Railtex review 2015

Innovative products and solutions on show at NECRailtex exhibitor features insideIndustry seminars, briefings and project updatesCelebrating industry excellence (Railtex Awards)

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RAILTEX 2015 SHOW REVIEW 3WWW.INFRARAIL.COM now live

WWW.INFRARAIL.COM now live

While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, Mack Brooks Publishing cannot accept liability for any statement or error contained herein.© Mack Brooks Publishing Ltd 2015Editor – Ken Harris Production – Julie Oakley Design

With 468 of the rail industry’s leading suppliers taking part, this year’s Railtex was the biggest and busiest of these events for more than a decade. A total of 7,449 trade visitors attended the show. A further 2,700 people were present as exhibitors, bringing together some 10,150 rail industry professionals over three days at the NEC.

Many exhibitors reported that the show exceeded their expectations, with significant numbers of successful business transactions and connections made. Railtex 2015 was not only about business transactions, though: an extensive and wide-ranging programme of speeches and presentations by leading industry figures was a major highlight, with many sessions standing room only and plenty of constructive exchanges between speakers and audience.

In this Show Review we hope to capture the flavour of Railtex 2015, focusing on highlights of the exhibition and its supporting programme. We also feature the Railtex Awards, which recognised some of the innovations that will help drive the rail industry forward.

Exhibition Manager Kirsten Whitehouse said: “Railtex has celebrated a successful return to the NEC, and once again

delivered the platform for professionals in the rail industry to meet, network, learn, discuss, do business and discover the latest trends, technologies and innovations within the rail sector.”

Planning is now well advanced for our next UK rail show. Infrarail 2016 will take place at ExCeL in London from 12 to 14 April next year. Alongside it we will again be staging CITE 2016, our Civil Infrastructure & Technology Exhibition. Combining these two events was a popular move both for exhibitors and visitors last year and we will be building on that success. We look ahead to these two exhibitions later in this Show Review.

Meanwhile we thank everyone who contributed to the great success of Railtex 2015. We hope the following pages provide a reminder of those three very busy but enjoyable days at the NEC.

The Railtex Team

CONTENTSRailtex keynote speeches and seminars ....4Railtex exhibition review ........................7Railtex Awards ....................................10Infrarail & CITE 2016 ...........................35

Advertisement IndexBender UK Ltd 20Birchwood Price Tools 32Brooks Reports 16Chieftain Trailers 16CITE 2016 36Fibrelite 27Exporail South East Asia – Thailand 2016 18Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd 6Houghton International 30Infrarail 2016 34Knorr Bremse Rail UK 12Manbat Ltd 22Mechan Limited 22Moxa Europe GmbH 16Nexala Ltd 14PHS Besafe 16Rail Technology Magazine Inside Front CoverSiemens PLC Outside Back CoverSignalling Solutions Inside Back CoverTrojan Services Ltd 9Wabtec 24Zonegreen 6

Innovative products and solutions on show at NECRailtex exhibitor features insideIndustry seminars, briefings and project updates

Celebrating industry excellence (Railtex Awards)www.railtex.co.uk

Official Show Review

First look at Infrarail / CITE 2016

inside!

Busiest Railtex for more than a decade

www.railtex.co.uk

Supporting Organisations

PermanentWay

Institution

Supporting Media Organisations

Future of TransportCommunication Platform

F T.cp

Official Media Partners

Railtex on TwitterSee what people said about Railtex on Twitter at https://twitter.com/railtex

Videos onlineCheck out video clips featuring this year’s show on the Railtex 2015 homepage www.railtex.co.uk

4 RAILTEX 2015 SHOW REVIEW WWW.INFRARAIL.COM now live


By general agreement, the programme of events forming a key part of Railtex was the best and most informative ever, with nearly 40 speeches and presentations on offer to everyone attending. Show organiser Mack Brooks Exhibitions thanks all those who gave their time and contributed so effectively to the programme’s success.

Events took place at two venues in the exhibition hall – the Seminar Theatre and the Knowledge Hub – where visitors and exhibitors were provided with great opportunities to catch up with the latest industry developments and trends.

The Seminar Theatre was the setting for more than

20 technical and general rail industry presentations hosted by Railtex media partner RailMedia. These ran throughout Railtex, covering topics ranging from vehicle driveline technologies to future train control systems and train maintenance initiatives.

The same venue was used for three keynote speeches that very much set the tone for the event. On the opening day, Network Rail chairman Professor Richard Parry-Jones gave valuable

insights into the direction the organisation he leads is taking, with a strong emphasis on the vital role to be played by a supply base that is continually innovating. Professor Parry-Jones also formally opened the show.

A stimulating keynote speech on the final day of Railtex was delivered by Tim Shoveller, managing director of the pioneering South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance formed to improve the performance of one of England’s busiest networks.

The middle day of the show strongly featured the Rail Supply Group, set up in 2014 to bring government and the rail industry together to address the challenges and opportunities facing the UK supply chain at home or abroad. A keynote speech by the group’s co-chairman and Alstom Transport’s UK president Terence Watson provided very clear insights into the RSG’s role and aims.

A well attended discussion session followed at the Knowledge Hub entitled ‘Rail Supply Group – What’s in it for me?’ This focused on the launch by the RSG of a new initiative designed to speed up the adoption of products and services from SMEs.

Best ever Railtex programme draws large audiences

A lively keynote speech was delivered by Network Rail chairman Richard Parry-Jones

Rail Supply Group co-chairman Terence Watson outlined the aims of the group.

Large audiences attended many of the speeches and presentations at Railtex.



The RSG discussion session underlined the greater role played by the Knowledge Hub at this year’s Railtex, serving as the venue for a series of high profile events. Among them were Industry Export Briefings which drew large audiences on the opening day of the show. Arranged by UK Trade & Investment and the Railway Industry Association, these focused on export opportunities for UK suppliers. Regions explored were the Middle East, Northern Europe and Hong Kong.

Audiences at the Knowledge Hub also took advantage of opportunities to learn about the status of current rail projects and programmes from senior figures at Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, ATOC, the Association for Consultancy and Engineering, the IMechE and MTR Corporation, and to hear an insightful presentation by Anna Walker, chair of the Office of Rail and Road regulatory body.

The Platform – daily interactive discussion sessions devised and moderated by business transformation specialists Rail Champions – completed an impressive line-up of events at the Knowledge Hub. These brought together experts from many fields to explore three themes: ‘Alliancing Best Practice’; ‘The Problem with Innovation’; and ‘Achieving Sustainable Performance’.

No Railtex would be complete without a Networking Reception hosted by show organisers Mack Brooks Exhibitions to mark the end of a successful first day. This year’s reception again provided a great way of bringing people together and contributing to their overall enjoyment of another outstanding event.

High profile events at the Knowledge Hub

A briefing on opportunities for UK rail sector suppliers in Hong Kong by Steve Griffin, General Manager, Procurement and Contracts at MTR Corporation, attracted a large audience.

Patrick Hallgate, Network Rail’s managing director for the Great Western Route, gave an update on progress to prepare main lines west of London for electric operation.

The popular Networking Reception marked the end of the successful first day of the show.



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Siemens targets UK EMU marketFeatured on the Siemens stand was a model of the Desiro Verve EMU that the company plans to offer to UK train operators. Developed from the Desiro City model currently under construction for Thameslink commuter services, the 200 km/h Desiro Verve is intended for longer distance interurban operations. Formations from 4- to 11-car are being offered, with 50% of the 23 m aluminium-bodied cars motored. Siemens says the train’s design provides for a 9% increase in seating capacity over comparable vehicles, and that its operating cost per mile has been calculated at 88% of the amount for its own current products.

Model of the Desiro Verve interurban EMU concept displayed on the Siemens stand.

A highlight of Hitachi Rail Europe’s presence at Railtex was its vision for a British ‘bullet train’. Images of a conceptual interior and its design theory were presented through the use of 3D imaging and a fully immersive virtual reality walk-through. Developed following extensive research and passenger studies, this revealed a train interior in which the company says the central focus is user experience.

Visitors to the stand were able to learn more about current vehicle contracts too – principally Class 800/801 IEP high-speed trains and AT200 EMUs for ScotRail/Abellio, plus an update on progress towards autumn opening of the company’s Newton Aycliffe plant in County Durham. In addition, Hitachi demonstrated its signalling and CBTC systems using interactive simulators.

Hitachi also played a key role in the Railtex supporting programme. Keith Jordan, Managing Director of Hitachi Rail Europe, gave a well attended talk entitled “A Whole-Systems Approach to Railway Engineering”in the Seminar Theatre on the second day of the show.

3D imaging enabled visitors to the Hitachi stand to visualise these first and standard class interior concepts suggested for a future

British ‘bullet train’.

Models of recent products featured on the impressive CNR stand.

Hitachi visualises high-speed concepts

High-profile Railtex debut for Chinese train buildersFor the first time China’s train building industry was represented at Railtex, with an impressive presence that underlined the country’s determination to play a greater role in this market. China CNR Corporation and CSR Sifang came with large facing stands displaying models ranging from light rail vehicles and metros to high-speed trainsets, many illustrating vehicles delivered to China’s rapidly expanding domestic system. The two organisations have recently merged to form the world’s largest rolling stock manufacturer.



lithium-ion batteries from where it can be tapped when needed for pulling away on start-up, for accelerating or for supplying the train’s electrical requirements. In its demonstration configuration the Hybrid PowerPack utilises an MTU Type 6H 1800 R75 diesel engine producing 315 kW and an electrical unit supplying up to 400 kW. In addition, the system incorporates SCR exhaust after-treatment technology with a urea tank to ensure compliance with EU Stage IIIB emissions regulations in place since 2012. In application the

system facilitates bimodal or, in conjunction with

overhead power lines, even trimodal drive solutions.

Rolls-Royce showcases MTU Hybrid PowerPack

MTU’s Hybrid PowerPack.

The stand of Rolls-Royce Power Systems subsidiary MTU featured a hybrid power pack for DMUs that delivered fuel savings of 15% during trials in Germany earlier this year, and could yield economies of up to 25%. It also offers reduced noise levels during travel and a more significant reduction during station stops, when auxiliaries can be supplied by batteries.

The MTU Hybrid PowerPack is able to convert surplus braking energy into electrical power via a generator. This electrical energy is then stored in

Innovations in cable management products on show included the Pegasus modular cable hanging system from Yorkshire-based Ellis. Formed of a rigid extruded aluminium spine with plastic hangers, Pegasus brings hanger systems for the railway up to date according to the firm’s managing director Richard Shaw. “Traditionally cable hanging systems have been anything but convenient,” he says. “They have come in set sizes and configurations and have weighed so much that they needed two people to install

them. And because they have been manufactured from galvanised steel they are subject to corrosion. Our intention was to deliver a new design that at the very least ironed out all of these flaws.”

The Pegasus system is corrosion-free thanks to an absence of bimetallic contact and an aluminium spine fully enclosed to protect against the effects of brake dust. The curved saddle shape of its hangers prevents cable damage caused by sharp edge contact, and its modular design provides great cable layout flexibility.

Ellis shows new cable hanger

The Pegasus cable hanging system from Ellis.

Infotec celebrates Crossrail contract Suppliers of customer information technology were well represented at the show. Prominent among these was Infotec, which earlier this year secured a contract to design and manufacture TFT displays for nine stations on the central section of Crossrail. The award was made by Siemens, which is responsible for the project’s control and communications systems. It will see Infotec’s next train information displays provided above platform screen doors so they can be read more easily by passengers.

Infotec has delivered more than 12,000 displays to some 1,000 UK stations. Among recently completed contracts is the design and supply of 123 new displays at Hatfield, Stevenage and Finsbury Park stations for the former First Capital Connect passenger franchise.

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Innovation in Technology, sponsored by The TEW GroupTrainPassenger.com (WINNER)

Camlin

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Innovation in Safety, sponsored by Eurosafe

Trough-Tec Systems (WINNER)

Beck & Pollitzer Engineering

Concrete Canvas

Best New Rolling Stock ProductBombardier Transportation, jointly with London Underground (WINNER) B Hepworth and Co

MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH

Rolling Stock Maintenance Equipment, sponsored by PSV Wypers

Mechan (WINNER)

ASL

Houghton International

Best New Track or Infrastructure Product

Dura Composites (WINNER)

Hilti (Gt Britain)

Perpetuum

Newcomer to Railtex, sponsored by the Rail Alliance

B Hepworth (WINNER)

Judges’ Choice, sponsored by the Railway Industry AssociationThe TEW Group and L.B.Foster

Best Space Only Stand, sponsored by Mack Brooks ExhibitionsDura Composites

Best Shell Scheme Stand, sponsored by Mack Brooks Exhibitions

MPI Ltd

Railtex Awards finalists and winners



More than 250 people enjoyed an evening of great food and entertainment at the Railtex Awards dinner at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on 13 May, sponsored by Rail Media and organised by In2Global.

Guests and colleagues were welcomed at a reception hosted by rail plant hire specialists Quattro Group, with singer Harriet McDonnell setting a musical theme to the evening. Background music during dinner was provided by pianist Mark Bettis, before a lively performance by fast-rising comic Rob Woodward paved the way for the Awards presentations by popular TV celebrity and Catchphrase game show host Roy Walker.

Music from The Smooth Criminals soon had the dance floor busy to round off an event that captured the upbeat mood at Railtex.

See pages 23 and 28 for pictures of award winners Mechan and TrainPassenger.com.

Railtex Awards dinner catches the industry’s mood

Many congratulations to all our winners and finalists. This year’s record number of entries demonstrated how fast the rail industry is moving in terms of new products, technology and innovation.

The same Dura Composites duo later collected the award for Best Space Only Stand at the show, with Railtex Exhibition Manager Kirsten Whitehouse representing the sponsor.



Railtex Awards dinner catches the industry’s mood

B Hepworth was judged winner in the Rail Alliance-sponsored Newcomer to Railtex

category. Tim Bell (centre left) and Ian Lockett (centre right) accepted the trophy from Roy

Walker. Rob Hopkin, executive director of the Rail Alliance is on the left.

The TEW Group and L.B.Foster secured the Judges’ Choice Award. TEW’s Tim Hadfield (centre left) and Alex McCann (centre right)

are seen with Graham Coombs of the category’s sponsor, the Railway Industry

Association, and Roy Walker.

Martin Bright of Bombardier Transportation displays the trophy for Best

New Rolling Stock Product, which it won jointly with London Underground. Mike

Heneghan of GGR Rail is on the left.

Trough-Tec Systems scooped the Innovation in Safety Award, represented here by Gary Elliott,

with Janine Reid of sponsor Eurosafe (left).

The Smooth Criminals delivered a fine set to round off a perfect evening

Simon Henser (left), Colin Green (centre) and Gemma Newby (centre right) of MPI Ltd pose for their picture with Michael Wilton, Railtex Exhibition Director for Mack Brooks (centre left).

Comedian Rob Woodward showed the audience why he is regarded as a fast-rising talent.

You can’t keep them down! Dura Composites was winner in two awards categories. Here, Tom

Bowman (centre left) and Stuart Burns (centre right) display the trophy for Best New Track or

Infrastructure Product, with Nigel Wordsworth of Railtex Awards sponsor Rail Media on the left.

Ulsterman Roy Walker was a popular choice to present the awards.

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Railway Industry AssociationThe Railway Industry Association has been a strong supporter of Railtex and Infrarail for many years, and makes a significant contribution to the success of both exhibitions. Its export-focused activities in collaboration with UK Trade & Investment were one of the highlights at Railtex. RIA Communications Director Graham Coombs reflects on the success of this year’s show.

HELPING UK EXPORTERS AT RAILTEXRailtex and Infrarail are always important events for the Railway Industry Association, and Railtex 2015 proved to be the busiest and best for some time. RIA has had a long and

active involvement with organisers Mack Brooks and helps to promote the shows as well as organising activities. We also seize on the opportunity to reinforce contacts with our members, and build contacts with others.

Combining our roles as the representative body for UK suppliers and as Trade Challenge Partner for UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), RIA seeks to capitalise on the presence of numerous overseas visitors at Railtex, to add value for our members and the wider UK industry. In 2015 we agreed a programme of three supporting events with UKTI: a series of Project Update presentations; a ‘Meet the Overseas Trade Adviser’ event; and a networking reception.

We arranged with Mack Brooks for presentation slots in the Knowledge Hub for the Project Updates, covering Hong Kong, the Middle East and Northern Europe, and designed to give UK suppliers an overview of these important markets, and insight into opportunities. With pre-booking not possible, we did not know how well-attended they would be but, in the event, they were all filled up to standing room only.

The ‘Meet the Overseas Trade Adviser’ event took advantage of the presence of rail sector specialists from British Embassies and Posts around the world. Earlier work with the UKTI rail team identified key markets to include, and arrangements were made accordingly. Even greater value was added by including railway officials from Hong Kong and Vietnam. RIA has run many of these events which, for those who have not participated, are a bit like speed dating: companies are allocated 20 minute slots with chosen delegates to present

brief details, establish future potential, and make contacts for follow-up. They are quite tricky to plan and organise, but give tremendous results. The Railtex event saw some 250 individual meetings, between 85 company representatives and 20 market specialists.

Our evening networking reception was also a great success, but nearly didn’t happen. The location we had booked was declared unavailable at a late stage, as the band Take That had added additional dates to their concerts in the nearby Arena, and 14,000 fans were expected! Luckily we found an alternative venue, and everything ran smoothly on the night.

All this was on top of our normal activity at Railtex. RIA Director General Jeremy Candfield took part in the official

opening and tour of the show. Terence Watson, co-chair of the Government/industry Railway Supply Group initiative, made an important speech at the start of Day 2. RIA’s Communications Director Graham Coombs led the judging for the Railtex Awards, including the arduous task of selecting the best stands from the 468 exhibitors. And RIA’s own stand, strategically located at the main entrance, was busy throughout the show, with a continual stream of enquiries and visits from old friends, which is another key aspect of Railtex.

So as we packed up the display and headed for the train back to London, we felt tired but with a great sense of achievement. And planning has already started for Infrarail in 2016...

SHOW REVIEW

There was standing room only at a presentation by Steve Griffin of MTR Corporation

outlining the export potential for UK suppliers of the Hong Kong

market.

The RIA’s ‘Meet the Overseas Trade Adviser’ event enabled

representatives of 85 UK companies to learn more about

export opportunities from 20 market specialists.

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With four major facilities located around the UK and over one thousand employees,

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China-UK R&D agreements signedIn a move intended to strengthen links between the UK’s scientific and educational community and China, a series of cooperation agreements on railway research and education was signed at Railtex by CSR Sifang and three British universities – Imperial College London, the University of Southampton and the University of Birmingham. The resulting China-UK Joint Research & Development Centre for Railway Technology will undertake research into a number of areas of rolling stock development.

The memorandum of understanding between the University of Birmingham and CSR Sifang sets out plans to commission research undertaken through the Birmingham International Railway Academy (BIRA), which promotes both international relationships across the railway world and comparisons for shared learning. The BIRA is part of the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) at the University of Birmingham, which offers the largest academic research and education capability for railways in the UK. The agreement was signed by the Director of the CSR Sifang Technology Centre Ding Sansan and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham Professor Michael Whitby, supported by Professor Clive Roberts, Director of the BCRRE and Anson Jack, Director of the BIRA.

The planned research will also involve many non-railway specific disciplines, such as developments in air conditioning and energy system integration. The university adds that there will also be a significant increase in the already impressive number of Chinese engineers being taught and graduating there in railway engineering and risk management.

Lucky guests at the telent Technology Services drinks reception at Railtex were able to take away a rugby ball signed by England World Cup winner Andrew Gomersall MBE, a director of one of telent’s partners, Network 2 Supplies.

“We were delighted that Andrew was able to come and join us on our stand and meet some of our valued customers,” said Steve Pears, Managing Director of telent’s Rail business. “We created quite a stir both at the exhibition and on social media.”

Two key components contributing to the development of the digital railway were unveiled by the company – the PRAESUM traction power SCADA system and MICA, the UK’s most widely implemented station control system, already deployed at more than 100 sites.

With PRAESUM now being adopted by Network Rail, visitors were able to see the system in action for the first time. Also on show were the latest enhancement to MICA which makes use of WiFi to enable staff to access the system from any location within the station via handheld devices such as iPads and iPods.

In addition, telent showcased its ACUMEN asset condition monitoring system and TRAMMS, used for asset management maintenance.

Rugby star scores for telent

Senior figures from the University of Birmingham, the University of Southampton, Imperial College London and CSR Sifang signed

cooperation agreements establishing the China-UK Joint Research & Development Centre for Railway Technology at Railtex on 12 May.

Rugby balls signed by England World Cup winner Andy Gomersall MBE were sought after on the telent stand.

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Composite platform is world firstDura Composites scooped the trophy for Best New Track or Infrastructure Product at the Railtex Awards. The winning innovation was the Dura Platform, a new patented compos-ite fibreglass platform system which has been installed at Needham Market station in Suffolk and is claimed to be a world first of its type.

The Dura Platform replaced the previous concrete structure at Needham Market and was installed in just 36 hours by installation partner Hammond (ECS) Ltd, which acted as the principal contractor to Network Rail. The product has been described as “game changing” by industry insiders, offering significant improvements over traditional alternatives – including a dramatic reduction in possession time and sizeable overall project cost savings.

Adjustable to suit rolling stock requirements, the Dura Platform has a design life of in excess of 50 years and optionally can be heated to melt frost and snow. The product can also be specified with integral LED lighting to provide additional safety at the track edge.

Dura Composites produced this short video to show how the new platform was installed in just 36 hours: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeCizJVxKi0

Rugged computing for railPDAs, tablet PCs, notebooks, vehicle fixed mounted PCs and other rugged hardware options for outdoor computing applications were on display by Cheshire-based RUGGED MOBILE Systems. The company says it is seeing increased demand for systems to support video capture and analyt-ics to enhance the security of passengers and cargo, and for complex in-vehicle gateway solutions to support more demanding and reliable communications.

Products showcased at Railtex included the latest rail-approved (EN50155) on-train computers, the range of which has been extended recently to support a broader number of uses. RUGGED MOBILE Systems is now UK and Ireland distribution partner for Nexcom Mobile Computer Solution products including its EN50155-approved rolling stock range.

As well as supplying hardware, the firm can assist in configuring and customising rugged mobile computing systems, and provide training and products lifetime support.

Dura Composites Sales Manager Richard Palmer explains the new platform concept to Network Rail Chairman Professor Richard

Parry-Jones during his tour of the exhibition.

Mors Smitt module prepares for ETCSWabtec subsidiary Mors Smitt displayed its TPWS+STM module developed to provide compatibility between the legacy Train Protection Warning System and the new stand-ard ERTMS/ETCS train control system to be rolled out by Network Rail.

Its introduction is a response to an Interface Specification for a Specific Transmission Module (STM) issued by UNISIG, the consortium established to develop the ERTMS/ETCS

technical specifications. The TPWS+STM has been designed to be adaptable for 4,000-5,000 existing UK traction units that will need to be upgraded for ETCS over the next 10 years. In 2014 Mors Smitt was awarded a contract by Bombardier Rail Control Solutions to install TPWS+STM in 65 Class 345 Aventra EMUs to be constructed for the Crossrail project in London.

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As one of more than 460 exhibitors at this year’s Railtex exhibition, ABB showcased its innovative technologies for transportation with a comprehensive range of solutions for rolling stock and infrastructure. These help to keep the world moving with new sustainable approaches that enable customers to use energy effectively, creating a low carbon transportation industry that operates with maximum efficiency and reliability.

Products featured on the stand included ABB’s cable protection solutions for rail rolling stock, its new low voltage catalogue and customised traction solutions for any kind of vehicle. The company also introduced some exciting additions to its range during the show.

•Ty-Rap for rail – UV resistant and flame retardant Ty-Rap® cable ties for the railway industry tested according to EN45545-2.

•PMA fire barrier solutions that allow cables and wires within a cable protection system to be fed through a firewall without loss of integrity.

•The Adaptaflex SPL-EF system that meets the EN45545-2 standard, achieving the highest HL3 fire performance rating for both interior and exterior locations together with the NEW Rail guide

ABB has a long history of providing reliable, innovative and energy-efficient technologies to the rail sector, manufacturing and servicing all the systems, subsystems and components used in modern urban, conventional and high-speed rail networks. This includes rail infrastructure and components for rolling stock, as well as signalling and telecommunication systems.

A Fire & Ice display was used to demonstrate the extreme conditions ABB’s cable protection solutions can endure with a particular

question over whether the ice was in fact real…

Exciting solutions for the rail industry showcased by ABB

Power products by Socomec A wide range of low voltage power products was presented by Socomec. These included its Masterys IP+ Rail UPS, which recently gained Network Rail PADS approval. Also featured were Sircover and AtyS Automatic and Static Transfer Switches designed to enhance power availability and simplify the electrical architecture to ensure availability of standby and alternate power. The AtyS has been approved by LUL as an integral part of a complete system being manufactured by project partner AF Switchgear.

Socomec also presented its Fuserbloc load break switches, which protect people and key assets by preventing overloads and short circuits, and its Diris Digiware energy monitoring, measuring and management system. The striking Socomec stand at Railtex.

Mabey Hire’s dedicated monitoring teamMabey Hire announced the launch of its LIVEInstrumentation team, introduced to provide a complete range of monitoring and control solutions for its customers.

Comprising geodetic, geotechnic, electronic and civil/structural engineers and hydraulic specialists, LIVEInstrumentation enables Mabey Hire to offer structural and non-

structural services for applications that include environmental monitoring, equipment calibration and product testing. Clients are able to define their level of involvement with

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Rail Alliance With its own Hub area in the exhibition hall and a focus on its role in the development of the Rail Supply Group, the Rail Alliance had a high profile at Railtex. Marketing & Media Manager Eli Rees-King sums up the show and outlines the organisation’s plans.

RAIL ALLIANCE RISING TO NEW CHALLENGESThe Rail Alliance was certainly a force of presence at this year’s Railtex, with no fewer than 21 of its members joining them on the Hub and a further 62 exhibiting elsewhere in the hall.

Having grown from humble beginnings in 2008 as an offshoot of the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), today the Rail Alliance is a highly-regarded authority on matters relating to the UK rail supply chain and the challenges faced by SMEs supplying into it. Selected by the Rail Supply Group (RSG) as a key delivery partner, the Rail Alliance has been tasked to deliver the first sector-specific UK-wide mentoring programme designed to support and develop SMEs to facilitate them to meet the specific standards, requirements and challenges set out by the Top Tier organisations.

Speaking at Railtex, Colin Flack, CEO and RSG Council member said: “With projects such as HS2 and Crossrail building and sustaining momentum respectively, now is the time for organisations to get involved in the mentoring programme. Railtex was the perfect platform to deliver the message that participating in a high quality mentoring programme such as the one being delivered by the Rail Alliance on behalf of the RSG is a strategic decision that will generate real and immediate value.” Any

organisation which would like to find out more about the mentoring programme should visit www.railmentor.com.

With a rapidly expanding membership base (the fastest growing in Europe) and a rail industry that is consistently ever more complex, the Rail Alliance has grown significantly as an organisation having expanded its team to now include five more staff all with dedicated roles and expertise to meet the needs

and requirements of its members: Lucy Prior (Membership Development Manager), Chris Denison (Innovation and Technology Director), Paul Alliott (Technical Director), Jim Panter (Mentoring Scheme Development) and Eli Rees-King (Marketing & Media Manager).

This year also sees the Rail Alliance hosting and running its own dedicated rail event – RAIL2015 at the Long Marston site where the company is based. This the largest dedicated outdoor rail show in the UK and will take place on 16 and 17 September. Details can be found in the Rail Alliance website www.railalliance.co.uk.

This will lead very nicely into Infrarail/CITE 2016, where members will have the opportunity to join them on the Rail Alliance Hub in a dedicated area in the show.

SHOW REVIEW

Rail Alliance CEO Colin Flack (centre) took part in the well

attended discussion forum ‘Rail Supply Group – What’s in it for me?’, together with Paul

Copeland of Siemens (left) and Roy Freeland of Perpetuum.

A full house with lively discussion at the Rail Alliance breakfast networking event held during Railtex.



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Mechan won the Rolling Stock Maintenance Equipment category at this year’s Railtex Awards. Chief executive Richard Carr (second from

right) proudly displays the trophy, along with (from left) colleagues Lee Pitts, Siani Turner and Adam Elliott.

Mechan finds recipe for Railtex successA new location, new look and a new show stopping centrepiece combined to make Railtex 2015 the most successful yet for depot equipment specialist, Mechan.

Visitor numbers to the Sheffield manufacturer’s stand were up 15% on the previous event, something chief executive Richard Carr attributes to greater investment in Mechan’s presence and effective promotion of the firm’s attendance. He said: “My team and I met a steady stream of delegates, who sought us out deliberately or were stopped in their tracks by our full size, fully operational lifting jack.”

Mechan enhanced its Railtex experience by including experts from some of the European manufacturers it represents in the UK and Ireland in its team. Sales engineer Adam Elliott also hosted a popular presentation in the Seminar Theatre focusing on modern methods of wheel profile monitoring, with help from laser measurement specialists NextSense and Visiona.

Richard concluded: “Our investment in Railtex is already reaping rewards. The feedback on our new branding and the working demonstration jack we installed was extremely positive and we’re looking forward to following up the numerous enquiries we received.”

More details of Mechan’s wide range of standard and bespoke lifting and handling products can be found at www.mechan.co.uk.

Tratos feeds the hungryPatient queues at the Tratos stand gave a clear signal that it was lunchtime at Railtex, with top quality prosciutto, cheeses and other Italian delicacies on offer to visitors. That initiative successfully drew attention to the company’s expertise in the manufacture of cables for electrical, electronic and fibre optic applications.

Recent Tratos achievements include equipping Italian Railways’ new ‘Frecciarossa’ high-speed trainsets with enhanced performance fire-resistant fibre optic cable which has passed Italferr and IMQ test requirements. To assist in the development

of this product Tratos worked with its in-house special compound manufacturer Tramet to produce a low smoke, zero halogen optical cable claimed to deliver exceptionally high performance.

Tratos also featured its RSS (Rail Safety Steel) cable which uses steel and aluminium within the conductor in place of the standard copper. As well as conferring lightness that assists transport to site and installation, these materials also act as a deterrent to theft with no adverse impact on performance. The firm says over the last two years it has produced some 400 km of RSS for Italy’s national network operator RFI.

DAS demoThe Cubris GreenSpeed Driver Advisory System (DAS) was demonstrated on the ESG Rail stand. The system collects data and calculates a train’s ideal speed, helping to ensure it arrives on time while adding the potential to reduce energy consumption.

The opening of Railtex coincided with the start of an ESG Rail contract with South West Trains to install GreenSpeed DASs in 498 cabs under a contract awarded in April. Members of the Cubris team were present on the stand to explain the system in detail.

Part of DB Systemtechnik, ESG Rail now employs more than 100 people at its Derby office and claims to be the UK’s fastest growing rolling stock consultancy.

LEDs from CanadaTaking part in Railtex for the first time was Canadian firm Divvali Lighting, which is now offering its LED locomotive bulbs to the European market.

The company has already sold more than 1 million bulbs in North America and Australia. In the former region, all new EMD and GE locomotives are delivered equipped with Divvali bulbs, while prominent users include Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Canadian National, Canadia Pacific, CSX and Union Pacific. For North American operators, energy savings per locomotive using 20-40 LED bulbs have been calculated at between 2,620 and 5,240 litres of diesel fuel per year.

The firm’s product range also includes LED bulbs for passenger vehicle interiors.

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Wabtec Corporation is a global provider of value-added, technology-based products and services for railways, transit, freight and other industrial markets. The company has facilities located throughout the world.

In the European railway markets, companies including, Wabtec Rail, Mors Smitt, Brecknell Willis, LH Group, Poli, MZT and Brush Traction are all part of the Wabtec group, and through its subsidiaries the company manufactures a range of products for locomotives, passenger multiple units and coaches, along with freight rolling stock. Wabtec also specialises in aftermarket services.

At Railtex 2015, products and services were displayed from the following railway technology sectors;• Brake & friction• Electronics & control • Cooling• Doors• Current collecting• Rolling stock• Locomotives• Service, overhaul & retrofit

Visitors to the stand were able to experience the latest innovations in;• Rooftop & third rail energy measurement (for billing) and current collecting • Traction control & event data recording• Onboard & track side electrical control & signalling solutions• Locomotives, new built & retrofit• Engine, transmission, cooler & power group overhaul

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Rail Supply Group Railtex provided a great opportunity for the recently formed Rail Supply Group to explain its initiatives for strengthening the domestic supply chain to best meet the demands of tomorrow’s railway, both at home and abroad. Here, the group sums up a successful event.

THE RAIL SUPPLY CHAIN – A CALL TO ARMSIn a keynote speech on the second day of Railtex, Terence Watson, president of Alstom UK and co-chairman of the RSG, issued a call to arms to the rail supply industry. He told a full audience at the show’s Seminar Theatre that the coming years would present a once in a lifetime opportunity for UK companies in this sector. Even with the world in recession the global rail market grew by €14 billion between 2009 and 2013, with further growth of €26 billion expected by 2019. This, he said, is due to several global megatrends – including increasing urbanisation, emerging markets, advances in technology, moves to reduce CO², and an ageing population, especially in Europe.

Is this important for the UK rail supply industry? Yes it is, said Terence Watson, adding that demand for rail services is only going to grow, evolve and present new

challenges. The UK is in a great position, he said, with everyone looking at what we are doing, from privatisation to innovative financing and alliancing. They want to know why we are doing it, how we are doing it and how they can learn from our experiences. Suppliers should not feel on the back foot.

The market is buzzing with projects pipelined into the late 2020s – HS2, London Underground projects, electrification and much more. This is a prospect that many industries would love to have. But, argued Terence Watson, we are not ready to maximise these opportunities.

His view is that the industry can do better and can build on strong domestic demand to compete in a global market and survive. A genuine partnership between industry and government, the RSG was formed to drive change in the supply chain. In

January 2015 it launched its vision, with the industry pledging that by 2025 it will: • Morethandoubleexportvolumes.• AttracttheverybestUKtalenttotherailsector.• HarnesstheenergyandinnovationofagreaternumberofSMEs.• Beagloballeaderinhigh-speedrail.• Andhaveahighlyinnovativeandentrepreneurialsupplychain.

Terence Watson started his speech with a call to arms and finished by encouraging companies to play their part and not depend on a few big firms leading from the front. His speech and accompanying slides can be downloaded here: http://www.railsupplygroup.org/2015/05/railtex-15/

The Knowledge Hub was the venue for a well attended and lively follow-up discussion session entitled ‘Rail Supply Group – What’s in it for me?’ Footage of the session can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co_CHSpZCF4&feature=youtu.be

This session featured a valuable introduction to the RSG’s ‘Open-Doors’ and ‘Mentoring’ schemes to help SMEs – these links provide more details:

http://www.railsupplygroup.org/2015/05/rsg-launches-open-doors-to-support-smes/ and http://railmentor.com/

The RSG recognises the value of events like Railtex to showcase the capabilities of the UK rail sector and looks forward to Infrarail next year. Having access to such a big part of the industry in one place at one time offers great benefits and will also help our overall export aims.

SHOW REVIEW

The Rail Supply Group’s discussion forum attracted an

attentive audience.



Signalling Solutions Ltd benefited from a great location for its elegant stand.

SSL thanks its visitors

Fuel management focus

“A sincere ‘thank you’ to all the visitors to the Signalling Solutions Ltd stand at Railtex 2015 this week,” said the company’s Communications Officer Judy Viitanen as the show ended. “We greatly valued your interest in our three innovative signalling technologies – Iconis, Atlas and Smartlock – which were showcased over the three days of the exhibition. Developed by Alstom Transport, these systems

are already delivering safe, reliable and efficient solutions at the cutting edge of signalling worldwide.”

She added: “We hope that all our visitors enjoyed the exhibition as much as we did. Railtex 2015 proved to be a great show for Signalling Solutions – and it was a real pleasure for our SSL technical, communications, HR and management representatives to meet so many delegates from the UK and overseas.”

Advanced fuel management systems from Cameron Forecourt are now being used to monitor the fuelling of rail vehicles at three sites operated by Arriva TrainCare. At Railtex, Cameron Forecourt explained how depots at Crewe, Cambridge and Tyne Yard can now be monitored in real time round the clock using

its Jigsaw Eclipse fuel management systems and Gilbarco Veeder-Root electronic tank gauging technology that it installed and commissioned under a turnkey package.

The largest facility is at Crewe, comprising 11 Jigsaw Eclipse fuel islands, while installations at Cambridge and Tyne Yard are provided with a single

fuel island terminal. Fuelling can only be undertaken after the user is authorised via the fuel island’s keypad terminal. The systems’ high accuracy gauging provides managers with instant information on stock levels, remaining tank capacity and ullage, enabling them to arrange timely replenishment.

Cameron Forecourt fuelling installation at Arriva TrainCare’s Crewe facility.

Saft equips tram-trainsNew vehicles being supplied by Vossloh in Spain for the pioneering Sheffield-Rotherham tram-train project are being equipped with Saft MRX nickel-based battery systems, the company revealed at Railtex. The dual-voltage (750 V DC/25 kV AC) tram-trains will run on the existing Sheffield Supertram network and on the Network Rail heavy rail line to Rotherham, making them the first in the UK to operate on both types of systems.

Delivery of battery systems for the seven vehicles ordered by South Yorkshire PTE has already begun and will continue until the end of this year. Sheffield’s existing Supertrams have been equipped with Saft battery systems for almost 20 years.

Examples of MRX batteries were on show alongside a range of Saft products for for both onboard and trackside applications.



Depot innovations from Wilcomatic A comprehensive range of depot equipment was presented by Wilcomatic Rail Division. Seen here is a Vogelsang controlled emission toilet installation supplied to Ireland’s national railway company IE. Also featured were new skirt and eaves brushes developed by Wilcomatic and Otto Christ for bidirectional train wash plants. The design of the system ensures the brushes always face the direction in which the train is travelling to reduce the number of brushes needed.

Ricardo explains LR Rail acquisitionGlobal engineering and environmental consultancy Ricardo was able to use Railtex to provide more details of its acquisition of the Lloyd’s Register Rail business, completion of which should be achieved by July. By combining LR Rail with Ricardo’s established activities, newly branded Ricardo Rail plans to respond to increasing demand for technical consulting and assurance expertise, and says it will be ideally placed to provide unique services that bring together its leadership in powertrain and driveline systems and one of the world’s most respected brands in railway consulting and assurance.

Alongside Ricardo Rail, a standalone assurance management entity, Ricardo Certification, is to be established to hold and manage future accreditations. LR Rail managing director Paul Seller is assuming the same role at the new Ricardo Rail business.

Driveline technologies explained on the Ricardo stand.

Award-winning appThe winner in the Innovation in Technology category at the Railtex Awards was TrainPassenger.com for its system aimed at giving train operators the best information possible on live, historical and forecast passenger numbers across their networks. The newly developed smartphone app provides train managers with a quick and easy way of counting passengers, including the number in each coach, standing passengers and those needing assistance at stops en route.

This summary data syncs with a live ‘heat map’ to provide an overview of passenger occupancy across an operator’s entire network. The data is also fed into a ‘dashboard’ providing live analytics showing the number of trains in operation, the total numbers of passengers on each including standees and class of travel, plus the number of users affected by any late running.

TrainPassenger.com says its system enables operators to reconcile revenue more accurately and aids capacity planning to better match customer demand. It can also provide valuable data on train occupancy for emergency services in event of an accident.

Rory McGown of TrainPassenger.com proudly displays the Innovation in Technology trophy his company won at the Railtex Awards.



Defender’s use of a black setting showcased its lighting

products to good advantage.

Stands built to impress

The stand shared by Keyline Rail and FP McCann

referenced traditional railway themes.

The Nomad Digital stand strongly reflected the firm’s corporate identity.

Faiveley Transport made the most of its island location with this impressive stand.

Many exhibitors deserve credit for the quality of their stands at this year’s show. Shown here are just a few of many exceptionally creative presentations.

First class traction motor and MA set repairOur Rail division pioneers technical and commercial innovation in the repair, maintenance and life extension of AC & DC traction motors and motor alternator sets into the UK and global markets.

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• AC and DC traction motor repair and overhaul – using our insulating system designed for optimum performance in rail operating conditions

• MA sets test and repair – comprehensively tested with our unique patented * transient dynamic test process which simulates full load conditions

• HST alternator, DC line inductor and other auxiliary equipment and heavy repairs

• Consultancy services; engineering and technical support, development projects, site visits and audits

We work collaboratively with ROSCO’s, TOC’s and bogie overhaulers to reduce costs and improve reliability by extending the life of their electro-mechanical assets. Contact us to discuss how we can help keep your trains on the tracks for longer.

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Houghton International Riverside Court, Fisher Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 4LT, UK

E: [email protected] W: www.houghton-international.com T: +44 (0)191 234 3000

@HoughtonInt HoughtonInternational Houghton Int



Perpetuum track monitoring innovationNew onboard track monitoring services were unveiled at Railtex by Perpetuum. As part of this launch, the company’s commercial director Justin Southcombe delivered a presentation during the busy seminar programme that accompanied the show. This provided insights into Perpetuum’s work with train operator Southeastern and Network Rail, which sees 2 million data points monitored daily by 5,000 wireless sensor nodes installed in more than 100 trains.

The company recently secured its first contract in the Asia-Pacific region from Metro Trains Melbourne to deliver a pilot installation of its onboard sensor systems to monitor bearings and wheels on Alstom X’Trapolis EMUs. Powered by patented wireless energy micro-generators, these sensors produce powerful vibration and temperature data, enabling operators to view the real time health of rotating vehicle components such as wheel bearings, motors and gearboxes.

In a further contribution to the success of this year’s show, company president and Rail Supply Group council member Roy Freeland took part in a significant open forum discussion outlining the RSG’s initiatives to support new entrants to the rail market to help drive innovation.

Enhanced repair serviceElectro-mechanical engineering specialist Houghton International announced the launch of enhanced repair services that now also cover DC line inductors and HST alternators.

In addition to a weatherproofing programme for DC line inductors, TOCs now have the option to repair rather than replace faulty units, offering cost savings and reduced lead times.

“Repairing rather than replacing can keep the inductor in service for years to come,” says Houghton International CEO Michael Mitten. “We are the only company in the UK offering this service and we believe it represents an opportunity to reduce costs and improve responsiveness when failure occurs.”

Commenting on the firm’s new alternator repair service, Michael Mitten says: “We recently completed an HST alternator repair for First Great Western. Not only were we able to repair the alternator and restore function, our skilled engineers also improved its performance by reducing the running temperature, thereby increasing power output.”

The award-winning L.B. Foster stand, which marked the recent addition to the company of The TEW Group.

L.B. Foster’s presence at Railtex marked the acquisition earlier this year of The TEW Group, based in Nottingham. The enlarged company’s impressive stand, with its innova-tive use of iPads to interactively inform visitors, won it the Judges’ Choice category in the Railtex Awards.

Featured at the show were The TEW Group’s signalling and control room products – control panels, mosaic mimic diagrams, REBs and location cases, while on-platform solutions showcased covered DOO displays and structures and passenger information systems.

L.B. Foster unveiled its new TGA3 traction gel applicator cabinet. Smaller and lighter than previous models, the new design features a new two-pump arrangement, contributing to improved performance and reduced power consumption for increased battery life.

Also introduced were two product ranges available for the

first time in the UK following the acquisition last year of part of the former Schreck-Mieves company: the EKOS retrofit switch roller for switches without intergral slide plates and the ESA electric lubricator for the light rail and metro market.

L.B. Foster showcases expanded portfolio

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Bombardier’s significant contribution to enhancing the UK’s rail network ensured its stand was busy

with visitors. In addition, the company’s head of bids engineering Niall Simmons gave a presentation in the

Seminar Theatre entitled ‘Train of the Future – Improving Reliability through Trains Zero’.

Railtex snapshots

Railtex provided great opportunities for exhibitors like Provertha’s

Paul O’Mahoney to explain the functioning of their products.

André de Backer of Atlas Copco talks to show visitors.

Worlifts displayed equipment vital for rail maintenance.

The busy scene on Day 2 of the show.Sponsored by Tata Steel, The Track also featured products by BCM GRC, Innovative Railway Safety,

Rosehill Rail and Schneider Electric.

Media Partners: Supporting Organisations:

Where the industry meets… Where the industry does business

11

th INTERNATIONALRAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE

EXHIBITION

www.infrarail.com

LIVE PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONSTHE TRACK | EDUCATION & TRAINING

INNOVATION | NETWORKINGTHE YARD | THE RECRUITMENT WALL

HUNDREDS OF EXHIBITORS | THOUSANDS OF PRODUCTS

For more information: Tel:+44 (0)1727 814400 www.infrarail.com

12-14 APRIL 2016EXCEL, LONDON, UK

ExCeL London has been chosen as the venue for Infrarail 2016. The UK’s showcase event for railway infrastructure equipment, products and services will take place at the capital’s premier exhibition centre from 12 to 14 April next year, again bringing together leading suppliers and the industry’s decision makers and buyers.

London is served by main line and urban rail networks that rank among the world’s densest and busiest. Continuing high levels of investment in these systems by Transport for London and by government at a national level add to a strong case for staging this eleventh Infrarail in the capital, according to show organiser Mack Brooks Exhibitions.

“Locating Infrarail in London provides a good balance with Railtex at the NEC in Birmingham”, says Kirsten Whitehouse, exhibition manager at Mack Brooks for both events. “It will enable exhibitors to introduce their products and capabilities to the widest range of potential customers in the capital and the south of the country, as well as to visiting industry professionals from the rest of the UK and beyond.”

Situated in a stunning waterfront location, ExCeL London now hosts many of the UK’s leading consumer and trade shows. Located in the capital’s Royal Docks and within easy reach of central London, the venue is served by three Docklands Light Railway stations and has easy access from London Underground’s Jubilee Line and London City Airport. Parking is available for 3,700 cars, and there are six onsite hotels and numerous bars and restaurants. ExCeL recently won the coveted ‘Best UK Conference Venue’ and ‘Exhibition Venue of the Year’ awards for an unprecedented third time; together, we will make Infrarail 2016 the best event in the series yet!

Infrarail will again provide a valuable opportunity to develop new business contacts.

Co-located with CITE 2016Infrarail 2016 will be co-located at ExCeL London with CITE - the Civil Infrastructure & Technology Exhibition. CITE 2016 will shine the spotlight on wider transport, utilities and communications networks to form a perfect partner event for Infrarail. Together the two shows will form the UK’s largest exhibition dedicated to public infrastructure.

This successful pairing first occurred in 2014, when together Infrarail and CITE attracted some 6,600 visitors and more than 200 top rail infrastructure companies took part in the rail show. Next year’s Infrarail will incorporate the features that have contributed to the continuing success of the show – the latest in rail infrastructure technology plus keynote presentations from industry leaders, industry seminars and briefings, the Infrarail & CITE Awards, and much more. Regular visits to www.infrarail.com will keep you up to date with the latest plans for the show.

Infrarail tracks lead to ExCeL

The supporting programme at the show offers insights into major rail projects. This was Graeme Shaw, Head of Northern Line

Extension at London Underground, speaking at Infrarail 2014.



Media Partners: Supporting Organisations:

Where the industry meets… Where the industry does business

11

th INTERNATIONALRAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE

EXHIBITION

www.infrarail.com

LIVE PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONSTHE TRACK | EDUCATION & TRAINING

INNOVATION | NETWORKINGTHE YARD | THE RECRUITMENT WALL

HUNDREDS OF EXHIBITORS | THOUSANDS OF PRODUCTS

For more information: Tel:+44 (0)1727 814400 www.infrarail.com

12-14 APRIL 2016EXCEL, LONDON, UK

CITE 2016 will build on the success of the well-received launch of the first CITE in 2014 and again form an important part of the UK’s largest infrastructure exhibition. CITE will focus on infrastructure, civil engineering, energy, geotechnical, tunnelling, waste, water and utilities, whilst Infrarail will again shine the industry spotlight on rail infrastructure.

Harness the power of face to face interaction – the top sales driver

CITE - where people from throughout the supply chain meet face to face, make connections and do business.

For more information: Tel:+44 (0)1727 814400

www.cite-uk.com

• Live product demonstrations • Education and Training • Networking • Innovation • The Yard machinery display area • The Recruitment Wall

Supported by: Media Partners:

CITE will be co-located with Infrarail 2016 – the 11th edition of this successful and well-established Rail Infrastructure exhibition.

12-14 April 2016 ExCeL, London

CITE 2016 will provide a great opportunity for face-to-face exchanges.

Extensive supporting programmeAs well as providing exhibitors supplying civil infrastructure technology and equipment with an opportunity to present their latest products and services, CITE 2016 will include equipment display facilities, plenty of scope for networking, plus an extensive supporting programme offering insights into trends and developments in the field of civil infrastructure.

Commenting on plans for the event, exhibition manager Kirsten Whitehouse said: “We were very pleased with the positive response to our first CITE show in 2014. We therefore had no hesitation in going ahead with this second event. Improving and expanding the UK’s national infrastructure is an economic imperative, as both the current government and the previous Coalition administration have made clear. Against this background, CITE offers valuable face-to-face contact between the supply chain and those planning and implementing major projects.”

Bookmark the CITE 2016 website www.cite-uk.com to keep up with the latest plans for the show as they develop.

CITE 2016 to showcase infrastructure technology

Imtech’s Mike Elwell spoke on ‘Intelligent Cities and ITS’ at last year’s CITE show.

Mack Brooks’ first Civil Infrastructure & Technology Exhibition - CITE 2014 at Earls Court in London made a big impact, attracting leading managers, engineers and decision-makers from all sectors of civil infrastructure.

Staged alongside Infrarail 2014, the exhibition drew visitors that included high-ranking representatives of highways authorities, utilities and communications networks, as well as major civil engineering companies and contractors serving this market. Co-locating the two exhibitions also drew a very favourable response from exhibitors, many of which provide equipment, products and services for the wider infrastructure sector as well as for rail.

Next year this successful partnership of the two events will be repeated, this time at the state-of-the-art ExCeL London exhibition centre from 12 to 14 April. ExCeL has been undergoing continuous improvements, and after successfully hosting some of the Olympic events as well as major consumer and trade exhibitions over the past few years, was rewarded by again winning the coveted ‘Exhibition Venue of the Year Award’ and ‘Best UK Conference Venue’ in 2014. We are looking forward to bringing our shows to a new venue where they can continue to grow.

London and the Southeast are benefiting from huge investments in public infrastructure covering transport, and utilities such as energy supply, sewerage and communications. This makes the capital the perfect venue to host this event.



CITE 2016 will build on the success of the well-received launch of the first CITE in 2014 and again form an important part of the UK’s largest infrastructure exhibition. CITE will focus on infrastructure, civil engineering, energy, geotechnical, tunnelling, waste, water and utilities, whilst Infrarail will again shine the industry spotlight on rail infrastructure.

Harness the power of face to face interaction – the top sales driver

CITE - where people from throughout the supply chain meet face to face, make connections and do business.

For more information: Tel:+44 (0)1727 814400

www.cite-uk.com

• Live product demonstrations • Education and Training • Networking • Innovation • The Yard machinery display area • The Recruitment Wall

Supported by: Media Partners:

CITE will be co-located with Infrarail 2016 – the 11th edition of this successful and well-established Rail Infrastructure exhibition.

12-14 April 2016 ExCeL, London



Rail Champions Each day at Railtex the Knowledge Hub was the venue for The Platform – highly successful discussion forums devised and hosted by Rail Champions. We asked Chris Williams-Lilley, the organisation’s founder and Chairman, to give his impressions of these sessions.

STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTSOn behalf of the Railtex Platform Experts and our partners at MackBrooks Exhibitions, we would like to say a very big thank you for attending and supporting our Platform Sessions run each day at Railtex. We appreciate your interest and for taking the time and effort to be there. This year’s event surpassed all our expectations.

Our objective for this years’ Expert Panels was to build on the achievements of our very successful VIP Round Table Sessions, the ultimate goal being to learn and share what we can

do to achieve more ‘sustainable’ supply chains across the rail industry. To accomplish this we established clear discussion threads to examine the many ‘existing’ supply chain problems and issues facing business leaders today, and then to determine the necessary solutions, actions, policies and programmes to overcome them. If we have been successful, we will take all the things we have learned and include them in the final draft of the Rail Champions Supply Chain Imperatives paper, due for publication in the autumn.

We have been very fortunate to have a large group of well known experts in their respective fields participate in our Panels and Round Table Forums this year. This group includes: Network Rail; Transport for London; HS2; I-UK;

Action Sustainability; Supply Chain School; professors, academics, engineers, directors, researchers, consultants and other authorities. Their involvement, as well as your feedback, resulted in our very successful forums, workshops and seminars.

With the rail sector taking a cultural shift from a traditional contractor/supplier relationship towards a more trusted partner approach, innovation from collaboration has yielded many new opportunities and well thought out innovations. Delivering sustainable performance can in part be supported by engaging ‘inventive’ SME suppliers. However, they desperately need support from the major contracting organisations. There has to be a balance between meeting the future needs of the rail users, improving project outcomes and minimising costs. I was particularly excited to see so many new products on show at Railtex. Many

are relevant, solve multiple problems and are scalable and sustainable.

The Knowledge Hub provided many lively debates and project updates. I was lucky enough to sit through a number of the keynotes, and was inspired by the messages from business leaders sharing ‘good practice’, and brokering access to Champions (pun intended) and generating a lot of support!

The direction for our own Platform sessions was established early by Rail Champions, with support from many client organisations such as Network Rail, HS2 and Transport for London. As a result The Platforms delivered a number of very interesting sub-topics which are sure to become a focal point in forthcoming Champions editorials, so we welcome your support moving forward. Perhaps you would like to join our growing community?

To gain access to our business facilitation services, supply chain fast-facts, briefing papers, industry insight,

or knowledge capture templates, simply say [email protected]. We would be delighted to hear from you.

On behalf of Rail Champions and our superb expert speakers, thank you. The Platform Sessions would not have been half as successful without your support.

SHOW REVIEW

The first day’s session of The Platform discussed ‘Alliancing Best Practice’. Chris Williams-Lilley (far left) introduced (from left) Andy Harrison of Daventry

Business and Consultancy Services, Russell Goodenough of Fujitsu, Dr Robert Mallett of

RICS UK and Len Walker of BiP Solutions.

Audience participation contributed to the success of

the Platform sessions.

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Documents

Railtex review 2015