope Non-Destructive Testing.

Modernisations on the increase Konecranes is also reporting a marked rise in the

popularity of crane modernisation programmes, as

more and more customers begin realising the benefits of

tapping into a process that can prove to be an effective

tool in providing the latest crane productivity, technology

To find out more information on any of the products or services mentioned in this article please contact Konecranes via your preferred channel:

Website: www.konecranes.co.uk Email: [email protected]: 0844 324 6599 Twitter: @KonecranesUK


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzRPA Dublin – luAs TRAm

T he RPA was established in Dublin on

28 December 2001 and is today responsible for

the city’s light railway and metro lines. Dublin’s light

railway system is known as Luas (the Gaelic for

speed), which today operates two main lines with several

extensions planned and underway. The roots of the project

to deliver an effective light railway system to the city

date back to April 1994, when the Dublin Transportation

Initiative (DTI) issued a report detailing clearly defined

transportation, land use and environmental objectives

for the greater Dublin area. Initially,Córas Iompair Éireann

( CIÉ) the Irish transport semi-state company was

commissioned to begin the preliminary development

process of a light railway system before the project was

handed to RPA, which subsumed the role and held its first

board meeting in January 2002.

In accordance with its remit that came into effect with

the passing of the Railway Infrastructure Act, 2001, RPA

has worked to secure the provision of light railway and

metro infrastructure as determined by the Minster for

Transport. Following several studies including feasibility

studies in operating the Dublin Metro as a Public-Private

Partnership (PPP), RPA has developed several key

networks throughout Dublin. “We have achieved a lot since

we were first set up,” comments director of design and

construction, Pat O’Donoghue. “We have delivered five

lines since we were set up. We opened the Luas Green

Line in June 2004 and the next line in was the Red Line,

which was opened in September 2004.”

Although some concerns were raised concerning the

impact of the construction of the line on local businesses,

Luas has been very well received by the general public and

the local business community for greatly easing access

to the city. In the wake of this success RPA has since

continued to develop the line with significant backing, as

Pat explains: “This has been done in line with the political

support that we have received in light of the early success

of the project. We opened an extension to the Red Line

Rapid access Since it was opened during 2004, Dublin’s Luas tram has been a great success. Today the line’s developers, Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) Dublin is dedicated to providing the city with an extended service

Taney Bridge


http://www.transdevplc.co.uk/

information systems, stops equipment such as CCTV

and audio, vehicle location systems for communication

between the city’s traffic lights and our trams so that our

trams are given priority to ensure a reliable service. We are

currently out to tender for the main infrastructure contract,

which represents all of the more physical type work such

as tracks, stops that the public will see on the streets. The

tender is due back for that later this year.”

The Luas system has been a huge success for Dublin

and is set to be even more so during the coming years.

Once the current extensions are finalised RPA will consider

further developments subject to the decisions made by the

Department of Transport in the future. Regardless of how

the line develops, RPA is confident that Luas will continue

to be a success and a source of pride for Dublin as Pat

concludes: “We broke the 30 million barrier of passengers

in 2013 and we had a little celebration with that and we

have continued to grow. Overall the support has been very

positive for the Luas system, I think that initially there was

an issue with people being able to identify what the system

was before it was delivered but today I think we can be very

proud of the way the system has performed.” zz

www.rpa.iein December 2009 and then we extended the Green

Lne southward in October 2010. We also opened another

extension on the Red Line in on July 2nd 2011. It was a

great time to be involved in light rail in Dublin and all of

those things progressed very well.”

The most recent development to the Luas System is

the ongoing construction of a 5.6 kilometre extension to

join the Green and Red Lines that will allow for a greater

flexibility in journeys and even greater access to Dublin’s

shopping districts and city centre. “The big advantage

from the customer point of view will be the network effect,”

Pat elaborates. “Once we begin to join up more of the

system it will begin to create a wide range of routes for

passengers to follow. This will make it much easier to

make a trip from the south to the west of the city. The way

the lines were originally built meant if passengers come in

on the Green Line they would end up in Saint Stephen’s

Green. The walk to the Red Line takes commuters to

another part of the city, which can take as much as

15 minutes to walk. The other key benefit of the new

connection will be to connect the north and the south side

of Dublin, which is something that business interests in the

area have been very keen to see.”

Work to prepare the proposed route for the new

connecting lines commenced in 2013 and later during

January 2014 it was announced that five companies

have been shortlisted to undertake the project’s main

infrastructure works. Once a final decision has been

made, work is expected to go ahead during 2015 and is

scheduled to be completed in 2017. Furthermore RPA

has selected a contractor to provide the extension’s

information systems, as Pat explains: “We have exercised

an option to a company called Efacec to do all our

information systems, including items such as passenger

Testing and Commissioning Luas Cherrywood


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzRPA Dublin – luAs TRAm

Substation Construction

http://www.mottmac.com

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Henry Williams


bar is a full assembly and is a really impressive piece of kit.

We are manufacturing the brackets for those and there

will be 40,000 new stretcher bars in total with four forged

components in each of them.”

Henry William’s electronics fabrication department

produces a wide range of products from signalman’s

desks, through to disconnection boxes and signalling

Locations and Switchgear. An important aspect of the

company’s fabrication process is the application of a

recently developed electrically insulating coating (EIC)

to overcome a range of challenges encountered during

the installation, maintenance and protection of power

distribution equipment.

The company’s electronics division provides products

including programmable logic controller systems (PLC) for

level crossings and control systems including the Henry

Williams Domino system. “I think that power is really the

big thing that we have moved into,” Steve says. “We are

currently producing over 400 functional supply points (FSP

03) and because of the EIC we have gone into Network

Rail’s ClassII signalling power distribution system in a big

Controlled solutionsFor over 130 years Henry Williams has operated as a leading provider of control

and signalling equipment for the railway industry and beyond

The company was founded in 1883 to meet the

needs of the rapidly growing railways network.

Originally the company was established with five

patents relating to the railway industry and today the

firm has grown to incorporate a host of products that are

applied within the railways, forgings, highways and control

systems. The company is based in Darlington where it has

been based since 1911, its current premises occupies

almost 10,000 square metres on a site covering four

hectares in total.

Although railway remains at the heart of the business,

Henry Williams currently delivers solutions to a host of

industries through its three main business areas that are

comprised of its forging, electrical and fabrication divisions.

Commenting on the scope of the company’s forge

operations sales director, Steve Cotton says: “We forge for

the oil and gas industry through to railways, we produce

such diverse things are door handles for submarines

and piston rods for mining. Of course we continue to

produce fishplates for rails and we are also forging parts

for Network Rail’s new stretcher bar. The new stretcher


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

way. We have developed SafeBox as a ClassII switch box

to be used on the 650V power system.”

The SafeBox is a robust metal enclosure for signalling

power distribution units that combines electrical insulation

and impact protection from outside threats such a

vandalism and cable theft. SafeBox was developed with

input from engineers, installers and maintainers and is

Class 378 train at Norwood Junction on the East London Line, South stations

http://www.pressedparts.com


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Henry Williams zz

designed to be insulated, impact proof and durable with

a long-serving lifespan of 40 years. “SafeBox is sturdy

enough that you could hit it with a sledgehammer and it

would withstand the blow. The coating that we use on

the casing is an anti-vandal coating meaning that if it is

attacked with a hammer and chisel it will blunt the chisel

before the box is damaged, it is a pretty robust piece of

kit. Unfortunately cable theft does still occur but another

advantage of SafeBox is that it allows Network Rail to

move from three core to two core power distribution,

which is what the move to class two is all about. So that is

a reduction of a third of the cost of purchasing cable and

installation to begin with.”

Today SafeBox is a Network Rail approved technology,

which indicates that it meets the company’s rigorous

standards in safety, suitability and compatibility with

existing rail infrastructure. The system is also designed to

incorporate cable segregation, which means that cable can

be changed while the system is still live and the railway is

running. Furthermore if there is a theft of a section of cable,

the network is still able to run, meaning that that network

will not grind to a halt while the problem is addressed.

Presently Henry Williams is engaged in contracts

for London North West (LNW) and London North East

(LNE), where it is installing FSP units for Network Rail.

Additionally during 2014 Henry Williams was awarded a

large contract for the Scottish rail region to provide 650

volt power supplies, which is also on behalf of Network

Rail. Commenting on Henry William’s close collaboration

with Network Rail, Steve says: “The move within Network

Rail is from copper to aluminium cable, which is more like

a solid bar that feeds into the box. Our next generation of

SafeBox is plug and play, to be used with solid aluminium

cable looks and that will plug by using flexible ‘Tails’ into

the box. This will result in less time on site when installing

FSP systems. We have worked closely with Network Rail

to make sure that as they evolve, we have the tools that

they need to achieve the required change.”

In undertaking repeat contracts for the likes of

Network Rail, Henry Williams has earned a highly

regarded reputation that allows long-lasting relationships

with clients. Furthermore the company works with some

of the UK’s principle contractors including VolkerRail

and Amey. “We have a good relationship with VolkerRail

and Amey, who were crucial in providing feedback that

helped us to develop the company’s products,” says

Steve. “For Henry Williams the approach will be to

continue to evolve and improve on our power supply

systems, we want to make these quicker and easier to

install. In the longer term we will be looking to develop

products that help to drive trains, so with in the next four

to five years we will have products on board trains. That

is really the next evolution,” he concludes. zz

www.hwilliams.co.uk

http://www.dpfasteners.co.uk


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzSoutheaStern

Southeastern runs train services into London from

Kent and East Sussex and its network includes the

high-speed Javelin service from London St Pancras

to Ashford International. The company operates

2000 trains, carrying more than 570,000 passengers every

day, serving 179 stations. Its joint venture owner, Govia, is

the UK’s busiest rail operator, responsible for 28.7 per cent

of UK passenger rail journeys. It successfully delivered

transportation for millions of passengers during the

London 2012 Olympic Games, as well as introducing and

extending the UK’s first domestic high speed service.

In the 2014 National Rail Passenger Survey,

Southeastern was awarded 84 per cent for overall

satisfaction, with its high-speed service scoring 95 per

cent satisfaction. However, the company has faced a

series of challenges on its network over the past six

months. Exceptional weather conditions presented a real

issue for transport with flooding and landslips caused by

the heaviest rainfall for 250 years. “Southeastern worked

hard to keep passengers on the move and communicating

effectively, offering record levels of compensation to

customers and working with Network Rail to resolve

Mark Johnson

infrastructure issues,” says Mark Johnson, engineering

director. Despite the bad weather, performance remains

strong and passenger numbers continue to grow.

“As an operator, efficiency and reduction in the overall

cost of maintenance are key considerations. Overhaul

programmes of major heavy components such as the

bogie and drive chain systems are one of the biggest

maintenance projects we undertake. In respect to

maintenance extensions careful consideration needs to

be taken on the effects these extensions have on the

sub components of a system, for example bearing within

the bogie and drive chain system. Failure of this type of

component are largely not visible until the bearing has

started to fail resulting in significant levels of disruption

during the occurrence and the recovery back to depot,”

explains Mark. Monitoring bearing degradation became a

topic of study for Southeastern.

In conjunction with Bombardier, Southeastern engaged

with Perpetuum, a provider of technology in the form

of vibration energy harvesters (VEH) and organised a

trial using the specially modified VEH on the Electrostar

units. Positive trial results result led to fitment across

the full fleet giving real time data on the status of every

bearing on the fleet, as Mark says: “The onboard nodes

are a ‘fit and forget’ wireless system, self-powered with

no specific upkeep. The innovative power harvesters

convert vibration energy into electrical energy to power

the sensors and communications from the bogie mounted

units bringing installation time down to 15 minutes per

wireless sensor node.”

The vibration harvesting system, deployed to measure

bearing degradation on the trains is already bringing

improvements to Southeastern’s maintenance planning,

reducing costs and preventing operational incidents. This

technology has allowed Southeastern engineers to take

a more proactive approach, predicting potential bearing

issues up to three months before they occur. As a result

it has changed from a periodic maintenance schedule

for the fleet to condition-based maintenance, resulting

in better planning and less disruption to passengers.

Due South As it looks to extend its franchise to 2018,

Southeastern has, over the last few years, achieved the best-ever punctuality and reliability performance on the London and South East network and invested

in improving stations and rolling stock


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzby rail over the past eight years. We expect this trend to

continue and we are working to ensure the demand can

be met.

“The immediate focus for Southeastern over the

coming months is securing the new franchise period

and enhancing our customer service. Driving forward

innovation and finding new ways to resolve the challenges

that we face to ensure customer satisfaction remains

at the centre of everything that we do,” explains Mark.

Further ahead the business recognises that one of its

key challenges is the Thameslink Programme, rebuilding

London Bridge station. The £6.5 billion improvements

taking place at the station will cause major disruption

to train services running through it and Southeastern is

planning timetable changes and an extensive programme

to communicate the impact to its customers as a result,

as Mark forecasts: “The first changes will take effect

in January 2015, when Charing Cross services will be

diverted for 18 months. Further changes to Cannon Street

services will then come into effect and remain in place until

completion of work in early 2018.” zz

www.southeasternrailway.co.uk

Unipart Rail Unipart Rail is an important partner with Southeastern and Angel trains - working together to overcome some of the issues caused by obsolescent parts and components. A working party was established in 2013 to identify obsolete products and put processes in place to minimise the risk to the operation of the fleet. This type of collaboration is key to the Obsolescence Management service that is provided by Unipart Rail for TOCs and ROSCOs to ensure that potential problems are resolved efficiently.

Reduction in costThe system will remain an ongoing venture having

identified further benefits in refining the technology. At

present, train wheels are examined every 15,000 miles

and all wheels are checked for faults. The system is

being developed to identify faults and further wheel tread

condition using the live data with a view of enacting a

more effective wheel profiling regieme or according to

the actual condition.

Working closely with Network Rail, Southeastern

continues to meet the challenges of operating on the

complex network of services, delivering a smoother

service and quicker service recovery that puts

passengers first. The business also has a team of

well-trained personnel, attributed to its investment of

more than £14 million in training and development.

“We are the only train operator to be recognised with

Champion Investors in People (IiP) status, putting us

among the top one per cent of companies within the

UK for best practice in strategic leadership and people

management,” highlights Mark.

Confronted with several challenges including

increasing capacity, improving efficiency, removing

cost, managing through periods of major infrastructure

improvements and modernisation, the business strives

to meet the demands as well as developing creative

solutions from other industries. “There has been

significant growth in the number of passengers travelling

Mark Johnson

http://www.unipartrail.com/scm/


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzSilicone engineering ltd

T he company was founded in 1959 as a

manufacturer dedicated solely to the production

of silicone rubber products and today Silicone

Engineering maintains its original vision, producing

silicone rubber products in sheet, extrusion and moulded

form. Since it was founded the company has grown to

represent a global force with a central manufacturing

plant and head office based in Blackburn, UK and sales

offices located in France and North America. From

these locations the company serves a broad market

demographic comprised of applications within the

automotive, aerospace, construction, energy, food and

drink, mass transit and agriculture and dairy industries.

Five decades of industry experience has allowed the

company to develop industry leading silicone rubber

products to meet the exacting standards of its clients

and to satisfy the toughest specifications and standards.

One example of this includes the LCH (low combustion

hazard) product range. “The range has low smoke and

low toxicity properties,” explains Antony Peel, marketing

director. “It was developed in 1990 in response to the

King’s Cross underground disaster in 1987. Silicone

Engineering has designed a range of silicone rubber

products in the LCH material in collaboration with some of

the biggest names in the rail rolling stock arena.”

The company is dedicated to releasing new products

that meet the changing requirements of its clients. As

such its LCH line of products commonly used within

the rail industry includes suraSil™LCH, a solid extrusion

material for use in profiles, expanSil™LCH a sponge

extrusion material for sections and cords, kSil™LCH a

solid silicone sheeting for gaskets and kSil™LCHx, which

is a sponge silicone sheeting for gaskets. An important

development in the company’s product line was the

introduction of calendered sheeting in 1996 allowing for

the production of smooth sheet silicone. Today Silicone

Engineering employs six calendering lines, which allow it

to maintain high levels of output.

“Being one of the largest consumers of HCR silicone

in Europe, processing in excess of 2000 tonnes per

annum, through 50 years of processing and material

expertise Silicone Engineering has gained a reputation

of providing cost effective and high quality solutions in

silicone,” Antony says. “Having almost all ingredients in

stock combined with the industry leading mixing facilities

and state-of-the-art laboratory means customers benefit

from high quality and fully traceable materials that can be

processed and delivered within a very short lead-time.”

When it comes to ensuring that its products are at the

very heart of the company’s various markets, Silicone

Engineering works to guarantee that its research and

development operations are focused on the specific

Flexible solutions Drawing on over 50 years of experience in several industries, Silicone Engineering

has developed a reputation as an industry leader in delivering silicone products to the mass transit and railway sectors

Sponge Extrusion


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

perfectly demonstrates the consistent growth that the

business has experienced as an effect of being innovative

and market focused.”

The company’s market focus and growth strategy can

be expressed in several ways. For example, to ensure

that the business has a reliable and sufficient workforce

for the future it has invested in its current and up-coming

team as Antony elaborates: “There has been a major

focus over the past few years on training and personal

development. This has involved considerable investment

in training programmes and we have successfully brought

two employees onboard through an apprenticeship

programme with a third due to start at the time of writing.”

In addition to ensuring that the company contains the

requests of industry for particular solutions, as Antony

explains: “We have one of the best-equipped and

resourced laboratories in the industry. These facilities

allow us to formulate, test and certify all material

developments to the relevant international standards

before going to market. We have some exciting new

developments underway that will be announced shortly.”

Although the financial crisis that began in 2008 had

a knock-on effect in the markets serviced by Silicone

Engineering resulting in a slight dip in sales for that year,

the company has still achieved growth year–on-year. “A

robust business strategy and effective marketing have

facilitated this growth,” Antony observes. “We have more

than doubled the company’s turnover since 2008, which

Sheeting line

Laboratory


zz zzzzzzzzzzzSilicone engineering ltd

necessary skills and knowledge base to carry it forward,

Silicone Engineering is keen to continue to deliver the

very latest solutions in its chosen markets to enable the

business to stand out as the premier provider of silicone

products throughout Europe and North America, as

Antony concludes: “As a solution provider in silicone

technologies we are always looking for new and exciting

ways to introduce new scientific advances in the polymer

to provide enhanced solutions to our customers.

Expansion is primarily focused in the company’s key

international markets and to optimise business in

these chosen countries to become the leading silicone

provider in major markets.

“As we expand our marketing capabilities we are

reaching out to a much larger audience on a global

scale. By servicing these markets with strategic focus

and new capital investment we expect to continue

growing well into the future.” zz

www.silicone.co.uk

Laboratory

Factory

http://k-cut.co.uk/

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz HeatHrow express


the Heathrow Express webpage. Furthermore the latest

information regarding fares and schedules is displayed

on board trains via back-seat leaflets and Express TV.

One way that Heathrow Express is working to ensure

that journeys are as efficient as possible for passengers is

through the introduction of combined airline train ticketing.

This is an area where managing director Keith Greenfield

is passionately focused on enhancing the service on offer

to the company’s customers. At present Singapore Airlines

and Aer Lingus already offer this facility online at the

booking stage and it is intended for more carriers to follow.

Making the booking process as smooth as the journey

itself has been a common goal for Heathrow Express and

the application of modern communication technology

has traditionally been at the very heart of this initiative.

The company was the first to launch e-ticketing enabling

customers to buy tickets online and receive a barcode via

either email or to a mobile phone directly, which can then

be scanned on the train. Furthermore Heathrow Express

was the first UK company to launch a fully functional train

ticket app, allowing customers to purchase and receive

tickets direct to their iPhone, Android, Blackberry or Java-

enabled phones. Use of mobile app tickets grew

40 per cent in 2013 proving that customers appreciate

Express serviceSince 1998 Heathrow Express has provided the fastest rail link from London to

Heathrow, enabling passengers to reach their destination in as little as 15 minutes

Heathrow Express is a non-franchised, non-

subsidised privately owned company that owns

all of its own trains, the stations at Heathrow as

well as the entire below ground section of the line

between London Paddington and the airport. The service

carries an average of 16,000 passengers a day between

London and Heathrow and the journey time to terminals

One and Three is as little as 15 minutes and only marginally

longer for Terminals Four and Five. These are not the only

impressive figures that Heathrow Express is able to boast.

For example when it comes to passenger satisfaction, the

numbers speak for themselves with Heathrow Express

scoring an impressive 96 per cent satisfaction from

passengers in the National Rail Survey. This score is the

top score throughout the entire UK rail industry.

At present flights from 120 countries fly into Heathrow

making the Heathrow Express a vital link in shuttling

passengers from the busy airport to London and visa

versa. It is a key aim for Heathrow Express to deliver

passengers to their destinations safely and on time,

and in comfort. To ensure that journeys are as smooth

as possible for passengers the company ensures that

timetable changes are published via a wide range of

media including advertisements, posters, Express TV and



with wide aisles that allow business travellers to keep their

luggage at their side by their feet, varied express-class

configuration of seating to allow for bay and airline seating

layouts, LED lighting providing a brighter environment

and more reliable lighting, customer information screens

providing live flight and onward travel information,

a passenger information system to deliver station

announcements and other information, improvements

throughout the vehicle to comply with TSI-PRM (European-

wide accessibility regulations) and enhanced safety

features including non-slip flooring, emergency lighting,

audible warning systems and increased surround lighting.

Heathrow Express currently runs 150 services a day,

carrying over 60 million passengers since it was launched

in June 1998 and the demand for these services is set to

increase with the opening of the new Heathrow Terminal

Two in June 2014. To help ease the journey for passengers

using the service, Heathrow Express is focusing on the

migration of staff to front-line roles to interface directly with

passengers. With the customer profile of the business

made up of 69 per cent business and 31 per cent leisure

travellers, it is vital for London’s economy that the service

runs smoothly and it is innovations such as the brand re-

launch and a strong focus on customer interface that has

given Heathrow Express has reliability of 98 per cent and a

97 per cent repeat travel rating.

The company’s commitment extends beyond offering

an excellent service to its passengers, Heathrow Express

maintains close links to the local community including

proud sponsorship of the England sevens rugby team.

Further to this the Heathrow Express webpage offers links

to corporate news and travel information as well as articles


these more convenient ticketing options.

During 2012 Heathrow Express undertook a £15 million

investment directed at the upgrading of the company’s

fleet of rolling stock. The re-launch of the Heathrow

Express brand was directed by the themes of providing

exemplary service along with the objective to ‘premiumise’

the brand itself. The enhancements introduced to the

Heathrow Express brand and fleet were designed to mirror

an airline experience, while complying with forthcoming

safety standards due to come into effect during 2019.

Heathrow Express currently owns 14 four-car Class 332

trains engineered and built by Siemens Transportation

Systems in Germany, in partnership with CAF of Spain. The

refurbishment of the fleet lasted 18 months from drawing

board to delivery and involved close collaboration with

teams from Siemens, Railcare and Interfleet.

The impressive overhaul encompassed a host of

improvements including one plus one first-class seating

Pod-Trak Ltd Pod-Trak Ltd is a skilled, multidiscipline contractor to the rail industry, with offices in London,

Manchester & Doncaster. Founded in 2007, Pod-Trak puts emphasis on the delivery of a

safe, quality service. Continued success through referrals and repeat business with clients

such as Heathrow Express is testament to the dedication of this youthful and innovative

company, resulting in the successful completion of several projects on HEx infrastructure,

ranging from drainage to signage, building long-lasting relationships in the process.


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz HeatHrow express zzhighlighting London life including the ‘sites and sounds’

of London, food and drink, fashion and interviews with

well-known personalities including Sir Richard Branson

and James Caan.

With the recent completion of the Heathrow

Express brand re-launch and the expected increase in

passengers over the coming months, the future looks to

be both busy and exciting for the company. Network Rail

is planning the new Western Access line to London due

for completion in 2021 and Heathrow Express has made

it clear that it is ready and determined to take the role of

appointed train operator, which represents a potentially

very exciting next chapter in the company’s history. zz

www.heathrowexpress.com

http://www.pod-trak.com/


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzSouthern railway

Southern Railway provides train services for

commuters, airport users, and business and leisure

travellers in south London, between central London

and the South coast, through East and West

Sussex, Surrey and parts of Kent and Hampshire.

The company operates one of the largest and

most diverse fleets in the UK, with around 300 new or

refurbished trains running over 2,400 services a day. Over

the course of two franchises, it has made substantial

improvements to its rolling stock fleet and its stations. Most

recently, in collaboration with Network Rail, it has delivered

six brand new station buildings, as well as having further

major station improvement schemes underway, which

will bring the overall investment in new stations and major

improvement work to over £16.5 million.

As Gerry McFadden, Fleet Director at Southern Railway

explained, a large part of Southern’s responsibility in this

Fleet of strength Southern Rail’s £19 million train refurbishment programme is designed

to deliver significant improvements for passengers


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzcurrent franchise has involved working with Network

Rail in developing the expansion of the metro services

from eight car to ten car as well as expanding the

capacity of the West London lines from four cars to five

and eight cars.

“From a fleet perspective there has been no let up in

development. We are currently refurbishing our whole

fleet of 700 Class 377 Electrostar carriages, and by

Spring 2014, all carriages will be fully refurbished. We’re

also overhauling our fleet of Class 455 trains – those you

see on our Metro routes. Furthermore, we have recently

completed the overhaul of our Class 171 Turbostar diesel

fleet – engines rafts and bogies - as well as a full interior

refresh – new carpets, seat covers, and grab rails.”

The Electrostar overhaul programme was an enormously

challenging undertaking for Southern, and as Gerry

explained, it required a radical approach: “The rolling stock

of the Electrostar fleet is now over ten years old and the

units were beginning to look quite tired inside, and at the

same time, they were due an overhaul on the bogies, doors

and couplers.

“The level of availability that could be achieved with

that fleet meant there wasn’t any spare rolling stock to

http://www.faiveleytransport.com


substitute for units that were taken out of service for three

different examination programmes. To solve this problem,

the team at the repair shop in Selhurst planned a

programme of work and created a process that allowed

a unit’s interior to be renewed, for its doors, bogies

and coupling gears to come off and be overhauled (in

three separate processes) all within a week’s downtime.

There are even videos of the process on the Southern

website, http://www.southernrailway.com/film – it’s

very impressive and has brought major benefits to the

company.”

Alongside the rolling stock upgrade programme,

Southern has also expanded the capacity of its metro

services. Said Gerry: “Effectively this has covered three

different programmes of work. First of all there has been

a project led by Network Rail to extend platforms from

eight cars to ten cars, secondly, there has been a scheme

to introduce 170 new vehicles, and finally, there has been

an extension of depot facilities and introduction of new

sidings.

“In order to be able to create this new ten car fleet, the

amount of work required in the background has been

quite phenomenal. We have put in place 108 new vehicle

berths at six different locations and we have extended the

Selhurst depot to ten cars long, as part of a £multi million

programme of works.

“We are now getting towards the end of the new fleet

introduction - we have a new 5car single voltage (DC)

fleet in operation, and in addition we commissioned

a new dual voltage fleet, which is due to come into

operation in the early summer,” Gerry highlighted.

Bombardier won the order for this new train build and

Southern set it a challenge to deliver the first train into

passenger service in record time. “Bombardier and the

staff at Litchurch Lane are working hard to make sure

these trains are reliable,” Gerry added. “When we receive

the sixth unit of our dual voltage fleet it will represent

1000 vehicles that Litchurch Lane has built for Southern,

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzSouthern railway

Techpol Ltd Techpol Ltd is the preferred paint supply partner for franchises throughout the UK. Techpol started working with Southern Rail back in July 2011. It has developed bespoke processes by working hand in hand with Southern and is proud to say the quality of finish achieved is excellent and the project has run to schedule throughout the duration. With over 75 years’ experience added to its ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 working ethos it has experienced great success in this sector.

http://www.techpolltd.com


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzwhich is not only a significant milestone in itself, but also

coincides with 175 years of the rail industry in Derby and

which is very important in its own right.”

With Southern’s current franchise running until

July 2015, and various bids for the new Thameslink,

Southern and Great Northern (‘TSGN’) franchise already

with the Department of Transport, Gerry remains positive

about the future. He believes that the programme of

improvements that he and his team have implemented

will continue to bring benefits for the next decade. Going

forward, Southern has no intention of slowing down

its programme of improvements. “The next ten years

are a continuation of what we have already done. It’s

also not all about new trains, although we do have two

new guaranteed fleets coming into service. We are also

highly dedicated to technology, and our new smart card

ticketing option, which represents five years of research

and development for the company. It has only recently

been launched, will continue to see new additions and

developments,” he concluded. zz

www.southernrailway.com


Imag

es fr

om In

noTr

ans

2012

ÖBB

Tech

nisc

he S

ervic

es

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzINNOTRANS

W ith a large number of reference projects and

over 220 transport technology firms, Berlin

is the main location for Germany’s transport

engineering industry and this makes it an

ideal venue for InnoTrans, the International Trade Fair for

Transport Technology - Innovative Components, Vehicles,

Systems. Being held from 23 - 26 September 2014 (Trade

Fair) and 27 - 28 September 2014 (Public Days - tracks

and outdoor displays), the event will present a full range

of rail vehicles as well as key areas featuring railway

infrastructure, interiors (incl. travel catering and comfort

services), public transport and tunnel construction.

The InnoTrans Convention taking place in conjunction

with the trade show includes a special Dialog Forum

organised by Deutsches Verkehrsforum (German Transport

Forum), Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen

(VDV, Association of German Transport Companies), the

European Rail Transport Industry Association (UNIFE) and

Verband der Bahnindustrie in Deutschland (VDB, German

Rail Industry Association).

Initiated and organised by Deutsche Bahn AG, the

Rail Leaders’ Summit (RLS) offers excellent dialogue

opportunities for transport ministries and general

managers of international rail transport companies.

The Tunnel Construction segment will be accompanied

by an International Tunnel Forum featuring a series

of discussions with international guest speakers and

supported by STUVA (Incorporated Association for

Underground Transport Systems). The Public Transport

Forum organised by Planungsbüro für Verkehr (PBV)

and ETC Consultants focuses on current and future

developments in public transport systems.

With the Public Transport & Interiors Hall Forum (PTI

Hall Forum) two segments received their own programme

area where the Speakers’ Corner, the International Design

Forum and the DB Suppliers’ Forum takes place. At the

DB Suppliers’ Forum the Deutsche Bahn goes into direct

conversation with its suppliers.

The InnoTrans Majlis (‘majlis’ signifies a customary

gathering in the Middle East where important topics are

discussed and personal meetings taken place) offers

the opportunity to exchange views for numerous senior

industry executives and policy makers with high-ranking

members of the rail industry and rail transport ministries of

the Gulf Arab states.

Indeed at the 2014 event, participation by international

exhibitors is high. For example, the US Railway

Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA)

Technology showcase InnoTrans has become established as an international industry

showplace that focuses on railway technology

Inauguration of CityCube Berlin: Klaus Wowereit, Governing Mayor of Berlin (left) and Dr. Christian

Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin (right).

Lütze Transportation

CSR Corporation


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

is organising a combined stand for the second time and will occupy

double the display space at the last event. The Japan Overseas

Rolling Stock Association (JORSA) will also be represented on a

combined stand. Once again, Japan will be taking up an entire hall.

Kazakhstan will be taking part in InnoTrans for the first time, where

the Tengiz Trans Group will represent it. According to information

supplied by the exhibitor the enterprise is Kazakhstan’s largest

independent leasing company for rolling stock. DCD, a rolling stock

manufacturer from South Africa, is also among the newcomers at

InnoTrans 2014.

China has its own Pavilion, and there are more than 20 Chinese

organisations exhibiting there. These leading manufacturers from

the Chinese transport industry represent such important areas as

rolling stock, signalling and control systems and vehicle interiors.

There is a major emphasis on aspects such as energy efficiency

and environmental protection. The China Railway Pavilion is being

organised by the China Academy of Railway Sciences (CARS).

Another exciting feature of InnoTrans 2014 is the extra space it

is using in The CityCube Berlin, a new multi-purpose hall for trade

fairs, conferences and events. This move by Messe Berlin comes in

response to the continuing high demand by the world’s rail industry

for stands at InnoTrans 2014.

There are four combined stands in the CityCube Berlin, featuring

suppliers from Korea, Switzerland, Sweden and the Berlin-

Brandenburg region. “The entire value-added chain in the region

around the German capital is represented here,“ explains Melanie

Bähr, general manager of the Berlin Economic Promotion Agency.

“Some 60 companies are occupying a 1000 square metre combined

stand at the CityCube in order to present their capabilities to visitors

to InnoTrans.”

InnoTrans is also the place where many in the industry reveal their

latest innovations. Last year the rail industry showcased a total of

104 products that made their first appearance on the world stage

at the event. In 2014 BGM GmbH Badische Gleisbaumaschinen, a

start-up from Germany, was the first exhibitor to announce products

that will be shown at InnoTrans 2014 for the first time in the world.

“At InnoTrans in Berlin we will be exhibiting prototypes of our

newly developed and patented MT 100 goods wagon to an expert

audience,“ said Andreas Vonhoff, managing director of BGM GmbH.

Exciting releases like this are just part of why visitors choose to

visit this important event. In its tenth anniversary year, InnoTrans

2014 looks set to maintain its position as the world’s leading

business meeting place for transport technology. zz

More details are available online at www.innotrans.com.

Lütze Transportation

CSR Corporation

http://www.innotrans.com


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzArrivA TrAins WAles

carriages and was implemented to continue the trend of

passenger number growth. The train upgrade included 24

class 158 trains on the Aberystwyth to Birmingham, Pwllheli,

Holyhead and Chester; Cardiff to Cheltenham routes, 27

class 175 trains on the Cardiff to Manchester, Swansea to

Carmarthen, Cardiff to Llandudno and Holyhead routes as

well as eight single carriage class 153 trains travelling on the

Swansea to Shrewbsury, Swanline local, Conwy Valley line

and Swansea to Pembroke Dock route.

With the aim of delivering a positive improvement on

quality that would benefit millions of passengers every

day, the new improvements include power sockets next to

some seats on longer routes, extended luggage space and

improved wheelchair access on its services.

Committed to investing in developments that further

cement its reputation for high quality, reliable services, Arriva

Trains Wales implemented an industry first with its pilot

European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) in the

UK. Introduced on the Cambrian Line between Shrewsbury

and Aberystwyth, moving onto Pwllheli, in 2011, the in-cab

European Train Control System (ECTS) for signalling has

proven highly successful over the last three years. Indeed,

this major milestone opens further opportunities for Arriva

Trains Wales, as it looks to expand the ERTMS onto other

routes around the UK and offer its expertise to assist any

upcoming projects.

Like all train operators within the UK, Arriva Trains Wales

operates to the punctuality and performance standards that

are put into effect by the Department for Transport (DfT).

The group’s punctuality and reliability figures are displayed

at its major stations and updated every four weeks; for

example Wales successfully earned 98.7 per cent punctuality

statistics from 2nd to 29th March 2014. To ensure ongoing

reliability in its operations, Arriva Trains Wales is involved with

Passenger Focus, an organisation set up by Parliament to

protect the interest of passengers. Meeting regularly with

key stakeholders such as Network Rail, the Welsh Assembly

Government and the British Transport Police, Passenger

Focus highlights issues such as punctuality and reliability,

fares and ticket types, capacity and overcrowding, safety

and security.

On top of its work with Passenger Focus, Arriva Trains

Wales works closely with the four regional transport consortia

in Wales – SWWITCH (South West Wales Integrated

Transport Consortium), TAITH (North Wales), Mid Wales

Partnership (TRACC), SEWTA (South East Wales Transport

Alliance) – to discuss proposals and apply local rail network

improvements. In addition, the company has also developed

close working relationships with a number of partner rail

user groups such as Cambrian Rail User Group (CRUG) and

Pembrokeshire Rail Travellers Association (PRTA).

Viewed as an attractive option for passengers travelling

both in and outside of Wales, the company’s success has led

to overcapacity issues that it has worked hard to minimise.

Following an investigation into its services, Arriva Trains

Wales introduced a major timetable overhaul, which enabled

it to provide 340,000 additional seats each year from existing

First class serviceArriva Trains

Wales has completed

major refurbishment

programmes and

resignalling investments

to ensure continued passenger

satisfaction

Responsible for almost all passenger services in

Wales, Arriva Trains Wales operates out of every

railway station in the country as well as nearby

areas of England, in total taking responsibility

for 244 stations across a route of 1009 miles. As the

operator of the Wales and Border railway franchise, the

company focuses on continuous improvement in all

areas of operation to ensure the high demands of its

stakeholders, customers, employees, investors, suppliers

and communities are met. The franchise was acquired by

Arriva Group, the Deutsche Bahn owned leading major

European public transport operator, in 2003 following the

devolution of this responsibility to the Welsh Assembly

Government. Since this transitional period, Arriva Trains

Wales has continued to work closely with the government

to help develop the Welsh railway network. Meanwhile, as

part of the Arriva Group, Arriva Trains Wales follows the

vision of its parent firm to be recognised as the leading

transport services group in Europe. To achieve this goal

it strives to provide customers with reliable train services,

clean, attractive stations, local, effective and customer

orientated management, an abundance of available

information as well as helpful and approachable personnel.

To meet the challenges of running a highly successful

transportation service, Arriva Trains Wales’ fleet of 125

trains cover a route of more than 1009 miles and operate

955 services per day. Supported by 2050 dedicated

employees, the company’s trains travel 13.7 million miles

annually and handle approximately 65,000 passenger

journeys every day. Capable of carrying 12,000 customers

at any one time, Arriva Trains Wales’ fleet ranges from

one carriage ‘153s’, which operate its services on shorter

distance routes, to high speed trains ‘175S’, which travel

the longer distances on mainline routes.

Known for having one of the UK’s most presentable

rail fleets in the UK, Arriva Trains Wales has recently

completed a major refurbishment programme on the

interior and exterior of its Class 158 and 150 fleet. Indeed,

the £7.5 million upgrade on trains operating on mainline

routes from Wales included new seating, luggage areas

and toilets to provide ‘as new’ interiors to its out-of-date


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzfleets. Furthermore, the company used yield management software

to encourage growth at times when there is capacity to travel through

offering discounted fares in these quieter times. Through using its

own initiative Arriva Trains Wales has tackled future capacity concerns

by utilising its resources efficiently and deploying stock where it is

needed,

Planning ahead has proven a strategically beneficial move for Arriva

Trains Wales following a £220 million rail project between Network Rail

and the Welsh Government to improve reliability and capacity on the

Cardiff and Valleys rail network. The project includes a new platform at

Cardiff Central, a new south-side entrance at Cardiff Central, complete

with lifts to the new platform; new platforms and entrance at Cardiff

Queen Street station and improved infrastructure at Rhymney Valley

line at Caerphilly and Tir-Phil. Jointly funded by Network Rail and the

Welsh Government, the project is scheduled for completion in 2015

and will future proof the railway by boosting capacity and providing a

robust and flexible infrastructure.

Despite the huge changes surrounding the network, Arriva Trains

Wales hasn’t lost sight of its day-to-day service commitments and

has enhanced its focus on providing passenger satisfaction through

time and cost efficiency as well as safety and reliability. Recognising

the role it plays in the communities it serves, Arriva Train Wales has

prepared for the future while also surpassing present passenger

demands. zz

www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk

http://www.fonealarm.co.uk

http://www.buckandhickman.com

now. Electronic and software performance of the light

curtain system were in the focus of the tests carried out

by ‘TÜV-Nord’ at the SEELAB laboratories. Acting in the

background, these components are a decisive asset for

the reliability of the whole system.

With a combination of up to 194 parallel and crossed

infrared light beams, the SITRANS alpha S1-Rail system

detects even the smallest objects to avoid passenger

injuries. The light curtain is available in several versions,

with horizontal sensing ranges up to 2500 mm and

vertical detection ranges between 690 mm and 1794

mm. In order to meet the highest safety requirements,

the interruption of just a single light beam will trigger

activation of the PNP output. The light curtain also meets

the requirements of the EN 50155, EN 50121-3-2 and

DIN 5510-2 standards. Thanks to its extraordinarily high

quality, the SITRANS alpha S1-Rail system is perfectly

suited for a large number of sensitive door control and

monitoring applications.

Vandalism and soiling are familiar occurrences for

all public transport services. The light curtain system

counters such factors with its dimensionally very stable

Sitron’s range of non-contact door control and

monitoring systems includes fully automatic

SITRANS alpha light curtains. These products have

been installed on more than 30,000 doors of rail

vehicles and buses all over the world, and thanks to their

extraordinarily high quality, the curtains are the best choice

for a large number of sensitive door control and monitoring

applications.

Boarding and exit are particularly critical phases in

passenger rail and bus transport. Here, the highest degree

of reliability is crucial and any door malfunction must be

precluded.

The new SITRANS alpha S1-Rail series was especially

developed for rolling stock applications and certified by

‘TÜV Nord’ [Engineering Control Association (MOT) for

Northern Germany]. Independent tests proved that it

meets all current requirements established by the German

Federal Railway Agency (EBA) for EN 50126, EN 50129

and EN 50128 standards at SIL 1 level. Therefore, the

new SITRANS alpha S1-Rail light curtain series is not only

a comfortable non-contact door control and monitoring

device, but also an officially approved safety installation


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

AMS100 mobile welding machine

Safety first When considering safety light curtains in the door area of rolling stock and buses, Sitron is at the forefront of the market

Sitron SenSor

Above: The Talent2 by BOMBARDIER.There are two

installation options.This option is a SITRANS alpha light curtain in the

A-profile design. The profiles were the carriage

curvature, adjusted parallel to the cover. The

profiles were bent and partly provided behind the

cover with a hole



transmitter and receiver profiles, which are available in

different cross sections. Thanks to its fully integrated,

partly moulded electronic components, the light curtain

will resist even the hardest shocks and vibrations.

External light irradiation is also no problem for the clocked

infrared light. A factor that makes the light curtain the

ideal choice for applications in areas with constantly

changing light conditions.

In order to avoid misalignments and contamination,

Sitron’s sensor experts integrated an AST function

automatically reacting to any external influence into the

S1-Rail system. No subsequent set-up or readjustment

will be necessary. The light curtain will automatically

adjust the signal levels of the individual light channels.

In static as well as in dynamic operation, this will ensure

optimum sensor performance all across the monitored

area. Standard models as well as customised models

offer economic advantages in particular when it comes

to retrofitting. With the complete SITRANS alpha series,

Sitron is, according to its own statements, the market

leader in the field of safety light curtains in the door area

of rolling stock and buses. zz

For further information visit: www.sitron.de. Light Curtain Systems, Sitron Sensor GmbH D-30916 Isernhagen +49 511-72850-0Please contact us by email: [email protected]

Light curtain SITRANS alpha® S1-Rail

BOMBARDIER-ALSTOM door with SITRANS alpha light curtain

S-Bahn ÜSTRA in Hanover with light curtains SITRANS alpha


zz zzzzzzzzzzIrIsh raIl (Iarnród ÉIreann)

Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) is the national railway system

operator of Ireland. Established in 1987, it operates all

internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services

in the Republic of Ireland, and jointly with Northern

Ireland Railways, the Enterprise service between Dublin

and Belfast.

With Irish Rail continually competing with other modes

of transport for customers, it is essential that the operator

maintain a modern and reliable fleet. In order to continue

to encourage travellers to use the rail option, Irish Rail

is continually planning for the medium to long-term

development of the railway, and investing in its rail network

and services. Investment in recent years has delivered

major benefits, including:

l Renewed infrastructure, including track, signalling, and

other infrastructure

l New Intercity, Commuter and DART fleet

l New stations, and upgraded existing stations, including

improved accessibility

l New rail lines, including Cork-Midleton, Ennis-Athenry,

Clonsilla-M3 Parkway

One of the most significant schemes that Irish Rail

has undertaken is the City Centre Resignalling Project.

This Project is provided for under the capital investment

programme for transport, funded by the National

Transport Authority and will meet future demand for rail

transport by increasing the capacity and frequency of

trains through Dublin City Centre.

The project will provide Irish Rail with the ability to

operate 20 trains in both directions through the Howth

Junction to Grand Canal Dock line, which caters for

Howth DARTs, Malahide DARTs, Northern Commuter

trains, Belfast Enterprise services, Sligo Intercity and

Maynooth commuter services, as well as other services

in the Connolly to Grand Canal Dock area. Signalling

on train lines regulate the safe movement of trains, and

currently the system’s capacity stands at 12 trains per

hour each way.

The Project has also taken in to consideration the need

to modernise signalling equipment. Computer based

interlocking will be used to replace the existing Relay

based signalling systems in Howth/Howth Junction/

Take the train Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) is committed to

encouraging the expansion of rail as a mode of transport for passengers and freight

Faiveley TransportFor more than 90 years, Faiveley Transport has been designing, manufacturing and marketing high-added value train borne systems. The organisation is represented in 24 countries across the globe, with an established and strong base of operations in Europe. In Ireland, Faiveley has an extensive installed base of systems on the Irish fleet, covering bogie brake, brake control systems, doors and HVAC. The company has with David Rees Ltd (DRL) in place a partnership that has being providing for over 20 years, a high-class level of service, to the Irish market. Together the two companies support and develop rail maintenance activities, bringing product enhancements where necessary. As the OEM, Faiveley Transport also provides technical support for the installed base to Irish Rail.


http://www.faiveleytransport.com


Killester /Connolly and Pearse.

The project is to be executed in three phases. The

first phase of the project covers the section between

Malahide/Howth and Killester, the second phase of the

project covers the busy Connolly station area, and the

third phase will cover the section between Connolly and

Sandymount.

The new signalling system will bring major benefits

to Irish Rail’s customers. These include an increased

number of trains during peak hours, improved

performance of level crossings giving longer road

opening times, improved punctuality due to the

modernisation of signalling and uninterruptible power

supplies to ensure higher reliability. The new signalling

system will also facilitate the track layout modifications

for the DART, as well as the Underground and Maynooth

and Northern Line electrification projects. The resignalling

project will run between Malahide/Howth station and

Sandymount, at a length of 21.6 Kms. The project will

cost in the region of 120 million euros.

Alongside infrastructure investments such as this, Irish

Rail has also spent considerable sums on its InterCity

Railcar Fleet. Since entering service in December 2007,

its 400 million euro 183-carriage InterCity Railcar fleet has

transformed quality, comfort and frequency levels right

across the national rail network. The fleet was ordered

from Mitsui of Japan, in partnership with Rotem of the

Republic of Korea and Tokyo Car Corporation of Japan.

In March 2009, Irish Rail placed an order for an

additional 51 InterCity Railcars, which brought the fleet

up to a total of 234. This fleet expansion, worth

140 million euros benefitted Intercity and longer-distance

commuter services.

In May 2011, Irish Rail took delivery of the first 12

new InterCity carriages at Dublin Port of this order, and

the new carriages entered service from late 2011 into

the first half of 2012. The replacement of the outdated

fleet across the network brought a host of benefits to

passengers including improved frequency and capacity

on all InterCity routes, modern on-board comfort

standards and improved accessibility for mobility-

impaired customers.

For Irish Rail, the benefits of the investment included

the fact that this is now the greenest diesel train fleet in

Europe, meeting Stage 3B EU emission limits for nitrous

oxides (2.0g/kWh) and Stage 3A limit for soot particles

(0.2g/kWh). In fact, protection of the environment is

a topic that Irish Rail keeps at the top of the agenda.

The organisation is committed to operating in an

environmentally sound manner, and to encouraging the

expansion of rail as a mode of transport for passengers

and freight in order to reduce the greenhouse effect

and other forms of pollution. It believes that rail

transport offers great potential for solving the ‘mobility

or environment’ dilemma in view of its recognised

environmental advantages over other modes of

transport.

While investment increased significantly in the first

decade of this century, the economic crisis in Ireland has

seen a dramatic reduction in capital funding, and Public

Service Obligation payments reduce by 38 per cent.

Costs have been reduced by €73 million since 2008,

and staff numbers by 25 per cent, while services have

largely been maintained. Further cost reductions are

targeted, and passenger numbers resumed growth in

the second half of 2013 following decline since 2007.

While some major projects have been deferred, Irish

Rail remains ambitious for the future of the network. The

DART Expansion Programme, which includes a new

7.6km DART underground tunnel through the heart of

the city centre is key to maximising the potential of the

rail network in the Greater Dublin area. It includes a rail

link to Dublin Airport, currently one of the only capital

cities in the EU without a rail connection.

The company is also seeking investment to improve

speeds on the Intercity network, with journey times of

two hours or less targeted to Cork and all other major

cities. This will meet customer demand, and generate

economic and environmental benefits for the community

as a whole. zz

www.irishrail.ie

zz zzzzzzzzzzIrIsh raIl (Iarnród ÉIreann)


Forthcoming Conferences and Exhibitions This listing represents a selection of the events about which we have been notified. It is strongly recommended that direct contact should be made with the individual

organiser responsible for each event before booking places or making travel and accommodation reservations. Cancellations and other last-minute alterations are liable to occur. The editor and publishers of RAILWAY STRATEGIES are not responsible for any loss or inconvenience suffered by readers in connection with this guide to events.

21st OctoberIntroduction to rolling stockKey design principles affecting the performance of railway systems

22nd OctoberTraction and brakingPrinciples of traction and braking for railway engineers

23rd OctoberOptimising fleet maintenance efficiencyUnderstand the issues affecting rail vehicle performance and cost of maintenance 28th OctoberTrain communication and auxiliary systemsNew and existing systems in use on today’s rolling stock fleet

A listing of courses currently available from the IMechE (Unless stated otherwise, all courses are in London)

Institute of Mechanical Engineers Training Courses Technical training for the railway industry

zzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Conferences & Exhibitions

11-12 June – Train Communications SystemsLondonOrganisers: BWCSTel: 01531 634 326Email: [email protected]: www.traincomms2014.com/

12-13 June – Planning for a Liveable City – Sustainable Urban MobilitySopot, PolandOrganisers: EltisWeb: eltis.orgRegistration: http://www.polisnetwork.eu/1st-european-conference-on-sustainable-urban-mobility-plansLanguage: English

12-13 June – Next Generation Rail – From seed to successMOSI, ManchesterRail Research UK AssociationWeb: rruka.org.ukEmail: [email protected]: rruka.org.uk/next-generation-rail-2014-registration

23-26 June 4th UIC Global Rail Freight ConferenceHilton Vienna, AustriaOrganiser: International Union of RailwaysEmail: [email protected]: grfc2014.comRegistration: www.grfc2014.org/Registration/page/10116

1-2 July – Africa RailJohannesburgOrganisers: TerrapinnTel: +27 (0) 11 516 4015 Email: [email protected]: www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/africarail/ 10-11 SeptemberLow Carbon Vehicle Event LCV2014Millbrook Proving Ground, BedfordOrganiser: CenexTel: 01509 635 750Web: www.cenex-lcv.co.uk

11 September The British Rail ConferenceDentons, LondonOrganiser: Waterfront Conference CompanyTel: 0207 067 1597Web: www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com/conferences/rail/events/british-rail 21-25 September – 10th International Conference on GeosyntheticsBerlinOrganisers: International Geosynthetics SocietyWeb: www.10icg-berlin.com

23-26 September – InnoTrans 2014BerlinOrganisers: Messe Berlin GmbHTel: +49 (0)30 30 38 - 2376Email: [email protected]: www.innotrans.com

29 September – 1 October – European Transport ConferenceFrankfurtOrganisers: Association for European TransportEmail: http://aetransport.org/contactWeb: http://etcproceedings.org/

9 October Interoperability in PracticeA workshop for the European railway industryBrusselsOrganiser: Hit RailEmail: [email protected]: www.hitrail.com 17-19 March 2015 – Rail-Tech 2015UtrechtOrganisers: Europoint Conferences & ExhibitionsTel: +31 (0)30 698 1800Email: [email protected]: www.rail-tech.com

A downloadable brochure is available at: www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/learning-and-professional-development-documents/l_ d_railway_training_web.pdf?sfvrsn=2 For more information, please contact Lucy O’Sullivan, learning and development co-ordinator: Tel: +44 (0)20 7304 6907 Email: [email protected]: www.imeche.org/learning/courses/railway

29th OctoberTrain control and safety systemsLearn of the systems used on UK fleets that provide safety and train operational control

30th OctoberVehicle dynamics and vehicle track interactionUnderstand the dynamics of railway vehicles to improve safety, comfort and asset life

4th NovemberTrain structural integrityStructural integrity, fire and crashworthiness systems found on today’s rail fleets 5th NovemberFleet maintenanceImprove your processes and fleet maintenance processes

6th NovemberVehicle acceptance and approvalsIntroduction to acceptance procedures which apply across the rail network


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzMetroselskabet

T he Copenhagen Metro operates 24 hours a day,

seven days a week with two current lines that

run from Copenhagen Airport and Vestamager to

the centre of the City and continue to suburban

Vanløse. The first Metro in Copenhagen opened the gates

in 2002. Since then several extensions to the system

have been built and the Metro has experienced an

increasing number of passengers every year. Cityringen

is a completely new Metro line constructed on the same

principles as the existing Copenhagen Metro net. The

Cityringen circle line will be a 15 kilometre underground

railway under downtown Copenhagen, the ‘bridge

quarters’ and Frederiksberg with 17 underground stations.

In an interview with Railway Strategies, Rebekka

Nymark, customer and business director provides an

Many of the new underground stations are

built in the heart of the old historic Copenhagen

like here at Kongens Nytorv

update on the business and the construction of the new

line: “Besides running the existing Metro system in the

City, Metroselskabet is currently in the early stages of

the construction of the new city circle line, with several

underground stations in the heart of Copenhagen, plus a

branch with two new metro stations in a new fast developing

area near the north harbour, Nordhavn,” she says.

The business is also developing a light rail system just

outside Copenhagen, which will be 27 kilometres long and

include 27 new light rail platforms. Today Copenhagen has

just two metro lines with 22 stations. In contrast, by 2020

the city will have four metro lines with 39 stations and a

new light rail system. The Metro system in Copenhagen

is still relatively young with perhaps the most significant

milestone being the opening of the Metro itself in 2002. The

Coping with the rushIn collaboration with the municipal authorities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg, the Danish government has recently concluded a contract to expand the existing Metro with a new city circle line, the Cityringen

When the new City Circle Line in Copenhagen opens up the gates 85 per cent of the city’s residents will have less than 600 metres to a Metro or S-train station

The Metro in Copenhagen started operating in 2002 and is one of the youngest Metro systems in Europe. Today the City has 22 Metro stations but there is huge building activity and in 2020 Copenhagen will have 39 Metro stations and a 27 kilometre long new light rail system just outside the city


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzMetroselskabet has been running Cool Construction,

an initiative which turns construction site hoardings into

temporary urban labs for the benefit of neighbours and

passers-by. The project was launched with the aims to

make construction site perimeters a positive feature in

urban life through temporary projects designed for the

local environment.

“On the existing Metro in Copenhagen we are currently

building platform gates on all above ground stations. Once

the gate installation has been completed we will be able

to increase the capacity of trains and the passengers will

benefit from this as we can provide a better service with

a higher frequency of trains, running every 100 seconds.”

The existing network operates with short trains that extension to the Metro system in 2007 with a connection

to the airport signified the next step to its expansion. In

2008, in co-operation with the operator, Metroselskabet

successfully began operating the 24/7 service, which has

benefitted many passengers over the years.

In 1904 the Danish parliament, Folketinget, discussed

plans of an underground system, inspired by the London

Underground, but decided to drop the idea. It was not

until a century later when the first Metro in Denmark

opened and popularity and interest in the system quickly

grew. The success of the first Metro led to the public and

political call for more Metro lines, which has resulted in

the development of the Cityringen and other projects. In

2011, the contract to design and build the new Cityringen

line was signed with a project value of approximately

£2.5 billion. The contract negotiation for the underground

works for the Nordhavn branch, which includes two

stations and two tunnels, is currently ongoing.

The new system will be a fully automatic, driverless

system, providing a massive lift to the infrastructure and

mobility in Copenhagen. Eighty-five per cent of the city’s

residents live within 600 metres of a train or metro station,

and the new line is expected to open in December 2018.

Addressing the challenges felt by the business, Rebekka

says: “Building the new stations and 16 kilometres of twin

bored tunnels under an old city with many old buildings

and landmarks is a huge challenge. Approximately

30,000 people live within a radius of 100 metres from

one of our 21 worksites in the city. The construction

phase has primarily been challenged by the constrained

worksites, which have a limited area. To meet our goals

we have therefore asked to be allowed to extend the

working hours on the worksites so we have the possibility

of working evenings and nights when necessary.”

As construction works are undertaken in close

proximately to private and commercial dwellings,

Metroselskabet contacts all neighbours surrounding a

future building site well in advance to inform them about

what they can expect. Everyone in the neighbourhood

around the building site is invited to meetings, at which

the construction plans and their consequences are

explained. This gives local residents an opportunity to

get answers to their questions about the project. In line

with community involvement, for the past two years

COWI ARUP SYTRA JV COWI ARUP SYTRA JV have been the Metroselskabet Civil Work Consultants on Cityringen and

have fast tracked, with close interactive dialog with Metroselskabet, the tender design. It is a

multi-disciplinary design with optimal and sustainable solutions for the cities of Copenhagen

and Frederiksberg. COWI ARUP SYSTRA JV has contributed from within their key disciplines

at a top international level. The design is supplemented with a detailed interior design to best,

international visual and comfort standards.

http://www.cowi.dk/menu/project/Jernbanervejeoglufthavne/Metroer/pages/tvaerfaglig-raadgivning-i-forbindelse-med-17-metroforpladser-i-koebenhavn-og-frederiksberg.aspx


carry approximately 300 passengers. The trains on the

Cityringen line will be very similar to the ones on the

existing Metro, but will include minor updates on the

design.

Copenhagen is growing by approximately 10,000

inhabitants every year, which equates to around two

per cent. As urbanisation is expected to continue over

the next 15 to 20 years it raises numerous and major

challenges for the city. Rebekka explains: “The Metro is

a key solution when it comes to mobility, and we are in

constant dialogue with our customers to ensure that we

meet their demands. In our latest customer satisfaction

survey 95 per cent of the passengers declared that they

were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with our product. We

are basically working on making life easier for people,

both those who live in Copenhagen and the city’s guests.

In that respect we are proud to be offering our customers

a 24/7service, which is quite unique in the world.

Furthermore, 98.5 per cent of all arrivals and departures

are on time.”

Looking further ahead, Rebekka summarises the

forecast for the business: “The next five years for

Metroselskabet are really busy. We have the responsibility

for building the new Cityringen, the Nordhavn branch to

connect a development in the north harbour area to the

city and a new light rail system just outside Copenhagen

with 27 new stations. At the same time it is our aim to

continue increasing the number of passengers in the

existing metro system and make sure our customers are

satisfied with our service. So we expect a very busy and

exciting five years to come.” zz

www.m.dk

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzMetroselskabet

Four Tunnel Boring Machines will create 31 kilometre new Metro Tunnel under Copenhagen. Here the head to the first Tunnel Boring Machine is arriving to the shaft in Nørrebroparken

Comply Serve Provides Compliance for Copenhagen Cityringen

Delivering a project wide

hazard record system for the

Cityringen project, Comply

Serve is proud to be partner

with the Copenhagen Metro

Team. ComplyPro® is a

single progressive assurance

and compliance solution that

manages all the elements of

risk in one place. The project

delivery team, as well as the

end client and stakeholders,

all have the same version

of the truth throughout the

programme, delivering an

accelerated decision-making

process and progressive

assurance through all project

stages

http://www.complyserve.com

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz MENDIP RAIL


over its 263 strong fleet of aggregate wagons, a contract

that brought the number of wagons supplied by VTG to

the freight operator to almost 320. The innovative and

mutually beneficial agreement provides Mendip Rail with

the rail capacity it needs and thus ensures it delivers the

optimum level of reliability through fleet availability; VTG

and Nacco, meanwhile, will work with sub-contractor

Axiom Rail to fulfil its duties as entity in charge of

maintenance (ECM).

As the regular supplier of large, time-sensitive tonnage,

Mendip Rail is proud of the vast capacity it has to offer

through the utilisation of its own wagon and locomotive

resources. Indeed, this strength enables the firm to adapt

to demand, as does its strong working relationship with

Network Rail and DBS. Being able to plan and switch

operations in an efficient and flexible manner through these

positive relationships offers clear benefits to Hanson and

Aggregate Industries and their downstream supply chain.

Mendip Rail’s core market is the Mendip Hills but it also

transports limestone from quarries in South Wales, and

Leicestershire. “As one of the only privately owned firms

On trackCelebrating its 20th anniversary in October 2013, independent freight operator

Mendip Rail’s versatility in a changing market has ensured it continues to deliver a flexible and efficient rail freight solution

Formed as a joint venture between Foster Yeoman

(now Aggregate Industries) and ARC (now Hanson

Aggregates), the two firms pooled their resources

into Mendip Rail in 1993 to deliver aggregates

via rail from their neighbouring production facilities in

Somerset. Today operating as a recognised leader in the

rail freight market, Mendip Rail runs trains from Hanson’s

Whatley quarry and Aggregate Industries’ Torr Works in the

Mendip Hills to a series of depots in the south and south-

east of England. “We move approximately five and a half

million tonnes of limestone annually,” begins Dean Pitman,

General Manager of Mendip Rail. “We have 23 employees,

the majority of whom are engineers who maintain and

manage our fleet of eight mainline locos on a 24 hours a

day, seven day a week basis. The majority of our business

comes from Hanson and Aggregate Industries; we don’t

enter the market place to tender for additional work.”

In addition to the fleet of eight Class 59 locomotives,

the company also has more than 400 wagons under lease

from VTG and NACCO. During the last quarter of 2012

VTG signed a long-term contract with Mendip Rail to take

Village of Mells on the 1330 Whatley-Dagenham Docks on

Friday 13th July 2012 at Westbury

Phot

os b

y Ad

am S

now,

a w

ork

expe

rienc

e st

uden

t at M

endi

p Ra

i in

2012




Kenneth J. Painter on the 0945 Theale-Merehead Monday 9th July 2012 at Merehead

http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/

Ford Fuel Oils Ford Fuel Oils is a family run fuel and lubricant distributor based in the southwest.

Its fleet of 43 fuel tankers and 12 lubricant delivery vehicles offer a next day delivery service

to a wide range of loyal customers in the transport, automotive, agricultural and domestic

market sectors.

Ford Fuel Oils look forward to continuing and developing our working partnership with

Mendip Rail Limited and wishes them good fortune in their future growth and development.


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz MENDIP RAIL zz

to own and operate our locos, we run our traffic under

a major long-term contract with DB Schenker. All of our

drivers are with DB Schenker, our haulage contract is with

DB Schenker, so they provide the drivers and the access to

their network while we provide the wagons and the locos,”

explains Dean. “This contract has been long-standing since

our inception; back then we used Mainline Freight, which

was then acquired by EWS, which was later brought out

by DB Schenker. We have in effect had the same haulage

partner more or less for 20 years.”

With long-term expertise in the rail freight market,

the company further expanded its capabilities during

the economic crisis by becoming the first employer

organisation to be awarded the status of ‘Accredited

Training Provider’ by the National Skills Academy for

Material, Production and Supply in October 2010. Able

to deliver the Rail Safety Awareness (RSA) training course

for personnel within the company, its parent companies

and their customers that operate in the rail freight network,

Mendip Rail’s was developed by Dean and Colin Ellis,

rail manager for the Midland Rail sector of Aggregate

Industries. “As a training provider we carry out safety

awareness training to the people that discharge and load

the aggregate we deliver. This helps ensure high safety

standards,” says Dean.

Following a challenging number of years, Mendip

Rail is preparing itself for further changes in an evolving

market as the European Rail Traffic Management System

(ERTMS) initiative comes into effect over the next decade

and growth within the construction industry requires new

staff to join the company, as Dean highlights: “The railway

industry is moving towards a more improved facility, which

means everyone operating in the market needs to up

their game to ensure freight can be maintained on the

new infrastructure. With ERTMS coming up over the next

ten years we need to adapt to this new system; this will

be a major challenge for the whole sector, but we are

preparing now because many locomotives need to be

converted by 2018.

“We also see growth within our two parent companies

so we will be bringing in some fresh blood to sustain this

development through apprenticeships; these apprentices

will spend the next three to five years being trained to the

level that both Mendip Rail and Network Rail requires,”

he concludes. zz

http://www.fordfueloils.co.uk


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzFCC EnvironmEnt

A s part of the FCC group, one of the world’s

largest environmental services companies, the

business holds an enviable position in all the

markets that it operates. The business views

every waste collection an opportunity to reclaim valuable

resources and improve the environment. In its operations,

the latest recycling and green energy technology is used

to ensure that as much resource as possible is recovered,

minimising the use of landfill.

The profile of the UK’s waste management industry has

never been higher, the pressures on local authorities and

the economy to reduce waste and maximise re-use and

recovery have never been greater. Through innovation,

service and expertise, the cornerstones of the group’s

approach, it is committed to working with local authority

partners and industry customers to respond to often

complex and far-reaching waste management strategies,

to react to increased regulation from the UK and Europe,

and to meet demanding waste management targets.

Driven to be the UK’s leading waste management and

energy recovery group, the business works in partnership

to deliver best value and sustainable waste solutions to

meet the country’s needs. Each year the business collects,

recycles and disposes of millions of tonnes of household,

commercial and industrial waste. It also generates energy

from waste, thereby contributing significantly to the

Government’s efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

One area the company specialises in and is developing

further is removal of construction materials by rail.

Currently the company receives material from three

Clearing upFCC Environment is one of the UK’s leading waste and resource management companies, helping thousands of businesses and communities waste less and recycle more


Clearing up All of our equipment is custom-built and uniquely designed to give maximum benefit to the customer in efficiency whilst ensuring the highest levels of safety in operation for all project needs, enabling them to cater for all bulk handling requirements regardless of budgets, time constraints or location.

Rail Wagon UnloadingRFS are able to discharge all types of bulk commodities from various types of rail wagon used on

the network today, typically aggregates, coal, waste, scrap and finished products e.g. blocks and

bricks within the required timetable.

Train & Lorry LoadingIn addition to the grab equipment which is suitable for train and lorry loading, RFS also run a fleet of

front-end loading shovels fitted with weigh-loaders and ticket printers guaranteed to +- 2%.

Intermodal Bulk HandlingSome products need to be isolated for various reasons, and are maybe best suited to travel in a

container. RFS own and operate equipment suitable for loading 20T, 30T and 40T containers to and

from lorries and trains.

Ship Loading & UnloadingRFS operate long-reach equipment with power-turn clamshell grabs and high rise cabs, ideal for

loading or unloading bulk commodity products from ships or barges of up to 4,000 tonnes capacity

from a quayside. In addition RFS own and operate 5 grain elevators which have a combined loading

rate of 1,500 tph.

Ancillary ServicesRFS own and operate a range of forklifts, lorries, screening equipment and mobile weighbridges

which are available as part of your logistics solution if required.

Rail Freight Services are pleased to work closely with FCC undertaking bulk materials

handling for many of their UK Operations

Rail Freight Services is the premier company

for the loading and unloading of railway

wagons and water-bourne vessels, being able to service a huge

variety of contracts operating within time

constraints, rail and tide timetables

http://www.railfreightservices.co.uk


locations in the London area. The well-known soil

receiving sites of Calvert, Stewartby, Sutton Courtenay

and Didcot are strategically located to significantly

reduce cost and enhance the environment. The

company has received materials from Crossrail, LUL

and many well known prestigious contracts working

with principal freight operators such as DBS, Freightliner,

GBRF and Devon and Cornwall.

One of the main benefits from operating trains in the

process of waste removal is that it significantly reduces

the amount of vehicles on the road, saving unnecessary

expenditure for its clients as well as environmental

savings. Capable of transporting a large quantity of

material in one go, it would take five road vehicles to

remove the load that one rail vehicle is able to transport

and 75 road vehicles for one train. The business currently

processes 15 trains each week that collectively transport

17,500 tonnes of soil and waste. In 2012 the amount

of waste moved by rail was minimal, and it was the

innovative thinking from the business that has really

helped drive this market forward.

With a number of large-scale construction and

development projects planned and coming to fruition

in and around the boroughs of London and the South

East, there is a growing demand for the removal of

construction waste, particularly massive amounts of soil

that will be excavated during the development process.

With the right fleet of vehicles under contract the forward

thinking business is well prepared for the activity that this

future workload will bring. As such it has made plans to

increase the frequency of the trains to more than 30 each

week, thereby doubling the load to its various sites, with

three new rail linked transfer stations planned.

Its values and behaviours are a fundamental part of the

culture of the group, providing clear guidance on priorities

and working practices. At FCC Environment the vision is

to be the environmental company of choice, delivering

change for a sustainable future, achieved through

commitment to the environment and remaining socially

responsible in the services it provides. With a strong

focus on its people, the company demonstrates the value

it attributes to its workforce by ensuring rewards and

praise for a job well done, motivating others to achieve

the same. Essentially this contributes towards building a

secure future by being customer focused and delivering

quality services.

Despite working hard to reduce the amount of waste

going to landfill, there will always be a small amount

that cannot be recycled. For this purpose the company

operates a number of landfill sites throughout the UK,

and where possible, materials are sent to one of its

energy for waste plants. FCC landfill sites are much

more than finish and forget sites. In order to reduce the

environmental impact, its team ensure that gas is safely

removed and recycled into energy as well as monitoring

local water quality 24 hours a day.

Throughout the industry, and particularly recognised

by the communities in which it operates, FCC holds

a favourable position, seen as an economical and

environmentally responsible alternative. Through modern

and innovative ways, the business is using landfills to

reduce the amount of waste it receives and increase

recycling efficiency. Material recycling facilities are

being built on some landfills along with wind turbines,

composting facilities and refuse derived fuel plants. All

these new facilities are working together to ensure less

and less waste is added to landfill. zz

www.fccenvironment.co.uk

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzFCC EnvironmEnt

http://www.zonegreen.co.uk

http://www.knorr-bremse.co.uk

railway strategies issue 107 final edition

Documents

hs2 safety

f o r s e n

rail industry

railways t r

safety monitor

safety news

uk rail

ceo alison munro