RailDirector October 2021 by RBD Media

October 2021

EXCLUSIVELY FOR RAIL INDUSTRY LEADERS October 2021

Adeline Ginn MBE Reflecting on her journey with Women in Rail Martin Tugwell Speaking together with one voice John Halsall Looking after ourselves and our colleagues Andrew Stephenson Delivering the biggest infrastructure project in Europe

PETE WATERMAN Railway Benefit Fund’s President believes the biggest challenge is still to come for the rail industry

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Introduction

All aboard for the return of rail events W

elcome to the latest edition of Rail Director. Thank you for your ongoing feedback, which we use to inform and improve all future editions. I am really pleased to receive so many positive comments. I was delighted to attend the newly merged Railtex and Infrarail shows at the NEC in Birmingham, as well as the hugely popular Rolling Stock Networking event at the Derby Arena last month. It is fantastic to have the opportunity to attend more live events and to see so many old friends as well as meeting new ones. The railbusinessdaily. com stands at both events were really busy, as were the conferences that we ran on behalf of the event organisers. I would also like to recognise and thank our Eagle Lab members. We are looking forward to being involved again next year and playing our role in getting the products and services of many companies out to the wider industry. I read with great interest Keith Williams’ calls on government to seize the moment and implement fares reform. I couldn’t agree more that progress on fares is crucial in demonstrating to passengers that the government is starting to make changes heralded in the Plan for Rail white paper. In August, we featured Keith on the front cover of the magazine following the publishing of the Williams-Shapps plan, which will see the biggest rail reforms in a generation. This will be welcome news for a great many, but we must not forget about all of the great work from the past. From the business leaders and entrepreneurs to the orange army and the thousands of frontline people who serve travellers and freight customers so incredibly well, we must recognise that the industry we all love so much has

continued to deliver safely and deliver well for so many, for so long. But now is the time for change and fares reform is an important part of that. These are really interesting times and I am looking forward, as I am sure members of the travelling public will be, to promoting the long-heralded and the much-needed fares reform. Turning to the latest Rail Director and I would like to thank Pete Waterman for providing us with a brilliant cover this month, highlighting the fantastic work of the Railway Benefit Fund, and for all the contributors for taking the time to tell their stories. You will read that Adeline Ginn has now stepped down as the Chair of Women in Rail and, on behalf of the industry, I would like to say a huge thank you for the contribution she has made by setting up this group. We also feature the Railway Children’s Rail Aid initiative. Please continue to support this really important cause. I hope you enjoy the latest edition of the magazine. If you would like to tell your story, just speak to Danny and Nigel who lead our editorial teams. Also, you might want to speak with EliRees King. The RBD Community is proving to be a phenomenal hit with rail businesses up, down and across the country. Best wishes,

Da vid

David McLoughlin Chief Executive Business Daily Group (incorporating: RBD Publications and railbusinessdaily.com)

We must recognise that the industry we all love so much has continued to deliver safely and deliver well for so many, for so long When you have finished reading this issue of RailDirector, please pass it to colleagues to enjoy or put it in your reception area.

RailDirector magazine is part of the Business Daily Group of companies, which includes the hugely popular railbusinessdaily.com. We deliver more than 70 stories a week to +50,000 rail industry professionals who now subscribe to our 7am daily newsletter. Please subscribe and encourage your colleagues and team members to do the same. It’s free and it’s easy: www.railbusinessdaily.com. This is the very best way to keep abreast of what is happening on Britain’s railways. There is a digital copy of RailDirector on our website.

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October 2021 | 3

Contents

The biggest challenge is still to come 5 President Pete Waterman OBE, the Railway Benefit Fund’s President, on providing a platform for rail workers and their families

News

The teen CEO campaigning for better transport

Rail Director meets Harry Burr, the 15-year-old rail campaigner and Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Transport Midlands

Working together for an inclusive industry

Rail Delivery Group’s Rachel Fullard on ensuring that the rail industry is a welcoming place for everyone

The end of an era for Women in Rail 14 The Founder and Chair of Women in Rail, Adeline Ginn MBE, is stepping down from the organisation. She reflects on the journey and the role the group has had in creating a more inclusive industry

Time for change at transport body

The 2021 Procurement Triumvirate: 36 Risk, Resilience and Sustainability Katie Tamblin, Chief Product Officer at supply chain risk and performance management firm Achilles, discusses the vital role of data in mitigating risk, and driving supply chain resilience sustainability

News

Government commissions action to 44 improve rail air quality Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris asks the industry to conduct further research to rapidly improve air quality on trains and in stations

Editor Nigel Wordsworth nigel@rbdpublications.com

Diversity in the railways

Writers Danny Longhorn Dave Windass

Bob Caton, Managing Director of executive search specialist Banister International, considers the work being done to make the railway industry more diverse, and what still remains to do

Keeping the momentum going

HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson discusses delivering the biggest infrastructure project in Europe

The return of Rail Wellbeing Live

Transport for the North’s new Chief Executive on the exciting challenges ahead

Chair of the Rail Wellbeing Alliance John Halsall says there has never been a more important time to look after ourselves and our colleagues

Shaping the rail industry

Pride of Cumbria mark 175 years of railway history

Cubis Systems’ George Woollard discusses his role as Rail Sector Manager and the new system revolutionising the way trackside electrical asset foundations are installed

A Northern train has been given the honorary name ‘Pride of Cumbria’ to celebrate 175 years of the railway in the region

International News

Network Rail’s improvements to gender diversity inspire track apprentice

New Northern line stations open as Tube extends to Battersea

Isle of Wight’s Island Line to reopen next month

Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station are the first new stops to be added this century

Jordanna’s leap of faith

There will be new trains running along the upgraded infrastructure on the Isle of Wight from November

All it can take is a simple question Workers from Govia Thameslink Railway share their life-saving stories

Steaming ahead and looking to the future 34

Tel: 0800 046 7320 Sales: 020 7062 6599

West Somerset Railway’s Assistant General Manager Kerry Noble talks about the future for the 20 miles of heritage railway

Movers and Shakers

Designer/Production Editor Chris Cassidy Print Manager Dan Clark Distribution Manager Nick Wright Advertising Team Christian Wiles – chris@rbdpublications.com Freddie Neal – freddie@rbdpublications.com Elliot Gates – elliot@rbdpublications.com Amy Hudson – amy@rbdpublications.com Published by RBD Publications Ltd., Suite 37, Philpot House, Station Road, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 7HH. Printed by Stephens & George © 2021 All rights reserved. Reproduction of the contents of this magazine in any manner whatsoever is prohibited without prior consent from the publisher. For subscription enquiries and to make sure you get your copy of RailDirector please ring 0800 046 7320 or email subscriptions@rbdpublications.com The views expressed in the articles reflect the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher and editor. The published material, adverts, editorials and all other content is published in good faith.

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Railway B enefit Fund

The biggest challenge is still to come Railway Benefit Fund’s President Pete Waterman OBE on providing a platform for rail workers and their families

he Railway Benefit Fund (RBF) has been there for those involved in the railways for more than 160 years, helping workers and their families through the toughest of times. In the past 18 months – during the COVID pandemic – the charity has received record levels of requests for help at a time when its donations have also been hit with the cancellation of fundraisers. During its peak during lockdown, someone reached out to RBF for help and guidance an average of every seven minutes. Things may now be returning to some kind of normality, but RBF President Pete Waterman OBE fears the biggest challenge may still be yet to come in the months ahead. “The importance of the charity has been huge to the railway family during the pandemic and there is an even more vital role to play,” he said. “Just because things are starting to look normal again, we still have massive staff shortages because of COVID and other related things and there are the added stresses for workers with the return of large numbers of passengers. “This could really start to impact on staff so it is vital RBF is there to offer the support to those who find themselves struggling. Taking all this into account we will find there are probably more vulnerable people than we thought so I think the biggest challenge is still to come in the future.” RBF solely supports railway people and their families with a long history of providing financial grants to those going through tough times, helping with a wide range of requests such as funeral costs, debt relief and essential home repairs.

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Railway B enefit Fund

During the coronavirus pandemic, the charity has continued offering this advice and financial support. An emergency fund was introduced for a time to help with home schooling equipment and the Children’s Fund has been relaunched in response to the increased demand from families struggling with the extra costs children bring, with new schools and the expense of Christmas. “I would urge anyone in the rail industry struggling not to be frightened or embarrassed as we’ve all been in a position where we need help,” said Pete, who stresses that RBF is not an industry employer or a membership organisation and is totally independent. “We are the railway charity dedicated to anyone working in rail – we don’t want to see any of our colleagues in distress because of financial or personal reasons. No matter whether it is that you can’t afford to pay essential bills, need help with the costs of a funeral or you are having marital difficulties, we are here to help and can point you in the right direction.” It’s no secret Pete’s passion and dedication to rail may come as a shock to some outside the industry. To many he is best known as one third of the hugely successful music production and songwriting partnership, Stock Aitken Waterman, and for his world famous PWL label. Despite being one of the most successful producer-songwriters in British history – having sold hundreds of millions of records worldwide, enjoyed 22 number one hits with the likes of Kylie Minogue and Bananarama, and won 13 Ivor Novellos – the railways have been in his blood long before the music. Born next to a railway line in Stoke Heath, Coventry, he says from the age of two he would listen to the engines coming out of Coventry, realising the importance of rail to the country.

The railways have been good to me and have enabled me to do what I wanted in life With an encyclopaedic knowledge of the UK rail industry, he has built from scratch two successful train businesses and has an extraordinary determination to salvage and preserve steam locomotives in order to educate and to entertain future generations.

He said: “The railways have been good to me and have enabled me to do what I wanted in life,” said Pete, who worked for British Rail (BR) when he left school in 1962, becoming a steam locomotive fireman at the Stafford Road depot in Wolverhampton. “I love my steam engines but I want to bring youngsters to the railway, that’s not going to be with the steam engines, that is going to be with modern trains that they see and travel on every day because that is how I got hooked back in the early 1950s. I love modern railways – I love the fact that we can get to London in under two hours, and HS2 is around the corner. I can be in Crewe in 90 minutes. That for me is what the railways have always done and that is why I am so excited to keep the railway industry alive.” Strike it rich As well as reviving the LNWR name, establishing a rail vehicle maintenance business, purchasing the Special Trains Unit from BR and operating LNWR Heritage, and restoring and renovating trains and carriages, he is also an avid fan of model railways. “I’ve just finished a big eight-week model rail exhibition at Chester Cathedral and I was saying to the Dean that it is the first time in my life I’ve ever commuted by car to my job,” Pete said. “Model railways have been my lifesaver and during the tragedies of my life. When I lost my son, it was model railways that I could go back to and put away the bereavement stress just by literally having to concentrate on running or building my model.

6 | October 2021

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Railway B enefit Fund

“It keeps you engaged and it really is a great mental health tool in that while you are making something you can’t be stressed out about something else – it is hard enough making all the fiddly bits for your Class 66 without then trying to worry about other things.” You can depend on me One thing that will remain at the forefront for Pete will be his work at RBF and continuing to be actively involved. When he was in discussions regarding the role, which saw him succeed the late Sir William McAlpine, he made it clear that he would not just be a figurehead. “I’ve enjoyed being President and it is amazing to be part of this important work and to open it out to all staff in the industry so they know what RBF is all about,” he said. “The rail industry does look after its people really well but not all staff are on big wages. “A priority for me is a push for more Ambassadors as we do need more people who can go on the ground who can see people and say ‘here’s a leaflet if you need help’.” The voluntary role has one main focus – to help spread the word about the support on offer at RBF.

It is the greatest thing in life if you can help somebody and you then see that you’ve helped them to get back on their feet The RBF ask that Ambassadors commit just an hour of their time each month to do any of the following: S haring their campaigns and messages with colleagues and internal HR and Comms teams; P utting up posters around stations, staff rooms and communal areas; irculating brochures and information on C RBF events; B eing their eyes and ears on the ground in your organisation;

I nforming RBF of any events or wellbeing days that they can attend; Referring any colleagues to RBF that you think might need help; Getting involved in activities to help raise funds for the charity. Pete added: “This isn’t a subscription thing, this is totally voluntary and for an organisation that operates purely on donations and generosity. The more Ambassadors we have, the better it is in spreading the message to workers that if they have a problem RBF are the people to talk to. “One of the things we ask of our Ambassadors is to spread the word and say to colleagues ‘if you have got a problem get in touch with these guys’. It is the greatest thing in life if you can help somebody and you then see that you’ve helped them to get back on their feet. There’s a real pride in that and the Ambassadors play a vital role in that.” Visit www.railwaybenefitfund.org.uk/ for more details. For more information about becoming an RBF Ambassador visit tinyurl.com/erysrjdv or email fundraising@railwaybenefitfund.org.uk

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News

8 | October 2021

ajor signalling work has been finished on a new section of track located north of Peterborough, which will soon allow freight trains to use a tunnel designed to help cut congestion and increase capacity. The project will see the tunnel take freight trains under the East Coast Main Line as part of a £1.2 billion line upgrade. Work started at Werrington in Summer 2018. A 11,000-tonne tunnel was built on site and then pushed into place in January. With much of the work complete, testing will now get under way on the new tunnel. It is hoped trains will begin to use it by the end of the year. Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail’s East Coast upgrade Ed Akers said: “We’ve completed vital signalling work over the weekend which will allow

Photo: Network Rail

major upgrade to the railway line between Wigan and Bolton has been given the green light, focused on providing passengers with a more environmentally friendly and reliable railway. The track between Wigan North Western station and Lostock Junction near Bolton will receive a £78 million upgrade, targeted to complete in 2024/2025. Through electrifying almost 13 miles of infrastructure and lengthening platforms, this investment will ensure that CO2emitting diesel trains are replaced by electric rolling stock. As longer trains with additional capacity, these will provide passengers with greener, more comfortable and more reliable journeys. Rail Minister Chris HeatonHarris said: “As we build back better and create a railway that truly works for passengers, I am delighted to give this rail upgrade the go-ahead. This significant investment will provide a service around Greater Manchester that is better for both passengers and the environment, ensuring our railway plays its part in meeting our ambitious net zero ambitions.” The upgrade project will provide 450 new overhead line equipment stanchions, and modifications to 17 bridges and two level crossings. Platforms will also be extended at Hindley, Westhoughton and Ince stations to reduce overcrowding at peak times and cater for sixcarriage trains in the future. Phil James, North West Route Director at Network Rail, said: “To help the region recover from the pandemic, we’re turning over a new leaf thanks to the £78 million investment to electrify the railway between Wigan and Lostock junction.

Signalling work on East Coast Main Line reaches completion

freight trains to begin using the new tunnel and divert underneath the East Coast Main Line, rather than crossing it, from later this year. “Our teams have completed the vast majority of this project,

without impacting on train services. It’ll bring faster, more frequent and more reliable services for passengers travelling between London, Peterborough, the North of England and Scotland.”

One year on from start of construction, HS2 celebrates hitting 20,000 jobs landmark

S2 Ltd has announced that according to its latest figures, more than 20,000 people are now working on the project, one year on from the Prime Minister announcing the formal start of construction on Phase One from London to the West Midlands. The latest employment figures demonstrate the crucial role that HS2 is playing in the UK’s economic recovery, with work having continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies right across the country are now forming part of HS2’s ever growing supply chain. Contracts have already been awarded to over 2,200 businesses, 97 per cent of which are UK-based.

Photo: HS2 Ltd

Green light for Wigan to Bolton electrification

Opportunities worth a further £25 billion are expected to flow out into the wider supply chain over the coming years. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps MP said: “While there have been some issues with the project in the past, hitting the landmark of 20,000 jobs underlines the unstoppable momentum HS2 now has.

“It’s been an incredible year of progress as work continues across the country to deliver a new backbone of Britain’s transport network, fit for the 21st century and beyond. “Reaching this landmark is testament to the hard work and dedication of all those involved in the project.” railbusinessdaily.com

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Advice for Railway Companies – monthly feature by Jobson James Rail – The Rail Broker

Know your ROSCO Clauses M

any of our clients, train operators, train product manufacturers and installers, companies that refurbish train parts or maintain trains, have commercial contracts with the main Rolling Stock Leasing Companies (ROSCOs). Where those contracts involve ROSCOowned assets being in the hands of those third parties, which could be entire trains or parts/ products that have been removed and/or will be incorporated into the trains, then typically the ROSCOs will ask for a list of insurance clauses to be imported into insurances of those companies holding their assets in order to give specific protection catering for the interests of the ROSCOs. These clauses are familiar to us as we have been dealing with these for many years, so we are able to negotiate their inclusion into the material damage insurances we place with ease and at no additional cost. To the uninitiated, they may appear very onerous, as they require the interests of the ROSCOs and their finance partners to be

Clare Brecknell, Dip CII noted in the insurance, the insurance must not be cancelled and the ROSCO given 30-day notice of any intended cancellation. The ROSCOs are also held harmless from injury/ damage claims during the contract, they must have rights to get involved in and be paid direct in the settlement and negotiation of claims for damage to their rolling stock under a loss payee clause, and the insurance must extend to cover terrorism damage as well as the usual accidental damage, theft etc.

None of these clauses are featured in insurers’ standard off-the-shelf policies and they all have to be carefully woven into the policy wording. This is just one example of the need for an insurance broker to understand railway contractual liabilities. We give all of our clients free contractual advice on railway contracts. It is critical that your broker understands what liability you are accepting under contracts, so that they can advise you how your insurance will respond to those contracts. Insurance brokers sell insurance policies, but the good broker will ask to see customer contracts, give advice on the extent of liabilities contained therein, adjust the wording of the insurance to more comprehensively provide cover in accordance with those accepted liabilities and thus keep the client better indemnified. Clare Brecknell, Dip CII, Client Director, Jobson James Rail. Contact Clare on 07794 019669.

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October 2021 | 9

People

The teen CEO campaigning for better transport Rail Director meets Harry Burr, the 15-year-old rail campaigner and Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Transport Midlands

e has been dubbed one of Britain’s youngest rail campaigners. Despite being only 15 years old, Harry Burr has already campaigned for several transport schemes under his not-for-profit Sustainable Transport Midlands (STM). Armed with bags full of enthusiasm and knowledge, he is passionate about better and more environmentally friendly transport in the Midlands and beyond. In a short space of time he has already put together proposals to build a new station near Daventry, taking his plans to the Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris. “I decided to set up STM during the first lockdown as I felt something needed to be done to push for better and more environmentally friendly transport in the Midlands and the surrounding area,” said Harry, adding he was shocked by the disparity in rail services when he moved to Northampton compared to when he lived in Canterbury. “The aim of the organisation is to be the region’s voice for transport at a higher level, pushing for improvements and trying to make change not just regionally and locally, but nationally too.” New campaigns STM’s operations started even before the organisation was officially formed, with Weedon Station Project – now known as Daventry Parkway Project. For this he originally came up with a concept for two new railway lines from Northampton to Banbury and Leamington Spa and a campaign to rebuild the station in Weedon Bec. However, the former is no longer operating under Sustainable Transport Midlands. “Daventry is one of the largest towns in the UK without a rail connection or parkway station,” said Harry, who has produced a white paper on the project. “The station would take advantage of increased capacity on the West Coast main line once HS2 Phase One starts operating. “The station would be located in Weedon Bec, which is a village around a seven-minute drive from the centre of Daventry. The village itself has a rising population; it currently sits at 2,700. 10 | October 2021

“This makes it one of the largest settlements in West Northamptonshire, so just the village itself demands a new rail connection.” Harry’s passion for the railways and campaigning was first ignited when he moved from Kent to Northamptonshire.

I’ve found out I’m not too bad at campaigning so that’s why I formed a wider organisation that has the ability to campaign for more under one umbrella “Canterbury has one of the best rail networks in the country surrounding it,” he said. “I moved to Northampton seven years ago and I’ve only recently realised that improvement to the rail and the wider transport networks in Northamptonshire is urgently needed.

“I took action on this at the beginning of May last year when I launched what was then the Weedon Station Project and I’ve had a lot of success, being contacted by the Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris – who is also my local MP.” Multi-tasking Harry has incredible amounts of energy, fitting in his campaigning for STM around his studies – having recently completed his mock GCSEs. He also writes in his local village newsletter on a frequent basis to keep residents updated on his projects, as well as writing for newspapers and magazines. “I’ve found out I’m not too bad at campaigning so that’s why I formed a wider organisation that has the ability to campaign for more under one umbrella,” he said. “That’s where STM came in of course. Initially people didn’t take me too seriously as I started campaigning when I was 13, but now I’m getting support from the council and train operating companies. We’re currently running two campaigns – one is Daventry Parkway Project and the other, which is is in partnership with another organisation, is in the works. railbusinessdaily.com

People

“I feel we are really starting to make a name for ourselves, and people are starting to get to know us better, especially with all the publicity. “Already, we have a short but major history with organisation rebrands, revamps, and hosting a Restoring Your Railway fund applicant. “Having this brand and reputation will help with any new campaigns we start. “It has already grown beyond the Midlands – we’re campaigning for schemes in Buckinghamshire and are preparing to launch campaigns in counties such as Kent and the Isle of Wight, and this isn’t our limit yet.” Career building This looks set to be the start of a career in the “Looking to the future, GCSEs will be the railways for Harry, who during the summer break has spent time with both SLC Rail and priority, but from a STM point of view it will be about bringing people in to help with the Avanti West Coast on work placements. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at both campaigns and keeping up the pressure to make SLC Rail and Avanti West Coast and learned sure they are successful. “OverallHeating the aim Ltd is to ensure transport is made so much that will feed into my future career and SwitchPoint and my rail-based improvement campaigns. It has environmentally Industrihuseteconomically sustainable S-430 64 HÄLLINGSJÖ, and making SWEDEN sure it’s easy to use for everyone – been really interesting to see how the rail industry Phone: + 46 (0)301-418 50 particularly in the Midlands. collaborates. Mail: info@vkts.se www.switchpointheating.se

“The railways have an important role to play in the future of the UK, so we need to make sure they work for everyone, including people in our region.” Visit https://transport-mids.com/ for more details, or sign up to STM’s newsletter by visiting https://newsletter.transport.click

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October 2021 | 11

People

Working together for an inclusive industry Rail Delivery Group’s Rachel Fullard on ensuring that the rail industry is a welcoming place for everyone

achel Fullard was pleasantly surprised when she first joined the rail industry nearly eight years ago. Starting at Network Rail as a Section Planner, she admits walking into the maintenance depot for the first time was a little daunting as a nonbinary person when the majority of staff were middle-aged men. “If I had the visual of what the office would look like when I was interviewed it might have put me off,” she said. “But thankfully I didn’t and I settled in well and everyone was really nice and welcoming and willing to share their knowledge. The first day I had initial assumptions about what the office was like and they were the wrong assumptions.” Now a service analyst at the Rail Delivery Group, Rachel is using her experiences in the industry to drive forward the Women in Rail (WR) and Railway Industry Association (RIA) Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Charter. Making a change More than 170 organisations in the rail industry have signed up to the Charter, with Rachel chosen as a member of the Working Group – comprising young professionals representing a spectrum of backgrounds and identities. “The EDI Charter and the Working Group is giving a voice to people and what is pleasing to me is that the people who have signed it are doing so because they are committed to change,” she said. “This is giving a voice to everyone in the industry and our role as the Working Group is bringing together these ideas and drawing up diversity and inclusion strategies to not just help those already working in the industry, but hopefully to encourage more people to pursue a career in the railway. “The reaction from those who have signed up has been really good. The industry is willing to be educated, wanting to get involved and now it is about bringing together those ideas to create positive long-term change.” The Working Group has spent several months collaborating on ideas and discussing potential areas of change and the boundaries that need to be overcome. 12 | October 2021

With lockdown restrictions lifting, the first face-to-face events have also been held. Last month Rachel ran a session on leadership and inclusion at a workshop attended by signatories of the EDI Charter and senior leaders from across the industry.

The industry is willing to be educated, wanting to get involved and now it is about bringing together those ideas to create positive long-term change “A couple of years ago I’d never have had the confidence to even ask a question in a workshop and now here I am running the thing,” she said. “It was a great event, everyone participated and we had some really interesting discussions.

“The main thing now is for everyone to make a commitment to increasing inclusion within their organisations, and to influence the other leaders around them to make the same commitment.” This is just the start of the live events, with a whole host of initiatives in the pipeline, including coffee roulette – which will see signatories teamed up with a list of questions to discuss. “This will be an opportunity to share ideas and discuss areas they might be struggling with,” said Rachel. “It is all part of a networking opportunity to collaborate to improve the working environment. “For me the key to improving diversity in the rail industry needs to be a split focus between improving and shouting about the improvements that are already there.” A part to play Each member of the Working Group brings a specific priority, with the group working together to make sure all areas are covered to create an inclusive workforce for all. railbusinessdaily.com

People

“Although we all have our own focuses it isn’t about looking at your own section – it is important all areas are looked at,” she said. “I think it is going to be a success because you’ve got really passionate individuals who are very clued up on their specific areas. “It has been interesting working together and for me it has been a good networking opportunity and good to see the group’s perspectives on different subjects.” As the work on the EDI Charter continues to ramp up, Rachel finishes up the interview with a message on what organisations can do in the meantime to improve working environments. “The key is to listen and speak to workers to find out about any issues and any potential solutions to those issues,” she said. “Listening is both the easiest and quickest thing to do and is a really simple solution to a lot of problems. I’ve seen quite a few changes in the past eight years, although I should highlight that I have never had a bad experience working in the railway. “I think overall the rail industry is becoming more accepting of people’s differences and more willing to change. Staff networks are really good and are proving to be the seed that starts and VR March21 Print Half Page v2 copy.pdf then grows exponentially.

“You can’t overestimate the importance of inclusive workplaces in which people can be themselves. It doesn’t just improve the individual, but also the work. We need an industry where no one feels like they have to hide their true identity. “There is a huge breadth of opportunity in the rail industry and space for literally everyone, so1 we 26/03/2021 need to promote the opportunities and 11:29 also the fact it is a diverse and inclusive industry.

An easy thing for someone to do is add their pronouns into their email signatures – for example, my pronouns are she/her or they/ them. It’s a small sign that you are considering inclusion in your daily life.” To find out more about the EDI Charter, e-mail info@edicharter.co.uk

CMY

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October 2021 | 13

Diversity and Inclusion

The end of an era for Women in Rail The Founder and Chair of Women in Rail, Adeline Ginn MBE, is stepping down from the organisation. She reflects on the journey and the role the group has had in creating a more inclusive industry

t has been an incredible journey for Adeline Ginn at Women in Rail (WR) – a group she founded nearly a decade ago to improve diversity in the industry. From a standing start, the organisation has grown to provide networking opportunities and support for women within the sector, encourage undertakings and stakeholders to adopt diversity as a business strategy, and devised initiatives aimed at positioning rail as an attractive career choice for young people. “I am hugely proud of the team and of the industry,” she said, reflecting on the role of WR. “As a team, we have raised awareness of the need to support, develop and attract more women into the railway industry. Over the years – through sheer hard work and dedication – we have built a solid support and development platform for women working in rail. “Women feel more supported and empowered now than they did 10 years ago. Through our campaigns, we have demonstrated the business case for improving gender balance and broader diversity in our sector, and with the launch of the EDI Charter, orchestrated an industry-wide co-ordinated effort to improve equality, diversity and inclusion throughout all grades and roles in UK rail.” Improving the balance WR was born out of Adeline’s frustration with the low numbers of women in the railways, especially in mid-management and senior roles. Passionate about doing something to help drive change, she raised the idea while working as General Counsel of Angel Trains, receiving support from her boss Malcolm Brown without hesitation. “The vision was simple: improve gender balance and female representation across all grades and roles within the UK railway industry,” said Adeline, who is currently Legal and Marketing Director and Head of EDI at CPMS/Egis. “I wanted to provide women working in rail with access to a networking and professional support platform that would not only give them the opportunity to meet other women working in the sector, and therefore build or expand their personal and professional network, but also offer them the help and guidance they needed to thrive in their careers and achieve their full potential. 14 | October 2021

“My focus was on female diversity, with a view to pushing for broader diversity over time.”

We wanted to be transparent and unequivocal about the problem we were aiming to solve: the low number of women in the railways and the resulting skills shortage Enthused by the backing of her then boss and with bags full of passion and ideas, Adeline drew out a logo, logged onto LinkedIn, opened an account and created a new group which she called “Women in Rail”.

She said: “My first post was simple – I invited women working in the UK railway sector to join this new network which had been created especially for them to meet like-minded female colleagues across the country. “The first comment came within a couple of days. It was from Jodi Savage: ‘Thank you so much for creating a networking group for women in the railway, it is so nice to be able to connect to other women in rail’. It was all the encouragement I needed to continue with WR.” Making a difference A strategy was drafted, an email address set up and a steering committee was created that would be representative of the interests of women working in different parts of the industry. “I asked Malcolm to introduce me to senior women within his network and he connected me to Clare Burles, Caroline Wilson, Loraine Martins and Anna Walker,” Adeline said. railbusinessdaily.com

Diversity and Inclusion

“I reached out to Jodi and Maria Dean. Our first WR Steering Committee meeting was interesting – we had a clear vision but very quickly realised we had to be realistic on how to achieve it. “All of us had very demanding jobs so driving the WR agenda forward was going to have to be compatible with our professional and personal responsibilities. It would have to be in our spare time, and that was going to be challenging, especially as we had no money.” The committee began to proactively engage with the women who had joined the LinkedIn group – working to understand the key challenges they felt were holding them back in their career and identify the topics to be explored in the development workshops. “Lack of self-confidence, networking skills and unconscious bias were the recurring themes,” added Adeline. “We also started working on the business case, to help convince senior leaders that improving gender balance was crucial to the future of the UK rail industry but also secure leadership support for our initiatives. “We reached out to senior women such as Bernadette Kelly, Karen Boswell, Maggie Simpson, Dyan Crowther, Wilma Allan, Beth West, Nicola Shaw and Heidi Mottram, to name only a few. All were immediately very supportive.” Making a splash Having already made so much progress in a short space of time, Adeline and the committee decided to go public, officially announcing the creation of the group and its aims and purpose, but also to explain what they were about and, perhaps more importantly, what they were not. “Some critics had been quick to label us a sisterhood or feminist cohort and we felt it was crucial to clarify that this new initiative was called ‘Women in Rail’ because we wanted to be transparent and unequivocal about the problem we were aiming to solve: the low number of women in the railways and the resulting skills shortage,” she said. “I felt it was also important to explain that solving the gender balance problem was everyone’s responsibility and that the challenge of building a more gender diverse workforce could only be solved if we all worked together. “We officially launched Women in Rail on 10 April 2013 in front of more than 200 key stakeholders and senior people in the industry. The launch event was one of the most stressful experiences of my life. I remember shaking like a leaf before going on stage. But it was a huge success and the pace accelerated very quickly afterwards.” railbusinessdaily.com

Picking a few highlights over the years at WR is a tough question to answer for a group that has achieved so much. From the first workshop on how to build self-confidence in York in October 2013, through to the mentoring programme (growing from 24 mentors and mentees in 2014 to 520 in 2018), all are fondly reflected upon by Adeline.

Developing a mentoring programme quickly became a key to pushing the WR agenda “Self-confidence has never been one of my key strengths and I remember wondering how on earth I was going to pull it off,” she said. “We had about 60 women at the event and it was a huge success and, to this date, remains one of our most popular workshops. “Developing a mentoring programme quickly became a key to pushing the WR agenda, not only to support women in their personal and professional development and growth, but also to encourage male allyship. “We launched that programme in 2015 and it was a tremendous success, with the number of participants growing exponentially year on year. “It was hard work and a true labour of love as we were doing it all ourselves – the questionnaire,

the mentor and mentee packs, the matching – but very rewarding as it has enabled many women to find the support they needed to thrive in the railways, and also many men to become an integral part of the WR journey, which was crucial to proactively drive change. “In 2018, I approached Moving Ahead to partner with us, relying on their proven expertise of setting up successful mentoring schemes. By doing so, we ensured the programme is sustainable and expandable for years to come.” Survey results Another highlight has been WR’s campaigns. In 2014 the group conducted an industrywide survey into the male:female ratio in UK rail. Released in 2015, the survey helped to strengthen the business case for supporting, developing, and attracting more women into the railway. “It was a mammoth task but a key step in the WR agenda as the resulting report clearly set out the issues and outlines the skills gap. It is still today referred to as a benchmark on the male:female ratio in UK rail,” Adeline said. “In 2016 and 2017 respectively, we ran industry-wide searches into the 20 Most Inspirational Women in UK Rail and the 20 Rising Stars of UK Rail, to showcase role models in our sector and the wide range of roles a career in rail can offer. “These required a tremendous amount of work going well into the night, weekends and holidays, but it was crucial to showcase these inspirational women and to help change the image of rail and attract more women into the sector.” October 2021 | 15

Diversity and Inclusion

There was also the Big Rail Diversity Challenge in 2015 – when WR worked with Nimble Media to organise the first of what would become a flagship event which is a cross between It’s a Knockout and The Krypton Factor. Adeline has also worked with Nimble for the Women in Rail Awards, recognising the efforts of those pushing forward the EDI and gender balance agenda. “One of my other highlights – because it’s crucial to WR identity – has to be setting up WR as a charity in 2016,” she said. “I did so because I wanted it to be clear that the WR initiative was not created to make money but to serve our industry, and in particular, its workforce. It was very important to me that this was clearly stated. I did not want any distraction or polemic about our ambition and purpose. “Creating SWiFT – Senior Women in (or Formerly) In rail and/or Transport – in 2019 was another milestone as it joined the dots. Our 2015 industry surveys had revealed that women represent 17 per cent of the rail workforce, with just under 0.6 per cent in director or executive roles and many saying they struggled to progress their careers beyond senior management. “I thought the best way to tackle the issue was to create a forum where senior leaders and executives in rail could offer support and guidance to women on their way up. Bring down the career ladder, lock it, and invite women to climb up. SWiFT was immediately a huge success. “And of course, there was the launch of the EDI Charter in November 2020. It was a hugely symbolic milestone for WR and what a fantastic way to end such a harrowing year. I had been working on a draft WR Charter for a few months when I found out from WR Trustee Shamit Gaiger that the Railway Industry Association was developing a similar initiative, focused on the broader EDI agenda. “It made complete sense to join forces so I reached out to Kate Jennings and we immediately started working on a joint initiative. The success of the Charter demonstrates our industry’s willingness to work together to improve diversity and inclusion in our sector.” EDI agenda Reading what has already been achieved it will come as no shock that Adeline and WR have achieved more than was initially expected – especially when she wasn’t sure initially whether there would be any interest for the group. Nine years later and WR has 7,500 members of diverse backgrounds and operates from eight regional groups across the UK and an international hub in Malaysia. 16 | October 2021

All members are unpaid volunteers, pushing the WR agenda forward alongside day jobs. “We have amazing supporters and advocates and have forged strong collaborations with key stakeholders, the media and like-minded organisations,” Adeline said.

We have amazing supporters and advocates and have forged strong collaborations with key stakeholders, the media and like-minded organisations “WR is now part of the rail industry consciousness. It is a huge success story, not only for the team, but for women working in the sector and for the UK rail industry as a whole. “I have received the most amazing amount of support, professionally and personally. As WR grew, my days became longer. I used to get up at 5am to be in the office for 6.30am. “I would work on WR until 9am when I would switch to the day job. I would work late at home regularly, at weekends and during the holidays. I was regularly doing 60 hours a week, including at the best of times, 15 hours on WR. “I nearly keeled over a few times, but I was supported by an amazing team, including my PAs Jackie Harrington and Sigourney Doyne, and of course my family. I would not have been able to do it without their support.” Adeline is keen to praise the huge support she has had with WR, saying the success is down to the whole team. She said: “From the outset, we were driven by the same vision and values. We support

each other, treat each other with kindness and respect. Pushing the WR agenda is a lot of work, especially out of hours, and you cannot do it sustainably if you do not have a strong team to encourage and support you. The success is down to the Regional teams, the WR trustees, all our supporters, male allies and advocates, such as the mentors and mentees on the mentoring programme, the judges of the WR Awards panel, the organisations who partner with us and those who sponsor our events, and the industry itself. I can’t list them as I know I would forget some names and lose sleep over this. Hopefully they know who they are and I have thanked them.” But all good things have to come to an end, and Adeline has decided to step down as Chair as the charity reaches its 10th birthday. She said: “I set up WR back in 2012, but we built it as one team together over the years so I have always felt that, when the time came, I should step down and make space for someone else in the team to step up, take over the helm and drive the charity further forward. “Over the past 12 months, I have restructured the operational side so that WR is sustainable, scalable and expandable, and the work is distributed more evenly across the team. “WR is in a very good place and has reached the stage when it can embark on a new stage of its journey, led by someone with fresh and innovative ideas who can give it the new perspective it deserves to continue to grow. “WR will always be close to my heart and I will always be a phone call away if the team should need me.” Christine Fernandes has become the new Chair of Women in Rail, with Shona Clive the Vice Chair. Visit https://womeninrail.org/ for more details.

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People

Time for change at transport body TfN’s new Chief Executive on the exciting challenges ahead

artin Tugwell is two months into his role as the new Chief Executive of Transport for the North (TfN). Following agreement from the TfN Board, Martin is now at the helm of the region’s statutory transport body, which speaks with one voice on behalf of the North’s civic and business leaders on transport investment. Succeeding Barry White, Martin comes to TfN with over 20 years’ experience in transport and investment senior leadership roles in the public sector. He joined TfN from England’s Economic Heartland, the Sub-national Transport Body (STB) for the region including Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire. He is also the Immediate Past President of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT). TfN recently adopted a bold Business Plan for 2021/22, which will see the organisation focus on advancing the business case for Northern Powerhouse Rail and agreeing future governance arrangements; analysing the wide-ranging benefits of transport investment; and making the North’s networks more sustainable through new decarbonisation and freight strategies. A united front Martin has already been impressed by the passion and ambition of political and business leaders in the North, and their collective desire to present a united front on transport. He said: “Their appetite, ambition and passion is very clear and that gives us a lot that we can work with and support. “It is really key that we speak together with one voice. If we want to influence and shape

strategic decisions at a national level, the more we can come together and present the collective view the easier it is to make the case to government. Who is better placed to articulate what is important for the North than the North’s leaders? They understand the opportunities and the challenges and they need to be the ones championing the change. And let’s be under no illusion, there is a need for change. “In the immediate future, together we will do all that we can to support economic recovery and particularly the post-COVID recovery of the rail sector, which is a key part of the nation’s transport system. “Providing people with the confidence to get

back on trains is important to the future role of railways in supporting economic growth and decarbonisation.” Closer collaboration As the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail points out, Great British Railways will enable much closer collaboration and joint working with local leaders. There will be one, single point of accountability for rail services in a town, city or region. And that devolved power is something that Martin sees as a great opportunity. He said: “The Plan for Rail is very promising when it talks about devolved powers. I have seen the work of the Rail North Committee first hand,

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and the Rail North Partnership, and they provide a solid foundation on which to build. We have that local input in terms of what’s needed to be delivered, and the political engagement in terms of identifying priorities. Those ingredients suggest we should be working more closely with government and the wider sector in order to move forward and it’s a good place to be to take advantage of the opportunities presented in the review. “Like everyone else in the industry, we are waiting for the publication of the Integrated Rail Plan, and from the North’s perspective the sooner the better so that we have the necessary clarity regarding how government sees Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2. “From our perspective, we don’t want to wait until the required legislation is in place before we can start making changes. I have already reached out to the transition team to say let’s have a conversation about how we build on what already happens in the North and to implement the ambition of Williams-Shapps sooner rather than later, for the benefit of all rail users. There’s currently a positive spirit around the opportunities for change and we are very keen as a statutory body to work with the transition team to crack on and turn our ambitions into reality.” Moving to rail When Martin talks about making a transition to a railway that benefits all rail users, he is keen to ensure that this also means those involved in freight and logistics. Consultation on TfN’s Freight and Logistics Strategy will begin in the autumn, while those in the sector have already provided some input. Martin said: “The proposal within WilliamsShapps for a statutory role promoting freight in rail is really encouraging. We need to think about how we support our businesses in the North, improve opportunities for rail freight users and to consider how freight is moved from east to west.

“We know that rail freight is more carbon efficient than other modes and is important to both our business case and decarbonisation targets. We’ve had input already and we’re really keen to hear from and engage with the wider freight and logistics sector. The market is changing in response to the requirements of consumers, so we need to make sure we change and adapt the transport system to support the sector. Everyone will have a chance to contribute.”

We need to make sure we change and adapt the transport system to support the sector Sustainability of the North’s transport solutions is no different to the rest of the UK, in that the railway needs to be more affordable for its users and also that the products provided are the ones people want to use. Martin explained: “We’ve always highlighted importance of flexibility of ticketing and smart ticketing. Fundamentally, this area is about information, value for money and making sure that the product on offer is fit for purpose, safe, reliable, comfortable and that there is the capacity. Let’s not forget that pre-COVID services were congested, people were regularly standing on trains. We need to continue to recognise that if rail is to play its part we have to continue to invest. “We make the case in our Strategic Transport Plan, knowing that delivering on that plan will create an additional £100 billion in economic growth in the North and 850,000 new jobs.

“We have the analytical evidence and the TfN team is looking at how we use this information to make the case to government to unlock the right levels of investment. As one of the seven STBs and the only statutory body among them, we have an important role to play around decarbonisation. We feel we need to have an honest conversation about how we raise investment in transport, and that is also an opportunity to question whether we have got the balance between the various modes of transport, and the cost to users, right. “And this shouldn’t be a conversation that is just held by transport professionals, but one that also involves residents and businesses. At TfN, we are exploring the potential of a citizens’ assembly as part of our Northern Transport Charter, and this feels like the conversation we should have with that assembly. Understanding the implications of the cost and use of different modes of transport on real lives is really important but we must not be frightened to have the necessary conversations. “We have an opportunity to transform transport and I’m passionate that we seize on the opportunity to address inequalities. Transport can be a great way to access opportunities but if the choices are not affordable they present a barrier. So it is important that we think about all rail users, along with diversity and inclusion, and consider what different communities think about proposals for change, and that we respect and value their input.” Looking ahead He added: “This is a crucial and exciting time to demonstrate leadership. I enjoy a challenge, and working with political and business leaders who have ambition and helping them realise that. This is all about improving life for our residents, communities, businesses, and focusing on all rail users. Leading the team of fantastic and committed people at TfN at this moment in time is a real privilege.”

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October 2021 | 19

Projects

Shaping the rail industry

Cubis Systems’ George Woollard discusses his role as Rail Sector Manager and the new system revolutionising the way trackside electrical asset foundations are installed

eorge Woollard is excited for the future of the rail industry and believes Cubis Systems has a vital role to play. There is good reason for that, with systems developed by the global leader in network access products being used on some of the world’s biggest rail projects. As Rail Sector Manager, George is helping to drive the company’s success, engaged on working with HS2 – just one of several highprofile projects. “Working on the likes of HS2 is such a large undertaking and balancing the design work required with the physical deliveries is challenging but increasingly rewarding,” he said. “Knowing that the systems we have spent months specifying and designing are now in the ground on such an iconic project is a great feeling.” HS2 is just one example of major projects Cubis Systems is involved in – the company is also prevalent in depot works with Feltham, Broomloan SPT, Gosforth and Beckton all featuring high quantities of the company’s products. George – who has been Rail Sector Manager for the past seven months – is particularly excited by its new system in the Rail Cabinet Base (RCB). “This will revolutionise the way trackside electrical asset foundations are installed by removing a huge amount of issues that have been overlooked for decades, and we are truly putting something better in its place,” he said. “It is our opportunity to help the railways build back better – something we are doing every day with our STAKKAboxTM and MULTIductTM for example – and can link these offerings to increased CEEQUAL ratings and lower carbon output.

“We have a full portfolio of products across the lineside civils discipline. Just recently we have had five new sizes of catchpit approved by Network Rail, taking us to eight, which is a huge boost as we push to create drainage networks capable of withstanding the extreme weather events we are experiencing.” A different path It has been a fairly unorthodox journey for George to his current role of Rail Sector Manager. From a landscape gardener, he started in the rail industry as a labourer installing beacons and transmitters on the track on the Metropolitan line over a decade ago. He was also installing duct routes and concrete pads for Oyster Card readers on platforms around London and similar civils works, before moving into the office looking after procurement and warehouse stock.

“I ended up moving into the sales arena at Burdens after becoming friendly with the rail manager as a customer, moved to Keyline Rail office thereafter and then to Scott Parnell to help set up a rail department there,” he said. “I started looking after the specification of a product and got the taste for innovation. I had gone from selling a huge range of standard products to working with a specific and specialised system. “I was presenting a new and unknown system to a completely different type of client, working with teams of designers on how to create solutions and adding real value to projects. “It was a gear change that I really enjoyed, and from there I moved to Cubis Systems to continue the journey with a manufacturer of products that I had sold for nearly a decade and knew well. “I am now closer to the engineering side making the new products that we collaborate on with the full spectrum of the supply chain.” Concluding, George predicts a bright future for Cubis, confident the company has the most technically advanced range of electrical and drainage chambers and duct systems available on the market. “We look to reduce down the size of what is going in the ground – we want the smallest chamber with the shallowest dig resulting in the safest, quickest and most cost-efficient result for the end client,” he said. “It cannot be overstated how good the products are from a usability, technical and design perspective. The decision was made a while ago to introduce a BIM library to the website, meaning that full level two accredited models are available to engineers, reducing their time modelling systems themselves and complying with legislation for publicly funded projects. “An updated sustainability manifesto is due out soon and the over-arching guidance of CRH are all driving the company forwards as a leading supply partner that takes responsibility for the solutions it provides. These are the signs of a company that pushes into the future as a leading player.” Visit www.cubis-systems.com for more information

20 | October 2021

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I n d u s t r y S pFoetal ti g uh r et

The need for intelligent design Cubis Systems’ Rail Sector Manager George Woollard writes about collaboration, new ideas and more intelligent ways of thinking

ast year – as we know all too well – was a huge hit for the entire industry with passenger numbers wiped out, so it is heartening to see collaboration, new ideas and more intelligent ways of thinking being promoted as the way to give the most benefit to the passengers, not simply hiking prices. Cubis Systems – the global leader in the design and manufacture of access chambers and cable ducting systems – has worked to offer the tools required to create intelligent and sustainable design systems for engineers and amplified the level of diligence towards manufacturing the highest quality products. Bringing groups of people together from different disciplines that interact with the same product or system can be vital to get full representation. This also means bringing senior leadership into the conversation to see frontline issues and embrace the need for changes. It can be a really exciting and rewarding process, knowing that you have made the difference, having had an input in something that will be used by others and appreciated. Age-old issues that have never been challenged are now being changed for good. From hosting rail demonstration days at one of our facilities, we create working groups of industry stakeholders that either install, design or maintain lineside assets. Through this interaction on all levels we are able to create quicker, cost effective and more sustainable solutions. Meeting the challenge When considering new products, we take into account challenge statements and when considering design, listen to the wants of the Network Rail Safety, Technical and Engineering Plan, which sets out its primary goals for future infrastructure.

I believe that following these guidelines and working to increase the CEEQUAL rating of a project through sustainable development will only enhance the offering and effectiveness. To do the above and create a buzz around new products, industry engagement and workshopping is a very powerful driver. It helps create a more sustainable design working towards BS 11000 and ISO 44001 which are aimed at collaboration, providing optimum solutions for the client and the environment. This helps prevent us all becoming blinkered in our own department and we get the benefit of a wider understanding of what’s needed to be achieved. Cubis offers a full suite of BIM drawings to designers and is one of the only chamber manufacturers to offer this as a freely accessible service.

BIM has been mandatory on publicly funded projects since 2016 and most rail projects fall under that heading so we have felt a strong responsibility to provide fully level two accredited BIM models for all of our chamber systems, drainage catchpits, MULTIductTM and GRP troughing. These can be defeatured for clash detection and full chambers with covers can be built and downloaded in DGN, Microstation, Revit – to name a few – and have the COBie data embedded within them. Reducing time and cost We aim to create highly accurate models to remove the cost and time from designers who would normally be modelling these chambers themselves. It assists in finalising layouts, providing them with a library to rapidly select the ideal product from which they can also extract the parts list. We need to produce smarter systems and products that remove health-related problems, reduce the time on site, the cost of a project and duration of a programme in a number of different ways. The overarching emphasis though has to be looking at providing a solution fit for the future and always with decarbonisation and sustainability at the core. Visit www.cubis-systems.com for more details.

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October 2021 | 21

IEnXdIuAsD try Spotlight

Innovating, investing and improving Shannon Rail Services MD Pat McAnulty on the journey ahead for the leading provider of site access control solutions

at McAnulty has been at the helm of Shannon Rail Services since its inception nearly 20 years ago and has seen the company maintain steady and sustainable growth throughout a period beset by a multitude of changes in rail transport policy and major corporate failures in the sector. “In the beginning, we experienced very uncertain market conditions,” he said. “At that time the UK rail infrastructure was still under the ownership of Railtrack plc, although the company was in administration. There was plenty of work and we were kept busy providing our main client Grantrail initially with HIAB lorries, later adding mobile site access control facilities and tool vans. But there was a lot of speculation about what might happen to the industry which made it difficult to plan ahead.” Adapting to change In October 2002, Network Rail took over Railtrack’s responsibilities and eventually a clearer pattern emerged as regards funding for rail investment although, notes Pat, the industry was still subject to various short-term shocks where Shannon Rail has proved its resilience time and again. “One thing we had to contend with were cyclical downturns due to budgetary constraints affecting renewals work, something that was particularly marked towards the end of CP3 in 2009 when the financial crisis dramatically affected government expenditure across the board. These cutbacks were felt most keenly by sub-contractors such as ourselves. Luckily, by this time we had identified Transport for London (TfL) infrastructure as a new market for our services so our business was spread over a wider customer base and better able to cope with this climate of uncertainty.” This was a successful strategy, but Pat explains that Shannon Rail needed an operating hub within the M25 to capitalise on major projects in and around London. Having previously moved between premises in Peterborough and Bedford, its HQ has been located at Watford, adjacent to the Network Rail depot since 2007 – with additional satellite stabling points to serve all the major regions. 22 | October 2021

Pat McAnulty

“In 2010, just as things looked to be settling down so that we could develop a forward plan for investment in new vehicles and improved premises, we were faced with the collapse of Jarvis plc, which had become one of our most important clients,” he said. “This was a very painful experience but due to astute financial discipline and some difficult decisions we somehow managed to come through it all.”

“One thing we had to contend with were cyclical downturns due to budgetary constraints affecting renewals work” By 2012 the Crossrail project was beginning to take shape. Pat recalls that Shannon Rail entered the supply chain as a sub-contractor to Carillion plc (West Inner and Old Oak-Paddington for Site Access Control and site transportation) and Balfour Beatty plc (West Outer for heavy haulage on OLE structures). He added: “This was an exciting period for us with momentum building throughout the main construction phase of the project, and we were proud to be part of it. We particularly remember the Christmas and New Year campaigns with the great influx of workers requiring additional site access control points, mobile welfare facilities and up to 30 minibuses for site transport. Advertorial

“We even provided driver/interpreters to assist with the Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) teams drafted in from Romania and Germany.” Moving ahead Over the next few years the Shannon Rail success story continued apace. In 2018, a seven-year framework agreement for Site Set Up and Welfare was secured with Network Rail High Output Track Renewals. And then, as Pat well remembers, the company was put to the test once more by a massive corporate failure that rocked the industry. “We had just had the busiest Christmas ever on Crossrail when it became clear that Carillion plc was in serious financial difficulties,” he said. “Surely, we thought, it can’t happen again, but within days the construction giant was in administration. It was a truly traumatic time and a temporary setback to our expansion plans, but we survived when less organised businesses would have failed. Then when all seemed relatively certain and secure, along came COVID with major challenges in the delivery of enhanced welfare. “And now we can only wait and see what changes the advent of Great British Railways will bring. But whatever happens, Shannon Rail will continue to innovate, invest and improve in order to meet the requirements of this vital industry.” Visit www.shannonrail.com for more details

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People

Jordanna’s leap of faith Network Rail’s improvements to gender diversity inspire track apprentice

etwork Rail’s Strategic Business Plan for CP6 outlines plans to increase the number of women across its business and to have gender balanced recruitment of apprentices and graduates. This is being set out through investing in recruitment training, creating a more inclusive workplace culture and supporting development and progression of women through the business. Through its Gender Matters programme, Network Rail has taken a number of steps to improve gender diversity, including setting an ambitious target to achieve a 26 per cent female workforce by the end of 2024 (having increased the proportion from 14.2 per cent in 2014 to 18.9 per cent by the end of 2020). Network Rail has also engaged with schools and colleges to encourage young people – girls and young women in particular – to choose science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) as subjects at school and in higher education. One of those to be inspired by this approach is Jordanna Mills, from Ashford in Kent, who is now in her final year as a Level 3 Track Apprentice, based at Network Rail’s Tonbridge Depot. The route to apprenticeship Jordanna was considering her options as a sixth-form student at her secondary grammar school, with A-Level exams in product design, physics and maths fast approaching. With expectations that she would follow the route to university but a concern that lecture-heavy academia might not offer the hands-on experience she craved, Jordanna began exploring alternatives. The UK government’s website threw up a host of apprenticeship routes, and Network Rail clearly stood out. Jordanna said: “I was on the government’s website and Network Rail was one of the first things that really caught my eye. The subjects I had studied were pointing towards a career in engineering but I was conflicted about what type because it’s a career with so much variety. “If I had to choose it would have been mechanical or civil engineering, so the track maintenance option encompassed both really well and I was attracted by a lot of the practical capabilities that Network Rail offers to its apprentices. 24 | October 2021

“At a grammar school it is very much expected that you’d go to one of the Russell Group universities, so it was a big leap into the dark. I just thought to myself that I wasn’t going to follow a conventional route and I’m going into an apprenticeship.

If I had to choose it would have been mechanical or civil engineering, so the track maintenance option encompassed both really well “Part of my thinking is that there are a lot of people who don’t go on to do anything related to their degree so I wondered if it would be worthwhile. With Network Rail, there’s the added benefit that after your apprenticeship you have job options and continuing routes that are open to you.”

Having considered all of this, Jordanna, having being successful in interview, opted to leave sixth-form behind two months before she sat her exams, a move that she says, “took a big leap of faith as it was a complete 180 degree change in my education and career journey.” Clearly, Network Rail’s intent to attract, recruit and retain more women in the business at all levels, including apprentices, reinforced Jordanna’s decision-making process. The organisation’s gender neutral job descriptions, targeting of universities with a higher proportion of female engineering students, and engaging with these students via skills sessions, employer events and career fairs, is set to attract other young women. A safe and efficient railway As a track apprentice, Jordanna and her colleagues are responsible for maintaining, inspecting and repairing the track network, to keep the railway safe and efficient. Working in a team, apprentices ensure that the track system is operating to its optimum. Yet it’s what follows the completion of her apprenticeship in March 2022 that now provides Jordanna with the confidence that her decision was absolutely the right one for her. railbusinessdaily.com

People

Hands-on maintenance can develop into technically challenging engineering roles or a line management engineering position. Track apprentices can go on to work in areas of track design and project leadership. Her ongoing career in track engineering could, with support and further training, also include sponsorship to university and bring professional membership of the ICE, IMechE and PWI. Jordanna added: “I would absolutely recommend the path that I have taken to other women interested in a career in engineering. Rail is a fantastic industry to be a part of and offers long-term opportunities. I didn’t know anyone working in rail and I don’t come from an engineering background but when I did my research on apprenticeships job security came up often, which is important to consider. There are so many pathways that are now open to me in the business.” So, how did Jordanna feel when she walked on site for the first time? She said: “It was quite daunting going on site. I’d spent seven years at an all-female grammar school but I had mentally prepared myself for what to expect. Everyone was welcoming and nice, and I just immediately felt part of the team like everyone else. I was a bit nervous but that was it.” The future of rail engineers With a recent appearance in the Daily Mirror, along with playing a part in conferences and initiatives around Tomorrow’s Engineers Week and International Women’s Day, Jordanna is happy to help her employer spread the word when it comes to attracting more women to the industry. She added: “Being a woman in rail is something I am very passionate about and happy to talk about. When I looked to get into the industry I didn’t have enough information available to me so the more I can do to help I will. “Network Rail has given me the opportunity to earn while I learn, which is a massive benefit, and the business is very supportive of my ambitions.

In the future I would love to continue to study through Network Rail and in a dream world would love to become a chartered engineer. I don’t know where I’ll move in the business yet as I have so many different interests but it is great to make a difference every day when it comes to

I would absolutely recommend the path that I have taken to other women interested in a career in engineering people getting home safely via the rail network.” The UK requires 124,000 engineers and technicians with core engineering skills across the economy each year up to 2024, according to the 2020 Engineering UK report The State of Engineering. There is an additional requirement for 79,000 related roles, requiring a mixed application of engineering knowledge and skill alongside other skill sets.

Net work Rail’s gender diversit y improvements through Gender Matters also commit the business to progress female employees into more senior roles, with more than 100 women having participated in the Women in Leadership programme to support their career development; a change in approach to flexible working and agile working by improving family-friendly approaches, including being more open to job share arrangements; continuing to publish and focus on the gender pay gap, introducing a parental buddying scheme, and providing resources for different life stages, including a menopause project; improving welfare facilities for women, including toilets, shower facilities, drying rooms, sanitary products; and launching the Working Forward pledge – a commitment to making Network Rail the best workplace it can be for pregnant women and new parents. For more information about the Level 3 Engineering Apprenticeship please visit the Network Rail website: https://tinyurl.com/5ac2f8fv

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October 2021 | 25

Infrastructure

Isle of Wight’s Island Line to reopen next month There will be new trains running along the upgraded infrastructure on the Isle of Wight from November

Overall improvements As well as testing the new trains, SWR staff have been busy improving the rail infrastructure and stations on the Island. Amongst other enhancements, the Island Line tracks have been upgraded to ensure customers can enjoy a smoother ride. The £26 million project, which has been funded by the Department for Transport, Isle of Wight Council and Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, has regrettably taken longer to complete than first anticipated. This has been due to several factors including train testing complications, the pandemic and even the flash flooding which engulfed the Isle of Wight earlier this summer. During testing, the new Class 484 Island Line trains have been affected by software issues, which SWR and train supplier Vivarail have

26 | October 2021

Photo: South Western Railway

outh Western Railway (SWR) has announced that the upgraded Island Line is set to reopen on 1 November, subject to a final round of train safety tests being successfully completed. Once reopened, customers will return to a transformed Island Line, with new trains running along upgraded infrastructure and through improved stations. As part of the project the previous 82-year-old Island Line train fleet has been replaced with newer and reliable trains which are former London Underground trains extensively refurbished with up upgrades ranging from better interiors to plug sockets, free WiFi and wheelchair spaces.

We are sorry that this project has taken longer to deliver than we first hoped made good progress in solving through further testing. The final phase of testing is key to the delivery of a safe and reliable railway. Claire Mann, Managing Director of South Western Railway, said: “We are really pleased that the Island Line is set to reopen on 1 November, providing that a final round of testing

allows us to safely introduce our new trains into passenger service. “It goes without saying that the safety of our customers and colleagues is the absolute priority for us, which is why it’s so important to get these final preparations right. “When the Island Line reopens, the new trains and upgraded infrastructure will give a real boost to the customer experience, delivering the modern, punctual and accessible railway that people expect and deserve. “We are sorry that this project has taken longer to deliver than we first hoped, with a series of complications sadly delaying re-opening. However, we are confident that the transformed Island Line will be worth wait, and we are so excited to welcome locals and visitors back onboard.”

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IEnXdIuAsD try Spotlight

Problem solvers supporting performance improvements STC INSISO is doing things differently with the company’s approach to HSE, training and business process design

usiness performance specialist STC INSISO has entered the rail arena, supporting high-profile and industrydefining programmes with East West Rail and HS2, while working with other sector partners including BCM Construction to improve safety, competence, diversity, and to drive business process efficiency. The Aberdeen-based global business has a proven reputation for providing business performance improvement through the smart integration of process design, health and safety solutions, training, and innovative software. STC INSISO works across oil and gas, waste and utilities, medical, hospitality, manufacturing and marine across the UK, the Middle East and USA, and is now bringing the lessons it has learned across these safety-critical industries to the rail sector. At the core of its service provision STC INSISO offers end-to-end incident management and root cause analysis solutions, bespoke software development services, a growing app portfolio and internationally accredited learning and development programmes. Its products, services and training techniques are applicable across the rail industry, from operations to support functions. Meeting challenges Working closely with BCM Construction, which operates principally for Network Rail and Transport for London, has allowed STC INSISO to better understand the UK’s rail challenges and develop tools and processes to align with the needs and expectations of the industry. STC INSISO has worked with BCM to embed a rail-focused version of its flagship COMET toolkit while developing first-class investigation skills across projects that include the Feltham Resignalling Phase 2 programme and the London Liverpool Street Station platform extension project. COMET is a next generation Investigation and root cause analysis toolkit to prevent failure and accelerate performance improvement. STC INSISO’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Rushton explained: “COMET is all about helping organisations control risk, whether that’s through proactive audit and assurance activity 28 | October 2021

or through reactive incident investigation and root cause analysis. “COMET helps organisations understand what has gone wrong, what could go wrong and what they need to do to prevent incidents. COMET is a process, a methodology, a software tool and a training programme, and these come together to allow a COMET-enabled organisation to better control its risk profile and deliver safer projects. “What we have learned from applying COMET in industries all over the world is that there is no point knowing ‘what’ without knowing ‘why’, and no point knowing ‘why’ without putting solutions in place. These solutions come down to an organisation’s communication, operating environment, management, equipment and plant, training and competence. COMET helps businesses see the unseen and prevent incidents.” STC INSISO’s investigative approach combines human-led analytics with machine learning and AI. Its Safety Signals module, developed in partnership with Lloyds Register, allows it to view thousands of HSE records using machine learning to pull out likely patterns of causation, hazards and topics. This is good news for organisations that have huge repositories of unstructured data and can’t get at the insight that lies beneath. COMET is often the starting point, after which problems and opportunities identified can be Advertorial

addressed by some of the broader solutions that STC INSISO offers. These include customised programmes of learning and development for front-line managers and supervisors, specifically for the rail industry, along with Business Process Design and Delivery. STC INSISO’s Supervision Transformed programme comprises three two-day modules of interactive classroom or virtual workshops designed to equip personnel with all it takes to meet the needs of today’s top performing supervisors. Greater efficiency STC INSISO rightly highlights that the benefits of addressing issues with failing business processes don’t just improve efficiencies but can also present a large return on investment. Embedding efficient project management also ensures that tight profit margins are not eroded. Those working in partnerships within delivery frameworks can also benefit from cost sharing for STC INSISO’s programmes. Mark added: “Like those in rail, we recognise that we have to do something different. STC INSISO can bring innovation to help businesses surpass previous performance levels, improving safety and operational performance in equal measure.” For further information email info@stcglobal.net or visit www.stcglobal.net

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Keeping critical infrastructure safe Chief Executive Officer of XEIAD Olivier Garrigue on being in a stronger position post-COVID

here are many reasons for Olivier Garrigue, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of XEIAD, to be happy when it comes to business. Fast forward 12 months from reporting a small loss, and the civil engineering consultancy specialising in difficult access is firmly back in the black and has been successful in every bid it has gone for in the past 18 months. This includes major contracts with Network Rail and Highways England worth more than £100 million over the next five years, a growing long-term relationship with Connect Plus Services (M25), and increasing business with the likes of Atkins, Babcock, Kier and the MetOffice to mention but a few. Added to that, the engineers with extensive experience in rope access, diving and confined spaces have increased the workforce from 58 staff pre-COVID, to more than 170 – a strong sign of rapid scale-up and a bright future ahead. “The future looks very exciting and even despite the huge challenges with COVID-19 I think we are in the strongest position we have ever been in as a business with a brilliant team, good partners such as Network Plus Services, and some great clients,” he said, adding that he expects the workforce to reach 230 by the end of Q1 2022. Turning the business around Olivier acquired the business with PE backing to save it from bankruptcy in late 2013 and has then gone on to lead the reorganisation and turnaround. “Rescuing and turning the fortune of any company around can be a long process which requires a clear plan, the right people and capital to accelerate the process,” he said, as he celebrates eight years at XEIAD. “We had the first two, but limited capital so it took us some time. From £300,000 of revenues in the pipeline when we took over, we had grown the business to over £5 million before winning some major long-term contracts with large UK clients taking our annual turnover forecast past £27 million.” As with most organisations across the world, COVID-19 hit the company hard, but 30 | October 2021

Olivier Garrigue

“Rescuing and turning the fortune of any company around can be a long process which requires a clear plan” the fact XEIAD is in its strongest position is testament to its commitment to keeping on track with its strategy, its people safe and delivering for clients during uncertain times. “It was all about the people during the pandemic making sure that we kept everyone safe and empathised with the struggles everyone was facing,” Olivier said. “Everybody worked tirelessly and I’m always in awe of our engineers’ commitment and efforts. “As a company we looked at what we could Advertorial

influence. What was really essential at the time was to secure business continuity during the very uncertain new environment. “We had to make decisions very quickly, keep everyone involved and thankfully all our engineers and staff, shareholders and clients were understanding and supportive. We all pulled together and because of that we are in the position we are in now. “From a working point of view, we had morning calls with all the managers to discuss the day ahead and face up to challenges together. We’ve learned new ways of working and there are some processes we have implemented which I think will help us moving forward.” A larger portfolio A key to the company’s growth over the past eight years has been its ability to diversify operating in transportation, petrochemical, renewable, utilities, marine and central and local government sectors. railbusinessdaily.com

I n d u s t r y SEpXo It A l iD ght

Eastern, River Calder bridge inspection

The organisation undertakes a wide range of inspections, assessments, surveys, non-destructive testing and intrusive investigations, design and project management. XEIAD has also developed its ability to integrate the use of remotely operated aerial vehicles to complement its inspection procedures as well as underwater 2D and 3D scanning and operating remote CCTV cameras. Looking to infrastructure Last year, it also soft launched its infrastructure services division to support asset owners and principal contractors with specialist access maintenance and repairs. XIS is growing rapidly and has ambitious plans to offer a range of enabling and minor works services to its clients, enhancing its inspection and engineering consultancy services. “The key to our success and the reason organisations should turn to us is because

“I’m very proud of the team and everything we have achieved. It has been a long but very exciting journey”

“The company was formed in 2003 and some clients have been with the company since the early days so the quality of our work and the competence of our people and processes has and continues to be recognised. “I’m very proud of the team and everything we have achieved. It has been a long but very exciting journey. We are lucky to have loyal and competent engineers and the future offers great opportunities. We have saved a company, preserved jobs, accelerated our development and set a very exciting path for sustainable growth.

our teams of engineers have a unique set of competences and experience inspecting structures such as bridges, towers, culverts, retaining walls, tunnels and shafts and even seafaring vessels working across a wide range of industry sectors,” said Olivier. “We help asset owners and managers keep critical infrastructure safe, reduce risk and maintenance costs, as well as extend asset life.

The journey continues... Olivier certainly isn’t one to rest on his laurels, with a passion to grow the company even further and develop staff along the way. “It’s not so much about predicting the future, it is more about making it possible by working as a team, investing in people, investing in technology and digitising the data and the process of capturing and sharing data,” he said. “In the immediate future it will be about stabilising the business after such a rapid scale up and delivery on our existing commitments. In parallel we will be investing to continue developing our competences and expanding the scope of our offering. It is still a very challenging business environment but we have the team, partners and clients to sustain our profitable expansion. In the mid to long term, the aim will be to further enhance client satisfaction, adding more services to create additional value – We will also aim to make the most of numerous growth opportunities, possibly doubling our size by 2025.” Visit http://www.xeiad.com/ for more details.

North West, Mersey Rail tunnel inspection

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October 2021 | 31

IEnXdIuAsD try Spotlight

Supporting the manufacturing needs of the rail sector KMT is the one-stop bespoke shop that the rail industry has been waiting for

MT, a specialist manufacturer of bespoke machinery, is a firmly established engineering solutions provider to the UK rail sector. The business offers a turnkey service, with the ability to design, fabricate, build and install fully bespoke machines for individual customer operations. Founded in 2011, KMT has been working closely with leading rail OEMs in the UK. Currently, it is supporting large-scale projects for Alstom, which acquired Bombardier Transportation in January 2021, and Hitachi Rail at its new UK production facility. Providing specialised equipment and engineering services to these customers has seen KMT support a variety of high-profile projects. Supporting rail OEMs Earlier this year, KMT was awarded a contract for the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of SmartLine jigs by Hitachi Rail at its Newton Aycliffe production facility. The recently installed jigs are supporting Hitachi Rail in the welding and finishing of high-speed trains destined for the UK rail network. The Newton Aycliffe facility has already delivered 122 trains for the DfT’s InterCity Express Programme for the East Coast and Great Western main line as well as 70 all-electric commuter trains for ScotRail. KMT designed, manufactured and installed multiple SmartLine Jigs this year for Alstom at its Litchurch Lane facility in Derby, built to enable the efficient assembly of Alstom INNOVIA™ monorail 300 trains for export to the multi-national Cairo Monorail project. The business also delivered jigs which assist in the welding and assembly of Aventra trains, as well as erection and water test rigs for all Aventra production lines. Furthermore, KMT engineers have been stationed on-site to provide 24/7 maintenance support for the welding, underframe and roofing jigs which operate around-the-clock. The company’s experience of working closely with OEMs across a range of industries, ensures that it has the right engineering expertise and capacity to build and improve the efficiency of large, modern production lines. 32 | October 2021

In addition to providing engineering machinery and equipment, KMT sets itself apart from the competition by offering an allencompassing service. Regardless of what stage a project is at, the company can provide an engineering solution from concept to design, manufacture to installation, servicing and maintenance. This makes the business the ideal choice to support large-scale rail manufacturing projects. Delivering client solutions Neil Harrison, Associate Sales Director at KMT, said: “We have a full life cycle, start to finish approach. We can deliver turnkey bespoke solutions or play a part in any stage of a project. As the UK’s rail network embarks upon a period of significant change, we are in a good position to support it. “We are in a changing world, and we want to provide our support and expertise to make the manufacture of trains faster. With the projects that we have delivered for Alstom and Hitachi Rail, for example, we have seen how our solutions lead to much smoother and more efficient processes.” Adrian Degg, Group Engineering Director at KMT, said: “We make a big difference to the businesses that we work with. Advertorial

“We help customers improve their takt time and roll these improvements out across all their production lines. If businesses are seeking a solution to a problem, we will work with them to find it, regardless of what that might be, or its scale. This could be anything from conveyors to cut-to-length lines or engineering rail jigs. We will continue to help businesses develop and improve their production processes, constantly striving to be one of the top suppliers to the rail industry.” KMT is making a significant investment in people and training, as it continues to grow, diversify and enhance its engineering skills and capacity. It is looking to recruit in all areas of the business with designer, purchasing, machinist and welder roles becoming available. KMT is part of group of companies employing over 250 people on-site and has accreditations including ISO 9001:2015, EN 1090-2 and SafeContractor certification. Custom design Additionally, KMT can service, support and re-manufacture most machines from any original manufacturer, as well as provide one-off custom designs. It can also develop tooling and workholding solutions such as bespoke automated, or semi-automated mandrels, jig and fixturing systems. railbusinessdaily.com

People

All it can take is a simple question Workers from Govia Thameslink Railway share their life-saving stories

Amy O’Day, Susan Litterick, Laura Campbell, Siggy Cragwell, Stephen McPartland MP, Sigi Gordon

ovia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has extended its suicide prevention training to key partners to increase the number of frequent travellers able to identify vulnerable people on its network. The UK’s biggest rail franchise – which operates Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern services – made the announcement on World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), supporting its message of creating hope through action. The online training by GTR has given staff the confidence to approach potentially vulnerable people using the railway, which in turn has seen the company double the number of interventions made from 233 in 2018 to 508 in 2020. Laura Campbell, GTR’s Suicide Prevention Manager, said: “This year has been incredibly 34 | October 2021

By educating our partners on simple steps to identify and help someone who may be vulnerable, we can work together to save lives because one life lost is one too many tough on people’s mental health, which is why it’s so important to equip people with tools to be able to help those in need. Sometimes all it takes to break someone’s suicidal thoughts is a simple question, such as asking for directions. “By educating our partners on simple steps

to identify and help someone who may be vulnerable, we can work together to save lives because one life lost is one too many. “At GTR, all our colleagues are trained to spot the signs and know how to step in, but this year we’re offering this free training to other businesses and partners in the rail industry. By opening up the training programme, we hope to ensure that there is always someone on the platform looking out for people in need.” The training includes simple steps on how to intervene and help individuals to safety – because suicide can be preventable. As part of GTR’s commitment to create hope through action for this year’s WSPD campaign, it has pledged that all employees will complete the training by the end of 2022. Three members of GTR staff have shared their life-saving stories with Rail Director. railbusinessdaily.com

People

“There’s no better technique than simply talking to someone” Having spent almost 15 years on the railway, Station Manager Sue Litterick knows the signs to look for when it comes to vulnerable people and her biggest piece of advice is not to panic. She said: “There’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to looking out for vulnerable people, but I always think there’s no better technique than simply talking to someone. I was recently alerted to a young woman who had been standing on the platform for quite a while. When I approached her she was very quiet, so I started by introducing myself, which encouraged her to do the same. Just getting on first name terms with someone is a big step. “I explained that I was a little concerned as she’d been at the station a while and I wondered if she needed any help. Luckily, I spotted that she was wearing a Disney

sweatshirt, which prompted me to start talking about that particular film and that really helped to get her attention. “I persuaded her to come and sit with me outside the station so we could carry on chatting. She said she didn’t know what to do or where to go. My team were very supportive and while I was dealing with the young woman they contacted the emergency services, who came and took over. “She remained calm the whole time she was with me but turned hysterical when they arrived. It was hard to watch but we did the best thing in moving her out of the station and to a point of safety where professionals could take it from there. “It doesn’t get any easier seeing people in these situations but I’m grateful for the training courses we have access to because they help you identify key signs to look out for and give you different techniques that could help.

“We’ve all just been through a really difficult time that no one had any prior experience of and we’re all dealing with things in different ways. My advice is if you see someone on their own and you have any concerns, try to start a conversation with them because it really does have the potential to save their life.”

“I’m glad that I was able to step in and help” At just 19 years old, Sigi Gordon, a Customer Service Assistant for Thameslink, is one of the younger members of the railway family but he’s already been faced with making lifesaving decisions. “I was going about my usual duties with a colleague when we spotted a young person standing beyond the yellow safety line. We thought it might have been someone with their headphones in, perhaps not concentrating – which can often be the case – and so headed straight over to get them to take a few steps back,” said Sigi. “We eventually got him behind the yellow line, which was a good job as a train pulled in

soon after. I didn’t feel confident walking away from him as there was something about his behaviour that didn’t seem quite right. “He looked like he was a similar age to myself, so I approached him and asked if he was okay and he simply replied ‘no.’ I was a bit thrown by this and immediately thought back to our training to ensure I was doing the right thing. “He said he was 15 years old; this really hit home as he was only a few years younger than me. He told me that he had just gone back to school after the lockdown and that he couldn’t cope with the pressure of exams. It also sounded like he was having issues with his friends and that things had got on top of him. “It was really sad to see how low he was. It

goes to show that we all deal with things in different ways. It’s worrying to think about how many other young people were feeling the same concerns. I’m glad that I was able to step in and help that day but it’s something that will always stay with me.”

“The lady came to me as a cry for help” Amy O’Day works as a Revenue Control Officer for Thameslink and has faced some very difficult situations. “My role means I’m usually based on the gateline checking tickets, helping customers with journey information and general enquiries. Part of the job also involves keeping an eye on what’s happening in and around the station,” she said. “One day, I was approached by a lady who said she needed help. I thought it might have been related to train times, so I asked where she was travelling to, but as we were talking it become clear she was reaching out about her mental state. I kept chatting in a friendly way and took her to a place of safety within the station, which meant I could contact the emergency services. “It was quite a shock to be approached railbusinessdaily.com

as this was in the middle of lockdown, so we weren’t used to seeing many passengers at that time. Once we were sat down, she seemed to calm down a lot and I believe that was down to her taking a huge step and asking for help.” Once the emergency services arrived, 23-year-old Amy left the situation in their capable hands, but it has had a lasting impact. “The lady came to me as a cry for help and it made me want to learn more about depression and how it can affect us. The past 18 months has been a really challenging time so it’s no wonder that there are people out there struggling – it made me want to be even more aware of the signs to look out for,” said Amy “The training we get on the railway to help us identify and care for vulnerable people

and prevent suicide is really eye-opening. Unfortunately, I think some people think that someone who takes their own life is selfish, but actually, the training makes you realise that they’re not thinking about themselves at all in that situation. I believe everyone deserves help and I really hope that we can all be kinder to ourselves and others as we come out of this pandemic.” October 2021 | 35

Managing risk

The 2021 Procurement Triumvirate: Risk, Resilience and Sustainability Katie Tamblin, Chief Product Officer at supply chain risk and performance management firm Achilles, discusses the vital role of data in mitigating risk, and driving supply chain resilience sustainability

or more than 30 years, Achilles has been helping companies manage supply chain risk. The insight we have gathered over this time tells us that there are two types of risk: reactive risk and resting risk.

Widely publicised shortages meant the ASCRI measured 49.1 for the three months ending in June, as compared to a lower risk reading of 56.1 in Q1 (the index range is 0-100, in which 100 is “good”, meaning virtually no supply chain risk, and 0 is “bad”, meaning supply chains are broken). The seven-point increase in the index from Q1 to Q2 took our supply chain risk rating from moderate to high.

Resting risk Resting risks are ever present, and can be managed if identified proactively. In our time, Achilles has observed various arcs of issue relevance, dictating the lenses through which Achilles measures resting risks. Thirty years ago, Achilles assured suppliers around primarily safety-based standards. Since then, we’ve seen interest in other areas rise and fall. For example, we’ve seen a huge rise in the amount of interest in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and supply chain resilience content. The spectrum of data across these categories is wide: modern slavery, environmental impact, equality and diversity, conflict minerals, social benefit, supplier diversity, supply chain management, and more. Mitigating risk means managing these additional factors on top of the health and safety risk management that often prompted the adoption of a supplier assurance programme in the first place. Given this broad spectrum of risk factors, Achilles has developed a supplier scoring framework that offers a benchmark as to how well suppliers are equipped to manage these risks, giving us unique expertise on the overall level of resting risk present in global supply chains, and providing the foundation for the Achilles Supply Chain Risk Index (ASCRI).

Supply shortages Our data confirmed back in June that the HGV driver shortage in the UK would cause supply disruptions – a consequence we are watching play out each day. Global reductions in shipping reliability, as ports struggle with COVID-related shutdowns and increased demands, will also Reactive risks Unlike resting risks, reactive risks are drive delays across all sectors. In addition to logistic bottlenecks, raw unpredictable: the COVID-19 pandemic or BREXIT. Requiring a quick reaction to manage material and component shortages are hitting the consequences and mitigate impact and supply chains hard, and will remain under access to dependable data is critical to success. price pressure. The sawmills that turn logs into COVID-19 shone a light on the fragility of consumer products suffered production outages supply chains and the importance of accurate due to COVID and many still aren’t operating data and resulting insights as tools to mitigate at full capacity, meaning sawn timber is in extremely short supply, resulting in price spikes risk and manage supply chains. The pandemic forced production to shut and shortages. The UK Construction Leadership Council down in a lot of areas and now demand is returning fast in a record-setting recovery, supply is also warning of shortages across a range chains are struggling. The Achilles Supply Chain of other inputs, including cement, electrical Risk Index uses a multi-layered approach to risk components, steel and paint. analysis processing social media chat, shipping Microchips and memory storage devices are reliability data, and price movements to deliver a another area experiencing shortages. A hangover comprehensive pulse on global supply chain risk. from the increased consumer and industrial demand for tech, together with production being Supplier Assurance Content Landscape (1990-2021) offline and higher prices for input metals, means 1200 there will be meaningful shortages and price Governance 1200 1000 Governance Environmental Management spikes for several months yet. 800 Carbon Emissions 1000 Environmental Management Price increases in fuel, particularly in the US, Conflict Minerals 600 and key metal inputs to electronics will continue to Labour Practice & Modern Slavery 800 400 Carbon Emissions pressure supply chains in the coming months. While Equality, Diversity, Inclusion 200 input prices are expected to be at or near a peak, it Conflict Minerals 600 Anti-Bribery & Corruption 0 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 will take months for raw material price increases to Information Security Labour Practice & Modern Slavery 400 Supply Chain Resilience impact finished goods, meaning prices are likely to Disaster Recovery Diversity, Inclusioncontinue to rise and/or remain high. Equality, 200 Quality Management

0 1990

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36 | October 2021

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News

tadler has handed over the first of 53 trains to client Merseytravel, on behalf of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The Class 777 electrical multiple unit underwent more than 100 tests and thousands of driving hours on the Merseyrail network and a dedicated testtrack in Germany. The trains have sliding step technology, on-board wi fi, intelligent air-conditioning, improved passenger information screens and more space for wheelchairs, bicycles and prams. Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor for the Liverpool City Region, said: “These new trains are a near half a billion-pound investment in our region’s transport network and will transform the way people get around in our region. “They’re a major part of my vision for a London-style transport system that will make getting around quick, cheap and reliable. “They will be the greenest and most accessible trains in the country and, best of all they’re owned by us. We’ve designed them around the needs of local residents, who I’m sure will all absolutely love them.”

Key Manchester rail route gets 21st-century signalling upgrade

once-in-a-generation overhaul of Manchester’s railway signalling system to improve future journeys for passengers and freight has been completed. Equipment which was nearly 40 years old around Trafford Park has been replaced with the latest digital technology. Network Rail has installed a total of 23 new signals and a further 109 pieces of associated signalling equipment as part of a £36 million Great North Rail Project investment. The work will improve reliability and safety for passengers and freight on this important route into Manchester. It will also allow longer freight trains to run in the North West, taking traffic off the region’s roads. Now the work is complete, a total of 26 signals are controlled from Manchester’s state-of-the-art signalling centre. Roisin Nelson, sponsor for Network Rail, said: “This major work on this key rail artery into Manchester will transform connectivity for both freight and passengers across the North West. Work like this has never been more important – future-proofing this economically important rail link as Britain emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

Photo: Network Rail

Liverpool receives first new train

New signals being installed as part of Trafford Park upgrade

“I’d like to thank passengers and residents for their patience while we delivered these improvements over the past year. The investment will keep passengers on the move, products on supermarket shelves and vital goods going to businesses across the country for decades to come.” Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern, said: “Our customers are at the heart of everything we do and the work carried out by colleagues at Network Rail will ensure our customers are able to travel on a more modern and more

efficient rail network. We’re proud to be part of an industry that is delivering so much for the people of the North and the work to improve the infrastructure goes hand-inhand with our own improvements which, over the past 18 months, have seen the full introduction of 101 new trains, the complete refurbishment of our older trains and significant enhancements at our stations.” The upgrade started in August 2020 and finished over the 2021 August bank holiday weekend.

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Time to get your dancing shoes on and join Rail Aid’s Love Train! The Rail Aid dance challenge is back again following the fun and excitement it created last year

his time round, people all over the world are hopping on the Love Train so gather your colleagues, have fun and show off your dance moves in this year’s dance-off to the classic soul track ‘Love Train’ by the O’Jays! This is your chance to impress your colleagues and be crowned dance-off champions of the railway. We interviewed last year’s winner, the team at Charing Cross, to find out about their experience and asked them for their top tips to encourage you and your colleagues to join the fun. You can also view their final video on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyu-Fp_rLhc. Read on to see what Network Rail’s Paul Calvert has to say about his experience: 1 How long did it take to film and what did you use to film it? It really didn’t take long. Katie from Railway Children approached me about two days before the submission date and we managed to pull it together in a day! It was really easy to film and was all filmed on a team member’s phone. 2 How many takes did you do? Most of it was first take only, there were a few bits that took two takes, but the team are natural movers and groovers!

7 What would you say to anyone unsure about taking part? What have you got to lose? It’s fun, it’s different and supports an amazing cause. 8 What was your favourite moment? For me, it was the faces of our passengers as I led a conga line across the concourse, they must have wondered what was happening as we did it without music!

Don’t overthink it, relax and enjoy it! Lastly, I would make the time to do it, it’s not onerous but a great reward and something different. Who doesn’t love having a bit of a groove with their friends and colleagues? 6 Did some people in your team need a little more encouragement? If so, what forms of encouragement did you use? I unleashed the charms of Amy and Gemma and they persuaded most people. I also think it helps to get the boss involved.

9 How many members of your team were involved? There were 20 to 30 of the Charing Cross team, including Mitie, South Eastern Staff, Land Sheriffs and my team. It was great that they all got involved. 10 Did you rehearse for long before the final video? No, we just threw some clips together and Amy and Gemma edited it and pulled it all together for us. To register your interest, visit railaid.co.uk/fundraise-for-us/dancechallenge/

3 Who led on the choreography and who filmed? Amy Allport and Gemma Price form my team at Charing Cross led on both parts, I had some minor input into the scope of the idea. 4 Why did you decide to take part last year? I do a lot of fundraising for Railway Children and Katie always knows I am up for a challenge so she asked if I wanted to get involved and it went from there. 5 What would be your three top tips for businesses considering taking part this year? 42 | October 2021

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28/10/2020 17:51

Air Quality

Government commissions action to improve rail air quality Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris asks the industry to conduct further research to rapidly improve air quality on trains and in stations

he Rail Minister has launched a review to ensure air quality standards and regulations are fit for purpose following concerning findings that air quality on some diesel trains is poorer than desired. The research funded by the Department for Transport and conducted by the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) took place on six types of train. The independent report concludes that the quality of air on services remains within legal workplace limits. There is already cross-industry research under way to understand the issue and identify short-term and long-term solutions. However, in response to the report, the Department has asked the RSSB to publish the full findings and commissioned a review of all the regulations and standards which currently control air pollution and people’s exposure to it on the rail network. This will include on-board services as well as in stations. Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “The safety of staff and passengers is our absolute priority. While these findings are within limits, I do not believe people should have to accept anything less than the highest levels of air quality. “I have asked the industry to immediately conduct further research and explore all engineering modifications and options to rapidly improve air quality on trains and in stations. “I have also launched a comprehensive review of the current standards and guidance related to air quality on the rail network. If required, we will not hesitate to strengthen legislation to ensure the highest standards of air quality are met and maintained.” Pollution results The report shows measurements of pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, throughout the duration of train journeys. It demonstrates that on-train concentrations of nitrogen dioxide can peak at levels ranging from 1 to 13 times higher than identified next to major central London roads. Peaks most frequently occur when trains are in tunnels or idling in stations. 44 | October 2021

While this is verified as within legal limits, the government is committed to ensuring passengers and staff can be reassured that the railways meet the very highest standards. This could include updating or strengthening existing railway standards on air quality.

The safety of staff and passengers is our absolute priority The Department has also commissioned further research, managed by RSSB, to help to better understand the scale of the air quality issue on board trains and to identify potential causes and solutions. This work will include measuring air quality levels inside a further eight train classes in service across the country’s rail network. The work forms part of the broader Air Quality Strategic Framework, which details RSSB’s recommended approach for monitoring, modelling and mitigation.

Most recently this has included kicking off a £4.5 million Stations Air Quality Monitoring Network, to focus on measuring air quality at train stations across England and Wales and provide high quality and robust data. More to do At the request of the Department, the industry has already begun to conduct further investigations. RSSB’s Director of Sustainable Development George Davies said: “Collectively the rail industry and government have been working with us through the Air Quality Strategic Framework to identify the right monitoring, modelling and mitigation. “Our important research is helping us understand the issue in much greater depth, enabling the rail industry, government and regulator to take the necessary steps. “We look forward to continuing this work and ensuring the rail network plays its part in addressing poor air quality.” This new review forms part of broader work by the government to ensure passengers and staff can have confidence in air quality on their services, which includes working with stakeholders such as the Rail Delivery Group and the RSSB to trial the use of upgraded air filtration devices on passenger services. railbusinessdaily.com

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Diversity and Inclusivity

Diversity in the railways Bob Caton, Managing Director of executive search specialist Banister International, considers the work being done to make the railway industry more diverse, and what still remains to do

he UK Rail sector faces a demographic challenge, but a more inclusive and lateral approach to sourcing younger and more diverse employees could offer a way forward. A few weeks ago, I attended a virtual conference where some of the intricacies of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail were discussed, a number of conclusions were reached and a group of wise elder statesmen of the railways were given a large amount of airtime to expound their views on a wide range of issues. Having been associated with executive search in the rail industry for more than 20 years, I felt a profound sense of déjà vu. The Williams-Shapps review seeks to transform the rail industry and shift the paradigm and yet what was actually present consisted largely of the same recycled views which I have heard time and again. Bluntly, the review has not reckoned on the inertia which is a by-product of a highly regularised occupation that, by its very nature, encourages the conservative view and seems to attract a particular ‘type’ of person. Network Rail, the largest organisation in the UK Rail Industry, has historically attracted an extremely capable senior management which is, in turn, hampered by a lacklustre middle management that is notoriously resistant to change. As a senior Network Rail manager noted recently, “the industry is great at navelgazing and using organisational boundaries and grand concepts, but not translating that into the reality of the daily service delivery.” The conclusion I reached is that this must be about people and the generation of fresh ideas in order to facilitate the implementation of some great new thinking. Balanced workforce On a European scale, it is a fact that rail is central to the success of the global economy. Before COVID, rail moved 1.6 billion tonnes of freight and nine billion passengers each year. Railways have been successfully fulfilling this role for almost two centuries, but it is clear that they face some significant systemic challenges if a full recovery is to be achieved and that these challenges largely relate to the people they employ. 46 | October 2021

On this matter, particularly in comparison to some other European countries, the UK itself is fairly advanced. In Europe, a third of all rail workers are now over 50 years old — in Spain, Greece and Italy, the proportion is more than 55 per cent. At the other end of the age range, more than half of European operators report that the share of their workforce aged 30 or younger is no more than 10 per cent.

A ‘zero tolerance’ approach to prejudice, including workplace sexism, is fundamental Across Europe, around three-quarters of people employed in rail are men; this is a much higher proportion than in the overall workforce and is not reflective of the societies the industry serves. Network Rail, the organisation designated to galvanize and drive the change process advocated in the Williams-Shapps

report, has ambitious plans to attract female staff, although currently women comprise only 19 per cent of its workforce. Barriers to progress European research has highlighted ‘persistent negative stereotypes’ about railway work as being a barrier to addressing the demographic and diversity challenge. Often these images suggest a traditional, routine-based career synonymous with middle-aged male workers. While this perception is not new, the problem it causes is becoming more acute as other transport modes are felt to be embracing diversity, innovation and youth more effectively. This issue is exacerbated because the transport sector faces increased competition from other industries for the types of workers and skills that it needs. Such perceptions are clearly unfair on the rail sector, as it too is embracing rapid technological change driven by automation and digitalisation, while also grappling with increasingly demanding stakeholder expectations. Yet it will be difficult for railways to realise the full potential of these trends if the industry remains reliant on a workforce with little balance in terms of either age, gender or background. railbusinessdaily.com

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Diversity and Inclusivity

Overcoming the skills crisis requires a complex response but can be achieved. Through its various associations and trade bodies, the rail sector needs to illustrate the problem and encourage inclusive debate. This entails raising awareness of skill shortages, supporting research and leading to the creation of training programmes that appeal to young people and, ultimately, change perception of rail itself. At an organisational level, much of this work can be tackled by operators, infrastructure managers and suppliers. Each organisation can work to foster the right working environment, presenting a dynamic and open attitude. This is especially important to attract younger workers — the so-called ‘millennial’ generation. Railways should consider putting more effort into explaining the range of jobs available in the industry and the diverse types of skills that it needs, while also offering potential applicants access to people already using those skills in their company. A new mindset Achieving a more diverse industry will require the staff already working within it to make effective use of their own positions. In practice, this is likely to mean men in managerial positions actively supporting women and minorities in their careers and recognising their contribution to corporate successes. Equally, a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to prejudice, including workplace sexism, is fundamental. Clear practical measures are also needed. To outline a real-world example, one railway organisation said that it wanted ‘half of its recruits’ in an inspection role to be women, and yet had taken no steps to address the problem of trackside toilet facilities.

48 | October 2021

The transport sector faces increased competition from other industries for the types of workers and skills that it needs As with other comparable industries, there is a dearth of female talent in middle and senior management roles; flexible working practices are a key component of addressing this problem. Fortunately, companies are starting to respond — one client in construction made flexible working a key element of its recruitment proposal and saw the number of female applicants increase immediately.

In the past, flexible working practices were often perceived by the traditionalists to be aimed solely at women with young families, but COVID has certainly changed this. Indeed, there is clear evidence that such inclusive polices can benefit everyone, and companies which adopt them often report much higher staff retention rates. One avenue clearly open to railway operators is to source talent from other sectors by focusing on transferable skills. At a middle and senior management level, we have successfully found rail executives from industries including cinema chains and fitness clubs – shared across these cases was an ability to offer a fresh perspective on the customer experience. Executives who run airports could bring obvious skills to a passenger rail role where the management of large volumes of people through major hubs is a priority. There has also been a recent case of a female executive transferring from running a chain of retail stores to a position managing railway subcontractors. In such cases, a prior understanding of or experience in the rail industry is not necessarily a barrier to recruiting successfully. It is incumbent on both companies and recruiters to work together and think laterally. However, I am not arguing that the railways should comprise people entirely from a non-rail background. As an estimate, perhaps around a third of employees could be so-called ‘outsiders’. Again, these people would bring fresh ideas, impetus and dynamism to a very traditional industry. By working with recruiters, organisations can be creative in their identification of transferable skills. The traditional method of finding talent from the narrow pool of railwaymen alone is not going to meet the needs of an industry that is increasingly complex and yet too often stagnant in its response. Perhaps, in another 20 years, that same conference of elder railway statesmen might finally have something new to say. railbusinessdaily.com

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IEnXdIuAsD try Spotlight

RIA’s Annual Conference returns!

he Railway Industry Association’s (RIA) award-winning Annual Conference is back this year, taking place on 4 - 5 November 2021 at the London Hilton Bankside Hotel. A key event for the UK rail industry, the conference sees a mix of speeches from policy makers, industry leaders, international guests and key influencers, networking, panel sessions, interviews and much more.

50 | October 2021

This year’s conference will focus on the theme of “Build back better. Build back greener. Build back rail”, looking at the role the railway industry can play in supporting the government’s economic bounce back postcoronavirus, while also supporting the race to net zero by 2050. A recent report by Oxford Economics, commissioned by RIA, highlighted that for

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every £1 spent in rail, £2.50 is generated in the wider economy, with rail supporting £43 billion in economic growth, 710,000 jobs and £14 billion in tax revenue. Over the space of two days, the Conference will discuss how the rail supply sector can continue to support jobs, investment and economic growth at such a critical time for the UK. The conference has an impressive speaker line-up, with Rail Minister Chris HeatonHarris MP, Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines OBE, HS2 Chief Executive Mark Thurston, Midlands Connect Director Maria Machancoses and Tim Wood, Northern Powerhouse Rail Director at Transport for the North, all down to attend – and many more to be confirmed soon. Renowned journalist and ITV presenter Sameena Ali-Khan will be the compère over the two days. Looking forward to the event, Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines said: “The RIA Annual conference this November is a great opportunity for the rail industry and supply chain to come together and discuss the challenges and opportunities for the future. railbusinessdaily.com

I n d u s t r y SEpXo It A l iD ght

And it’s a platform to discuss how we can build back better together.” And on the evening of 4 November, the prestigious Railway Industry Supplier Excellence (RISE) Awards will take place, showcasing the very best of the UK rail supply industry. The RISE Awards are open to all RIA members and celebrate the excellence and achievements of the rail supply chain in a range of categories, including the SME Exporter in Rail Award, the Community and Charity Engagement Award, the Safety and Wellbeing Award and the Collaboration Award.

‘Over the space of two days, the Conference will discuss how the rail supply sector can continue to support jobs, investment and economic growth at such a critical time for the UK’ With the past 24 months being a very different time to what any of us could have envisaged, following the coronavirus pandemic, the RISE Awards are a chance to celebrate the rail supply sector’s work in keeping rail moving. You can find out more about the RISE Awards, including how to enter, at www.riagb.org.uk/RISE21 And following the easing of coronavirus restrictions, the Conference will return as a physical event, though it will also be livestreamed for those who wish to connect remotely. Book your ticket today at www.riagb.org.uk/AC2021

RIA Annual Conference 2021 4 – 5 November 2021, London Hilton Bankside // 2-day Conference including 25+ national and international speakers // Unique networking opportunities to meet with key industry leaders // Programme combines keynote speeches, panel discussions and interview sessions // Best Conference at the Association Excellence Awards 2019

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October 2021 | 51

HS2

Keeping the momentum going

Photo: HS2

HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson discusses delivering the biggest infrastructure project in Europe

here is a great sense of pride and enthusiasm from Andrew Stephenson when he reflects on the progress made on HS2 since he became Minister of the highspeed rail project. It was last year that the MP for Pendle was appointed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “restore discipline” to the government’s flagship project. On taking on the task, he vowed to keep a firm grip on the scheme and its costs as well as ensuring communities would be treated with care and respect. “It has been a steep learning curve over the past 18 months, especially with the pressures and challenges during the COVID pandemic,” he said. “When the Prime Minister gave the project the go ahead back in February last year, he was very clear that he wanted to see a better grip of costs and the schedule. 52 | October 2021

We are well within a delivery into service date of the initial range we set, which was 2029 to 2033 “He also wanted to see the communities along the line treated with respect so I’ve set about a whole range of things, from the monthly ministerial taskforce where we provided an oversight across government of what HS2 was doing, through to the Land and Property Review where we looked at the experiences of people who had had their property compulsory purchased.

“We’ve already implemented a large number of the findings of that review, so there’s been a whole range of steps we’ve taken since then to kind of reset the programme and ensure we move it forward. But also that this is done in a way which is respectful to local communities and we keep that closer grip on the cost and schedule, which the Prime Minister was so keen for.” Andrew spoke to Rail Director one year on from the start of the construction of Phase One from London to the West Midlands. In that time HS2 has launched its first two giant Tunnel Boring Machines, won approval from Parliament to extend the route to Crewe, and received planning approvals for new state-of the-art stations at Interchange in Solihull, Curzon Street in Birmingham, and Old Oak Common in West London. railbusinessdaily.com

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HS2

“COVID has impacted the project, although not as much as it could have done and that is down to the incredible work of the thousands of people working for HS2 and in the supply chain. We managed to keep most of the sites open throughout, but the pandemic has had an impact and has delayed some things. At the moment we’re working through a schedule reset for the programme, but we still believe that we are well within a delivery into service date of the initial range we set, which was 2029 to 2033.”

Photo: HS2

“Every day we are seeing more of it come to life,” said Andrew, who before joining the Department for Transport served in the Foreign Office and as a government whip. “Among just a few of the milestones includes receiving Royal Assent for Phase 2a Act earlier this year, which cements in law our commitment to bring the high-speed railway to the north of England, and real concrete pouring too which you’ll see if you pass any of the construction sites.

Andrew has been a long-term supporter of the project, which when complete will see its highspeed trains – travelling at 225mph – carry more than 300,000 people each day. It will better connect people and places, boost productivity and create jobs to help rebalance opportunity across the UK. Last month HS2 Ltd announced that according to its latest figures more than 20,000 people are now working on the project, with that figure expected to reach 34,000 across the programme. Contracts have already been awarded to over 2,200 businesses – 97 per cent of which are UK-based. Opportunities worth a further £25 billion are expected to flow out into the wider supply chain over the coming years. “This project’s transformational and I think we’re entering a golden era for the railways. There is so much going on with digitalisation, decarbonisation and high-speed rail is a tremendously exciting part of that,” Andrew said. “We have more than 300 construction sites now and I defy anyone to go to somewhere like the South Portal site and not be inspired. If that doesn’t inspire young people to think about careers in engineering, then I don’t know what will. It is an incredible sight and there are so many feats of engineering across the project. “It’s great to be part in this project and I think for the whole of the rail industry this is a really exciting time.” A tale of two phases HS2 was always intended to be built in two phases. Phase One takes the railway from London Euston to Birmingham, with a link onto the existing West Coast main line. Phase Two would extend that line in a Y-shaped formation, with the western leg going to Manchester and the eastern leg to Leeds. There, both would connect to the conventional rail network, taking passengers to the North and Scotland.

ARE WE

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Photo: HS2

HS2

Andrew said: “Doug Oakervee in his independent review of the programme looked at 2b and looked at the western leg and the eastern leg and the complexity of that, and said this would be better delivered through Parliament in smaller bills. “We initially paused all work because of the Integrated Rail Plan but then we thought, the route from Crewe into Manchester is largely agreed and has been by stakeholders for many, many years, so can we keep moving forward with that? “Fortunately we’ve had the support of the Treasury and others in order to do that, but at the same time there are questions over the exact specifications of Northern Powerhouse Rail, of the eastern leg, of various other investments, so that has all been left for the Integrated Rail Plan. “But I’m very grateful to the Treasury as we have been able to move forward and keep the momentum going on the western leg so we can introduce the first part of the 2b legislation into Parliament, hopefully early next year.” But with a decision yet to be made on the eastern leg of Phase 2b, there are concerns this section might be scrapped.

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“Rumours have been rife since we announced the Integrated Rail Plan 18 months ago and I remain completely committed to bringing the benefits of high-speed rail to the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the North East of England.

It’s great to be part in this project and I think for the whole of the rail industry this is a really exciting time “For me, the Integrated Rail Plan is about how we sequence these investments in order to deliver the benefits to passengers sooner. Unfortunately, until we publish this there will still be continuing speculation. I can’t end that speculation today, but I am very committed to bringing these benefits right across the country.

“It’s a real central part of building back better, it’s at the heart of levelling up and these are exactly the kinds of things we need to be doing – building high-speed rail, building Northern Powerhouse Rail, and our commitment to that is unshakeable.” Looking to the future, Andrew ends by saying the government is truly committed to delivering a new railway era that Britain can be proud of, and one that secures the future of the railways and helps deliver national goals around levelling up. “The priority is to keep the momentum going and to keep things going forward,” he said. “We have Royal Assent on Phase 2a and Parliament has given us that permission to take the line finally to the North of England. “I want to see the start of the procurement and move forward fast, but I also want to see us bringing the western leg bill into Parliament so we can get on with that, then taking the line from Crewe into Manchester. “Of course there’s lots of information due out as part of the Integrated Rail Plan, so there’s lots of other big announcements coming, but for me it’s about keeping that momentum going, keeping the ball rolling forward, achieving more milestones and keeping the programme on track.”

October 2021 | 55

People

The return of Rail Wellbeing Live Chair of the Rail Wellbeing Alliance John Halsall says there has never been a more important time to look after ourselves and our colleagues

here is no hiding from the facts. Suicides of those working in the rail industry are among the highest in the UK workforce at 1.6 times the national average Ill-health in the industry is estimated to cost £790 million per year with a 3.9 per cent absence rate due to mental and physical issues – more than double the private sector average. It is for those reasons that John Halsall, Chair of the Rail Wellbeing Alliance and Managing Director of Network Rail’s Southern region, is so passionate about doing something to change that. He knows all too well the devastating consequences of those struggling with their mental health. In the past 12 months two members of his team of 7,000 have taken their own lives. “It is heartbreaking and when it happens you’ve lost one life, and family and friends of those people are left wondering ‘what should I have done?’,” he said. “It is this ripple effect of destruction. I am not on my own experiencing this, and at a recent senior leaders’ event other colleagues talked about losses at their organisations. “We all know people who have taken their own lives or tried, and if we can just create a work environment where people feel they can go and recover then we are saving lives.

“We know that 60 per cent of workers have experienced mental health issues at some point, and with the ongoing uncertainty around COVID-19, there has never been a more important time to look after ourselves and our colleagues. “The journey in my mind starts with us talking about it.” That is something that John hopes to achieve with the return of the rail industry’s largest free health and wellbeing event – Rail Wellbeing Live – taking place online on 17 to 18 November. It is the brainchild of the Rail Wellbeing Alliance, a cross-industry rail group made up

of train operating companies, suppliers and industry bodies. More than 13,000 people attended the inaugural event last year with 80 online sessions covering physical and mental wellbeing. Like last year, it will be open to Britain’s 240,000-strong rail workforce for free – an opportunity to come together and connect with industry and high-profile speakers to get inspiration, tips and guidance on how to tackle a wide range of health and wellbeing issues. “There is a really big opportunity to do something about this,” said John. “We are good as an industry at solving complicated problems once we realise that we have a complicated problem, but sometimes we are not so good at spotting them. What we are doing with Rail Wellbeing Live is seeing all of the complexities of physical and mental health and as we start to see them we will start to fix them – because we are good fixers. “Rail Wellbeing Live is about giving everyone in the industry the chance to tap into inspirational speakers who will be offering practical guidance on health and wellbeing issues whether it be stress, loneliness, relationships or depression. “Last year, former RMT General Secretary Mick Cash shared an incredibly moving account about his own battle with mental health, which led to many others opening up about their own experience and getting the support they needed, so we know last year’s event did have a positive impact.” Engaging event Similar to last year, the two-day event aims to address all aspects of health and wellbeing in an engaging, fun way. The star of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins and former Special Forces agent, Jason Fox, will be talking about building resilience in challenging times. Double gold Olympic medallist swimmer Rebecca Adlington will discuss work-life balance and recognising what is truly important Also, new for 2021 is the introduction of sessions at 10pm covering nutrition for shift work and how to reduce fatigue.

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People

The event has four themes, each with their own speakers, covering: Inspirational health and wellbeing talks to inspire your wellbeing journey; Sessions for managers and leaders to set the foundation for a healthy workplace; An interactive and practical programme to try new things and improve your physical and mental health; And best practice industry sessions from within the railway family, with new wellbeing ideas and initiatives to take back to your own company. John said: “This year’s event will be bigger and better with more sessions and more speakers. It doesn’t matter where you work in the rail industry, so long as you have a mobile device or access to a computer, you can join us 17 to 18 November or watch on-demand for two weeks after the event, and we really hope you do. All the content is free, so please spread the word as we’d like as many people to benefit from this event as possible.

Rail Wellbeing Live is about giving everyone in the industry the chance to tap into inspirational speakers who will be offering practical guidance on health “I really hope people will get involved as most of us are not that brilliant about investing in ourselves at work, so this is a great opportunity to invest in us as individuals, to learn something and to have a bit of a laugh. “For employers there is such a compelling reason for investing in health and wellbeing initiatives – the underlying point for me is simply that a happy workforce is an efficient and a hardworking workforce. I hope employers will get behind Rail Wellbeing Live and also look at further initiatives to keep the workforce mentally and physically healthy.

“This is lifesaving transformational stuff which will materially affect the happiness of real people in a real way. You only have to catch one snippet of learning to help you to intervene with a colleague or friend in terms of mental health, which could be the difference between them walking out and killing themselves or actually going out and getting some help. “They may be tiny things that we are learning from these sessions, but if 20,000 people all take away one small thing and those 20,000 people tell 10 people, that is 200,000 people who are doing things just a little bit differently – that is real change and change that could save lives.” Attendees can also take part in activities including breathing exercises, meditation or using music to manage emotions, all from the comfort of their own home (or mess room). Other speakers over the two days include mental health campaigner and best-selling author Bryony Gordon and Dr Rupy Aujla, a GP and founder of The Doctor’s Kitchen website. All the content over the two days will be livestreamed and available 24/7 for two weeks after the event, but you need to register to be able to access it.

Visit www.railwellbeinglive.co.uk for more details and https://bit.ly/RWL2021 to register.

Mike SURVEY CONSULTANCY LTD Chartered Land and Engineering Surveyors

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October 2021 | 57

Infrastucture

Pride of Cumbria mark 175 years of railway history A Northern train has been given the honorary name ‘Pride of Cumbria’ to celebrate 175 years of the railway in the region

Photo: Northern

Incredible heritage, The discovery of iron ore showed the potential of Barrow to the world, and Henry Schneider’s railway opened it up. We owe our growth and community to the iron and steam of the railways and I hope that this train reminds people of our incredible heritage, and of the enviable role that Barrow plays in the UK and the world now.” The event was also attended by dignitaries from Northern and volunteers from Community Rail Cumbria and the 175 Committees. Chris Jackson, Regional Director at Northern, said: “Northern is proud to be a part of such rich heritage and community and as we look back on 175 years of progress, we also look forward to delivering further improvements in the area to continue to make a positive impact for the North.”

58 | October 2021

Photo: Northern

he Furness Railway and Lakes Line opened in 1846, transforming the way goods and passengers were transported in the county. The Class 195 train’s new name was unveiled at a ceremony at Barrow-in-Furness station by Mayor Helen Wall and it will proudly display its new nameplate as it provides services along the line in Cumbria as well as on routes in the north west and Yorkshire. Simon Fell MP for Barrow & Furness was among those in attendance. He said: “It is an honour to speak at the naming ceremony for the ‘Pride of Cumbria.’ The story of Barrow is the story of the Furness Railway.

New boards detailing the history of the local railway will also be displayed in the waiting room at Barrow-in-Furness station for customers to enjoy. Kerstin Esbjornsson Community Rail Partnership Officer, Furness Line & Lakes Line, said: “The 175 anniversary events are celebrating rail history with a firm view to the future, our communities along the lines and engagement with rail users and the younger generations. “The commemorations, community events and work with schools wouldn’t have been possible but for the fantastic contributions from our volunteers, aided by the robust support from community stakeholders and the rail industry. “A special thank you go to our funders and

major supporters; Community Rail Network, Northern, Avanti, TransPennine Express, Network Rail, Furness Railway Trust and Barrow BID together with the awesome 175 artist Dez of Loveartpix.” Graphic artist Dez – also known as Loveartpix – donated artwork of Grange-over-Sands station in honour of the event. The station is a favourite of visitors to the area and was recently named Best Small Station of the Year at the National Rail Awards. David Stubbins, Chair of Furness Railway 175 Anniversary Committee, said: “It’s been an honour to have been asked to Chair the Delivery Group for the Furness Railway 175 celebrations. Despite many challenges brought about by COVID-19, the group have put together a series of roadshows at stations in the area which have showcased the history of the Railway and the work of the station adoption groups. I’m grateful to the other members of the Group for their support.” Ian Conway, Chair Lakes Line 175 Anniversary Committee, said: “On behalf of the Lakes Line Rail User Group which also runs the Friends of the Lakes Line, I would just like to say a big thanks for everybody’s help with all the events which includes all the volunteers on all the Cumbrian Lines. All the groups work hard to help keeping the station that bit extra tidy.” railbusinessdaily.com

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IEnXdIuAsD try Spotlight

Keeping control of compatibility – strategies for managing EMC Eurofins James Tingay talks about the importance of Electromagnetic Compatibility

MC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) is an integral part of any rail project, be it recommissioning or refurbishing rolling stock, managing the updates or new builds of depots and stabling facilities, or electrifying, upgrading or re-signalling open (or underground) rail routes. Eurofins York – a trusted provider of global regulatory compliance, CE marking solutions and certification with over 25 years’ experience – is an established market leader for the provision of EMC assurance services to the rail industry, offering regulatory guidance, research, compliance management, testing and training. Here, the group’s Marketing Manager James Tingay writes about the importance of ensuring EMC has been considered at the very start of a project and that a management plan is in place. Whole-project management Having control over the EMC throughout the project from conception to completion is a small but critical part of whole-project management. It helps avoid getting EMC tangled up in the commissioning scramble at the end of a project. 60 | October 2021

‘As well as ensuring the requirements are correct from the start, effective communication of the requirements is key to successful project completion’ To ensure that end of project compliance is both straightforward and attainable, the initial steps must start the project off in the right direction; this should go back to ensuring that tender and contract documents correctly address the EMC requirements. As well as ensuring the requirements are correct from the start, effective communication of the requirements is key to successful project completion. Unfortunately, late-stage compliance is quite common and can and frequently does add significant expense and time delays to completing that project. Advertorial

Ensuring that EMC has been considered at the very start of a project, that an EMC management plan is in place and that the actions in the plan are implemented, can help mitigate these issues. What can cause problems with EMC compliance? A railway is a complex set of interdependent systems with widely disparate requirements; they are often forced to operate in long, narrow strips of land. All of these systems are expected to work together safely, reliably and effectively. For example, a mainline locomotive might draw several hundred amps from the 25kV overhead while simultaneously inducing tens of volts into line-side cabling, cabling which may be connected to safety-critical signalling assets or carrying low-level telecommunications. While protected from those effects attributable to AC induction, DC electrification has a different set of issues that mainly surround stray currents. railbusinessdaily.com

I n d u s t r y SEpXo It A l iD ght

However, the rectification process for traction power often causes ripple currents at 600 or 1200 Hz, which can severely perturb baseband audio signals (for PA or remote help systems). Without proactive management and control of compatibility from the beginning of the project, EMC issues are frequently left until commissioning, which often results in a challenging set of problems to resolve in the final few weeks of a project. A further issue is that the documentation requirements to control EMC are not comprehensively set out in the relevant EMC regulations. Network Rail owns and maintains a standard intended to assist with EMC management of an infrastructure project, and this sets out in general terms the activities that are required.

‘This demonstrates the need to consider EMC from the very start of the project’ Differing interpretations from various key stakeholders and differing on-the-ground requirements for each particular project mean that there isn’t a simple template that can be used to extrude uniform EMC documentation or activities that are needed for each project.

Unfortunately, this occasionally means that EMC is ignored, postponed or forgotten until a few weeks before, or (in extreme cases) after commissioning. It’s also not uncommon for the person (or company) responsible for EMC at the start of a project to not be the person (or company) responsible at the end, creating issues with misunderstanding, incomplete or even missing documentation. Compliance testing One of the most commonly identified issues with a large project is the assumption that products carrying an existing compliance or certification mark can simply be placed into use without considering whether they meet the more stringent requirements of the rail environment. A large project may involve dozens if not hundreds of individual products, each of which needs to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the relevant legislation and regulations. When a review of the EMC compliance for a project is carried out, it’s quite common to discover that most of the components and products installed are non-compliant, preventing the project from being completed and handed over. This demonstrates the need to consider EMC from the very start of the project, that a comprehensive EMC management plan is in place and that the actions detailed within the plan are completed before the end of the project. As EMC specialists with more than 30 years of experience in the rail industry, Eurofins York provides expert advice, guidance, and support for all aspects of rail EMC. For more information, call 0330 430 3456 or email enquiryyork@eurofins.com

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October 2021 | 61

IFnedaut us tr rey S p o t l i g h t

Electrifying partnership ARQ set to support UK rail’s decarbonisation drive

new collaborative partnership aims to play a major role in meeting the challenges set to industry by Network Rail in response to the UK decarbonisation agenda within rail infrastructure. The UK Government’s ambition to decarbonise the rail infrastructure by 2040 is a key enabler to the wider net zero agenda across all infrastructure by 2050, supporting modal shift from cars and HGVs to an efficient railway for passengers and freight. Launched in June this year, ARQ comprises AmcoGiffen, Rail Electrification Limited and QTS Group in partnership. All three companies have been actively facilitating electrification schemes throughout the UK during Network Rail’s Control Period 5. The collective skillsets in route clearance, civil engineering, structural interventions and OLE installation provide extensive value engineering, innovation and cost savings. Working together Both AmcoGiffen and QTS are wholly owned subsidiaries of the same parent company, Renew Holdings plc, headed up by the same executive director, responsible for all rail activities within the group. To supplement the complementary civil and structural capability of AmcoGiffen and QTS, Renew acquired an established, experienced overhead line electrification company, REL. This makes ARQ a ‘family of companies,’ all owned by the same parent company, self-delivering a wide ranging, multi-disciplinary rail system approach to future electrification projects.

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ARQ’s ambition is to provide a step change and challenge traditional project delivery. It will contract as the sole integrator of systemwide delivery, working as one organisation, one team and one culture. This will give ARQ and its clients greater control and assurance over safety, quality and culture. Preceding the launch, ARQ spent time engaging nationally with clients and stakeholders. This helped to shape an understanding of its unique geographical

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challenges in efficient delivery and how to reduce the unit cost of electrification on a route by route basis. Importantly, this period of listening allowed ARQ to set its strategy to deliver a cost-effective commercial model, recognising UK Government and Network Rail’s cost challenge. Its driving ambition is to help shape a sustainable, cleaner future for UK rail by supporting the upcoming decarbonisation programme. In advance of the decarbonisation programme commencing, ARQ has made significant investment and a number of key appointments to shape and implement its collective vision. Vinny O’Holloran, Operations Director, ARQ, said: “Joining ARQ is a real highlight for me and I was immediately struck by the investment that has already been made. It demonstrates the commitment that all three businesses, and Renew Holdings, have to making this venture stand out from the crowd. “It’s obvious that ARQ has listened to what the customer has said and carefully crafted a strategy which I’m thrilled to be delivering. The role allows me to have independent control over the activity of ARQ, ensuring consistency throughout. railbusinessdaily.com

I n d u s t r y S pFoetal ti g uh r et

“It also gives clients the confidence that they have an accountable individual who is instantly able to influence a programme with direct access to those who are delivering the works.” He added: “Since its launch to industry, the partnership has been welcomed with an overwhelmingly positive response. Our model really aligns with efficiency targets and the reaction to ARQ has been very positive. There is true passion and drive throughout all three businesses to do things differently, listening to our clients and learning lessons from previous projects. As a partnership, we are focused on innovation, technology, and efficiency, investing in a sustainable, dynamic and diverse workforce. “Our rail system delivery model, with its flat structure and reporting lines, reduces the complex contracting models that can add layers of cost and risk to infrastructure projects. There is no fee-on-fee for clients engaging with the partnership, contributing to cost reduction targets of circa 25 per cent per single track kilometre.” Moving ahead ARQ clearly wants to be at the forefront of significant change to the way projects are delivered on the UK’s rail network, and to bring its collective expertise in delivering electrification schemes to bear in order that travel by rail is fit for the future. Vinny, who is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers with lengthy rail industry experience, said: “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity now to go and do this right, delivering on our industry decarbonisation promises. On completion of the rail systems upgrade, the new infrastructure will be our legacy for future generations. We have the opportunity collectively to provide efficient, affordable infrastructure that can deliver a world-class railway that passengers deserve and demand.”

With one eye on future delivery for UK rail ARQ has already made a significant investment in its people and is expanding its training capabilities. In addition to QTS’s training facilities nationally, ARQ is designing an OLE training span to self-train engineers, apprentices and OLEC lines people to increase the capacity of the existing resource.

‘What we must avoid, when passenger numbers are increasing again, is disrupting the public’s trust’ Vinny explained: “We recognised the skilled resource shortages when we embarked on the CP5 National Electrification Programme (NEP). We aim to deliver for UK rail from the bottom up. Key to that is our commitment and investment in our people now, rather than being reactive when projects come to the delivery phase.

“Directly employing our people, they have the security to grow and learn, with access to training and personal development and wellbeing support. “We have training facilities that allow multiskilling of our operations teams to shape an agile workforce with consistent behaviours, driving a culture of safety and quality as key enablers of efficient delivery. “The travelling public are attuned to the climate emergency – further highlighted by the UK leading the upcoming COP26 summit, driving the global decarbonisation agenda – but they want this investment in greener infrastructure to be delivered efficiently and with minimal disruption as post-COVID we persuade passengers and freight back on to trains. “What we must avoid, when passenger numbers are increasing again, is disrupting the public’s trust. We must remove our historic reliance on delivering engineering works that have a high dependency on disruptive possessions. ARQ will drive forward and focus investment in the future design and specification of rail systems that lend themselves more to off-site manufacture and delivery. “We will utilise best practice from other sectors, such as highways, aviation and power, opening up supply chain and capacity from traditionally non-rail backgrounds.” He added: “We are all really excited, not just for the role that ARQ can play, but also for the rail industry as a whole, as we look to shape the future of the railway and play a part in the solution to meet decarbonisation ambitions. The pounds in the ground for rail will significantly benefit the 2050 net zero target.” For more details, please visit: www.arqrail.com

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October 2021 | 63

IFnedaut us tr rey S p o t l i g h t

Accelerating towards the ‘go to’ consultancy for the rail industry Mike Heywood, formerly of Network Rail, has this month joined D2 as Rail Director. He discusses his move and vision for the company

ike Heywood has joined D2 as the company’s new Rail Director. His arrival brings to an end a successful 20 years at Network Rail, where he was Project Director on several major projects. Recent success stories include leading the multi-billion-pound upgrade of the rail infrastructure on the Transpennine route between Manchester Victoria and Leeds, and the delivery of the Ordsall Chord – part of Network Rail’s £1 billion Great North Rail Project. But on the eve of marking three decades of service to the rail industry, Mike fancied a new challenge, and working for D2 – a company he had worked with closely during his time at Network Rail – seemed a perfect fit. This month he took on the role of Rail Director at the company, which for the past 10 years has supported clients throughout the lifecycle of their projects, helping them achieve their goals of delivering projects safely to time and budget. “I am delighted to have joined D2 – I have worked closely with the company since it was formed, and during this time it has always played a key role on the projects I have led,” he said. “I saw from the early days D2 offered what was needed on the projects that I was responsible for – that construction and staging input to robustly plan these complex multidisciplinary works, early in the lifecycle where it can have the maximum value. “I think what the industry is short of is that expertise to knit together all the different disciplines – we have great specialists in specific disciplines such as track, civils and signalling, but there is also very much a skillset that is required to bring it all together. “I’d like to think that the success of projects I’ve been involved with over the past decade are at least in part due to D2’s involvement. There is a lot I like about the company – I always knew I’d get good quality resources and the team have always added value where they have been involved.” Three decades of experience Mike first entered the rail industry as a Signalling and Telecoms Management Trainee nearly 30 years ago. 64 | October 2021

Two-thirds of his career in the railways has been at Network Rail, spending the past seven years leading two large alliances – initially Northern Hub Alliance, and latterly the Transpire Route Upgrade (TRU) West Alliance.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved during that time, and I am fortunate to have worked with some brilliant teams” “I have really enjoyed my time with Network Rail. I’ve been with them for more than 20 years and have been involved with procuring or working on alliances for the past decade,” he said. Advertorial

“I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved during that time, and I am fortunate to have worked with some brilliant teams and organisations, but I felt I wanted something different for the next stage of my career and when I approached David (D2 Managing Director) and Simon (D2 Operations Director) about an opportunity at D2, we were all thinking along the similar lines. “One of the things I’m particularly excited about with D2 Rail is not just the fact that we have great people who can add massive value to these complex projects, but also the opportunity to develop new products which will help those involved with delivering these schemes. “We want to provide information and services that will enable project leaders and teams to deliver more efficiently.” Mike brings a vast amount of experience to D2, having been involved with the development and delivery of complex high-value infrastructure projects. railbusinessdaily.com

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IFnedaut us tr rey S p o t l i g h t

He has a proven track record of leading teams in the safe and efficient delivery of projects to the satisfaction of key stakeholders, and hopes to use his skills to accelerate the success of D2. “As a company, we will be looking to expand the range of different services that we can offer,” he said. “We already work in planning, controls, ECI, constructability, info management, risk and value management, utilities management, and digital technology and capacity planning, but one of the key reasons I came onboard was to help grow the offerings, particularly on the programme and project management side. “But we are also looking to grow into a number of other areas such as construction management, alliancing and collaboration, and engineering, so we can give clients that full programme management PMO type offering. “The vision for us is to accelerate towards becoming the ‘go to’ consultancy for clients and customers, be that tier 1 tier 2 suppliers or client organisations, and that is the vision for the next few years. But we will do this without losing what the business is all about – an agile and adaptable organisation, that is formed of great people. “As well as expanding the range of services it offers, D2 will also be looking to expand into different industries. As a company, rail will continue to be the primary focus for D2, but we will also be looking at opportunities to offer our services into other areas.” Mike joins the company as it enters its second decade of existence. It was initially founded by David Diesbergen after he continuously faced the same challenges of a lack of early 66 | October 2021

engagement and dynamic planning in some parts of the industry. His solution was to create an organisation where realistic and achievable solutions were developed by seasoned experts who could relate to the industry as a whole, but specifically in terms of construction and sequencing of works. Fast-forward to the present, and the company has more than 60 experienced staff and predicted turnover of just short of £5 million this year.

‘I genuinely think businesses like D2 Rail can really help with that’ “It was a tough decision to leave Network Rail, but I needed a new challenge and being involved in growing the business is a great opportunity and one I’m really looking forward to,” Mike added. “It is an exciting time to be involved in the railways with such a strong focus from government on investing in infrastructure and on decarbonisation. “But clearly the industry has also got massive challenges in terms of funding with the reduction in passenger levels and revenues, so equally we’ve got to improve the success of these complex projects and make delivery more efficient. Advertorial

“I genuinely think businesses like D2 Rail can really help with that. We can help make sure projects are planned right, implemented right and delivered efficiently.” Leadershop role Mike’s arrival comes shortly after Troy Lancaster joined the company as Head of Programme Management from Amey Consulting. He will be accountable for providing both technical and business leadership to D2’s programme and project management capability and offering across all sectors. Troy said: “It is my aspiration that D2 will be able to provide the programme/project management office capability to clients to manage all aspects of the design, build and hand-back of complex multidisciplinary programmes and projects. “To achieve this, I aim to continue to build direct in-house capability as well as partnering with other organisations in either a support or lead role. “Now that the worst of the pandemic is behind us there is a huge need to invest in the economy. With the devolution of budgets down to regional areas in all types of sectors, there is the absolute need for programmes and projects to be delivered efficiently. “D2 now has this capability and I am really excited to be able to offer this service to both client-based organisations as well as the wider supply chain.” Visit www.d2rail.co.uk for more details. railbusinessdaily.com

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IFnedaut us tr rey S p o t l i g h t

Service Quality Regimes – why they are going to transform rail As more details emerge on how the Plan for Rail is going to impact the rail industry, Rail Director spoke with Toby Hawkins, sales director of Software as a Service provider mpro5, about Service Quality Regimes and how they will change rail

“T

he rail industry in the UK is on the cusp of massive structural change that has been accelerated by COVID,” Toby began. “Lockdown has permanently altered demand for the service and the Plan for Rail has emphasised the importance of change in order to preserve and grow UK rail. “Service Quality Regimes (SQRs) are the new standard by which all Train Operating Companies (TOCs) will be judged. They are designed to measure the quality of the customer experience and cover every aspect of the service from station cleanliness to customer service.” The Department for Transport will set KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and clear targets to hit a certain percentage level of passes. This process is likely to be standardised at a national level, but there will be some variations to take into account the situation of individual TOCs. For example, Northern Rail already uses SQRs to measure customer experience, and some companies manage unique assets that will have to be added to their audit process. “The intention is to bring in a standard set of expectations right across the railway, to support the aims of the Plan for Rail around simplification and passenger experience,” Toby explained. “Companies will be rewarded for meeting these targets. In a sense, this will turn them into concessions rather than franchise agreements. Providing the best customer experience will be the only opportunity for profit. “This is radically different from the old model, which focused more on taking revenue from tickets and managing costs, while also having differing commitments within franchise agreements to adhere to. “My advice for any TOC is to start preparing right now for the coming change, and educate yourself as much as possible on the details.” Improving customer service SQRs are not an entirely new thing. In fact, many companies have started to use them internally, as Northern Rail has for several years. What is new is making SQRs one of the primary instruments for awarding profit. 68 | October 2021

The old system fined TOCs for compliance failures, the new system rewards them for meeting targets.

‘A common misunderstanding of the reform is that SQRs are a new type of regulation’ “A common misunderstanding of the reform is that SQRs are a new type of regulation,” Toby continued. “Regulation comes in many forms and there is plenty of it, for good reason. But SQR is not a regulation, it is a measurement device for answering whether or not the customer is being served well. What the Williams-Shapps report identified correctly is that the demand for rail travel is changing in the short and long term. Advertorial

“Even as COVID restrictions have largely been lifted, the virus has had a permanent impact on the rail industry: commuters are no longer going in five days a week. Now that fewer people use the service because they have to, the industry needs to move towards getting people on the train because they want to. Leisure travel will be more prevalent, and commuters have far more choice with flexible working patterns. The goal of the Plan for Rail is to make the train more affordable, accessible and simple to use.” Massive task Many TOCs are going to have to overhaul their operating systems, because SQRs are ultimately how they are going to make their money. The rail network will effectively be in public ownership, but TOCs will still have shareholders and will need to turn a profit to maintain viability. “It’s no longer about taking ticket revenue and controlling costs in relation to that,” Toby said. “You can think of it almost as commission, because your allowable costs will be agreed, it’s simply about delivering the best customer experience possible. railbusinessdaily.com

I n d u s t r y S pFoetal ti g uh r et

“It is a massive task, but one fortunate element of this is that the process is heavily mandated and leaves little wiggle-room or ambiguity about how to implement it. You must hire an external auditor to do ‘secret shopper’ style inspections and you must have a technological solution to manage and gather data on your SQRs. It’s almost a ready-made tender, all you have to do is follow this framework. “I would urge everyone in the industry, whether you are in a senior position or on the ground, to start to think about SQRs. The broad strokes of the system are public knowledge now – we know that they will be used to measure the cleanliness and ‘good repair’ of assets, the ease and comfort of travel, clear communication and customer services. “Knowing this, you need to start asking questions: where are you currently on meeting SQRs? How realistic is it going to be to achieve targets? Do you have the right data and tools to measure this? “Even if it’s an internal process and you don’t have a digital solution in place yet, start to gather the right data. Check your asset register because you are going to have to account for everything, from carriages to vending machines outside the station. Without an up-to-date asset register compliance will be more challenging. Small details are going to count – an out-of-date poster can get you an immediate fail.” Leadership is key Toby is quick to point out that the new regime is merely an extension of the old one. “This isn’t about changing the aspiration: everyone in the industry comes into work to do a good job, to make the railway run well,” he said. “The problem historically has been a lack of tools and a different emphasis on operations, as well as a byzantine structure of discrete responsibilities and systems. The relatively short – in railway time anyway – lengths of franchise meant wholesale change was not practical.

railbusinessdaily.com

“I’ve long talked about the problem of things falling between the cracks. I’m sure most staff have discovered the challenge of reporting a defect to the right person quickly. After numerous calls, emails or enquiries, the ‘right process’ could still not be clear and the staff member will have wasted their time. This experience for the wellintentioned employee leads to an understandable ‘in the too hard basket’ attitude around stepping out of their direct responsibilities.

‘You can think of it almost as commission’ “Leadership is key, senior managers will need to understand and embrace this new way of thinking as will everyone in the industry. The whole team working together towards the same goal will be the new normal.”

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The franchise model has resulted in an accumulation of disparate systems for data gathering and works. This complexity has built up in all parts of the industry and all the way through the supply chain to an extent that is difficult to comprehend. “I spoke to a station manager recently about the daily struggle he has with IT solutions,” Toby recalled. “He told me he uses at least four different pieces of software daily and has to use many more, each with a specific function and no scope beyond that. You can see how it happens, over time TOCs have to find single point solutions to solve immediate problems, and these ‘solutions’ build up into a very inefficient patchwork of systems. “Simplifying these tech stacks will be a by-product of the SQR. Data will need to be readily accessible, multi-dimensional and accurate. It should be possible for any employee to report a fault, and for that report to go to the right person who can then fix it. If you need data, it should be available at the press of a button. “A lot of single point solutions are legacy systems that have been used for years and years. People can be averse to change but I believe the focus on SQRs will drive reform by demanding visible data. “The closeness of the rail community means word will quickly spread and eyes will be opened to the benefits. “It’s not even necessarily about shelving old solutions, but there does need to be software that joins all these systems up – the often talked about holy grail of ’the single source of the truth’. “Change will happen but I’m sure it will be challenging, and no one will get it 100 per cent right all the time. But I am confident we will all appreciate this new singular focus in time.” October 2021 | 69

IFnetaetrunraet i o n a l N e w s

World’s first 100 per cent batterypowered, heavy-haul freight locomotive

oy Hill has purchased Wabtec’s FLXdrive batteryelectric locomotive, the world’s first 100 per cent battery, heavy-haul locomotive for the Pilbara (Australia) region and the mining industry. “We are committed to transforming the next generation of transportation by adopting advanced technologies that improve energy efficiency, lower operating costs and improve our rail and mining network,” said Gerhard Veldsman, CEO of Roy Hill. “The FLXdrive locomotive will be the first for the region and the first for the mining industry and will improve our rail operations from the mine to Port Hedland.” Roy Hill will receive the newest version of the FLXdrive batteryelectric locomotive in 2023 with an energy capacity of seven megawatt hours (MWh). It is an upgrade from the 2.4-MWh prototype that was successfully tested in revenue service earlier this year. Based on the route and Roy Hill’s rail operations, the FLXdrive is anticipated to reduce the company’s fuel costs and emissions in percentage by double digits per train. The ongoing use of the FLXdrive will also reduce ongoing operational costs through maintenance spend.

70 | October 2021

Airbus and Alstom sign new agreement on rail transport cybersecurity

lstom has signed a worldwide co-operation agreement with Airbus CyberSecurity, focusing on the protection of rail transport. It will allow them to work together with rail operators to devise cybersecurity solutions. Airbus CyberSecurity will contribute to joint offers with services and solutions in security monitoring of railway systems through its various Security Operations Centres (SOCs) and in responding to incidents. It will also contribute to security auditing services and penetration and intrusion testing through its

simulation and testing platform for industrial systems. Alstom is contributing its knowledge of railway systems design, manufacture, operations and maintenance to the partnership. It will also leverage its railway cybersecurity expertise developed in recent years. Worldwide, Alstom has more than 13,000 employees working on digitalisation in the rail sector, particularly in the areas of signalling technology, smart mobility and cybersecurity. Vice President Cybersecurity at Alstom Eddy Thesee said: “In the context of increasing worldwide

cyber threats across all sectors, Alstom aims to protect its assets and those of its customers as effectively and as early as possible. “The collaboration between Alstom and proven specialist Airbus CyberSecurity will ensure the future usage and success of green mobility worldwide.” Nicolas Razy, Director of Airbus CyberSecurity France, said: “As specialist in the cybersecurity of industrial systems, particularly in the transport sector, we are keen to contribute to securing the information systems of the rail sector along with Alstom.”

Network Rail Australian consulting arm gets boost to 2024 N

etwork Rail Consulting (NRC) has announced that its work on the Digital Systems Program with Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) has been extended. Its system integrator contract will now run until 2024 under the new terms. The Digital Systems Program was set up to replace old signalling systems with more intelligent alternatives and thus enable a more frequent service for Sydney Trains passengers. The systems

integration team plays a role in defining and delivering the program and collaborating with partners such as Acmena, The Go-Ahead Group and Ineco. The first phase of the contract was awarded back in 2018. This further extension to the original system integrator contract now ensures NRC is able to support the successful introduction of European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 with a Traffic Management System (TMS) on

the first two deployment areas, Cronulla to Sutherland and Bondi to Erskineville. Nigel Ash, NRC’s Global Managing Director, said: “This extension demonstrates the contribution the 40-strong NRC-led team has made to the project over the past two years. “We look forward to continuing this highly collaborative relationship with TfNSW through to the introduction of ETCS Level 2 services.”

railbusinessdaily.com

I n t e r n a t i o nFael aNt u ew r es

Ricardo certifies LS ELECTRIC’s enhanced interlocking system for global rail market icardo’s Seoul-based rail team has completed the assessment of a new Computer Based Interlocking (CBI) system against international safety standards, allowing it to be launched to a global market. LTran IX2 CBI is a CBI system developed by LS ELECTRIC, an international supplier of automation equipment headquartered in Anyang, South Korea. The new LTran IX2 CBI 520V is an evolution of the existing CBI product previously certified by Ricardo Certification in 2015. To provide more flexible configuration and meet the requirements of a wider range of domestic and international markets, the new product features several changes, including a redesigned Central Interlocking Unit (CIU), additional Ethernet interfaces and serial interfaces for communicating to adjacent CBIs. Its application software has also been revised. Ricardo Rail Korea was appointed in April 2020 to independently assess whether, following these changes, the safety functions of the LTran IX2 CBI 520V continue to achieve a Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL4) against the latest EN 50126, EN 50128, and EN 50129 standards.

Photo: Wabtec

Though the Ricardo teams could use certain aspects from their previous assessments of the original product, the scope of this project was such that it required a full appraisal of both its development cycle and final performance. This included a rigorous assessment of the product’s key components, including its power supply, central processing unit board, interfaces,

Real Skills Training specialises in the education, training and assessment of personnel to the UK railway industry.

console and object controllers. The recertification took 14 months to complete, with Ricardo’s team concluding their work with a ceremony for LS ELECTRIC in July 2021 that saw the formal issue of certificates against EN 50126:2017, EN 50128:2011 and EN 50129:2018, meaning LTran IX2 CBI 520V was proven to meet the highest possible safety requirements.

Commenting on the relationship built between Product Managers and the Ricardo assessment team, LS ELECTRIC’s Project Manager JW Lee said: “We would like to thank Ricardo for its dedication to our project. Despite the short timescales, the team performed the assessments with rigour and purpose and made extensive efforts to ensure the exercise was successfully completed on time.”

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October 2021 | 71

Northern Line

New Northern line stations open as Tube extends to Battersea

Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station are the first new stops to be added this century wo new Tube stations have opened in London as services commence on the Northern Line Extension (NLE). The new step-free Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms stations are set to improve the connectivity of these vibrant south London neighbourhoods dramatically and support the capital’s recovery from the pandemic. Major construction on the 3km twintunnel railway between Kennington and Battersea Power Station, via Nine Elms, began in 2015. Construction of the extension supported around 1,000 jobs, including 79 apprenticeships, and came in £160 million under budget, despite the cost pressures brought about by the pandemic. The total spending authority budget was increased to £1.26 billion in January 2016, but Transport for London delivered the project for £1.1 billion, having worked hard through strong collaboration with its suppliers and contractors. The NLE is the first major Tube extension this century and is supporting around 25,000 new jobs and more than 20,000 new homes. Tube services started running on the extension, which is on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line, at 05:28 on Monday 20 September. A peak-time service of six trains per hour operates on the extension, and this will increase to 12 trains per hour by mid-2022 as more people move into new housing in the area and the demand goes up. There are five trains per hour during off-peak times, with this set to double to 10 trains per hour next year.

Photo: Transport for London

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “After years of hard work, I’m delighted that we’re able to open the NLE, and it was great to have the chance to travel on one of the first trains between Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station. “This extension will hugely improve the links between these vibrant, growing south London neighbourhoods and the rest of the capital, and will also help to support thousands of new jobs and homes as we move forward with London’s recovery from the pandemic. “The new stations are beautiful and I encourage Londoners and visitors to start using the NLE to get around and help them enjoy everything the capital has to offer.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “London’s world-famous Tube network has two new stations, the first stops to be added so far this century, with names that will soon become familiar to Londoners as they return to public transport.” New connections Both new stations, which have been constructed primarily from stone, concrete, stainless steel and glass, use double-height ceilings to create large airy spaces. The new Tube station at Nine Elms has a very visible presence in Wandsworth Road, serving developments including the US Embassy and the re-developed New Covent Garden Market, as well as existing communities.

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72 | October 2021

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Northern Line

Lambeth North

Battersea Power Station

Nine Elms Vauxhall

Clapham Wandsworth Road Junction Clapham High Steet Clapham North Clapham Common The station has been designed so that 479 new much-needed rental homes – 40 per cent of which will be affordable – can be delivered above and around it. Andy Lord, Managing Director of London Underground, said: “It is with enormous pride and excitement that we welcome our first customers to our new Northern line stations. “This is the first major Tube extension we’ve opened this century and the first new stations to open on the Northern line for 80 years. It has been a monumental effort during the most challenging of times but the opening of the NLE could not have come at a more vital moment as London’s recovery from the pandemic gathers pace and people continue to return to the Tube network for work and leisure.” A new development The new station at Battersea, which sits in the shadow of Gilbert Scott’s Power Station and includes a gold-painted geometric roof with a giant skylight, opens onto Battersea Park

Kennington Elephant & Castle

Oval Stockwell Brixton

Road and will hold a prominent position within Prospect Park when this new community space opens next year. Art on the Underground’s major new permanent artwork by London-based Brazilian artist Alexandre da Cunha – titled ‘Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset’ – stretches to a total of over 150m in length inside the ticket hall of the new station, which at 2,225m² could fit 80 electric double decker buses side-by-side. Simon Murphy, CEO of Battersea Power Station Development Company, said: “Seeing trains coming into the new station this morning was a very proud moment, which wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering commitment of our shareholders. As we count down to the power station opening its doors to the public next year, we look forward to welcoming more visitors travelling on the new Tube line from across the capital and further afield to enjoy the thriving riverside neighbourhood we are creating here at Battersea Power Station.”

Timeline of the Northern Line Extension: 2008: First public consultation on the principle of the Northern Line Extension (NLE) 2010: NLE included in the consultation draft Mayor’s Transport Strategy 2012: Vauxhall Nine Elms Area Planning framework published, highlighting the number of homes and jobs that could be delivered with the NLE project 2013: Transport and Works Act Order Public Inquiry 2014: Secretary of State granted Transport and Works Act Order (November) 2015: Start of major construction works (November) 2017: Two tunnel boring machines – Helen and Amy – launched at Battersea (March) and broke-through at Kennington (November) – named in honour of the first British astronaut Helen Sharman, and British aviation pioneer Amy Johnson, who was the first female pilot to fly solo from Britain to Australia 2018: Tunnelling work undertaken for new customer passageways linking platforms at Kennington Tube station 2019: Completion of track installation throughout the NLE. Engineering train travels the length of the extension for the first time (June) 2020: Power supplied to stations (November) and energisation of track (December). Start of dynamic testing with first test passenger train travelling the length of the extension (December) 2021: Trial operations begin (July); start of passenger services (20 September)

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October 2021 | 73

Heritage

Steaming ahead and looking to the future West Somerset Railway’s Assistant General Manager Kerry Noble talks about the future for the 20 miles of heritage railway

he future of the railway isn’t just about locomotives and carriages. As things return to normal, West Somerset Railway (WSR) is turning its attention to a new forward look infrastructure plan. It is looking at projects over the next three to five years – not just the 20 miles of track through the stunning Somerset countryside – but buildings and land as the organisation aims to build back not just better, but also greener. Talk of the longer-term future is a sign of the light at the end of tunnel for the heritage railway which – like so many – has seen its income ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, with trains standing silently for over a year. “It has been emotional to see the trains back running again after having to stop for so long because of the lockdown restrictions,” said Kerry Noble, WSR’s Assistant General Manager. “This railway means so much to so many people – the railway is more than a job, it’s people, it’s people’s hobbies and it is almost a lifestyle choice. I’m happy to get back to doing what we’ve always done and just seeing everything running again with the sights and smells of the steam engines running.” WSR is England’s longest steam heritage line, a country branch line of the old Great Western Railway covering 20 miles and served by 10 stations. A difficult couple of years Like most attractions, the railway has suffered a large trading revenue shortfall due to the virtual loss of all of last year’s train income, plus the truncated 2021 operating season with fewer trains running and a reduced capacity resulting from COVID-19 restrictions. Services from Bishops Lydeard to Williton did start running again towards the end of May, with the services extended to Minehead (with a vintage bus transfer from Dunster because of level crossing work) in the following months as restrictions continued to be relaxed. “This has been the longest enforced period of closure for the WSR since the full re-opening of the whole heritage line from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard in 1979, apart from the short exception of 74 | October 2021

WSR Assistant General Manager Kerry Noble

This railway means so much to so many people – the railway is more than a job, it’s people, it’s people’s hobbies and it is almost a lifestyle choice our 2020 pre-pandemic Christmas period,” said Kerry, who during the lockdown was the only staff member kept on to keep the business running. “Any email or any phone call that came into the railway was handled by me at home during lockdown, so I was covering all sorts of areas. The priority was getting the railway through the pandemic and providing support for anyone with any queries.” Kerry’s first involvement with the railway came when she started volunteering in 2016.

A year later she worked part time as an administrative assistant, progressing to her current role of Assistant General Manager in May this year. “I have lived in the area all my life and I’ve always known about WSR – I think I had my first trip on the line when I was at pre-school at about three years old,” she said. “There’s also a lot of family history with the railway for me as well. My mum’s family lived very near to the railway at Crowcombe Heathfield station and they used the railway as a means of getting to work in Taunton. “I remember my great aunt telling me she used to rely on the railway when she was an apprentice to get to work – she spent 95 per cent of her weekly wage on train travel!” Funding appeal Although the trains are back running again, the WSR is still facing a huge shortfall having lost a year’s income. The organisation has recently launched a £1 million Emergency SOS funding appeal – following a successful campaign last year in which more than £500,000 was raised to survive. railbusinessdaily.com

Heritage

The Santa Special

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I’ve always known about WSR – I think I had my first trip on the line when I was at pre-school at about three years old Despite the challenges, Kerry remains positive when it comes to the future of the WSR. After a busy and much needed summer holiday period, planning for its Christmas services is now well under way, with the traditional Santa Express being joined by a brand new event called Winterlights – which brought in £17,000 of sales in the first 24 hours.

Photo credit: Aaron Manley

Other funding routes Failure to reach the targets will force the operator to look at commercial methods to raise money such as loans, overdrafts and other measures. “We are a major tourist attraction in the area so the past year has had a huge impact on us,” said Kerry. “The money we received last year was a huge lifeline and enabled us to do a lot of work to get the railway open and our people ready for the re-opening this year. “But the pandemic has and continues to have a massive effect on the railway. The timetable that we’re running this year is far less than what we would normally operate. At this time of the year, we’d usually be running at least double the services that we’re running now. “There have been some hard days, but on the flip side we’ve had days when we have actually beaten takings compared to the same days in 2019. Overall it hasn’t been a good time for the railway, but it has also shown us a lot of different ways of working and new opportunities that we possibly wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. “Different working procedures and practices are some of the positive things to have come out of the past year. We’ve also moved some of our training online so now our personal track safety programme is online, which is a big plus. “I also think what has happened during the pandemic has brought everyone together and, now we’re back up and running, everyone is continuing to work together really, really well.”

Photo credit: Don Bishop

The latest fundraiser – currently standing at more than £50,000 in donations – comes after the railway had two formal appeals for funding turned down. It has left the railway needing to raise £500,000 this year to keep going and then, if successful, another £500,000 for infrastructure.

Kerry said: “Winter is always a sticking point for the railway and the Christmas trains are vital to us because they provide a good income boost, which assists us greatly in getting through the fallow period. “I expect our special Christmas services will be popular with visitors and our workers alike. Winterlights will see the steam loco and carriages lit up, plus there will be some festive visual displays along the line to enjoy during the journey.” New projects Looking further ahead into the future, Kerry and the team are drawing up a new forward look infrastructure plan, for projects over the next three to five years. This runs alongside a newly formed People Engagement Group whose work will include culture, environment, inclusivity and diversity. “A further programme of infrastructure renewals will take place over the winter period,” said Kerry. “We’ll also be continuing the programme of repainting and varnishing the carriages. “There are several projects we are looking at, but key at the moment is that the railway starts to make money again and we keep it alive. “When the West Somerset Railway was opened as a heritage railway it was on a track that was already there and which in places is now coming to the end of its lifespan. “We’ve just employed a new infrastructure manager, who is currently pulling the Winter programme of works together. “I think there’s going to be different things coming through with quite a few projects in the pipeline, but more will be revealed in the months ahead.” Visit www.west-somersetrailway.co.uk for more details.

October 2021 | 75

Movers and Shakers

e s p o ke programme management solutions provider for mainline and mass transit rail, D2 Rail, has appointed Troy Lancaster as its Head of Programme Management. The appointment comes as the company celebrates its 10th anniversary. Set up by David Diesbergen, it now employs 50 experienced staff and is predicted to turnover £4.75 million this year. “I am absolutely thrilled to join D2 Infrastructure,” said Troy, who was previously Technical Director in Programme and Project Management at Amey Consulting. “D2 has a solid reputation and a proven history of being innovative, client-focused and delivering the best service possible. D2 is on a rapid growth trajectory, and I am very excited to be leading this from a programme and project management perspective.” As the Head of Programme Management, Troy will be accountable for providing both technical and business leadership to D2’s programme and project management capability and offering across all sectors. He added: “By 2023 it is my aspiration that D2 will be able to provide the programme/project management office capability to clients to manage all aspects of the design, build and handback of complex multidisciplinary programmes and projects.”

ate s Group has announced the appointment of Esther English as its new Corporate Development Director. Reporting to Chief Executive David Allen and supporting the Group’s Executive Committee, Esther will lead the Group’s strategic planning activities. In doing so, she will oversee the work that is under way to achieve the Group’s diversity, inclusion, and environmental goals, and will explore new opportunities to make Wates more progressive, more trusted, and more sustainably profitable.

Photo: Wates

Esther English set for Corporate Development role at Wates Group

A Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Esther joined the Wates Group in August 2020 as maternity cover for the Chief of Staff. Before this, she

worked at Crossrail for five years, most recently as Head of Reporting, and at KPMG and Reed Global. She holds a master’s degree in experimental psychology from St. Catherine’s College, Oxford, and was Treasurer of the Association for Business Psychology from 2015 to 2019. Esther said: “Wates is a fantastic business. I’m delighted to be joining the team and to have the opportunity to contribute to and shape the changes that will ensure it continues to thrive and to provide leadership to the sector in the future.”

Suneeta Johal suceeds Rob Oliver at Construction Equipment Association

uneeta Johal has been appointed as the new Chief Executive for the Construction Equipment Association (CEA). Suneeta, who took up her role on 4 October, succeeded Rob Oliver, who retired from the position after completing 20 years’ service to the trade association as its first Chief Executive. Suneeta joins the CEA from the Association of Independent Professionals and the SelfEmployed (IPSE), where she held the position of Director of Commercial Development. Paul Ross, Chair of the CEA’s Executive Board, welcomed the

Photo: Construction Equipment Association

D2 Rail announces new Programme Management head

appointment. He said: “The appointment of Suneeta as Chief Executive is a significant move and I feel that her experience and capabilities will be key assets in strengthening and developing the

CEA for the future. It is important that the Association continues to truly reflect the wishes of all its members and one of her key actions will be to reflect this as part of the ongoing strategy.” Paul added: “While announcing that Suneeta is our new Chief Executive I must acknowledge all the efforts and dedication of Rob Oliver, our long-serving Chief Executive, who has led the CEA over the past two decades and has passionately supported and championed the industry and the needs of all our members. A huge thank you to Rob on behalf of all our members.”

Trainline appoints Facebook’s Mike Hyde as Chief Data Officer

acebook’s Mike Hyde joins Trainline this month as Chief Data Officer. He will be responsible for the company’s data teams and leading a cutting-edge data-led innovation strategy. Mike joins from Workplace by Facebook, where he was Data Science Director. He has 76 | October 2021

more than 20 years’ experience in leading data teams and organisations, spending the past four years at Facebook. Jody Ford, Trainline CEO, said: “We’re building the world’s number one rail platform and an important part of this is harnessing the power of data to make train travel easier and

more seamless. Mike and his team will be essential in making sure our innovation strategy remains rooted in data-led insights that give customers an increasingly personalised and intuitive experience. This will empower people to make more sustainable travel choices, helping them pick train, over car and plane,

time and time again.” Milena Nikolic, Trainline CTO, said: “Mike brings world-class experience in building data capabilities in high-tech, globalscale, product-driven businesses, with a visionary approach to how data and data culture can elevate the performance of the business.” railbusinessdaily.com

Movers and Shakers

rcadis’ Places Design Practice has strengthened its team with several senior hires. With the transformation of the Design Practice led by Christine Dryden, Ian Hurst lead the MEP team, Anthony Douglas leads Building Structures, and Paul Dunn leads on Design, joining Claire Stubbins as lead of Interior Design. Ian Hurst leads from Mott MacDonald, where he was part of the MEP leadership team and involved in healthcare projects nationally and internationally. Anthony Douglas comes from AECOM, where he was leader of the Cambridge Building Structures team. Claire Stubbins has more than 12 years’ experience working in the retail sector both in the UK and Internationally.

Photo: Arcadis

Parish takes Arcadis’ Design Practice strengthens Ian over as Interim MD senior team with three appointments at BAM Nuttall A T

Paul Dunn brings more than 30 years’ experience, including eight years with London firm TP Bennett and 24 years with the global design firm CRTKL, where he was promoted to Director in 2007. Matthew Marson, Sector

Director for Places Design Practice, said: “The breadth and depth of experience that Ian, Anthony and Paul bring will be of huge value to the business, and will undoubtedly help Arcadis build on the work we have done to grow our presence in this space.”

he Executive Board of Royal BAM Group nv has appointed Ian Parish as Interim Managing Director of BAM Nuttall Ltd. Ian rejoined BAM Nuttall in 2020 as Managing Director, Major Projects, and has more than 37 years combined experience during his three periods with the company. Previous Managing Director Adrian Savory, who joined the business in 1995, stepped down from his position at the end of September to pursue other opportunities outside of BAM. Ruud Joosten, Chief Executive Officer of Royal BAM Group, said: “We would like to thank Adrian for his service and commitment to BAM over the past 26 years. We wish him every success in his future career.”

First permanent CEO of UK Infrastructure Bank revealed

ohn Flint, former Chief Executive Officer of HSBC, has been announced as the first permanent Chief Executive of the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB). He will be tasked with leading the UKIB to accelerate investment into ambitious infrastructure projects that cut emissions and help level up every part of the UK.

He most recently held the role of Group Chief Executive of HSBC, a company with which he spent 30 years. First announced by the Chancellor alongside the Spending Review, the UKIB will help finance important projects in every region and nation of the UK in sectors including clean energy, transport, digital, water and waste.

The UKIB will receive an initial £12 billion of capital and will be able to issue a further £10 billion of government guarantees, helping to unlock more than £40 billion of investment overall. John said: “I am honoured to be appointed the first permanent CEO of the UK Infrastructure Bank. “This is a unique leadership

opportunity. The UK Infrastructure Bank’s purpose is clear, and the opportunity to play a role in accelerating the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy and catalysing regional economic growth is exciting. I look forward to getting started on the new adventure, meeting my new colleagues, and building an outstanding team.”

he N o r th Norfolk Railway has welcomed Graham Hukins to the post of Commercial Manager at the popular heritage line. Graham will head the team responsible for marketing, bookings, ticketing, customer service, station catering, gift shops, on-train dining and special events. He joins the railway at a key time as the business continues to rebuild following the lockdowns

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and other restrictions caused by COVID-19. “The team here are doing a great job and I’m delighted to be joining them at this busy time,” said Graham. “My second day proved to be the busiest standard day in the line’s history, with more than 1,500 tickets sold, and September saw the return of the popular Autumn Steam Gala and the spectacular Forties Weekend, so it’s an exciting time to get on board.”

Graham has spent the past two years at Didcot Railway Centre as Head of Visitor Experience and Marketing, where he helped increase numbers, revenue and visitor satisfaction at the 21-acre living museum. His career also includes spells at the Kent & East Sussex Railway and Royal Engineers Museum as well as 16 years as Visitor Centre Manager at Shepherd Neame – Britain’s oldest brewer.

Photo: North Norfolk Railway

Graham Hukins arrives at North Norfolk Railway T

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