The Rail Engineer - Issue 99 - January 2013

January 2013

i s s u e

written by rail engineers for rail engineers available online at www.therailengineer.com

Under a SouthLondon beachThe £700 million expansion ofVictoria station sees a newprocess called ‘jet grouting’.

Alta Velocidaden EspañaGrahame Taylor visits Madridto check on Spain’s HighSpeed Rail credentials.

Reading Remodelling Takes ShapeBARELY RECOGNISABLE, READING STATION IS IN THE MIDDLE OF ITS TRANSFORMATION

99

Challenging upgradeat Tottenham Court Rd.The upgrade includes a fullrefurbishment of existingfacilities and new ticket halls.

january 2013 | the rail engineer | 3welcome

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Reading remodelling takes shape 6The remodelling of Reading station is one of thelargest projects currently being undertaken.

Alta Velocidad 14Grahame Taylor visits Madrid to check on Spain’sHigh Speed Rail credentials.

Signalling suppliers take note 18Clive Kessell attended the Network Rail SignallingSuppliers conference last month in Glasgow.

Under a South London beach 26Major expansion at Victoria, the second busieststation on the London Underground.

Challenging upgrade at Tottenham Court Rd. 29The upgrade includes a full refurbishment of existingfacilities and new ticket halls.

Bridging Dawlish 32The first Grade II listed Fibre Reinforced Polymer(FRP) bridge is installed at Dawlish station.

Sound Investment 47One of the most expensive ‘consumables’ on a railvehicle are its wheelsets and bearings. Stuart Marshinvestigates condition-based maintenance.

New Product Acceptance 54James Lewis, Technology Introduction ManagerNetwork Rail, explains the process and we highlighta few products which have gained acceptance.

Bridges & Tunnels; Electrical & Electronic Systems February

Signalling & Telecoms; Earthworks March

in this issue

forthcomingfeatures

We start the year with yet another bumperedition of the rail engineer.

The Reading project seems to have been foreverwith us but, with the very visible linkspan in position,it’s obvious that progress is stepping up. Clive Kessellhas been to see some of the obvious and not soobvious parts of the project.

Clive also went to hear about the latestdevelopments in signalling equipment. Fromobstacle detection on level crossings to paperlesstesting, from plug and play techniques to - youmight have guessed - aluminium cabling. There’salways something new out there.

I’ve been over to Spain and found that it is nolonger locked into the era of the old Iberian gauge.On the quiet, it has become the country with themost high speed lines in the world bar China.

Dawlish - waves crashing over the sea wall,corrosion aplenty for anything made out of steel.This is why Network Rail has rebuilt the stationfootbridge in plastic. But, believe it or not, it comescomplete with fake rivets. Chocolate-box planningregulations beggar belief sometimes.

Birmingham New Street station rebuilding is aclassic railway project where everything goes on outof sight of the general public. Nigel Wordsworth hasbeen behind the hoardings and has been shown thetrue extent of the work. So stand by for April this yearwhen part of the new concourse will be unveiled.

Much the same goes for the alterations to Victoriastation underground facilities. Nigel tells of the perilsof the Victoria station beach along with all theprecautions that have to be taken to ensure that theshows must go on in the nearby theatres.

It’s always been a crush getting through or out ofTottenham Court Road station. So work to enlargethe station was always going to be challenging.With an underground access bridge threading itsway beneath a sewer and over running line tubesChris Parker has been to see just how challenging

the whole scheme really is.How do you move a pub from platform 1 to

platform 4 with nobody noticing? Mungo Stacy hasthe answer in his article about Stalybridgeremodelling. This is a station that never seemed to fitthe railway that went through it. But all has changed- beyond all recognition.

‘Product acceptance’ and ‘minefield’. Is there adifference? Well, probably. There’s now a real drive tosimplify the whole process of bringing products intouse on the national network… and with far fewerexplosions.

Faced with a bewildering selection of surveyingtechniques and a dazzling array of measuringdevices, Chris Preston of Network Rail sets out somevaluable tips on how to use it all properly by puttinga few pegs in the ground - presumably still with asledge hammer.

Remember the squeal of bearings just before theyseized? Those of you who owned old motorbikes willbe familiar with this urgent prompt to drop theclutch and glide to a halt. Stuart Marsh has been tosee the modern version of acoustic monitoring thatdoes much the same thing, but months beforedisaster strikes.

Nigel Wordsworth has had a ride on somerefurbished rolling stock. It’s impressive how muchlife can be added to already elderly vehicles. Butplease, no more red/green coded signs. Thesemean nothing to 12% of the male population -including me!

Collin Carr has been hearing about the vision forthe railways in thirty years time. Perhaps the ideaswill be completely wrong, but it may help build insome future-proofing now. Can we remember whatwe said back in the eighties, and where did we putthe file?

Next month is the one hundredth edition of therail engineer so reinforce your letter box and standby for something really special.

4 | the rail engineer | january 2013 news

One of Edinburgh’s new trams ran at full speed (70km/hr)recently as contractors tested a 2.8km stretch of track. Thetram runs and system tests are the final part in thedevelopment of this section of the route.

Building the Edinburgh tram system has been anundertaking fraught with contractual problems. Workeven stopped for a time as the various parties wrangledabout overruns and costs. As a result, the final plan is nowfor a shorter route than was originally envisaged withtrams from the airport terminating at York Place ratherthan proceeding through Leith to Newhaven.

A new budget of £776 million was agreed in September2011. Work is currently either ahead of schedule or in line

with the revised timescale. It is anticipated that full routetesting will take place from Edinburgh Airport to YorkPlace in late Spring 2014 with passenger services due tostart during that summer.

After all the delays, Transport Convener Lesley Hindswas enthusiastic about the development: ”It’s hugelyencouraging to see an Edinburgh tram running at fullpace and it’s a tangible sign of just how far this projecthas come since mediation last year. Much progress hasbeen made in 2012 with bridges built, tram stopscompleted, miles of track laid and, most importantly, theproject remains on track to hit the revised budget andtimeframe.”

The first vehicle of Southern’s 26five-car class 377/6s has beencompleted at Bombardier’s Derbyworks.

Static testing of the first train isdue to commence in February, withthe completed unit expected toleave Derby late spring or earlysummer. Testing on the mainline willtake place around Kent. The newtrains will allow class 456s to becascaded to South West Trains after

they have received a C6 overhaul.All of the 130 vehicles are

expected to enter traffic for theDecember 2013 timetable change.

On 14 November, Southernannounced that it was exercisingthe option, which was due to expireon 31 December, to order 40 more(8 five-car sets) Electrostar vehiclesfrom Bombardier. These will bedelivered in 2014 and, unlike the377/6, will be dual voltage.

The new suburban 377/6s wereordered because the twenty three377/5s and three 377/2s currentlysubleased to First Capital Connectare not due to be returned toSouthern before 2015. This is as aresult of delays in procuring the newThameslink stock. Funded byPorterbrook the contract for the first26 trains is worth £188.8 million andfor the other eight around £34million.

High-speed tramLIGHT RAIL

IN BRIEF

Borders progressThe new Borders Railway took anotherstep forward with the award by NetworkRail of a £220 million contract to BAMNuttall as main contractor. It includesdetailed design and construction worksfor the new line and will see around 500jobs created by the project betweennow and the opening of the line in 2015.

The line will re-establish a passengerrail link for the first time in over 40 yearsfrom Edinburgh through Midlothian toTweedbank. It will include 30 miles ofnew railway with three existing stationsand seven new ones - at Shawfair,Eskbank, Newtongrange, Gorebridge,Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank.

Keeping track workers safeThe 2012 Altran Foundation Award inthe UK has been awarded toBombardier, for its TrackSafe, a system toimprove safety and productivity forrailway track workers.

TrackSafe creates improved locationawareness for track workers and trainoperators through the use of RadioFrequency Identification (RFID) andother advanced technologies. TrackSafeoffers an additional element ofprotection by providing highly relevantalerts to track workers and trainoperators in real time.

The project has demonstrated a highdegree of collaboration betweenBombardier, industry, local operatorsand academia. TrackSafe was alsowinner of the 2012 IET InnovationAward.

New loos for SprintersWolverton-based company Railcare hasjust completed the first Class 156 that itis rebuilding for Porterbrook.

This first two-car unit was returned toservice with Greater Anglia afterreceiving a complete interior overhaulas part of the planned C6 maintenanceprogramme, including new carpets,dado panels and seat covers.

To make the units compliant withPassengers of Reduced MobilityTechnical Specification forInteroperability (PRM TSI) regulations, anew accessible toilet was fitted. Interioraccess has been improved by theremoval of the doors between thevestibules and passenger compartment.New external door sounders have beenfitted to give an audible warning whenthe doors are closing.

New train nears completionROLLING STOCK

january 2013 | the rail engineer | 5news

Christmas work

Signalling Solutions Limited (SSL), theAlstom/Balfour Beatty joint venture,has had a few early Christmas presentswith six contracts being awardedrecently.

Firstly, Network Rail has awarded thecompany a £12 million contract torenew the signalling systemcontrolling approximately 18 miles ofrailway between Arundel andHorsham. A smaller, £750,000 contractinvolves the early design stages for thelarge scale renewal of the signallingsystem controlling lines in theScunthorpe-Cleethorpes area of NorthLincolnshire.

Three more contracts from NetworkRail, totalling £22 million, cover theearly stages in the renewal of the

signalling system controlling majorareas of the Great Western Main Line.SSL will deliver the design and earlyworks for the renewed system, inpreparation for the main works whichare planned to take place between2013 and 2015.

And finally, VolkerFitzpatrick hasawarded SSL a £9 million contract toprovide the signalling componentwithin a project to upgrade GatwickStation. This is part ofVolkerFitzpatrick’s contract withNetwork Rail for a majorenhancement of Gatwick Station,which includes the implementation ofa new platform as well as layoutchanges designed to increase theflexibility of operation.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Early Christmas for SSLSIGNALLING

By the time you read this, the men andwomen in orange will have spent theirChristmas and New Year hard at workmaking improvements and renewalson the railway network. Theseincluded:• Bletchley - commissioning new

signalling as part of a £120 millionproject to improve reliability,linespeed and operational flexibilitythrough the station.

• Shugborough Tunnel - a completerenewal of all rail, sleepers, ballastand drainage through this tunnel toimprove reliability. 7,000 tons ofballast brought in and 2,300 sleepersreplaced.

• Tanners Hill flydown - demolition andrebuild of a road overbridge. Part ofthe Thameslink project increasing the

capacity of the junction, bringingtrains from Lewisham/Hayes onto themain line from Kent.

• Balham and Wandsworth -lengthening platforms for 10-cartrains. Includes rebuilding an entirebridge at Balham.

• Milverton Viaduct, Leamington Spa -ballast and track lifted to allowwaterproofing and the installation ofa concrete slab under the track toremove a long-standing 20mphspeed restriction.

• Cuxton Road Bridge, Rochester -overbridge demolished and replacedin a single possession. The bridgelimits the weight of trains that can becarried on the line, and has a speedrestriction in place. Both restrictionswill be removed.

t’s a new year and Railtex is now just a fewmonths away. This year’s show takes place

at Earls Court in London from 30 April to 2May and will be the eleventh of theseevents, incorporating all the familiar featuresplus a few new ones.

Part of Railtex for the first time this year willbe The Yard. Successfully introduced at lastyear’s Infrarail event at the NEC, this is adedicated area of the exhibition for largeritems of rail plant, supplementing the usualdisplay of rail-related equipment andmachinery, The Track.

Also new in 2013 is The Platform, whereRail Champions in partnership with Railtexwill host an interactive discussion forum ontopical themes with panels of industryexperts. Another innovation will be theRailtex Awards, celebrating theachievements of companies taking part inthe exhibition.

Among established features returning tothe event is a wide-ranging seminarprogramme devised and hosted by thismagazine, with a high profile keynotespeech on each of the three days. Thespeaker on the opening day will be the RtHon Simon Burns MP, Minister of State forTransport. Speaking on the following dayswill be Network Rail Chairman Richard Parry-

Jones and CrossrailCEO AndrewWolstenholme. Thesepopular sessions willbe open to all and arefree to attend.

In the ProjectUpdate Theatre visitorsto the show will beable to hear briefingson the progress ofsome of the major railschemes in progressnationwide, includingcontributions fromNetwork Rail.

And of course there arethe exhibitors. Thegrowing list of firms takingpart already includes manyof the industry’s bestknown names, as well asnumerous specialistsuppliers of essentialservices to the rail market.Forming part of the show thisyear will also be the Rail Alliance Hub and theDerby & Derbyshire Rail Forum Hub, providingmember companies with a coordinated standpresence.

The latest list ofexhibitors plus more details of everythingtaking place at Railtex can be found on theregularly updated show website.

I

w www.railtex.co.uk

Railtex is coming…

he remodelling of Reading station isone of the largest projects currently

being undertaken by Network Rail. Previousarticles in the rail engineer (issue 76 Feb2011 - Caversham Road Bridge, issue 77March 2011 - Station Area Resignalling andissue 78 April 2011 - New Station Design &Layout) gave an insight into the massiveamount of work that was to come.

Now, nearly two years later, the station is inthe middle of its transformation and forthose who knew Reading station of old, it isbarely recognisable. Only the old buildingthat was once the main entrance remains,this having listed status and is currently theThree Guineas pub. All the rest has beenswept away and the platforms are full oftemporary canopies and new constructionworks. A site visit was arranged recentlycourtesy of Invensys Rail to see what isgoing on and to learn the plans for the nexttwo years.

The story so farSince early 2011, track alteration work has

concentrated on the ex-Southern lines intowhat were platforms 4a and 4b, entered viaa single lead junction. A further platform hasbeen provided and a new approach bridgeconstructed so that double track andassociated point work gives access to allthree platforms (now numbered 4, 5 & 6)with the benefit of allowing in and outmovements at the same time.

Those of us old enough to remember theold Reading Southern station might smilewhen we realise the new layout is nowsimilar to the old. Who says things never gofull circle!

The ‘SouthernTunnel’, which oncelinked the SR lines tothe north side of thestation and has beendisused for manyyears, is being re-instated, with thetrack and most of theS&C work completein readiness forcommissioning in2013.

The main throughplatforms aredominated by theconstruction of thenew ‘Transfer Link’, ahuge overbridgetowards the western end of the station thatwill give access to all mainline platforms fromboth a new south side entrance and a newnorthern entrance adjacent to the existingmulti storey car park. Stair, lift and escalatoraccess to and from the bridge will meet allmodern day statutory requirements as wellas being big enough to accommodatewaiting facilities and retail outlets.

The north side of the station, where thegoods lines ran and the old powerbox andtelephone buildings were sited, isunrecognisable with two new islandplatforms being constructed on thereclaimed land. These are almost completeand will be the new relief line platforms andloops when commissioned. Trains travellingtowards the SR lines from the north andwest will use these platforms and thereinstated tunnel, so avoiding conflictingmovements across the GW main lines.

Another piece of work well underway isthe new train care depot being built wheresidings once stood on the north side to thewest of the station, more of which later.

A model of co-operationWith much past criticism as to how

Railtrack and Network Rail handled projectsin the past and a damning indictment oncost control in the McNulty report, it wouldseem that important lessons have beenlearned. Reading is seen as a ‘BreakthroughProject’ where client and contractors work asa single team. There is a single project siteoffice - at 80 Caversham Road - usingpremises vacated by Royal Mail. Whilst theNetwork Rail team is based here, all exceptone of the main contractors also have asenior team in the same building with manyof them also undertaking detailed designwork from within the premises. To completethe line up, First Great Western have apresence in the building so as to plan andagree the impact on train services as thevarious work stages take place.

By mutual agreement, there is avoidanceof duplication by having a sharedresponsibility for construction engineers,planning engineers and other on-siteresponsibilities. This has enabled muchgreater integration and collaboration withany emerging problems being resolved by aquick meeting of minds on site. As such, theproject is running around one year early.

T

6 | the rail engineer | january 2013 stations

Reading RemodellingTakes Shape

Clive Kessellw r i t e r

The new TransferLink will be openat Easter.

For a full tracklayout diagram ofReading, see page12, Issue 90, April2012.


Easter 2013The biggest change will happen at Easter

2013. As well as commissioning the newTransfer Link and the opening of both thenew north and southern entrances, majortrackwork and associated signalling will betaking place. However before the actualweekend, the existing link span bridge fromthe eastern concourse to all platforms andthe car park has to be taken down as itssupport pillars affect the signal sightingfrom the new north side platforms. Thisremoval will take place in March but, toallow travellers to access the island

platforms, the old passenger subway, whichwas closed off a few years ago, is to betemporarily re-opened. Suitable work tomake this safe for use is underway.

The Easter work will involve a four daypartial blockade and a further six day limitedblockade. Services will cease at midnight onthe 28 March to allow changes to the eastend junctions to begin. By Good Fridaymorning, platform 2 will re-open to allowterminating trains from the Basingstoke andNewbury directions to use the station, alongwith platforms 4 and 5 for the Southernservices to Waterloo and Gatwick. Over thenext four days, the main GW route will seethe fast lines closed ready for slewing intothe position of the present relief lines. Thesein turn will be moved over to the newplatforms 12 to 15. The civil engineeringteams will work alongside the signalengineers who have to equip the newtrackwork with axle counters, commissionthe new LED (Dorman) signals and 43 newpoint ends powered by in-bearerclamplocks.

All the altered signalling has to becontrolled from the Thames Valley SignallingCentre at Didcot where the WESTLOCKinterlockings and IECC displays will beupdated with the data for the changedlayout. The data preparation work is beingdone by the Invensys design team and isunderway already. Testing the signalling willbe firstly done by simulation of the layoutfollowed by a full functional test during theblockade period. During this time, the Bristoland South Wales service will be diverted viaBanbury, something that has been tried andtested during previous blockades. West ofEngland services will be diverted toWaterloo.

By the morning of Tuesday 2nd April, therelief lines and loops using the newplatforms 12-15 will be brought into use,thus allowing a limited through service tore-commence. The Reading West curve willalso be re-opened to allow important freighttraffic to resume from the Midlands toSouthampton Docks.

The remaining limited blockade period willsee the up and down main lines towardsBristol slewed into their new position eitherside of the island platform numbers 8 and 9.They will also be repositioned on the westapproach to the station to make room forbuilding the viaduct that will eventuallygrade separate these lines from those goingsouth towards Newbury and Basingstoke.

The following weekend will see a furtherclosure of all the through lines to enable theremaining point work and signalling to beconnected and tested, with all lines re-opening on Monday 8th April. For the nexttwo years, there will be a speed restriction of50mph on the main lines and 40mph on therelief and, although this sounds draconian, inpractice it does not seriously restrictoperations since most trains stop at Reading.The new points are being designed for 50mphturnouts and with the limited line speeds, it isnot considered necessary to provideapproach control on the main line signals.

Fulfilment of the projectWith the station remodelling essentially

complete, work can start in earnest toconstruct the flyover viaduct to the west ofthe station, which is scheduled forcommissioning at Christmas 2014. Somepreliminary work has already commencedwith the closure earlier in 2012 of Cow Lanebridge, a narrow road under the main lines

Class II signallingpower forms partof the newscheme.

Invensys Rail works collaboratively with clients and partners to secure the safety and efficiency of the railway. We take the time to listen to your needs and turn this into effective actions which puts your project on track for success.

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on the north side of the western triangle,which the Local Authority was anxious tosee widened so as to route more traffic awayfrom Caversham Road. The replacementbridge will open in 2014.

The existing down fast platform (was 5now 7) will be widened to about where theexisting through line is located and thiswill be used for trains going towards thewest of England. The current easternconcourse and ticket barrier will remainbut will only give access to platform 7 andthe Southern routeplatforms.

The new train care depot will open in July2013, followed shortly by the transfer of trainservicing activities. The depot will have itsown signalling system provided by Invensysusing their proprietary WESTCAD andWESTRACE products. These are ideal fordepot-type operation and still give SIL4 safetyassurance. The old train maintenancebuildings in the triangle of land west of thestation will then be demolished to prepare fora complete re-alignment of the lines fromReading West so that London-bound trains

can be routed to the north side of the stationwithout interfering with the main Bristolroute. It is planned to have the Oxford Roadjunction (south side of triangle) remodelledduring Christmas 2013 and the relief lineapproaches brought into use during Easter2015 with final functionality achieved inAugust 2015.

Electrification of the GW main line will becarried out in parallel to the Reading re-modelling and overhead line stanchions willbe erected where it is sensible to do this aspart of the station rebuild work. As aNetwork Rail spokesman said: “It was felt

that the work should go on at the same timeand as part of the same project to avoidhaving to do it all again later!”

Lundy Projects was already on site,installing signalling gantries, and they havebeen tasked with installing theelectrification structures as well. The newdepot is already visibly equipped with 25kVoverhead equipment. Switch-on of theoverhead lines for testing purposes will takeplace in 2016, so the wiring will be installedduring the final phases of the station andtrack alteration work. The ‘Southern Tunnel’is expected to have the 25kV systeminstalled into a short section of 3rd rail 750VDC territory to enable dual voltage tractionunits to access the ex-Southern lines.

The remaining upgrade is the declaredintention to equip the GW route with ERTMSsignalling. The WESTLOCK equipment isalready ETCS compatible, which is a help,but much more design work on the ERTMS‘package’ will be needed before firmcontracts can be placed. Key to success willbe resolving the data handling limitations ofGSM-R as busy traffic areas such as Readingare likely to remain as conventionalsignalling under the current ERTMS mode ofoperation.

Benefit and costReading has been an operational bottleneck

for years and many trains get stopped outsidethe station waiting for a spare platform. All thiswill be a thing of the past and the new stationand layout will also give a valuable capacityincrease for any future growth.

Undertaking a major project like this is notcheap: the Reading scheme is budgeted at£895 million excluding the provision of theThames Valley CC but including theelectrification. The improved managementpractices should enable the final spend tobe less than this, thus giving a role modelfor other large projects planned forelsewhere

Prefabricatedsections of thenew Transfer Linkroof arrivedstacked on a lorry.

january 2013 | the rail engineer | 11stations

ne of the companies deeply involvedwith the work at Reading station is Tata

Steel Projects, which commenced work inApril 2008 to design the infrastructurerequirements for remodelling the area.Along with architect Grimshaw, Tata SteelProjects was engaged to undertake thedesign of key station structures and thepermanent way layout which form thebackbone of the redevelopment works.

The design of the station redevelopmentincorporates five new through platforms, anextension to the existing southern platforms,an additional southern terminating platform,a new transfer bridge, a new north-south

public route and a new northern entrance. Insummary, the remodelling will see thefollowing changes to the station:• New ticket hall and staff accommodation

in the northern building• An additional gate line on the southern

side (western gateline)• A new transfer deck structure provided to

access platforms 7 -15• New platforms 12-15• New platform 4• Existing platforms 5 and 6 rebuilt and

increased in length• Platform 7 widened• New canopies to all 15 platforms

• New platform buildings• Refurbishment and extension of the

existing subway.

As Clive Kessell reports elsewhere in thisissue, work at Reading is moving at atremendous pace and the opening of thefirst stage in April 2013 is fast approaching.In undertaking design support on behalf ofNetwork Rail, Tata Steel Projects andGrimshaw have been working closely withthe Costain/Hochtief joint venture, itssubcontractors and other stakeholders tohelp overcome any design issues during thebuild phase.

O

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The final push at Reading Station


New transfer deckA key feature of the development is the

new transfer deck. This footbridge connectsthe new northern entrance and westerngateline entrance buildings and allows easytransfer to the station platforms via stairs,escalators and lifts. Construction workbegan in autumn 2011 and it is due to openalong with the new platforms and entrancesin April 2013.

The finished transfer deck will be 100metres long and 30 metres wide, and will bea four span vierendeel truss bridge weighingin at 2,400 tonnes. It was always envisagedthat it would be built in sections andwinched across the railway using a strandjacking technique. Tata Steel Projectsprepared the detailed design of the transferdeck including piles, pile-caps, piers and thesteel superstructure and worked closely withCostain’s sub-contractor, Cleveland Bridge,to optimise the jacking sequence. Phase 1involved construction of a 50 metre lengthof the superstructure to the north of theexisting platforms. Roof and soffit claddingswere also pre-installed.

The 700 tonne structure was successfullylaunched across the railway over four nightshifts in early July 2012 by a pair of 60 tonnestrand jacks positioned on the sides of thebottom chords at a maximum speed ofaround five metres per hour.

Phase 2 assemblies added a further 25metres to the north end of the bridge. The75 metre long structure now weighed a totalof 900 tonnes and a further 25 metre launchin late August saw the bridge cross overthree more tracks and reach the new southentrance building (western gateline). Thestructure was then lowered on to itspermanent mechanical bearings. Tocomplete the structure, the final 25 metreswas constructed in-situ, concrete slabs werepoured, glazing added, lifts and escalatorsfitted and floor tiles installed.

New entrances and a rebuilt subwayBoth the northern entrance and the

western gateline are progressing and thesteelwork, cladding and glazing is nowinstalled. Again, Tata Steel Projects andGrimshaw worked closely with Costain’ssubcontractors to produce a fullycoordinated and integrated design. Finalfinishing of the building façades will becomplete early in 2013. The buildings arenow water tight which allows for the fittingout of the mechanical, electrical andcommunications systems. The complexinstallation of the lifts and escalators hascommenced and is progressing toprogramme. Architectural designs havebeen finalised so that the finishes in thebuildings and transfer deck can becompleted.

The existing subway under the station isbeing refurbished and extended to providea through route between the north andsouth areas of Reading. In doing this, somesignificant and challenging problems withwater ingress into the subway had to beovercome. Part of thesubway width hasbeen walled off toform the mainmechanical andelectrical servicespine across thestation, so havingwater pouring inwas not a goodidea!

Significantretainingstructures andearthworks weredesigned toextend thestationnorthwards forthe building offive newplatforms. Acombination ofreinforcedearth piledconcrete wallsand traditional

earth slopes havecontributed to significant savings based onthe outline design proposal.

The new platforms are now built and theexisting ones are being refurbished. All ofthe platforms will have new canopies andplatform accommodation buildings whichhave been designed to complement thetransfer deck. In addition, all fittings andfixtures have been incorporated into thecanopies to reduce visual clutter. Newplatform surfaces, including tactiles, copersand oversails from Charcon complete theupgrades. The new track through platforms12-15 was connected into the main line via anew arrangement of switches and crossingsover Christmas 2012.

Tata Steel Projects has also made provisionfor overhead line equipment through thestation as part of the Great Westernelectrification project. The foundations havebeen designed and are currently beinginstalled ready to receive all of theassociated steelwork and gantries.

The project at Reading is moving at atremendous pace, and Tata Steel Projects isproud to be part of this prestigious project.

(Right) The newTransfer Deckunderconstruction.(Above) Addingthe cladding.

The vertical face ofthe new entrancebuilding.

TOGETHER WE MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

For more information contact:T: +44 (0) 1904 454600 E: [email protected]

We can help you !nd the most cost-e"cient ways to achieve your goals, by o#ering a full range of engineering services covering the entire life cycle of a project, from consultancy, planning and design through manufacture, installation, construction and site management

14 | the rail engineer | january 2013 feature

Alta Velocidad“ his is one of the sections we designed.”

There’s a brief pause in conversation asFernando Mesa, project director of transportinfrastructure at AECOM, points to linesidefeatures rapidly passing by on the highspeed line from Madrid to Barcelona.

“This is our viaduct. Just here. See? ” It’s gone in a flash. “Oh well, there’s another in a moment”. “This is one of our tunnels”. There’s a few seconds darkness and then

back into the brilliant sunshine.The train is speeding along at 290km/hr as

indicated by the display at the end of thesaloon - which also shows that the outsidetemperature is 15°C.

Madrid to BarcelonaThe cab of the Siemens Velaro E is spacious

with plenty of seating for ‘guests’. The driver,seated centrally, surveys his desk ofilluminated displays and explains theirpurpose with staccato hand movements -not easily understood as they are all inSpanish. His is a monitoring role. The drivingis done by ‘the computer’. This is ERTMS level2 in action. The distance approaches atalarming speed. Bridges and tunnels growrapidly and then are gone - so what hopeconventional signals?

The journey started from Madrid Puerta deAtocha station in the early morning. Despitethe sunshine, the Madrileños were muffledfrom what they perceived to be a distinctchill - tropical by UK standards. Madridstation is a huge multilevel complex that hasextended the old station which is now amixture of St. Pancras and Kew gardens.Trains no longer occupy its high elegantroof. It’s a circulating area that prepares youfor the new station and the state-of-the-arthigh speed running that is spreadingthroughout Spain.

Burying good newsThe Spaniards love their high speed rail.

Sure, they’ve had air travel between manyof the main centres of population for a longtime, but few want to experience thedubious delights of the queues, theuncertainties, the spectacular delays andthe rigorous security checks. There issecurity before boarding a high speed train,but somehow it seems more welcoming,even when arriving just minutes beforedeparture.

But although Spaniards love to have highspeed rail, many don’t want to see it -especially in urban areas - so they’vedeveloped a technique of burying goodnews. The same applies to their road systemswithin cities. Far better to see open parklandand traffic-free zones than gaze over vitaltransport links. So high speed rail goesunderground. Not deep underground, justenough to be out of sight.

Spanish railway revivalAway from the city, the scenery changes

rapidly with the route forging its waythrough striking stratified rock cuttings thatare so much a feature of the Spanishlandscape. With layer on layer of sandstones,marls and gypsum they are a geologist’sdream, that is if there was time to see them.And, as for Fernando’s section, it seemed tohave disappeared very quickly. Why was it soshort? Well, this simple question prompts alook back at the early days of the Spanishrailway revival, the scale of which isunprecedented.

Perhaps there’s a tendency to think ofSpanish railways as being locked into the eraof the Iberian gauge - the old track gaugethat the country inherited from the 19thcentury. It didn’t catch on anywhere else andSpanish railways became isolated. Almostthe rest of Europe and indeed most of theworld, adopted the international 1435mm -give or take the odd millimetre. Spain heldonto 1668mm. Until recently, Spain sufferedfrom two types of border: Internationalborders - largely solved by joining the EU -and also their internal borders where thenormal gauge met the Iberian gauge. Thislatter problem has been solved with theinnovative use of gauge changing axles, butthis involves special rolling stock and reallythe Iberian gauge track is never going to beupdated.

Surviving politicsNevertheless, Spain is forging ahead with

its network. In fact, apart from China, whomnobody will ever match in mileage terms,Spain is in second position with more highspeed track in service than even Japan,France and Germany.

Central government is the driving forcebehind this with a strategy born morethan twenty years ago. Governmentinitiatives can fall prey to politicalexigencies, but high speed rail seems tohave survived all this. The main politicalparties are in agreement, by and large, onthe need for a robust system of high speedlines so that main centres of commercecan be linked and outlying areas canbenefit from the prosperity that highspeed lines can generate. Indeed, therewas a commitment that no main city ofSpain should be further than fiftykilometres from a high speed line.

In the early days, the infrastructure wasunder the stewardship of the Ministry ofWorks. They employed engineers and haddeveloped a sound in-house knowledge ofrailway construction, operation andmaintenance.

Design capabilityThen, in 2003, came the split between the

operator of the railways, Renfe Operadora,generally now referred to as just Renfe, andthe infrastructure administrator, Adif(Administrador de InfraestructurasFerroviarias).

Adif further developed its expertise andwent out to the market to augment itscapabilities of designing and delivering theburgeoning network of lines.

But, earlier than that, in 1993 INOCSA, analready established private companyexperienced in the design and delivery ofmotorways and general highways, becameinvolved. They, along with other relatedcompanies, worked with Adif to build on theexperience of the early years in thecompilation of standards and manuals ofbest practice. This shrewd move has meantthat high speed railway engineering in Spainhas sound provenance and is everdeveloping. AECOM, having acquiredINOCSA in 2010, is now well able to offerhigh speed design and supervisionthroughout the globe as a result of much ofthis earlier work.

T

Grahame Taylorw r i t e r

View of a high-speed traincrossing a viaductin Bubierca,Saragossa, Aragon,Spain; AVE MadridBarcelona.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

(Above) The high-speed train movingto a platform at arailway station inMadrid.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

january 2013 | the rail engineer | 15feature

CompetitionSo, back to the seemingly short sections of

railway design contracts. Why split a 600kmroute into so many 15km chunks? Well, for astart, these sections don’t involve track,signalling or power. They focus on the designof the route, the bridges, viaducts, tunnelsand track substructure. The provision of trackis dealt with in longer sections and contractsfor the control systems and power are routespecific. This ensures that there are nocomplications with unnecessary interfaces orjoints. But for the sub-structure it is possible,especially with modern data systems, to abutseparate design submissions withoutinconsistencies - especially if the wholeprocess is overseen by a competent centralorganisation such as exists within Adif.

The awarding of short sections is all to dowith competition and, to an extent, as a wayof reducing client risk. Adif is able to callupon respected design houses knowing that,as there is considerable competition, theywill be assured of sensible prices along withthe innovation that the process encourages.

The ferocious competition extends to theconstruction phase as well. An exampleinvolves the construction of a pair of singlebore tunnels through one of the manySpanish mountains. Spain, incidentally, isreputed to be the second mostmountainous country in Europe afterSwitzerland - something that gives railwaydesigners plenty to think about.

So, with two bores to be driven, thecontract between a couple of contractorswas not split with one bore each. Rather, thecontract for each bore was arranged so thata different contractor started at each end ofa bore. This is truly an aggressivecompetitive strategy.

Bidding for international workJavier Gutiérrez del Olmo, European

director of the AECOM MadridTransportation Design Centre, is at easewith this spirit of competition that hasbeen firmly embedded into the Spanishtendering system. Continuing successes indelivering both initial and detailed designsfor all of the emerging branches of theSpanish high speed network have putAECOM in a strong position for bidding forwork outside of Spain.

A recent enquiry for a motorway designfrom Romania was delivered in just threemonths starting from a position of havingno initial survey data whatsoever. Javierconsiders using a suite of staffingarrangements depending on thecircumstances. From his team of around 70or 80 engineers he can select a few andembed them with a client or he can run adesign completely from arm’s length. Onthe other hand, if the opportunity arises,he is happy to consider a structuredexchange of personnel to give the ultimatearrangement of collaborative working.

Link to FranceAfter just over two and a half hours the

train enters Barcelona Sants station. Up untilthe opening of this high speed line therewas no convenient rail link from Madrid -just a succession of Iberian gauge, relativelyslow services. The Barcelona link in factbrings new traffic to the capital of this regionin direct competition to air traffic.

At the moment though, this is the extentof the journey. But from early January a newlink in the high speed line network will beopened to join Madrid with Figueras, justbefore the French border, throughBarcelona. This link has involved theconstruction of a tunnel from BarcelonaSants station through to the station area atLa Sagrera, which is where the line to Francecontinues.

Up until recently, La Sagrera has been aforgotten railway area with a lowlycommuter station, Sant Andreu Comtalstation, set in a large area of barren railwaysurroundings separating two communities.The integration of a high speed line throughthe area has prompted the establishment ofan urban regeneration company thatinvolves the local and regional councils, Adifand Renfe. With planning and feasibilitywork started in about 2002, there is now firmground level evidence of a massive schemethat will bring an important rail link to thispart of the city, completely regenerating thearea and unifying the communities.

Landscaped parklandIn keeping with the general Spanish

preference, the railway will exist - but onlyout of sight. The footprint of the scheme,which includes two maintenance depotsand the rearrangement of urban and highspeed lines, is enormous. It will be one of thelargest buildings in Barcelona and yet it willbe hidden under new landscaped parkland.AECOM were involved in all of the initial andfinal design work for all of this and, since2008, have taken on the role of contractsupervision for Adif. Isaac Calvo and histechnical director, Gloria Sánchez, have beenliaising with a multitude of players and havereceived strong support from AECOM’s headoffice in Madrid. Isaac says that the AECOM

AECOM may be known to Britishreaders as the company that recentlyacquired Faber Maunsell. It is a globalprovider of professional technical andmanagement support services to abroad range of markets, includingtransportation, facilities, energy,environmental, water and government.With approximately 45,000 employeesaround the world and anannual revenue of £5.1 billion, AECOMserves clients in more than 130countries providing a blend of globalreach, local knowledge, innovation andtechnical excellence.

AECOM

La Sagrera withnew high-speedline in theforefront.

View of a high-speed traincrossing a viaductin Purroy,Saragossa, Aragon,Spain; AVE MadridBarcelona.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK


remit included all of the track formation,bridges and tunnels up to, but excluding,the station area. This distinct separation ofcontracts is easily seen from the breezyvantage point of a tall Adif building -eventually to be demolished. AECOM hasanother team involved, coordinatingbetween the station project and the rest ofthe works being undertaken in the area.

Temporary alignmentAs Fernando Mesa, project director of

transport infrastructure at AECOM, pointsout, all the concrete work at each end isAECOM designed - the hole in the middle isthe station work. It is here that a vastexcavation is appearing which, in places, willextend to six metres below the level of thesea which is unnervingly close. In the finalarrangement, the high speed line will gothrough the new station, but at the momentit follows a temporary alignment around theconstruction site. This stretch of line is nowundergoing testing before commissioning inearly January when it will be linked to thesection from Madrid and to the existing highspeed link to France.

Best practiceReturning to Madrid in the late

afternoon, the train speeds again overmore sections of line that Javier proudlyidentifies as being designed by his team.“We start with just a 1:50,000 plan, developit to 1:5000 and then finally to the 1:1000construction plans. Once the designcontract is done we can then compete forthe role of contract supervision. In this waywe are continually enhancing ourunderstanding of this specialist designwork for this generation and futuregenerations of our engineers. This bestpractice in Spanish high speed rail will beinvaluable to other countries adding highspeed rail to their infrastructure.”

The speed indicator rises steadily to300km/hr, the outside temperature staysstubbornly above 10°C and the sun shinesrelentlessly.

A nearby Blackberry® device yields theinformation that the UK is in the grip ofwinter. Stansted airport has been closed bysnow…. “Déjame quedarme en España unpoco más!”

La Sagrera withthe excavation forthe new station inthe background.

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Signalling suppliers

Rail Signalling Productsfor 2013

or the last six years, Network Rail hasstaged nine one-day seminars with

suppliers from the signalling industry tobrief them on the engineering and technicaldevelopments that are taking place and toget feedback on the issues seen as pertinent.The 2012 event took place recently inGlasgow, so the rail engineer ventured northof the border to sit in on the discussions.

In opening, Mark James, the head ofEngineering Signalling in Network Rail,recalled that the company has now been inexistence for ten years and, in that period,much has happened in the way the railinfrastructure is managed with manyimplications for signalling.

The concept of a ‘Signalling IndustryPartnership’ has come about and, inControl Period 4, 9,300 SignallingEquivalent Units (SEUs) have beenrenewed, 2,400 SEU re-locks or re-controls have happened and 1,500SEUs are now commissioned using thenew modular technology. However,signalling costs are still considered tobe too high and a real reduction of16% is the target by 2019. The ‘cradleto grave’ time to develop andimplement signalling projects is fartoo long; the Network Rail chairmanhas been surprised by the oldmethods used in the signallingprofession. Hopeful signs are there to getpractices modernised: plug and playcabling, lightweight signals, signals on OLEstructures, 3D mapping, paperless testing,intelligent scheme plans. Acceleration inproject delivery is the first priority;innovation and new technology will besecondary to this.

Power distribution and cable typesSignalling systems require reliable power

supplies, both in equipment rooms and atthe lineside. A new generation of tracksidepower units - switchgear, transformers anddistribution units - has emerged in recenttimes to complement the predicted growthin new signalling schemes. The increase inpower demands can probably only beachieved from an extended supply chain.

A major part of power provision is theassociated extensive cable network.Traditionally, this has been copper based, anincreasingly expensive metal. Somereduction in need has been achieved byusing two instead of three-core cable, as isreported in our previous issue, but replacingthe expected demand for one million kilosof copper with something else is thechallenge. The solution, according to TahirAyub from Network Rail, is aluminium. Thisis an abundant metal that is theoretically100% recyclable without loss ofcharacteristics. It is £2,000/tonne comparedto copper at £8,000/tonne, but needs abigger core size for the same conductivity.Nonetheless, a saving of £8.50 per metre ispossible giving a saving of around £400,000per project.

F

Clive Kessellw r i t e r

• Introduction of TPWS• Maintenance brought in-house• HMS Sultan and Westwood College

training establishments• The Elsenham Level Crossing tragedy

and lessons learned in riskassessment

• The Grayrigg accident• The WCML over-runs but eventual

completion• A new devolved organisation• The 500th level crossing closure• A single site for Network Rail

technical departments at MiltonKeynes.

Notable events in the past 10 years

take note(Right) HW PointsSimulator fromPark Signalling.


Downsides are few: location cases will needsome re-design as the cable is harder to bendand an increase from 650V to 1000V for themain signalling distribution feeders might benecessary. In addition to cost reduction, thereare considerable other advantages. Using astranded cable, unarmoured but with a jellyfill, will yield a huge reduction in weight thuspermitting bigger drums and more handpulling. Bolted rather than compressionterminations are coming out as favourite. Thebusiness and technical case is in preparationand looks promising. Equally, signallingequipment designers can help by removingpeak load surges, point machine design beinga good example.

Records, drawings and dataThe acquisition, processing and retention of

records and other data has always been achallenge for railway engineers, and signalengineers in particular. Laborious, paper-basedinformation was for long the order of the dayand even the introduction of CAD tended onlyto replicate the paper procedures that hadgone before. It is evident now, however, thatmuch more imaginative use of computerscould thoroughly modernise these outdatedmethods.

Signalling scheme plans are one suchexample and Ken Peters from Network Raildescribed how the Signalling Tools andMethod Programme (STAMP) isrevolutionising the production of such plans.Begun in 2005, the system has now maturedand trial usage has been in place since 2010.The programme focuses on the structure ofasset data rather than producing drawingsby capturing the detail of a 3D design withina geo-spatial cross-disciplinary approachwhich models and simulates the workingrailway environment. Such designs are to usea common Signalling Data Exchange Format(SDEF) that will eventually becomemandatory. The concept of automatic imagerecognition using video collected from atrack recording unit in the Cardiff area hasbeen trialled, and from this information newassets can be inserted into the resultantmaps.

Once it has been collected, validating SDEFdata needs computer-aided assistance.Jennifer Whittlesea from Selex explained howa self-contained website application can beused which allows the processing of SDEF XMLfiles including the conversion if they werecreated in different versions. From this, thesystem will determine whether an SDEF designis valid for its intended new application.Examples are the headway analysis tool thatwill look at intended train service patterns and

a facility to see if existing rules for schemeplans are pertinent or relevant. From all of this,a suite of rules can be built up by use of agraphical editor.

Collecting data is one thing, controllingaccess to it is another challenge. Eddy Locke,from Network Rail’s data collection services,explained some of the considerations thatmust take place. To ensure data quality, thefollowing tests have to be fulfilled: does thedata have an owner, can the data bemaintained, who collectsthe data, how is itcollected, and howaccurate is it?

Thirty five terabytesof data are collectedeach year fromvarious sourcesincluding themeasurement trains,radio surveys andmanual methods. TheNetwork Rail datacentre at MiltonKeynes is upgradingits storage capacity to140 TB but the key willbe to analyse, decide on relevance anddistribute data to the right people. The ORBISproject (as mentioned in issue 98, December2012) is part of this. As well as being betterinformed, the project will reduce the numberof staff required out on the track, give greaterassurance on asset safety condition, and leadto faster remedial work when problems aredetected, e.g. broken rails.

Paperless testingThe time honoured way of testing new

signalling installations, with its multiplicity ofdrawings and paper tick sheets, is in need ofmodernisation. Neil Porter from Atkinsexplained how this can be achieved - not byaltering the process of testing but the way inwhich it is recorded.

A tester is provided with a mobile deviceonto which are downloaded the test sheetsand test logs. Structured on a central AtkinsWAN (wide area network), ‘bluebeam’software will open up the relevant drawingson the device including all the normal tester‘marks’ that would expect to be found. Thetesting activity takes place in the usual wayafter which the drawings are ‘flattened’ to rollup all the tester’s marks into a pdf file. Thefiles are sent to the original design housefrom which a new set of task sheets will beprepared by a tester in charge, who willcontinually review the test sheets to assessprogress and credibility. From the revised test

logs, the tester candetermine the extentof any re-test afterwhich the logs areupdated and finaltest certificationachieved.

The process hasbeen successfully tried

on a number of smallschemes with minor problems of softwarecompatibility identified. Use is intended forboth in-house and agency testers. It is,however, dependent on goodcommunications to the test site as well as arobust IT system to ensure continuity of data.Hourly updates of data from WAN to LAN (localarea network) would be good practice.

‘Plug and Play’ The idea of having pre-formed cables

which can be plugged together and intoequipment terminations is attractive as it cansave many man hours in the task of cableinstallation. But is it practical? GrahamThompson described the setting up of a trialsite at Leicester that can simulate realtrackside conditions. Cable routes,undertrack crossings, power cubicles, mainand shunt signals and 2 & 3 door locationcases, all replicating a typical signallinginstallation, have been provided.

Pulling the plug-coupled cables through anundertrack crossing is the biggest worry,especially if they are already in use and partlyfilled. Nonetheless, the trial has proven theconcept. Key will be the accuratemeasurement of the plug coupledassemblies which have to be precisely theright length. Installation time is significantlyreduced and signalling projects can beexpected to call for this technology in thefuture.


(Top) Class 158fitted with ETCS.(Left) Making aplug-coupledconnection.



Level crossingsand obstacledetection

Despite theextensive usage ofAHB and AOCL levelcrossings, a significantnumber of controlledbarriers exist on the UKrail network. Many of these utilise CCTVsurveillance so that the signaller can check thecrossing is not obstructed before the approachsignal is cleared. Can the surveillance task beautomated?

It fell to David Jones from the Network Railsignal design group at York to describe howobstacle detection technology can achievethis. Two detection systems are required -RADAR (radio detection and ranging) andLIDAR (light detection and ranging). TheRADAR needs detectors at each of the crossingcorners to provide reference points for the fourRADAR sensors. These will provide acontinuous ‘picture’ of the crossing and cancompare to the reference. However, RADARcannot scan down to ground level and wouldmiss a person lying down. Thus the LIDARsystem is also employed using both high andlow beam scanning lasers. Two LIDAR units arerequired, oriented towards each other.

In operation, the strike-in point is at thesignal showing green before the crossingcontrol signals, whence the entrance barriers(the left hand ones) will lower. If the obstacledetection system then determines thecrossing is clear, the exit barriers (the righthand ones) will lower. If, however, an obstacleis detected, the exit barriers are held for afurther ten seconds. In the event that, after thisperiod, an obstacle is still detected, then thebarriers will lower but the controlling signalswill not clear. The exit barriers will then beraised again to allow anything trapped toescape. This sequence continues and onlywhen an obstacle is no longer detected willthe signal clear. Video cameras and recorders

will monitor the events, these having numberplate recognition equipment and backed byinductive loops in the roadway to identifyrogue road users.

Three such crossings have been installed as atrial between Ely and Norwich as part of themodular signalling project and furtherinstallations between Crewe and Shrewsburyand at Llanelli were in place by the end of2012. Training courses are in preparation and

signalling installation andtesting manuals arebeing updated. Aframework supplycontract is in theoffing. This looks likebeing a standardfeature for suchcrossings in the yearsto come, thus savingthe cost ofconventional CCTVinstallations and

signaller time.

ERTMSThe Network Rail update on progress with

ERTMS, as given by Carine Marin, came acrossas very positive but perhaps somewhat over-optimistic. The Cambrian ‘early deploymentscheme’ (in other words - a trial) is now fullyoperational and many valuable lessons havebeen learned. The claim that ERTMS will yieldlots of extra capacity has yet to be borne outand it must be remembered that other, moremodern designs of train control system haveemerged since the development of ERTMScommenced nearly twenty years ago. Thebiggest on-going constraint is the lack of datacapacity on the GSM-R bearer and experiencein Europe has shown that the system isincapable of being used in high traffic areassuch as big terminal stations. The radioproblem is one that needsto be addressed urgentlyat a European level and,whilst the solution ofmoving to 4G is oftenadvocated by themobile radio industry,no practical solution hasyet emerged as to howthis would be achievedin practice on anoperational railway. Themigration path fromGSM-R and theavoidance of hugeamounts of additionalcost need to be part ofany plan.

Network Rail would be well advised tocritically examine their ERTMS promotionalvideo and re-format it so as to give a realisticforecast on what ERTMS can and cannot do.Raising expectations that turn out to be falsecould lead to severe embarrassment at a futuredate.

Other initiatives DeltaRail continued its promotion of IECC

Scalable and its first deployments atCambridge (for the Ely - Norwich scheme) andat Harrogate. A full account of this latestcontrol centre product using message brokertechnology was given in issue 92 (June 2012)and it looks to have a big future on NetworkRail and elsewhere.

The work of the Railway Industry Associationwas described by Francis How, its technicaldirector and currently the IRSE President. Now135 years old, the RIA is a trade organisationwith a whole range of members - big, small,specialist and general. It sees itself as beingsupportive to Government, Network Rail, LUL,TOCs, Roscos and others on projects, butadditionally promoting innovation, export,skills development, standards evolution andsafety policy. The forthcoming rail technicalstrategy focussing on the 4Cs (cost, capacity,customers and carbon) might equally wellapply to careers, competence, capability andcollaboration, and the RIA would wish to be atthe forefront of all these.

Altogether, a fascinating day where all thesuppliers present will have learned something.Network Rail should be congratulated that ittakes the time and trouble to brief thesignalling supply industry on the latestdevelopments and to encourage co-operationin the sector. Equally, it should be mindful ofthe feedback it receives from events like thisand be prepared to make changes where itwould be beneficial to do so.

(Top) Break-outbox.(Right) Padlockedpoints detectionisolator box byiLecsys.


A new lease of life

he sheer cost of buying a new fleet oftrains is enormous, and in these times of

financial hardship there is a strong case forlooking for other solutions. Recently,Eversholt Rail announced plans for twoprojects which will refurbish existing trainsto a high standard and allow them tocontinue operating for the next 15 years.One scheme covers East Coast’s mainlinetrains and the other the class 321 unitscurrently operated by Greater Anglia.

The current East Coast mainline servicemainly uses Inter-City 225 sets, built in thelate 1980s, which consist of a class 91locomotive, a rake of nine Mark IV coaches,and a driving van trailer (DVT) at the otherend. They were last refurbished between2001 and 2006 by HSBC Rail, the thenowners, so the interiors are around ten yearsold.

HSBC Rail was firstly renamed EversholtRail and then sold off by the bank to theEversholt Investment Group, a consortiumfunded by 3i Infrastructure, MorganStanley Infrastructure Partners and STARCapital Partners, in December 2010. It islooking long-term at refurbishing the setsso that East Coast, or whoever replacesthem with the franchise, can continue touse the same trains for the foreseeablefuture.

Although the Intercity Express Programme(IEP) trains from Hitachi will be coming alongcommencing 2017, these are not expectedto replace the 225 stock in the short term.The operator will therefore be needing amore efficient and passenger-friendly trainin the short to medium term.

With that in mind, a mock-up of a Mark IVcoach has been built to show off the newthinking, and Eversholt Rail invited the railengineer to sit in it.

Innovative interiorNoted interior designer Atlantic Design

Projects was asked for a concept whichwould be attractive to passengers, easy tomaintain, and have a common theme acrossthree or four classes of travel. These designswere incorporated into a full-scale mock-up,built by Solve 3D of Bedford, forstakeholders to view.

Stephen Timothy, head of relationshipdevelopment at Eversholt Rail, explainedthat the brief had been to come up with astyle which will give passengers new levelsof comfort and convenience while beingeasy to adapt between classes so that, astraffic patterns change over the course of afranchise, or even over a year, the mix ofclasses can be readily changed.

Atlantic Design’s directors, CharlesGreenway and Graham Love, were pleasedto show the results of their ideas. The mock-up looked exactly like the inside of a Mark IVcoach. Those items which didn’t needreplacing had been retained as there was noneed to incur additional cost. So the luggageracks, the walls and side ceilings were merelyrepainted. The colour chosen was a palelavender, but all the colours in the mock-upwere deliberately chosen to be neutral andtherefore to fit in with any franchise’scorporate colours which can be accentedwith headrest covers and lighting.

The lighting itself, supplied by McGeochTechnology, is LED, ceiling mounted anddimmable. It gives a good general lightthroughout, so there is no need for over-seatreading lights.

Standard classStarting in standard class, both table and

airline-style seating were shown. The mostnoticeable feature was that the seating issettee-style and is leather covered. AtlanticDesign commented that there is no need toreduce seat quality just because morepeople are accommodated in each carriage.The settee arrangement, with a centrearmrest which completely folds away, meansthat one person can spread out, or a couplecan ‘cuddle up’, or a family can sit with asmall child, much more easily than in themore usual individual seats.

To aid both comfort and cleaning, the seatis curved and the join between seat andback cushions is actually partway up theback. This means that the awkward-to-cleansplit in the back of traditional seats, whichfills up with fluff and crisp crumbs, doesn’texist.

T

NigelWordsworth

w r i t e r

(Above) Passengersenjoy the new FirstClass environment.(Inset) A seat inPremium class.

Each seat is made by Rica in Finland from a15mm thick honeycomb aluminium platecovered with hand-cut silicone foam. Thisreduces costs, as no expensive mouldingtools are required, while also reducing seatthickness. Thus the regular seat pitch cangive more legroom, up to 35mm on a tableseat or 22mm airline style, or if the currentlegroom is maintained the thinner seats canactually increase capacity.

Seats are mounted on standard runnerswhich stretch the length of the carriage. Onerunner passes exactly midway across thewidth of each seat, so the seat supports andthe legs of the tables are betweenpassengers, not encroaching on theirlegroom. The tables themselves are alsocurved to maintain the same style, and arecovered in wood veneer to give an up-market appearance.

Mounted above the window in line witheach seat is the display for the reservationsystem. Clearly legible, the full colour TFTdisplays are manufactured in Belgium byTelevic Rail and incorporate a simplered/green light - red the seat is reserved orgreen it is available. That should makefinding a seat easier!

Business and FirstBusiness class is a new concept. Individual

fully-contoured seats come from GrammerSeating in Germany and are pitched as firstclass, with one set of seats and a table acrossa window bay, but four across as in standardclass. The tables are similar to the ones instandard class but the window is fitted witha blind.

First class reverts to the settee-style of seat,although with thicker and softer RogersCorporation silicone foam, and of course theseats are only three abreast. With the thinnerseat backs, and a full-bay pitch, tables can bewider leaving plenty of room for two laptopsfacing each other. Pleated ‘curtains’ can bedrawn to cover the windows.

Above First there is Premier class.Individual reclining seats with footrests andpadded covers will allow businessmentravelling long distances to sleep on the wayand arrive refreshed at the end of theirjourney. There will only be a few of theseseats on each train, at a premium price, butthere will no doubt be a demand.

The combination of all these featuresmakes for a good looking and comfortabletrain. Axminster carpet and AndrewMuirhead leather seating throughout giveseverything a luxurious feel. As StephenTimothy said, “Even standard classpassengers have spent quite a lot of moneyon their tickets, so we should make themfeel as though they are getting value formoney.” And capacity is up as well, to 579passengers per train – 44 more than atpresent.


14th March 2013 Loughborough University

see

for confirmed

speakers

page 27

(Above) Businessclass.(Inset) The seatreservation system.

Locomotiveupgrade

Eversholt Rail is planning toinvest £20 million in the Class91 locomotive to ensure its continuedoperation and increased reliabilityperformance on the new franchise. Not onlywould this deliver a step change in reliability,but the locomotive would also have extrafunctionality such as a duplex pantograph(which is currently being trialled on onelocomotive on the East Coast), would beERTMS fitted by 2018 and would havemodern compressors and a wheel slideprotection system.

In addition, Eversholt has chosenBombardier as its partner for thedevelopment of a full service maintenanceproduct for the IC225 fleet. This enablesEversholt, in conjunction with Bombardier,to offer the successful TOC/franchisee amaintenance package that suits its needs.

An alternative traction option will also beoffered in the form of the Bombardier TRAXXUK. This will give the choice of the extraeconomies and efficiency to be gained froma new locomotive, but at a higher price.

Part of the successful TRAXX family oflocomotives, the TRAXX P200 AC UK, to givethe locomotive its full name, is an 81 tonne25kV electric locomotive designed to runwithin the British loading gauge. Fourtraction motors supply the drive with amaximum locomotive power of 5.6MW andfull regenerative braking is fitted so that,except in emergencies, the mechanicalbrakes on the coaches will rarely be used.This not only saves all the wear and tear ontheir brakes, but also reduces energyconsumption by returning 10-15% of thepower used back to the overhead line.

The new locomotives are, of course,designed to work with all types of signallingsystems and it is envisaged that, for EastCoast Main Line operations, they will befitted with AWS, TPWS and ETCS.

Each loco will have two pantographs, givingredundancy in case of failure, and also a ‘lastmile’ diesel engine. This is designed to enablethe locomotive to remove itself, and its train,from the main line in case of total powerfailure either on the loco or on the OLEinfrastructure. The 400 litre fuel tank will besufficient for much more than one last mile,and with a speed limit of 30mph it will allowthe train to reach a convenient station rather

thanbeingstranded outin the countryside.

Design for this tentatively-named class93 locomotive is well advanced andBombardier are just waiting for a launchorder before putting it into production at itsKassel factory in Germany.

Suburban improvementsWhile this Inter-City 225 upgrade /

replacement is a design concept at present,another Eversholt Rail initiative is alreadyunderway. Greater Anglia runs 94 four-carclass 321 trains which were built back in1988 and, like the class 225s, are nowgetting tired. One of these units is beingrebuilt in two formats, which will give aninteresting comparison.

Two cars will be fitted with a completelynew suburban-style interior. This will includeair conditioning, new energy-efficient LEDlighting, redesigned seats and twowheelchair spaces plus an accessible toilet.The original plan was to leave the windowsas they were, but in fact they are now beingreplaced by sealed, double-glazed units.

The other two cars of the same train willalso have the benefit of the air conditioning,new lights and windows, but the seating

arrangementwill be metro-

style - designed for the commuterwith slimline 2+2 seating, easy access andincreased standing space.

Currently undergoing refurbishment byWabtec in Doncaster, the refreshed train shouldrun in service towards the middle of 2013. It willbe interesting to hear passengers’ reactions tothe two alternative interiors as their commentswill influence what is done to the rest of thefleet.

It is estimated that the 94 trains will cost£70 million to refurbish to this standard, or£130 million if new traction equipment isincluded. This is a considerable saving overthe £600 million which would be theapproximate cost of a replacement fleet.

These projects, coupled with therefurbishment to a class 317 that is beingundertaken by Bombardier at Ilford(reported last month), show that the rollingstock companies (ROSCOs) are committed toimproving the standard of the trains theyown without subjecting their operatorcustomers to the cost of completely newtrains. It is an intriguing initiative, and it willbe interesting to see these ‘new’ trains whenthey break cover over the coming months.


(Right) Standardclass.

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NigelWordsworth

w r i t e r

ondon Victoria is one of the busiestmainline stations on the railway

network. Every year, over 73 million peopleeither enter or leave the station which, if youdo the maths, works out to over 100,000 perday in each direction.

A lot of those 100,000 arrivals go straightdown the stairs into the VictoriaUnderground Station. When added to thepeople who have come into theunderground by other means, on foot fromWestminster, by bus to the nearby Victoriabus and coach stations, it is not surprisingthat Victoria is the second busiest station onLondon Underground’s network.

So what do passengers findwhen they get there?

The Victoria line ticket hall is small andfrequently congested, with only threeescalators leading onto the platforms - onedown and two up. A passageway leads tothe original District line ticket hall, with stepsdown to that platform. There is a secondroute along that District line platform anddown at the other end to reach the Victorialine. There is no step-free access to theplatforms.

It really isn’t sustainable for a stationalready handling 82 million passengers ayear, not to mention the millions of others

who interchange between the two lines.London Underground realises this and a£700 million expansion is underway. Someof it is already visible.

Along the southern edge of the Victorialine ticket hall, in what will become knownas the South Ticket Hall, is a row ofhoardings. Behind those, the area is beingexpanded to over twice its size. The extent ofthis can be seen in the main line stationforecourt where another ring of hoardingsmarks out the approximate dimensions ofthe future cut-and-cover excavation.

A little way away, more hoardings markout the site of the brand new North TicketHall which will serve the other end of theVictoria line platforms. This ticket hall, likethe South, will also be built in a conventionaltop down piled box construction, with thetwo new halls linked by a series of boredtunnels and with systems such as CCTV andpublic address integrated into the overallmodernised station layout.

That, simply, is the programme. However,being in a crowded city, there arecomplications.

Keeping in with the neighboursFirst of all, there are the neighbours. The

Victoria Palace Theatre is a grade II listedbuilding and the Apollo Victoria is grade II*.Both have regular stage performances - theVictoria Palace is currently staging thesuccessful Billy Elliot musical while the

L

Under asouthLondonbeach…

(Lead) New areasare shown ingreen.(Inset) Artist’simpression of theSouth Ticket Hall.


Apollo is home to Wicked. These can’t beinterrupted, so noisy works have to bescheduled to account for that.

Another major neighbour is, of course, theNetwork Rail main line station. Putting upthe hoardings for the new South Ticket Hallblocked off the Victory Arch access to thestation so a new one had to be created. Afternegotiation with both Network Rail and theretailer concerned, a walkway was driventhrough a Boots store on Wilton Road.

The same hoardings blocked off theUnderground’s own access stairs on WiltonRoad. To compensate, the Sussex Stairs,outside the main line station front entrance,were doubled in size by adding a secondflight alongside the original.

The second problem is the groundconditions. When the Victoria line was builtin the 1960s, it was driven through LondonClay with the crown of the tunnel around 14metres below ground level. However, thecut-and-cover ticket halls will be at a muchshallower level than that. A few hundredyears ago, the area in front of Victoria stationwas a beach. A tributary of the Tyburn river,which is now buried as the Kings ScholarsPond Sewer, flowed past the spot. As aresult, the ground is a mixture of sand andriver gravels.

Being a well-developed part of the city,those sands and gravels are full of utilities.Sewers, power cables, telephone cables, gaspipes, water mains, internet links, CCTVfeeds - the list is almost endless. And they allrun under the roads and pavements in thearea.

Extensive planningLondon Underground could have dealt

with all these complications by privatetreaty. However, due to the extent of thechallenge, it was decided to go for theTransport and Works Act (TWA) route. Thisgave London Underground both the powersto acquire land for the purposes of buildingthe scheme and the power to operate itafterwards. The latest 2006 TWA includesmore provisions for consultation, so variousstakeholders had to be brought into thediscussions, and the TWA submission wasmade in November 2007. A public enquirywas held between October 2008 andJanuary 2009, and powers were granted inSeptember 2009.

Glenn Keelan, programme manager for theupgrade project, firmly believes that LondonUnderground should be a good neighbouras well as having legal powers to pushthings through. He spearheaded discussionswith the theatres to make sure that theirneeds were fully catered for, includingprovision for scheduled quiet times on siteto avoid disrupting scheduled shows andoccasional extra performances.

14th March 2013, Loughborough University

Confirmed Speakers include:

www.railsafetysummit.com

Colin Wheeler, Chairman

Steve Diksa, Director Bridgeway Consulting

Carolyn Griffiths, Chief Inspector, RAIB

Alistair Dormer, CEO, Hitachi Rail

Colin Dennis, Director, RSSB

Allan Spence, Director, Safety Strategy, Network Rail (ORR)

(Top) Newentrance to the(Bottom) NorthTicket Hall.


Mott MacDonald has been involved in theproject as designer since 2006. Following atender process under OJEU (the OfficialJournal of the European Union) guidelines,the Taylor Woodrow/BAM Nuttall joint venturewas appointed as main contractor for designand delivery. The existing Mott MacDonalddesign team was novated over to the JV.

Design was always carried out using 3DCAD-plus techniques, which are now furtherenhanced and have become BIM (BuildingInformation Modelling). The complicationsof the site have made this the most effectiveway to process the volume ofinformation, and indeed the projectteam won a recent BritishConstruction Industry award forBIM project application.

Innovative ground treatmentThe varying make-up of the

ground could have been anotherheadache. Piling would hold backthe ground around the excavatedareas but tunnelling the passengerwalkways looked like being aproblem. However, the decisionwas taken to use a method knownas ‘jet grouting’. In effect, theaggregates in the ground arecombined with a cement-like groutto form in-situ concrete.

The first step is to install a row ofguide tubes. These set the spacingand, as the name suggests, act asguides for the main drilling process.The drill itself is hollow, with aperforated outer casing. Once it isin place, grout is forced down therotating shaft and out through theholes at high pressure which mixesit with the aggregates in theground. The holes are spaced sothat the resulting columns overlap,forming a solid block through which thetunnels can be safely bored.

Although fairly new to the UK, the processhas been used on the continent before, andspecialist contractor Keller was brought in toundertake this part of the work.

The North Ticket Hall is not scheduled toopen until 2016, and the extended SouthTicket Hall two years later. Work is alreadywell advanced. 1200 guide tubes are in placeand jet grout columns are being installedbelow ground.

A row of conventional secant piles hasbeen installed alongside BressendenPlace. In this technique, a row of concrete‘female’ piles is installed first with smallgaps between them. A hole is then drilledbetween them, keying into the concreteon both sides, and a ‘male’ pile inserted tobridge the gap, forming a continuouswall.

In February 2013, the road will be movedto give access for yet more piles as thefinished North Ticket Hall will eventually run

under it. When the second set of piles iscomplete, the road will be moved backagain.

Seventeen large plunge columns will alsobe inserted into the area of the North TicketHall so that buildings can go over it oncompletion. With various recentdevelopments in the area such as the nearbyCardinal Place, it is highly likely that a newsimilar property could be built over thefinished site.

Prior to TWA powers being granted, andbefore the construction contract wasplaced, London Underground dealt withextensive existing asbestos in the station.Some of this was in the form of Amositepanels which were in good condition anddidn’t pose a significant risk. However, therewas also an amount of Cellactite, anasbestos flock that was sprayed onto beamsas fireproofing, and it all had to come out sothat the new ticket halls could be joinedwith the old.

That, more or less, is the story so far. Onevertical shaft has also been bored, shaft 2which will include the emergency serviceslift access in the finished station. Furtheraccess shafts will be constructed, and fromthese the various access tunnels will beconstructed using tunnel boring machinesand spray-concrete linings.

It will all be some time before the sevennew Schindler lifts and nine escalators arein place and the new ticket halls are open.There will be plenty of opportunities forthe rail engineer to go back and haveanother look.

(Bottom) The siteof the new NorthTicket Hall. (Middle) Sekantpiling.

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nyone who has visited Tottenham CourtRoad in the vicinity of Centre Point

recently couldn’t fail to have noticed thehuge construction site adjacent to the towerblock. It is all related to a comprehensiveupgrade of Tottenham Court Roadunderground station and preparations forCrossrail which will have an exchangestation on the same site.

To find out what is going on, both behindthe hoardings and underground, the railengineer joined a recent visit by the RailwayCivil Engineers’ Association.

The existing station is composed of twooriginally separate facilities, one serving theNorthern line and the other the Central.These two were combined in 1908 to formone station allowing passengers to transferbetween the two lines. This history has left afacility which is far from ideal for its usersand its managers. Today, roughly 70 LondonUnderground staff have to manage over150,000 customers each day and the stationoften has to be closed due to overcrowding.

More passengersForecasts of future usage predict more than

200,000 passengers/day once the newCrossrail route opens. In addition, the facilitiesavailable to users in the immediatesurroundings of the station above ground arenot adequate for the numbers of pedestrianscoming and going to or through the stationand surrounding streets. The road junction ofTottenham Court Road and Oxford Street isroutinely one of the top two junctions in thecapital for pedestrian accidents each year.

The advent of the new Crossrail route,traversing the site and needing aninterlinking station facility, necessitated atotal reappraisal. It was essential to ensurethat the resultant overall station provisionwas appropriate for the needs of presentand future users of the three lines and thoseof the external surroundings of the station.

The station upgrade includes a fullrefurbishment of the existing facilities,provision of new ticket halls and new andimproved access arrangements for theexisting London Underground lines. Inparticular, it was seen as essential toovercome the limitations of the currentaccess routes to the Northern line platforms.These allow passengers predominantly toenter and leave only by one end of eachplatform, meaning that entering anddeparting passenger flows conflict. The newlayout provides access to the other end ofeach platform, permitting the institution of aone way system and the ending of theconflict.

The Crossrail factorIn addition, the project is constructing the

reinforced concrete shell or ‘box’ andescalator decline for the Eastern Ticket Hallof the new Crossrail station. This will befitted out later by Crossrail themselves.

The influence of Crossrail is not restrictedto the need to accommodate its station andticket hall facilities within the site. TheLondon Underground project design hasalso had to allow for the compensationgrouting pressures involved in the Crossrail

tunnelling work, and fit in with the over-sitedevelopment works that are to beassociated with or follow on from theCrossrail scheme. Finally, it has clearly beenabsolutely essential to ensure that thearchitecture and the mechanical andelectrical installations of the two projects fittogether.

Of course, the project also has to deal withall the ‘usual’ London issues such as sensitiveexisting assets (both London Underground’sand others), noise and vibration issues andso on. As a result, the project is constrainedby things like settlement criteria and thecomplex 3-D geometry driven bysurrounding structures both above andbelow ground. Extensive monitoringsystems are in place and take effect in realtime, 24/7, providing live data andautomated alerts. These cover such things asnoise and vibration or ground and structuralmovements. It is not uncommon for projectmanagers to have to respond immediatelyto an alert from one of these systems inorder to avoid a complaint or incident.

The site is on the boundary between theCity of Westminster and London Boroughof Camden, meaning there are two localauthorities to work with. There are also a

A

Tottenham Court Road

Chris Parkerw r i t e r

StationUpgrade

Project

(Above) Erection offormwork forperimeter wall inthe new Northernline escalator box.(Below) Re-profiling ofNorthern lineplatform tunnels;the inner sectionsof the existingVictorian cast-irontunnel rings havebeen replacedwith vertical steelprops, creatingenough space toinsert a new liftshaft betweenthem.


very large number ofconservation areas inthe surroundingarea.

Although theproject is beingenacted under theumbrella of theCrossrail Act, whichgives useful powers,it also entails manybinding obligationstoo. A great deal ofeffort is going intothe relationship withthe local community,and there are regularmeetings and thefrequent use ofnewsletters anddoor-to-doorcampaigns.

Getting it all in and outLogistics are a major concern because of

the constrained space available on site andthe busy surroundings, so the project has afull-time logistics manager. There is only oneaccess into the site and deliveries have to bemade on a just-in-time basis as there isnowhere on site to store anything.

Simon Buck, senior project manager forthe Taylor Woodrow/BAM Nuttall JointVenture that is carrying out the works,explained that the quantities of materials tobe removed from site or brought into it arehuge. At the time of the visit, Simon said that

210,000m³ of muck had been excavated andremoved whilst some 42,000m³ of concretehad been delivered to site and placed. Anoff-site storage facility at Erith near Dartfordis being used to assist in managing thelogistics issue.

The project’s people are crucial to itssuccess. Competence is key, and the projecthas become a mini skills academy in its ownright as there are around eight apprenticeson the team at any one time. The jointventure and London Underground teamsare co-located and work together on thecritical planning of the project. Collaborationwithin the joint venture is intense, andbetween the partners something like 90% ofthe current work is being delivered ‘in-house’.

Different designersHalcrow came up with the original design

for the client, London Underground. Thesame team was then adopted by the JV totake the design forwards into and throughthe delivery phase. The Crossrail designersare different, however, with Atkinsresponsible for the relevant part of thatproject. This has necessitated further carefulcollaboration between the two teams, so farwith great success.

Simon outlined some examples of thechallenges that have already been overcomeby the project. The first he mentioned wasthat of constructing two bridges over theCentral line tunnels below ground foraccesses to the new Central line routeways.The platform tunnels are twin bores, with

cast iron (CI) segmental linings, and at therelevant location they lie below the midlevelsewer, a 1,950mm diameter brick sewer lessthan two metres above the crown of theoverbridge. The sewer could not be movedand is obviously a sensitive structure whichcould not be disturbed at all without riskingleakage or worse. So a solution wasdeveloped that required a series of 340mmdiameter horizontal piles to be driven fromthe adjacent Royal Mail parcel tunnel toform a support raft beneath the sewer. Theavailable room in the mail tunnel waslimited, but proved just sufficient.

In the original design, the overbridgetunnel was to be driven using traditionaltimber handworks to support the groundaround a substantial rectangular steelstructure. However, the JV developed analternative design from a value engineeringscheme by OTB, their temporary worksdesigner, with input from Halcrow and DrSauer, the SCL (Sprayed Concrete Lining)designer. This utilised a machine-excavatedshotcreted cavern spanning the platformtunnel.

After excavation to expose the outer face ofthe CI tunnels, concrete saddles andabutments were constructed in readiness forinstallation of the bridge decks. All this wasundertaken during traffic hours with LondonUnderground operating a full service in thetunnels below, something of a first. Finally,during a weekend closure, the CI segments inthe crown of the platform tunnels wereremoved at the two overbridge locations,concrete encased beams were installed, andcheek plates erected to seal off the platformareas at the tunnel crown.

Another example of tricky work that hasbeen undertaken by the project is theprovision for the new access passages andstaircases that were required for theNorthern line platforms, where the tunnelsfor these had to run between the existingNorthern line platform tunnels. This workwas carried out during a nine monthplatform closure in 2011. Once more, thespace available between the north andsouthbound platform tunnel lining wasreally tight and this time it was necessary toremove part of the side of each existingtunnel in order to increase the spacebetween them to allow for the new stairs.Existing tunnels are sectional CI structures,and so it was necessary to remove the

(Above) Access toNorthern lineplatforms.(Main)Waterproofing theCentral Lineinterchange and(right) finished.


existing CI segments and replace them withnew, specially shaped steel units that left avertical external wall on the side nearest theintended new tunnel. Finally, new sectionsof concrete platform had to be cast.

The construction of the ‘New Plaza TicketHall’ for London Underground andCrossrail, to the south of the existing tickethall, has been a major undertaking in itsown right.

Road diversions and pilingThe project has many other complexities. It

was necessary, in order to unify the site, todivert a section of Charing Cross Roadaround the other side of Centre Point andclose a section of another road entirely. Thecomplex foundation works have includedhundreds of secant and contiguous boredpiles, seven of the former being two metresin diameter and 55 metres deep and comingas close as 1.1 metres from the NorthernLine tunnels. 44 panels of diaphragm wallingwere put in, each panel requiring threereinforcement cages 18 metres long. 11 twometre diameter plunge columns have beeninserted, each with a 700 x 700 steel column42 metres long down its centre. Augur boredand CFA piling methods have both beenemployed on the job.

BIM has been essential on the project foravoiding clashes with undergroundstructures such as services and tunnels, foridentifying working constraints, and to assistwith the logistics and sequencing of theworks, as well as for the design benefitsmore conventionally expected.

The project has made use of Voltexwaterproofing below ground, a first for aLondon Underground project. This materialis a sheet material incorporating a bentoniteblanket, and is easily fixed so as to ensure awatertight structure.

Looking to the future, in late 2013 therewill be a key milestone for the project as it isdue to hand over certain areas of the site tothe Crossrail project, particularly the GoslettYard box in which Crossrail will constructone of the two ticket halls for their newstation. In time, other areas leasedtemporarily from neighbouring landownerswill be handed back for redevelopment. Thearea around Centre Point is to beredeveloped into a large piazza that willincorporate, among other things, new high-capacity glazed station access structures 17metres tall.

The station will be completely finished forthe opening of Crossrail in 2018. But thatmay not be all. If Crossrail 2 (otherwiseknown as the Chelsea to Hackney line) isbuilt, it will also have a station at TottenhamCourt Road. However, the designers havealready taken account of that…

(Left) Night-timepiling.(Right) TheFalconberg shaftprior to tunnelling.

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awlish, a seaside town on the southcoast of Devon about 12 miles from

Exeter, was originally a fishing port whichgrew into a well-known resort in theeighteenth century. In 1830, IsambardKingdom Brunel designed a pneumaticrailway which ran along the seafront of thetown. The wide-gauge ‘atmospheric railway’opened on 30 May 1846 and ran betweenExeter St. Davids and Newton Abbot. Thefirst passenger train ran in September 1847but after technical problems, the Directorsabandoned the project in favour ofconventional trains and the last atmospherictrain ran in September 1848.

Today, while the line is a particularlymemorable and scenic route, it is one of themost exposed in the country and thecontinual battle with sea erosion andcorrosion makes it expensive to maintain.Furthermore, the railway station at Dawlishis in the town centre immediately adjacentto the beach and, although most of thestation is not the original Brunel buildings, itis all Grade II listed - including the footbridgewhich links the station platforms. However,the station is so close to the sea that in stormconditions this bridge is drenched by thespray from breaking waves and blasted bywind-born debris (sand) from the beach.

Structural formThe station was originally only a single

platform (on the inland side), but a secondplatform was added in 1858. The existingstation buildings were opened in 1875 afterthe previous wooden buildings burneddown in 1873. However, the footbridge wasreconstructed in 1937 using serviceablegirders that were taken from Park Royal &Twyford Abbey tube Station (a disusedstation on what is now the Piccadilly Line)after that station had closed in 1931. Thebridge had a single square span of 17.5metres, being supported on padstones builtinto the masonry of the station buildings(the staircases to access the deck beingpartly stone masonry within the buildings,

partly timber suspended from the deck).The walkway was approximately 1.8 metreswide. The bridge had a roof with wideoverhanging eaves, though the nature ofthe exposure (sea spray coming inhorizontally) is that these had notsignificantly protected the structure.Additionally, one half of the span hadtimber cladding to somewhat protectbridge users from spray and sand.

The girders were riveted built-up sectionsof early steel. The webs had a clearly visibleX-brace detail, the visibility of which wasexaggerated by the corrosion patterning.This detail, together with the rivetedconstruction, was identified as being a keypart of the ‘character’ of the structure andearly discussion with the planning and listedbuilding authorities identified that, ifreplacement was to be adopted, then thesefeatures would need to be carried forwardinto the replacement structure.

Maintain, repair or replace?The steel bridge was in very poor

condition with extensive, well-establishedand very visible corrosion. Detailedinspection in 2004 had categorised thecondition as ‘fair’, though this conclusion wassomewhat questionable since, even then,many holes and significant corrosion pointswere identified. The next detailed inspection

in 2010 identified that the defects reportedin 2004 had deteriorated significantly andmade a less positive assessment of thecondition.

A like-for-like repair option was developed,but it required replacement of a largeproportion of the structure - eight out of 20web panels, nine out of 22 web stiffenersand the full length of both flanges on bothgirders were to be replaced. All the repairswould be carried out with HSFG boltsreplacing the existing rivets. Thus, althoughthe structure would look superficiallyunchanged, most of it would be new.

A further study was carried out by TonyGee and Partners in 2011. In addition to theknown defects, severe corrosion to thegirder / cross girder connections was alsoidentified. The condition of the structure haddeteriorated to such an extent that someholes in the web had been patchedtemporarily with hardboard just to removethe risk of public injury on a sharp corrodededge. Detailed analysis identified that notonly could the structure not carry thespecified imposed load due to corrosion ofthe members, but even in an ‘as new’condition the bridge had been under-strength due to a lack of strength andstiffness in the U-frames providing lateralstability to the top flange of the plategirders.

D

Bridging DawlishThe old (right) andthe new (above).


Thus, although like-for-like repairs wereestimated to cost approximately £600,000,Network Rail’s preferred option was areplacement structure. A new steelfootbridge was considered, but while thiscould be detailed to reduce thesusceptibility to corrosion, the location wassuch that it could only restart thecontinued (and probably unwinnable)fight. The station was listed and a simple‘off-the-shelf’ solution would probably notbe acceptable.

Accordingly, a wholly fibre-reinforcedpolymer (FRP) structure was considered,both to simplify installation (by reducedweight) but also, more critically, to reduceongoing maintenance costs andrequirements in the extremely hostileenvironment. Although this was identifiedas being initially more expensive than steel,the whole life costs for the structure shouldbe much reduced.

Imposed loadingThe bridge was required to withstand

‘normal’ Eurocode footbridge loading andcriteria were agreed between the designersand Network Rail. In recognition that thebridge deck may fill with pedestrians (when atrain disgorges a large number of passengersat once) the full ‘load model 4’ loading of 5kN/m² distributed live load was applied.

Parapet loading in Eurocodes was not wellresolved at the time of the design, so thiswas taken from older standards such asHighways Agency document TD19/06‘Requirements for Road Restraint Systems’.

Wind loading is also aconceptually simple code-compliant situation, althoughthe location is exposed and thewind loads are accordinglyrelatively high.

Aerodynamic stability had tobe considered, though this is avariation from the standard asthat document does not strictlyapply to bridges which have aroof, and the material is not inthe list the standard covers.

Lightweight bridges arepotentially prone to dynamicresponse from the aerodynamicloads from passing trains. It wasagreed that this effect would beanalysed during detail designbased on criteria developedduring the design of theBradkirk footbridge (issue 57,July 2009).

AnalysisInitial concept studies considered various

truss arrangements. However, due toconcerns regarding listed building consent,it was decided to revert to a plain girderdesign which closely followed the geometryand aesthetic of the original bridge.

To assist with design development andalso to obtain planning approval and listedbuilding consent, several computer modelsand rendered visualisations weregenerated. A full-scale sample section ofgirder was also produced to assist the

planners and conservation officer tovisualise the FRP structure. Theconservation officer insisted that the bridgereplicated the aesthetic of the originalriveted structure, so imitation rivet headswere bonded to the structure. In somelocations, structural bolts are included toprovide a backup to the bonded joints andprevent peel stresses in the bonds. Thesebolts were stainless steel with dome headsto blend in the rivet heads and fastenedwith tamper-proof shear nuts.

Network Rail

Network Rail

Structural analysisused computermodels undervarious loadconditions.


The complete structure excluding the stairunits was predicted to have a mass of only fivetonnes, which is probably around one third ofthe mass of an equivalent steel structure.

The structure of the bridge was analysedusing computer models and finite elementanalysis (FEA). Analyses carried out includedstatic, buckling, eigen-value and dynamicresponse. The roof panels were found to bebeneficial in increasing torsional stiffness andvibration frequency.

Simple aerodynamic stability checksindicated that the critical wind speeds forvertical or torsional vortex shedding inducedvibration were above 1.25 x design meanwind speed and therefore did not requiremore detailed investigation.

Design and manufactureBoth the primary structure and the parapet

were made up from 1.66 metre deep sidegirders, each formed from foam cored shearwebs, moulded by film infusion using fireretardant epoxy resin and biaxial glass fibrereinforcement, capped top and bottom withpultruded angles and plates to form the girderflanges. Web stiffeners made from pultrudedplate provide additional lateral support to thegirders, connected to transverse angles belowthe deck. The girder includes a camber of120mm along the length of the bridge, whichimproves the aesthetics and providesdrainage to the deck.

The deck was formed from ‘Composolite’pultruded panels, spanning transverselybetween the girders. These panels are verylightweight with a skin thickness of only 3mm.To ensure adequate robustness and resistanceto local concentrated loads, an additional3mm thick pultruded plate with a gritted non-slip finish was bonded to the top surface ofthe deck.

The deck was bonded to the girders andalso forms a shear panel to resist horizontalwind loading, removing the need for diagonalbracing below the deck. Unfortunately, thedeck has to terminate 2.7 metres from theends of the bridge to leave room for the stairs.This creates a long length of girder acting as acantilever and unable to resist the large windside load. To strengthen these cantileveredareas, additional lateral support plateswere fitted to the flanges externalto the girder.

The roof transverse frameswere fabricated from back-to-back pultruded angles to formT- sections

with bonded andbolted joints. The roofframes supportlongitudinal purlinsmade from pultrudedbox section tosupport the roofpanels. These framesalso provide lateralrestraint to the top ofthe girder.

To further increasethe lateral andtorsional stiffness, amuch stiffertransverse frame isprovided at each endof the bridge. Roof panels are made fromstandard corrugated fibre-cement panels, andthe stair units at either end of the bridge aremade from a single FRP moulding, includingthe stair treads, risers and side panels, hangingfrom the bottom flange of the bridge girder.

The entire bridge structure wasmanufactured from FRP materials. Themajority of parts are pultruded with glass fibrereinforcements and fire retardant polyesterresins to achieve the required structuralproperties. The pultruded parts used tofabricate the main girder flanges werepultruded in 17.5 metre lengths for the spanof the bridge to avoid the need for joints.

Parapet panels have PET foam cores andwere moulded from fire retardant epoxy resinreinforced with biaxial glass fabrics using filminfusion. Each parapet is in three sections withsimple, bonded, butt-strap joints. The finalstructure was painted to achieve the aestheticrequirements and to provide environmentalprotection to the composite structure.

ApprovalsSince the materials are still considered ‘novel’

by Network Rail, a rigorous design andchecking process was implemented. Tony Geeand Partners was appointed to prepare theForm A (Approval in Principle document),complete the design and the Form B(Design / Checkingcertificate).

Design work undertaken by subconsultantOptima Projects was validated by Tony Gee. Inaddition, the structure received a full ‘Category3’ independent check by Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Network Rail managed the process ofobtaining listed building consent. Thisrequired the production of reports andoptions studies justifying replacement ratherthan repair, and was driven through byNetwork Rail’s own planning and listedbuilding specialists with support from thedesigners and the initial repair study. Consentwas eventually obtained, although therequirements of the process resulted invarious detail changes to the configurationfrom what would be structurally necessary.

The final design mimics the form of theexisting structure in order to minimise the visiblechanges to the various views that take in thestation. The new bridge remains part of thelisting, and therefore has become probably thefirst listed FRP bridge in the UK.

Many thanks to David Kendall, OptimaProjects Ltd; Ian Smith, Tony Gee & Partners;and Wendy Gough, Network Rail for helpwith this article.


hen “Time at the bar” was calledat midnight on Friday 26

October, regulars at the StalybridgeBuffet Bar reluctantly finished theirdrinks knowing it would be well over aweek before they could get a refill. Forthe next nine days the pub, on theplatform at Stalybridge station, lay inthe middle of a major engineeringblockade.

A small army of up to 150 hi-visworkers descended on the railway. Asthe work proceeded 24/7, locals couldhave been forgiven for wondering,“Haven’t you all got homes to go to?”But, by the time the station reopenedon Monday 5 November, the £20million refurbishment had added twonew platforms, remodelled the tracklayout and re-controlled the area to amodern signalling control centre - andthe pub had switched from platform 1to platform 4.

New layoutStalybridge station has a history of

adaption, albeit most of it occurring inthe nineteenth century. More recently,the main changes have been thegradual lifting of lines as they weredeemed redundant.

Traffic patterns are increasing on thiskey trans-Pennine route betweenManchester, Huddersfield and Leeds.The circuitous valleys either side ofStandedge tunnel offer fewopportunities for loops. By the timeStalybridge is reached, the hourlystopping train is likely to have anexpress hard on its heels.

However, the old layout at the stationwas not ideal. “It could be described asarchaic,” commented Simon Kenyon,scheme project manager for NetworkRail. Passenger services could not belooped and freight could be loopedonly with difficulty due to the potentialfor conflicting moves at both ends ofthe layout.

In addition, turnback services comingfrom the west via Manchester Victoriaand Ashton had to cross both mainrunning lines to reach the bay platform.This gave narrow planning margins intraffic and tended to compound anyoperational delays.

“We were fortunate that both track andsignalling assets were coming to the endof their life at the same time,” said SimonKenyon. This gave the opportunity toredesign the track layout for current andfuture needs. Early design work was

W

Mungo Stacyw r i t e r

(Right) Old andnew track layouts.

StreamliningStalybridge


undertaken by URS Scott Wilson and ParsonsBrinckerhoff, with detailed design beingundertaken by Amey Rail and the NetworkRail Track Design team.

Operational flexibilityFlexibility is the watchword for the new

layout. A new 225 metre long platform hasbeen constructed on the south side in placeof the former goods loops, becomingplatform 1. The other two through platforms,now known as 3 and 4, have beenlengthened to match and can serve trainsup to nine cars long.

The bi-directional platform 3 is a keyfeature since it allows trains to enter orleave in either direction without conflictingwith movements in the opposite direction.It can be used to recess slow freight orpassenger trains to allow faster services toovertake.

The scheme also allows for any one of thethree through platforms to be locked out formaintenance and inspection usingpatrollers’ lock-out devices, whilst stillallowing the operation of up and downservices.

On the north side of the station, a new bayplatform, number 5, has been added. Insome senses a reinstatement, the newplatform has been lengthened to 140metres to accommodate six-car trains. Thisbay removes the need for conflicting movesfor services turning back towards Ashton.

Timetable modelling of the layout showedimprovements throughout the ManchesterEast area, due to the improved reliability androbustness and the extra flexibility duringservice perturbations.

Whilst the project precedes othersignificant schemes in the North West,account has been taken of their needs.Passive provision has been made forelectrification under the North WestElectrification Programme, such as byinstalling dropper cages on the signal headson the new portal gantry and specifying AC-immune equipment including track circuits.The anticipated line-speed upgrades whichmay arise from the Northern Hub project arecompatible with the extents of theStalybridge upgrade.

SignallingThe blockade saw Amey and Invensys

move signalling control over to theManchester East Signalling Control Centre,which is currently housed in the samebuilding as Manchester South SignallingControl Centre at Stockport. Previousprojects have implemented re-control of

Ashburys Signal Box in September 2011 andGuide Bridge Signal Box in December 2011to the same control centre. These projectsalso included extensive work by Linbrooketo install and upgrade the Fixed TelecomsNetwork in the area.

The Stalybridge signalling control isbased on the Westcad VDU system. Whilstnormal operation requires one signaller, adual workstation is provided to allow asecond signaller to assist should trafficlevels or service disruptions require. A fulltraining facility was purpose-built by TREin conjunction with Invensys. Thesimulator is specific to the area of controland provides a full replica of the actualworkstations, allowing signallers to betrained on the new layout and variousfailure scenarios.

Simon Kenyon adds: “By the time thesystem went live on the Monday morning,the signallers were already entirely familiarwith the new layout.”

Simulation did not stop there. The projectcommissioned Gioconda to produce a 3D‘drive-through’ route-familiarisation DVD.This included a mix of recorded videofootage supplemented by computer-generated virtual reality based on thedetailed design. Copies of the DVD wereprovided to the passenger and freightoperating companies to assist drivers withlearning the revised routes.

The new signalling layout meets modernstandards and suits the high-speed routesinto and through the station. Linespeed hasbeen raised from 40 to 50mph, withcrossovers increased from 15 to 25mph.From the Manchester direction, a flashingaspect avoids the needfor an approachrelease into the newplatform 3.

Advanced worksbefore the blockadeincluded theinstallation of six newsignals from Diggle toStalybridge, carriedout during a May BankHoliday possession.The immediate issuewas a clash betweenthe new east junctionlayout and an existingsignal. This particularsignal was not wellsited on the exit fromStalybridge tunneland had asubstandard braking

distance to the platform starter signal whichpreviously necessitated special controls.However, relocating it meant placing it atthe far end of the 628 metre long tunnelwith a knock-on effect on the precedingsignals.

BlockadeEleven point-ends were installed during the

blockade by Babcock, which carried out all thetrack remodelling works. Modular switch-and-crossing units were brought in using tiltingbed wagons and installed using two Kirow railcranes. The west junction has a completelychanged layout and changed levels.

“This was one of the drivers for theblockade,” Kevin Newbatt, Network Rail’sproject manager, explained. “We had a lot ofdiscussion with the operating companiesabout doing it in lots of small stepscompared with a large blockade. The TOCsbought in to the blockade very early on andhave been very supportive.”

The well-laid plans threatened to unravelwhen the school calendar was published.“Our discussions had indicated half term wasthe best period,” Kevin continued. “In the earlystages we had to assume dates based onprevious years. But half term turned out to bea week later this year than we had reckonedon.” Fortunately the project was able to deferthe blockade by a week to match the holiday.

Making best use of the available time,work continued 24 hours a day for the fullnine days of the blockade. “Although it ismainly businesses adjacent, we carried outmany letter drops to local residents andbusinesses to keep them informed,” KevinNewbatt stated.

(Right) Eleven newsets of points wereinstalled atStalybridge.

A good view of theroute off toManchesterVictoria, showingthe new tracklayout.


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Sample image from Stalybridge Re-Signalling

A still from theGioconda 3Ddrive-throughDVD used fordriver training.

Extensive planning went into alternativeservices. “TransPennine Express and NorthernRail liaised on the available train pathsbetween Manchester and Leeds via the CalderValley Line,” said Simon Kenyon. “Services alsoran from Manchester as far as Ashton usingsome single-line working, providing a serviceas close to Stalybridge as possible.”

Once Babcock was finished with the track,Amey installed the signalling and telecomsequipment and completed the civils workson the platform including rebuilding, re-surfacing and installing all the platformequipment such as lighting, customerinformation systems and signage.

An interesting feature introduced during theblockade was a polystyrene bridge betweenplatforms. This allowed the platforms to havetarmac laid by small plant using the normalstation access ramp from the road onto theplatform, reducing the interface with road-railplant and trackwork operations. The bridgecould be rapidly dismantled when on-trackplant needed to pass.

Olympic SpiritWhilst the blockade was the most

intensive period, site works have beenongoing for most of the year. In advance ofthe blockade, the east tunnel junction wasremodelled by Babcock using modular S&Cover a number of 29 hour possessions. Ameyalso took the opportunity to carry outextensive signalling and civil engineeringworks during these closures. This shortenedthe overall time required for the blockade.

Other challenges had to be managed. “After

twelve weeks on site, the Olympics began,”Kevin Newbatt remembered. “We then had thetwelve-week Games period with an embargoon disruptive track works.” During this time, theproject focused on constructing the newplatforms 1, 2 and 5 behind hoardings.

The civils, platform and station works wereundertaken by Amey. Kevin Newbatt recalledthat “the site was very challenging and veryconstrained”. A considerable volume of spoilhad to be removed and new fill and ballastbrought in, both for the platform constructionand track works. All was served by rail.

Virtually all of the platform faces are new.“We built new platforms 1 and 5,” said JohnManock, project engineer for Network Rail.“Platform 2 was rebuilt and platforms 3 and4 were extended.”

Lengths of the original gritstone platformwalls remain on platforms 3 and 4. “The townconservation area includes half of the station,”John Manock commented. “We have installedgritstone cladding on the new visible platformfaces in keeping with the original blocks.”

Some work remains. “We decided to reducethe blockade risk by reopening without thefull layout operational,” said Simon Kenyon,although in practice this meant animprovement over the previous layout. “Westill need to bring the new platform 1 intooperation.” This took place on 3 December, intime for the winter timetable change.

Thirsty WorkRailway engineers are not the only ones

who work up a thirst. A new improvedwaiting area and café is being provided on

the new platform. Work has beencomplicated by the need to thread watersupplies through the station subway and thepumped drainage under the track.

Adjacent to the station, a local businessalso has rather special needs. The Totalpetrochemical site normally receives twotrainloads per week of styrene monomer.Shutting down the production plant was notpossible due to the costs that would beincurred by an outage. Therefore, havingtopped up tanks before the blockade, thefirst train through following the possessionwas an eagerly-awaited styrene train.

And what of the station Buffet Bar? Havingtaken on the lease a mere couple of weeksbefore the shut-down, the new landlords tookadvantage of the closure to refurbish the pub.Now reopen on the re-numbered platform 4,a pint of Millstone True Grit suggests itself as asuitable indication of the effort anddetermination involved in the project.


or the first time in the station’s history,the platforms at Glasgow Central station

are being completely refurbished. TheGlasgow Central Station Platform Renewalsproject aims to improve all existing platformstructures, excluding platforms 12 and 13, toensure that they are able to meet therequirements of a 50 year design life.

Network Rail’s original plan was to carryout simple concrete repairs to the existingdeck and concrete copes along with thecomplete resurfacing of all of the platforms.Carillion made analternative proposalfor the completereplacement of thestructural slabincluding the copes,thereby providing aDDA, step andclearancecompliant platformand enhancing thedesign life of thenew works.

This will beachieved throughthe constructionof entirely newdecks forplatforms 1 to 11,14 and 15 -platforms 12 and13 were onlyrecentlyconstructed (asreported in issue 68, June 2010). The existingmasonry platform walls are to remain in placewith minimal alteration, but the concretedecks and steel joists are being replaced byreinforced concrete slabs. New copes andtactile strips will be installed throughout.

An in-situ concrete screed will be pouredto bind everything together and form a basefor a polyurethane non-slip resin which willprovide a compliant, anti-slip surface. Traintanking points on platforms 1, 2 and 9 to11will be relocated and their number increasedif required to better suit the needs of stationstaff.

Start at platform 1Work commenced on site during August

2011. The sequence in which the platformswould be taken out of service, and for howlong, was agreed after thoroughconsultation with the train operators. Thefirst platform to be rebuilt would be number1, followed by 2, 12, 11, 3, 4, 15 and 13. Thisseemingly illogical sequence, but one that isnecessary for the smooth running of trainoperations, would continue with 14, 10, 9, 8,7 and 6. The final piece of work, platform 5, isdue to be handed back on 22 March 2014.

Carillion’s approach required someinnovative thinking with regards toprogramming and methodology tocomplete the project in this sequence. Workcommenced on Sunday 17 October 2011and the programme to complete the firsttwo platforms was tight, with eight weeksallotted for platform 1 and nine for platform2 including the two weeks shut downaround the Christmas period. Due to theiroverall length and geometry, these first twoplatforms were considered by the projectteam to be the ones that would be the mostdifficult to complete.

The method of working is relativelystraightforward. Carillion started by erectinghoardings to protect the worksite. A free-standing type is being used as this providesflexibility for erection, maintenance,dismantling and reuse as the projectprogressed through the station.

The existing concrete deck is then markedup into slabs which are cut in-situ into twotonne units by operatives from Corecut Ltd.This cutting work is carried out using adiamond road saw with a blade diameter ofup to 750mm to cut through the deck whichvaries in thickness between 250mm and350mm. On platform 1 alone there wasapproximately 1500 linear metres ofconcrete to be cut.

F

Half-time atGlasgow

(Top) The exposedvoid beneathplatform 2 afterremoval of existingdeck.(Middle) Platform 11 - Newcopes being laidon to rebuiltplatform wall.(Below) 150m ofpumped concretesteel pipes placedfor the in-situconcrete screeddeck.

Daniel Harkinsw r i t e r

Project Manager, Carillion Rail


As the cutting is carried out in a live stationenvironment, acoustic barriers are placed alongthe length of the hoarding to dampen thenoise levels. Carillion also carries out extensivenoise monitoring to ensure that the cuttingoperations do not unduly affect passengers onother platforms or the station concourse.

Upon completion of the cutting operation,four holes are cored through the slab forlifting eyes.

The train now arriving…At this point, an engineering train of ‘pike’

wagons is brought into the platform road.These wagons have a steel body and floorconstruction with drop down side doors anda 30 tonne capacity which makes them idealfor moving the platform slabs. The slabs arelifted off the platform walls and loaded intothe pike wagons using a 10 tonne trackedcrane, a Maeda LC785 supplied byBlackwood plant hire. This zero-tailswingcrane was chosen due to its small footprint,making it ideal for working in restrictedareas such as these platforms.

After all the old platform slabs had beenloaded, the wall head is cut to the correctlevel for the precast concrete slabs that willbe installed to form the new platformstructure. Due to the site constraints, this hasbecome a labour-intensive operation and, tomaintain health and safety standards,Carillion monitors the HAV (hand armvibration) exposure of its operatives using aReactec System supplied by Speedy Hire.This ensures that no occupational healthissues arise from using vibrating tools.

Once the wall head has beenprepared to the correct level, asecond set of wagons arrives, fullyloaded with the new precastslabs. Every new slab is different,each one designed for aparticular part of the platform,so a detailed delivery plan hadto be devised. Slabs aredelivered by the manufacturer,Creagh Concrete ofToomebridge, NorthernIreland, to PD Stirling’s rail yardat Mossend. Here the slabs areloaded into each pike wagonin the order in which they willbe installed. Following arrivalat site, the new slabs areunloaded using the sameMaeda crane.

Finishing offOnce the slabs are in place, the copes

and tactiles are installed to ensureprogramme continuity. The copes aremanufactured by architectural masonryspecialist Sterling Precast, and the tactiletiles by Charcon.

Finally, the concrete screed is poured toform the body of the new platform. Workingin a live station, this is another logisticalchallenge which involves pumping 80m³ ofC50 concrete onto the platform from anadjacent site.

When the concrete has cured sufficiently, thefinal platform surface is applied. This is apolyurethane resin which provides both the

colour contrast finish and therequired slip resistance. The Uradeck BCsystem from Nufins was chosen for thisparticular application.

The project is now about halfway through.Work is taking place on platform 13 and, sofar, every platform has been handed back ontime and Carillion has recorded over oneyear without a lost time incident.

In a challenging high profile environment,this project has been an excellent exampleof what can be achieved through innovativethinking and collaborative working betweenmain contractor Carillion, station ownerNetwork Rail and the Glasgow Centralstation management.

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Preparing to liftthe old deck offplatform 2.

Balancing


here is more to good station designthan an impressive-looking building. It

should also be more than a good place tocatch trains - a recent ATOC (Association ofTrain Operating Companies) Interchangeand Integrated Transport Conferencestressed that train companies are committedto improving links with other forms oftransport.

Station designers need to plan for crowdpressure, ease of passenger flow and generalwear and tear. Access for maintenance andcleaning are crucial for longevity, securityand safety and place special demands onmaterial choice and engineered solutions.Good wayfinding is important, as can beread elsewhere in this issue, and provisionhas to be made for retail outlets, waitingareas, passenger drop-off and ‘kiss and ride’zones.

Taking all these into consideration in a newstation design is complicated enough. Whenan old, listed building is being remodelledeverything also has to fit in with the layoutof the existing structure.

Pleasing the crowds Taking inspiration from how airport

terminals have historically been designed, anew railway station needs to consider bothpassenger experience and flow to ensure longterm benefits. The design of the new Crossrailstations, which together will have to handle200 million passengers each year, is focussedon getting the internal design correct.Aesthetics have to be balanced with theperformance qualities of materials to providea durable finish which will last a lifetime.

Architectural metalwork can balance visualappeal with enhanced performancequalities and provide a highly functionalsolution. Wall panelling provides a durableway of handling crowd pressure whilecolumn casings can also incorporate impactresistance for vehicle movement. Sloping

tops with 20 degree angles can be used tohelp prevent the surface being used fordiscarded rubbish or left luggage.

Refurbishment WaterlooMany stations have stood the test of time

and any modernisation will need to providefor similar longevity. However, upgradingand adapting the existing building fabric isnot without challenges. Working on all threephases of refurbishment at Waterloo Station,SAS International collaborated closely witharchitects and mechanical and electricalconsultants to design, manufacture andinstall architectural metalwork solutions to astrict timeline.

With 90 million passengers passingthrough Waterloo station every year,managing passenger flow was a key factorfor consideration at the design stage. Theprogramme for completion was extremelychallenging and, with limited as-builtinformation, the architects had toinvestigate the existing fabric, propose asolution and start manufacture - almostsimultaneously. All this had to beaccomplished with minimal disruption tothe working station.

The refurbishment of the peak hoursubway, for instance, created a modern,open space designed for increased capacity

over the coming decade. This subway, whichis accessed from the platforms, wasoriginally designed to alleviateovercrowding at the main undergroundentrances to Waterloo Station. SASInternational’s project management teamworked closely with architects bpr on thedesign, manufacturing and installation ofthe architectural metalwork for this phase.

The civil engineering involved in openingup the arches was a major challenge. Thelower subways are constructed fromVictorian brick arches some 3.5 metres thick.Once the new openings were instated, thespecially designed cladding had to beinstalled quickly and easily within tight timeand budgetary constraints.

The demountable barrel vaulted ceiling hadto incorporate existing services. A bespokedesign was required for the existing brick andrender arched soffit of the subway whichcontained congested services suspendedbeneath. SAS International provided a subgrid, spanning these services, to facilitate thesuspension of the new ceiling. Twin vaultswere added along the lengths of the subwayto create a feature in the otherwise flat planeand to reflect the existing arches. The lightingand ceiling grids had to be co-ordinated withthe structure of the lift valley to maximiseceiling heights caused by the low soffit.

T

function aestheticswith

The new balconyat Waterloostation.

Another phase of the redevelopment ofWaterloo, a new £25 million balcony withten retail outlets, opened in 2012. It wasdesigned to reduce congestion on theconcourse for 300,000 daily passengers andimprove access to and from Waterloo East. Italso provides passengers with an extra20,000 sq. ft. of retail space. SASInternational worked closely with BAMConstruction designing solutions to encaseservices for future ease of access.

Versatile metalworkUsing architectural metalwork such as

wall panels and column casings cantransform both the look and thefunctionality of station buildings. AtLiverpool Central station, light and spaceare priorities with walls being removed toincrease the footprint of the concourse.SAS International powder coated steelcladding is being used with vitreousenamel in passenger areas to provide arobust finish.

Another example is the myriad of metalsolutions which were designed,manufactured and installed by SASInternational at Snow Hill Station inBirmingham. The building’s interior wasfitted out so old meets new, creating astunning combination of contrastingmaterials of brick against metalwork. AnSAS International System 200 Waveformceiling system in light blue was installed inthe main lobby areas.

Not only did the design have to lookgood, the peaks and troughs of the ceilinghad to be carefully calculated tocoordinate with the heavy electricalservices in the ceiling void whilstmaximising the perceived ceiling height.SAS International produced a 3D model ofthe area to fully engineer the Waveformpanels where they met perimeters and thevertical risers. The ceiling was mechanicallysecured using hold down brackets whileaccess panels were fitted with safetychains.

Service risers in the lobby areas wereconstructed of curved, perforated, hook-onmetal panels to conceal electrical servicesrunning vertically on the walls. They werescalloped where they interfaced with thewaveform ceiling.

There are many ways to produce anaesthetic and functional design whenundertaking a station refurbishment.Combining new metalwork with thefeatures of the original building canresult in visually stunning combinationsof materials such as aluminium andbrushed stainless steel coupled withoriginal cast-iron columns and wroughtiron girders.

Weathering the storm The demand for innovative and interesting

interior / exterior linking space must bebalanced with the use of high performanceproducts. It is not just a question of designaesthetics, the durability of the materials andease of maintenance is essential to ensurethe environment remains impeccable.

The open nature of a station concoursemakes it subject to external temperaturechanges, so solutions manufactured fromaluminium can provide long term solutions.For example, SAS International’s projectmanagement team has just finishedinstalling a bespoke soffit lining at Blackfriarsstation in London, the first railway station tospan the Thames. The potential of damagebeing caused to fittings from being exposedto the elements was taken intoconsideration so triangular aluminiumpanels were chosen, suspended internallyand externally from the structural steelwork.

Long-term value Off-site prefabrication can provide cost

and installation efficiencies. It can ensureconsistency of build quality, minimise riskand improve on-site safety. Project planningcan also be improved by reducing delayscaused by other trades coming onto site.Research carried out by WRAP (Waste andResources Action Programme) has foundthat off-site construction generates up to80% less waste than site-based building.

Difficulties in maintenance or accessingareas can affect the sustainability of a stationif damage is incurred; the upkeep of theinterior can dictate how a building will lastand function. Therefore, consideringongoing maintenance at the design stagewill allow for functionality and ease of accessto be factored in.

Communication is of paramountimportance and essential for the success ofthese large scale projects. A manufacturerwhich can offer a design service from theoutset can help substantially with evolvingdesign plans and onsite challenges.Architects, designers, engineering firms andinstallers have to work as a team.


(Below) Therenewed subway atWaterloo station.

(Left and below)Liverpool Centralstation.

Thanks to Malcolm Stamper at SASInternational for his assistance with this article.


Perfectplatforms

ecent harsh winters have resulted instation platforms taking a beating from

the effects of rain, snow and ice. Some of theworst damage has occurred where theplatforms have suffered from the effects offrost heave. This is caused when rain waterpenetrates into the compacted fill inside theplatform and subsequently freezes,expanding as it does so and pushingoutwards on the structure of theplatform. This can impose stress on theplatform surface and the riser wall, and theresulting damage can cause dangerouslyuneven surfaces and weakened structures.

Problems at PerthA recent project at Perth station arose for

this very reason. As well as repairing thedamage, Story Contracting was asked todesign and build a solution to frost heave.Several measures were taken to help ensurethe platform’s long term resistance to futureproblems, including careful selection of frostresistant aggregates and construction details.

One example is that, over time, the jointsaround the edges of tactile pavers can offer

a potential route forwater ingress. Toovercome this, thedesign at Perth stationcompletely eliminatedthe need for tactilepavers and insteadincluded tarmacsurfacing laid all theway up to the back of

the coper where a good seal was created.Then, to provide tactile feedback behind thecoper, an array of studs was resin anchoredpermanently into the surfacing. These werepositioned using a bespoke rig that drilledmultiple holes at once, all correctly laid outinto the standard offset pattern.

These measures have helped ensure thatPerth’s platforms are well equipped forwhatever the upcoming winters have tooffer.

Bridging BirkenheadBirkenhead Central station has recently

had both of its platforms refurbished, alsoby Story Contracting. This proved to be aparticularly challenging project, largelyowing to its location as the station issituated in a cutting with tunnels at bothends and no direct road access. However,with a large fleet of road-rail plant, StoryContracting was well placed to getmaterials in and out of the station -although even this wasn’t as simple as itmight have been.

The nearest road rail-access point wasmore than a mile away at the Arthur Streetdepot. Taking account of travel time alongthe track, this meant that there was littlemore than two hours of working time thatcould be achieved each night in the shortmaintenance possessions that wereavailable.

R(Top) TherefurbishedWhaley Bridgestation.(Right) Thetemporaryfootbridge atBirkenhead duringconstruction.(Bottom) Perthstation with tactilestuds fasteneddirectly into thetarmac.


This would clearly lead to significant costand risk to the programme. To combat this,arrangements were made to takepermanent possession of a redundant sidingwithin the station. This enabled Story toleave the RRV and its trailers on trackpermanently, removing the need to on-trackthe plant every night and eliminating thejourney time from Arthur Street. Tosupplement this, as much new material aspossible was lowered directly into the site bycrane from the adjacent gas works over aseven metre high wall.

On the platforms, Section D notices wereused to reduce the operational lengths sothat work could progress alongside normaluse of the station. The initial phase of worksshortened the platforms furthest away fromthe station buildingand caused the leastdisruption topassengers and staff.The second phase,however, closed theplatform at the stationbuilding end and alsotook the existingfootbridge out of useso that it could berefurbished.

For this closure, anew access to thestation had to becreated. This used alink bridge leading toroad level thatspanned off atemporary footbridgewhich was built to joinplatforms 1 and 2. This segregated the worksite from passengers, safeguarding thecontinued operation of the station.

However, even this solution imposednumerous design considerations. Signalsighting was factored in to ensure that traindrivers sight lines were not obscured andthe minimum platform lengths that had tobe maintained for trains dictated thelocation of the footbridge. The orientation ofthe staircases was designed so thatpassengers arrived directly onto a platformand not a worksite.

In addition, the footbridge then had tomeet Network Rail standards for safeclearance for trains, and the staircasesneeded to be DDA compliant. Thefootbridge also had to be fully boarded outto prevent items falling onto the track. Thisthen meant that lighting and securitysystems were required so that thefootbridge could be monitored.

The loadings that this temporary structurewould then impose on the platform meantthat a foundation design was needed toensure that its mass was sufficiently spread.

With the temporary footbridge opened,the existing footbridge was refurbishedwith steelwork repairs and the replacementof missing rivets. It was also partly re-roofed and given a full redecoration insideand out, along with DDA compliantstaircase treads and nosings. A new anti-skid surface was installed throughout tocomplete the works.

Story Contracting’s site teams struck upexcellent working relationships with thestation staff which was essential due to thepotentially disruptive nature of the works.This allowed the teams to maintaincommunication allowing plans to be agreedand put in place in good time.

Long ramp at Long EatonThe Access for All Programme is part of the

Railways for All strategy that was launchedby Network Rail in 2006. Its purpose was toaddress the issues faced by passengers whowere using the railway stations in GreatBritain be it the disabled, elderly, motherswith pushchairs or simply people with heavyluggage!

Long Eaton station is built at high level ontop of an embankment that was originallyaccessed using some steeply sloping ramps.Story Contracting completed an Access forAll project to design and build two lifts fromground to platform level. The new lifts wereat the foot of the embankment slope andused link bridges to cross to the platforms.

The station remained open throughoutand a fully DDA-compliant temporarydisabled access ramp was installed. This wasconstructed from scaffolding and, in order tocreate a gentle slope from platform leveldown to the car park, was more than 30metres long. In addition to a non-slip surfaceit was fully lit, had 24hr CCTV surveillanceand all necessary landings and handrails tocomply with statutory requirements.

The new lift shafts used piled foundationsthat were complex to build because of thelimited site access that was available. Thisrestricted the size of the piling rig that couldbe used, not to mention that the site was onan embankment adjacent to a live railwayline accompanied by poor and variableground conditions including boulders,cobbles and running sand all encounteredwithin the small building footprint.

To overcome these challenges, StoryContracting’s design achieved a watertightstructure using a combination of contiguouspiled retaining walls internally lined withreinforced concrete that was tanked tocreate a dry pit and shaft ready for theinstallation of the new lift.

The task of constructing two new lift shaftsand associated link bridges in a busyoperational station was always going to be atest but all went smoothly due to detailedplanning. Train operators, Network Rail andlocal stakeholders such as Erewash Counciland Derbyshire County Council were all fullyconsulted.

Key lifting activities were undertakenduring night shifts utilising possessions andlocal road closures. Structural steelworkelements for the shaft and walkways weredesigned to be prefabricated and paintedoff site and delivered pre-assembled andready for installation. This meant that all liftscould be successfully completed in short fivehour possessions.

The works were all completed onprogramme and budget and the result isthat Long Eaton station now benefits fromstep free access to each of its platforms.

Long Eaton is one of a number of stationsthat have been refurbished by Story Contrac-ting, other recent projects being at Glossop,Whaley Bridge, and Roman Bridge in Wales.

Station works are a core part of keepingour rail networks running smoothly andefficiently. Whilst the great British weatherremains ever unpredictable, the need forquality service across our infrastructure willremain. Keeping up with this demand willcontinue to be an important role forcompanies such as Story Contracting.

The new lift atLong Eatonstation.


toBackBirminghamNigelWordsworth

w r i t e r

he £600 million redevelopment ofBirmingham’s New Street Station is

heading for an important milestone in thenext few months. The first phase of the newstation concourse will be opened to thepublic in April 2013, and the existingconcourse will be shut off so that it, in turn,can be remodelled and upgraded.

Regular readers will have been followingthe New Street story over the last few years,but for newcomers here is a short outline ofthe programme.

Birmingham New Street is the busieststation outside London, and the busiestinterchange station in the UK, with a trainleaving the station every 37 seconds. All ofthe platforms are below ground level,making it technically an ‘undergroundstation’, which has implications in terms ofthe levels of fire retardance in the structureand in the need to remove people quicklyfrom the site in case of trouble.

Planning for expansionOver 140,000 passengers use New Street

every day, more than double the number itwas designed to cater for. This obviouslymakes the station overcrowded, but the factthat the twelve platforms are in oneunderground box, which cannot beenlarged, limits planners’ options in decidinghow to overcome those problems.

At platform level, the decision was taken todeclutter the platforms, removing oldwaiting structures and other encumbrances,so that passengers could get on and offtrains more rapidly. New lifts and escalatorswould move those passengers to and fromthe overhead concourse more quickly, andpassengers waiting for a train would be heldat concourse level rather than being on theplatform getting in the way of peopletravelling on earlier trains.

However, this would increase the pressureon the concourse which was already adreary, overcrowded place. A new concoursewas needed, but without closing theexisting one which would effectively shutthe station.

Attention turned to the multi-story carpark next door. The bottom floor of that wason the same level as the existing concourse,and it occupied a larger area. Plans weredeveloped to turn the car park into a brandnew concourse, and then switchingpassengers from the old one to the new one.The old concourse would itself berefurbished, and then the intervening wallremoved to join both spaces up into onemuch larger area.

Of course, that’s a very simplistic outline.To get sufficient height in the car park forthe new concourse area, the floor above hadto be totally removed to produce a double-height void. The main service spine for thestation ran alongside the car park walladjoining the concourse, so would be in theway when the time came to join up the twoareas. A new spine would have to be builtwhich would service the larger area withoutgetting in the way.

To get people into and out of the newconcourse easily, all the taxi routes wouldhave to be altered, a new drop off areaconstructed, and streets surrounding thestation remodelled. There would also needto be a pedestrian route through thebuilding, which would involve new steps

and access, and to improve the station’s roleas an interchange the city council requestedan easy pedestrian route be constructedbetween New Street and the nearby MoorStreet station.

All these changes would still give aconcourse which, while larger, would have acomparatively low ceiling and so be quitedark and unwelcoming. Above the station isa shopping centre, the Pallasades, and somebright spark had the idea of totally removingthe centre of the building up to the sky,allowing more light into the centre of thebuilding and transforming the concourseinto a light, airy space. This wouldn’t be asdifficult as it might appear since theshopping centre was actually constructed asa nest of nine free-standing buildings in asquare. Removing the middle one wouldhave the desired effect without impingingtoo much on the surrounding eight. It wasan inspired suggestion.

The outside of the station resembled aconcrete box, so a firm of world-renownedarchitects came up with a scheme to cladthe whole building in curved, swoopymirror-finish stainless steel. This wouldreflect the sky and give the whole buildingan ethereal look.

T

The complexbracketry onStephenson Streetwill soon becovered by themirror-finishedfacade.

Demolition andConstruction.The beams in theforeground are stillto come down,while the new liftshafts for the JohnLewis store can beseen in thebackground.


Let’s add a storeThen, in February 2011, everything

changed again. John Lewis Partnershipsannounced it would be building a majordepartment store in Birmingham. This wouldcover 250,000 square feet over four floors,and would be on top of Birmingham NewStreet station! It was a welcome addition tothe project, but it involved rearranging someof the facilities and a redesign of the externalcladding.

Last time the rail engineer visitedBirmingham, at this time last year, work waswell underway. Over two years of hard workhad resulted in the car park being hollowedout, the new service spine going in, variousother works including the demolition ofStephenson Tower, a council-owned block offlats, being commenced. Cross CountryTrains staff accommodation was being re-sited to leave room for the John Lewis store.Everything was buzzing.

This year, things were even busier withover 1,000 people on site, 24 hours a day,seven days a week. The deadline to open thenew concourse is in April, which means ithas to effectively be finished by March toallow time for staff training and the fittingout of retail outlets, so everyone is underpressure. Network Rail’s Ben Herbert andDarren Cobb were pleased to point out howmuch had been achieved in the last twelvemonths.

Externally, the Cross Country offices arenow open in an impressive new block at thewest end of the station. Stephenson Tower isdown, and two new towers which will be thelift shafts for John Lewis are up - a third willfollow. All the brackets and waterproofingfor the fancy cladding has been installed onStephenson Street and the stainless steelsheets are being bolted to it.

The Moor Street link is structurallycomplete and will be opened at the sametime as the new concourse.

Upstairs, downstairsAt platform level, work continues. One

platform face at a time is being taken out ofcommission so that superfluous buildingscan be removed, a new platform surface laid,and other work done. At the same time,equipment is arriving from Otis and Stannahas 36 new escalators and 15 lifts are beinginstalled up to the new concourse.

Upstairs in theconcourse, the newspine is in. It was builtby NG Bailey as pre-tested moduleswhich were thenhung from the ceilingand joined together.All the connectionshang from thebottom, makingfuture alterationssimple andconvenient.

The walls andpartitions for the retail units are going in.Interestingly, even the glass is beinginstalled. This would normally be fitted later,but as the floor is likely to flex when weightis added, it is being done before the finalscreed is put down to avoid cracking. Thescreed itself will be made using alightweight aggregate to keep loading to aminimum.

There will be two main areas to the newconcourse. One is an open passagestraight through the station while theother will be a ticketed area, protected bytwo gatelines, for fare-paying passengerswaiting for their trains. The retail unitswhich are located alongside the walkwaytherefore have a choice to make - do theyface the public or the ticketed area? Theycan’t, of course, face both as otherwisefare-dodgers would nip through to avoidthe ticket checks!

The blockwork for the through walkway isgoing down and lighting is being installed.Although it is still very much a building site,everything is at that point of the work whenthings will rapidly come together and thereis nothing to suggest that everything won’tbe complete on time.

Inside the Pallasades shopping centre thereare partitions and temporary arrangements.The original plan was to retain the same feelas before but, now that John Lewis has comealong, the whole retail area will be upgradedinto a more up-market development andrenamed Grand Central ready for theopening of the new store in 2014.

So it’s head down for April. the rail engineerwill be back to see the changeover and toreport on phase two when the existingconcourse will get its upgrade to form part ofthe new, larger concourse at BirminghamNew Street.

(Above) Laying theblockwork floor forthe plasticwalkway.(Left) Partitioningthe new retailareas.

Fitting the firstmirror-finishfacade panels onStephenson Street.


hen trying to find our wayaround one of the UK’s major

airports, most of us are immediatelydrawn to the instantly recognisablelarge yellow signs with black type.Simple, clear and legible, they havebecome a well-known and widelyunderstood source of information. Theyare arguably the strongest and mostinstantly recognisable element of theBAA “brand”, BAA being the companythat has owned and managed themajority of our largest airports for over40 years.

With BAA selling a number of theirairports over recent years (due tocompetition commission rulings),significant changes are underway. Thenew owners of Gatwick Airport havealready adopted a completely new lookfor their wayfinding signs.Understandably they want to establisha unique look, feel and passengerexperience to differentiate themselvesfrom the competition. Soon UK airportsmay be more reminiscent of our railstations where wayfinding signage isoften quite different from station tostation depending on the TOC (TrainOperating Company) in charge.

The question is, does this actuallymatter? Whether it’s in our airports orrailway stations should all wayfindingsignage be the same? Or are the effectsof individual style and brandingminimal enough to avoid adverselyaffecting their effectiveness and, inturn, the passenger experience?

Four steps to successTo answer this we first need to look at

the key steps involved in developingand delivering an effective, fullyinclusive wayfinding strategy.

Step 1 - Identify the key destinationsto which you need to directcustomers. It might seem counterintuitive to limit the number ofdestinations you sign people to butwayfinding can quickly becomeineffective when you try to give theuser too much information. Keep itfocussed. Step 2 - Decide on the most effectivescale and positioning of signsthroughout the terminal or station.Getting this right relies onunderstanding when and wherepeople need specific information.Step 3 - Apply some science andexperience to ensure the signs andmessages they display are visible andlegible from an appropriate distance.Step 4 - Assess the station or terminalenvironment to ensure that allwayfinding signs have the necessary

contrast or standout. This isparticularly important in visually‘busy’ environments whereadvertising, retail offerings andsignage are all vying for thecustomers’ attention.

It is this last step where creating aconsistent look for signage for the railor aviation environment can make areal difference. From a wayfindingpurist’s point-of-view, it’s clear to seethat maintaining a consistent style forall signage in locations with acommon function would be the mosteffective solution.

Customers would intuitively knowwhat to look for when trying tonavigate their way around a station orterminal environment and would havean in-built understanding of how thatwayfinding system works. We couldeven go so far as to suggest that allmajor transport hubs, whether it be bus,rail, subway or airport terminals, shouldhave one consistent wayfinding system.Wouldn’t that be an extremely effectiveway to truly join up customer journeys?

Yes? or no?While the answer to this question may

clearly be a resounding yes, wayfindingis rarely the only element we need toconsider. It’s not only understandablebut also a commercially soundargument that individual TOCs or airportoperators should overlay their ownbranding and look and feel ontowayfinding signage. They want to createan enhanced experience that customerscan differentiate from other travel hubsand relate that positive experience backto the brand in question.

So the answer then is a qualified “no” -all wayfinding signage should not bethe same. Providing our rail and airportoperators develop their own wayfindinglook and feel with due consideration tosound wayfinding principles, we can beconfident of delivering consistentlypositive passenger experiences acrossour partner networks.

W

Should all wayfinding signage be the same?Gavin McMurrayw r i t e r

Director, Merson Signs


SoundInvestmentStuart Marshw r i t e r

he old saying, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’can be applied to the occasional

Sunday morning car tinkerer - and yes, acertain writer for the rail engineer has had tolearn this the hard way! But when it comesto the maintenance of a train fleet, there hasbeen justification in changing outconsumable components well before lifeexpiry. Failures out on the line are veryexpensive indeed, and disruptive topassengers of course, so interval-basedpreventative maintenance regimes weredesigned to prevent such occurrences.

Modern thinking is to tailor maintenanceintervention by making more use ofcondition monitoring and trend monitoring.Moving away from traditional preventative-based maintenance and the detection andrepair of failures towards condition-basedmaintenance and predictive maintenanceregimes just makes better economic sense.

One of the most expensive ‘consumables’on a rail vehicle are its wheelsets andbearings. For bogies that have overhaulregimes driven by bearing life there aresubstantial savings to be made ifmaintenance and overhaul periodicities canbe safely extended. Until recently, making aneducated guess and adding in a safety factorhas worked to an extent, but withoutaccurate information on wear rates and faultdevelopment there would be no confidenceto safely extend the maintenance intervals.But what if bearing faults could be detectedand monitored in real time, or even monthsin advance of intervention? And what if thiscould be done without taking the vehiclesout of service? Network Rail is currentlytrialling two systems that offer exactly this.

Hot axlebox detection (HABD) has ofcourse been used on the national networkfor decades, either on-train for inboard orhigh speed bearings, or trackside for outsideaxleboxes. Approximately 220 trackside HABdetectors are currently installed in the UK.Important though these are for safety, abearing that is creating heat sufficient totrigger an HABD will already be in full failuremode. The HABD alarm will inevitably cause

the affected train to be stopped, resulting indelays to following services as well. Withlong distances between HABD sites, there isalso the potential for failed bearings to goundetected.

Network Rail plans to supersede all itsHABD detectors as they become life expiredover the next 10-15 years and acousticbearing detectors are seen as a possiblereplacement. Systems from the two marketleaders in this technology are currentlybeing evaluated. In fact, one system, knownas Railway Bearing Acoustic Monitoring(RailBAM®) is already deployed at three sitesin the UK, with three systems installed. Itscompetitor, new to Britain, is the TracksideAcoustic Detection System (TADS®)developed by TTCI in the USA.

Unique signatureBoth of these systems measure the

acoustic signatures of wheel bearings asthey pass trackside microphone arrays.These signatures are attributable to specificwheelsets by means of Automatic VehicleIdentification (AVI),making use of RFIDtagging. The theoryis that, over a periodof time, the acousticcharacteristics ofevery bearingoperating on a routecan be mapped andmonitored. Thenature of theacoustic signature isdependent upon thebearing type and sizeand will, of course,vary with the speedof the vehicle andthe direction inwhich it is running.Frequencies ofdistress arepublished by thevarious bearingmanufacturers and

these are stored in the system database.Detected bearing signatures are comparedto the database and changes over time canbe plotted. Even minute bearing defects canbe detected and, because each bearingfailure mode produces a differentcharacteristic acoustic signature, the exactnature of those faults can be determined.

Monitoring the rate of change in minorfault levels is just as important as thedetection of more severe faults. The ongoingsupervision of bearing condition means thata predictive and systematic planningprocess can be used to spread maintenanceactivities whilst ensuring safetyrequirements. In other words, predicting thelife expectancies of each and every bogie ina fleet will allow maintenance interventionto be precisely tailored, bringing aboutsignificant cost benefits. Furthermore,because daily readings are taken, thedetection of a bearing/wheelset fault that isrunning away to failure will raise an alarm,allowing maintenance to be broughtforward.

T

(Below) InstallingRailBAMmicrophone arrayat Swaythling.


RailBAMSiemens is the UK

agent for RailBAM,which was developedby Australiancompany TracksideIntelligence Pty Ltd(Track IQ). It is claimedthat this system candetect wheel bearingfaults up to 100,000miles in advance offinal bearing failure.

As Nicholas Kay, innovative technologiesmanager for Siemens Rail Systems in the UK,explains: “The principle of operation is basedon identifiable sound characteristics emittedby bearing defects such as roller or ringsurface spalls, water etching and brinelling.These cause structural responses of thebearing components, which radiate soundwith unique characteristics.”

Two optical beams are used to measurethe speed of the wheelset and theflange/wheel diameter. From thesemeasurements, the RPM of the wheelset iscalculated and the acoustic fingerprint iscompared to the appropriate storeddatabase. Nicholas Kay continues: “Thesystem additionally diagnoses loose orfretting components such as worn inner orouter rings and worn seals. All of thesedefects can be detected at steady trainspeeds of 20mph to 75mph, the speedrange past the installed systems.”

Signal processing techniques allow the signalfrom the bearing defect to be extracted fromany background noise, enabling faultidentification and classification. An acousticarray of eight microphones positioned 2.5metres from the rail gives greatly improvedspatial discrimination (directionality) and this,

together withsoftware processing,prevents a large faulton one axle frommasking a small faulton an adjacent axle.Each wheelsetcompletesapproximately two tothree revolutionswithin themicrophones’ field ofview.

The RailBAM trending database providesautomated downloading of fault data frommultiple sites to a central server. Multiple userscan access that data and receive user definedalerts via SMS or email, based on varioustrending rules. Alternatively, the alerts can beautomatically shared with the maintenancemanagement system (MMS) to automate thescheduling of work in the depot.

RailBAM was successfully trialled bySouthern Railway over a five month periodin 2007. The test site was at Earlswood onthe London-Brighton main line, and theobjective was to monitor the Class 377fleet that operates this route and whichwas suffering from ongoing wheel bearingproblems - Class 377 was the last UK fleetto utilise 120mm bearings, the newstandard being 130mm. During the trial, 24bearing defects were reported with justone false report generated.

Siemens installed the first permanentEuropean RailBAM site at Swaythling nearSouthampton. This site monitors the SiemensDesiro fleet of Class 444 and Class 450 trainsoperated by South West Trains as well asother classes and operators on the route. Thisinstallation gained RailBAM full Network Railproduct acceptance in 2009. It also went

though ‘Network Change’ and as such isaccepted by the TOCs and FOCs on the route.

Since installation in 2009, the Swaythlingsite has seen over six million axle journalbearings of various fleets. The system hasidentified over 60 defective axle bearingson the Desiro fleet, allowing Siemens toproactively schedule their removal fromservice long before failure, withoutinconveniencing passengers on the route.

RailBAM screenshots.(Top)Train list;(Middle) Bearing history; (Bottom) Wagon history.

(Below) TADS microphonearray.

Answers for mobility.

siemens.co.uk/rail

Maintenance Services with RailBAM®

Increased safety and reliability for railway systems.

RailBAM® is our new predictive maintenance tool for wheelsets. It uses trackside mounted equipment to detect early bearing defects acoustically when a train passes by at line speed. This means that the axle bearing condition can be continuously monitored without having to remove or strip the bearing.

Always striving for excellence, Siemens trains operate over 50 million miles per year in Britain on behalf of seven operating companies. If you are looking for a partner to rely on – for Rolling Stock, maintenance or infrastructure – look no further.

Siemens RailBam Advert.indd 1 31/01/2012 09:10


In 2011, the deployment of RailBAM wasexpanded to include a site in Mortlake.Installed and operated directly by SouthWest Trains, the site monitors its Class 458and Class 455 fleets.

The third UK RailBAM site is in Belfast, forTranslink. This was installed in April 2011 andis combined with a wheel impact detectionsystem, WCM, also manufactured by Track IQ.

Track IQ has installed more than 60installations globally including 22 in NorthAmerica, 24 in Australia, and others in Brazil,South Africa, India and China.

TADSTransportation

Technology Center,Inc (TTCI), a whollyowned subsidiary ofthe Association ofAmerican Railroads(AAR), is atransportationresearch and testingorganisation based inPueblo, Colorado,USA and thedeveloper of TADS.Although similar toRailBAM in itsobjective ofdetecting defects in axle roller bearings,TADS nevertheless uses very differenthardware and software. Rail-mountedinductive proximity sensors are used todetermine the speed and direction ofwheelsets as they pass a multiplemicrophone trackside array feeding a multi-computer high speed data acquisitionsystem. The number of microphones andtheir spacing is designed to enhance thecapability of the system to identify defects ona “single” train pass basis as repeat passes of aparticular bearing could take weeks ormonths due to the interchange of trainsacross multiple rail lines.

Special algorithms are applied to analysethe sound signals and bearing defects areranked by severity on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5being the most severe. The bearing detectionalgorithms are designed to flag certainknown features associated with internalbearing defects. TADS is able to categorisedefect indication dependent upon whetherthe fault affects either the inner or outerraceways or rollers, or even whether there aredefects affecting more than one of thesecomponents. There are also categories forun-attributable faults and for ‘growlers’(bearings with large area raceway spalls). Thedefect information can be relayed by modemconnection, or via the web. Database toolsare available for the graphical display of train,vehicle, or individual bearing history.

Firdausi Irani is vice president of businessdevelopment for TTCI/AAR. He says: “TTCIhas installed about 100 systems globallybetween 2000 and 2012 and we continue toenhance our capabilities by expanding thedetection ability for additional vehicle types,freight and passenger, as well as varyingoperating and site conditions.”

The TADS system continues to bedeveloped as Firdausi describes: “TTCI hasworked with individual customers in NorthAmerica and internationally to implement

enhanced defectlocationalgorithms aswell as aconfidence levelthataccommodatesthe individualmaintenancephilosophy andprocesses of

railways. In addition, TADS meets all siteapproval requirements dictated by the AAR.”

In the UK, following an initial two monthevaluation installation at a site near Banbury,TADS has recently been installed for a sixmonth trial on the East Coast Main Line nearYork. To complement this, East Coast rollingstock is being fitted with vehicle RFID tags toprovide automatic vehicle identification.

ChoicesWithin Network Rail, the project is being

overseen by Amanda Hall, principaldevelopment manager (fixed assets). As shehas made clear: “With its existing HABdetectors becoming due for replacementover the next 10-15 years, Network Railneeds to decide whether to replace themwith modern versions, or to go for acousticbearing monitoring.”

Factors in the decision making include therelatively low sensor density for acousticsystems across the network, offset by higherunit costs. However, the benefits of theacoustic systems go far beyond the NetworkRail scope of ‘policing’ the network for roguebearings and replacing obsolete HABDtechnology.

Amanda Hall continues: “Acousticmonitoring could offer a genuine andsustainable means of removing wastefrom our industry by reducing the cost oftrain maintenance, increasing trainavailability whilst at the same timeimproving safety - truly in the spirit of theMcNulty Report.

“Whatever is decided, we expect thatsome HABD equipment will be retained, asoccasionally bearing faults can becomecritical sooner than could be detectedthrough acoustic monitoring; for example,due to loss of lubrication. Generally though,as we have seen, acoustic systems candetect faults at a much earlier stage thanHABD can and they can also determine the

failure mode. The financial benefits to TOCsand ROSCOs are obvious, but even toNetwork Rail there are potential savingsbecause of reduced disruption and delay onthe network, in particular through theavoidance of HABD alarms.”

Amanda Hall sums up Network Rail’sproject philosophy: “In trialling acousticsystems from the two market leaders,Network Rail will be looking not only attechnical performance and reliability, butalso at maintenance costs, the cost of sparesand longevity. However, the benefit ofpredictive maintenance to RoSCOs, TOCsand FOCs will not be overlooked to ensurethe potential of this technology ismaximised.”

The trials are not necessarily seen byNetwork Rail as being a competitionbetween two manufacturers. “Clearly, therewill be an incentive to adopt the systemthat gives best overall value for money,”says Amanda Hall. “But technical andcommercial considerations may lead to amix of the two systems. Ahead of any futurenetwork-wide rollout, Network Rail will beworking with individual TOCs who havebearing maintenance problems and canmake a business case to warrant furthertrial sites.”

As far as fleet management is concerned,the financial benefits of acoustic bearingmonitoring can only be fully realised ifAutomatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) is alsoemployed. Freight vehicles tend not to stickto particular routes so AVI has not so farbeen applied to them as part of the acousticaxle bearing monitoring trials. Althoughbearing faults on freight vehicles can still bedetected, without AVI it is not possible toattribute faults to individual vehicles.Nevertheless, the ultimate aim is for bothTOCs and FOCs to move towards conditionbased maintenance regimes for axlebearings and bogies.

As your writer found out, fixing things thataren’t broken can be expensive, but failuresin service are more expensive still. When itcomes to axle bearing replacement, acousticmonitoring and fault trending should proveinvaluable in helping fleet operators strikethe correct balance on maintenance, safetyand cost. By allowing condition to bedetermined without removing the bearing,trackside acoustic detection seems set tohave a sound future!

Examples ofbearing defectsdetected by thesesystems.

2013

spon

sors

Network optimisation, new projects and

next-gen networks19-21 February 2013, Hilton Vienna, Austria

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Rail operators and infrastructure managers are coming to RailTel to find out how to successfully implement and manage their communication systems, and to meet with potential new business partners.

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RFF

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RailTel EU 2013 AD 210-297.indd 1 12/13/12 1:40 PM


n the 13 December at the BritishLibrary Conference Centre, Steve

Yianni, Network Rail’s director ofengineering, presented the RailwayTechnical Strategy (RTS) 2012 for the Britishrailway for the next 30 years. It builds on theRTS that was published by The Departmentfor Transport in 2007.

The RTS 2012 has been produced by theTechnical Strategy Leadership Group (TSLG).This is an RSSB-facilitated, cross-industryexpert body, made up of senior executivestaff, charged with developing andchampioning the implementation of theRTS. They are also responsible for thesupporting communication, managing thestrategic research and identifyingopportunities, barriers and actions.

Working closely with the Rail DeliveryGroup that was created followingpublication of the McNulty report, the TSLGalso has strong links with many other railwayindustry groups and its remit and terms ofreference are agreed by the Board of RSSB.Therefore, it is safe to say that this strategydocument has the support andendorsement from all of the key railwayleadership groups; a critical requirement ifthe RTS 2012 is going to be taken seriously.

Industry reclaiming technical strategyTim O’Toole, Chair of the Rail Delivery

Group, opened the event by giving hisendorsement to the RTS 2012. He said thatthe railway industry is all about engineeringand it was right and proper for the industry

to reclaim ownership and leadership ofits technical strategy. He added that thiswas essential to ensure that thegovernment did not lose faith in theindustry and spend money elsewhere.

In his remarks, Tim O’Toole alsoemphasised the importance of a strategythat bridges different financial periods,recognising that if the industry is going toeffectively manage the fantastic growththat it is experiencing, then significant stepchanges need to be made which willrequire engineers to come to the fore. This isinteresting because it touches on the knottysubject familiar to many: how can we justifyspending significant amounts of moneymaking improvements today that do notbring about real financial benefits until 15 or25 years time by which time contracts,franchises have expired and governmentschanged.

Unlock potential savingsOne example of a long term project that

could offer significant savings is changingfrom DC to AC power supply on electrifiedlines. It is well known that this would offersignificant improvements to journey times.Track renewal costs would reduce as wouldthe carbon footprint. However, it would bean extremely challenging undertaking andto date it has sat in the “too difficult pile”. Yet,as Steve Yianni kept emphasisingthroughout the event, it is an opportunity tounlock savings and that is what this strategyis all about.

During the presentation therewas a very interesting short animated videoof the railway world in 30 years time. Thevideo described how technology canintroduce the step changes necessary for arailway fit for its time. It focussed onimproving capacity by the design of lighterand longer trains.

A question was asked about how coachescould be designed to be lighter when, todate, we have never managed to design acoach as light as the Mark 3 which wasdesigned in the1970’s. It was an interestingquestion that was not easily answered,although it was suggested that a possiblesolution could be found by looking atpotential improvements to the wholesystem. So, if the industry was successful in

O

Collin Carrw r i t e r

Looking forward 30 years


transferring the control of trains from signalsto onboard controls using ERTMS-styletechnology that is already well advanced,then this could unlock the opportunity todesign lighter rolling stock. Once this ERTMStechnology can be relied upon, and thelikelihood of a collision reduced, it wouldthen be feasible to remove aspects of thedesign associated with collision impactthereby offering the opportunity to reducethe weight of the rolling stock. The keyunderlying message is that it is only whenone looks at the whole system is one able tosee the potential benefits and opportunities.

None of this is new but it is refreshing tohear a strategy that focuses on theopportunities to do something and thebenefits for a sustainable, long term railwaysystem instead of focussing on possiblefuture problems that could arise.

Essential requirements for the passenger

The video also highlighted the passengerwho, it was suggested, will expect to haveinformation at their finger tips. Ticket officeswill become redundant, tickets will be virtualand information about parking spaces, traintimes, taxi on arrival, facilities for bikes,instantly available.

To protect and grow the freight businesson rail, the strategy suggests that trains willhave to run at night. This will requirededicated paths which are regulated andbalanced so that the trains can cover longdistances at constant speeds. This will mean

that braking will bekept to a minimum, thus reducing bothimpact on the track and fuel consumption. Itmay be imagined that many freight traindrivers would have a very cynical reaction tothis vision. Certainly track maintenance andrenewal will have to deliver all the initiativesplanned to offer a 24-hour railway.

The RTS is aimed at identifying andeliminating many of the causes of cost,including: lineside signalling which costs£100m/year, oil based traction fuel£600m/year, service interruptions caused byasset failure, frequent unplannedmaintenance, customer experiences ofunreliability in the system, compensation forfailure.

Key themesThe RTS 2012 document itself focuses on

six themes each with their vision, objectives,strategy and enablers. The themes and theirvisions are:

• Control, command and communication -intelligent traffic management and controlsystems that dynamically optimise networkcapacity and facilitate highly efficientmovement of passengers and freight;

• Energy - a low carbon, energy efficientrailway;

• Infrastructure - a simple, reliable and cost-effective rail infrastructure which meetscustomer requirements and is fit for thetwenty-second century;

• Rolling stock - mass and energy efficient,low whole-life cost rolling stock whichmeets the evolving needs of its customers;

• Information - rail is customers’ preferredform of transport for reliability, ease-of-useand perceived value;

• Customer experience - a whole-systemapproach that enables the rail industry toimplement change easily and improvereliability, availability, maintainability, andsafety.

There are seven common design concepts.They are: whole system reliability, resilience,security and risk mitigation, automation,simplicity, flexibility and sustainability. Thesecommon design concepts are supported bythree common foundations:• A whole system approach which enables

the rail industry to implement changeeasily and improve reliability, availability,

maintainability and safety;• Innovation in a dynamicindustry that innovates toevolve, grow and attract thebest entrepreneurial talent;• Skilled and committedpeople who are adaptableand able to deliver anefficient and customer-focused railway.

Steve Yianni explained thateach chapter of the strategydocument has a road map tosuccessful implementation. Heclosed the event by saying thatthere are two key messages thathe would like everyone to retainand share. The first is that theinitiative is industry led and the

second is that the strategy is aboutthe whole system.

To fully understand the vision and scopeof the RTS 2012, it is necessary to read thewhole document which is available fromthe website below. A 30 year strategy isquite a challenge. The fact that the industry,under the facilitation of RSSB, has managedto focus collectively on the difficult railwayissues is commendable. The fact that theyhave facilitated a process that has enabledindustry to consider opportunities, costsand savings that are outside their timeframewithin the industry is even morecommendable. It could also mean that theindustry might start to address the realissues that need to be resolved to ensurethat the railway system is fit for purpose in30 or 40 years time. That would be a legacyto be proud of but only time will tell!

How old will you be in 30 years?

w www.futurerailway.org

PHO

TO: M

ASA

BI

roduct acceptance and technologyintroduction are terms that most people

in the rail industry have heard, and on whichthey quite probably have a strong opinion.Engineers and project managers,contractors and suppliers, they will allinevitably have come across the ‘stumblingblock’ that is Product Acceptance.

There is no doubt that Network Rail’sproduct acceptance process has comeunder scrutiny throughout its history. It hasbeen criticised for being slow, andcumbersome, and complicated.

So why is it there? A company has a newproduct which it has developed and is readyto supply, you are a competent engineer andbelieve that this product is going to help youcomplete your task more efficiently, so whycan’t you just get on and use it?

PurposePrimarily product acceptance is about

assurance. It exists so that, as infrastructuremanager, Network Rail can demonstrate thatthe building blocks which make up therailway and the equipment and plant usedby staff and contractors are safe, fit forpurpose, and do not export risk onto theoperational network.

To manage the introduction oftechnology, it follows a process whichis designed to ensure that the needs ofeach stakeholder are met.

First and foremost is the requirementthat each product needs a Network Railemployee to act as sponsor. Thissponsor is the most critical role in theprocess and is required to prove thatthere is a business need for the product- if there is no business need, thenlogically the product will not be eligiblefor acceptance. The sponsor also acts asproject manager and is responsible forthe safe and timely delivery of theacceptance.

The processOnce an application has been

submitted, an early stage in theprocess will identify if the productpresents a strong business case and isin line with product strategy - bothtechnically and commercially. If theapplication passes the strategy checkstage successfully, then focus turns toensuring that the performance,functional, and safety aspects ofintroducing a product are addressed

along with integration tasks such as training.A specification is drawn up by a competentand independent engineer and the supplierand sponsor, working together, are requiredto demonstrate within their submission thatthe product meets those requirements.

The submission is assessed and reviewedand, if successful, the product is issued aCertificate of Acceptance and added toiStore, Network Rail’s online procurementsite, so that it is orderable across the entirebusiness.

‘Glasnost and perestroika’Network Rail recognises that, in the past,

visibility of the process has been somewhatlacking. Over recent months an importantpart of the Technology Introduction team’swork has been increasing the transparencyof product acceptance.

Foremost to this is recognising that allparties - infrastructure manager, projectteam, contractor, supplier - are integral tothe successful introduction of newtechnology into the industry. To meet theneeds of the continually evolving railwaywith higher passenger numbers, greaterloads and focus on delivering value formoney, if new technology is not beingintroduced, the company is not just standingstill but actually going backwards.

Now based in Milton Keynes, theTechnology Introduction department hasstrived to improve its performance overrecent years, and time is a key indicator of

P


James Lewisw r i t e r

Provisional CheckBooking in & provisional checks

Product Acceptance Team

Strategy CheckEngineering, C&P & acceptance route check

Technology Manager/C&P Manager

SpecificationSet acceptance requirements

SRP or Lead Reviewer

SubmissionResponse to acceptance requirements

Sponsor/Manufacturer

AssessmentReview response to acceptance requirements


AcceptanceSign certificate

SRP or Professional Head

CatalogueIssue certificate and add to iStore


(New) product acceptanceTrimble GEDO CEtrackmeasurementsystem from Korec.

(Right) Process Chart:C&P: Contracts &ProcurementSRP: SustainableRail Programme.

the process’ performance. Over a twoyear period, the time to acceptance(moving annual median) has decreasedfrom 180 days to under 50 days againsta backdrop of increasing workload.

These steps are hugely encouraging,but the aim is to improve performancestill further. The next steps are all abouta collaborative way of working andclarifying accountabilities.

Transparency Transparency becomes the key to

success in this. Information needs to betransparent so each stakeholder canmake intelligent decisions based uponit. Expectation needs to be transparentso that it can be managed anddisappointment avoided. Andaccountabilities need to be transparentfor the process to be effective.

Recent improvements have seen thecreation of a web hub through whichstakeholders can access all the keyinformation on the process andproducts. This includes guidance onthe process and FAQs, an applicationtracker to monitor progress of newproducts seeking acceptance, andinformation on the most recentlyaccepted technologies and currenttrials. The hub also gives access toCertificates of Acceptance and a link tothe iStore online procurement site. Allthis information is available tocontractors, suppliers, andmanufacturers free of charge.

The new hub is hugely important.Firstly, it acts as an enabler to helpmake sure that there is greaterawareness of what the process does.Furthermore, it is a means tocommunicate information on theadvantages of the latest productswhich, if the principle of ‘a newproduct is only accepted if it presentsa safety, performance or cost benefit’is taken literally, are equally applicableto Network Rail and the entireindustry.

Devolution and the futureDevolution within Network Rail has

presented new challenges forassurance activities in adapting tomeet the needs of a new businessstructure and new ways of operating.Many devolved routes are now taking agreater interest in product assuranceand are actively participating in theprocess. This enables those withaccountability for the performance ofthe railway to have authority andgreater control to meet their needsthrough introducing new technologyand infrastructure change.

Major steps have been made to datein opening up and increasingtransparency of the approvals process.The immediate future will continue tosee performance improvements asaccountabilities are clarified furtherwithin the process.

2013 will also see the introduction ofthe new Supplier Quality Assuranceactivities. These are required tostrengthen the overall productassurance framework and ensure thatsuppliers have arrangements in placeso that quality products are deliveredconsistently. Supplier Quality Assurancewill form part of the requirements forproduct acceptance during an initialtrial on the most critical productsbefore further roll out later in the year.

More work is being undertaking onimproving how the business specifiesits requirements. Importantly, there willbe opportunities to engage with thedevolved routes, move assurancecloser to the point of need andunderstand the problems affectingperformance. Key to success will bedelivering the right solution to meetthese problems and ensuring that thenew technology is implemented locallyand nationally, delivering benefits tothe entire business.

See ‘More new technology’ feature on page 56.


© 2012 SPX

The following are considered trademarks of Radiodetection Ltd. and SPX Corporation: C.A.T, Genny and Avoidance Mode. Copyright 2012 Radiodetection Ltd. – SPX Corporation. All rights reserved. Radiodetection is a subsidiary of SPX Corporation.

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Accepted for use by Network Rail

The time taken to approve new products has decreased markedly since 2010.

very month, Network Rail’s TechnologyIntroduction group publishes a list of new

and improved equipment that has beenaccepted for use on the rail network. The listincludes everything from road-rail vehicles toportable plant and makes interesting reading.The variety of equipment is staggering and itincludes some general use items and otherswhich are so specific that their very use isobscure to anyone not in the know.

The complete list is available throughwww.therailengineer.com, or the Network Railwebsite, but here are a few products whichcaught the editor’s eye.

Cable avoidanceRadiodetection, part of the

SPX group, have hadtwo products

accepted. The new C.A.T4digital range of cable

avoidance toolsdelivers highly refinedlocate capabilitiesspecifically designed to

help the operator find more buried utilities. TheC.A.T4 Avoidance Mode lets the operator checkan intended excavation area for Power, Radioand Genny signals and pinpoint located utilitiesin a single scan. Features such as the bargraph‘tidemark’ enable an operator to quickly spot apeak response and zero-in on a buriedconductor.

The new Genny4, with a new integrated logicdesign, provides a class-first simultaneous dual-frequency signal output design. Alongside thefamiliar 33kHz locate signal for general purposelocates, the Genny4 transmits a secondfrequency designed to facilitate location ofsmall diameter cables such as telecoms andstreet lighting, including spurs. For trickylocates, the new power boost function enablesthe locate signal to travel further and deeper,and couple onto utilities more easily.

The company has also gained productacceptance for its RD8000 advanced pipe andcable locators.

Buried cables and drainsTalking of buried cables, a couple of buried

services products have made the list. Cubis hasdeveloped the Multiduct System for use as aburied conveyance of cables. When used as aburied cable route, it provides a very securemethod of cable containment and protection.It is easy to install with very high productivityduring the available possessions.

A range of lightweight drainage pipes fromJFC Manufacturing have also been accepted for

use. Available in six-metre lengths, the twinwalled and corrugated pipes have smoothinner walls for increased flow capacity, and areresistant to naturally occurring chemicals.

Better ballast stabilityGeogrid specialists Tensar have introduced

TriAx TX190L, a polymeric geogrid trackbedmechanical stabilisation system for NetworkRail specification ballast. It has been developedspecifically for improving rail track ballaststability and reducing sleeper settlement,which leads to a reduced maintenance cyclefrequency and life cycle cost saving.

Tensar’s submission claims that geogridstabilisation of ballast leads to much reducedsleeper settlement, by as much as three to fivetimes, and therefore allows the time betweenmaintenance cycles to be increased.

Higher payloadAnd to carry all these products about, there is

the new Iveco 5.5 Tonne Road Rail Vehicle fromLH Access. Recently acquired by Wabtec, LH isstill based at Barton-under-Needwood nearBurton on Trent where it produces high-qualityroad-rail conversions as well as buildingHunslet locomotives, doing bogie overhaulsand other rail-related work.

The new Iveco RRV has an increased payload,from one tonne to two tonnes, allowing moreequipment to be carried with less manualhandling and staff and reducing the volume ofvehicles required to conduct operations.

E


For any rail network, maintaining track alignment is vital to reducing ongoing maintenance and restrictions. That’s where Tensar Technology can help. Tensar geogrids stabilise ballast and sub-ballast over soft subgrades, increasing bearing capacity and reducing settlement. Tensar have now launched the larger aperture Tensar TriAx® TX190L, now with Network Rail approval, designed to be compatible with traditional ballast, locking it in place to limit the lateral movement that leads to track settlement. Maintenance cycles are extended up to three times or more, reducing both costs and disruptions. So to make your maintenance costs smaller, simply think bigger.

Talk to our technical team on: +44 (0)1254 266990www.tensar.co.uk/rail

Savings on a whole new scale for railway engineers?Tensar is the answer

(Above and below)Cubis MultiductSystem.

More new technology

january 2013 | the rail engineer | 57surveying

have lost count of the number of times thatthis has been the request given to me from a

project manager or engineer during the courseof my work. You may say “Well, that is all that isneeded”, but I would have to disagree becausea survey can mean many things to differentpeople.

One definition of surveying is “Measurementsderived from survey instruments that define theexact form of boundaries, position, extent, etc., ofman made features or expanses of land or water.The principles of geometry and trigonometrymay be applied to the measurements.” Thesurvey instruments involved may includetheodolites, levels, global navigation satellitereceivers, total stations, lasers, cameras, othertypes of light wave sensors, cable detectionsensors, tapes and aerial sensors. This clearlyexcludes condition surveys and subjectivecomments or observations.

The output from a land, engineering ortopographic survey is usually in the form ofthree dimensional coordinates of points. Theseare usually linked by feature codes or a pointcloud enabling a report to be generated in theform of a map, plan sections or databasesuitable for inclusion in a BIM (buildinginformation modelling) model or GIS(geographic information system). This shouldbe supported by a survey report explaininghow the survey has been done and surveycalculations etc. Metadata should also beprovided, attached to the data file, to enable agood understanding of what the data wascollected for originally and the accuraciesachieved, enabling others to reuse this dataand understand if it is fit for the purpose forwhich they intend to use it.

Standards and trainingWith this in mind, Network Rail was aware of

inconsistencies in the provision of topographicservices. It has sought to provide projectmanagers and design engineers withassistance by providing a number of standardsto assist them in understanding “what goodlooks like.” An internal training course is indevelopment to assist with this.

Fundamental to this approach is the need,within a project team, for an individual with upto date knowledge of survey techniques and

methodology who may be called, incontractual terms, the “employer’srepresentative” or “client survey manager”(CSM). This is not a job for an engineer who lastsaw a total station at university or college manyyears ago. This role is defined in Network RailStandard NR/L2/TRK/3100, as are other relevantstandards and specifications.

Crucial to the provision of survey data for aproject is an understanding of the risksintroduced by an appropriate topographicsurvey. Such contracts are usually of the orderof 2 to 3% of the overall value of a project butimport significant risks that, if not successfullymitigated, have a value many times greaterthan this in terms of additional unforeseencosts.

The CSM should be responsible foridentifying such risks and bringing them to theattention of the project manager and agreeingsuitable mitigations. In addition, the CSMshould produce a project survey strategy. This isa key document that identifies issues such as:what existing survey data may already beavailable, what type of survey grid should beused, what are the requirements for trackaccess, who are the survey data users and,more specifically, what are the various usersexpecting?

Another important question is: who managesthe data once collected and disseminates it forthe use of all within the project and for widercompany use? Network Rail can derive greatervalue from a topographic survey by using it formore than a single purpose. My mantra is:“survey once - use many times”.

From TMD to tamperTopographic surveying is made up of a

number of processes making up a system. Aweakness in one part has an impact on the endresult. In the last few years, many accessorieshave been designed for use with total stationinstruments to improve the repeatability of railmeasurements for alignment analysis. This hasresulted in a number of manufacturers creatingtrack measurement devices (TMDs) that canconsistently survey the permanent way. Theearly suppliers of such equipment are Ambergwith their GRP System TMD and Trimble withtheir GEDO TMD. Other manufacturers are also

now producingsimilar devices,each with theirunique sellingpoints.

These TMDs arecapable ofcreating a seriesof directlycoordinatedpoints that maybe compareddirectly with aprevious designin 3D. Thus a liftand slew filemay be createdthat can be transferred directly to a tamperfor immediate action, provided sufficientchecks are included in the process. Additionally,once the track has been tamped, a repeatsurvey may be undertaken and the surveyedpoints referenced to the Network Rail trackstandards to enable a decision to be made by atrack engineer on the speed for which the trackmay be opened. Such a process will improvethe time taken to get the line opened and backto full line speed.

Latest evolutionsSurveying technology is constantly evolving.

The advent of terrestrial laser scanning and theability to collect huge amounts of data quicklysuits the railway environment where trackaccess is at a premium. However, as with alltechnology, it must be used by organisationsthat subscribe to the highest standards.Companies which are members of the SurveyAssociation or employ members of theprofessional surveying institutions such as RICS(Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) orCICES (Chartered Institution of Civil EngineeringSurveyors) should always be used.

The future of railway surveying is lookingbright with many new projects seeking surveydata to understand better what already existson the network. The application of appropriatestandards, understood and implemented byknowledgeable, well qualified surveyors, willensure that good value is generated for themoney spent.

I

(Top) Trackmeasurementdevice in use -Trimble GEDO-CEsystem from Korec.(Inset) Amberg5000 TMD.

Just do a survey!

Chris Prestonw r i t e r

Senior Survey Engineer, Network Rail

58 | the rail engineer | january 2013 surveying

ention geophysics and one could beexcused for thinking of Time Team

enthusiasts tracing Neolithic dwellings, orperhaps seismic images of petroleumreserves deep below the seabed. For agrowing number of rail engineers, however,geophysics is increasingly becoming a toolof the trade, particularly in the area of trackmaintenance.

A whole suite of geophysical methods arebeing used throughout the railwayinfrastructure lifecycle to provideinformation on condition and constructionat depths ranging from a few centimetres tohundreds of metres.

For the near-surface, ground penetratingradar (GPR) is the most widely recognisedgeophysical technique for trackbedassessment, with surveys undertaken atboth network and project level. Variants ofthe same technique are used to map buriedservices and other shallow features.

For an understanding of subsurfacestructure and condition at greater depth,there are many more non-destructivetechniques for deriving physical data basedaround measurement of electrical,magnetic, acoustic and gravitationalenergy. With powerful ground profilingcapabilities, they can be integrated withmore traditional intrusive investigations(coring, drilling) to reduce uncertaintyrelating to ground structure and materialproperties.

Engineering geophysics specialists atFugro have been applying their capabilitiesin subsurface investigation to the specificchallenges of the railway sector for wellover a decade, both in the UK and furtherafield.

Asset management A short hop across the

Irish Sea provides a topicalexample of the benefits ofGPR for enhancing theknowledge base crucial toefficient railway assetmanagement.

In a major project for IrishRail, Fugro surveyed morethan 1,000 km of railwaytrackbed using a train-mounted ground penetratingradar system integrated withthe client’s survey vehicle tosimplify logistics.

With antennae mounted atthe front and rear of the IrishRail Track Recording Vehicle,the team collected sixcontinuous data-streams at anormal operational speed of 65km/hr. Coverage included themainline passenger routesbetween Cork, Galway, Sligo andWestport.

Fugro’s transport team resolvedchallenges of equipment set-up and thesimultaneous collection of multiple data-streams to complete the survey in justseven days without disruption to scheduledservices.

Irish Rail plans to use the data to helpdetermine the condition and thickness oftrack ballast, as well as ballast formation,sub-formation and presence of water. Thiswill assist engineers in assessing,prioritising and designing trackrehabilitation work and associateddrainage improvements.

Irish Rail project engineer, Sarah Ross,said: “The GPR data will be used to assesstrackbed conditions on the networkincluding indications of ballast fouling, poorformation and underlying issues affectingtrack geometry. It will help us formulatemore effective maintenance solutions and abetter understanding of the underlyingproblems in areas prone to poor trackgeometry with a view to improving overalltrack quality and ride comfort forpassengers.”

The resulting data is supplied in a range offormats compatible with the client’s GISsystem and for analysis using trackmanagement software.

M

New lines of enquiry(top) Fugro’santennaemounted on thefront of Irish Rail’sTrack RecordingVehicle.(Bottom) Insidethe vehicle, Fugroengineers monitorthe data streams.

Simon Brightwellw r i t e r

Director, Fugro Aperio


Investigative expertiseThe success of the project has drawn on

Fugro’s comprehensive expertise in trackbedinvestigation. Project manager, CharlesBaker, said: “A key objective was to establisha rigorous system of radarcollection/interpretation for ranking andcomparing trackbed condition across thewhole rail network. The data will allow theclient to identify locations requiring furtherinvestigation and intervention, as well asdevelop a long term maintenance plan.”

Irish Rail is among a number of progressiverail operators using Fugro’s radar as a longterm asset management tool. Investment inthis type of rail network survey can helpoperators target and plan maintenancemore effectively, delivering considerablelong-term cost savings.

GPR delivers not only accurate, reliable andcontinuous data, it is also non-intrusive andhas a relatively light footprint in terms of thepeople and plant needed on-track. Add tothis the speed of coverage, then radar isextremely cost- and time-efficient forcomprehensive data-gathering, city to cityor network wide.

GPR and other geophysical surveysprovide a more robust body of knowledgethan reliance on desk studies and recordsearches alone. They are also far more cost-effective to mobilise compared with theheavyweight plant required for‘conventional’ intrusive groundinvestigations.

Complex structuresThe subsurface of the UK is a complex place.

Hidden relics of past industrial activity areintertwined with naturally occurringgeohazards, posing a threat to the safe andefficient operation, maintenance and upgradeof the rail network.

These have often been the target of interestin the many rail surveys undertaken by Fugro.Investigations of man-made cavities andstructures have included tin mines in Cornwall,‘lost’ culverts in Somerset and hidden tunnelconstruction shafts throughout the UK. Thecompany has even been asked to map theextent of an underground fire in a railembankment in north-east England. The list ofnatural geohazards tackled is similarly varied,ranging from swallow holes and other karstfeatures to coastal tracks being undercut bythe sea and inland embankments beingundermined by badgers.

As well as determining groundstratification and finding faulting, cavitiesand objects that present an engineering risk,geophysical methods can provide theengineer with the data required to constructa reliable ground model.

Much can be gained from analysis of thestrength and velocity of seismic (acoustic)energy transmitted through the ground. This

can beachieved using an impressive combination ofsurface and downhole acoustic sources,ranging from a hearty blow to the ground witha 10 kg hammer to sophisticated vibroseistrucks that generate highly controlled groundvibrations.

By analysing different elements of theenergy reflected from material boundaries,geophysicists can hand the engineer a reportincluding a suite of data relating to the elasticproperties of soil and rock including stiffness,rippability, and specific measures such asshear, bulk and Young’s Modulii.

Flexible techniquesWhether profiling long tranches of trackbed,

assessing embankments, or evaluatingground strength for new construction,modern geophysical techniques are flexible,fast and cost-effective to apply in thechallenging and often sensitive railwayenvironment.

With more pressure on the rail system toincrease output at lower cost and risk, ageophysical perspective could be key to theleaner, better-informed decision-making thatwill be required in railway engineering in thedecade ahead.

A full range of geophysical and non-destructive surveys providing condition and construction information to reduce risk and improve productivity.• Trackbed evaluation• Integrated geophysical and geotechnical site investigation• Structural investigation• Geospatial surveys, structural and geo-monitoring

WHEN KNOWLEDGE COUNTS…

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+44 (0)870 600 8050

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Ground resistivityprofile revealinginfilled bridgestructure withinrail embankment.

60 | the rail engineer | january 2013 surveying

Difficult accessnot down under

here are over 30,000 small road bridgesand many thousands more pedestrian

bridges in Australia, many of which are comingto the end of their structural lives. The cost ofreplacing these bridges is colossal, and couldimpose a crushing burden on councils, whichare responsible for the vast majority of these,mostly timber, bridges.

To complicate matters, the legalresponsibilities for councils and road authoritieshave changed enormously with the decision bythe High Court to abolish the concept ofnonfeasance. While a number of Australianstates have legislated to protect councils andother road authorities, the legal position hasbeen dramatically altered and continues toevolve.

Bridges built decades ago now have towithstand far greater and heavier traffic, whichis imposing greater risks and forcing councilsand road authorities to search for cost effectivesolutions and to improve their management oftheir bridge assets.

Discussing opportunitiesThe Fifth Australian Small Bridges Conference,

a recent two-day event in Surfers Paradise,focused on the problem of small to mediumbridges (which account for around 85% of thenational structures stock). A knowledgeableaudience of state and federal bridge, highwayand rail engineers, managers, contractors andsuppliers heard about significant newdevelopments in policy and methods for

maintaining their assets. Fiscal and technicalchallenges facing all levels of government werediscussed and explored with practical solutionsdebated. One of the most significantchallenges facing the Australian market isextending/managing the condition of its assetsand this issue was high on the agenda at theconference and stimulated off-line discussion.

BridgeZone, a well established and leadingprovider of structural engineering consultancyservices involving rope access, underwater andconfined access inspection services, was invitedto address the audience on the techniques itemploys. Paul Marshall and Kimble West gave awell-received presentation and, throughnetworking and active participation at theconference, it became apparent that theAustralian market as a whole is carrying outvery little difficult access inspection andvirtually no systematic underwater inspectionof bridges. In truth, most inspections seemed tobe reactive. However, as risks increase - when,for example, the age and, more importantly,condition of an asset is acknowledged as aserious problem or when infrastructure new-build is slacking - asset management as aconcept is ‘on-the-rise’.

In Australia there are ‘abseilers’ and a numberof commercial diving companies that provide a‘service’, but none with an engineeringinspection background. Feedback from theAustralian visit revealed that many of thecountry’s contractors, consultants and clientorganisations believe BridgeZone has theexpertise they badly need.

Sonar sounds interestingParticular interest was shown in BridgeZone’s

application of sonar technology for sub-surfacescanning of underwater structures inconditions where normal visual inspections arenot possible. Underwater environments are

dynamic and complex and the sub-surfacevisual assessment of structures has long been achallenge for inspection engineers the worldover. Introducing a sonar scanning capabilitywas a natural progression for BridgeZone; thecompany has invested heavily in thetechnology and is already seeing a returnthrough successful trials and contracts on anumber of inspection projects in the UK,Ireland and Africa.

Surface operated, thus negating the need fordiving, BridgeZone’s sonar scanningequipment is both light and versatile. Theresulting high quality images provide cleardefinition to reveal critical structural defectssuch as scour pockets in exceptional detaileven in very low visibility water. The images canthen be interrogated to calculate approximatedepths and areas of defects and scours, thushelping to quantify any necessary detailed diveexamination and associated remedial works.

Australian progressEncouraged by the overall experience at the

conference, Bridgezone is now activelyprogressing collaboration with like-mindedorganisations in the Australian market. Basedon its experience as a specialist provider ofdifficult access inspection of infrastructureassets in highways and rail in the UK, Europeand Africa, it aims to promote its effective andefficient methods for gathering crucial assetcondition information using specialist accesstechniques.

As managing director Paul Marshall puts it:“Australia is most certainly a land of greatopportunity. Following the intense scheduleduring our visit our overall perception was thatthis market is calling out for asset managementsupport and our expertise was of real interestto many of our potential clients in both publicand private sector organisations.”

T

PHO

TO: SH

UTTERSTO

CK.COM

(Main photo)Evening

footbridgewalkway acrossMoyne River in

Port Fairy,Victoria.

(Below)Paul Marshall,

ManagingDirector

BridgeZone,presents at the

AustralianSmall Bridges

Conference.


Newly approvedlocatorsable Detection has announced that thelatest additions to its product range, the

EZiSYSTEM xf series Locators andTransmitters, are now Network Railapproved meaning all of its products cannow be used on and around the railinfrastructure.

With Cable Detection’s state of the art xflocators and transmitters, users can detectburied utilities faster and more accuratelythan ever before. The xf range has beenspecifically designed with long distancetracing in mind. The ability to trace lowtransmitter frequencies provides a greatertracing range making locating undergroundutilities easier than ever before.

Managing Director Christine Swetnamcomments: “2012 has been a great year forCable Detection. Receiving approval on all ofour products, has once again confirmed ourcommitment to safety and productconformity. Having passed a stringent seriesof tests, we are delighted that the full range

of our locators and transmitters are nowaccepted for use on Network Railsinfrastructure.

“We are particularly proud that our EZiTEXt300 (3 watt) Signal Transmitter has beenawarded the approval. The first, and onlyhigh powered transmitter in the UK marketto have been recognised for its safetyconformity, it will allow users to traceservices over a greater distance, andimprove on detection in areas of high signalinterference.”

Four models of EZiTEX join a further eightmodels of EZiCAT and Cable Detection’ssignal clamp in being Network Railapproved. As with all of Cable Detection’slocators, the EZiSYSTEM xf range representsthe latest design in cable detectiontechnology with state-of-the-art digitalsignal processing (DSP), automatic controls,in-built test function and signal strengthindicator. All of these products make lightwork of ground surveys.

C

ALL of Cable Detection’s Locators and Transmitters are Network Rail approved! !"#$%&!'()*+(,-./(01/)(2(34))()14!/5&))+16(

62 | the rail engineer | january 2013 senior appointments

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is the largest of Scotland’s seven regional transport partnerships. SPT runs the Glasgow Subway, is responsible for a host of specialist bus services and major infrastructure projects. We are currently transforming our Subway system with a multi-million pound modernisation programme and looking for two self-motivated and dedicated managers to join an innovative team during an exciting period of growth.

Shift Service Delivery Manager (2 Posts) (Ref No. OS30)Competitive Salary c £50kLocation: GlasgowPermanent Full Time

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced service delivery manager. You will be one of three Shift Service Delivery Managers covering a variety of shifts, and will have a proven track record of co-ordinating, planning and execution of all maintenance and support activities related to service delivery. You will have excellent organisational, time management, man-management and planning skills. You will provide leadership to the Maintenance, Permanent Way and Support functions ensuring the development and implementation of improved working practices and e"ciencies within the operation.The successful candidate will have substantial experience of working in an operational/rail/transport environment. Substantial previous experience of day-to-day management and direction of a team in a safety critical environment vital.A degree in a relevant Engineering discipline, with Chartered Membership of a recognised professional body or working towards same is desirable.

For applicants with special requirements, please contact our Recruitment Hotline on 0845 123 5660, quoting the above reference.Application forms can be downloaded from www.spt.co.uk/careers. Completed application forms should be emailed to [email protected] or posted to HR Department, Consort House, 12 West George Street, Glasgow G2 1HN

Closing date 21st January 2013 – 1st interviews will be held on or after 30th January 2013.

Our energy puts careers on track.From Consulting, Technologies and Design, to Engineering and Construction to O&M

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To learn more and see our vacancies visit, www.railwaypeople.com/ukpnservices

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Infl uencing your energy strategies with integrated solutions

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Consulting | Technologies | Engineering | Construction | Operation & Maintenance | Finance

UK Power Networks Services:• Consistently delivers results on the most challenging projects • Can undertake the total requirements of any strategic infrastructure project • Has access to a wealth of international experience in providing fi nance solutions

8137_ UKPNS Rail_AW.indd 1 22/08/2012 11:17

Documents

The Rail Engineer - Issue 99 - January 2013