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The latest edition of Railway Strategies
Citation preview
RAILWAYS T R A T E G I E Szzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
June/July 2013F o r S E N I o r r A I L M A N A G E M E N T
Clever thinking from Southern
NEWS
ORR’s draft CP5 determination
Network Rail publishes
full-year results
More carriages for London Overground
c2c gets extension
Four new stations to be funded
Half time at Birmingham
Using technology to the best effect, Southern is taking an
innovative approach towards its fleet management
InterviewEnsuring that LOROL’s
trains are up to the mark, fleet director PEtER Daw
says success lies in the planning
Infrastructure & Civs Stations and Depots
FOCUS ON
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 1
ChairmanAndrew Schofield
Managing DirectorMike Tulloch
Editor Martin Collier
Managing EditorLibbie Hammond
Art EditorJon Mee
Advertisement DesignerJamie Elvin
Profile EditorKirsty Birkett-Stubbs
Advertisement SalesDave King
Andrew Bruns
Head of ResearchPhilip Monument
Editorial ResearchersKeith Hope
Karl Riseborough Gavin Watson
Joe Wright
AdministrationTracy Chynoweth
Circulation & Events
Karen Baur
No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means
(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
Tel: 01603 274 130Fax: 01603 274 131
Two sides to every coin
Revenue up (£6.2 billion); passenger satisfaction up
(85 per cent); £5 billion invested in the network over the
year; passenger growth running at double the rate forecast
in 2009. These were just some of the headline facts and
figures contained in Network Rail’s full-year results released at
the beginning of June. In its own assessment of Network Rail’s
performance, the Office of Rail Regulation also recognised the
record-high level of passenger satisfaction as well as the increases
in passenger journeys (up four per cent) and the amount of
freight carried (up three per cent). There was praise too for the
infrastructure company’s “excellent levels of performance” during
the 2012 London Olympics. Also singled out by the ORR was a
strong performance by Network Rail and train operators in Scotland,
where punctuality improved by 2.3 per cent to 93 per cent despite
a period of harsh weather conditions. In contrast, however, the
punctuality targets in England and Wales were missed, and, despite
acknowledging some improvements, there was also some criticism
for the lack of reliability of asset condition information, and a backlog
of maintenance on some routes. These issues have prompted ORR
to impose stretching targets for punctuality and asset management
in its draft determination for CP5.
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 79 June/July 2013 ISSN 1467-0399
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]).
108
62
Features
10 Interview
Interview – Peter Daw 10Kirsty Birkett-Stubbs
‘Always on’ consumers have increasingly high expectations 69Mark Elliott and Robert Williams
HAV management for rail workers makes good business sense 84Jim O’Hagan
Unobtrusive improvements 88Jonathan Goss
Leave a legacy for society: become an engineer 94Mac Alghita
Building confidence 96Rob Searle
Profiles
Focus on... Depots & Maintenance
Focus on... Stations
Upgrading the UK’s railway stations through innovation 40
Ian Dutton
Connectivity that goes the extra mile 42Ravi Mondair
Meeting the increase in passenger demand 44Malcolm Stamper
Finding the future at rail stations 46David Watts
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzContentsIssue 79 June/July 2013
Southern 16London & North Western Railway 20Metropex 50Southeastern Railway 54Grand Central 58Arriva Trains Wales 62Heathrow Express 64Knorr Bremse 70era-contact GmbH 78The Railway Industry Association 80Kapsch CarrierCom 97Bender UK 100 Touax Rail 102 Mafex 104 National Express 106 Schlatter 108 Danske Statsbaner 111 Inter Ferry Boats 116Pod-Trak 118 Morris Line Engineering 121
Pages 10-21
97
News
28
6Interview – Peter Daw 10Kirsty Birkett-Stubbs
‘Always on’ consumers have increasingly high expectations 69Mark Elliott and Robert Williams
HAV management for rail workers makes good business sense 84Jim O’Hagan
Unobtrusive improvements 88Jonathan Goss
Leave a legacy for society: become an engineer 94Mac Alghita
Building confidence 96Rob Searle
Focus on... Infrastructure & Civil
Engineering London Underground: earth structures
challenges & successes over the last 20 years 22Brian McGinnity and Nader Saffari
The little grid with the big potential 28Tim Oliver
Unearthing the potential of plastic 30Russell Belleguelle
Lost in translation: seeing BIM through the client’s eyes 32
Allan Hunt
Focus on... Stations
Upgrading the UK’s railway stations through innovation 40
Ian Dutton
Connectivity that goes the extra mile 42Ravi Mondair
Meeting the increase in passenger demand 44Malcolm Stamper
Finding the future at rail stations 46David Watts
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzContentsIndustry News 4
Railtex Review 13 Stations 35
Franchises 53Rolling Stock 73
Products & Services 77Health & Safety 82
Security 89Integrated Transport 90
Contracts 92Training 95
Rail Alliance new members 123 Conferences & Exhibitions 124 35
44
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Publication of the draft ‘Environmental statement’ and the design refinements consultationA written statement to Parliament on HS2 from the Transport Secretary
l The Government has published two
documents for consultation which
significantly move forward its work on
the HS2 route between London and
the West Midlands (known as phase
one of HS2). These are the draft
‘Environmental statement (ES)’ and
the design refinements consultations.
Publication of the draft
‘Environmental statement’ is a key
step towards delivering the Hybrid
Bill for the HS2 route between
London and the West Midlands. The formal ES will
be published alongside the Hybrid Bill later this year, having been
further refined in light of responses to the draft ES consultation.
The draft ES provides, wherever available, information on the likely
significant environmental effects of HS2 – and our plans wherever
possible to mitigate them. The Government believes that HS2 is vital
for this country and will provide a huge economic return. However,
I am aware that the building of the railway will cause disruption for
those living close to the line of route. I am determined that
this disruption should be kept to a minimum and mitigated
wherever possible.
Consulting on the draft ES is not a statutory requirement but the
government recognises the importance of ensuring widespread
engagement on the scheme. Best design can only be reached with
the input of local communities, environmental groups and all levels of
government.
Once the Hybrid Bill is deposited, there will be a further
period of consultation on the formal ‘Environmental statement’ as part
of the Parliamentary process.
Alongside the draft ES, I have published a consultation on a series
of design refinements for the HS2 route between London and the
West Midlands. Since we set out our proposed route in January 2012
we have been developing the detailed design of the scheme, listening
to the representations from individuals and organisations affected by
the route. This refinement process aims to ensure that we design a
railway that is as efficient and effective as possible while limiting as far
as practicable its impacts on people and the environment.
Many of these proposed refinements are small in scale but some
are more significant, altering the local impact of the scheme. To
ensure my final decisions on these refinements are informed by the
best possible information I have decided to consult on my initial
preferences for the more significant changes before deciding whether
to include them in the final design of the scheme. Consultation on
both the draft ‘Environmental statement’ and the design refinements
closes on 11th July. Consulting on these two documents is part of
the process of helping to make HS2 the best it can be, providing
passengers with the high level of service they expect while minimising
as far as practicable the impact on local communities.
Thameslink rolling stock deall DfT has announced the award of the £1.6 billion Thameslink
rolling stock contract. The deal to build 1140 new carriages for
use on the Thameslink rail line came a step closer to completion
on 14th June as the Department for Transport confirmed its
decision to award the £1.6 billion contract to a consortium led
by train manufacturer Siemens, subject to the usual ten-day
standstill period.
Network Rail’s full-year resultsl Network Rail invested more than ever
before (in cash terms) – some
£14 million a day (£5 billion for the year)
– in renewing and expanding Britain’s
railway in 2012/13, the company
announced on 6th June in its full-
year financial results. It’s been a
challenging year on train performance,
influenced by bad weather, and as a result the company faces a
tough final year of the control period (CP4) to meet its stretching
efficiency targets.
Group finance director, Patrick Butcher, said: “The challenge
we have faced over the last year, and will continue to face in the
years ahead, is one of success – more people wanting to use more
trains, more of the time. Over the last 12 months we have invested
an unprecedented amount in growing and expanding the rail
network through over 2000 projects nationwide.
“However, the economic times in which we live mean that
alongside delivering new capacity we need to keep a constant
drive for improved efficiency. Our overall financial performance
remains strong and we are on track to deliver over £5 billion of cost
savings for the five years to 2014.
“Building capacity and driving efficiency while maintaining
performance at today’s historical high levels lie at the heart of our
bid for funding for the next five year control period (2014-19) and
the future of the company.”
New strategic partnershipl International rail consultancy Network Rail Consulting and rail industry
body RSSB have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work
together to secure overseas business. The new partnership means that
Network Rail Consulting can complement the full spectrum of expertise
from Network Rail with the knowledge, products and services provided
by RSSB. For the consultancy, the benefit is being able to tap into the
independent rail industry body with an international reputation to provide
an even broader package of services around the world. For RSSB, and
the UK rail industry as a whole, the benefit is in generating new revenues
to support the capabilities and knowledge it provides for the industry, as
well as development opportunities for RSSB staff.
The Rt Hon Patrick
McLoughlin MP, Secretary of
State for Transport
4 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry
Patrick Butcher
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 5
Lewes – Uckfield rail route to be re-examinedl Secretary of State Patrick McLoughlin has asked Network Rail to examine if
re-opening the Lewes – Uckfield railway line will meet the demand for the future growth
in rail travel. The Government’s Rail Investment Strategy already requires additional rail
capacity to be delivered between Uckfield and London Bridge by 2019. This is likely to
be achieved by adding more carriages to trains running on the route. Now a new study
commissioned by the Secretary of State is looking at rail provision between London and
the south coast further into the future and as part of its terms of reference will
re-examine the case for a new line linking the Sussex towns.
The study will feed into decisions on the future funding of the railways. The current
Rail Investment Strategy outlines funding priorities until 2019 and this work would
inform any business case for changes to rail provision in the area beyond that date.
The line linking the two towns was closed in 1969 but there is local appetite to see
it brought back into use. Recent moves to devolve decision-making for local transport
schemes will also give greater freedom to local councils and enterprise partnerships to
determine priorities and allocate funding accordingly.
LU and TRL sign MoUl London Underground and TRL have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to
formally establish their mutual interest in sharing and combining research expertise
in transport, to help develop innovative solutions to some of the challenges currently
facing the rail industry. Both London Underground and TRL have a long history of
working in the transport arena and together they have agreed to:
l Undertake joint research in areas of common interest
l Share experience, research and knowledge including technical and practical
solutions, and jointly promote learning across the two organizations
l Explore new ways to unlock present problems in applying news techniques and
technologies
l Share resources to advance knowledge and expertise.
The agreement builds on the recent launch of LU’s Innovation Portal and its drive to
create an industry environment conducive to fostering innovation and research focused
on meeting its business challenges.
Eurotunnel launches ETICA to help develop intermodal rail freightl Eurotunnel considers that one of its principal
missions is to develop railway traffic between the
United Kingdom and continental Europe. Having
introduced several previous measures (Open
Access, European Interoperability Standards –
TSI), Eurotunnel is launching ETICA (Eurotunnel
Incentive for Capacity Additions), a system of
financial support for railway operators launching
new intermodal rail freight services through the
Channel Tunnel.
The difficulty with opening new services through
the Channel Tunnel is not, contrary to some views,
due to the level of access charges, which are very
competitive, but to the marketing and service start-
up costs and the controls at Frethun.
The ETICA mechanism, which will be available to
all railway operators, will provide a one-off financial
support for start-up investments, for one year. The
ETICA mechanism, which will be fully funded by
Eurotunnel, with no public subsidy, is based on
the Marco Polo aid system, conforms to European
Directives and does not change the access
charges set out in the Network Statement.
Eurotunnel believes that its intrinsic strengths of
efficiency and respect for the environment mean
there is potential to further develop rail freight
through the Tunnel.
New chairman for Eurostar Internationall Clare Hollingsworth has become the new
chairman of Eurostar International, succeeding
Richard Brown who decided to step down
from the Board when his three-year term as
chairman ended in June this year. Clare has
extensive experience of the transport sector
and of customer-facing businesses. She joined
the Board of Eurostar as an independent non-
executive director in 2010.
A Southern Class 377 passes through Lewes station
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o.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Industry
ETCS successl Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd. has announced
that its Onboard ETCS (European Train
Control System) solution has successfully
connected to the Network Rail Cambrian Line
signalling system, and achieved ETCS
Level 2 operation. The breakthrough came as
part of Hitachi Rail Europe’s ‘Verification-
Train 3’ project to trial ETCS onboard
equipment in the UK. During this project, the
Class 97301 locomotive was successfully
retro-fitted with the Hitachi onboard system
to prove interoperability with other systems
currently in use.
As part of the recent success, the Hitachi
system was correctly identified on the
Network Rail Signalling System and Control
Centre in Wales (Machynlleth) without
any system failures. The locomotive was
driven under its own power with ETCS
Level 2 via the GSM-R radio network in
various operational modes such as ‘Staff
Responsible’, ‘On Sight’, ‘Shunting’ and ‘Full
Supervision’.
ETCS is a common signalling system which
has been developed throughout Europe
to enable train services to cross frontiers
and boundaries between different countries
without the need to change signalling systems
or locomotives. ETCS is part of the European
Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS)
and many systems have already been
implemented around the world.
6 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
‘Elizabeth’ enters Canary Wharf stationl The Crossrail project has celebrated its biggest milestone so far as one of its
1000 tonne tunnelling machines has broken through into the new Canary Wharf
station box, 28 metres underground.
Crossrail’s eastern tunnelling machines, named Elizabeth and Victoria, were
launched from the Limmo site near Canning Town towards the end of last year to
create 8.3km (5.16 miles) of tunnels from east London to Farringdon – Crossrail’s
longest tunnel section.
Tunnelling machine Elizabeth will now undergo maintenance inside the Canary
Wharf station box before resuming tunnelling towards central London. Sister machine
Victoria is due to breakthrough into the station in the next few weeks.
Key milestones coming up on the Crossrail project include:
l Completion of the first Crossrail tunnels by the end of 2013 – the 6km western
section between Royal Oak and Farringdon
l Crossrail’s final two tunnel boring machines launched later this year to begin further
tunnelling work in Pudding Mill Lane, east London
l Continued progress by Canary Wharf Group on the four-storey retail development
above the new Canary Wharf station, including the start of work on the timber lattice
roof in late 2013
l Archaeology work continuing at Crossrail sites later this year including excavation
of the Bedlam Burial Ground at Liverpool Street station where up to 4000 skeletons
from the 1600s-1800s are thought to be buried
l Work nearing completion on the 34.5m-deep Stepney Green shaft, one of
Europe’s largest underground caverns – the two eastern tunnelling machines will
pass through the shaft later this year
l Throughout the life of the Crossrail project and its supply chain it is estimated that
enough work will be generated to support the equivalent of 55,000 full-time jobs.
Hita
chi R
ail E
urop
e / R
icha
rd W
Jon
es
New FCC MDl FirstGroup has appointed David
Statham as managing director of First
Capital Connect. He will take over from
Neal Lawson, who left to join Network
Rail at the end of May.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzCrossrail 2
W ith London’s population set to boom, plans are
underway for a vital new rail line, Crossrail 2, in
order to support this future growth. The plans
moved a step closer in May with Transport
for London (TfL) and Network Rail launching a public
consultation on the proposed routes.
With Crossrail already set to provide a ten per cent
increase to rail capacity in London, Crossrail 2 would add
to this even further. It would create a new high frequency,
high capacity rail line with shorter journey times between
south west and north east London. It would help to
relieve congestion on busy main line routes into central
London and on the Underground network, while allowing
communities around London to benefit from the creation of
new jobs and new homes.
The consultation will seek the views of people in London
and the south east of England and will run until 2nd August
2013. It aims to establish what level of support there is for
the project and where the public and stakeholders would
like Crossrail 2 to serve. The public are encouraged to
respond and share their views at www.crossrail2.co.uk.
Even with the Tube upgrade works and the delivery
of Crossrail additional capacity on the transport network
is needed to cope with London’s forecasted population
growth. Crossrail 2 could be operational in 2030 but it is
essential that work continues now to meet this target so
the future forecasted population and employment growth in
London is supported by new transport infrastructure.
A route for Crossrail 2, formerly known as the Chelsea-
Hackney Line, has been kept free from any intrusive building
development since 1991 and any new buildings along the
route have been constructed to allow for a potential new
railway line. TfL is now reviewing this safeguarded route and
has proposed two alternatives which would better meet the
rail needs of the capital in the future – a Metro option and a
Regional option.
The Metro option could offer a high frequency
underground service across central London. This option
could be an underground railway and could operate
between Wimbledon and Alexandra Palace. The route
would relieve congestion on trains and platforms on the
Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines.
The Regional option could benefit people in
Hertfordshire, Surrey and beyond by enabling more trains
to run on busy National Rail routes. This route could be a
combined underground and overground railway and could
operate from Alexandra Palace and stations in Hertfordshire
to various locations in south west London and Surrey.
A report on the findings of this consultation will be
presented to the Mayor of London in autumn this year and
made publicly available on the consultation website. Further,
more detailed consultations would then follow. zz
Web: www.crossrail2.co.uk
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 7
Crossrail 2 route consultation opens
(L-R) Peter Hendy (commissioner, TfL), Baroness Valentine, Boris Johnson, Lord Adonis, David Higgins (chief executive, Network Rail), Richard Tracey (AM, Merton & Wandsworth)
© Tr
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8 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
ORR’s draft CP5 determination
On 12th June, the Office of Rail Regulation
(ORR) announced that over £2 billion
savings had been identified in plans
which would enable Britain’s railways
to achieve continued growth and increase rail
capacity over the next five years. New tougher
regulatory targets would also see levels of train
punctuality increase with at least nine out of ten
trains running on time on every route, higher
standards of network infrastructure management
and improved safety for passengers and railway
workers.
ORR has undertaken an extensive analysis
of Network Rail’s Strategic Plan for the railways
between 2014 and 2019 (CP5), published in
January this year. The plan sets out proposals for
funding and improving the rail network as required
by the Westminster and Scottish Governments.
It builds on the growth and success of Britain’s
railways over the past decade, which has
seen safety, punctuality and services improve
– and prompted record rises in the number of
passengers and the amount of freight carried.
ORR’s assessment shows that over the next
five years the day-to-day cost of running the rail
network should be £21.4 billion – nearly £2 billion
less than proposed by Network Rail. Savings will
be achieved through the implementation of new
technologies, better management of the railways
and more efficient ways of working. These
savings will not come at the expense of safety.
The regulator has largely protected Network
Rail’s maintenance expenditure so that the
delivery of a high-performing railway is not
compromised. There is also additional funding to
improve the condition of civil structures (bridges,
tunnels) as well as to upgrade and close level
crossings.
With rail passenger numbers expected to
rise by a further 14 per cent by 2019, ORR
has approved a £12 billion programme of
enhancement projects to boost capacity on
Britain’s railways. However, nearly £7 billion of
these projects are in very early stages of planning.
To safeguard taxpayer interests, before releasing
funds for these schemes, ORR is requiring
Network Rail to provide well-developed plans to
ensure they represent real value for money. The
regulator also proposes that Network Rail seeks
input from train operators, stakeholders, and
passengers to demonstrate these plans address
the needs of rail users. zz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry
ORR chief executive Richard Price said:
“Britain’s railway is a success story and it has made
significant progress over the last decade. In order to
sustain this progress and retain support and confidence,
the industry must continue to improve its efficiency to
reduce its dependence on public subsidy.
“We have set out what Network Rail and its industry partners will need to deliver
between now and 2019 for passengers, freight customers, train operators, and
taxpayers. Passengers will benefit from increases in capacity through a major
programme of enhancements and improvements in punctuality, tackling in particular
the worst-performing lines. Not only that, we are proposing that rail users should have
more say in what enhancements to the railways are delivered and how.
“This determination is stretching but achievable and it gives Network Rail incentives
to build on past successes, and do even better than the challenges we have set.”
By the end of 2019, ORR will require Network Rail to achieve:
l Improved performance for passengers – An average of 92.5 per cent of trains on
all routes up and down the country must arrive on time, with the difference between the best
and the worst performing routes narrowing. At least nine out of ten trains must run on time
on all routes.
l Delivery of projects to increase capacity and levels of service on the
network – Many of Network Rail’s proposed enhancements to the rail network are in very
early stages of planning. ORR has allocated funding to see these projects develop as fast
as possible. The regulator is proposing that rail users and train operators are given a bigger
role to shape the specification and delivery of Network Rail’s projects. This will help put
passengers at the heart of decisions on how the railway is improved.
l Better management of the network infrastructure (assets) – Network Rail will
have better and more up-to-date data on the condition of its tracks, bridges and other
assets so that problems can be identified and fixed before they occur, significantly reducing
delays caused by asset failures. The regulator will specify how progress is measured, and
ensure the company is working to stretching new regulatory targets. Network Rail will also
improve the resilience of the network to climate change.
l Improved safety for rail passengers and workers – ORR has approved £67 million
funding to upgrade and close level crossings in England and Wales. Network Rail must
reduce the risk of train accidents and work towards eliminating fatalities and major injuries.
l Greater efficiencies and value for money – ORR’s analysis shows that Network
Rail can deliver what the Governments want by spending £2 billion less than proposed.
Through more effective incentives, ORR is encouraging train operators, Network Rail and the
supply chain to work together to create further opportunities to save money. Network Rail is
forecast to achieve efficiencies of 40 per cent in running the railway from 2004 to 2014. ORR
is expecting Network Rail to deliver a further 20 per cent efficiencies from 2014 to 2019,
which will see the company itself fully meet Sir Roy McNulty’s efficiency challenge.
Network Rail now has until 4th September to provide its response to this draft determination,
and ORR will publish its final determination on 31st October 2013.
To read ORR’s draft determination and summary overviews, visit
www.rail-reg.gov.uk/pr13/consultations/draft-determination.php
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 9
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzRail Freight Group (RFG) has welcomed the ORR’s
decisions on freight charges announced as part of
the Draft Determination of the Periodic Review 2013.
As part of a package of reforms, ORR has concluded
that:
l Biomass will not be subject to a new freight specific charge in control
period 5
l Increases in the variable access charges for freight will be capped at an
average ten per cent compared to the 23 per cent previously announced.
This is likely to reduce charges for intermodal traffic, and limits the impact of
rises in the bulk markets such as aggregates and steel
l The proposed 400 per cent increase to the capacity charge for freight will
not be implemented and a revised approach will be developed
l The previously announced caps on the freight specific charge for ESI coal,
iron ore and spent nuclear fuel will be reduced. For ESI Coal, for example,
the cap will reduce from £4.04 to £1.04 per kgtm.
“We are pleased that ORR has listened to the concerns of the industry and
has taken a balanced decision that is affordable and fair. This will be a great
relief to rail freight operators, customers and those seeking to invest in the
sector who can now develop their business plans with confidence.”
Maggie Simpson, RFG executive director
“We welcome today’s draft
determination from the Office of
Rail Regulation setting out their
proposals for the funding and
investment the railway will need
for the five years to 2019.
“A decision of this significance, which will be important not only
for the railway’s four million daily passengers and freight users,
but also the economic prosperity of the country and the future
sustainability of the network, needs careful and detailed thought.
We will take the time necessary to analyse our regulator’s initial
findings before giving our formal response in September.
“There is no question that our railway needs to sustain the high
levels of investment seen in recent years if we are to continue
expanding the railway to provide for the ever growing numbers
of passengers and trains. Getting the balance right in making the
choices between performance, growth and value for money is
critical if we are to build on efficiency savings of around 40 per
cent achieved over the last two control periods.”
Network Rail spokesperson
Whilst many may associate fast and flexible rail transport in
London with subterranean tunnels, since 2007 the London
Overground network has continued to thrive as a popular
alternative in the capital’s public transport offering. With
the opening of the link between Clapham Junction and Surrey Quays in
2012, the Overground provides a complete orbital network around the
city connecting into many key destinations such as Stratford, Euston, and
Highbury and Islington.
10 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz INTERVIEW I Peter Daw
Working under concession with Transport for London (TfL),
London Overground Rail Operations Ltd (LOROL) is the train
operating company responsible for running this network. As fleet
director at LOROL it falls to Peter Daw to ensure that enough trains
are provided in a safe and reliable condition on a daily basis to deliver
the services. Peter is also the professional head of engineering within
LOROL and holds the safety case for that.
When it comes to ensuring that LOROL’s trains are up to the mark, fleet director PeteR DaW tells Kirsty Birkett-Stubbs how success lies in the planning
better way
A
Fleet arrangementsIn terms of the fleet itself, Peter explains how this encompasses
a number of train types in order to move between the different
infrastructure of the network: “We have a fleet of 57 Class 378
Electrostar trains, which were purchased by TfL and contracted to
Bombardier for the maintenance. I am then TfL’s agent for managing
that contract. Twenty of those trains are 378/1 DC only units, operating
purely on the East London Line. The rest are 378/2 dual-voltage trains
capable of running on both AC and DC infrastructure making them a
very flexible fleet that go almost anywhere on the network.”
In fact the only place precluded to these trains is the Gospel Oak
to Barking line, which is presently not electrified. For this part of the
network LOROL maintains a fleet of eight Class 172 diesel trains. “These
were purchased from Bombardier under lease from Angel Trains,”
describes Peter. “The reason for this is that part of our concession
stipulated that we purchase new trains to run on the Gospel Oak-
Barking line. At the same time there is the aspiration that this part of the
network will become electrified at some point, which would enable us
to extend the scope of our Class 378 trains and return the diesel fleet to
Angel Trains.” LOROL in fact purchased a set of 12 Class 172s, four of
which now work on Chiltern Railways. The maintenance of those units
remains with LOROL though at its Willesden depot, and notably are
recognised as the most reliable fleet at Chiltern.
Well laid plansSince LOROL took over the concession, Peter and his team have
worked hard to improve reliability year-on-year. The results of this are
apparent with the number of fleet technical incidents reduced by
36 per cent and fleet delay minutes by 53 per cent. Furthermore the
latest ATOC figures show that LOROL has improved the number of
delays per incident (DPIs) by over 40 per cent, which is currently the
best in the UK.
Key to achieving this has been the relationship cultivated between
LOROL and Bombardier in their role as maintainers of the 378s at their
New Cross Gate facility. Elaborating on this Peter says: “What I have
tried to instill into the teams at LOROL and Bombardier is that we’re
both here for the same objective and working for the same customer
TfL, so we need to be in step with one another. We found that the team
at New Cross Gate were hugely knowledgeable about engineering
but less so about what is required to run a railway, so from the onset
I established my own team at Willesden whereby every fleet and
engineering job function in LOROL is aligned with the same role in
Bombardier. We all have a link between each other and are all learning
through that.”
With an obligation to provide 53 out of the 57 electric trains to
the network on a daily basis, LOROL requires a high level of fleet
availability. As such, rigorous planning is at the centre of achieving this.
“We as an operating company have to deliver the maintenance plan as
agreed with Bombardier,” continues Peter. “That means that the train
has to arrive at the agreed time, when the staff will be there to do the
work, and the materials required will be available – if any one of those
elements is missing the work doesn’t get done that day and we have
twice as much to do tomorrow.
“When we first started the service we had a generic maintenance
regime that was devolved from other Electrostar trains around the
system, which clearly did not fit the type of work our trains were doing.
Whilst they may not travel as long distances or at high speeds, our 53
trains in service stop over 10,000 times per day, so we have developed
adjusted regimes with Bombardier that fully fit that function,” he
continues.
Different approachThis partnership also continues to evolve as LOROL and Bombardier
find better ways of doing things. One such example was the reduction
of maintenance windows throughout the Olympics period, which
proved so effective that this is now being continued post Games. “Prior
to the Olympics we conducted an ‘A’ exam at 7500 miles, and a
‘B’ exam at 15,000 miles on all our trains. In the approach to the
Games though the company was able to eliminate the ‘A’ exam
completely and increase the maintenance period to 15,000 miles
between exams. We looked at the data over the years to see what
we were doing in the ‘A’ exam, what we’d found, and what needed
attention, and it became apparent that it wasn’t necessary for the train
to call into the depot so frequently,” elaborates Peter.
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 11
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12 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz INTERVIEW I Peter Daw
Crucially this reduction in maintenance windows had no impact on
the safe operation of the train, which is all parties’ primary concern.
“First and foremost we have to ensure that each train complies with our
safety case,” confirms Peter. “Then we check that it doesn’t go outside
the agreed terms of supply with TfL which is very much about what the
passenger sees, and thirdly that what goes on underneath the train is
reliable and will provide the service without failure.
“Under our train supply agreement (TSA), which is the TfL document
through which we manage Bombardier, there are a lot of very strict KPIs
on what the condition of the train can be. This was very prescriptive so
for the Olympics I worked with TfL to reach an agreement where we
could relax some of the criteria on the basis that they weren’t required,
there was minimal risk in relaxing them, and there was no impact on
the customer. That proved to be a success so we are now continuing
and formulating these measures, and there are even more opportunities
within the TSA that we believe could be adjusted to support day-to-day
operations,” he continues.
Another measure that has come out of the work around the Olympics
has been empowerment of employees on the shop floor to make
decisions on what needs to be done in order to run the railway the
next day. This is still within a set of guidelines, but this delegation of
responsibility has really paid off in terms
of optimising the availability and reliability
of the fleet. “The final decision will always
rest with LOROL though,” reiterates Peter.
“Our team at Willesden acts as a final
check when accepting the trains back after maintenance
and to ensure that we log everything that has been done.”
No surprisesIn order to make its fleet maintenance even more robust LOROL is
making use of new train monitoring technology, such as the Orbita
system. This web-based programme logs a whole spectrum of
performance data, such as door operation or brake applications, and
then, through a set of alerts set up by Bombardier, can identify when a
fault or pre-cursor to a potential train failure occurs. This then enables
LOROL to make the necessary arrangements to carry out repairs as
required.
“Once again it’s all about planning,” notes Peter. “If there is a problem
with our trains we know straight away so that we can make the decisions
required to address that. One thing I always emphasise to my staff is
no surprises. They should know the condition of the fleet at any time,
day or night, and exactly where it is in its maintenance regime so that
when a train comes in they know what is likely to have gone wrong and
have the materials on hand to fix it.” zz
LOROLTel: +44 (0) 845 601 4867Email: [email protected]: www.lorol.co.uk
LOROL’s Willesden depot
Maintenance
Proactive 172 HVAC replacement
A total of 8,202 rail industry professionals
visited Railtex 2013 – an increase of
19 per cent on the figure for 2011. Of
these, around 63 per cent were directors,
senior managers and those with purchasing or
decision-making responsibilities, highlighting the
quality of attendees. And while the majority of visitors
were from the UK, attendees from 49 countries
accounted for 7.5 per cent of the total visitor number,
underlining the role that Railtex plays in highlighting
the export capabilities of the country’s rail supply
industry. Total attendance, including exhibitors’
personnel was 10,634, up 13 per cent on 2011.
Held at Earls Court exhibition centre in London from
30th April to 2nd May, this year’s show was the eleventh in a highly
successful series of events providing a showcase for the latest rail
industry products, systems and services. It was the biggest Railtex
since 2007, with 434 organisations from 17 countries taking part,
including 64 companies exhibiting at the event for the first time.
Participants included many of the industry’s best known names,
together with numerous highly specialised firms supplying essential
products and services for all sectors of the market. The event was
further strengthened by the support and presence of the Railway
Industry Association, and by co-ordinated participation by both the
Rail Alliance networking organisation and the Derby & Derbyshire Rail
Forum.
A new feature of the exhibition was The Yard, an area dedicated to
the display of larger items of plant and rail infrastructure construction
and maintenance vehicles. Devised in collaboration with the Rail
Plant Association, it included exhibits by Flotec, Keyline, Rail-Ability
and Siemens. Also a key part of the show was the On Track Display,
sponsored by Tata Steel and featuring its products as well as
products from BCM Group, Rosehill Rail, Schneider Electric and
Topcon.
Transport Minister opens showRailtex 2013 was formally opened by Minister of State for
Transport Simon Burns MP, who commented: “Industry needs
trade shows because they bring together people, they spark
new ideas and they help to build new working relationships.
We need more opportunities to meet face to face – that’s
what makes events like Railtex particularly valuable.”
The Minister was also a keynote speaker in a programme
of well attended technical seminars hosted by The Rail
Engineer magazine. Keynote speeches were additionally
delivered by Professor Richard Parry-Jones CBE, Chairman
of Network Rail, and Andrew Wolstenholme OBE, CEO of
Crossrail.
Railtex visitor numbers rise by 19 per centA significant increase in visitor numbers was achieved
at the biggest Railtex since 2007
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 13
Among other supporting activities at this year’s show was a
programme of project updates covering major Network Rail schemes,
the planned HS2 high-speed network and the IEP rolling stock
programme, plus developments in the Baltic region and Hong Kong.
And a new Railtex feature was The Platform, a programme of open
panel discussions staged in partnership with the Rail Champions
business development forum.
Summing up the success of Railtex 2013, exhibition manager
Heidi Cotsworth said: “This positive feedback confirms that this was
a very successful show and we thank everyone who contributed to
it – exhibitors, visitors, speakers and participants in all our supporting
events, as well as our show partners and supporting organisations.
Our focus is now on next year’s Infrarail exhibition, which will bring
us back to Earls Court. Planning for that is well under way and stand
reservations are already coming in quickly.”
Infrarail 2014 will take place at Earls Court in London
from 20 to 22 May 2014.
14 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
The UK’s rail networks are getting busier.
This is reflected in increasing activity
levels within depots, in turn placing
increasing burdens on depot staff and
existing infrastructure. Improving productivity
and efficiency are obviously therefore key to
reducing these pressures and to the continued
successful operation of rail depots across
the country.
Good planning, organisation and
communication are essential factors in the
effectiveness of almost any team-based work.
In depots, this co-ordination has historically
been based around a whiteboard, usually
located in a control room or supervisor office
somewhere on-site. Information is handwritten
upon this whiteboard, detailing train expected
arrivals and departures, together with the
rolling stock maintenance tasks that need to be
carried out.
This of course presents the challenge of
dissemination of relevant information to staff
working around the depot who cannot directly
see the whiteboard itself. It also allows for both
loss and corruption of information which can
simply be wiped off the whiteboard, unclearly
written and misread etc. Simple, easy-to-make
mistakes are inevitable, and could have a
significant effect on the depot’s output.
The traditional whiteboard system’s
–with a modern, innovative, web-based approach to depot train maintenance planning
laborious nature absorbs valuable staff time
in its administration, which could be more
productively utilised if released from the tedious
manual updating requirements involved.
As the depot gets busier, so does the
whiteboard, with new information being
produced more frequently and the amount
of information being displayed growing. This
places increasing strain on the whiteboard
system and those operating it – who have
to juggle updating the whiteboard with the
multitude of other tasks they need to carry out.
This obviously increases the likelihood of errors
being made.
A modern, IT-based solution would therefore
seem a natural development, in the same
way that computer-based applications have
been created for so many other information
processing and control activities. UK-based rail
technology company Zonegreen has stepped
up to this challenge with its Operator Planning
Suite (OPS). This has been developed with the
above issues in mind, and Zonegreen have
produced this product specifically designed
purely for use in rail depots.
New technologies: adding benefits, removing problemsZonegreen’s Operator Planning Suite (OPS), a
multi-user, web-based graphical task planning
application, is a cost-effective replacement
of the traditional manual whiteboard. It has a
graphical map layout representing the depot
on which users can position trains and create
and assign maintenance tasks, together with
schedules for train arrivals and departures.
Instead of being physically handwritten on a
board, all information is inputted to the system
electronically. Changes and progress can be
entered straightforwardly and easily, and are
automatically and immediately recorded and
updated on the system, improving system
reliability and reducing the likelihood of any
communication failures and breakdowns.
OPS instantly transmits all information
to anywhere in the depot – or elsewhere. It
provides up-to-the-minute information on any
train in the depot including train ID, train location
within the depot, expected arrival and departure
times and types of maintenance required.
This real-time operation allows maintenance
information to be updated and displayed in an
accurate and synchronised manner.
This leads to another feature of the system,
which is that more than one copy of the
whiteboard can function at the same time.
Zonegreen’s OPS is web-based system using
cloud technology – allowing anyone with suitable
login credentials and an internet connection
to access the system anytime, anywhere. The
Depots & Maintenance zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Time to write off the traditional whiteboard
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 15
system has various user levels allowing for
differing levels of user rights of operation and
access.
It can also be beneficial to other areas of
an organisation located outside of the depot,
especially in large maintenance organisations or
TOCs who can benefit from having up-to-the-
minute information easily available to its various
departments. All information handled by OPS
is securely hosted online, instead of via any
additional hardware, so any equipment that has
an internet connection is able (with the relevant
user login details) to access the most up-to-
date information in real-time – excellent for
transmitting information quickly and efficiently
within an organisation.
As well as management and planning
personnel, the system is useful to other staff
working in the depot. Tasks can be shown
in easy-to-read lists, making planning daily
workloads simple, and graphical depot map
layouts allow easy identification of rolling stock
as well as forming an intuitive platform for the
operation of the system
OPS also has the ability to produce reports
at the click of a button. All maintenance
histories and logs are fully recorded, visible
and traceable, allowing a user to produce
complete activity reports for any specific vehicle
or time period. This simple method of report
generation has the potential to save hours
filling in maintenance forms and rifling through
paperwork – the OPS system can do all the
searching.
The traceability the system offers by
recording actions and its facility for report
generation removes the afore-mentioned risks
of loss or distortion of information inherently
associated with the operation of a traditional
manual wipe-clear whiteboard.
With the Operator Planning Suite, Zonegreen
– already widely known in the rail industry for
its market-leading Depot Personnel Protection
System (DPPSTM) – now provides an
affordable and dedicated solution, designed
especially for rail depots, to augment depot
planning, co-ordination and communication
with the very latest in modern, web-based
technologies. zz
Zonegreen is a world leader in depot safety and efficiency systems. For further information about the company’s Operator Planning Suite, please contact:
Zonegreen LtdTel: +44 (0)114 230 0822Email: [email protected]: www.zonegreen.co.uk
Alstom selects Zonegreen for hi tech Italian depotInnovative software developed by Sheffield’s Zonegreen is keeping operations at Italy’s most advanced rail depot running smoothly and efficiently
l Alstom has installed the South Yorkshire rail safety specialist’s Operator Planning Suite (OPS) to oversee all of the daily functions in its maintenance centre near Nola. The web-based planning application replaces traditional whiteboards, which are still used in many depot control rooms across Europe. It has been implemented at the new Nola facility to manage the maintenance of high speed trains on the Turin-Salerno and Rome-Venice lines.
Christian Fletcher, Zonegreen’s technical director, said: “Instead of being handwritten on a communal board, OPS allows all maintenance information to be added to a multi-user system that provides a bird’s eye view of the depot. As changes occur at Nola they are now recorded automatically and the updates transmitted immediately, reducing the likelihood of communication failures.”
Zonegreen has developed OPS specifically for the rail sector. It uses cloud technology to share task planning information, including the arrival and departure times of trains and the type of work required. Using a tabular or graphical layout of the depot, operators can plot train positions and synchronise maintenance information. Data can also be shared to capture activities, create reports and reduce the number of manual tasks required.
Francesco Fidanza, Alstom’s fleet operations manager at Nola, added: “Several plasma screens around the depot display the OPS system so everyone can visualise train locations and update information accurately. It is important for us to share and disseminate maintenance data to different locations in a convenient way and the Zonegreen
system enables users with various levels of access to log in from anywhere.”NTV invested 90 million euro in the construction of the
new Nola depot, which is dedicated to the maintenance of .italo AGV fleet – the first high speed trains of their
kind in the world. The 140,000 square metre facility has 12,000 metres of track and employs 200 people on long and short route maintenance
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
16 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz SOUTHERN
stations, train depot upgrades, and overall
performance.
It has also created an environment where
innovation can flourish in order to drive
improvements or add value to the business.
One example of where this is taking place is
within Southern’s fleet directorate. At present
the company is undertaking a complete refresh
of its 182 Class 377 trains (700 carriages)
in-house at its Selhurst Depot.
Given the extent of the refresh programme
W ith train services for commuters,
airport users, business travellers,
and leisure passengers, around
447,000 journeys are made every
day with Southern. The company operates
services in south London, and between central
London and the south coast, through East
and West Sussex, Surrey, and parts of Kent
and Hampshire. Southern, in various guises
has operated franchises on its network since
2001 and has invested heavily in its trains and
Clever thinkingUsing technology to the best effect,
Southern is taking an innovative approach
towards its fleet management
Class 377 refresh work
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 17
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and tight turnarounds, clever thinking has had
to be employed as fleet overhaul and projects
manager, Iain Nairne highlights: “There’s not
an area of the train inside or out that we don’t
touch in some way or another from new
flooring and seat covers, to the overhaul of the
bogies and doors, and paint repairs. Work on
each unit begins on a Saturday morning and
finishes the following Friday evening during
which time we undertake 2500 personnel
hours of work on the train.
“Having started in August 2011 we are
now 60 per cent of the way through the
programme. At the start of the project, we
went through a steep learning curve but
now we are into full production where we are
turning around one unit each week. There
are a lot of refreshed trains in service that our
passengers are benefitting from as a result of
this overhaul work.”
Perhaps the biggest challenge has been
delivering that work safely and efficiently
given the number of people working on and
around the train. Justin Lanigan, repair shop
manager at Selhurst Depot, explains how this
was achieved: “We’ve applied continuous
improvement techniques to the process. We’ve
also worked to remove unnecessary waste
with improved tooling, lineside equipment, and
designated areas for materials and storage.
In order to manage the work effectively, we
introduced a number of strict KPIs and
targets, and carried out daily quality audits.”
Aside from the obvious benefits in
terms of time management and cost
savings, carrying out the work internally
has enabled Southern to learn lessons
that can be applied to other projects. “A
prime example of this is that we have just
started the equivalent overhaul on the Class
171 diesel units, so a lot of the principles and
processes we applied for the 377s are being
implemented from the start,” notes Iain. “We
also have another fleet of trains, the Class
455s, that are being refurbished off-site at an
external works so the fleet as a whole is going
through quite an uplift at the moment.”
Innovation is also being applied to some of
the areas that passengers don’t necessarily
see. This includes the Third Rail In-Service
Monitoring Equipment (TRIME) project, which
was named as joint winner of the Stephenson
Award for Engineering Innovation of the Year at
the 2012 National Rail Awards.
“With TRIME, our objective was to try and
get a quantifiable measurement of what is
going on between the third rail and the shoe-
gear on the train, and to try and understand
where the interface between them is worse
than expected,” describes Simon Green,
Southern’s chief engineer. “We believe there is
a whole industry benefit here as a bad shoe-
2CL Communications LtdAs Motorola’s largest authorised Two-Way
Radio Partner, 2CL supplies radio systems for
voice, lone working, ‘man-down’, personnel
tracking, shunting and call recording (for both
radio and landline telephone conversations).
2CL offers a full range of radios (including
the latest digital technology), system design,
dedicated account managers, bespoke
maintenance packages and short or long-term
radio hire. Supplier to Southern Railway and
others, 2CL is registered with Link-up and
Network Rail, and ISO 9001:2008 accredited.
Class 377 refresh work
Class 377 refresh work
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 19
with HSBC Rail and Tessella, the system
records and downloads journey files
that can then be analysed and used to
optimise fleet reliability and performance.
“Because the OTDR system on the
train is there predominately to understand
what happens from an operational
perspective, the question arose as to
whether we could use that information
to look at how the driver drives the train
as a support to driver competency
assessments,” says Simon. “This led us
to develop the CHURROS system, which
analyses journeys by driver rather than
by unit. By looking at the data we can
discern individual driving style and flag
up characteristics that may be
considered as precursors to a safety of
the line incident.”
He continues: “This is not intended to be a
spy in the cab, but a tool that helps manage
the safe operation of our railways, by facilitating
a meaningful conversation between the driver
and line manager. We are now in discussion
with the RSSB to explore the possibility of
starting a research project into this technology
and how it can be used going forward.” zz
www.southernrailway.com
gear incident can cause significant disruption
and delays. Therefore there was a clear
business case to try and understand where
these problems were occurring and then
having a plan to deal with them.”
Together with its partners, Network
Rail and Birmingham University, and
with support from the RSSB, Southern
developed TRIME, which was fitted to one
of its Class 377 trains in 2012. Since then
the company has continued to tweak and
refine the equipment in order to gain further
benefits: “We’ve focused on improving
the reliability of the laser measurement kit
with new mountings, and have started to
integrate some track monitoring capability
which will hopefully give us some data on
ride quality as well,” highlights Simon. “So
far we have seen the data generated being
used to target maintenance interventions, and
although we need to do more validation work,
we tend not to see so many precursors of
broken shoe-gear frangible joints, which would
indicate that we are slowly removing the areas
of poor interface performance on the network.”
Remote condition-based monitoring is
already being made use of on the Class 455
fleet through its Train Automatic Performance
Analysis System (TAPAS). Developed together
Chief engineer Simon Green with NRA award for TRIME
TAPAS operator
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CHURROS
20 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz London & north Western raiLWay
Based out of Crewe, London & North
Western Railway (LNWR) is a leading
independent UK train maintenance
company with five strategically located
depots across the country. Four of these assets
were acquired from Axiom in 2011 giving the
business a new presence in Bristol, Cambridge,
Newcastle and Eastleigh. Regardless of
location though, LNWR offers the same quality
overhaul, maintenance and servicing capability
for passenger rolling stock, locomotives, freight
wagons, and track plant.
As such, this sees the company work
with train and freight operating companies,
rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs),
and train manufacturers. Reflecting on how
the business has fared in recent months
managing director Mark Knowles notes:
“We’ve maintained our base load business in
servicing and maintenance, and grown our
heavy maintenance offering as is our strategy
with new contracts with customers such as
Porterbrook. A major achievement has been to
lay the foundation stones for future growth as
we’re on the cusp of taking the business into its
next phase, which is to be a major provider of
heavy maintenance services to the industry.”
was subsequently short-listed at the Rail
Business Awards in February where we
were highly commended for our work on the
project. Another prominent achievement for the
company has been our award of environmental
standard ISO 14001 which demonstrates the
ongoing development we undertake in our
business,” he continues.
Key to LNWR’s expansion strategy has
been its four new depots, which have enabled
it to significantly increase capacity without
major expenditure on facility development. As
of now, the company is continuing with the
integration phase for these assets and building
new business. Over at its headquarters in
Crewe LNWR has also had a re-think, which
has seen it place more focus into management
of its tandem wheel lathe. “By and large this
Operations director Sean Forster continues:
“We are actively looking to develop contracts
with all the major rolling stock companies,
and indeed we already work with a variety
of operators to help them in delivering
modifications over and above the statutory
heavy maintenance that is required.
“In terms of recent deliveries last year we
completed a major refurbishment programme
on Arriva Trains Wales’ Class 158 fleet. This
With a significant expansion on the horizon, London & North Western Railway (LNWR) is focusing on
planning and preparation
In good shape
Freightliner Class 66 repaint
Arriva Trains Wales-Angel Trains Class 158 programme
Arriva Trains Wales-Angel Trains Class 158 programme
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 21
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operates as a stand-alone activity within the
business available to the whole industry for
tyre turning. We have achieved a substantial
uplift in our output and turnover from the wheel
lathe in the last 12 months, which serves as a
model for taking such a service and proactively
promoting it to the industry,” describes Mark.
Prior to the announcements that took place
in the industry LNWR had been expecting
significant amounts of refurbishment work to
come out of the refranchising process. Now
with this under review and awards having
been delayed, Mark notes the impact that
has been had on the business: “It’s affected
the timing of the work, but not the long-term
prospects. Throughout the period during which
the industry was sorting out the new franchise
timetable a lot of operators did very little in the
way of major refurbishment work, but although
it’s been pushed back by 12 to 18 months it
still has to be done. Furthermore we believe we
are in even better shape now then we were
12 months ago to win this work so I think this
has improved our prospects.”
Sharing his thoughts on the state of the
market, Sean adds: “Looking at the wider
industry it is quite clear that because of
franchising arrangements and the growth
on the network generally that vehicles are
probably going to be in use for as long as
people can realistically imagine, and therefore
effective refurbishment, overhaul and heavy
maintenance should represent good value for
rolling stock companies and operators.
“It is very difficult in a franchise market that
extends to just beyond 2020 for operating
companies and the DfT to commit to new
rolling stock on long leases without committing
operators, who may not even be in existence
yet, to their use. What we do know is that
there’s a whole lot of vehicles out there that are
starting to become due for some significant
work, including substantial modifications,
in order to enable them to remain operable
beyond key cut-off dates in the future, and we
look forward to trying to help people deliver
that,” he notes.
Indeed LNWR is first and foremost a capable
and versatile partner supporting its clients in
securing the ongoing reliability and quality of
their rail fleets. With this in mind Mark outlines
where the business goes from here: “We’ve
made good progress in delivering our strategy
over the last year, and are even more committed
to this end than before. We are preparing
ourselves for a big uplift in output as a result
of these measures and therefore are planning
the delivery of these contracts to a high quality.
Within this supply chain development and
management is an important part of the overall
picture, so it’s really continuing to put the
building blocks in place for what will be quite a
large expansion in the business going into 2014
and 2015,” he concludes. zz
Web: www.lnwr.com
Belvoir Engineering Services Belvoir Engineering Services Ltd (BES)
has been working with L&NWR for several
years now and has become a key supplier
to the company. BES Ltd has been involved
in supplying products for several of the
refurbishment projects that L&NWR has
undertaken. Products have included seating
overhaul, interior dado rails & headlight
cluster frames to name just a few. BES always
responds quickly when asked and supplies
products on time to key refurbishment
schedules. The continued relationship gives
L&NWR peace of mind as it continues to grow.
Arriva Trains Wales-Angel Trains Class 158 programme
On 9th January 2013, London
Underground (LU) celebrated
150 years since the first underground
rail journey took place. This
original journey covered only 3½ miles,
between Paddington and Farringdon on the
Metropolitan Railway, but marked a significant
milestone in the evolution of city transport.
London’s underground railway had been
conceived as a means of transporting people
from main line stations to the City. However
from the outset the financial potential of
carrying passengers from their homes in the
suburbs to the city centre was recognized
resulting in rapid expansion by the Metropolitan
and District Railway Companies into rural
Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and
Surrey before the 1890s.
The expansion of London’s underground
railway into the suburbs and onto the surface
required the construction of embankments and
cuttings (collectively described by LU as earth
structures) to maintain the required vertical
track alignment. The Victorian engineers built
earth structures at slope angles they believed
appropriate, based on their experience. These
slope angles would be considered oversteep
in modern practice and failures regularly
occurred during or soon after construction.
The embankments were particularly poorly
constructed, essentially by trial and error with
relatively uncompacted material.
22 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
BRIAN McGINNITY and NADER SAFFARI discuss earth structure asset management on the London Underground system
London Underground: earth structures challenges & successes
over the last 20 years
This article describes the work undertaken
by LU over the last 20 years in the inspection,
investigation, assessment, design and
implementation of renewal works at
high priority earth structures to achieve
improvement in asset condition and reliability
of passenger journeys. This work has enabled
the company to deliver a significantly better
asset performance to the extent that LU earth
structures now perform without restriction to
meet required business performance and are
generally ‘invisible’ to the travelling public.
Development of the LU earth structure asset management strategyIn the early 1990s, LU lacked any formal
engineering standards and procedures for
the effective asset management of earth
structures. A comprehensive suite of earth
structures standards, manuals of good
practice and management procedures was
therefore developed to provide the framework
for the management of the earth structure
assets. The earth structure asset management
process, which has been subject to continual
development over the last 20 years, can be
illustrated as shown on the opposite page.
The initial task of the earth structures
strategic planning initiative in 1992 was to
undertake the phased inspection, investigation,
assessment, design and implementation of
renewal works at priority earth structures.
The project’s aim was to minimise the
occurrence of earth structure failures and
reduce maintenance costs to meet the desired
improvement in asset condition and railway
performance.
A continuous process of earth structure
inspection, assessment and improvement
works has been implemented in LU since the
introduction of an asset management system,
leading to a continuous understanding of
(and improvement in) earth structure asset
condition.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Infrastructure & Civil Engineering
By the early 1990s, 90 per cent of LU’s earth
structures were over 70 years old and were
showing increasing signs of deterioration and
distress with a corresponding requirement for
increased maintenance and the imposition
of track speed restrictions. Occasional earth
structures failures occurred with serious
implications for railway operation and safety.
The impact of slope failures on the railway was
exemplified by a cutting landslip which closed
part of the Metropolitan line for 36 hours in
1992 and an embankment landslip which
closed part of the Northern line for two
weeks in 1994.
Prior to the 1990s, there was a lack of
detailed knowledge of the nature and causes
of the many earth structure problems facing
LU and remedial work was generally carried
out on a reactive basis following disruption
to train services, or to reduce excessive
maintenance at particular locations.
Consequently an LU earth structures
strategic planning initiative commenced in
1992 to obtain a comprehensive record of
all earth structure assets with their current
condition and to reach a fundamental
understanding of the nature of the
problems associated with the surface
railway earth structures and the means
for their improvement.
Figure 1: Embankment construction on the Edgware
Extension of the Northern line 1922-1923
Figure 2: Embankment failure in 1994 at Colindale on the Northern line
management and prediction of future benefits
from renewal works.
Earth structure renewal worksEarth structure renewal works are undertaken
(as preventative measures as part of LU pro-
active asset management strategy) to maintain
a level of performance to mitigate against
failure or excessive movement. The aim of the
remedial works is to improve the stability of the
earth structures against both the ultimate and
serviceability limit states. However, during the
design, other safety and environmental features
are considered and included where appropriate
in the remedial works in order to upgrade
the asset to modern standards, e.g. with the
provision of access walkways and steps to
facilitate future inspection and maintenance.
The LU design requirements for earth
structure renewal works are typically as follows:
l To increase the factor of safety
(characteristically by 15-30 per cent) against
failure of the earth structure by either deep-
seated or shallow slope failure over a design life
of 120 years
l To restrict embankment deformation and
therefore track movement to meet the track
maintenance targets
l To provide minimum future earth structure
maintenance.
An earth structures design guide has
been developed to set out a framework for
considering realistic failure and deformation
mechanisms in LU earth structures, such as
progressive failure in medium-to-high-plasticity
clays. This is not intended to be a code of
practice setting out rigorous rules which must
be followed. It is instead intended to encourage
designers to try to understand the potential
failure mechanisms for an earth structure, and
how these are linked to material properties
and site conditions. Engineering experience
and judgement is still required to assess each
structure, and this assessment takes into
account the relevant site-specific factors such
as the soil properties, the groundwater regime,
the type and density of vegetation etc.
A combination, rather than a single
technique, is usually necessary to stabilise
or remediate an earth structure. The most
cost-effective solution is most often one that
combines a number of techniques, applying
them at that part of the slope where they
will be most effective in engineering and
performance terms.
Remedial work generally needs to be carried
out whilst the railway running above or below
Condition appraisal: inspection and assessmentAn understanding of earth structure condition,
performance and behaviour is a fundamental
requirement for effective asset management. It
is also required to plan design and implement
any renewal works. Earth structure condition
appraisal typically consists of the following:
l Inspection/examination – a regular visual
appraisal of earth structure condition to identify
and record evidence of instability. This process
identifies earth structures potentially at risk and
facilitates the prioritisation for further detailed
assessment at key sites.
l Analytical assessment – a comprehensive
sequence of desk-based studies, site
investigation, analysis and reporting, leading
to a detailed understanding and quantification
of earth structure condition, stability and
serviceability.
Where the results of inspection and/or
desk study indicated that the earth structure
condition rating was ‘poor’ or ‘marginal’ a
full analytical assessment was undertaken
which included a ground investigation in
order to provide a detailed assessment of the
condition of specific earth structure works
and to accurately quantify slope stability and
serviceability. It also identifies those earth
structures that need priority attention when
formulating asset management plans.
The programme of condition appraisal of the
earth structures across the entire LU network
which commenced in 1993 was substantially
completed early in 2011. This extensive asset
knowledge has enabled LU to prioritise earth
structure maintenance and remedial works on
a risk-based approach in order to ensure that
the assets are in a sustainable condition and
over time to remove all significant safety and
business risks arising from the earth structures
asset base.
Risk assessment Management of earth structures within LU
follows the approach of reducing risk levels to
“as low as reasonably practicable” (ALARP), to
satisfy statutory safety obligations. The ALARP
approach allows that safety improvements
should not be pursued at any cost, but only
if the cost of averting the risk is not grossly
disproportionate to the risk averted. In financial
terms however, the risk to safety arising from
LU earth structures is currently very low in
comparison to railway service loss risk
e.g. speed restrictions, line closure etc. The
LU Strategic and Tactical Risk Assessment
(STRATA) process therefore includes the
exposure to service loss impacts resulting from
earth structure instability. Risk assessment
is based on engineering asset behaviour – in
simple terms the earth structure asset only
presents risk if it does something we don’t
expect or want it to do.
Risk is assessed using a two-level strategic
and tactical approach – in general strategic
assessment applies to compliant assets;
tactical assessment applies to individual assets
that are not compliant or are affected by
external events such that we believe it is more
likely to do something we don’t want it to.
STRATA produces a range of outputs
including service loss and safety asset risk
profiles, service loss and safety risk values
for individual assets, base events, and risk
change/value information for use in asset
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 23
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Earth Structures Asset Management Diagram
the earth structure remains operational. Hence,
the main challenges can be:
l Very tight and limited space
l Limited access
l Ensuring safe operation of the adjacent
railway, and interfacing structures and/or
l Environmental constraints
Hence, innovative techniques are often
required in order to arrive at cost-effective,
efficient and safe solutions for earth structure
renewal work. Many innovative solutions, such
as the Ruglei shoulder protection system, Giken
sheet piling, ground improvement and the
installation of king-post walls, have successfully
been implemented by LU over the last 20 years,
as well as more conventional renewal works.
Vegetation managementThe development of vegetation on an earth
structure is generally the most aesthetically
pleasing form of slope protection and forms
a useful acoustic and visual barrier between
l Mitigation of risk until maintenance or
l Determine the location and rate of any slope
movement
l Establish in situ pore water pressures and
any variation over time
l Validation of the output from analytical
assessment, particularly where it is considered
to have produced conservative results, and to
confirm design assumptions.
High quality monitoring data is particularly
required to understand the long-term behaviour
of railway embankments, given their crude
construction and generally heterogeneous
make-up. Good quality monitoring data is also
fundamental to determine the most vulnerable
sections of the railway and to thereby prioritise
the earth structure for remedial/preventative
renewal works. Post renewal works monitoring
is also important to confirm the success of
the treatment and to ensure the performance
criteria are not exceeded. Clearly it is desirable
if the post renewal works monitoring can be
directly compared with previous data.
Earth structure monitoring systems generally
comprise:
l Inclinometers to measure slope deformation
l Pore pressure measurement, including
suction measurement
l Surface monitoring
l Track monitoring.
Detailed observational monitoring has
been undertaken leading to improvements
in the understanding of behaviour of the
earth structures and has allowed decisions
to be undertaken with a greater degree of
certainty. Observational monitoring consists of
installation of displacement and pore pressure
measurement instruments in order to measure
24 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
the railway and neighbouring properties.
Vegetation can also improve shallow
depth slope stability. However in many LU
embankments, vegetation – particularly trees –
can induce very significant shrink-swell cycles
in the clay fill. Seasonal vertical embankment
movements of up to 50mm can occur between
summer and winter. This detrimentally affects
the track performance and historically required
the imposition of speed restrictions across the
network, particularly over hot dry summers
e.g. 1995. This significant seasonal movement
can also reduce the strength of embankment
clay fill and, over the long term, result in
progressive slope failure. Numerical analysis
indicates a critical factor is the seasonal
oscillation between positive and negative
pore-water pressures. Vegetation removal
can ease the problem; however, it can also
increase the risk of slope instability, with the
resulting increase in pore water pressures in
the slope. In some cases swelling due to the
increase of pore water pressure will also cause
softening in the soil near the toe of the slope, a
plastic zone will develop and progressive failure
may occur in a slope that was otherwise stable
in the static sense.
LU has therefore recognised that vegetation
management is crucial to ensure long-term
earth structure stability and to control seasonal
movement in embankment fill. Current
climate change models generally predict drier
summers and wetter winters in the UK which
will probably increase risk of slope failure from
increased pore water pressures and increased
seasonal serviceability slope movements.
Consequently, the need for appropriate
vegetation management strategies will become
even more pressing in the future.
MonitoringThe purpose of monitoring earth structures
includes the following:
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Figure 3: Retaining wall construction in a difficult access area adjacent to a congested network of live cables
Figure 4a) (Above) Ruglei retaining wall system to restrain the shoulder of an embankment and improve track support, and 4b) (Below)Construction of Giken sheet piling at the toe of a railway embankment within a tight space close to third-party buildings
Figure 5: Poor track quality as a result of significant shrink-swell embankment deformation
Figure 6: Chigwell cutting C056 CTS1/B – monitoring using piezometers and inclinometers
the actual and site-specific performance of the
earth structure over time. The monitoring of
the asset could span over a number of years
until adequate data is collected to establish
trends and demonstrate that the worst credible
conditions have been experienced.
At this stage either an analytical
re-assessment is carried out to upgrade
the condition classification for the asset or
monitoring is continued as a means of safely
managing the asset in the longer term, until
such time that the data indicates the need
for remediation. This method can result in
potentially significant cost savings compared
to the cost of the remedial works, without
compromising the safety of the railway.
Research and development During the past twenty years LUL has also
commissioned applied research, which
has considerably increased the knowledge
base and the fundamental understanding of
railway earth structure behaviour including the
influences of climate and vegetation.
The applied research has included:
l High quality sampling and sophisticated
testing to establish the material properties used
in the assessment and remedial work design of
LU earth structures
l Numerical modelling of both cuttings
and embankments utilising state-of-the-art
constitutive models (which included post-peak
l Field observations and numerical analysis
to determine the effect of seasonal changes in
pore water pressure on the stability and shrink-
swell behaviour of clay railway embankments
l Studies on the impact of vegetation on the
stability of slopes along with proposals for the
management of vegetation
l Identifying the modes of instability that could
affect the performance of earth structures
l The effects of climate change on earth
structure slopes.
This research has been published in a number
of geotechnical journals and conferences, in
particular the Skempton Memorial Conference
in 2004. The Construction Industry Research
and Information Association (CIRIA) has also
published state-of-the-art guidance on the
management, condition appraisal and repair of
infrastructure embankment and cuttings. These
address the technical issues in design, repair
and maintenance, and are enabling documents
to promote good practice in the asset
management of UK earth structures drawing
on much of LU’s knowledge and experience in
this area.
Geotechnical Asset Owners ForumIn 2008 a group of UK Infrastructure owners,
including LU, formed the Geotechnical Asset
Owners Forum (GAOF). The aim is to provide a
forum for those involved with the management
of geotechnical and related assets for the
sharing and exchange of ideas, information,
research themes and other issues which are
topical, important and forward-thinking for the
mutual benefit of the asset-owning community
and the users of those assets.
ConclusionsOver the last 20 years LU has undertaken
a substantial earth structures investment
programme retrieving many years of under-
investment in the asset base, and has
significantly improved earth structure condition
across the network.
Knowledge of earth structure condition and
performance is much more comprehensive
and there is better-quantified assessment of
both safety and service loss risk exposure. An
engineering-led earth structures management
strategy has been developed to underpin
future management of these assets. There is
an emphasis placed on proactively identifying
earth structure assets which are likely to
deteriorate and affect the service reliability
of the LU network. Innovative concepts,
technologies and engineering techniques
have significantly reduced the cost of the
inspection; assessment and remediation of
earth structures. The stability and movement
problems presented by these earth structures
are now understood to a considerable extent
and can be handled predictively by modern
analysis techniques. A wide range of earth
structure renewal techniques is available for
solving the short-term and long-term problems
of stability and serviceability. zz
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l Dr Nader Saffari is a Principal Geotechnical Engineer with an Honours Degree in civil engineering and a Masters Degree and PhD from Imperial College and University of Surrey, respectively. He has over 25 years’ experience in civil and geotechnical engineering working on a variety of major projects both in the UK and overseas. Over the last ten years he has been working on the management of LU Earth Structures and is currently the Profession Head for Geotechnical Engineering with LU and is responsible for the management and performance of the earth structures on the LU network as well as providing geotechnical services and advice to other departments within LU.
l Brian McGinnity BSc MSc CEng FICE CGeol MIMMM FGS is the London Underground Profession Head for Civil Engineering. He has over 30 years’ experience in civil, geotechnical and mining engineering working on a variety of projects both in the UK and overseas. Currently Brian leads a team of 80 staff engaged on the inspection, assessment, design, renewal and upgrade of London Underground’s Civil Engineering Infrastructure asset base. Brian has over 20 years’ experience with London Underground in variety of roles associated with the asset management and upgrading of railway infrastructure. Previously Brian was London Underground’s Senior Geotechnical Engineer and played a key role in the inception of the project that undertook inspection, investigation, assessment, design and implementation of earth structure stabilisation works to achieve an improved railway infrastructure performance.
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 25
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk26
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 27
W ith pressure for increased
efficiency in the essential
maintenance of the rail network,
the way works are undertaken has
to be reviewed on a project-by-project basis.
Disruption to the train operating companies
(TOCs) is a major factor and so there are
major cost benefits for keeping trains running
as normal.
Major earthworks have been using specialist
equipment such as long-reach machines and
roped access equipment for quite a while now,
depending on the constraints on the project,
but new technology is enabling improvements
to both safety and construction time.
A number of high profile projects have been
carried out during the last 12 months, including
the Hooley Cutting Stabilisation by BAM
Ritchies/BAM Nuttall. Long-reach excavators
were selected on their overall weight and the
project carbon footprint,” says operations
director Damian McGettrick. As a Chartered
Civil Engineer and Past Chairman of the ICE
West Midlands region, he is most passionate
about promoting good engineering practices,
through the development of people and the
opportunity to innovate.
The combination of dedicated and
experienced people with the knowledge of
plant and equipment goes a long way to
achieving a successfully delivered project,
which is now a requirement more than an
expectation. zz
ability to operate drilling mast attachments.
Specialist plant hire company, WM Plant Hire
supplied several machines to meet ground
pressure requirements and hydraulic outputs
for the drill masts. These were critical to ensure
that the existing ground conditions were not
compromised and that the installation of soil
nails was as productive as possible.
Working in the south west on a major
scheme installing vertical slope drainage, a
super long-reach machine with a maximum
reach of 30 metres was used in conjunction
with a dig profile system to accurately excavate
the slope gradient required.
WM Plant Hire Ltd was one of the first to
offer long-reach excavators with the latest
low emission engines to meet Tier 4 emission
requirements. “Clients definitely benefit from
reduced fuel consumption, meaning lower CO2 levels and hence adding benefit to the overall
zzzzzzzzzz zz
For further information, please contact:WM Plant Hire LtdTel: 01746 769 555Email: [email protected]: www.wmplanthire.com
Embankment earthworks
Infrastructure & Civil Engineering
Hooley Cutting Stabilisation
The use of long-reach machines has made a substantial contribution towards the efficient renewal of the UK's rail
infrastructure, as DAMIAN McGETTRICK explains
•
Weak and variable ground
can cause a whole host of
complications when it comes
to laying rail track ballast and
so it is important to ensure an appropriate
sub-ballast material is chosen to build up the
ballast capacity below the sleepers. Support
can of course be achieved through chemical
stabilisation or deep excavation followed by a
thick granular sub-layer. However, more often
than not these methods can prove to be both
time-consuming and expensive.
With track maintenance work and line
speed restrictions, which have the potential
not just to affect the schedules of train
operators and asset owners but potentially
cost thousands of pounds in fines – another
key consideration to bear in mind when
28 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
TIM OLIVER discusses why it’s worth considering geogrids for rail track ballast and sub-ballast support
The little grid with the big potential: the increasing role of geogrids in revolutionising rail track support
rigid junctions – has become an obvious
consideration for rail engineers. It is easy to
install, and allows for reduced excavation, soil
disposal, and imported sub-ballast fill when
used in sub-ballast applications. Furthermore,
when used in ballast applications, geogrids
can limit lateral movement under loading and
reduce the settlement rate. This preserves
the rail line and level and allows time between
maintenance cycles to be increased, increasing
cost savings for rail operators by reducing
maintenance costs (including staffing and plant
hire) as well as limiting the time for which tracks
and access roads must be closed for essential
works to take place.
Geogrid stabilisation technology is backed
up by more than 30 years of independent
research in the UK and around the world,
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Infrastructure & Civil Engineering
designing track beds is how to achieve
the maximum duration between each
maintenance cycle.
While loss of vertical and horizontal
alignment of the rails can be caused by
ballast deformation, with a better supported
track bed it is possible to extend periods
between maintenance – which can help to
improve whole life costs.
Solution to a problemPeter Musgrave, a senior track bed design
engineer at Network Rail, recently quoted
a statistic that more than ten per cent of all
ballast maintenance per year in the UK now
includes geogrid stabilisation.
The geogrid – which works by distributing
the forces applied to it through the
A traditional biaxial geogrid in use
•
over traditional methods, this process has
been made easier following the streamlining of
Network Rail’s product acceptance process
for rail-based systems. Recent changes have
helped to ensure that products designed to
improve track maintenance processes or track
safety are efficiently tested, critiqued, and
welcomed into the approved catalogue via a
stringent Certificate of Acceptance Scheme.
When trying to achieve optimum rail track
stabilisation it pays to consider the range
of value-engineered ballast support options
available in today’s marketplace. Talking to
an expert, like the team at Tensar, at an early
stage of your next rail project can help you
select an appropriate geogrid product that can
pay dividends in the long run. zz
and has been found
to increase the bearing capacity of
sub-ballast layers two-fold compared with the
same non-stabilised thickness.
The materials and capabilities of this
technology have as you would expect come a
long way since the first geogrid was innovated
in the 1950s.
Research and development Following significant research and
development, there now exists the multi-
directional geogrid, which can increase by a
factor of three to five the maintenance life of
ballast over relatively weak and firm foundation
soils when measured against the performance
of a sleeper settlement without geogrid
stabilisation.
This innovative triangular geogrid
design allows the force of the load
applied to be displaced in multiple
directions, unlike the traditional
biaxial grid, which disperses weight
predominantly across two directions.
When used in both ballast and sub-
ballast rail applications, the aggregate
particles interlock within the triangular
apertures and the efficient, deep rib profile
of the geogrid helps to confine aggregate,
which combined with the isotropic stiffness,
creates a mechanically stabilised layer.
One such patented triangular product,
called TriAx®, has been the subject of
numerous performance tests and trials
and repeated trafficking. Previous studies
conducted by the University of Nottingham
have provided impressive results. The
TriAx® TX190L product, for example, can
halve bed maintenance costs and offer a
payback period of less than three ballast
tamping cycles, compared with earlier
rectangular geogrids.
For the creators of state-of-the-art
technologies and the specifiers who wish
to utilise newer high performance products
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 29
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzA traditional biaxial geogrid in use
Tim Oliver is director for stabilisation products and systems at Tensar International
The world’s first TriAx TX190L application in Slovakia
TriAx TX190L passed the new Network Rail product acceptance process
zzzzzzzzzzzz Infrastructure & Civil Engineering
design, offers greater design flexibility to
specifiers working to a project’s unique ground
conditions and accessibility requirements.
Engineers’ and contactors’ growing
preference towards high strength durable
HDPE plastic products in rail projects is
quantifiable when you consider the scope
of benefits these can bring over traditional
materials such as concrete and clay.
Surface water drainage pipes, manholes
and catchpits are all common trackside
components. These products, when made
from high-strength polymers, are up to
94 per cent lighter than equivalent concrete
systems. Combine this with the fact that plastic
chambers are manufactured off site in factory
controlled conditions for product precision and
consistency and delivered to site in one piece
ready for installation, removing the need for wet
trades, it greatly assists the ease and speed
at which they can be installed – especially in
hard-to-access areas. This lighter weight also
means products can be delivered to site in
greater volumes for added cost savings and
environmental efficiency.
High quality plastic product ranges are
continuously evolving, as highlighted by the
comprehensive range of geocellular systems
now available in today’s market. These cells,
which ‘fit together’ to create underground
tanks for surface water attenuation and
soakaway purposes, provide effective
source control and can be engineered to
accommodate various loads and burial depths,
whether for a deep or shallow application.
This integrated, holistic approach to water
management is becoming commonplace in
the UK, with organisations looking for ways
to capture, treat and re-use water in order to
reduce potential flooding and environmental
harm whilst saving costs.
Arguably however, the full cost-saving
potential offered by plastics and specialist
manufacturers is perhaps still to be maximised
by the rail industry. Many do not realise that,
in addition to their product knowledge, UK
manufacturers have also accrued a wealth
of technical knowledge from previous
projects and can ‘design out’ costs with
value-engineered variations of products on a
project-by-project basis, particularly if involved
early in the project. This is particularly true for
manufacturers, like Polypipe, that are able
to offer a complete range of products that
can easily integrate into complete, bespoke
systems – utilising prefabricated pipes,
manholes and catchpits for trackside drainage
solutions that meet client needs.
In-depth collaboration at an early stage in
the project between parties offers exciting
opportunities to achieve new levels of efficiency
in both new and refurbishment rail projects of
all sizes. zz
In Network Rail’s latest Activity and
Expenditure Plans document, it was
recognised that managing surface water
is a vital part of the management of the
UK rail network – which is especially true given
the past 12 months have been some of the
wettest on record. The report recognised that
increasing spend on drainage would optimise
whole life cycle costs, but it’s possible to
increase this cost saving by opting for high
quality plastic products in place of traditional
concrete alternatives.
Plastic piping products are being used
with increasing regularity in a variety of rail
applications. While the most obvious benefit
to Network Rail may be the use of drainage
solutions at trackside, plastic products are also
widely used to capture and treat water as well
as protect a number of vital cables at various
points on the rail network – including stations.
Take for example the recent refurbishment
of Loughborough railway station. In addition
to safeguarding many thousands of miles of
expensive lighting, signalling, CCTV and general
power cables within the UK rail network from
water damage, these robust colour-coded
ducting systems can also be buried, helping to
reduce instances of metal theft. Furthermore,
their availability in a whole host of product
options, from twin-wall, single-wall or coiled
30 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Unearthing the potential of plastic
RUSSELL BELLEGUELLE discusses manufacturer developments in plastic cable protection and drainage innovations – and the time, cost and safety benefits they can offer to trackside and station refurbishment projects
Russell Belleguelle is a rail specialist at Polypipe.
Light weight plastic products save time on installation and plant equipment use
Modular water storage cells installed at Loughborough station
Loughborough railway station
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzCrossrail
allow a section of the Royal Victoria Dock to be
drained so that Crossrail workers can access
the tunnel from above. During the draining of
the dock, a total of 332 fish were removed and
safely relocated on either side of the cofferdam.
The tunnel was built in 1878 and has not
been in passenger use since December 2006.
It is the only existing tunnel that will be re-used
for Crossrail.
Linda Miller, Connaught Tunnel project
manager said: “The Connaught Tunnel is
testament to the engineering skill of the
Victorians, but after 135 years there’s a lot of
work that needs to be done to get it ready for
Crossrail . Now we’ve opened the top of the
tunnel we’ll start the engineering equivalent of
open heart surgery – widening and deepening
the structure so that it can accommodate up to
twelve trains an hour in each direction.”
As well as widening and deepening the
central section of the tunnel, the work at the
site will include waterproofing, installing water
pumps and cleaning the 135 years of coal and
soot from the bricks. zz
A Victorian rail tunnel beneath the Royal
Docks in east London has been
exposed to the light of day for the first
time in 135 years as part of works to
prepare for the arrival of Crossrail trains in 2018.
A hole has been drilled in the exposed crown
of the Connaught Tunnel, which runs beneath
the Royal Victoria Dock, following work to drain
13 million litres of water from a section of the
docks that lie above.
Work will now continue to open up a hole
that will eventually measure approximately
20 metres long and ten metres wide to allow
for the engineering equivalent of ‘open heart
surgery’ to strengthen, deepen and widen
the central section of the tunnel so that it can
accommodate Crossrail’s trains.
Sections of the tunnel are in a poor
condition and parts of it were narrowed during
the 1930s so that the dock could be deepened
to accommodate larger ships with brickwork
removed and steel segments installed. The hole
in the crown of the tunnel will allow Crossrail to
remove much of this material and to continue
with the process of ensuring that the tunnel is
safe and ready for the arrival of the new trains.
Over the last few months a cofferdam
measuring 1300m2 has been put in place to
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 31
Major works carried out
to Victorian rail tunnel for
Crossrail
Cros
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Cros
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•
Some years ago, Building Information
Modelling (BIM) was just a dream on
the horizon – or a nightmarish vision,
depending on your viewpoint. Now,
as embracing BIM increasingly becomes a
necessity and not a luxury – with
Government making BIM for public
projects mandatory by 2016 and with
wholesale adoption likely to follow – those
with responsibility for built estates can
no longer escape its inevitability. Nor can
they avoid its ubiquity: magazines devote
multiple issues to it, endless conferences
are held, and designers fall over each other
32 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
ALLAN HUNT reviews the BIM ‘revolution’ and its impact on facility management practitioners
Lost in translation: seeing BIM through the client’s eyes
What is BIM?The first way in which the design perspective
may have clouded perceptions of BIM –
though thankfully this is now shifting – lies
in its discussion as another representational
tool. Of course it is commonly understood
that BIM is in fact a ‘live’, real-time model – a
building in digital format. We also know that
it constitutes a radical shift both in ways of
working and thinking, which transform and
streamline the entire design and construction
process, bringing both benefits – increased
economy, efficiency, safety – and also
challenges – potential legal wrangles as the
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Infrastructure & Civil Engineering
to champion the BIM revolution – whether
in the spirit of genuine innovation or blind
panic. Nevertheless, and while debate is
shifting, there remains a frontloaded bias
to this enthusiasm. Despite claims of BIM’s
long-term benefits to the client – and to
those, like facilities managers, who must
manage an estate long after the architects
and contractors have left the scene – debate
still remains fixated at the early design and
construction phases. Certainly contractors
are embracing BIM – as are many owners
of large estates. However a design bias has
skewed debate in two key ways.
Laser scanning being undertaken at Leeds City station
•
market
knows this – and
perhaps we are even in mourning. Yet increasing
re-use and conservation of existing estate
is unavoidable: neither the economic nor
environmental climate can sustain itself otherwise.
This will put a further burden on facilities
managers to provide increased efficiency in the
maintenance and improvement of existing stock.
What does BIM mean for Facilities Management? What is striking is how far BIM’s potential at the
Facilities Management (FM) end has been buried
under the new-build focus. In fact, BIM will come
into its own with the ongoing management both
of new buildings but also of existing stock – it will
also ultimately have applications and implications
for the heritage and conservation industries,
an area that is only just being touched on. By
combining existing technologies – advanced
surveying and geomatics techniques – a BIM
model of an existing estate can be created from
accurate laser cloud surveys and ‘tagged’ with
data describing the key physical properties of
‘ownership’ of data becomes blurred in
levels of collaboration and data-sharing
we are wholly unused to. Nevertheless for
some time BIM was still discussed all too
often from the sole viewpoint of platforms
and implementation, as well as in relation
to its imaging capabilities, which may
have unwittingly given the impression
that BIM is a sort of exceptionally
advanced CAD package. Indeed the
oft-quoted ‘drawing-board switchover’
metaphor, whilst compelling, may also
have inadvertently emphasised this
perspective. It is only recently that
the focus has rightly shifted towards
BIM’s true nature as, in fact, a
highly sophisticated database or
knowledge management system.
In using this language, and
taking this focus, we may also have
undermined clients’ appreciation of
BIM’s genuinely radical potentials across the
life cycle of a building or estate. What do end-
users make of BIM mania? There is a danger
to the onlooker that BIM appears to be only
the latest in a long line of CAD-fads, a ‘novelty’
with its genuine relevance being trumped up to
justify insider-excitement – an acute case, as
they say in business, of ‘shiny kit syndrome’.
Furthermore, since technology now moves
at a frighteningly rapid pace, to perceive BIM
too much in terms of specific packages and
platforms means we risk failing to keep up with
– let alone be in a position to drive – further
conceptual advancements.
In fact, not only is BIM not really another
representational system at all (though it can
certainly be used as one) and more like a live
building model, BIM’s genuine and long-term
value is lost when we fail to grasp its power as
an ‘embodied database’. As the building life
cycle progresses, the BIM model’s capabilities
and benefits radically shift. At the front-end, its
use as real-time representation is at the fore
– clients want increasingly accurate imaging
– however when it reaches the contractor its
imaging capacities may amount to only a small
part of its useful value. After handover, the
relevance of this
graphical aspect dwindles
even further; rather BIM’s full capabilities at this
stage are almost entirely as a sophisticated
database of knowledge. Given the quantity
of information that is ordinarily wasted at
key handover points in the build cycle, the
power of BIM to retain highly detailed and
comprehensive building data cannot be
underestimated.
The second way in which a design bias
has skewed perceptions may not be so clear.
When debate is focused on the design and
build phases, we risk becoming blind to one
of the most important potential benefits of
BIM. This is related, too, to crucial shifts in
the way the built environment is used and to
unavoidable economic and environmental
factors. Despite the photogenic ‘wow’ factor of
new-build, 80 per cent of the building stock in
use in 50 years already exists today – and this
may even be greater as we address profound
economic and environmental sustainability
issues. Further, the vast majority of a building’s
cost – some 75 per cent – lie in the latter
stages of its lifespan. We know that endless
new-build is simply not viable – certainly the
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 33
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Data capture through laser scanning. Data set represented as a Point Cloud
each building element. The owner or facilities
manager is then able to load the model with
data over time and long after handover, in line
with priorities, in effect creating a ‘live’ replica of
an entire estate which develops as the estate
itself develops and which eliminates the need
to cross-reference sources of information
and duplicate tasks. Clearly, this has powerful
cost-time benefits. Yet that BIM can be
developed and utilised in this way is either not
being fully grasped or else not being clearly
communicated to clients.
If there is something uncanny about the
trajectory that the BIM debate has taken
then it may be because we have been here
before. When sustainability filled the very
same pages of industry magazines that
have now been usurped by BIM, a similar
focus on the ‘glamour’ end of developments
was apparent in an obsession with ‘flagship
green-washing’ – turbines and green roofs as
showcase sustainability – all, crucially, highly
photogenic. Yet some of the more serious
and genuinely sustainable work amounted to
much more low-key interventions – including
the power of sensitive facilities management
and a growing emphasis on re-use. Similarly
with BIM, the focus on new-build and ‘shiny
kit’ may be unwittingly disguising some of its
most economic, pragmatic and sustainable
applications, which in fact lie at the end of the
building life-cycle.
There will always be understandable
resistance to embracing new ways of working,
especially when these new ways have upfront
implications in terms of both time and cost.
This is surely not helped by presenting new
technologies, albeit unwittingly, as the latest in
a long line of design fads and with an emphasis
on features rather than benefits. To counteract
this, the industry may need to begin to think
more educationally. For example, we might
need to produce BIM models – and hold
seminars – for the sole purpose of relaying to
clients BIM’s true capabilities. It is unlikely that
a designer in the early days of CAD would
have felt the need to produce drawings merely
to show off its rendering techniques. But
precisely because BIM has advantages long
after the contractor recedes, we are forced to
put ourselves in the position of the client, the
owner, the manager like never before. Even
the earliest stages of creating a BIM demands
of us that we shift our approach to what we
do: from the outset, the model is devised on
the basis of its intended long-term uses. This
means that we need to know upfront what the
applications? Or do we wish to be at the
forefront of thinking?
These shifting roles may make us
uncomfortable. Yet by its very nature, BIM
inherently encourages holistic, joined-up
thinking – it breaks down the rigid categories
we are used to. We know this. Yet perhaps
we are not as mentally prepared for this
‘breakdown’ as we like to think. Indeed the
facts and fears around data-sharing and
mutual contracts may also reflect broader
concerns about stepping outside assumed
roles. Could it be that all in the industry have to
begin to think more like a BIM model? It may
be that whilst BIM prevents the loss of valuable
data as it transits from phase to phase, the far-
reaching benefits and implications of BIM are
still being lost in translation. zz
34 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
client wants it for – in the long and not just the
short-term. But what if the client doesn’t realise
its power at the FM end? What if the client is
either unaware of – or unconvinced by – the full
spectrum of benefits it offers long-term?
Keep thinking aheadWe also have to begin to think more like
researchers. As well as benefits, we cannot
deny that there are also challenges raised
by BIM and if we want to stay ahead of the
game we cannot sit back and wait for other
industries to solve them. For example, there
are currently blocks to fully integrating BIM
models to the FM end – the software packages
currently in use in FM are not those used in
BIM. Aedas Building Consultancy is already
addressing ways in which this technological
gap can be fruitfully bridged and investing
heavily in research solutions and collaboration
with technology firms. And we need to keep
thinking ahead – even as we may feel we are
only just getting to grips with BIM. We may
even see a day when sensors and alarms
in the building also work in real-time within
the BIM model: a digital representation of a
building estate such that an FM manager has
at his or her command the entire estate before
them – a sort of data-rich CCTV system. This
may seem like sci-fi – but do we wish to wait
around while other people develop these
zzzzzzzzzzzz Infrastructure & Civil Engineering
Allan Hunt MRICS is BIM lead director at Aedas Building Consultancy.
Web: Aedas.com/buildingconsultancy
Intelligent as-built BIM
Netw
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Netw
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Netw
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Rail
CyclePoint for Chelmsford l Chelmsford will be the first station in the region to benefit
from a new CyclePoint which is set to transform facilities for
cyclists using the station – the busiest on Greater Anglia’s
network apart from London Liverpool Street.
CyclePoint is a unique concept brought to the UK from
the Netherlands by Abellio which combines secure cycle
parking with increased capacity for cycles, supported by
retail, cycle-hire and maintenance facilities.
The key benefit of CyclePoint is that it provides a single
location for all cycle-related activity and parking at a
station. Cycles UK has been appointed as Greater Anglia’s
commercial partner for the Chelmsford CyclePoint, with
cycle parking equipment provided by Falco. Cycle parking
capacity at Chelmsford station will increase by 40 per cent
with parking for almost 1000 cycles in the new facility.
CyclePoint represents a significant investment of
£600,000 by Greater Anglia, with support from Essex
County Council. Located on a new site between the station
and the station car park, CyclePoint is the first stage of the
project to improve and upgrade passenger facilities and the
customer environment at Chelmsford over the next
12 months.
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 35
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Stations
New New Street station half openl More than three years in the making, the first half of the new
concourse at Birmingham New Street station has opened to
passengers, marking the completion of the first phase of the project
to transform the station. This is the first major change to New Street
in over 40 years, with the station being named as one of the most
hated buildings in the country in more recent years. The opening
marks a significant milestone in the overall redevelopment, with
people using the station now having somewhere to be proud of as
the gateway to the city and the West Midlands.
Cambridge developmentl Cambridge station is set to benefit from a £4.25 million improvement scheme after
funds were released by Cambridge-based developer Brookgate, the company
behind the CB1 development, as part of a land purchase from Network Rail and a
S.106 agreement with Network Rail and the City Council.
Greater Anglia, which manages the station, will deliver the work to improve the overall
passenger experience at the station, helping to reduce congestion by providing a better
concourse and more modern and spacious ticket hall.
An application for listed building consent is now being discussed with the local
planning authority and a consultation event for station users will be held before the
work starts. The aim is to start the work in late summer, with completion in mid-2014.
The funding for the station improvements was released from the development of
over 1000 student units and forms a key element of regeneration benefits of CB1. The
high-quality mixed-use development will deliver a number of additional public benefits
including a 3000 space cycle park and a new station square.
New stationsl Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has unveiled
plans for four new stations, to be funded under the New
Station Fund. The successful bids were:
l Ilkeston, Derbyshire, which will receive over £4.5 million
of DfT funding towards a scheme worth over £6.5 million
l Lea Bridge, London Borough of Waltham Forest, which
will receive over £1 million towards a scheme worth in
excess of £6.5 million
l Newcourt, Devon, where the DfT will pay for around
half of the scheme expected to cost in the region of
£1.5 million
l Pye Corner, Newport, which will receive over
£2.5 million towards a scheme worth over £3.5 million.
Grea
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An artist’s impression of the new CyclePoint
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 63
36 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Stations
New ticket barriersl National Express train operator c2c has become the first train
company in the South East to install ticket barriers at every station
following the completion of a £530,000 project at Southend East.
Local MP James Duddridge joined c2c managing director Julian
Drury at Southend East station at the beginning of May, to test the
new ticket gates for themselves and to mark the barriers being
brought into full operational use.
The new barriers will make Southend East station more secure
and help to reduce fare evasion. Installing ticket gates across the
c2c route is another step towards the introduction of Oyster-style
‘smart’ ticketing for c2c passengers.
The project at Southend East, which has taken three months, was
managed by c2c and funded by the Department for Transport. The
station was also significantly improved in a £1.5 million upgrade in
2011, and the British Transport Police has accredited Southend
East under its Secure Station scheme
Minister visits site of Wakefield Westgate stationl Rt Hon Simon Burns MP, the Minister of State for Transport, visited the
construction site of the new Wakefield Westgate station in May and helped
to lay bricks that will be used in the construction. The Minister visited to
see progress on the £8.8 million project to create a new gateway to the
city, which has been transformed in recent years by high-profile schemes
including the Merchant Gate development and Hepworth Gallery.
The station will be the first newly constructed station building on the
East Coast Main Line in decades. It follows recent significant station
modernisation projects on the route at London King’s Cross and
Peterborough, as well current projects at Newcastle Central and
Edinburgh Waverley.
The new Westgate station building will significantly improve
facilities for customers, including:
l More and better retail facilities
l A new footbridge and lifts linking the platforms
l A new travel centre
l A new First Class Lounge and Standard waiting area
l Installation of ticket gates to improve passenger safety and
combat fare evasion
l Improved integration with local buses and taxis.
The new station is due to open in November.
Improved customer information at Ipswichl Work is underway at Greater Anglia’s Ipswich station to upgrade the
customer information screens in order to improve information provision
for customers. Ipswich is one of a number of Greater Anglia stations
which are to benefit from a collective investment of £1.2 million from
the National Station Improvement Programme fund. The improvement
work will see the old screens replaced with the latest LED technology,
which will mean a real improvement in the provision of information for
customers at the stations with brighter, clearer screens.
Rail Minister Simon Burns (centre) lays bricks to be used in the construction of the new Wakefield Westgate. Looking on are, from left: Network Rail route managing director Phil Verster;
Metro chairman Coun. James Lewis; Wakefield Council Leader Coun. Peter Box; East Coast stations and property director
Tim Hedley-Jones; and Muse Developments Ltd development director David Wells
East
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Two of the new customer information screens at Ipswich
c2c
c2c managing director Julian Drury (left) and James Duddridge MP at Southend East station
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 37
We are totally self-sufficient and
manufacture all of our own
products at our purpose-built
factory in the North of England
(which is ironic, as most of our applications are
in the South of the UK!). We also have our own
in-house laboratories where we can produce a
whole host of anti-slip resins as well as offering
a bespoke service to manufacture any colour
of tactile required.
Single point guaranteeVisul also offers a ‘Supply & Fit’ option as we
feel that this package allows the client the
added bonus of a single-point guarantee by
way of utilising one company to both supply
and install. This Single Point Guarantee also
offers both the client and ourselves the peace
of mind that the system will be installed
correctly. This is a major plus point with regards
to preventing any negative feedback, as the
only negativity we receive is due to people
taking the works on themselves, installing it
badly and then leaving us to pick up the pieces
once they are long gone.
frost heave is along the platform edge where
the coper stones meet the tactiles. This area
is prone to displacement following the harsh
winters we endure. The problem occurs with
the current and most common system of
concrete tactiles installed against concrete
platform edge copers. There is a high level of
water ingress across the multiple channels
between each and every tactile and also where
it meets the coper. Once this water freezes, the
existing tactiles become displaced due to the
expansion of the ice. This then creates major
tripping hazards / high spots that, even when
the ice has thawed, very rarely re-settle back
into their original (level) position.
The solution is a coper with a 400mm
extended rebate section to the rear which
accommodates a 930mm x 400mm x 4mm
Tactile. This proven and Network Rail-approved
system is seen as the answer and is already
recognised as the way forward to preventing
any possible major or fatal incidents across all
of the stations in the UK. zz
For further information about recessed copers, please contact Andy Warvill at:G-Tech Copers LimitedTel: +44 (0) 1482 581 550
For all other enquiries, please contact Ross Carty at:Visul SystemsTel: +44 (0) 191 416 1530 Email: [email protected]: www.usluk.com/visul-systems/
Passenger safetyPassenger safety is paramount and one of the
reasons we are always looking to provide as
safe an environment as we can. By this I mean
coming up with new and
innovative ideas to reduce the
possible risk of any slipping
or tripping incidents at any
stations. This is partly why
the Visul System is specified
across the vast majority
of not only Network Rail’s
Frameworks but also many
of the TOCs, as well as
London Underground.
Frost heaveFrost heave causes many
a problem across the
UK’s platform edges and
was an issue for which
Network Rail tasked us
to find a solution. The
main area of concern for
No slip-ups – tactiles and copers for all conditions
Visul Systems’ Surface Mounted Tactiles have long been established as THE answer to a quick and reliable way of meeting the required Department for Transport standards when it comes to ensuring that all stations conform to the
Guidance on the use of Tactile Paving
Stationszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zz
BEFORE
AFTER AFTER
BEFORE
Twinfix in-line access hatch. Fitted at the
base of a panel it enables valley gutters to
be cleaned from a scaffolding tower without
requiring access above the roofline.
Quick to fit Multi-Link-PanelsWith their innovative ‘fix and link’ design
the Twinfix Multi-Link-Panels have the
following benefits:
l Incredibly quick to install, making the very
most of limited possession times
l Factory manufactured to size for each
project so no mistakes on site
l Long lasting, low maintenance durable
glazing and non-rusting aluminium frames.
Twinfix offers a range of different glazing,
and non-glazing, options for these non-fragile
rooflight panels:
l Multiwall polycarbonate: incredibly light in
weight (16 & 25mm weigh 2.8 & 3.5kg/m²)
l Solid polycarbonate: the clear product looks
like laminated glass but is virtually unbreakable
l GW Solid: both 6mm thick obscure and
clear grades are available
l Aluminium sandwich panels: an alternative
option where natural daylight is not required.
Polycarbonate is the ideal material for station
canopy glazing as it is light in weight, will
absorb vibrations caused by train movements
without cracking, crazing or breaking, and will
provide a low-maintenance, long-lasting roof.
The aluminium used in the Multi-Link-Panels
can be powder-coated to virtually any colour
and will not rust or require repainting, helping
to cut down on future maintenance costs. Add
to this the light weight of the polycarbonate
glazing and you have rooflights that can help
extend the life of any existing canopy structure!
Polycarbonate offers a wide – and ever-
growing – selection of glazing options,
depending upon the requirements of
the particular station, or depot. These
range from multi-wall varieties through to solid,
glass-like grades, all of which are incredibly
tough and resistant to breakage.
NEW – GW polycarbonate glazingOne of the latest variants is a 6mm solid sheet
that combines the appearance of Georgian
wired glass with all the material benefits
of polycarbonate. Installed at traditional
600mm centres it helps satisfy the heritage
requirements at many older stations. Pre-
glazed into a factory-assembled rooflight, the
Twinfix Multi-Link-Panel NF, it also meets the
HSE’s recommendation for non-fragile roofing
assemblies.
With safety very much in mind, another
recent innovation is the manually removable
38 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
New polycarbonate rooflight options
zz
One of the most striking ways of improving any station is by replacing old, failing canopy glazing with a modern-day solution. Flooding the area with natural daylight, and eliminating leaks, can help create a much
more welcoming atmosphere for all who use the station
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzStations
The canopies at Chorley station feature the Twinfix new In-Line Access Hatches enabling gutter cleaning to safely take place without erecting scaffolding towers near to the platform edge
6mm obscure GW polycarbonate looks like Georgian wired glass, but has all the benefits of standard polycarbonate
NEW In-Line Access HatchIn response to a request from Network Rail,
Twinfix has developed an in-line access hatch
that fits discreetly into the Multi-Link-Panel.
This enables staff to safely carry out gutter
cleaning without having to gain access above
the glazing. Historically many station canopies
had no walkway installed over their glazing
and it is not often possible to gain approval for
one to be post-fitted as part of a refurbishment
project. The Twinfix hatch solves this problem.
It was designed to be unobtrusive, using solid
polycarbonate glazing fitted with polycarbonate
handles and with as small a sightline as
possible where the hatch meets the standard
Multi-Link-Panel. Fitted adjacent to the gutter
at the end of a Multi-Link-Panel the Twinfix
hatch is removed by simply undoing four
thumb screws – no special tools are required.
The hatch then lifts out, and is easily replaced
once cleaning is completed.
The Twinfix In-Line Access Hatch has been
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 39
tested to the ACR[M]001:2011 Test for Fragility
of Roofing Assemblies on the Twinfix in-house
rig where it passes with a ‘B’ designation.
Non-fragile roofingSafety of people on roofs is of paramount
importance and is ignored at your peril.
CDM regulations are very specific in advising
designers/specifiers to design out any future
possible dangers wherever possible. Specifying
non-fragile rooflights helps them to do just that.
The Twinfix Multi-Link-Panel NF fitted with
the following glazing has been tested to the
HSE’s recommended test (ACR[M]001:2011)
and they all pass with a ‘B’ designation.
l 16mm and 25mm multiwall polycarbonate
l 6mm solid polycarbonate
l 6mm GW polycarbonate – both obscure
and clear
l 8mm solid polycarbonate In-Line
Access Hatch.
6.8mm laminated glass fails the test. 16mm
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
multiwall polycarbonate installed in a standard
split two-part glazing bar system also fails the
test with the polycarbonate flexing out of the
glazing bars. The Multi-Link-Panel NF passes
because it consists of specially designed bars
combined with a patented method of installing
the polycarbonate that holds it in place when
subjected to the drop test.
With many years’ experience working on
stations across the UK, from Edgware Road in
London, to Blackburn in the North West, and
Stafford in the Midlands, the Twinfix team has
developed a wealth of design knowledge and
expertise in the rail sector. zz
For further information please contact Vicky Evans at:Twinfix LtdTel: 01925 811 311Email: [email protected]: www.twinfix.co.uk
The Twinfix In-Line Access Hatch is designed to be unobtrusive
Lightweight & tough, quick-to-fit, non-fragile Rooflight Panels
Fast installation:• makes the very most of possession time
Flexible & tough polycarbonate:• absorbs vibrations without cracking, crazing or breaking
Wide range of polycarbonate glazing options: • both multiwall and solid, including GW grade that imitates Georgian wired glass
Safe in use:• All Multi-Link-Panels NF are non-fragile, in accordance with HSE recommendations
Lightweight, factory assembled panel: • no mistakes on site
New In-Line Access Hatch: • enables safer gutter cleaning
201 Cavendish Place,
Birchwood Park, Birchwood,
Warrington, WA3 6WU
t. 01925 811311
f. 01925 852955
www.twinfix.co.uk
Registered
Fix-and-link polycarbonate rooflight panels used for station canopies, overhead glazing and depot rooflights
Station refurbishment has become a
huge industry in the UK. Many of the
country’s major railway stations have
either undergone or are currently
undergoing facelifts, and it was about time.
There are 2500 stations on the national railway
network and the majority of these are over
100 years old. With approximately 2.6 billion
passengers passing through every year, the
facilities at many stations were simply not fit for
purpose [Ref. 1].
The £37.5 billion plan the Government
has put in place to improve Britain’s railways
is a fantastic opportunity not only for the
construction and maintenance industry, but for
Train Operating Companies (TOCs) too.
Considerations With the high volume of trains and passengers
going through stations every day, refurbishment
work can be a challenge. Keeping disruption
to a minimum, ensuring the safety of all
passengers and station employees, restricted
site access, and possessions with limited
working windows are all considerations
contractors working in the rail environment
need to consider. This is where innovation
takes an important role in the railway
refurbishment industry.
A number of factors need to be considered
when specifying and planning refurbishment
work. For example, all work completed needs
to comply with Network Rail Group standards,
as well as being delivered in accordance with
approved, scheme-specific designs. Using
a Link-up approved contractor validates
the standard of rail civil engineering work a
contractor will provide and demonstrates the
appropriate systems and procedures required
to work within the rail environment.
More than just a new coffee shopMany people think of railway station
refurbishment as building new coffee shops
and upgrading the toilets. Whilst these
are important for end-users, the crucial
refurbishment work is being carried out on the
station platforms.
Platforms get used heavily every day
and many now need to be upgraded and
resurfaced as they were simply not designed
to support the current volume of people and
luggage, or are approaching the end of their
design life. Many platforms are also being
considered for extensions to accommodate
larger trains with more passengers.
This was the case at Ansdell and Fairhaven
station. Due to the approaching British
Open Golf Tournament, refurbishment and
extension was needed to a disused section
40 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Upgrading the UK’s railway stations through innovation
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IAN DUTTON discusses station refurbishment, new techniques and what the future holds
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New platform surfacing
Stations
of the platform, to accommodate additional
carriages. The timescales were tight as they
needed to be complete before the tournament
started and access to the platform was
limited as the station was below road level.
The author’s company developed a platform
configuration scheme and worked with the
adjacent golf club to gain better access to the
site. Also, the existing fencing and handrails
were in good condition so they were reused in
order to reduce costs.
So, how can surfaces that need to be
repaired or even replaced be indentified?
There are many signs that a surface may be
in need of treatment, repair or replacement.
The aesthetic appearance may be poor, there
could be visible pooling water, or the surface
could be uneven, making it an unsafe tripping
hazard.
The life of the surface may also have expired
through oxidising of bitumen, which leads to
deterioration of the surface course material.
A surface fit for purpose Selecting the type of surface solution for
each platform is important. Traditionally a six
millimetre dense macadam surface course was
always used, but this could take a number of
shifts to complete, with challenges including
access, possession times and costs, not to
mention disruption. To address these issues,
we have been working with clients to develop
alternative solutions. Over the past three years,
bespoke microasphalt has been laid on a
number of station platforms across the country,
including major sites in London, Liverpool and
Birmingham.
Microasphalt has a number of advantages
in the rail environment. The material is cold
and hand applied and mixed on site once a
possession starts. It is also faster to apply and
there is no waste or large machinery – a great
benefit for stations with difficult access issues.
This means possession times and most
importantly costs can be significantly reduced,
not to mention improved safety and reduced
disruption for passengers.
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 41
An area of around 250-350 square metres
can be resurfaced in a four-hour possession,
compared to the potential four or five shifts
needed using traditional methods. Once the
surface is laid, the platform can be left safe
and complete by the end of the shift, ready to
open for the first passengers to walk on within
30 minutes.
Innovative versus traditional approaches to railway station refurbishmentLeyton Midland Road, a busy London
Overground station was recently refurbished
using microasphalt as an alternative to the
traditional surface course. Using microasphalt
was ideal for this site due to challenging
access to the station platform – three flights
of stairs. As the microasphalt is mixed on site
and cold applied, access issues were reduced
and safety improved. The 600 square metre
platform was resurfaced on a Sunday in just
one shift during a blockade (a long possession)
and the surface was ready for passengers
within 30 minutes.
Another recent refurbishment project at
Bolton railway station, required platform
resurfacing and modular paving on an island
platform. This project was resurfaced with a
traditional surface course. All the work needed
to be undertaken alongside normal station
activities and with train services in operation.
Our solution was to phase and plan works
to maintain walking routes, D-notices were
in place during the works and some works
were carried out outside normal hours. This
minimised station disruption and improved
on-site safety, as well as being completed to
programme and on budget.
Beyond surfacesThere is, of course, a lot more refurbishment
work that takes place other than platform
surfaces. The station furniture, including
benches, shelters, ticket machines and bins,
also need to be maintained and upgraded.
The challenge here is that many need
foundations on the platforms and concourses.
Some of the built structures, especially the
Victorian-built structures, may not have the
strength to provide the foundations needed.
This is where another civil engineering
innovation comes in. Groundscrew – a
concrete-free foundation system – has been
used extensively on highways products,
and is the perfect solution for the railway
refurbishment market.
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Groundscrew is a robust foundation system
and a sustainable alternative to traditional
concrete foundations for modular platform
extensions, platform and track furniture, and
signage. The system removes the need for
excavation and concreting, so where you
would usually cast small concrete pads
Groundscrew can be used instead.
It previously achieved Form A and Form B
approval for use as a ground foundation in
location cabinet stagings, small ground signals,
and small trackside signage and allows signs,
fencing, benches and other structures to be
positioned quickly and easily – a significant
advantage during possessions.
Looking forwardRecent announcements on high speed rail and
electrification show the Government is certainly
committed to improving Britain’s railway
network. This is a fantastic opportunity for
contractors and also good news for customers
who will benefit from the developments.
How can engineers and contractors in the
industry utilise this opportunity? They must
demonstrate value for money, customer focus
and an innovative approach for a chance to be
part of this investment. zz
ReferenceRef. 1: Figures from 2009 report on Better
Railway Stations http://assets.dft.gov.uk/
publications/better-rail-stations/report.pdf
IAN DUTTON is head of rail at civil engineering and maintenance firm JPCS
Platform extension works
Groundscrew
42 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Connectivity that goes the extra mile
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RAVI MONDAIR explains how full wireless coverage was provided at Liverpool Street station for the benefit of millions of commuters and travellers
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A historic buildingInitially opened to the public in 1874, Liverpool
Street station is an iconic London venue, listed
as a Grade II building, limiting the capacity for
structural and aesthetic changes that could
be implemented. Moreover, due to the large
amount of people requiring wireless access
in the building on a continuous basis, the
scope of the project was to design, install and
commission an In-Building distributed antenna
system (DAS) to provide U900, G900, G1800,
U2100 in addition to future LTE-capable
coverage in the entirety of the large station.
Furthermore, as wireless technology is
subject to fast development and change,
the solution for the building required a multi-
band system with an infrastructure capable of
supporting future technology upgrades. Lastly,
there were also restrictions regarding the time
frames that the project team could operate
within, as the station is open to the public 24/7.
Not an easy projectDue to the Grade II listing of the building, after
careful planning, it was decided to provide
coverage from antennas serving the lower
concourse. The final solution ensured the
number of antennas deployed remained within
the permissible equipment rights as well as
achieving the required system performance
The internet has become a common
commodity for most of us and it is
difficult to imagine how our lives would
be without it. However, effective internet
access becomes a critical necessity particularly
when we are travelling. Without it, how do
you easily check if your train is on time or has
been delayed? How do you find out which
stop is closest to your end destination? How
do friends find each other in the middle of a
crowded station? Quick and easy internet
access helps millions of people solve these
challenges in a matter of seconds.
With this purpose in mind, a leading mobile
operator required the implementation of a
tailored solution in Liverpool Street station.
This is one of the busiest places in the heart
of London, with over four-and-a-half million
people passing through each month and with
more than 30 trains per hour arriving and
departing.
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 43
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Ravi Mondair is managing director at iWireless Solutions.
targets. Optimum utilisation of the antennas
was ensured by using precision radio testing
(CW) and modelling.
Due to the location of the building in the
heart of the City, the next design challenge was
to overcome the high level of external signal
penetration from macrocells, which could
amount to -70dBm in many places. Together
with the issue of extended feeder routes (due
to limited routing options and the restriction on
number of antennas), this made balancing the
link budget a real challenge. However, careful
engineering design achieved the required level
of antenna drive power whilst simultaneously
keeping within safe RF exposure limits. At
the same time, coverage overlap was kept to
a minimum and sharp sector definition was
achieved.
Timings and equipment deliveries were
also a constraint, as during installation, station
security policy proved very restrictive. Materials
and equipment were tightly controlled with a
‘just-in-time’ delivery schedule since excess
materials could not be left unattended on site.
Access to many areas of the station was
tightly controlled, meaning that the installation
team had to strictly adhere to the programmed
work schedule.
Bespoke solutionA passive DAS solution was provided
consisting of ½” feeder cable where possible
to aid with the difficult installation, in addition to
15/8” diameter feeder where routes permitted. A
combination of omni-directional antennas and
directional antennas were installed, as well as
dispersed RF heads remote from the main BTS
equipment room to overcome the excessive
feeder runs.
Although there were limiting restrictions on
the number of antennas and the locations
where they could be placed, the project team
was able to supply a full record of external
coverage levels within the station and worked
in conjunction with the operator to optimise
the macro layer, ensuring that the signals from
the In-Building solution would be the dominant
coverage in the station.
Seamless connectivityCommuters and travellers can now experience
efficient network access whenever they pass
through the busy station. Without a worry,
they can check their train times, e-mails and
download any data they need. In addition,
the venue is a central shopping area, where
businesses and shoppers also benefit
from high capacity wireless coverage. The
implementation of wireless solutions by stations
such as Liverpool Street is making the lives
of millions of commuters easier every day,
bringing us all closer even if we are about to go
miles far away. zz
44 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Meeting the increase in passenger demand
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A station design needs to have passenger experience in mind to meet modern demands and to ensure that future generations will
benefit from the design of the facility, says MALCOLM STAMPER
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on three separate phases of Waterloo station’s
refurbishment alongside a range of designers
and project teams. The results have been the
creation of facilities that meet the demand for
a modern transport hub and, according to
Network Rail’s statistics, the 30 per cent growth
in passengers predicted by 2030. London
Waterloo, today is used by around
90 million passengers a year.
The most recent phase to be completed at
Waterloo station was in 2012 where a new
balcony level has been incorporated. At
220 metres in length the new balcony is visually
very striking, in no small part due to the materials
choice, however it has also been designed
to reduce congestion on the concourse and
improve access to and from Waterloo East. This
is helped with the installation of escalators and
relocation of shops from the middle of the main
concourse to the balcony.
Across the country we are investing
in our transportation network and
in particular station refurbishments.
Project architects are carefully
balancing the integration of old and new while
considering the demands for aesthetics and
long-term durability.
The interventions at London’s busiest station,
Waterloo, have taken place in a series of
phases rather than necessitating a full closure
of this transport hub. Minimising disruption
yet accommodating access for contractors
working on site was paramount.
The complexity of carrying out construction
and renovation work for such projects
underlines the importance of partnering with
suppliers to enable this. Design expertise,
flexibility and an innovative approach are critical
in this relationship.
SAS International has worked successfully
Philip
Vile
Waterloo station balcony
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 45
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz At such a major destination the services
provided for ease of flow and for leisure are
valued as equally important with the new
balcony featuring new retail outlets and
places to eat providing enhanced customer
experience and new source of income.
Stations need to cater for crowd pressure,
ease of passenger flow and general wear and
tear. The need is to balance aesthetics with the
performance qualities of materials, to provide a
durable finish, for future users to benefit from.
Architectural metalwork solutions can balance
visual appeal with enhanced performance
qualities to provide a highly functional solution.
A very modern aesthetic was chosen for
the balcony which still manages to expose
the older stone and brick vertical interior
façade. Working under BAM Construction,
SAS Project Management designed and
installed an innovative solution for the curved
aluminium soffit cladding to the underside of
the new mezzanine level and escalators. The
soffit panels have been specially designed
so they provide a secure concealed fix panel
system with discreet joints, yet allow access
where required to services above. A key benefit
of SAS International’s involvement at design
stage meant that ease of buildability in the
construction process and consideration of
ongoing maintenance requirements from the
outset were factored in.
At Liverpool Central station access routes
need to cater for increased capacity while
ensuring the upkeep of the interior is easy
to maintain. Powder-coated steel cladding
has been used in passenger areas to provide
a robust finish to provide a durable solution
for long-term value. A variety of architectural
metalwork was specified for platform access
routes including the Wirral line platform and
Northern line platform, escalators and
trackside areas.
The project at Liverpool Central station is
the first of three stations to be refurbished
with James Street and Lime Street stations to
follow. The Liverpool Underground Stations
refurbishment project is being undertaken
by construction and infrastructure company
Morgan Sindall on behalf of Network Rail.
Communication is of paramount importance
and essential for success with these large-scale
projects. Above all is the importance of realising
design ambitions through practical applications
and a team-focused approach. Fast-track
construction solutions are often required, and
the ability to provide for design, manufacture,
installation and maintenance from the outset is
of critical importance.
In today’s buildings durability is as important
as ever; not least for performance but for
life cycle considerations. In a transportation
environment it is key. Solutions must also
be able to handle increased crowd pressure
forecast in the coming years as well as
allowing ease of access for essential ongoing
maintenance, without damage. zz
Malcolm Stamper is group marketing manager at SAS International
Liverpool Central station
46 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Finding the future at rail stations
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DAVID WATTS discusses how the design of wayfinding within stations has becomes a lot more scientific
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unknown and experienced travellers worry
about delays. If passengers get lost, can’t find
their way or lack a sense of the structure of
the station space, stress levels increase and
the experience turns negative. The station
wayfinding designer aims to reduce stress
and improve passengers’ experience as the
station is often the first and last point of contact
between passengers and the ‘service’. The
earlier a wayfinding strategy is developed during
station planning, the better – at London Bridge
the wayfinding strategy is already in place ahead
of the detailed design.
The three key components of wayfinding
are: orientation, direction giving and decision
making. Passengers need to make sense of the
station space as they enter it and then be given
the information they need as they pass through.
This is a particular challenge in spaces that have
evolved over time or have complex layouts
e.g. Victoria or London Bridge.
At King’s Cross, and now London Bridge,
studies used different passenger personas and
scenarios to simulate people’s real experience
– e.g. the family eating in a station restaurant
realising they are now late for their train on
platform 1; or a business traveller booked on a
train north wanting to meet a colleague in the
1st Class Lounge before boarding; or a regular
traveller arriving at platform 4 from York and
wanting to get a train to Cambridge.
For London Bridge, the wayfinding scheme
is integrated into the overall station CAD model
which supports realistic 3D visualisations. This
enables CCD to see how the wayfinding works
in the real world, where people tend to see other
signs in their peripheral vision – not something
that can be demonstrated by flat drawings. This
minimises any unexpected challenges once the
In the near future, wayfinding is going to
get personal. Technology will have an
enormous impact on how passengers
find their way into, through and out of
stations. The technology press is awash with
news about ‘Google Glass’ – the wearable
computer…it isn’t hard to see how augmented
reality applications will transform the wayfinding
experience. Already, the ‘Google Now’
application tries to guess your next move…
walk along the high street, and it will tell you
the times of buses as you pass the bus stop.
The Points sign (http://breakfastny.com/points/)
shows how social media could offer a more
personal wayfinding experience.
But whatever tomorrow’s technology, it
is understanding people and their needs
that will remain at the heart of the best
station wayfinding schemes. This has been
demonstrated at the recently revamped King’s
Cross station, and will be the case in the much
more complex new London Bridge station
where human factors and design consultancy
CCD is working alongside the architects
Grimshaws.
The rail industry understands the overriding
importance of the passenger experience,
and how important effective wayfinding is to
a positive experience. Travel is stressful for
everyone - inexperienced travellers fear the
King’s Cross station
An impression of London Bridge station concourse
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 47
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the principle of ensuring visual segregation
between the wayfinding information and other
displays such as advertising and retail signage
in areas such as the Western Arcade.
London Bridge presents some major
wayfinding challenges with the main
concourse at a different level to the platforms,
multiple entrances, a separate concourse for
terminating platforms and an architecture that
puts columns and supporting structures in the
way of sight lines. It is a complex hub as the
interchange for Thameslink, southbound train
services, London Underground, buses, taxis,
bicycles, river-taxis and local pedestrians. This
means it is important to get people’s orientation
right from the outset. King’s Cross is simpler,
but has its own challenges. For example, it was
felt that passengers waiting on the mezzanine
might not recognise the footbridge as being
the fastest route to the platforms, so additional
signage now indicates the platforms can be
accessed this way.
Once in the station, passengers need help
for them to navigate. At key nodes such as
junctions or changes in level wayfinding should
help the passenger make the right decision
with confidence. The aim is to provide the
right information at the right time to make
the wayfinding system completely intuitive,
allowing people to freely flow through the
station without making conscious decisions.
At London Bridge the new central concourse
wayfinding system will help passengers
through the much larger space. Static signage
is being designed in co-ordination with the
digital CIS information displays as passengers
need to understand it in an integrated way.
There are other factors which make for
good wayfinding, including the provision of
reassurance between decision-making points
helping passengers recover from heading in
the wrong direction. At King’s Cross, additional
signage enables passengers to find their way
to platforms 9-11 if they have mistakenly gone
through to platforms 1-8.
King’s Cross has become a highly regarded
station, with good levels of customer
satisfaction…and the aim is to improve on this
with London Bridge. CCD is currently looking at
quantitative measurements such as error rates,
passenger flow and travel between points, as
well as passenger satisfaction surveys to see
how wayfinding can be better evaluated in the
future. In both cases the wayfinding has been
developed from the perspective of the
travelling public, and particularly in the case
of London Bridge, the early consideration
of their needs will ensure better passenger
satisfaction levels. zz
An impression of London Bridge station concourse
An impression of the Tooley Street entrance to London Bridge station
David Watts is managing director of CCD Design and Ergonomics Ltd
The new Liverpool Street Crossrail
station will be located between the
existing Liverpool Street and Moorgate
stations. Crossrail will build two new
entrances and ticket halls, creating new
interchanges with the Northern, Central,
Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City
Lines, as well as connections to Stansted
airport and National Rail services.
The construction of the new Liverpool Street
Crossrail station is divided up into four main
sites with good progress being made on each:
48 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Moorgate site – new western ticket hall construction well underwayl The western ticket hall for the new Crossrail
station is being constructed in Moorgate and
will involve enlarging the existing Moorgate
Underground station
l A 55m-deep shaft is being excavated next
to the existing station with reinforced concrete
panels installed 60 metres below the surface to
form a box below ground
l Work is well underway on installing the
concrete diaphragm wall panels and is due for
Liverpool Street Crossrail station making good progress
completion later this summer
l The construction of the Moorgate shaft
is taking place in one of Crossrail’s most
constrained sites with the Hammersmith & City
Line to the north, the Northern Line to the east
and the existing Moorgate station ticket hall
nearby.
Liverpool Street site – new eastern ticket hall construction to begin in early 2014l At the eastern end of the Crossrail station,
Crossrail zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The latest news from Crossrail is that the construction of the new Liverpool Street Crossrail station is making good progress with key works completed and the project moving into an important stage of delivery
All images courtesy of Crossrail
a new ticket hall will be constructed beneath
Liverpool Street close to the Broadgate
development. The new ticket hall will provide
step-free access from street level to the new
Crossrail platforms
l A subsurface ticket hall will be constructed
to link into the existing London Underground
ticket hall at Liverpool Street
l Work is also underway to create a utilities
corridor beneath Liverpool Street to allow all
existing utilities to be diverted away from the
future Broadgate Ticket Hall
l Construction of the eastern ticket hall will
begin in early 2014.
Finsbury Circus shaft – more than 600 metres of tunnels built so farl A temporary 42m-deep shaft has been built
beneath Finsbury Circus park to act as the
‘nerve-centre’ for the construction of Crossrail
platform tunnels, concourse and passages to
link the new eastern and western ticket halls at
Moorgate and Liverpool Street
l The shaft provides underground access for
the construction of more than 1.5km of tunnels
and cross passages using sprayed concrete
lining techniques
l From the bottom of the shaft, tunnels
branching off in four directions are now being
constructed to form the central passageways
and cross passages at platform level
l Branching off from the ends of the cross
passages, the two 250m-long platform tunnels
will then be built – work has now started on
the first platform tunnel which will become the
eastbound platform tunnel for the new Crossrail
services
l The platform tunnels are initially formed as
six metre pilot tunnels which are then enlarged
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 49
Construction of tunnels beneath Finsbury Circus at Crossrail’s Liverpool Street site
to the final diameter of 9.5 metres
l More than 600 metres of temporary and full-
size tunnels have been built so far – the station
tunnels will be completed in 2015
l The tunnel boring machines creating the
central tunnelled section of the Crossrail route
will come through Liverpool Street site and are
scheduled to arrive in late 2014
l Once work is completed the Finsbury Circus
park area will be restored.
Blomfield Street shaft – foundations completed on box structure for ventilation, electrical and mechanical equipmentl A 40m-deep box structure is being
constructed on Blomfield Street to
accommodate ventilation, electrical, mechanical
and systems equipment for the new Crossrail
station
l So far over 250 piles have been completed
including all high-level foundation works and
two-thirds of the main shaft piles installed up to
50 metres deep, making the box Crossrail’s
deepest piled shaft. The main shaft piling is due
for a summer completion
l Adjacent to the box, a new Communications
Equipment Room (CER), power substation and
switch rooms for the Liverpool Street London
Underground station are being constructed. This
will allow the demolition of the existing substation
to create space for the Broadgate ticket hall on
Liverpool Street
l The power substation and switchrooms are
due to be completed later this year.
Other works – new 53m-long cable tunnel completedl Five metres below the ground a new
53m-long cable tunnel to connect the new
substation has now been completed – the first
permanent sprayed concrete lining tunnel to be
finished on the Crossrail project.
Bill Tucker, Crossrail area director central
said: “Liverpool Street is one of Crossrail’s
most challenging station projects with several
construction sites located in a tightly constrained
area but work is making good progress. The
complexity of this project is matched only by the
huge improvements it will deliver, with the new
station set to create extra capacity, improved
connections and new transport links to the City
of London. With the continued support of the
City of London and London Underground we are
working hard to minimise disruption so we would
like to thank local businesses for their patience
while we carry out these essential works.” zz
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Finsbury Circus shaft for Liverpool Street station and platform tunnels
Liverpool Street – Blomfield Street site at night
50 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
King’s Cross
only London Underground but also Network
Rail and general infrastructure. MGL has
worked hard to improve and has gained a long
list of approvals and accreditations, including
Achilles ‘Link-up’ and ‘Building Confidence’,
CHAS, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS
18001. MGL is also a London Underground
and Tube Lines approved contractor, and most
recently has joined the Constructing Better
Health scheme, and the Concrete Repair
Association.
Describing the changes that the last year
has brought to the business, Ian Jenkins,
business development manager, says: “Our
estimating department has doubled in size
which gives us greater capacity to price works
more competitively and completely. We have
also implemented the ‘Red Sky Summit 3000’
Since its inception Metropex Group Ltd
(MGL) has carefully positioned itself as
a principal multi-trade sub-contractor
involved in the delivery of new build,
refurbishment, and remodelling projects. The
company was founded in 2004 to carry out
the specialist trades of concrete, brick, and
stone repair alongside associated specialist
cleaning and coating services on the London
Underground.
Today those specialist skills remain, but MGL
has also become known for its role in general
building, light civils, and internal and external
fit-out works where it endeavours to provide
best value via valued engineered solutions and
a can-do attitude.
Over the years MGL has evolved the
environments in which it works to include not
With its multi-trade and specialist skill credentials, Metropex Group Ltd
offers a higher standard of service
Setting standards
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Metropex group ltd
Internal fit-out of a new ticket office at Billericay station for Network Rail working as a sub-contractor to C Spencer Ltd at a value of £120,000. Work included suspended ceilings, plaster boarding, plaster finishes, ceramic and terazzo tiling, installation of fire doors, decoration, brick slip installation to facade, and kitchen installation.
Escalator installation at Gatwick
Express for Volker Fitzpatrick
before
After
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 51
operating system, which will take a project
from its very beginnings all the way through
to completion in relation to all accounts
and contracting functions. This provides
management with much more up-to-date
reporting, which improves efficiency. Another
area we continue to invest in is our people.
We are extensively audited as a business and
are always praised for our commitment to
training and our safety record, which is borne
out by our ‘Contractor of the Month’ award at
Nottingham.”
Specifically, this saw MGL named winners of
the Taylor Woodrow ‘Contractor of the Month’
Safety Award for March 2013 for its work at
the Nottingham Hub Project. This award was
hotly contested, but MGL stood out for its
safe and sensible working around a live station
environment, use of aluminium towers, and
very good housekeeping.
Working as a sub-contractor to Taylor
Woodrow, for this project MGL’s workscope
includes package 1 platform room remodelling
works and the fit-out to the new steel framed
concourse structure where it was able to
achieve savings for the client through design
engineering new ceiling arrangements. The
company is also currently negotiating other
works including the remodelling of the ticket
office, concourse, and circulation areas
including the new travel centre.
In the past MGL predominately operated
within London and the South East, but has
since seen a change in its geographic spread
towards the Midlands with contracts in
Nottingham and Birmingham. “At Birmingham
New Street we are carrying out construction
works for the lift and escalator enclosure for
Birse Rail. We’re also being considered for the
platform resurfacing works, and strengthening
of the overslab that runs over the tracks
forming the floor for the concourse above,”
describes Ian.
These projects are also a sign that MGL is
increasingly taking on much larger contracts
with a minimum value of £100,000, as is the
case for the company’s work at the Gatwick
Airport train station. These works are being
progressed in three phases beginning with
the refurbishment of platform rooms, which
was completed in advance of station staff
being moved out of their accommodation at
the upper concourse level to accommodate
ensuing works.
The second phase consisted of soft strip
and light demolition down to base floor
level of all existing staff accommodation
and the travel centre. From this point the
new accommodation arrangement will be
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Design Flooring CoNo Compromise on Quality
Quality Flooring Solutions for the Rail Industry
ContactOffice 01689 871958
Mobile 07786 737406Fax 01689 660169
Email [email protected]
DESIGN FLOORING CO396 COURT RD,
CHELSFIELD, BR69BX
All materialsare suppliedand installed
Design Flooring Co (Kent Ltd)Design Flooring Co (Kent Ltd) is a commercial
flooring company proud of its commitment
to quality without compromise. It is working
closely with Metropex , to ensure all projects are
completed on time and on budget, though never
sacrificing its exemplary safety record. With over
35 years experience in the commercial flooring
industry, Design Flooring Co, in partnership with
Metropex, gives its clients peace of
mind – ‘guaranteed’.
52 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Metropex group ltd
constructed from 140mm block work with all
accompanying finishes such as floor screed,
carpet, vinyl ceilings, plaster works, and
decorations. As this phase nears completion,
the client will have completed works to new
platform installation and concourse, which will
then see MGL enter phase three for the internal
fit-out of this structure.
“We continue to work with London
Underground and are currently engaged under
a framework to provide labour to carry out
the enabling works in advance of the station
improvements that are now being tendered.
At present we’re on about 17 stations on the
London Underground through that framework.
During this delivery we have impressed with
our capability and have therefore been asked
to price the main works themselves, which has
seen us tender for Baker Street and we are
preparing to do the same at Chancery Lane,”
highlights Ian.
Although MGL has clearly continued to
be successful in securing new contracts,
the company is also subject to some of
the challenges being felt by the industry at
large. This includes issues around settling of
accounts and delays in payment which can be
felt the whole way through the supply chain in
relation to cash flow.
Whilst such trends are a concern, MGL
benefits from many returning customers and
long-term relationships with major contractors
as a result of its high quality standards and
can-do attitude. Describing what is next for
the company in terms of maintaining its good
position, Ian concludes: “We are looking to
acquire a base in the Midlands as we are
being very successful in winning work in that
region, and we feel that will continue to grow.
As with any organisation though our focus is on
securing a full forward order book so that we
have the security needed to keep on funding
that growth, and to give us a solid foundation
on which to take decisions.” zz
Metropex Group LtdTel: +44 (0) 1435 867755Email: [email protected]: www.metropex.co.uk
Hanover School - Demolition and remodelling of existing premises at Hanover school,
construction of a new sports hall using PV panels, external wall insulation, metsec construction, and curtain walling. Contract value of £630,000 for Balfour Beatty.
Construction of a new substation at Osborn Street for UK Power Networks working as a principal sub-contractor to Laing O’Rourke at a value of £800,000. Work included scaffolding, approximately 3000 square metres of brick and block to all external and internal walls, flooring, roofing, painting, vermin control, walls and ceilings, and surface finishes.
before
before
After
After
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 53
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Franchises
Essex rail contract agreementl Rail services in Essex will continue to be provided by c2c Rail Ltd for at
least another 16 months following agreement of a short-term contract with the
Department for Transport. This direct award negotiated with c2c Rail Ltd, a National
Express subsidiary, is the first contract agreed by the department with the rail
industry following publication of its revised railways franchising programme in March.
From 26th May 2013 c2c will continue to operate the current Essex Thameside
franchise until September 2014 when a long-term partner is expected to take over
running the successful franchise.
Rail opportunitiesl A ‘Rail Opportunities Day’, organised by the
Department for Transport, was held at the Queen
Elizabeth II Conference Centre on 22nd May 2013.
Presentations were given by senior Department
for Transport (DfT) officials and key industry figures
including:
l Richard Brown (chairman, Eurostar International)
l Alex Hynes (MD – rail development,
Go-Ahead Group)
l Nicola Shaw (CEO, HS1)
l Paul Plummer (group strategy director,
Network Rail)
Speakers presented on a range of subjects including
an overview of the franchising programme, its
opportunities and objectives, and a franchise
bidding masterclass.
The presentation material may be seen at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/
rail-opportunities-day
ww
w.ra
ilimag
es.c
o.uk
A c2c service travelling through Chalkwell in Essex
1900 when we took over to 2200 today. We
introduced the UK’s first high speed domestic
rail service, and paid particular attention to
growing capacity within our metro offering.
We’ve also done a lot to change the basic
operational processes of running the business,
such as revolutionising our maintenance
procedures which has helped us improve
efficiency and the reliability of the trains.”
Southeastern has also invested heavily
in some of its most vital assets – its people.
Since the beginning of the franchise the
Running train services into London from
Kent and East Sussex, Southeastern
operates some of the busiest stretches
of railway across the UK network. This
challenging franchise covers metro, mainline,
and high speed services over 12 main lines
of route and on third-rail infrastructure. With a
core commuter market Southeastern serves
more London terminals than any other operator
including London Victoria, London Charing
Cross, London Cannon Street, and St Pancras,
as well as passing through the bottleneck of
London Bridge.
Since taking over the franchise in 2006 the
company has seen passenger journeys grow
significantly from 134 million a year to just
under 170 million. “The story of this franchise
has been substantial growth across all parts
of the network,” agrees Charles Horton,
managing director. “At the same time we
have driven up our punctuality to a MAA of
91.2 per cent Public Performance Measure
(PPM), which is a significant improvement from
where we started. We also inherited customer
satisfaction at 76 per cent, which we have
since seen rise to 84 per cent.
“We’ve achieved this by boosting the
number of services that we operate from
54 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzSOUTHEASTERN
Despite the challenging nature of its franchise, in the last year
Southeastern has delivered its best-ever performance
AMS100 mobile welding machine
great achievement
A
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 55
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzcompany has invested more than £14 million
in training and development schemes. In the
past 12 months it has also become the only
train operator to be recognise with Investors
in People (IiP) Gold and Champion status.
Another mark of Southeastern’s external
recognition is its award of five stars in the
European Foundation for Quality Management
(EFQM) and Recognised for Excellence (R4E)
programme last year.
The real highlight of the last 12 months
though has been the enormous success of
the 2012 Olympics Games. Southeastern was
the most affected train operating company
(TOC) during this period serving more
Olympics venues than anyone else. It was also
responsible for running the high-profile Javelin
service, which saw a 200 per cent increase in
passengers. In total Southeastern carried
12.6 million passengers during the Games, a
20 per cent uplift on its normal service, with
3000 extra services put on during that period.
Whilst widely acknowledged as one of
the best ever Olympic public transport
Unipart RailUnipart Rail understands the complexchallenges of the rail industry respondingin a unique way to each customer with acomprehensive and integrated range ofsolutions to meet their requirements - fromproduct provision to complex supply chainmanagement services - designed to improveperformance. Its range includes:• Supply Chain Services – Total ProductSupply Package, Depot Stores Management,Logistics and Distribution, DemandForecasting and Inventory Management, FleetAftermarket Services• Vehicle Fleet Services – EngineeringProduct Support, Obsolescence Management,Quality and Risk Management, Safetyand Incident Management, Warranty andReliability Management• Overhaul and Manufacture – BogieOverhaul and Repair, Wheelset Overhauland Repair, Specialist Rail ComponentManufacture, Component Refurbishment• Products and Technology – ProductReplacement, Product Enhancement, ProductInnovation• Consultancy Services – Supply ChainManagement, Lean Transformation, SpecialistEngineering, Design, Analysis and Testing,Supply Chain AuditingOur experts specialise in exploring new waysof thinking to deliver effective and sustainedsolutions.
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with passengers and help them get around
the capital has changed forever as a result of
the experience of the Olympics. The legacy of
the Games is as much about the soft legacy in
terms of people and teamwork, as it is about
anything else that was done in improving
infrastructure and delivering those sorts of
changes,” he continues.
The other challenges dominating the
rail industry at present are the changes
surrounding franchising. The announcement
of the new timetable has been welcomed by
Southeastern in providing greater clarity and
certainty about when direct awards are
going to be made and when franchises will
be re-tendered.
As to what this means short-term for
Southeastern though, Charles reveals current
thinking: “We now face the situation where
our current franchise will come to an end in
October 2014, and there will be a direct award
period through to June 2018. For that stretch
of time we will have to be in discussion with
the Department for Transport (DfT) about what
they want to achieve. We know that one of the
big features will be managing this significant
change at London Bridge and putting into
practice all the things we have learnt in the last
few years to make sure what is the biggest
challenge ever attempted on a living, breathing
railway is delivered competently.”
The franchise has also welcomed the
strategic business plan for Kent submitted by
Network Rail, and is in discussion about the
funding and projects that need to be delivered
for the next control period. “We are obviously
very interested in what is planned for this part
of the railway. It is dominated by Thameslink
and everything that goes with that, but there
are points such as the operation of 12-car
trains in the metro section that will deliver
passenger benefits and we want to see those
come to fruition in the next couple of years as
well. The title of the franchise is the Integrated
Kent Franchise and we really do believe that
the best quality of service can be provided by
bringing together each aspect of the network in
an integrated way,” concludes Charles. zz
Web: www.southeasternrailway.co.uk
performances, the 2012 Games presented
all who were involved with a huge logistical
challenge. From the scope of measures used
to overcome this, Charles notes those lessons
and processes which are being translated into
permanent improvements: “One of the biggest
things to come out of this is the relationships
that were built up with other parties such
as Network Rail, HS1, and Transport for
London (TfL) are being carried forward. In
the future this part of the network faces a
massive challenge in the Thameslink works
that will be undertaken at London Bridge, and
these collaborative and co-operative working
relationships will be key to that.
“Likewise the way that we communicate
SOUTHEASTERN
WettonsWettons and Southeastern work closely together
to ensure that we are able to provide a clean
train to the travelling passengers. As everyone in
the industry knows, you are cleaning a moving
target when attending the trains and only ever
get a small window of opportunity to provide the
cleaning operation before the train goes back
into service. A strong working relationship is
vital to ensure everything is in place to provide
the quality demanded by Southeastern, first
time, every time.
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 57
Charles Horton, managing director
we receive from key stakeholders such as
Chambers of Commerce, local authorities and
MPs all reiterates how crucial having a direct
connection to the South East is for the local
economy and the difference it makes for the
people living in those areas.”
As an open access operator Grand Central
is different in that its services are provided
purely on a commercial basis as opposed to
under a franchise or concession agreement,
and with no subsidy from, or premium to, the
Directly linking large cities in Yorkshire
and the North East with London,
Grand Central reaches the parts of
the country that other services don’t.
This open-access passenger train operator
launched its first route in December 2007
connecting London King’s Cross with York,
Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe, Hartlepool
and Sunderland. This was followed by a
second service in May 2010 joining West
Yorkshire with King’s Cross calling at Bradford,
Halifax, Brighouse, Wakefield, Pontefract, and
Doncaster. Completing the spread is the latest
service calling at Mirfield on the West Riding
route since December 2011.
“Grand Central is a very focused locally
based organisation providing a niche service
to communities that have previously not been
well served by rail, and keeping true to this
is what sustains the business in what are
tough economic times,” elaborates managing
director Richard McClean. “The feedback that
58 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzGRAND CENTRAL
Serving communities of the North East that otherwise may be without a strong rail link, Grand Central is a
locally minded passenger operator
Community centred
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 59
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without these services, so as a commercial
business we survive on our own capability and
the results we deliver. This constantly spurs us
to move things forward and to do better at all
levels in the business,” he continues.
Likewise Grand Central’s ability to take
decisions and define strategic directions
is facilitated by the scale of its operations.
“Because we are serving niche markets using
spare capacity on the network we are by our
very nature a small operator, and will remain a
small operator,” agrees Richard. “This means
there is only a short distance between head
office and the frontline giving us a direct
connection between what happens on a train
today and the place where the decisions are
made about what we want to develop for the
future.”
Almost in contrast to its small stature, in
2011 Grand Central became part of the Arriva
Group, Deutsche Bahn’s division for passenger
transport outside of Germany. Following
the acquisition Grand Central’s strategy has
remained its own, developed in conjunction
with stakeholders and the communities it
serves. “Arriva bought Grand Central having
recognised the potential it had and the
progress made in developing the business and
service to the market,” explains Richard. “It’s a
wonderful position to be in to be small, focused
and connected to the frontline, but to also have
the support of one of Europe’s leading public
transport groups.”
He continues: “Arriva has a very devolved
approach to managing its operations
empowering its people to run their local
businesses whilst allowing them to benefit from
economies of scale in corporate functions such
as procurement and IT.”
Whilst the arrival of an intercity service to
London has made a measurable difference to
the communities Grand Central serves, this is
very much a reciprocal relationship as clearly
local support and uptake is the lifeblood of
the business. One mark of this is the group
of station ambassadors and community
volunteers who work with Grand Central to
provide frontline customer service on what
would otherwise be unstaffed stations, both
in normal service and incidents of engineering
works and diversions. “I think it’s a measure
of how important what we’re doing is to
those communities that people are willing
to participate in the operation in that way,”
enthuses Richard.
“There’s something about Grand Central’s
presence that has not only triggered increased
levels of local involvement, but also increased
attention from other key stakeholders such
as Network Rail. We’ve seen investment
and changes to maintenance policies so
that incrementally year after year each of the
stations we serve has improved. Because
these are the only stations we serve we can
give them our full attention, so Eaglescliffe for
example now looks very smart, and we’re now
starting work on transforming and restoring
the station buildings at Wakefield Kirkgate with
a whole range of other stakeholders. Other
measures such as expansion of car parks,
new notice boards and customer information
systems and improved bus stops all make a
difference as well,” he adds.
One of the biggest challenges for Grand
Department for Transport (DfT). “It means we
don’t have to manage a complex contractual
relationship in two directions,” notes Richard
in describing the effect of this model on the
business.
“We have suppliers and customers, but no
additional axis in the form of DfT or a passenger
transport executive (PTE), so it’s a straight-
forward bilateral relationship which simplifies the
day-to-day running. The wisdom was that there
was no commercial case for providing these
services, but the reality is that if you provide the
right level of operations and cost base with low
overheads and local delivery you can provide
a small-scale service on a commercial basis.
No one else has tried to enter these particular
markets with franchise after franchise specified
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zz
is that where you get on-rail competition the
impact is to grow the overall marketplace
to the benefit of all involved operators and
the communities served. This is because
the operator has to concentrate on making
sure the service they provide is attractive to
potential customers, and better service brings
more passengers which creates more revenue
so it builds on itself. All the evidence in every
marketplace says that’s what competition
does,” notes Richard.
Richard also believes that the recent ORR
report announcing a new consultation paper
on on-track competition with a focus on
supporting more open access is great news
for the industry: “The evidence-based research
from the Centre for Policy Studies, ‘Rail’s
Second Chance’ which set out the benefits of
open access operating alongside franchises
really showed open-access is in the interests of
both passengers and the industry.”
At a time when the traditional franchise
model has been challenged Richard is enjoying
the benefits of working under a different model
which enables Grand Central to keep focused
on passengers: “The commercial structure
is important but more so is having a sensible
planning horizon within which to develop our
business. With the track access agreements
we have and our own company structure that
gives us this planning horizon, we will be able
to keep improving our service offering for our
passengers,” he concludes. zz
Web: www.grandcentralrail.com
Central has been developing its timetable
and train paths amongst the other services
that utilise the infrastructure of the East
Coast Mainline. Highlighting the steps
that the industry has taken in opening up
capacity Richard says: “The rail network in
the UK is incredibly busy because the whole
industry has been so successful in growing
its marketshare. Finding ways of making
efficient use of the network is a challenge for
all operators and Network Rail, but working
steadily enormous improvements in the level
of utilisation of the East Coast Mainline have
been achieved over the last five or six years
and it’s a real success story. More trains
have been operated without huge increases
in rolling stock fleets or the requirements for
massive investment in infrastructure through
more diligent, carefully organised planning.”
As to the scope open to Grand Central to
grow even further, Richard believes this will
be concentrated on passengers not services,
although he does note that the open-access
concept as a whole may see some growth:
“The markets we serve are relatively small
and don’t have an inexhaustible capacity to
support more and more services. Likewise
we have a finite resource base so the scale of
the operation is unlikely to grow in that way.
However, the ridership on the service we are
operating is still growing very strongly and we
anticipate that will continue. There are almost
certainly other routes and destinations where
the same model can apply, on the East Coast,
but particularly the West Coast Mainline. Our
sister company Alliance Rail is working very
strongly on putting together propositions for
other communities to share the same benefits
on those two routes.”
Clearly these open-access service
propositions are not intended as a means
of usurping the position of the franchise
operator, which serves a completely different
marketplace. “There are very few touch-points
where Grand Central and a franchise service
are directly side-by-side, and likewise there are
just as many touch-points between different
franchise operators. What has been identified
GRAND CENTRAL
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 61
Richard McClean
managing director
viaduct, which has removed one of the single
line bottlenecks on the network. It has also
enabled Arriva Trains Wales to run 5000 extra
trains a year from Gowerton. Describing the
challenge of implementing such infrastructure
works and maintaining performance Mike
says: “Whilst the work was going on at the
Loughour viaduct we had a period of about
nine days when the line was closed. We had
planned for this well in advance and developed
the timetable to minimise disruption including
diversion of the trains around the closed
section of line.
“There is likely to be some disruption from
the CASR works and again we are working
closely with Network Rail to plan what we
can do and how we are going to run trains
during that period. Later this year there will
be a nine day closure of the line between
Shrewsbury and Wrexham whilst that track
improvement goes on and we’ll be diverting
trains via Crewe and putting on replacement
transport on affected routes. So there will be
some disruption and I think the key is that we
communicate that as far as possible with our
customers and make alternative plans that
keep that to a minimum,” he continues.
Another part of the franchise that has
benefited from recent attention is Arriva Trains
Wales’ fleet. “Last year we completed the
Ten years may not be a vast period of
time when it comes to the scales of the
rail market, but that only makes Arriva
Trains Wales’ achievements over the
last decade more impressive. The company,
which is part of the Arriva Group, was awarded
the rail franchise for Wales and the Borders
in 2003 since which time it has introduced a
programme of systematic improvement.
In fact Arriva Trains Wales has invested more
than £30 million into the franchise, which far
exceeds its requirement of £400,000. This
has included new depot and maintenance
facilities, ticket gates, staff facilities, train driver
simulators, station lighting enhancements, and
ticket vending machines, as well as investment
into stations and rolling stock refurbishment in
partnership with others.
In particular Arriva Trains Wales has been
successful in attracting investment through the
National Stations Improvement Programme
(NSIP). One station that has seen a marked
improvement as a result of this is Swansea.
This redevelopment project not only won Best
Large Station and Best Overall Station at the
2012 International Stations Awards, but also
saw National Passenger Survey score for the
station jump from 50 per cent to 93 per cent.
“Swansea station has been vastly improved
as a result of this work,” confirms Mike
Bagshaw, commercial director. “Compared to
the drab station that was there before, it is now
welcoming people into Swansea and west
Wales. We have implemented new ticket office
counters, new retail outlets, and removed the
barrier that was dividing the station concourse
to create a much more open and pleasant
environment. There’s a number of other NSIP
works going on throughout the network, and
significant improvements are being made to
both Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street
stations as part of the Cardiff Area Signalling
Renewal Project (CASR).”
This £220 million Network Rail scheme
is designed to ease congestion on rail
services around Cardiff and the south Wales
Valleys network. “This includes construction
of additional platforms and a number of
improvements to signalling, which will increase
the capability of the infrastructure to allow
more trains to operate through Cardiff Central
and Cardiff Queen Street,” elaborates Mike.
“Later this year Network Rail will begin work
on improving the line between north and south
Wales, particularly Shrewsbury and Chester
where they are increasing the line speed and
undertaking a track re-doubling project that will
enable journey times to be reduced.”
One recently completed scheme has been
the doubling of track over the Loughour
62 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
The extra mile
zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzArrivA TrAins WAles
Celebrating its milestone anniversary, Arriva Trains Wales looks back at some of the achievements of ten strong years, and what is still yet to come
Arriva Trains Wales train crosses Barmouth Bridge
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 63
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Class 158 refurbishment project, which we
collected a lot of passengers’ views for in
developing that specification, and have since
received some very positive feedback on.
This was conducted in partnership with the
Welsh Government who funded the project.
At the same time we have carried out some
refresh work to the rest of the fleet such as
the Class 175s, and Class 153s, and are now
making improvements to the Class 150s and
the Pacers,” highlights Mike.
The company’s commitment to development
and improvement is particularly prudent given
the enduring popularity of its services. Arriva
Trains Wales continues to see passenger
numbers grow even in the current difficult
economic environment, with customer
satisfaction results equally rising. The challenge
now is for the business to be able
to accommodate that growth through a
finite fleet of trains.
Careful management of resources and a
timetable overhaul to match capacity with
demand saw Arriva Trains Wales add a further
340,000 seats a year in 2012, as well as an
additional 125,000 shortly after. This work
remains an ongoing concern with the company
also holding discussions with the Welsh
Assembly Government and the Department for
Transport about what needs to be
done to ensure the long-term sustainability
of the service.
The next milestone for Arriva Trains Wales
is 2018, which is not only its 15th anniversary
but also the culmination of its current franchise
term. Whilst the company will continue to work
to leave a legacy of enhanced performance
and base growth, the years ahead are also
coloured by significant external developments.
“Our focus is on maintaining our high levels
of performance and continuing to attract
customers to the railway by working with
partners such as the Welsh Government
to deliver aspirations for the network,”
begins Mike.
“We particularly welcome the announcement
of the electrification of the Valley Lines and are
Class 175 at Port Talbot
keen to work with Government
to look at all the options to determine what
this new infrastructure will deliver, and the
trains required to operate on it. There is an
opportunity here to improve journey times,
improve the travelling environment, and
address the ongoing passenger growth we see
on the network. In addition, the Great Western
Electrification scheme to Swansea and the
Northern Hub project are also going to have
an impact. We will be working closely with our
industry partners to develop those programmes
and make sure we provide the best outcome
for our customers in Wales and along the
English borders,” he concludes. zz
Web: www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk
Refurbished Class 158 train interior
Refurbished Class 158 train
Arriva Trains
Wales premier
first class
service
Express proudly celebrates its 15th birthday
as one of the first dedicated air-rail expresses
worldwide. This milestone will be marked
with the completion of the company’s fleet
refurbishment and rebrand programme in June.
The new brand was officially launched on
7th March 2012 and so over the course of
the last year the look and feel of the business
has gradually changed. At the core of this
is the mid-life refurbishment of the rolling
stock, which entails a complete strip out and
modernisation works in order to achieve a
higher standard of service. “Our aim is to
ensure that Heathrow Express remains a
benchmark in luxury and comfort. Customers
will find our cars lighter and brighter, and in first
class we have implemented 1+1 seating for
maximum privacy,” describes Keith Greenfield,
managing director.
Reflecting on how the service has fared
over the same period he continues: “It’s been
an exciting 12 months, particularly with the
2012 Olympic Games in London. This saw
a significant shift with business customers
almost vanishing and being replaced by visitors
to the Games, many of whom were not regular
W ith a journey time of just
15 minutes to Terminals 1
and 3, Heathrow Express is the
fastest rail link between central
London and Heathrow Airport. This dedicated
stretch of railway carries an average of 16,000
passengers a day in comfort delivering them
to their destination safely and on time. As
such, the service enjoys high levels of repeat
business from travellers.
Launched back in 1998, this year Heathrow
64 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Spreading its wings
zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzHeatHrow express
Recognising the need to engage customers
early on, Heathrow Express is embarking
on a new strategy to increase its overseas
brand presence
AMS100 mobile welding machine
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 65
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Multidisciplined contractor with extensive experience in the rail, light rail & tram industry throughout the UK
Office 3,
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Unit 8 Fleetway Business Park,
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Tel: +44 (0)20 8998 0010
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travellers to London. As such we were very
focused on making sure that our service was
reliable and that we gave our foreign visitors a
great first impression of London as they arrived
on our train. We also took the opportunity to
‘up our game’ on customer communications
and embrace social media for the first time.
This has been a great success.”
Heathrow Express recognises that it is
fundamentally one element in a much longer
journey, as almost everyone using the service
will also be flying in or out of Heathrow.
Therefore as well as targeting its product to
meet its customers’ specific needs, Heathrow
Express is looking to promote itself at an
earlier point when passengers are planning
their itinerary. “Behind the scenes we have
been strengthening our capabilities particularly
in the areas of project management and
IT, both of which are key to embracing the
opportunities that technology now offers right
across the business. We have also launched a
new marketing strategy designed to build our
reputation and attract more overseas visitors to
use Heathrow Express,” notes Keith.
Divulging further on this approach he
explains how the company hopes to create
this worldwide presence: “Over 50 per cent of
Heathrow passengers are not resident in the
UK, none of whom have private transport and
more than half want to travel into London. One
challenge we have is that many of them are
not expecting to use rail, as they do not enjoy
good rail services in their own countries, with
US passengers a prime example. We need
to make our service known to these visitors
before they arrive at Heathrow so they can plan
to use us.
Leading the way in advanced ticketing solutions
Remember the days of having to rush to the ticket office before boarding a train, going to a concert or attending a sporting event? With the introduction of online ticketing a few years ago,
waiting in long queues for a paper ticket – or even having to print off your own and paying for the privilege – is fast becoming a thing of the past
S pecialists in web and mobile solutions, RE:SYSTEMS were pioneers in the launch of the first mobile phone ticketing in the UK rail industry for Heathrow Express since 2007. Today, the company continues to lead the way and help change the ticketing landscape, working with many blue
chip names in transport, music and sport both in the UK and further afield.
Express ticket deliveryWorking in close collaboration with Heathrow Express for more than a decade, RE:SYSTEMS has continually developed versatile internet-based ticketing technologies to provide real customer benefits. The current sophisticated technology platform has enabled Heathrow Express to gain in-depth knowledge of its audiences, quickly adapting to ensure that the customer gets the ticket and service required instantly. Recent initiatives have also included the development of iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Java Apps for ticket purchases and fulfillment. Through adaptive technologies, customers – both consumer and trade – are able to access tickets across different IT platforms. Whether
for purchase, distribution or redemption of tickets, customers can specify their preferences, including desktops or mobile (phones or tablet devices). Thus the user experience is a much quicker, easier and more efficient process and rail companies additionally benefit by capturing purchasing preferences and gaining a better understanding of their customers. A range of marketing and promotional offers can be associated seamlessly within the adaptive ticketing solution created by RE:SYSTEMS, opening up opportunities for clients to employ CRM activities and encourage customer loyalty. The development of a bespoke ticketing channel for the corporate market was an industry first. Corporate travel buyers and agents now benefit from accessing a dedicated area where ticket purchases can be discounted and available on account, simplifying the business travel booking and accounting processes.
Speeding aheadOutside the UK, RE:SYSTEMS has more recently been developing innovative ticketing initiatives in South Africa, to help revolutionise transport ticketing in this territory. This includes empowering consumers to purchase tickets through legacy feature phones using USSD technology and the set up of a network of Point of Sale (POS) distribution points linked to the RE:SYSTEMS core ticketing system. As a niche player in the ticketing arena, RE:SYSTEMS is at the forefront of new techniques, not just through building relationships with clients but also partnering with third parties such as large IT service organisations. By remaining agile, the company is able to be highly responsive to fast moving requirements and pioneer new approaches. Through investing in specialists that not only understand the rail sector
but thrive on constantly pushing the technological boundaries, RE:SYSTEMS’ team is able to accelerate the R&D process and identify innovations just around the corner.
For more information, please contact Steve England, RE:SYSTEMS, Systems House, Deepdale Business Park, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1GTMobile: +44 (0)7776 295 592Email: [email protected]
68 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
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AMS60 mobile welding machine
“As everyone knows Heathrow is completely
full in terms of flight capacity, although the
average planeload is slowly increasing due to
the introduction of larger aircraft. This means
there isn’t much base market growth, but there
is scope for us to increase our market share
as visitors have a wide choice of travel options
from Heathrow. In particular we see our main
competition as cars and taxis. I want Heathrow
Express to be seen as the ‘smarter way’ to
travel and have a worldwide reputation as the
automatic choice of travel from the airport into
central London,” concludes Keith. zz
Web: www.heathrowexpress.com
“We can do this in several ways, and as
a smaller company we need to make very
efficient use of a limited marketing budget.
Online is therefore our main tool. Most
customers at least research their travel, if not
actually book it, online. As such we need to
be very prominent on search engines and
airline websites flying into London. We have
just launched a tie-up with Aer Lingus where
all their London-bound customers can include
their Heathrow Express ticket in their airline
booking, saving them time. We want to do
this with other airlines as well. We are also
doing some sponsorship in foreign airports
and generally trying to get our brand known
overseas,” enthuses Keith.
Such a strategy could also serve to
boost Heathrow Express’ market share as
passengers arriving or departing with pre-
booked tickets eliminates the competition with
other modes on the ground. This is particularly
important as the nature of the airport means
the actual market scope is relatively fixed.
HeatHrow express
PSV GlassPSV Glass is delighted to have played a major part
in the refurbishment programme of the Heathrow
Express Class 332 including the re-design and the
installation of over 2500 passenger windows in an
amazing looking fleet of trains.
“PSV Glass delivered their service promise on time
and within budget in supporting us in this high profile
and important project,” said Robert Leitch, supply
chain director, Railcare Limited.
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 69
UK rail operators face a growing
challenge to run successful, cost-
effective services that continue to
satisfy and engage with an ever
expanding customer base. At the same
time, changes in demography and the use of
consumer technology are altering the needs of
passengers as well as creating an opportunity
for a wide-scale transformation in the industry.
The Government has placed a strong
focus on Britain’s rail services as a key factor
in the success of the nation’s economy.
Major infrastructure investments such as
Crossrail demonstrate a real commitment to
modernisation, connecting the nation and
providing passengers with the services
they need.
However, while infrastructure establishes
the foundations for success, recent reports
such as the Department for Transport’s ‘Door
to Door’ strategy (Ref. 1) have acknowledged
that transport must be more integrated to
meet passengers’ needs. As a consequence,
transport operators are starting to explore
the ways technology can integrate and
simplify travel.
Today’s passengers are increasingly
connected to online services on the go.
Two-thirds of UK consumers aged 18-34 own
smartphones, with about half of those using
their smartphone to access email and/or the
internet ‘several times a day’ (Ofcom Nations
and Regions Tracker Q1 2012). As it becomes
more and more convenient to shop, check
information, or communicate with others on the
go, passengers are beginning to demand to
see the same technologies used for travel and,
ideally, integrated within their online experience.
Accenture’s research into the future of public
transport (Ref. 2) has found that expectations
of technological change in the rail industry
are high. A Western European rail survey
demonstrated that across Europe, passengers
expect to be using their mobile phone as an
electronic ticket as early as this year. They
want easy access to at-station information,
customised messages and offers based on
their preferences and previous journeys as
well as the ability to engage with operators
via social media. In London, 67 per cent of
respondents said they follow – or intend to
follow – public transport providers in the near
future on Facebook or Twitter.
The Western European survey found a strong
desire for innovation in three major areas:
ticketing, at stations and on-train services.
While this may come as a surprise, the vast
majority (87 per cent) of those surveyed in the
UK were willing to pay up to ten per cent more
for their journey to enable a totally paperless
journey. Passengers want a single ticket for
multiple modes of transportation and see time
savings as the number one factor that would
motivate them to turn to paperless travel. In the
immediate term, they want a one-stop booking
platform on their PCs, but will expect the same
on their mobile devices in the very near future.
Our research shows that when passengers
reach the station, they want real-time, accurate
information – not just via clearer, more user-
friendly information boards but also in the palm
of their hand. Among the types of real-time
information requested via mobile devices are
platform numbers, platform changes, the
time required to reach a platform and
any obstacles before the gate (stairs or
overcrowding, for example).
Passengers were also dismissive of
at-station retailing, with the vast majority stating
that they rarely shop at stations because they
find it too inconvenient. The most common
reasons passengers shun shops at stations
include having to carry purchases (38 per cent),
concerns about missing their train (28 per cent)
and a belief that shopping options are not
sufficiently diverse (24 per cent). Seven per cent
of UK respondents do not shop at stations at all.
On-board the train, the survey results suggest
that the majority of UK passengers welcome the
more frequent cleaning of toilets above anything
else. There is also a clear desire for expanded
on-board services, with most respondents
saying they would be willing to pay to enhance
their comfort during the journey. However,
the majority of passengers in first or standard
class – particularly younger and more frequent
passengers – believe that connectivity and
entertainment should be provided for free or
included in the price of their ticket.
Technology can be used in many ways to
improve the passenger experience. Journeys
can be more integrated, not only via one
electronic ticket but also through the improved
availability of multi-channel information to
‘Always on’ consumers have increasingly high expectationsMARK ELLIOTT and ROBERT WILLIAMS have examined passengers’ expectations of
technological change in the rail industry
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzTechnology
simplify travel and onward connections.
Accenture’s research offers a clear indication
that rail operators should continue to innovate
and engage with their customers before
they turn to other more advanced online
services – 58 per cent and 66 per cent of
UK respondents said they would be likely to
book train travel via Google and Amazon,
respectively, if they could. By becoming more
customer-centric and embracing technology,
rail operators can enhance demand for public
transport, build deeper relationships with
their customer bases and uncover additional
revenue streams.
The research is available at
www.accenture.com/publictransportation
and consists of:
l A European Passenger rail survey to
understand their expectations in terms of
information and technology (a balanced sample
in seven countries in Western Europe (Belgium,
France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK)
of 3600 passengers surveyed September 2012
l A Public Transport Study to understand
the opinions of travellers in nine major cities,
globally (Barcelona, Berlin, London, Los
Angeles, New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Seoul,
Washington DC) of 4500 passengers surveyed
August September and December 2012
l A Western European rail survey to
understand 4211 frequent and occasional
travellers (from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy,
Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, UK). zz
ReferencesRef. 1: The Department for Transport, ‘Door to Door strategy for improving sustainable transport integration’, March, 2013 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/142539/door-to-door-strategy.pdf
Ref. 2: Accenture, “High Performance in Public Transport,” May 21, 2013, http://www.accenture.com/Microsites/public-transportation/Pages/index.aspx
Mark Elliott is with Infrastructure and Transportation Services at Accenture where he is focused on developing the company’s Public Transport business in the United Kingdom.
Robert Williams is a UK transport consultant with Infrastructure and Transportation Services at
Accenture’s London office.
Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems, Burton-on-Trent.
The Burton location is a specialist Heating
Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) facility
and is responsible for all Knorr-Bremse HVAC
operations and services and serves the UK and
Ireland rail markets.
In September 2010 Knorr-Bremse Asia
Pacific (Holding) Limited, a member of the
Knorr-Bremse Group, acquired the Australian
HVAC systems specialists Sigma Coachair
Group. The move by Knorr-Bremse formed
part of its long-term strategic drive to expand
its operations into a number of specialist rail
business sectors through targeted acquisition.
This meant that the Sigma organisation in
the UK became part of the UK Knorr-Bremse
organisation.
In 2011, the former Sigma operation
became Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems (Burton)
and moved to a new state-of-the-art dedicated
HVAC faciity at Stretton, Burton-on-Trent in
T he ‘main’ Knorr-Bremse headquarters
facility, which was opened at
Melksham, in Wilshire, in 2005 is now
well known and established in the UK
as the source of all Knorr-Bremse products
and services for the UK and Ireland markets.
However Knorr-Bremse has expanded its
operations in the UK in recent years and it
now has a specialist machining facility based
in Corsham, Wiltshire but in this feature we
take a look at its most recent investment at
70 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Air of success
zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzKnorr-Bremse
Railway Strategies takes a look at the Burton-on-Trent specialist HVAC operation
of Knorr-Bremse - the largest dedicated rail HVAC
facility in the UK
Harjit Singh – general
manager of the Knorr-Bremse
Burton site
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 71
Air of success
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Staffordshire.
This new Knorr-Bremse facility boasts a floor
space of over 1100 square metres which is
solely dedicated to rail HVAC. It has received
major investment in new specialist HVAC
service equipment and Knorr-Bremse Rail
Systems (Burton) claims that it now provides
customers with perhaps the largest and best
dedicated rail HVAC facility in the UK.
In addition to being the UK and Ireland
distributors for Knorr-Bremse Rail Group’s
Merak and Sigma branded HVAC systems, the
Knorr-Bremse Burton facility is also the source
for original parts, service and maintenance
support for these systems.
Through its dedicated RAILSERVICES
organisation Knorr-Bremse Burton offers
a wide range of HVAC focused but flexible
support services. These include: maintenance,
overhauls, electronics repairs, environmental
management, inspection, refrigerant
72 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
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‘health’ of the HVAC system on the train
and to also optimise the use of HVAC to cut
operational costs. This system has been
adopted by the Knorr-Bremse Rail Group
worldwide as a system which it can offer to its
customers to help them in addressing HVAC
issues before they become a major problem
which could affect the in-service availability of
the train whilst reducing HVAC operating costs.
Typical of the projects undertaken or being
undertaken on existing fleets by Knorr-Bremse
Burton include new HVAC unit supply and fit
on the East Coast fleet, overhaul of Sigma
HVAC and boilers on Class 171s, and overhaul
of the cab 450/185 and saloon 333 HVAC for
Siemens.
Harjit Singh, general manager of Knorr-
Bremse Burton commented: “I think what’s
important is that our organisation and the
facility that we operate here in Burton was
established especially and only for rail HVAC
operations. We do no other type of work here,
we are specialists in what we do and can really
focus on being the best in the business at what
we offer to our customers in terms of support
though our specialist knowledge and expertise.
“Being part of the global Knorr-Bremse
Group means that we have the right skills
and equipment here to handle any and all
Knorr-Bremse Group HVAC systems, those
from Merak and Sigma. However, we can also
handle other rail HVAC types too. We have an
expert and highly experienced technical team
that is happy to offer customers advice and
support from the very earliest concept stage to
advice on an upgrade or retrofit project and our
dedicated warranty, maintenance and original
parts team can ensure that HVAC systems and
the trains they serve are kept running in service
and importantly, safely and reliably.” zz
Web: www.knorr-bremse.co.uk
management, retrofits, service, testing and
training. This support covers Knorr-Bremse and
other makes of rail HVAC equipment and work
can be carried out at Burton or in the case of
corrective maintenance at the operator’s
own location.
In addition Burton can provide a full rail
HVAC consultancy and advice service to
train builders, integrators and operators.
The services offered include prototyping,
modifications and upgrades designed
replace existing HVAC systems. There is a
trend to modernise existing HVAC systems
or installations with new technology to deliver
energy savings and environmental performance
improvements whilst driving down life
cycle costs.
In fact Knorr-Bremse has developed a new
remote monitoring system, recently launched
on the Knorr-Bremse stand at Railtex, called
Z-300 which helps operators to monitor the
Knorr-Bremse
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Rolling Stock
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 73
Rescuing trains gets easierl Adaptations have been made to Network Rail’s fleet of Class 57s in the south
to allow them to rescue failed electric multiple units. Testing of the six
57/3 locomotives is now complete, following a modification of the brake interface
units. This will allow the drivers to operate their brakes and those of the failed
train together. The brake interface unit also operates the safety interlocks on most
units, which means broken-down units can be removed at normal line speed.
Mick Stewart, senior fleet engineer, National Delivery Service, said: “We can
now quickly move units that are stranded – for example, when the third rail
network is disabled, if there’s snow and ice, or where there’s been a mechanical
failure. The 57s are also powerful enough to haul a 12-car EMU – another EMU
wouldn’t be able to do that.
“Before, failed units had to be rescued using whatever train was available,
powerful enough, and that could be coupled to the unit. Route controls would
have to source the rescue vehicle, find competent fitters and get them to the
depot to collect the emergency adaptor coupler before the recovery train could
go out – all of which took valuable time.”
A rescue involving one of the modified class 57s would involve its driver, the
driver of the failed unit, plus competent staff, such as a maintenance operations
manager or a train operating company fitter, on either side of the coupling. This
can be achieved in 15 minutes – a large time saving over previous procedures.
Other possible uses for the class 57s include routinely moving EMUs between
works for servicing.
Net
wor
k Ra
il N
etw
ork
Rail
74 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
FOCON can provide you with the
technology and expertise you need
to meet the high demands of modern
passengers. A Real-Time Passenger
Information System for you to keep your
passengers well informed and entertained
during their journey. Our system can be tailored
to the individual needs of each operator and
can be extended when desired. It is less
susceptible to obsolescence, has a lifetime
cost several times less than you have seen
in the past decade, and is easily upgradable
over time at substantially lower cost. New
functionalities and new devices can be added
to the basic product backbone without having
to replace the entire system.
At FOCON we do more than put equipment
on board, we build for long-term optimum use
zz Passenger Information Systems
An easily upgradable system
and cost, even if your requirements change
over years.
We let our projects speakA new feature on LU Victoria Line
Our projects prove how easy it is to upgrade
our system. FOCON is a system provider of
Passenger Information Systems (PIS) on a
number of projects for use on the London
Underground fleet.
Using the experience collected through two
decades of work for London Underground –
the FOCON PIS today is so versatile that it can
easily be adjusted to new requirements based
on new norms, standards and legislation. The
recent upgrade project required an upgrade to
handle real-time disruption messaging where
the passengers get real-time information on the
current traffic situation; we were able to adapt
those options into the Passenger Information
System in only six months after signing the
contract – including taking time out of the
projects to run Olympics traffic. Not only did
we have a short lead-time but also a solution
implementation that did not interrupt service.
Testing was done off-train in a simulation
environment. Such easy upgrades prove our
words and the versatility of FOCON’s system.
The real-time disruption modifies the
routine journey-based messages to reflect the
disruption and add additional travel information.
This will give the passengers better and more
correct information about the current traffic
situation on the Tube allowing passengers to
make better and more informed decisions on
their journey and thereby avoid congestion.
The real-time disruption system includes all
stations and trains in the Tube. The FOCON
part of the system will interpret the signals
sent to the train radio and modify the current
routine journey-based messages to reflect the
disruption. The system guides passengers to a
safe and efficient travel; it supports the aim of
traffic shaping, creating flow in how passengers
move around. It thereby not only makes the
passenger happier, it also supports increasing
capacity as passengers don’t get ‘trapped’ and
block the smooth movement of people through
the transport system.
An upgrade for Velaro RUS300
FOCON has installed an advanced integrated
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Imagine a Real-Time Passenger Information System that you may easily, and at optimised cost, update as your needs or passenger demands require …
IMAGINE: a PIS / CIS system built for the future and built to last
Have you tried to be in a situation of “I need to upgrade but it’s so
complex and expensive” that you don’t do it or can’t?
Yes?
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 75
PIS and entertainment system for the Velaro
trains in Russia and has also supplied displays
and audio/video entertainment system. In
our newest project, we call RUS II, we have
included an upgrade of the existing system; it
will now be possible to supply high resolution
Digital Video Entertainment, which can be
configured with different content in multiple
cars. The user can make a ‘playlist’ consisting
of a combination of text, images and movies.
The text could contain information on e.g. the
speed of the train, time, date, next station, and
destination. Furthermore, it is possible to show
the position of the train on a map, in order to
provide real-time passenger information during
the trip.
The playlists could contain movies, and
the system allows the user to create playlists
showing a combination of advertisements and
movies.
A playlist can be triggered in two ways:
l Configured relative to a station in terms of
distance or time
l Activated manually by the conductor, who
has the possibility of previewing the playlist
before activating it.
Movies can be set up with two sound tracks
providing e.g. the original language and a
synchronized version.
If the passengers want to listen to audio,
they can individually choose between up to
ten different entertainment channels including
the two movie sound tracks. New upgrade
supports increased real-time passenger
information that may by choice be location-
specific, and which runs in an easily updateable
manner for the operator. The control computer
in the PIS system knows where the train is and
may intelligently combine this with the different
information available to make good guiding
information to the passengers; we may even
make location-dependent advertisement or
other media sessions.
It is all about the passengersAll modern railways are the outgrowth of many
years of design progress where safety has
been the cornerstone.
Passengers are very comfort conscious and
the relationship between safety and comfort
has become very close; in fact, a feeling of
safety is in itself a very basic form of mental
comfort.
That is why FOCON enables you to provide
safety and comfort for your passengers.
With our safety and surveillance system and
the comfort of our passenger information,
infotainment and entertainment system,
IMAGINE, we can together fulfil the
passengers’ demands and needs of safe and
comfortable journey.
A scalable solutionFOCON’s platform is scalable from a
basic core solution with basic passenger
announcement functions and/or displaying to
high level solutions according to your choice,
including a broad range of optional features
as added communication features, RIS / TIS
(travel information systems), infotainment with
real-time update and CCTV.
On the same core platform FOCON covers
solutions from LRV (Light Rail Vehicles) to
regional and mainlines, over metros to high
speed and very high speed solutions.
Our IMAGINE platform is not a stand-alone
solution; it’s effectively supported by a strong,
also customizable aftersales concept InMotion
giving optimum up-time and lifetime cost; this
by maximizing availability of spares and service
and proven products with high reliability.
FOCON references are extensive and cover
most recognized train builders and highly
acknowledged operators around the globe.
As an innovative IRIS and ISO certified
trendsetter FOCON makes an excellent choice
for those seeking solutions for the future,
solutions that may be built on, going forward,
and that may be run at a highly competitive
level of lifetime cost.
Let us help challenges youLet us help you work out your possibilities and
how you may build a SMART solution that may
not only add to your operational efficiency and
passenger satisfaction today – but do it for
years to come. zz
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More information is to be found on FOCON’s website www.focon.com or by contacting FOCON directly. Contact information is available on the company website.
‘ International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) is an
insurance association established in 1925, which insures
2000 different businesses throughout the world and is
recognised as the leading mutual provider of professional
indemnity insurance in its field. ITIC works closely with transport
professionals and their insurance brokers to provide specialist
guidance and advice on their risks in their working environment,
both in the United Kingdom and overseas.
ITIC has concluded that many insurers do not understand the
work that professionals in the rail industry undertake. Often, these
insurers do not analyse the work of the professional working
on a project and, as a result, your premiums are increased
unnecessarily.
ITIC’s insurance includes worldwide cover for bodily injury and
property damage as standard; this is of paramount importance
to those working in the rail industry and differentiates ITIC’s
insurance from many traditional underwriters who either exclude,
or expect you to pay an additional premium for this important
element of cover.
ITIC makes four recommendations to professionals working in
the rail industry:
1. Ask your current insurers or brokers if they understand
exactly what it is that you do. For example, if you are a signalling
systems design engineer, your direct involvement in the day to
day operational environment is limited. You design a signalling
system on a railway network, but you are not necessarily the party
who operates and maintains it. Your liability is substantially less
than the operator and, therefore, you require an insurance that is
adapted specifically to cover your liabilities if you make an error in
Rail professional opportunity
Are you a rail professional open to offers for new business? ITIC, a rail and transport sector specialist insurer, needs a network of rail specialists in the UK and overseas, to advise and consult on claims
the design of the system. However, the liabilities resulting from an error in
the use of the system you have designed fall under the
operator’s liability insurance programme.
2. Enquire about a longer term, non-contract specific, business-wide,
professional indemnity policy. It is more expensive to buy insurance for
each individual contract or tender than buying an annual policy that covers
all your work.
3. Ask your insurance broker or underwriter whether bodily injury or
property damage cover is included in your policy at no additional cost.
4. Ascertain whether your policy of insurance provides you with
worldwide cover. zz
To express an obligation-free interest please contact Roger Lewis, ITIC’s underwriting director: ITICTel: 020 7338 0150Email: [email protected]: www.itic-insure.com
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Insurance
76 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
‘‘The service that we provide and the width of our professional indemnity insurance has resulted in a significant growth in the number of companies involved in the rail industry insuring with ITIC over recent years,” says Roger Lewis, ITIC’s underwriting director. “To help us support this growing rail portfolio we need a bigger network of consultants we can call upon to help with specific claims on a call by call basis.
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 77
Keyline to supply Concrete Canvasl Keyline has teamed up with Concrete Canvas to exclusively supply the company’s flexible cement
impregnated fabric solution that hardens when hydrated to the rail sector. This latest agreement
further underlines Keyline’s commitment to supplying the latest and most innovative products and
technology to meet the needs of contractors working in the industry to help reduce costs, minimise
disruption and ultimately boost operational performance.
This award-winning product forms a hardened, waterproof concrete lining that is quicker and
less expensive to install compared to conventional solutions. It can be rapidly unrolled to form an
effective ditch or tank lining, which can conform to a range of profiles and curves without the need
for specialist plant equipment. Furthermore, Concrete Canvas is a low mass, low carbon technology
that uses up to 95 per cent less material than traditional options, helping to reduce both financial and
environmental cost of many rail projects
Burnham Signs rises againl Stocksigns has re-introduced the Burnham
Signs brand. Burnham Signs has been serving
the rail industry for a number of years with high
quality vitreous enamel signs, and came under
Stocksigns’ ownership in 2004. Since then the
Burnham production facilities have moved to the
main Redhill premises, taking the opportunity to
modernise and streamline the vitreous enamel
process. Many of Stocksigns’ quality procedures
and business practices have been adopted,
bringing the Burnham business completely
up to date.
However even after trading under the
Stocksigns banner since their acquisition, the
Burnham name has refused to be forgotten.
177 years of vitreous enamel sign-making has
stuck hard in the minds of many that have
worked with Burnham Signs. The decision to
reinstate the Burnham brand is also partly due
to a wider project Stocksigns is undertaking, to
add clarity to their signage offering.
There is no-one currently serving the signage
market that has the expertise and breadth
of capabilities that Stocksigns has to offer.
However, the Stocksigns umbrella name has
lead to some confusion in the marketplace,
with the mistaken belief that Stocksigns only
manufactures and ‘stocks’ signs. The decision
to publically promote the different business
streams, used internally within Stocksigns to
serve the signage market, will help clearly define
the service range they provide. Other business
streams within the Stocksigns Group include:
l Stocksigns & Stocksigns Trade – over
30,000 health & safety and general signs
available for next day delivery.
l First Call Signs – print on demand temporary
signage for the construction and events industry
l Garnier – vintage style vitreous enamel sign
plates, gifts and souvenirs
l Messagemaker Display – LED signs,
programmable moving messages
l Projectsigns – specialist project management
services, including survey, design, manufacture
and installation.
To find out more about the Stocksigns Group
including the Burnham signs brand please visit:
www.stocksigns.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Products & Services
Nordic partnershipl De-/anti-icing specialist
Kilfrost is working in
partnership with Nordic
Ground Support Equipment
and has already catered for
the installation of five of the
company’s new anti-icing
systems in the Netherlands,
as part of a major project
undertaken last winter by
the Dutch Railway operator.
Kilfrost’s partnership with
Swedish-based Nordic,
suppliers of anti-icing
systems to the rail industry
worldwide, involves working
as its recommended
supplier and advises the
company on the application
of fluid into anti-icing
systems. The concept of
using anti-icing systems to
prevent the build-up of ice
and snow is gathering pace
as increasing numbers of
operators are investing in
such installations.
Kilfrost’s innovative TDIce
range of fluids have been
specifically designed for use
with the Nordic systems,
which facilitate the large-
scale de-icing and anti-icing
of rolling stock.
The Kilfrost TDIce product
range includes TDIce and
TDIce Plus. These products
can be heated and sprayed
onto the underside of rolling
stock to prevent build-up,
ensuring effective operation
and maintenance in even the
harshest weather
conditions. All products
within the range are fully
biodegradable.
De/anti-icing systems help
to address the important
safety critical risks faced by
rail operators during winter
weather conditions, such as
fallen lumps of ice onto the
track which cause ballast to
fly from the track bed and
ricochet, hitting the train.
78 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz era-contact
King’s Cross
W ith almost 700 employees spread
across every level of the company,
era-contact has come a long way
from owner and founder Erich
Aichele’s original two-person business. Having
started out in the production of relay coils,
small transformers, and cable harnesses, the
company is today amongst the world’s leading
manufacturers of electrical railway couplings,
cable confectioning, and vehicle wiring.
This has given it a presence in the majority of
vehicular industries including rail, automotive,
engine manufacture, and commercial vehicles.
“In the rail sector we work together with
many of the leading manufacturers such as
Bombardier, Alstom, Siemens, and Stadler,”
notes Christoph Schill, sales director. “In the
case of our automatic electrical coupler we
have worked together with our partner Voith
Turbo Scharfenberg for more than 13 years,
whilst our manual couplers can be found on
new and old rolling stock across Europe, Asia,
Middle East and Far East.”
As a technology leader in this field, era-
contact’s electrical coupling solutions offer
reliable transmission of power, signalling
controls, and Ethernet services between
trains. The company supplements this with a
product range that includes modular surface
wiring, modular side wiring, subsurface control
boxes, jumper cables, and switching cabinets
to deliver a complete end-to-end onboard
electrification solution.
“As such we are a one-stop-shop system
supplier to our customers,” emphasises
a complete electrical coupler as a spare part
within a very short lead time of around eight
weeks. When you bear in mind the cost of
downtime of the train this timeframe is very
important.”
In order to maintain its leadership in the
market era-contact invests between eight and
ten per cent of its yearly revenue into further
research and development. One of the latest
Christoph. “Our offering is available in quantities
from just one piece up to around 1000, which
benefits our customers by enabling them to
purchase only what they require. Because we
deliver most mechanical processes in-house
we are able to leverage certain benefits in
terms of performance. Most notably for the last
three years we have been working to a one-
piece flow process that allows us to produce
When it comes to on-train transmission, era-contact’s electrical couplers are making the connection
Transferring expertisePrincipal layout of the era-transceiver
UIC 552 connector set
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 79
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
innovations to come out of this is the era-
transceiver, which allows for signal and data
transmission with a bandwidth of up to 1GB
without a mechanical contact. “Essentially
this means operational through fast change
systems or automatic electrical couplers,”
clarifies Christoph. “This product is the logical
consequence of the further development of
the market as applications become more
sophisticated and require a higher bandwidth.
“We believe this will continue for some
years still so we have launched the 1GB era-
transceiver to ensure that we are prepared for
this future. At present you won’t find anywhere
a solution that is as powerful, and yet compact,
as ours and with its other advantages such
as galvanic isolation, and simple plug-and-
play connection the era-transceiver is an
unbearable solution. We have also developed a
plug-and-play concept for our electric coupler
systems, which is optimised for trains already
in service and can easily be adapted to today’s
requirements. This is available in a 100MB or
1GB solution,” he continues.
From a market perspective era-contact
remains focused on the eastern European
region where its products have had significant
appeal. The company also looks to the
South African market, which it believes offers
enormous potential for the coming years.
“era-contact is now present on four continents
worldwide ensuring that we are always close
to our customers and markets,” highlights
Christoph. “In 2009 we founded a sales entity
in the US, which has seen such success that
we have taken the decision to expand this
into a production company. This will begin
operating in the third quarter of the year, so we
think 2013 presents a lot of opportunity for our
colleagues in that market.”
The challenge now is for era-contact to
put in place the necessary structures to
achieve these objectives, particularly in terms
of replicating the success of its US division.
Longer term the company is far from modest
in its aspirations as Christoph concludes:
“In line with our company philosophy of ‘our
success is driven by people’ we aim to develop
long-term partnerships with our customers and
suppliers so that we can grow with them and
look towards the future together. Our goal is to
be the worldwide partner in the railway industry
for power, signal, and data transmission, with
an aim to be in every train worldwide with our
products or service portfolio. We recognise that
this is an ambitious target but we are optimistic
about our ability to realise it.” zz
Web: www.era-contact.de
Manual coupler size III era-transceiver
Switching cabinet
80 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is
the representative body for UK-based
suppliers of equipment and services
to the global rail industry. It boasts
around 170 member companies, which are
active across the railway supply industry,
and represent the greater part of the sector
by turnover. “It is our job to promote and
safeguard the interests of the UK rail supply
industry,” describes director general Jeremy
Candfield, who has led the association
since 1998.
“We are the only association that works
right across the sector so we have a key
role in engagement with Government, major
clients, and industry bodies. Our membership
base is very broad containing manufacturers
of rolling stock and infrastructure component
contractors, consultancies, training companies,
and specialist service providers, all unified
zz Railway Industry Association
A good representation
Championing the interests of the UK rail supply chain, the Railway Industry Association seeks to achieve the best outcome for all
by the fact that they are members of the UK
railway supply chain and they want to see it
nurtured and sustained,” he continues.
Associated benefitsThe benefits of being part of RIA are apparent
from the extensive services it provides to
members. This includes representation of the
supply industry’s interests to Government,
Network Rail, London Underground, Transport
for London, and others. It also provides its
members with technical, commercial, and
political information, and opportunities for
dialogue and networking. RIA commits a lot
of resource to promoting and supporting its
member companies in the export sector, and
maintains around 20 special interest groups,
which have become major conduits for
exchange between the supply sector and the
rest of the rail industry.
“We have long been broadcasting the crucial
importance of collaboration between the
different industry elements,” notes Jeremy. “To
this end we initiated our Value Improvement
Programme (VIP), which is all about getting
companies to engage in a more openly
collaborative fashion to the benefit of all
sides. This has worked with some success,
and we are now seeing Network Rail and the
train operating companies (TOCs) taking that
message very seriously, which is welcome.”
Special interestsIn terms of the measures that are required to
secure the continued future of the rail supply
industry, Jeremy highlights a number of
points of interest for the RIA: “In the last year
we’ve done an enormous amount of work on
innovation through our Unlocking Innovation
Scheme. Through our technical colleagues
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Much activity is through Special Interest Groups – RIA members visiting the Tyne & Wear Metro workshops
RIA’s annual Technology & Innovation
Conference brings together suppliers,
clients, industry bodies and academia
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 81
within the organisation, we conduct a series of
workshops throughout the UK to encourage
innovation and help companies overcome
barriers and get their innovative ideas into the
market.”
He continues: “When we look at the direction
of the railway in terms of development the
amount of technical effort that is going to be
involved is likely to be pretty substantial. Even
within the industry I am not sure many people
comprehend the magnitude of the step change
that is beginning to take place with the scale of
the electrification and ERTMS programmes for
example. There are also substantial numbers
of new trains in prospect and much more
emphasis on remote condition monitoring.
These are things that are being taken forward
by individual companies, but often with
significant input from the Association because
each of them represents a major change in
how things are done.”
Skills is another key debate that RIA has
been contributing to. The association was
the industry promoter of what is now known
as the National Skills Academy for Railway
Engineering (NSARE) on behalf of a cross-
industry group, which included Network Rail,
London Underground, the Association of Train
Operating Companies (ATOC) and freight
representatives.
“The group recognised that there were
serious problems regarding prospects for
skills and that we needed what we now call
NSARE, both to identify what the extent of
those problems was going to be and to help
bring forward proposals to remedy matters.
We are now working in a truly collaborative
effort with Network Rail and NSARE on the
electrification development programme as it
is unsurprising after 20 years of virtually no
major new electrification work that there is a
skills issue. Therefore through this programme
we are seeking to identify what needs to be
done, and the timescale for this. There are
similar activities going on around ERTMS as
well,” elaborates Jeremy.
Raising issuesOne of the dominating challenges of 2013 is
the transition between financial Control
Period 4 and Control Period 5, which is due
to take place early next year. “For the supply
industry as a whole there is concern regarding
the ability of the major organisations,
particularly Network Rail, to sustain its
investment patterns at this time,” explains
Jeremy. “Between Control Periods 2 and 3,
and again between 3 and 4, the investment
rate dropped quite sharply and the effect of
that was very serious on the supply chain.
“We are therefore urging those concerned
as strongly as we can to take measures to
ensure that it doesn’t happen at the transition
to Control Period 5. We are receiving a lot
of reassurance and talk about volumes of
committed expenditure but it remains a
forefront concern until we are through that
stage,” he continues.
There are also major issues regarding
procurement of rolling stock, which have
arisen from the franchising upheaval.
Whilst RIA is pleased to see a well-
defined programme being progressed by
Government, the attention has predominately
been on the TOCs as opposed to the affected
supply chain that lies behind them, and the
Association is keen to see this addressed.
“Another key activity of RIA is our close
liaison with UK Trade & Investment on export
promotion,” reveals Jeremy. “This has long
been a role of the organisation, but we have
recently been designated as their Trade
Challenge Partner for Rail, which recognises
this work. We foresee increasing activity
in the area of exports, partly as a result of
Government becoming more concerned
about encouraging UK exporters, and partly
because of the enormous growth in rail taking
place worldwide, for various reasons including
urbanisation, environment, population growth,
and economy. There is significant scope for
companies to grow their exports activity and
RIA is well placed to help them achieve this,”
he concludes. zz
Railway Industry Association (RIA)Tel: +44 (0) 20 7201 0777Email: [email protected]
Web: www.riagb.org.uk
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RIA director
general Jeremy Candfield
RIA organises UK pavilions at overseas trade
fairs such as InnoTrans in Berlin
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 31
82 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Distribution Surge Protector PD Devices now offer their popular DSP600 Series range of
Distribution Surge Protectors with improved 40kA 8/20μs and a
Type 1, Test Class I, 4kA per mode, 6.25kA per phase 10/350μs
performance capability, as per BS EN 62305-4, BS EN 61643-11/12
and BS 7671. These SPD products prevent damage to electrical
distribution systems from mains-borne transient voltages.
With rugged construction and easy installation the DSP600 Series
offer economic protection for front end of building, or sub-distribution
panel applications, and are also ideal for individual protection of
critical and costly equipment such as computer systems.
New & improved surge protection products
Lightning protectionPD Devices has introduced a new range of SSI (Solid State
Interlock) Power Supply Lightning Arresters for railway
applications, to extend their extensive range of Transient Voltage
Surge Suppressors (TVSS). Based on PD Devices’ successful
Distribution Surge Protector (DSP) range, the ‘SSI Series’
DSP1A/ SSI/120AC, DSP1A/SSI/140AC and DSP1A/TVS use
technology which has been proven in locations with some of
the highest Keraunic levels worldwide.
The SSI Series complements PD Devices’ popular and
well-established ‘RTM Series’, which consists of models with
Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) or Silicon Avalanche Diode (SAD)
component technology, which are employed on the incoming
power supplies or tail cables, providing protection to 110V,
140V and 650V power supplies.
Further information on PD Devices’ range of SPDs, and their range of integrated surge protection systems is available from: PD Devices Ltd Web: www.pddevices.co.uk
PD Devices Ltd has recently added two new products to its range of Surge Protection Devices and integrated surge protection systems
RSSB research Recent research reports from the RSSB include:
Published research
l T750 Review of Euronorm design requirements for trackside
and overhead structures subjected to transient aerodynamic loads
l T849 PantoTRAIN (a TrioTrain project) – Pantographs: Total Regulatory
Acceptance for the Interoperable Network
l T956 Further development of the Department for Transport Network
Modelling Framework safety module
l T948 Driver selection: implementation phase
l T977 Development of a revised lower sector vehicle gauge
l T1015 Revision of the Close Call System
Research in progress
l T792 Stage 2 development of the Vehicle Track Interaction
Strategic Model
l T960 Specification of a defect recording and corrective actions
system architecture and process framework
Projects recently started
l T989 Development of an education programme on the risk of using
mobile phones and electronic communication devices in the railway industry
l T990 Development of a strategy on train positioning
l T993 Using test results from other environments
l T1004 Vehicle TCA testing review
l T1009 Further research into adapting to climate change – Tomorrow’s
Railway and Climate Change Adaptation (TRaCCA)
l T1011 Optimising the sectioning arrangements on AC electrification
For further information please visit www.rssb.co.uk
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 83
T here is the obvious attraction of very
rapid results and the perception that
costs are much less if PoCTs (instant
drug tests) are favoured in place of
more traditional laboratory-based testing.
However, there is also widespread doubt and
confusion as to whether they are 'allowed'
to be used and, if so, when is it appropriate
to do so? Should PoCTs be used alone?
Should they sometimes be backed up with
formal laboratory tests? Should they always
be backed up by such laboratory tests? How
reliable are the results? Are PoCTs as reliable
as laboratory tests? If not, then how less
reliable are they? What are the legal and / or
employment issues to be considered? What
are the quality controls and standards to be
looked out for? Are PoCTs tests or screens?
What is the difference between a test and a
screen?
In fact, the questions were many and
the answers often far from straightforward.
And so we at Express Medicals provided
an educational grant to a group of expert
academics who undertook a systematic review
of the current situation with respect to PoCTs
in the workplace. This resulted in a report
in January 2013 ('Review of Point-of-Care /
Collection Testing Devices for the Detection of
Drugs of Abuse').
Following on from the above-mentioned
report, we sponsored a conference about
PoCTs. This was held at Imperial College,
London. Two of the report’s authors spoke at
the conference, one of them being a senior
academic at Imperial College.
The concerns about PoCTs are outlined
in the conclusions of the report and the slide
presentations of both Dr Simon Davis BSc PhD
(an expert in mass spectrometry and analytical
techniques) and Dr Peter Feldschreiber (a
medically qualified barrister).
The information presented will be of definite
interest to all involved in workplace drug testing
and drug screening programmes, especially
where safety critical workers are being tested /
screened.
Please visit our website at
www.expressmedicals.co.uk for links to the
report, the slides presented at the conference
and a video recording thereof. zz
For further information, please contact:Express Medicals LtdTel: 020 7500 6900Web: www.expressmedicals.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzHealth & Safety
Confused about instant drug tests?
Dr DAN HEGARTY and his colleagues at Express Medicals have become increasingly aware of the significant uncertainties and confusion around the use of ‘instant’ drug testing kits (also referred to as point-of-collection or point-of-care tests / PoCTs) in the workplace
84 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zz Health & Safety
T he risks of over-exposure to vibration
through hand-held power tools
are particularly acute for railway
maintenance workers, who are
frequently required to use such tools. So
how can employers effectively monitor this
exposure and minimise the risks of operatives
developing the debilitating condition Hand
Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)? And what
of the benefits for employers from effective
monitoring? Business will benefit from a
healthier workforce, but will also realise cost
savings from more efficient tool allocation,
worker productivity and the reduced risk of
injury claims.
Getting HAVS management rightMany companies struggle to maintain a HAV
management policy as it is seen as low risk,
but testing and labelling vibration output is
only the beginning. The challenge is to create
a procedure to monitor and manage HAV that
is supported by all individuals and is realistic
and reliable. Implementing a HAV monitoring
system is paramount to supporting workforce
welfare, meeting HSE guidelines and reducing
business risk.
Employers should emphasise that it’s not a
big brother exercise, but better protection for
employees against contracting the disabling
condition. And it shouldn’t just be an employer
responsibility. Reminding operators that they
are partly responsible for their welfare is
important. The more accurately they record
tool usage the longer they can work whilst
better protecting themselves against HAVS.
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HAV management for rail workers makes good
business sense
JIM O’HAGAN sets out best practice
for monitoring and reporting exposure
to vibration and the benefits to employers
and employees working within the
rail industry
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 85
Operators tend to over-estimate when
guessing tool usage at the end of a shift or
even fabricate the data to get it out of the
way. More accurate data means not having
to replace skilled personnel that overestimate
their exposure levels, resulting in delays and
ultimately extending project timetables and
cost.
Reaping the rewards of effective HAVS managementEffective monitoring of HAVS has traditionally
been viewed as a health & safety solution, but
it can provide employers with so much more,
particularly when it comes to improving tool
allocation and workforce productivity.
Knowing which tools have been used and
for how long helps project managers to refine
Jim O’Hagan is managing director at Reactec
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l Carillion is an integrated support services company with a substantial portfolio of Public Private Partnership projects and extensive construction capabilities. Site agent Jonathan Long is currently overseeing the platform refurbishment project at Glasgow Central rail station, and is pleased that bringing an HAVmeter system on site to monitor Hand Arm Vibration (HAV) has resulted in a significant increase in worker protection and productivity, and cost savings.
Jonathan said: “Jobs on site include a lot of breakout work and drilling, particularly at the start of the project. This requires the use of a range of power tools, all of which generate vibration at varying levels, so our team members are frequently exposed.
“For previous projects we had been using a paper-based system for HAV monitoring, in line with the guidelines set out by the HSE. We found, however, that self-monitoring by individual employees was not the most accurate way to record vibration exposure, as much of the records were based on rough estimations. An employee might have had a power tool out for an hour, but only used it for a few short bursts of activity within that hour, or conversely been on a breaker for three hours non-stop, so the time recorded could be highly inaccurate.
“It was also really time-consuming to compile and analyse data reports, and difficult to know which tools were putting our workers most at risk, but all of these problems are addressed with the HAVmeter system.”
Carillion implemented the HAVmeter – the industry standard for monitoring and managing HAV exposure and operator tool management – in 2011 when work at Glasgow Central station began. The HAVmeter completely automates the entire monitoring, data collection and reporting process – from operator exposure levels to detailed records of tool usage – so managers can proactively manage HAVS risk, plan efficient tool allocation and improve worker efficiency.
Case Study: Carillion Plc
requirements over time. Creating efficiency
in plant allocation can dramatically reduce
unnecessary tool, servicing and transportation
costs. Accurate reporting on tool trigger time
usage and performance provides a clearer
overview to help plan efficient tool rotation
and service requirements.
Being able to monitor operator tool usage
and work practices can provide a company
with invaluable intelligence to improve working
performance and project strategy, resulting in
potentially shorter project delivery timescales
and cost reductions. Paper-based systems
can disrupt operators and require significant
administration resource and cost. Also, using
a paper-based system typically over-estimates
operator exposure by up to four times the
correct amount, resulting in lower productivity.
Taking all these benefits into consideration,
the case for more effective HAV monitoring is
compelling. It’s not just a case of mitigating
against the risk of over-exposure, it’s about
providing your business with a competitive
edge that can provide real added value to your
operations. zz
86 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Occupational Health provides services
to employers in many areas ranging
from pre-placement medical
assessments, ongoing health
surveillance and assessments in high-risk
activities and advice on reports in areas of poor
attendance and sickness absence – to name
a few. It is the last category where a medical
report is provided by Occupational Health to
assist management in dealing with a case
where a health concern has impacted on either
capability performance or attendance that I am
addressing in this short article.
Over my years of practising Occupational
Health (OH) the main complaints I have
encountered from managers have been
consistently in this last area of ‘management
referrals’ requiring an OH report. The recurrent
complaints come into the following categories:
l “OH only regurgitates word for word what
the candidate is telling them”
l “They always take the side of the employee”
l “They always sit on the fence and do not
give us clear directions”
l “They do not answer the questions we
asked or required”
l “They include inappropriate comments
zz Health & Safety
How to get the best out of your
Occupational Health Medical Reports
Dr STEVE MALLESON shares his thoughts on Occupational Health reports
and advice”.
As an Occupational Health Physician
I of course would defend myself by saying
that we obviously must take a history from
the individual and therefore in a sense we
do report what we’re being told. However,
especially when there is acrimony, I would
always qualify any information that is a direct
statement from the employee with such
statements as “told me that – etc.” and also
so that there is no confusion I would add a
statement to the effect “and although I cannot
comment on the validity of the statement this
is clearly an area that should be addressed
if an equitable solution is to be reached etc”.
In this way the report should clearly state
whether an opinion is subjective or objective.
I would never see myself as being simply
‘on the side of the employee’ in the sense
that I am not their advocate in the same way
as their general practitioner. I would of course
have a professional duty to ensure that I
follow-up any referral and essential healthcare
should I identify any undertreated medical
problem although I would not get involved with
their primary care which is outside the remit of
Occupational Health. That is for the GP.
Occupational Health reports should be
completely impartial with the object of giving
the commissioning employer an overview of
how any medical aspects may have impacted
on the individual’s occupational performance
without disclosing any confidential medical
information. Occupational Health reports
certainly should not include comments and
advice outside the strict remit of analysing and
assessing the occupational health situation on
the information given and questions raised in
the referral documentation.
The value of clear and comprehensive management referralThe criticism of giving poor advice and not
delivering the information by answering
the questions asked is often a fault of poor
management referrals. They often lack
any useful information and do not give
the assessing Occupational Physician any
direction. As they say ‘garbage in/garbage
out’. A good management referral will give the
background medical problems that are causing
concern, why the individual is being referred
to OH, some specific questions that require
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www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 87
answering, and possibly an indication of why
the employer requires this information. It is
also sometimes helpful for the Occupational
Physician to understand the tactics being
employed by management within the strategy
within the internal policy for an employment
problem and how the OH assessment can
contribute to this end.
Some points that a manager might want to consider for inclusion in the OH referralReports will differ as the circumstances will
not all be the same. However the following
headings will always be considered by
an Occupational Health Physician when
composing their report to management and
might also be valuable for managers when
requesting specific areas to investigate and
advise. They would come under the following
headings.
l Nature of underlying condition
(without disclosing any specific confidential
medical details – only how it impacts on
employment situation)
l Whether there are any work-related
aspects to the medical condition
l Whether there will be any long-term
residual disability
l Capability of regular and efficient service
in the future with or without full efficiency
or ill effects
l Risk of deterioration of condition
l Likely return to work date
l Limitation, restrictions, modifications to
duties either temporary or permanent with
advice on any rehabilitation programme
l Suitability for alternative duties, timescales
and whether surveillance is required after
return to work
l Advice on whether the Equality Act 2010
may be applicable. Obviously this is only
medical advice on a legal matter which
would be decided by other legal agencies if
contested.
The value of a negative answerMedicine in some aspects is very imprecise
and two people with an identical condition
may react totally differently in terms of their
response to their illness and the occupational
implications. Managers are sometimes
disappointed that Occupational Health does
not give very precise prognostic outlooks with
the timescales. This should generally not be
seen as a specific problem as the manager
having asked the question and not being
given a very specific answer from OH is then
free to make a management decision based
on the evidence available to them together
with the operational business requirements
and the manager’s own assessment of the
likely outcome. OH cannot always comment
on what would be considered a reasonable
period of absence as this will differ from
company to company depending on such
matters as their size, resources and
services they deliver.
SummaryI hope this short article will
be useful to any manager
who makes referrals
to OH for members of staff where there is
concern in areas of health and performance
and will take these points into account when
both referring individuals and interpreting the
reports that are returned.
I often say, without trying to be offensive,
that the contract of employment for the
individual is with their management (and
not with Occupational Health) and therefore
any employment decision is made by
management. Hopefully, Occupational Health
can assist by giving an expert, impartial
overview of the medical situation with an
understanding of the implications on their
employment situation as far as possible.
When this is not possible the report should
clearly say so, thus allowing management
to then move forward through their own
procedures and processes having dealt
with the situation fairly by asking the right
questions. zz
For further information, please contact:Express Medicals LtdTel: 020 7500 6900Web: www.expressmedicals.co.uk
Dr Steve Malleson
MFOM, a senior
Occupational Health
Physician, is the
chief medical
officer of Express
Medicals Ltd.
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forces...the switch to internet trading.
Local authorities and transport strategists
have a constant battle on their hands to
shoehorn IT age populations into dated or
timeworn facilities and localities. Unfortunately,
starting from scratch in a green field is rarely an
option. Cost-accountability is king.
The designers of our urban environments
have had to innovate.
Let me touch on a few ideas you may
not have come across based on my own
experience.
Bike stacksAfter Team GB’s brilliant cycling performance
at the Olympics, planners at Peterborough
station were faced with a dramatic upsurge
in passengers wanting to cycle to the station
before continuing their commuting journey
by rail. Storage space was at a premium and
the demand was urgent and growing. The
answer wasn’t exactly nanotechnology but it
did involve designing special covered stacked
cycle-racks which accommodate four times as
many bikes as conventional racks in the same
floor space. It’s an ingenious idea that could
have applications far and wide as ever more
people make the choice to combat the pounds
with a bit of pedalling each day.
Casting-out Victorian barriersOur forefathers loved the sense of longevity
and permanence you get from a bit of robust,
foundry-cast metal. They used it to make
everything from bridges to bandstands, from
piers to clothes mangles. This is fine; except
that it’s very heavy to transport, prone to rust
and needs to be repainted every couple of
years. Facilities where barriers and boundaries
I think I’m safe in saying that while most
people welcome imaginative, planned
architectural enhancements to their local
townscapes and public spaces, many are
less enthusiastic about the more mundane
changes to the street scene brought about by
necessity.
All of our urban environments are undergoing
constant changes as a reflection of societal
change. Towns, cities and villages that evolved,
perhaps over centuries, around relatively
stable communities that relied on pedestrian
and horse transportation are in continuous
confrontation with the consequences of
progressively more ubiquitous mechanisation
and escalating populations.
New threats to the fabric of our physical
surroundings are arising year-by-year driven
by a plethora of environmental, behavioural
and social factors: parking, crime, the risk of
terrorism, population fluctuations, pollution,
fashion, convenience, economics, market
88 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Unobtrusive improvements
zz
JONATHAN GOSS looks at some surprising innovations which are discreetly changing the ‘public space’ scene
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzSecurity
A CT Block planter showing how a PAS 68-approved vehicle defence system can be designed in such a way that people are unaware of its primary function, i.e. hostile vehicle mitigation – and that it can actually enhance the landscaping
are marked out with cast
iron can be very expensive to
maintain.
The modern answer?
Traditional-looking alternatives
which are made from, say,
engineering grade polyurethylene
cast around a steel core
section. They’re lighter; stronger;
aesthetically compatible with the
townscape, being able to be cast in
existing heritage designs; cheaper
to install and never need painting.
Simple idea, big savings.
Security by designAnd to counter the terrorist threat to public
amenities, where transportation hubs in
particular may be vulnerable to attack from
vehicles carrying explosives? Hostile vehicle
mitigation systems which are designed to
provide perimeter security whilst enhancing a
passenger’s experience at the station. Born out
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 89
of the tank trap, what was once unattractive
and overbearing is now, with intelligent design,
textural variety using natural materials and
thoughtful construction, a security system that
can appear to be seating, floral furniture,
works of art or relaxation features; so more
pleasing and unobtrusive.
In short, in modern public spaces a little
imagination and innovation makes the budget
go a long way with the fewest objections. zz
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Polymer products can be manufactured to replicate existing heritage street furniture but using a material that is lighter, stronger,
less attractive to metal thieves and which doesn’t require on-going
maintenance like cast iron would
Jonathan Goss is managing director of Nottinghamshire-based street furniture designer and manufacturer, Townscape Products
The double
stacking
cycle racks at
Peterborough
railway station
l New annual crime figures from the
Metropolitan Police Service and British
Transport Police (BTP) show crime on
Transport for London’s (TfL’s) transport
system has fallen 2.3 per cent compared
to last year, with 802 fewer offences. The
figures, which cover 2012/13 (1st April
2012 to 31st March 2013), show that
there are now just 8.9 crimes per million
passenger journeys on the transport
system, down from 9.4 in 2011/12.
Across the whole TfL network, robbery
has dropped by 17.6 per cent with 520
fewer offences, criminal damage is down by
15.7 per cent with 410 fewer offences and
violence against individuals has reduced by
6.8 per cent with 527 fewer offences. The
figures also show that the rate of crime for
buses, London Underground/Docklands
Light Railway, Tramlink and London
Overground is at its lowest level since
recording began.
These successes build on the significant
reductions seen over recent years and
reflect the work done by TfL and its policing
partners. TfL’s significant investment in
transport policing and commitment to
improve transport safety and security has
ensured the transport network remains a safe
and low crime environment.
However, despite the low levels of crime
on the transport system, increases have been
seen in some crime types and on some parts
of the network. London Underground and
Docklands Light Railway have seen crime rise
by 5.7 per cent compared to the previous
year, however the rate of crime remains at
9.6 crimes per million passenger journeys – its
lowest ever level.
London Overground also saw an increase
in crime of 18.3 per cent. Despite this
increase, which reflects a significant increase
in passenger journeys of around 22 per cent
and further expansion of the network, crime
on London Overground remains at a very
low level and is one of safest modes of
travel in London. In 2012/13, there were
just 6.7 crimes per million passenger
journeys.
Overall, the increases in crime on some
parts of the network are largely due to a
rise in theft driven by organised thieves
targeting the London transport network. TfL
and its policing partners have put measures
in place that include the redeployment
of officers to theft hotspots, a new crime
reduction awareness campaign and
targeted police enforcement activity against
organised thieves operating on the network
such as Operation Magnum.
The BTP has recently launched a new
initiative designed to crack down on the
theft of passenger’s property. As part of the
operation, plain-clothes pickpocket squad
officers, who are highly trained in identifying
pickpocket behaviour, are out on the Tube
network every day spotting offenders and
arresting them.
The annual crime statistics bulletin may be
viewed at: www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/19385.aspx
Lowest ever rates of crime on the transport system
NODES – new stations for better city transport l NODES, New Tools for Design
and Operation of Urban Transport
Interchanges is a three-year European
research project, focusing on providing
and demonstrating tools for better
transport interchanges to support a
more efficient urban transport system.
Toulouse, Reading, Budapest, Rouen,
Rome, Thessaloniki, Osnabrück,
Coventry and the Dutch Railways will
all implement new solutions for a new
generation of interchanges which will
contribute to better transport services
and an improved experience for the
travellers.
Their efforts, supported by a
consortium of 17 European partners,
will lead to new solutions in five key
areas:
l The integration of the interchange
with its urban environment
l A design which improves the
traveller experience, is attractive and
enables efficient transport operations
l The integration of different transport
services at the interchange, from rail
and buses to bikes and electromobility
services, all this supported by
the smart use of information and
telecommunication technologies
l Business models to ensure the
financing of the developments and the
financial sustainability of the projects
l Solutions for more energy efficient
stations with lower impacts on the
environment.
The NODES Toolbox will provide a
catalogue of integrated planning,
design and management tools, based
on the most advanced practices in
urban and other related transport
sectors. It will allow practitioners to
assess and benchmark their new or
upgraded interchange and to improve
their performance.
The new NODES website is a portal
of information and exchange where
updated information will be regularly
published:
www.nodes-interchanges.eu
l A significant milestone has been reached in Nottingham’s multi-million pound NET (Nottingham
Express Transit) Phase Two tram extension project, with the launch of a 1100 tonne bridge over
a live railway. The bridge will carry trams over the newly revamped Nottingham station when the
new tramlines open next year.
At 104m long and 14.5m wide, it took several weeks to move into position, with TWA using
precision engineering techniques to slide the bridge up to 13 metres per night, using a hydraulic
push-pull system. This was all done with the railway and adjacent highways remaining fully
operational throughout.
NET Phase Two is being delivered by joint venture Taylor Woodrow Alstom (TWA) on behalf of
Tramlink Nottingham Ltd, the NET concessionaire appointed by Nottingham City Council. Turner
& Townsend is providing project management, strategic support and technical advice to the NET
Phase Two promoter, Nottingham City Council.
In addition to doubling the size of the current tram network, NET Phase Two is creating a first-
class transport interchange at the £60 million redeveloped Nottingham station, which is also being
project managed by Turner & Townsend. From late 2014, passengers will be able to transfer
directly between trams, trains and buses.
NET Phase Two milestone
90 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Integrated Transport
l Metrolink has successfully completed the transfer of its main operational functions to its new
Trafford facility on Warwick Road South. Previously based at Metrolink’s Queens Road depot in
Cheetham Hill, the control room – known as the Network Management Centre – is now located
at the Trafford facility with the Customer Services team.
The move is an integral part of the ongoing expansion of the Metrolink network and will provide
a stable foundation for the next raft of extensions to the network, due to be completed over the
next few years. It provides operational benefits that are key to the management of the network
– including greater visibility of the system, both in terms of where trams are and CCTV at stops.
It also provides direct benefits for passengers, thanks to the integration of a customer services
representative within the control room and new ‘back office’ facilities.
Metrolink moves to new home at Old Trafford
TfGM
Councillor Andrew Fender, chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, at the new Network Management Centre
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 91
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Leading Edge Engineering Solutions to Vibration Problems
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Permalok Fastening Systems Ltd: a name synonymous with consistent, reliable supply to rail customers and many other markets.
The leading specialist in supplying Huck© brand
fasteners & tooling in the rail market, Permalok are
dedicated to providing the right solution, at the right
price, to any fastening problem.
By virtue of their high clamp forces, Huck© fasteners
have high vibration resistance and are designed to
provide the most cost effective joining methods in a
wide variety of applications, they minimise repair work,
reduce downtime, and stay operational longer.
They need less maintenance and can also cut
inventory costs.
With stock product ranging in diameter
from 4.8mm to 32mm, including the
installation tooling and spares, Permalok are
able to respond quickly to the most urgent
requirement as well as scheduled deliveries.
030578
stockist and supplierof quality vibration resistant engineered fasteners.
l The International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
has launched the website of the Observatory of Automated
Metros. The website is the reference point for driverless metro
covering technical and organisational issues and offering an
up-to-date interactive world map of automated lines.
Metro operation without drivers or staff on board, referred
to as unattended train operation (UTO), has become a
widespread and accepted solution. Today, over 40 lines
around the world are automated, and the expansion in the
coming years is expected to be five times faster than in the
last decade.
Automated lines represent the state of the art in metro
technology and provide a glimpse of the future for metro
networks. Automation offers improved quality, service and
safety and so is attractive for authorities and operators
planning new lines, but also for the sector as a whole, thanks
to the possibility of converting existing lines. To make the most
of the possible advantages requires not only thinking about
technical aspects, but also rethinking the organisation of the
metro system as a whole.
In this context, the Observatory of Automated Metros,
a UITP body set up in 2007 to monitor, study and share
the most up-to-date knowledge on metro automation, has
launched an information-rich website:
www.metroautomation.org
One of the main features of the website is an interactive
map providing information on all automated metro lines in
the world. This map will be updated regularly and is to be a
resource for all those interested in metro automation.
The Observatory’s Annual World Report, available on the
website, provides a picture of developments and trends,
including key aspects such as train capacity, platform screen
doors, power supply, etc.
The website will also act as an ‘information hub’, offering
a sample of the Observatory’s work, and access to a limited
selection of the approximately 200 documents relating to
metro automation available in the UITP Documentation
Centre.
UITP launches website on metro automation
92 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
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tach
i
New UK train factoryl Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd. announced in May that it has signed the contract with
Merchant Place Developments for the construction and fit-out of a rolling stock
manufacturing plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, UK. Merchant Place
Developments therefore have now gone from preferred bidder status to full contract
award.
The contract paves the way for the construction of Hitachi’s first train factory in Europe,
which represents an investment of £82 million to create its state-of-the-art manufacturing
hub in the North East of England. Hitachi Rail Europe receives a £4 million grant by the
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to support the build of the factory.
The factory will initially be used to build the Super Express Trains for the Great Western
Main Line and the East Coast Main Line, with the potential to be used for other orders
such as building Crossrail rolling stock in the facility, should Hitachi Rail Europe be the
successful bidder. Hitachi places great emphasis on employing locally where possible
and the factory will create long-term employment for 730 people. This figure includes a
Research & Development department. It is expected that 200 jobs will be created during
the construction phase of the factory.
The close of contract between Hitachi Rail Europe and Merchant Place Developments
enables the developer to award further contracts for the build of the plant. Currently, an
archaeological exploration is being carried out on the site, which will take approximately
three to four months. Hitachi Rail Europe is keen to ensure that any historical remains
are uncovered and preserved. Construction of the plant is expected to start at the end
of 2013, with the factory scheduled to go into production in 2016. The Super Express
Trains will go into full passenger service in 2017.
The decision to build a manufacturing plant was taken after Hitachi Rail Europe won
the contract with the Department for Transport (DfT) to replace the ageing fleet of diesel-
powered Intercity trains currently running on the Great Western Main Line and the East
Coast Main Line. The contract with the DfT was signed in July 2012. Hitachi Rail Europe
had singled out Newton Aycliffe as its preferred site for its manufacturing plant, after
evaluating over 40 sites throughout the UK.
The contract award for the Intercity Express Programme allowed Hitachi Rail Europe
to decide on the investment in a rolling stock manufacturing plant. The construction of
the factory is part of the railway manufacturer’s long-term strategy for the UK and for
mainland Europe, fulfilling the Intercity Express Programme as well as future contract
wins either in Great Britain or other European countries.
The site in Newton Aycliffe best fits the company’s business requirements for its
factory, including good access by road, rail and ship, and a highly skilled workforce in
the vicinity. Since contract award by the DfT, Hitachi Rail Europe has been working with
Merchant Place Development and the architects to design all aspects of the factory, so
that further contracts can be awarded to sub-contractors over the next few months.
Ilford Yard contract
l Crossrail has awarded the contract
for the Ilford Yard stabling project to
VolkerFitzpatrick Limited. The scope of
works within the C828 contract, valued
in the region of £50 million, includes
design, procurement, installation, testing
and commissioning of the new sidings,
accommodation building and major
modification of other existing depot
facilities. Construction activity is expected to
commence this summer with work due to
complete in 2016
To deliver Crossrail services, around 60
new trains will be required. Crossrail rolling
stock will be stabled at Old Oak Common
Depot, Ilford Depot, Gidea Park, Plumstead,
Maidenhead and Shenfield.
Crossrail will be making changes to a
number of existing buildings at the Ilford
Yard site. The work will ensure that Crossrail
can build ten new sidings to house trains
overnight and construct a new building
for those who will be employed on site for
Crossrail. The depot will not only be vital for
Crossrail’s operation but will also create job
opportunities during construction and up to
90 jobs once the depot upgrades have been
completed.
Station power supply contract l Crossrail has awarded the contract for
the non-traction high voltage power supply
contract, C650, to AC Joint Venture (Alstom
Transport and Costain Limited). The value of
the contract is in the region of £25 million.
The scope of works includes the provision of
electrical power, distributed at 22kV or 11kV,
within Crossrail’s central section extending
from Royal Oak Portal in the west to Pudding
Mill Lane in the east, splitting at Stepney Green
Junction and running to Plumstead Portal
in the southeast. The system will provide a
dedicated power supply for use at stations,
shafts and portals.
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 93
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West Coast power upgradel WSP has been appointed by ABC
Electrification, a JV between Costain,
Alstom and Babcock, as the designer on the
West Coast Power upgrade project. ABC
Electrification announced it had won the
£48 million contract with Network Rail for
Phase Three of the West Coast Power Supply
Upgrade, part of a c. £300 million investment
by Network Rail in power upgrade, in January.
Work is expected to complete in 2016.
Product Management System for Rail Settlement Planl Rail Settlement Plan Ltd (RSP), a scheme of the Association of Train Operating Companies,
has awarded IPL, the IT services company specialising in business-critical IT solutions and
consultancy, a £7 million five-year contract to design, build and support RSP’s new Product
Management System (PMS). PMS will provide better fares and timetable information for use by
ticket machines and information services, and will pave the way for the use of ‘thin client’ ticket
machines and real-time pricing.
This contract has been let as part of RSP’s modernisation programme, which will enable it to
deliver its business-critical services at a lower cost of ownership and with increased flexibility,
whilst providing a better match between service capabilities and the industry’s needs.
A key part of RSP’s business objective of delivering the right information at the right time is
the provision of product data to ticketing systems operated by front-line retailers. The provision
of this data is dependent upon the ability to create, maintain and publish fares, products and
reference data and for this data to be available to retail systems in near real-time. The new PMS,
based on Open Source technologies, will replace a legacy mainframe, enabling rail product
and timetable data, together with its associated reference data to be stored, maintained and
distributed.
The PMS will be required to enable the development of pricing strategies through scenario-
based modelling. It will also apply regulatory compliance management in relation to fare and
product creation through a set of in-system maintained business rules and workflow.
New framework agreements for Network Rail ITl Network Rail has signed framework
agreements with five major IT suppliers
as it begins to simplify its computing
relationships. With more than 270
individual IT suppliers, Network Rail
manages a variety of systems of varying
complexity, including some that were
designed as far back as the 1970s.
The new zero-value IT Solutions
and System Integrator framework
agreements, with Accenture, BAE
Systems Detica, Cognizant, CSC and
TCS, are designed to allow suppliers
to take more ownership of designing,
building and implementing IT solutions to
support Network Rail.
On Board Server solution for IEPl Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd. has selected
Nomad Digital to provide an On
Board Server (OBS) solution for the
Hitachi Super Express fleet for the
Intercity Express Programme (IEP).
The OBS provides a single gateway
for transmission of all operational data
between the train and the trackside. Data
transmitted includes train diagnostics
from the Train Management System,
energy consumption, seat reservation
as well as daily timetable information.
The OBS utilises Nomad’s R3500 router
as the communications gateway and
harnesses multiple 3G networks to
provide connectivity.
© T
rans
port
for L
ondo
n
A Class 378 train at Kew Gardens station
Additional London Overground carriagesl Transport for London (TfL) has placed an order for 57 new rail carriages to increase the
passenger capacity on the London Overground railway by 25 per cent. The £88 million
order placed with Bombardier Trains in Derby will enable existing Class 378 Electrostar
electric trains to be increased from four to five carriages on all of the network’s increasingly
popular lines – except the Gospel Oak to Barking route, where trains remain diesel
powered. The order has been placed under an option in the original agreement for the
supply of the London Overground train fleet. The first five-carriage train will be introduced
on the East London Line by December 2014.
A £320 million Capacity Improvement Programme also includes the construction of longer
station platforms and other infrastructure upgrades. They are:
l Additional capacity for stabling trains overnight at a new facility in Silwood, south-east
London, and also in the north-west London area
l Reconfiguration of the New Cross Gate and Willesden depots
l Platform extensions at some stations on the North and East London lines and
associated signalling and power works.
94 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
T he share of transport expenditure on
rail is growing, driven by concerns
about the likely effects of increasing
carbon usage on climate change. The
result is a shift in political, social and economic
agendas towards more sustainable transport
modes and the recognised benefits of using
rail for high capacity urban and medium to
long-distance travel. As a result, the UK is
seeing a renewed interest in building new rail
infrastructure and upgrading existing systems,
evidenced by Network Rail’s plans to invest
£37.5 billion over the next five years on
railway maintenance and upgrades including
completion of the Crossrail and Thameslink
programmes, and new investment in major
projects such as the Northern Hub and
the National Electrification programme. We
also see a continued commitment from the
Government to the planning of the new HS2
routes from London Euston to Birmingham and
from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds.
The challenge that the industry now faces
is a shortage of suitably accredited and
experienced engineering design professionals,
particularly within the signalling, electrification
and power engineering sectors.
Hyder Consulting has embarked on a
significant recruitment drive in line with the
planned investment in projects across the UK.
The challenge lies in securing the right talent
to deliver the scale of projects in the pipeline.
The upgrades and improvements in the rail
sector today require niche engineering skills,
such as signalling and electrification expertise.
Because of the complex nature of some of
these projects, there is also a need to look for
engineers who possess wider talents, such
as stakeholder management skills, project
management experience and traditional civil
and structural engineering capabilities.
Given the lack of investment in training in
this sector over the last few decades, it’s not
surprising that we are currently experiencing
myriad options: an outlet for creativity, the
platform to innovate and the opportunity
to work on iconic projects that will leave a
mark on society, a legacy. Young people are
attracted to professions that do not appear
to restrict choice and variety – and a career in
rail provides a solid technical foundation upon
which to build specialist skills and interests
later on.
The industry should be working with the
Government to introduce a focused technical
A-level study option and more apprenticeships
and generic skills training, as industry-specific
training can restrict the recruitment of skilled
candidates from other fields. Councils, colleges
and universities could also incentivise talented
graduates with targeted scholarships and
bursaries.
Apart from training and recruitment, we can
make changes to the overall profile of the rail
industry. We must re-evaluate how we run our
projects and perhaps look to reduce the
on-off cycle of major projects, or encourage
the continuity of other projects.
Engineering design in the rail sector is a
global industry. There is so much opportunity
for bright young talent to develop impressive
technical skills, to travel the globe and to work
on some of the world’s biggest infrastructure
projects. It is up to major consultancies such
as Hyder to stimulate and nurture their
interest, in order to keep growth in the rail
sector on track. zz
a skills void. There is well documented lack of
female and graduate-level engineering design
professionals, and we are also encountering
an absence of experienced rail engineers in
the 30-50 age group. The era of privatisation
and the demand from the City in the late
1980s, which made other professions more
attractive than engineering, are key contributing
factors. In addition, we have seen significant
migration of engineering professionals from
the UK to places like Australia, where the
economy has been booming and where there
has been continued infrastructure investment.
Research from the National Skills Academy for
Railway Engineering (NSARE January 2013)
also suggests that the UK will face a further
shortage as those with niche expertise retire.
While the lack of experienced engineering
design professionals is not new – in fact a
shortage in these skills has been apparent
since the 1990s – it has become increasingly
acute as the general investment in rail
increases. In the UK, as capacity enhancement
schemes, electrification programmes and
other major infrastructure schemes take
off, we need to encourage young people to
consider engineering design in rail as a career
through better training and education at both
secondary school and tertiary levels.
Rail’s image needs an overhaul to highlight
the gravitas of the major projects we work
on and their significance to the future of the
economy – in the UK and abroad. Engineering
design in the rail sector is a global industry
now with huge high-speed rail link projects
timetabled to begin in China, Australia, France
and the USA by 2014. There is also significant
investment in rail infrastructure in the Middle
East, such as Doha Metro, Riyadh Metro and
Etihad Rail. Given the magnitude of these
projects, it’s an exciting time to be an engineer
in the sector.
As an industry, we should be demonstrating
that a career in engineering design presents
Leave a legacy for society: become an engineer
MAC ALGHITA discusses the skills shortage in an increasingly active UK rail sector and how we can enhance the delivery of major
infrastructure schemes in the near future
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Skills & Training
Mac Alghita is
managing director
for rail at Hyder
Consulting, a
multi-national
design and
engineering
consultancy
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 95
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Training
The Government has announced that
traineeships for 16-19 year olds will
become available this August, a move
that has been broadly welcomed by
People 1st, the sector skills council for the
hospitality, passenger transport, travel and
tourism industries.
Traineeships will be available for roles
across the rail industry and will help young
people further develop the skills gained during
pre-employment training. They will also help
bridge skills gaps so that the learner can
successfully move onto an apprenticeship or
into employment.
Martin-Christian Kent, product development
director at People 1st, said that the
traineeships will provide the rail industry with
the chance to strengthen career pathways and
address skills gaps.
“Our State of the Nation research report last
year highlighted the need for more people to
enter the rail industry and develop their skills
along a robust career path if we are going to
meet the higher skills and management needs
of the sector.
“We need to start developing these
pathways now to ensure that we meet the
sector’s needs in the future.
“Employers across the sector see
traineeships as an opportunity to strengthen
career pathways. They will give people the
chance to experience roles and ensure young
people have the skills they need to start an
apprenticeship.”
New frameworkThe new framework describes how the
traineeships will be delivered and details other
requirements, including a maximum six months
duration, a high quality work placement, work
preparation training, and the development of
English and maths skills.
The traineeships will be offered to young
people who are not employed, have little work
experience, are qualified below level 3, and
who have a reasonable chance of being ready
for employment or an apprenticeship within six
months of starting a traineeship.
Martin-Christian said that the new
traineeships are a welcome addition to the
training available for rail employers, but
expressed concerns at the limitations placed
on them.
“It is disappointing that they have been
restricted to 16-19, as the original proposals
for 16-24 would have provided greater
opportunities.
“We would also like to see them linked far
more to sector career paths, rather than leaving
it up to the providers to develop their content.
“While we recognise traineeships need to be
tailored to meet individual trainee and employer
needs, our experience with pre-employment
training shows that too many programmes
leave employers confused and don’t deliver the
skills they need.”
Developing the next generationTo address these concerns, People 1st is
now preparing to work with employers to
develop a sector-specific traineeship. This
programme will be designed to include the
core content employers expect, but will remain
flexible enough to allow providers to adapt it to
individual trainee and employer needs.
Martin-Christian said that this was a great
opportunity for businesses to help develop the
next generation of workers in the rail industry.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for employers
to identify and develop the next generation of
rail employees and, in addition to other training
available, these traineeships will make career
paths clearer and encourage more people to
join this dynamic sector.”
Traineeships a welcome option for rail businesses
About People 1st l People 1st, an employer-led registered
charity, focuses on transforming skills in the
sector through the development of world
class qualifications in management and
leadership, customer service and craft skills.
The People 1st Training Company is focused
on developing training products that meet the
skills needs of employers in the industry.
96 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Building confidenceCareerStructure.com’s research into HS2 suggests that the project has
real potential to boost job opportunities in the built environment
It is no secret that
the UK construction
sector has suffered
heavily in the
wake of the economic
recession, and is still
struggling to regain
its past output levels.
Yet construction is a
hugely necessary part
of helping drive forward
development, and
ironically a precursor
to continued economic
progression. This was perhaps most recently
demonstrated by the 2012 Olympics, which
were widely lauded as a huge success on all
fronts, but couldn’t have been without the
whole spate of construction works that took
place beforehand.
Likewise, in terms of day-to-day life as
the population continues to grow, so does
the need for more housing, transport, and
other vital public services such as hospitals
and schools. Once again the focus returns
to construction in delivering this. Recognition
of this does however mean that the horizon
looks to be more positive, particularly as
the Government begins to realign some
investment.
High Speed TwoFrom a size and scale perspective, one such
flagship project is the proposed High Speed
Two (HS2) link between London and the West
Midlands initially, and then potentially further
north as well. Putting political debate to one
side, from a purely economic and job creation
point of view HS2 is widely viewed as a hugely
crucial opportunity.
Certainly this is the view reflected in
research carried out by CareerStructure.com,
the specialist construction, built environment
and engineering recruitment website, on HS2.
Founded in November 2006, CareerStructure.
com is part of the Totaljobs Group.
Amongst the results of this study,
CareerStructure.com found that three quarters
of professionals (76 per cent) believe that
HS2 will deliver long-term growth in job
opportunities, and that the project will be the
biggest driver of jobs over the next five years.
The first phase alone is expected to support
around 40,000 jobs.
Furthermore, although the career
opportunities afforded by HS2 are likely to be
far reaching, the professionals questioned felt
that civil engineers stand to benefit the most
(61 per cent), followed by project managers
(50 per cent), and mechanical engineers
(43 per cent). Such is the high profile nature
of the project that 80 per cent would consider
making the move to work on it, with
71 per cent even looking at relocation in
order to be involved.
Country-wide opportunitiesRob Searle, commercial director at
CareerStructure.com notes: “In January 2013,
the south-east of England saw 67 per cent of
all job postings within the built environment
industry, whilst the north of England and
Midlands saw only 20 per cent. When you
consider this trend in terms of HS2 only, it is
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Recruitment
fairly obvious in terms of
where the work would
start and then move
towards. However whilst
the workforce may be
built up in the south-east
to begin with, HS2 has
the potential to drive
growth the whole way
along the route with
benefits for those regions
for years to come.”
Although the future
of HS2 is not yet set in stone, it would seem
that the discussion alone is providing the built
sector with some jobs confidence for the
future. With major rail projects currently taking
place across London, and schemes like the
Crossrail Tunnelling Academy supporting a new
generation, there is also a real opportunity to
transfer and build on rail skills within the UK.
Whatever may come of it though, the fact that
such huge infrastructure schemes are even
on the table suggests that brick-by-brick the
ground is being laid for recovery. zz
Rob Searle – commercial director at CareerStructure.com.
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 97
. zz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Kapsch carriercom
Capturing the marketAs the use of GSM-R for railway communications spreads, Kapsch CarrierCom is there to offer its expertise
A s part of the Kapsch Group, Kapsch
CarrierCom takes the company’s long
heritage within telecommunications
and applies it to the rail market. It is a
world that whilst fast moving in terms of daily
activity, takes a much longer view towards
technology with equipment often having
to survive for multiple decades in a harsh
operating environment.
As such, Kapsch CarrierCom has positioned
itself as an end-to-end telecommunications
specialist delivering innovative and sustainable
solutions for railway and network operators,
and providers of access, core, and transmission
networks. The company is also known for its
dedication to R&D and for contributing to the
evolution of next generation technology.
Today this is dominated by GSM-R, or Global
System for Mobile Communications-Railway,
which was standardised by the International
Union of Railways (UIC) with support from
the European Railway Agency to assist rail
operators in the provision of internationally
interoperable and safe networks. This includes
secure and reliable wireless communications
between railway workers, and for use in
applications such as automatic train
control (ATC).
It is also the communication channel for
the next generation of railway control and
signalling technology, the European Railway
Traffic Management System (ERTMS), and data
bearer for the European Train Control Systems
(ETCS) as part of this. ERTMS is a European
Union (EU) backed initiative to enhance cross-
border interoperability by creating a single
Europe-wide standard for train control and
command systems.
Having been involved in GSM-R since
1998, Michel Clement, vice president of the
railway business unit of Kapsch CarrierCom,
elaborates: “ERTMS is a given programme
that has to be implemented throughout the
27 member countries of the EU. There are
two main facets to this – one is signalling,
and the other is telecommunications, which
we are serving through our GSM-R solutions.
We are one of three specialists in this type of
technology, and the market leader with more
than a 50 per cent share.
“We see that GSM-R will dominate up until
2025 at least, at which point we may then
Michel Clement vice president of the railway business unit of Kapsch CarrierCom
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www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 99
means it must be delivered even if it is delayed
or takes longer than expected.
Already much of Western Europe has
selected its choice of provider for this with
Kapsch CarrierCom dominating in the major
markets of France, Germany, and the UK, as
well as securing contracts in Spain. In 2011
the company was selected to implement a
digital train radio system for the Dublin Area
Rapid Transit (DART) network, which includes
upgrades of the existing analogue technology
to GSM-R.
“We have also won a €9.2 million contract
with the Polish railway company PKP Polskie
Linie Kolejowe to design and install the
GSM-R equipment for the ERTMS that will be
implemented along the E30 line from Legnica
to Opole,” notes Michel. “Poland is a country
with extensive railway infrastructure and this
programme will be critical in the development
of the corridor for high-speed or freight traffic.
Furthermore we have secured additional
contracts in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic,
see a next generation technology come in in
parallel to this. In order to properly serve our
customers tomorrow, as well as the evolution
of the network for our customers today in
the extension of their infrastructure coverage,
we are now working on the next incarnation
of our GSM-R portfolio, which includes
evolution of our core and access technologies.
Alongside this we are also contributing to the
development of EGPRS in order to enhance
the capacity of bandwidth within the local
GSM-R solution.”
Whereas once telecommunications,
signalling, in-cab radios and the like were
considered as separate entities, the ERTMS
model serves to fit these together in one
complete solution. As such the end-to-end
quality of the system is now considered a
fundamental element. With this in mind earlier in
the year Kapsch CarrierCom acquired the cab
radio activity of NEC Portugal. “This reiterates
again our commitment to being a global, end-
to-end provider of railway communication
systems,” highlights Michel. “We saw the value
of NEC’s cab radio proposition and made a
decision to acquire this activity which includes
R&D and production capability, supply chain,
and commercial contracts. This enables us to
expand our competency to provide customers
with an end-to-end offering that incorporates
both GSM-R and the onboard cab radio unit
within the locomotive.”
Despite the economic difficulties that much
of Europe has experienced in recent years, the
market for GSM-R infrastructure, and railway
telecommunication solutions more generally,
has endured. Much of this is due to the fact
that ERTMS is a mandatory requirement, which
and are now tendering for works in Hungary,
Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.”
Kapsch CarrierCom is not only seeing
success within its domestic market though.
In Saudi the company has been selected
to deliver telecommunications for the new
Haramain high-speed line between Mecca
and Medina, and is in competition for new
contracts in Morocco and United Arab
Emirates (UAE).
“These projects are completely different in
approach as unlike Europe where the majority
of work is on existing infrastructure, these are
greenfield opportunities with delivery of the
entire railway network. This includes major civil
works, track, stations, rolling stock, energy
supply, signalling, and telecommunications. In
those types of contracts we are only a small
part of the overall solution working within all
the other disciplines. This means that although
there are no major economic constraints the
process is still quite slow as the development
is taking place in several stages and we are at
the end of that,” describes Michel.
Although ERTMS was conceived as a
European project to secure interoperability
along major corridors, it is increasingly the
system of choice for other parts of the world
as well. “In India, China, and Brazil they are
also talking about high-speed and freight
corridors as part of those new infrastructure
programmes, and within this are selecting
ERTMS technology. Likewise in a lot of
countries freight corridors are very slow,
inefficient, and insecure, and need to be
updated. Once again rail seems to be the
most practical and appropriate transport
solution for mid-range distances, and that
GSM-R within ERTMS is considered the
signalling and telecommunication solution of
choice,” concludes Michel. zz
Web: www.kapsch.net
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz Kapsch carriercom zz
100 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz BENDER UK
Synonymous with quality worldwide,
German owned Bender Group has
been dedicated to finding solutions that
guarantee its customers the ultimate
in electrical safety for more than 65 years.
Recognised as a global leader in industrial
power systems and earth fault monitoring,
Bender UK, part of the Bender Group, offers
its services and comprehensive solutions
to a wide range of industries, including,
healthcare, rail, oil & gas and electrical vehicle.
“The Bender product range is designed and
manufactured at a state-of-the-art facility in
worldwide leader in electrical safety with a
strong reputation for innovation. “We invest
heavily in R&D within our factory headquarters
and are known for making customer specific
products by flexibly modifying equipment from
our own catalogue,” says Steve.
The group’s dedication to innovation and
ongoing research and development in virtually
all industries has resulted in ten – 20 per cent
growth achieved year on year; growth that
is certain to continue following Bender UK’s
success in securing a £2.7 million contract with
Network Rail in March 2013. “This contract
came off the back of a contract we won with
Network Rail in 2008; it involved supplying a
number of products that we called the RS2
solution, which is effectively an insulation
monitoring and fault location system for the
signal power network. This project went
incredibly well for us and the feedback we
received in terms of the benefits that have
been realised from this initial project was very
positive,” highlights Steve. “Having recognised
the benefits of our equipment, Network Rail
and Bender UK began discussions as to what
the group could offer for this second phase of
developments.”
Since 2008 the group has developed
more advanced technologies and products,
some of which are able to integrate with the
Germany, which is where the family owned
organisation is based. The group has offices
around the world, including Bender UK, for
the sales, marketing and product assembly of
Bender Group equipment; our sole purpose is
to find applications for any uses of the product
range in the UK market,” says Steve Mason,
managing director of Bender UK.
Known first and foremost as an electrical
safety company, Bender’s founder, Mr Walter
Bender invented and patented the insulation
monitor, under the name Isometer, in 1939.
Since then the group has evolved into a
Contributing to the security of supply in many critical industries, Bender UK continues to develop its power monitoring portfolio
System for success
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 101
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
intelligent infrastructure network (II); with this
in mind, Bender, in conjunction with Network
Rail completely redesigned its solution and
named it RS3. “We looked into what was
good and not so good with the original version
and redesigned it, made it smaller, lighter and
easier to install; we also made the information
that came with our equipment align to the
intelligent infrastructure network by including
data loggers and GSM modems to our
solution.” This proposal was put to Network
Rail and after several months of discussion an
agreement was made, with the first two pallets
of equipment already delivered.
The contract for equipment to monitor
lineside power supplies on the railway network
took approximately two years to secure and is
the biggest in the company’s history, resulting
in more than 400 monitoring units being
installed around the UK. The system monitors
the power supply, immediately notifying the
intelligent infrastructure via its GSM capability if
the status changes, which alerts engineers of
a fault or developing problem; this then gives
the customer the option of dealing with the
fault immediately or gives them time to plan an
intervention around the needs of their business.
Furthermore, the system will immediately alert
the customer of any cable damage caused by
a wide range of issues.
“The penalties that Network Rail are faced
with if the signal power system goes down
without warning are significant if the asset is
not available and trains are not able to run,”
says Steve. “Network Rail has conducted its
own research into this issue, which suggested
that the main contributor to these penalties
was signal power failure, particularly from
cable problems caused by rodent damage
or moisture penetration resulting in moisture
getting into cables and junction boxes, and
our system has the ability to tell Network Rail
exactly what cable the fault is on, arming
them with information so they can deploy
immediately to the cable anytime day or night.”
By using the portable earth fault location
system EDS 3090, the cable can be
interrogated to find the exact location of the
fault, which can be fixed immediately or during
the middle of the night when trains aren’t in
operation. With these products, the number
of penalties Network Rail is faced with lowers
significantly and maximises the availability of the
thousands of miles of track it operates.
With consistent growth over the last seven
years and the company’s largest ever contract
secured, the future looks positive for Bender UK
as it continues to develop its product portfolio.
“There is a lot of exciting product developments
in the pipeline and we are investing heavily in
R&D,” says Steve. “Six months ago we made
a significant change in our portfolio with the
launch of our new power quality monitoring
(PQM) solutions, including power management
software.
“This gives customers the ability to
understand where energy is being used in their
installations and assets, and to implement a
strategy of energy reduction. Energy monitoring
is a growing area and so we want to become
known for our PQM products as we are with
our traditional portfolio. Looking ahead over
the next few years we aim to continue our
growth by collaborating with other companies
to integrate technologies and by listening to the
needs of our customers,” he concludes. zz
Web: www.bender-uk.com
Electrical LtdPPS Electrical Ltd are a specialist Electrical and Instrumentation contractor, having worked closely with Bender UK for 15 years. Together we have successfully developed products for use within the Rail Industry. PPS also have an excellent reputation within the nuclear sector. The head office in Barrow-in-Furness includes a large panel manufacturing facility.
Contact details:Email: [email protected] Website: www.ppselectrical.co.ukTel: 01229 433838
PPS Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shepley Engineers Limited.
102 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Touax Rail
Specialised in operational leasing, the
history of Touax begins in 1855 in on-
river towing activities. Organised into
four branches today this Group acts
globally in the provision of mobility solutions,
responsiveness, and flexibility towards client
projects, both on its own account and on
behalf of investors. In particular it is the
European leader in shipping containers and
river barges, and the second largest lessor for
intermodal freight cars through its subsidiary
Touax Rail.
The diversification of these leasing and sales
businesses is a key part of Touax Group’s value
creation strategy. Other facets included strong
levels of recurring revenues with 70 per cent
of leasing income, excluding services, coming
from multi-year contracts. This is leveraged
through the Group’s owned assets, which
number around 45 per cent of the total number,
at a value of €710 million. The remaining assets
are managed on behalf of third parties, which
help improve Touax Group’s profitability
countries all promote the leasing of railcars
internationally. We rent to national railways
such as DB, SNCF and SBB, private railway
undertakings, operators like Greenmodal,
Geodis and Gefco, and industrial companies
including Solvay and BASF,” he continues.
In terms of other developments within this
fleet Touax Rail now manages its wagons
under VPI rules, which allows it to deliver
maintenance such as reprofiling and revisions
closer to its clients’ operational areas. This
reduces transportation costs and downtime.
“After our accreditation to ISO 9001 in 2010,
we became one of the first to achieve Entity in
Charge of Maintenance (ECM) certification in
December 2011. This European certification
recognises Touax Rail’s know-how in the field
of technical management and maintenance
of railcars, and will continue to accelerate its
development opening up prospects for growth
throughout Europe,” describes Louis.
Already the company has been selected to
manage the ECM services of a large intermodal
fleet of over 1100 wagons for the next three
years. Other projects that Touax Rail has been
successful in include the supply of a large
number of coal wagons for traffic between the
Benelux countries and Germany.
Describing the general feeling within the
industry Louis notes: “Rail market share
without tying up capital.
As to how the railcar fleet fits into this, Louis
Pastré, business development and marketing
director of Touax Rail, elaborates: “We have
invested regularly in our wagons over the past
ten years to grow the fleet to its current size
of 9100 units. This growth is the result of a
successful partnership with our clients and
suppliers, as well as our investment capacity.
Around 65 per cent of the fleet is based on
intermodal railcars of various types for the
loading of containers, as well as automotive
carriers, coal wagons, steel coil carriers, and
hopper cars in the US.
“We primarily lease railcars in Europe, Turkey
and the US, but Touax continues to diversify
geographically establishing new business
in Asia with a very promising outlook. The
need for flexibility, short delivery times and
cost effectiveness, alongside environmental
awareness, the increase in transport of raw
materials and agricultural goods, and the
liberalisation of rail freight transport in many
As the second largest lessor of intermodal railcars in Europe, Touax Rail is a first name for its customers Highly rated
Louis Pastré
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 103
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzversus road will increase regularly in Europe.”
Continuing he outlines where investment is
required to facilitate this: “In addition, the
European fleet is getting older and needs
a strong replacement programme over the
coming years. Whilst the market needs 10,000
to 20,000 new wagons per year, the last five
has seen only 5,000 to 7,000 produced.
Compared to a European fleet that numbers
around 700,000 wagons this represents
around only one per cent. This is a structural
under-investment trend that should end soon.
“These combined parameters will position
leasing companies as key partners to
accompany this development. Leasing ensures
flexibility and low capital expenditure for our
clients who need to optimise their organisation,
traffic management, and costs. This enables
them to focus on their core business of
customer service and transportation. In
addition, industrial companies are also leasing
wagons in order to stay independent from the
rail undertaking – in the case of lower quality
service they keep control of the wagons and
simply have to find another solution for the
traction,” he adds.
There remains a differentiation between
western and eastern Europe with the ongoing
financial crisis generating certain changes in
the market, whilst competition from the roads,
and rolling stocks of national railways presents
their own challenges. Still though the market
expects quick availability and delivery of units,
which is where Touax Rail benefits with its
good reputation and solid customer orientated
organisation. The company is positive that
the market will slowly recover in 2014 with
many opportunities only postponed as
opposed to cancelled, and the need for new
wagons reflecting well on Touax Rail’s seven-
year age average.
“We’re focusing on business development
in order to improve utilisation rates. As such
we are proposing a range of services to our
clients including financial solutions such as
sale and lease back, and our new capabilities
in ECM. We offer these services alongside the
operational leasing solution services. In the
coming years Touax Rail aims to manage over
15,000 wagons mainly in Europe including
a portion in the USA. Touax Rail is also well
positioned to an international expansion.
Through this we intend to keep investing and
diversifying our wagon portfolio,”
concludes Louis. zz
Web: www.touaxrail.com
KINEX BEARINGS, a.s.1.maja 71/36014 83 BytcaSlovakia
Tel: +421 41 5556 620Fax: +421 41 5556 616e-mail: [email protected]
Axle bearings for rail carsBearings for traction
motors and generatorsBearings for transmissionsBearings for auxiliary tractionBearings renovationTechnical support
KINEX – On the railway all together...
LEGIOSLEGIOS represents a significant part of the
European engineering industry in the field of
railway technology. Its 140-year-old tradition,
four plants and massive investments into
modern technologies make it one of the biggest
producers of railway cars and providers of
repair services. The production of locomotives
and wagons, repairs, modernisation and
remotorisation of railway wagons of all brands,
including the renovation of historic wagons are
important activities of the company.
104 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Mafex
MAFEX – the Spanish Railway
Association is a non-profit private
organisation serving the Spanish
railway sector in regard to its
internationalisation, as well as in defence of
its partners’ general interests. MAFEX was
created in 2004 with the support of the main
Spanish institutions in the sector. It is also part
of services for rail projects including rolling
stock, track equipment, telecommunications,
signalling, engineering, consulting, building,
maintenance, and interior design. They all
share their innovative nature and commitment
to R&D, and the introduction of the latest
technological advances contributing to the
world rail sector in all its fields, as well as their
expertise, experience, and excellency in service
quality. All these characteristics have turned the
Spanish rail industry into a leading reference.”
Between them MAFEX’s members
represent more than 85 per cent of the
Spanish rail industry’s exports according to
official figures in 2012. With promotion of this
sector abroad MAFEX’s main objective many
of the association’s activities are focused in
these areas such as trade delegations, group
participation in major international trade fairs,
market studies and analysis, advertising,
and organisation of foreign buyer delegations
to Spain.
“Since its origin, the association has
intensely promoted and defended the common
interests of the industry,” reiterates Pedro.
“In addition MAFEX performs other activities,
which are not as visible but surely add
of the Agex Group, which is formed by three
more associations in different Spanish industrial
sectors.
“The Association is currently formed of
73 companies,” describes director general
Pedro Fortea. “All of them are clearly export-
oriented, developing their activities in the
manufacturing of products and rendering
As the Spanish Railway Association, MAFEX works to promote its members within the wider rail market
Exporting expertise
The ARABIA-QATAR 2013 Mission – meeting with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu
Visit of the Development Minister to the MAFEX stand at the Innotrans 2012 trade fair
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 105
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzvalue to our members such as international
contacts, access to reference materials,
facilitating contact among foreign and Spanish
companies by managing particular enquiries,
or even communication among the members
themselves.”
Reflecting on the market outlook for
MAFEX’s members Pedro notes that there is
a generally positive trend: “The last fiscal year,
2012, was a complicated one given the strong
decrease in national investment spending, and
the increasing competiveness in international
markets. However, significant contracts have
been awarded abroad even in these difficult
conditions. This has contributed to better
Spanish rail export figures, growing by more
than 20 per cent in comparison to the previous
year. Nowadays knowing where the new
business opportunities are, trying to benefit
from them, and working as leading global
suppliers of pioneering services and
products, are some of the priorities of the
Spanish rail industry.
“Regarding the future, and in comparison
with other industries, the sector in general
seems to maintain certain stability and
long-term perspective throughout the
five continents. According to UNIFE, the
Association of the European Rail Industry,
the sector is expected to grow at a global
level, in the following years. Given the current
scenario, this is good news. Likewise UNIFE
expectations are that the market will grow at an
annual rate of 2.6 per cent until 2017, up to a
business turnover of around €170 billion euros.
For MAFEX members this forecast represents
a clear international growth opportunity in
many markets such as India, Russia, Australia,
Southeast Asia or Africa. However, it also
poses new challenges for companies will need
to ensure their efficiency and highest quality
standards to continue being competitive and
maintain their leadership position,”
he continues.
With a presence in more than 90 countries
worldwide, the Spanish rail industry is clearly
flourishing in the international market as recent
awards of large projects in Brazil, Mexico,
Saudi Arabia and Turkey demonstrates.
“MAFEX’s duties through its internationalisation
projects have always been aimed at
significantly increasing the participation of the
Spanish rail industry in ongoing international
projects, and in future transport plans across
the five continents. This is the reason why
foreign promotion is a priority, as well as trade
delegations to emerging countries and regions
such as Thailand and Malaysia. Furthermore,
MAFEX wants to strengthen the position of
Spanish companies other more consolidated
markets such as the US,given the boost taking
place in rail at present,” highlights Pedro.
Growth forecasts for the Spanish rail sector
overseas remains positive, and the excellent
references gained by the industry over the
years helps it to secure this strong position.
This will serve to accelerate activity in the
sector for all companies, large and small, within
the main rail subsectors such as construction,
signalling, electrification, track, equipment, and
rolling stock. For MAFEX, this growth comes
together with a strong action plan for promoting
these companies, and strengthening their
business relationships.
Elaborating on this strategic agenda, Pedro
concludes: “MAFEX sees 2013 as a year to
define the new framework to offer the best
service to its members. Such frameworks
will help identify and prioritise the needs of
all the companies, not only in those aspects
regarding internationalisation, but also in those
in which MAFEX’s performance can help
improve its members’ competitiveness. To this
end, MAFEX has started the implementation
of the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan. It is also
still working on its plan to promote activities
at an international scale, its widest and most
ambitious plan since its creation in 2004.” zz
Web: www.mafex.es
Pedro Fortea director general of MAFEX
Tel:Fax:Email:
www.telice.es
Services for safety & security, civil works, railway electrification & communications
106 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Flush with successHaving broken new ground with a milestone franchise
award in Germany, Andrew Chivers describes to
Kirsty Birkett-Stubbs how National Express is
already making plans for its delivery
Whether it’s by bus, coach, or
train the National Express name
has long been associated with
quality public transport provision.
Since its formation over two decades ago the
company has continued to grow and expand
the breadth of its offering, which currently
includes the award-winning c2c rail franchise
serving destinations between London and
South Essex.
Despite being a name that is strongly
associated with the British market, National
Express has in fact been an international
operator ever since its first move into the US
transport sector in 1998. This was followed by
its Spanish coach and bus business in 2005,
which also runs services in Morocco.
As such the company is delighted to have
been awarded a new 15 year £1.4 billion rail
franchise in Germany, which will be delivered
through its newly established subsidiary
National Express Rail GmbH. This follows on
from National Express’ earlier success in the
German market with the launch of its city2city
coach services in April. The German rail market
is the largest in Europe at almost twice the
size of the UK franchising system, and the
new National Express contracts represent
something of a first for UK transport companies
in entering this arena.
A new entryAs managing director of rail at National
Express, Andrew Chivers oversaw the
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Andrew Chivers
– managing
director rail
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 107
Flush with successdevelopment of the bid and was the
responsible individual on the Group Executive.
With the German rail market having long been
dominated by local players, Andrew describes
what this award means to the business: “We
are very excited by the opportunity and can’t
wait to start running services, even though we’ll
have to wait until December 2015. This is due
to a longer mobilisation phase in Germany as
typically the rolling stock is purchased new. We
also believe this is the first competitive entry
into the German market by a British company,
which is particularly pleasing.”
The award consists of two contracts – one
regional express and one local service within
the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) region,
which is Germany’s most populated area,
servicing around 18 million passengers a year.
“The regional express line RE7 has an overall
length of 248 kilometres and starts in the far
north of NRW at Rheine and runs north to
south through the heart of the region. It serves
all of the most populated districts including
Münster, Hagen, Wuppertal, Cologne, Neuss
(Düsseldorf) and Krefeld. With an overall length
of 91 kilometres, the regional line RB48 is the
shuttle connection from the regions north and
south of Cologne, the biggest city in NRW with
over a million inhabitants,” elaborates Andrew.
In terms of what set National Express apart
throughout the bidding process, Andrew
has his own thoughts: “Many of the regional
franchises in Germany are of a similar size to
c2c, so our success there was an important
part of our bid. After all c2c’s performance
speaks for itself – we hold the UK PPM and
MAA records, and currently have the highest
NPS score of the franchised operators. We
have also assembled a very strong team in
Germany. Our UK rail credentials are clearly
important, but we have been clear that these
will be German operations run by people with
significant local experience.”
Building standardsEven at this early stage National Express is
anticipating what needs to be done in order to
maintain and build upon the existing standards
of service. One of the greatest challenges
the company faces in comparison to its UK
business is the fact that travellers not only
have the choice between different operators
and transportation modes, but that fares are
fixed by the authorities. As such, persuading
customers to choose its services will be one of
the main areas of focus.
An essential foundation in achieving this goal
will be the 35 new Talent 2 trains that have
been ordered from Bombardier Transportation.
With today’s passengers expecting convenient
and flexible travel options that offer comfort
and punctuality, modern vehicles like the Talent
2 more than meet these requirements. The
trains can reach speeds of up to
160 kilometres per hour, and offer ample and
comfortable seating in both first and second
class with multi-purpose areas providing space
for prams, wheelchairs, and bicycles. Other key
interior features include passenger information
monitors showing details on connecting trains,
video monitoring, and doors with improved
access for people with restricted mobility.
Bombardier products such as the Talent 2
are currently the only rolling stock in the rail
industry for which continuous improvement
in environmental performance is externally
certified according to the EMAS (Eco
Management and Audit Scheme). This is
both in terms of production and the vehicles
themselves. The new National Express units
set a high standard in ecological sustainability
with almost all recyclable materials, thereby
optimising energy and resource efficiency. The
new trains will be configured in three-car and
five-car sets, and delivered ahead of the start of
service in 2015.
Although still basking in this milestone
success, National Express is hoping to see
the NRW award as the beginning of a wider
portfolio as opposed to an isolated entity. The
company looks to be well placed to make
this a reality as it is already short-listed for a
further three contracts throughout Germany.
“There are likely to be around 35 franchises
out for tender over the next two years. These
will predominantly be regional services similar
in size to c2c, and whilst we certainly won’t be
bidding for them all it gives a clear sense of the
scale of the opportunities presented. Although
Germany is a very competitive market, we are
determined to win more contracts and build
upon our initial success,” concludes Andrew.zz
National ExpressTel: +44 (0) 8456 014 873Email: [email protected]: www.nationalexpressgroup.com
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technology that meets their needs for reliability
and efficiency.
As far as the rail market goes Schlatter’s
activities are split between stationary and
mobile flash butt welding machines as outlined
by sales director Daniel Zappa: “Globally
around 75 per cent of long welded rail plants
are using our technology when it comes to
stationary welding. We have continuously
worked to improve and develop the machines
for this sector and currently have two main
dedicated lines: the GAAS80 and GAA100.
These are the most sophisticated machines
available on the market today, with the latest
generation introduced in early 2013.”
The GAAS80 is primarily used in fixed
welding plants to join short rails to long welded
rails, whilst the GAA100 system is used for
welding of turnout components such as
joining rails to frogs or for switchblades. The
other side of the business is the mobile rail
welding machines for continuous welded rails.
This technology is normally integrated into an
W hilst electrical resistance welding
may be the company’s field of
expertise, Schlatter has been far
from rigid in terms of the course of
its almost 100 year history. Founded in 1916,
the company started out as an individual plant
manufacturer. Since this time it has grown to
become a fully-fledged solution provider for
resistance welding and weaving systems.
Decades of research and development
have brought Schlatter a wealth of expertise
in developing and automating production
systems. Leveraging this means the company
can offer its customers the most sophisticated
108 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Schlatter - the secure connection
zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzSchlatter
As a technology leader, customers can rely
upon Schlatter for their electrical resistance
welding needs
AMS100 mobile welding machine
AMS100 Supra
Roadflex truck-based rail welding
system
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 109
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AMS100 mobile welding machine
KURE&Co. d.o.o. is a Slovenian engineering company who specialise in mechanical engineering and the composition of components in the area of construction steel, high-quality steel, inox and aluminium. All parts are precisely produced on modern CNC machines.
Our technological capabilities include all kinds of welding, turning, milling and grinding, with all known metal surface protections. The parts weigh from 0.1kg to 20t.
Make
Brilejeva 8, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Europe00386 1 510 76 50 00386 1 510 76 55
[email protected] www.kure-co.si
autonomously operating rail welding system
that may be self-propelled, truck-based,
or containerised depending on the specific
application, but can also be used stand-alone.
Schlatter has two main mobile machine
types – the AMS60 and AMS100. The former
was created in the early 1990s with a focus
on the exact alignment of rail ends. In fact the
AMS60 reaches almost the same accuracy of
alignment quality as the stationary GAAS80
system making it ideal for operations such as
high-speed rail lines. Developed some years
after, the AMS100 is a simpler design but
offers higher welding force making it better
suited for bigger rail profiles designed for
heavier axle loads.
“As this demonstrates we not only continue
to develop our existing machines, but also to
create new models that are one step further
ahead in order to maintain our technical
leadership in this field. To this end we are
planning to introduce a new mobile flash butt
welding system later this year,” notes Daniel.
Another benefit of Schlatter’s long experience
is that it has one of the largest portfolios
of expertise when it comes to meeting the
different welding requirements and regulations
of each country it operates in. With machines
installed from Brazil to Alaska and Japan to
Australia this presence is globally expansive in
accordance with the universal spread of rail as
AMS100 Supra Roadflex truck-based rail welding system
KURE&Co. d.o.o.International company KURE&Co. d.o.o. is a
reliable partner and supplier of Schlatter Industries
AG. Its experts guarantee the superior quality of
produced items, delivery on time, flexibility and
reliability. KURE&Co. d.o.o. is located in the middle
of Europe. The parts are finally used in machinery
worldwide.
110 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
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AMS60 mobile welding machine
priorities of these demands in terms of different
regions or countries change over time, but on
the whole we are pleased with the sector’s
performance,” adds Daniel.
As previously mentioned, this year Schlatter
is launching its new mobile welding machine
making this a clear priority for the business
over the coming months alongside delivering
on its current customer commitments.
In the background though the global
spread remains a key consideration.
“Rail is a mega-trend,” agrees Daniel. “In
emerging markets like India, the Middle East,
and Africa we see on a general level a lot of
potential for the rail industry.
Together with growing
investment this presents
good opportunities for
Schlatter as well. Each
regional market develops
at a different pace, and
just now as well as these
newer areas we also
see strong demand from
the US, Asia, and South
America as we welcome
new projects in rail,”
he concludes. zz
a transport method.
“We try to provide the customer with a
sophisticated network of aftersales services,”
elaborates Daniel. “We have subsidiaries in
all regions of the world to be as close to
them as possible, as well as sales and
service agencies throughout. We can offer
a full range of field service, remote support,
service contract, upgrade packages, and spare
parts so that the customer knows that the
investments they make with us are secure. We
have machines that have been running over
30 years, which we are still servicing today, so
our clients can trust in the fact that they
have our support not just for now and
tomorrow, but for the long run.”
Although the difficulties of the
global economy placed demands
on many businesses, the multi-
faceted nature of Schlatter’s
activities eased these
somewhat. Amongst this rail
remained the most constant of
all the three sectors. “There’s
not any dramatic shifts as such
but it is a steady market and
we do see slowly increasing
demand for these machines
on the global market. The Web: www.schlattergroup.com
GAA100 stationary welding machine
GAAS80 stationary welding machine
Schlatter
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 111
. zz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Danske statsbaner
Drive to improveWith a focus on operational efficiency, DSB has grand plans
for developing Denmark’s rail system
Danske Statsbaner or DSB is
Denmark’s largest train operating
company, owned by the Danish
Ministry of Transport, and carrying
more than 195 million passengers every year.
This business comprises three main areas:
long distance rail, the S-rail commuter service,
and the Denmark to Sweden connection. “We
provide the backbone of the inter-regional
public transport connectivity,” notes CEO
Jesper Lok. “We are therefore in a position to
harness the network advantages that Danish
rail transportation offers.
“Aside from the general service operation
we also retain responsibility for maintenance
down business elements that are not profitable,
so this is our strategic programme for the first
three years. Longer-term we will evaluate what
options there are for growing the business,
but when you operate in a market that already
has organic growth of two to three per cent
every year that in itself presents an attractive
opportunity.”
Indeed recent figures indicate that
improvements are being made. In 2012 DSB
reversed the negative trend of previous years
with a before tax profit of 155 million Danish
Krone (DKK). In the same year the company
launched its ‘Healthy DSB’ programme, which
outlines three overall objectives to be reached
by the end of 2014, including improving
punctuality, creating a results-orientated
corporate culture, and increasing the company
economy by one billion DKK.
DSB’s own focus on punctuality and other
core measures has led Jesper to conclude
that there is perhaps a need for a new cross-
Europe benchmark system that promotes
efficiency: “This is a business where in most
countries it is not profitable on a stand-alone
activities related to our fleet, and some of the
shared functionalities such as the travel card
that applies across the various operators,
and the traffic information portal. In addition as
an old national railway operator we still retain
some of the legacy activities that come
with this.”
Having assumed the role of CEO in May
last year Jesper reflects on the steps he has
taken within the business: “DSB is a great
company with a lot of expertise so it has been
very exciting for me. My role has been to focus
the company on its core activities and ensure
that we become competitive in the way that
we run those, and I think the organisation has
shown a lot of determination and willingness
to pursue that goal.
“I think it’s more important to work in a
business and evaluate the essence of that
before making any strategic conclusions,”
he continues highlighting how he didn’t
immediately impose a predetermined strategy
on the company. “We have to focus on the
punctuality and other core activities related
to train operation, and that involves closing
Copenhagen central station by night
Jesper Lok CEO of DSB
112 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
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basis – it is of course possible to cherry-pick
corridors where you can in isolation make a
profit, but that is not enough in the eyes of the
customer,” he explains. “They expect more
public transportation and more connectivity
countrywide, and therefore I think it essential
to recognise that the most important part of
running a railway operation is to be able to
demonstrate your efficiency.
“The best way to do that, aside from
measuring financial results, is to make sure that
every train kilometre is driven effectively. It’s
here that benchmarking can help as everyone
can learn something from it because everyone
does something really well. The ability to
learn best practice from one another is a very
important part of being able to give citizens
more transportation for the same amount of
money. We are trying to be very open and
transparent about our own figures through
publishing those, so we hope the industry at
large will agree on some common measures
when it comes to punctuality and efficiency as
it ought to be in everyone’s interest, and the
taxpayers across Europe to make sure that
their railway is run effectively,” he continues.
Efficiency is a key factor in DSB’s
negotiations with the Danish government
surrounding the extension of its contract
beyond its current expiry of 2014, with the
company working hard to demonstrate the
progression it has made. “It is too early to say
exactly what that conclusion will entail, but we
remain focused on improving our operations,”
notes Jesper. “Beyond that I think it is very
important for Denmark as a nation to embark
on some of the infrastructure investments
that have been postponed for far too long.
This includes electrification of main routes
and purchasing of new rolling stock to run on
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 113
15 years, and therefore I think it’s important
that the contract has a certain duration so it
facilitates these massive investments that need
to be made.”
DSB is also advocating more focus on the
customer and their experience of travelling
on the service. This starts with the stations,
many of which are over 100 years old and built
these, infrastructure investment so we can run
trains faster, and improvement of supporting
infrastructures in various parts of the country.
“This is the main task for Denmark in the
coming years to make that conversion to a
modern rail network. All together we are looking
at a figure of almost 100 billion DKK in the next
for a completely different set of travel habits,
and therefore require significant investment to
bring them in line with today’s passenger. This
includes cross-mode integration with bikes,
cars, and buses, and increased comfort right
through to the platform. “This does require
a huge investment of less than two billion
DKK, but if you compare it to the investments
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
ZF-AS RailZF Danmark has for more decades delivered
ZF-AS Rail transmission for the Danish
Railways. Combined with the ZF reversing
transmission and the Rail Drive Control
System, ZF provides a system that is ideally
harmonized. The 12 gears ensure a constantly
optimum, economical speed range and save
fuel. The light metal housing combines the
transmission components, including dry clutch
and electronic control, compact protected. Only
weighing 360kg it enables a simple installation
and reduces the axle loads.
ZF offers three performance versions.
Numerous ratios and high efficiency level,
reduce fuel consumption and emission levels.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Danske statsbaner
already being made in infrastructure and rolling
stock it is a fairly modest amount for fitting the
customer into the solution,” adds Jesper.
Likewise the company is encouraging
stronger telecommunication and internet
connectivity right along the operating routes as
this is currently quite poor outside of the main
cities. “One of the biggest advantages of the
train is that you can get a fair amount of work
done if you wish, but if the telecommunication
links are poor it reduces the value of rail as a
mode of transport. People who don’t already
travel by rail have chosen another mode of
transport for good reasons so we need to
find ways of increasing the value of rail’s
proposition,” remarks Jesper.
Whilst there is clearly much that DSB
believes can be done within Denmark’s rail
system, Jesper is wary of the passenger
industry treading the same path as its freight
equivalent when delivering this: “At the same
time it is very important that we make sure that
the experiences of the freight and cargo sector
are not repeated in passenger transportation,”
he emphasises. “If you look at what happened
in this sector when there was a move to
railway packages to promote innovation and
competition the actual result over the last ten
to 15 years was massive consolidation, so
whilst the intentions might have been different
the outcome is very evident. It has not created
a more attractive or efficient railroad, nor has
it presented more choice for the customers
so it is very important that we don’t repeat
that mistake when it comes to passenger
transportation.
“The outlook for public transportation is
generally very good with continuing growth,
which at a macro level is a very positive trend.
This necessitates that we think more about
creating attractive solutions as maintaining this
uplift requires bringing new passengers onto
the railway,” he concludes. zz
Web: www.dsb.dk
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 115
116 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Inter Ferry Boats (IFB)
King’s Cross
Inter Ferry Boats (IFB) is a leading
intermodal and terminal operator delivering
high-quality transport and logistics
solutions by rail and barge across Europe.
The business is an autonomous subsidiary of
SNCB Logistics Group and acts as a neutral
player on the European market. Having just
celebrated its 90th anniversary, the company
has over the years remained committed to
several principles.
Primarily these are to deliver reliable
container transport for transport companies,
shipping lines, and forwarders across Europe,
and multimodal high-quality logistics solutions
through the use of rail and barges. IFB also
Europe to Italy axis, and is active also between
northern Europe and France and Spain. Finally,
the gateway solution Area East deals with all
transport towards the east and across Europe.
As well as railway connections, as a
multimodal provider IFB deals in barge
transportation between the North Sea harbours
and the economic centres in the Rhine area
through its subsidiary H&S Container Line.
On top of its transport offering, the company
operates its own intermodal terminals in
Belgium, including three in Antwerp, each of
which is equipped with modern EDI systems
and container handling devices.
All of this comes together to position IFB as
more than just a mover of goods. The company
strives to make container transport as simple
as possible for its clients with a full package
of services. This is backed by readily available
specialists across the network that guarantee
quality control from end-to-end, and create
solutions towards specific logistic needs.
Fast and efficient transport is a fundamental
desire of all operators, and whilst road has long
offers operational and commercial assistance
close to the customer through its international
network, and terminal operation and value
added logistics in Belgium, France, and
Germany.
Working on behalf of its clients, IFB
organises maritime container rail transport
from the main harbours of Belgium and the
Netherlands to the hinterland, and continental
container rail transport across Europe. In
addition to its regular connections, the
company can arrange specific transport
services to any destination within Europe.
A strong foothold
To this end IFB has a complete pan-European
intermodal network at its disposal, with a
strong foothold in the Benelux. This is then
broken down into areas for each geographical
region. Area North follows up and enhances
current connections, and develops new
transports between the main North Sea
harbours, and important industrial centres in
Europe. Area South manages the northern
With a wide European network for rail and barge transport, Inter Ferry Boats (IFB) help customers make the most of intermodal solutions
Making the mode of it
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 117
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzbeen a preferred choice there are alternatives
that make economic and environmental sense.
In this way, IFB organises connections that
are supported by the Marco Polo programme.
This is the European Union’s (EU) funding
programme for projects which shift freight
transport from the road to sea, rail, and
inland waterways. This means fewer trucks
on the road and therefore less congestion,
less pollution, and more reliable and efficient
transport of goods.
The vision The company is also one of 14 partners
engaged in the EcoHubs project led by BMT
and aimed at elevating Green Hubs to a
strategic component of sustainable transport.
This is in accordance with the vision to
provide interconnectivity and interoperability
in European co-modal networks and facilitate
the reduction of congestion, and the combined
improvement of environmental performance
and efficiency in these networks.
Similar benefits can be seen from the
use of intermodal transport in general. This
has become the fastest growing segment
in the transport sector with more and
more companies looking for alternative
and sustainable combined solutions for
transporting their goods. Each of the different
modes have very mixed energy intensity and
carbon emission profiles. Rail and barge
transport for example are the least energy
consuming modes, with trucking between
two and four times more energy-intensive
than rail, and at the same time avoid on-road
congestion.
By optimally balancing loads between these
different modes, with rail and barge being
used for the bulk distance, operators can
benefit from a more environmentally friendly
and efficient transport offering. However, at
the same time reliability, seamless quality, and
cost-effectiveness are core expectations. As
an intermodal operator with a reliable European
network for barge and rail transportation, IFB
offers a sustainable alternative with prices and
quality that is comparable to, or better than,
other transport modes.
Whether it’s a large or small quantity of
containers, IFB will work every time to find
the best logistics solutions for transporting
them. Its broad network of high-frequency
connections, and customer-orientated
organisation means that even new customers
can make the modal switch to combined
transport with ease, and together with IFB
realise the benefits this can bring. zz
Web: www.interferryboats.be
118 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
King’s Cross
overhead lines and third-rail works.
Since these beginnings, Pod-Trak has grown
steadily and branched out to become more
of a multidiscipline provider with capabilities in
civil engineering and permanent way works.
This was in accordance with the needs of
its clients, which reflects Pod-Trak’s belief in
building strong long-term relationships.
With offices in both London, Manchester
and a new Depot in Tyne & Wear Pod-Trak
is able to execute projects throughout the
length of the UK. Retaining its expertise in
electrical installation, to date Pod-Trak has
successfully delivered conductor rail installation
projects including aluminium and steel type
rail. The company can supply a complete
installation package for the rail and associated
cabling, as well as provide support for smaller
maintenance works.
It also undertakes all aspects of overhead
line installation and maintenance services, and
general cabling services such as continuity
bonding, substation cabling, and negative
track bonding. Drawing on its accumulated
civils skills, Pod-Trak can undertake small
Established in 2007, Pod-Trak Ltd is a
privately owned company specialising
in the installation and maintenance
of electrical systems to rail and tram
infrastructure. Starting out as a specialist labour
supplier to carry out conductor rail renewals
on the Docklands Light Railway, in particular
Pod-Trak became known for the installation of
With skills in both electrical installation and civils,
Pod-Trak Ltd is gearing up for Network Rail’s network
electrification plans
Wired into the market
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www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 119
to medium sized work packages including
platform extensions, concrete and foundation
works, installation of cable troughs and routes,
temporary works, walkways and access
roads, and drainage projects.
In addition, Pod-Trak is a source of
specialist labour for the rail industry including
overhead linesmen, permanent way staff,
safety critical personnel, PTS electricians,
cable installers, and track labourers. All
employees maintain the relevant certification
necessary for their discipline to work within
the rail industry.
Describing the market outlook for Pod-
Trak, managing director and owner Paul
O’Donnell appears positive: “We have
grown successfully over the last five years
which is thanks to the forward thinking and
commitment from our staff, and for the next
five years Network Rail are emphasising
electrification upgrades for a number of
routes, which will further improve our growth
substantially as we’re in a strong position to
assist with the delivery and supply into this
market.
“The challenge is being able to supply for
the vast amount of work that could come
out of this,” he continues. “We currently
have adequate resources to deliver, however
since there is limited capability in the country
especially for overhead line work we are
investing into training our existing staff
and hoping to implement our own training
programme to meet the demands and the
possibility of taking in skilled personnel from
overseas.”
With the company also maintaining a fleet of
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In addition, Pod-Trak has been helping
execute works for some of London’s major rail
projects. This includes permanent way and
ETE works including removal of existing track,
120 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
plant and vehicles such as vans, HGVs, trailers,
rail-adapted MEWPs, and specialist small plant
and hand tools, the last 18 months has seen
Pod-Trak invest heavily into new overhead line
equipment and heavy plant in order to meet the
supply needs of this investment cycle.
In terms of current activity, Pod-Trak is
involved in a number of key projects. “For
the last few years we have been working on
an installation contract on the Manchester
Metrolink to facilitate the upgrade of the
existing signalling and electrical systems, and
the extension of the tram network for MPT. At
present we’re now moving onto delivering the
line to Manchester Airport.
“We’re also working with C Spencer to
electrify a Siemens train depot in Manchester.
Our remit covers the supply and installation
of all of the overhead line system for that
development. Another major project is drainage
works in the Heathrow Express tunnels out to
Heathrow Airport, so these are some very big
contracts for us,” he adds.
and installation of new track alignment and
conductor rail at Royal Victoria Docklands Light
Railway to accommodate the Crossrail Victoria
Dock portal and Custom House station for
Serco. Likewise the company has just delivered
civils work for the Thameslink Programme Key
Output 2 for Balfour Beatty.
With the electrification market firmly at the
front of Pod-Trak’s focus for the rest of 2013
and moving into Control Period 5 (CP5), the
company is looking at what other measures
can be taken to maximise its role in this
delivery. “We have just teamed up with A&M
Electricals Ltd to strengthen our ability to
deliver the full packages required by our clients
from substation fit out to the conductor. This
is an associated business of Pod-Trak and will
help push our investment into the market for
CP5 as substation upgrades works is another
key element of the electrification projects. This
activity sits hand-in-hand with our business
as Pod-Trak enabling us to act as more of a
one-stop-shop, and bid for larger and more
complete packages of work,”
concludes Paul. zz
Web: www.pod-trak.com
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz POD-TRAK LTD
BBK Construction have worked with Podtrak, on a number of Docklands Light Railway & Network Rail projects, including 4km of concrete cutting in the rail tunnels at Heathrow Airport.
BBK Construction specialise in bridge & viaduct spandrel tie-bars & associated track monitoring & surveys, aswell as scour protection works & brickwork repairs.
BBK have a bespoke high pressure water jetting unit to remove brickwork graffiti & clean structures.
BBK Construction Services LTD28 Galloway Drive, KenningtonAshford, Kent, TN25 4QQ
tel. +44 (0)7738 477579email. [email protected]
BBK ConstructionServices Limited
technical manager. “On the whole business
has increased over the last 12 months by
around 19 per cent resulting in an increase
in manpower. Preparations are being made
to increase the factory size to accommodate
further growth.”
Company divisional director Brian Jones
continues: “This will ultimately lower our lead
times on certain products which have been
identified as critical for our customers. This
year we have been inundated with requests for
our equipment, which seems to be the result
of some of the issues arranged in recent years.
This includes the need to upgrade and support
our infrastructure with correct maintenance
systems and corrective action, and although
some major decisions have taken a backseat
due to the financial climate Network Rail’s
expected spend runs into billions of pounds.
As such small, medium and large companies
are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, this
is also apparent with the Distribution Network
Operators (DNOs) concerning maintenance
projects that have been increased over the
last year.”
Over the years MLE has developed a range
of manual and motorised high voltage and
current isolators, which can be fitted with either
porcelain or polymeric insulators, as well as
various auxiliary equipment. It continues to
High voltage disconnectors and
switches have been Morris Line
Engineering’s (MLE) line of business
since it was established in 1976. This
design and manufacture expertise has seen
its equipment installed across the electricity, oil
and gas and rail industries, both home
and abroad.
“Whilst our customer base has remained
relatively unchanged, there has been a
significant increase in the size of orders,”
describes Nigel Jones, sales, marketing and
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 121
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz MORRIS LINE ENGINEERING
Making the switch
As the electrification of rail networks
steps up across the world, Morris Line
Engineering’s expertise is being put
to good use
1250amp fitted
25kV Track Switch
122 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
zz zzzzzzzzzzzzMORRIS LINE ENGINEERING
add to its portfolio with new technologies and
solutions including track switches and load
break devices.
Even today the R&D department is operating
at its maximum capacity. Elaborating on some
of the projects in motion Nigel says: “We have
developed a new fixed earthing device (FED),
which is the first of its kind to offer section
earthing from a control box, eliminating the
need for personnel earthing devices to be
applied. This will decrease maintenance time
trackside by about two hours. This system is
currently being approved by the customer with
a view to an order. We also have a vacuum
bottle load break switch under development
and hope to have concluded
tests by the end of the year. This
product will allow greater loads
to be isolated using an ABS.”
In terms of more project
specific development work
Nigel notes the work MLE is
doing with a petrochemical
company in the Middle East:
“The client approached us
earlier in the year to develop an
Air Break Switch Disconnector
combination unit with a
fault rating of 40kA for three
seconds. At present this is
80 per cent into the design stage, with the
next step to manufacture a prototype, which
can be type tested at a laboratory to values
incorporated within IEC guidelines.”
MLE has also recently completed the
supply of equipment to MTR in Hong Kong,
as operator of the rail line and underground
networks in the region. MTR boasts a 99.9 per
cent success rate, which has been achieved
through the use of a very stringent set of
specifications and maintenance systems to
ensure that the failure rate does not increase,
and so MLE’s equipment has to adhere to
this also.
“We have also been working with engineers
at Tata Steel over the last six years to combat
some safety issues that they had identified.
Having designed and manufactured a solution
and installed these units we have had very
positive feedback from this project, to which
this option may be rolled out to all steel plants
in the UK and even Europe,” adds Nigel.
Last year MLE opened a new factory in
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in order to
promote newly developed equipment within
this known market and supply cost-effective
solutions. Since its launch, the facility has fared
well with attainment of ISO 9001: 2008, and
the generation of its own new business. This
adds another strand to MLE’s global presence,
which currently includes the Middle East, Far
East and Africa, as well as home markets of the
UK and Ireland.
“With rail electrification projects being
announced throughout the world
including the Middle East, Malaysia
and Russia, there is potentially a vast
market for our equipment due to its
design and reliability. Rest assured
that we will also be focusing on other
areas where the market is increasing.
Likewise with the UK DNOs having
more and more renewable energy
projects such as solar and wind
farms, it is an exciting time to be
involved with these companies,”
concludes Brian. zz
Web: www.morrisline.co.uk
145kV silicone insulators
RXL with RTU Unit
Rail Arc chute 1250amp
Anglia Metal Ltd Anglia Metal Ltd are manufacturers of plain and tinned
(tin-plated) copper wire to support a wide spectrum of
market sectors such as rail, automotive, data, power,
specialised cables and various other applications
using copper wire.
Tel: 01924 223 744
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.angliametal.com
Arrowvale Electronics Arowvale Electronics is an electronic sub-contract
design and manufacturing company with a speciality
in the rail industry. If you cannot find it off the shelf
they may be able to custom design and manufacture
it. Sub-contract design, sub-contract manufacturing
of PCB, wiring looms, harnesses, inter-car jumpers,
cabinets, full electromechanical products. In addition
they have their own range of products including:
on-train monitoring recorders, remote condition
monitoring equipment, data analysis & display
software, de-icing systems, electronic air-conditioning
controllers and in-cab and in-vehicle displays.
Tel: 01527 514 151
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.arrowvale.co.uk
Civils and Lintels A Grafton Group-owned company, Civils and Lintels
supplies a diverse and extensively stocked range of
products to the rail, civils and ground engineering
sectors of the UK construction industry.
Tel: 01925 255 700
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.civilsandlintels.co.uk
DWG Timber Components Ltd DWG Timber Components Ltd is a supplier of timber to
the railway, furniture and civil engineering industries.
The company recently won the European rights to sell
a unique range of products manufactured in the USA
which rejuvenate tired areas of infrastructure, from
railway sleepers to cracks and potholes in concrete
and tarmac.
Tel: 01159 395 992
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.dwguk.com
ERICO ERICO is a worldwide company based in France
manufacturing electrical rail connections and
accessories to provide reliable solutions for reduced
maintenance. Customers include railroads, metro and
tramway operating organizations as well as specialist
contractors and engineering offices.
Tel: +33 477361805
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.erico.com
F P McCann Ltd F P McCann Ltd manufactures and supplies a vast array
of precast concrete products for the civil engineering,
building, rail, utility and drainage industries, including
cable troughs, platform copings, ballast boards, fencing
materials, box culverts, power ducting, pipes, manholes,
jacking pipes, cover slabs, shafts and tunnels. The
company also manufactures bespoke products to order.
Tel: +44 (0)15 3024 0000
Web: www.fpmccann.co.uk
HL Plastics Ltd
HL Plastics Ltd is a manufacturer of the Liniar range of
Plastic Piling including the new HD Log Pile, an easy-
to-install heavy-duty retaining pile made from 100 per
cent recycled plastic with a wood polymer facing. Plastic
Piling is lightweight, easy to handle manually, easy on
access and transport, sustainable and cost effective.
Liniar also supplies a range of fence posts and gravel
boards as an alternative to concrete and timber.
Tel: 01332 883 800
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.hlplastics.co.uk
Phil Jackson Phil Jackson is a rail sector sales & marketing
professional.
Tel: 07722 158 302
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.uk.linkedin.com/pub/
phil-jackson/1A/490/256
Railfast Intermodal Ltd Railfast Intermodal Ltd develops strategies for increased
capability and flexibility in tomorrow’s rail network to
reduce financial risk on projects such as HS2. The
company is currently seeking partners for a novel,
patented approach to high-speed palletized rail freight,
sorting in transit.
Tel: 02476 615 429
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.railfastintermodal.com
Selectequip Ltd Selectequip Ltd is a supplier of many crucial types of
maintenance consumables, signage and safety supplies
to many different industry sectors.
Tel: 01543 416 641
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.selectequip.co.uk
Signal Aspects Ltd Signal Aspects Ltd provides a design and build service in
railway signal engineering including standard gauge and
narrow gauge applications. They also offer a range of
standard products that include electric point machines,
LED signal lamps, LED signal conversion kits, point
detection and train detection products.
Tel: 01768 352 560
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.signal-aspects.com
Tex Tech Industries Based in Ireland, Tex Tech Industries is a market leader
in fire safety protective materials for the transportation
industry. Their state-of-the-art thermal/acoustic
materials and seat fire blocking fabrics are used by the
world’s leading OEMs. Recent developments include
lightweight seat fire protection, carriage floor protection,
anti-vandal materials and ballistic protection.
Tel: +353 567 761 426
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.textech.us
Topcon (Great Britain) Ltd Topcon is an innovative and global market-leading
company developing and manufacturing precise
measuring, monitoring and mapping solutions for
challenging rail environments, Their systems are used
for rail engineering, asset management and machine
control.
Tel: 01244 669 999
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.topcon-positioning.eu
Webro Cable and Connectors
Webro is at the forefront of communication cable
and connector design and innovation for the rail
environment. The company is continually developing
cabling and connector solutions to provide the most
advanced communication cable and cable connector
technology available today.
Tel: 01159 724 483
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.webro.com
Recent new members of the Rail Alliance
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 123
www.railalliance.co.uk
For further information, please contact: The Rail Alliance Tel: 01789 720 026 Email: [email protected] Web: www.railalliance.co.uk
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzRail Alliance
27 June – Railway Strategies Live 2013LondonOrganisers: Railway StrategiesTel: 01277 368 318Email: [email protected]: www.railwaystrategies.com
10-11 July – Railway Engineering 2013LondonOrganisers: RRUKAEmail: [email protected]: rruka.org.uk/events/next-generation-rail-inspiring-the-future-of-rail-professionals/
15-16 July – Next Generation RailLondonOrganisers: ECS PublicationsTel: 0131 447 0447Email: [email protected]: www.railwayengineering.com
30 September – 2 October – European Transport Conference 2013FrankfurtOrganisers: Association of European TransportTel: 020 7348 1970Email: [email protected]: www.aetransport.org
This listing represents a selection of the events about which we have been notified. It is strongly recommended that direct contact should be made with the individual organiser responsible for each event before booking places or making travel and accommodation reservations. Cancellations and other last-minute alterations are liable to
occur. The editor and publishers of RAILWAY STRATEGIES are not responsible for any loss or inconvenience suffered by readers in connection with this guide to events.
zzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Conferences & Exhibitions
124 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
18-20 September – Many Parts One Railway: integrated delivery across the rail industryHertfordshireOrganisers: IMechE Railway DivisionTel: 020 7973 1291Email: [email protected]: www.imeche.org/events/S1755
8-10 October – Intermodal Europe 2013HamburgOrganisers: Informa ExhibitionsTel: +44 (0)207 017 5112Email: [email protected]: www.intermodal-events.com
12 November – Life Cycle ManagementFrankfurtOrganisers: Europoint Conferences & ExhibitionsTel: +31 (0)30 698 1800Email: [email protected]: www.lifecycleconference.eu
13 November – Track Access Charges 2013FrankfurtOrganisers: Europoint Conferences & ExhibitionsTel: +31 (0)30 698 1800Email: [email protected]: www.trackaccesscharges.eu
14 November – Wayside Train Monitoring SystemsFrankfurtOrganisers: Europoint Conferences & ExhibitionsTel: +31 (0)30 698 1800Email: [email protected]: www.waysidemonitoring.eu
March 2014 – Intermodal Asia 2014ShanghaiOrganisers: Informa ExhibitionsTel: +44 (0)207 017 5112Email: [email protected]: www.intermodal-events.com
20-22 May 2014 – Infrarail 2014LondonOrganisers: Mack BrooksTel: 01727 814 400Web: www.infrarail.com
23-26 September 2014 – InnoTrans 2014BerlinOrganisers: Messe Berlin GmbHTel: +49 (0)30 30 38 - 2376Email: [email protected]: www.innotrans.com
Date Location Event Organiser/Contact
27 June London Railway Strategies Live www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
10-11 July London Railway Engineering 2013 www.structuralfaultsandrepair.com
17 July Long Marston Introduction to BS11000 Rail Alliance Collaborative Business Relationships
24-25 July Long Marston Network Rail National Plant Exhibition Rail Alliance/Rail Media Group Incorporating Rail Alliance’s Macrorail 2013 – Exhibition of RA Members
10 or 12 Sep Midlands Members Meeting & Networking Event Rail Alliance(tbc)
18/19 Sep North East Members Meeting & Networking Event – Rail Alliance hosted by NewRail at Newcastle University
24-27 Sep Poland TRAKO 2013 www.trakofair.com
5 Oct Birmingham Rail Staff Awards 2013 www.railstaffawards.com
16/17 Oct Coventry Railway Interiors Convention in Rail Alliance Partnership with Coventry University Enterprises & Rail Media Group
Rail Alliance Outline Events Programme – 2013
EditorMartin Collier
Sales ManagerRob Wagner
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
Schofield Publishing10 Cringleford Business Centre
Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU
T: +44 (0) 1603 274130F: +44 (0) 1603 274131
RAILWAYS T R A T E G I E Szzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
FOR SENIOR RAIL MANAGEMENT