RailDirector September 2021

Better for Business September 2021

Exclusively for rail industry leaders

September 2021 Issue 13 railbusinessdaily.com

In this issue…

Andy Byford Triple Crown Challenge for Crossrail Sarah Law Joining forces for the greater good Keith Rose Faith in the future Nita Rabadia Globetrotting journey takes unexpected turn

Chris Heaton-Harris Delivering the 62 commitments of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail

13

A platform for success… railbusinessdaily.com

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Introduction

Keeping the UK rail industry connected W

elcome to the latest edition of RailDirector. I hope you are all keeping well and that business remains strong as things return to normal. I also hope you’ve managed to enjoy the summer – making time for some kind of well-deserved break to recharge the batteries.

It is full steam ahead for everyone here at the Business Daily Group. Many of you will have seen the second offering of our InsideTrack magazine, which I hope you agree complements our now well established RailDirector. Nigel and the team have done a sterling job – something I am sure will go from strength to strength.

The RBD Community platform continues to exceed expectations and is already proving hugely beneficial to the many organisations that have signed up.

Helping businesses to succeed is a real passion and that is something we will continue to do.

Working together as an industry will always be the best way to succeed.

I am also excited RBD Community has teamed up to create the Eagle Lab at this year’s Railtex and Infrarail, taking place this month at the NEC in Birmingham.

It will be wonderful to be able to meet many of you face to face, and I am proud to be taking over a large floor space giving organisations an opportunity to participate at one of the rail industry’s networking events of the year.

We have a teaser of what is in store at the ultimate show for the rail industry with a special preview, exhibitor and speaker details in this edition of RailDirector.

Do make sure you visit the Eagle Lab and come and say hello to me and the rest of the team, who will be at the show from September 7-9. We will be in Hall 12, Stand J57.

In this month’s edition of the magazine we have an interview with Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris, who discusses delivering the 62 commitments of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail. He talks about the next steps, and it is very reassuring to read his commitment for rail freight – describing it as having a “massive future”.

We have also spoken with Transport for London’s Transport Commissioner Andy Byford, who talks at length about the Crossrail project and his commitment to make sure there are no more delays. Among a host of other features includes the former Chair of Trustees at the Railway Mission Keith Rose on the ongoing work of the charity and its funding needs.

I hope you enjoy this edition of RailDirector.

Please do not hesitate to talk to us about how we can help you to tell your story and help your business succeed.

Best wishes,

Da vid

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

Helping businesses to succeed is a real passion of mine and is something we will continue to do 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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September 2021 | 3

Contents

Evolution rather than revolution

5

Railtex/Infrarail 2021

38

Minister of State for Transport Chris HeatonHarris MP on delivering the 62 commitments of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail

An in-depth, 20-page look at the forthcoming event

Keeping the capital running

Globetrotting journey takes an 60 unexpected turn

8

Andy Byford discusses life as Transport Commissioner for London and his Triple Crown challenge for the Crossrail project

Lockdown put paid to Women in Rail judge Nita Rabadia’s travel plans, but led to her playing a key role in supporting people hit hard by COVID-19

News 12 Connected leaders programme: 18 Building a better railway Sarah Law discusses a platform for leaders to join forces for the greater good of the rail industry

Accessibility, inclusion and 68 democratisation of transport services Transreport’s Jay Shen on his passion to use technology to remove barriers that make life harder for people with impairments

Be the change you want to see Spending Review 2021: A careful balancing act 24 Jason Hurst, Grant Thornton’s Director, Public Services Advisory, explains why he believes the next Spending Review will be more significant than ever before for the rail industry

First trains travel on proposed Northumberland line

28

The scheme will see five new stations built and an upgrade of 18 miles of track

Faith in the future

34

International news

80

Class 321 Swift Express Freight train ready for service

84

RailDirector visits Wabtec’s Doncaster facility to see Eversholt Rail’s solution for transporting parcels around the UK

Former Chair of Trustees at the Railway Mission Keith Rose on the ongoing work of the charity and its funding needs

Movers and shakers

South Wales Metro work to continue in the Cynon Valley

Momentous restoration of beloved locomotive

36

Mayor work is underway in the Cynon Valley as part of Transport for Wales (TfW) transformation plans for the South Wales Metro

74

Keltbray’s Corporate Communications Manager and Group Inclusion Manager Nina Fairfowl on collaboration and education to create change

89

A round-up of some of the new appointments in the rail industry.

94

The oldest surviving ‘Black Five’ class locomotive returns to service on Strathspey Railway after an absence of nearly three decades

Tel: 0800 046 7320 Sales: 020 7062 6599 Editor Nigel Wordsworth nigel@rbdpublications.com Writers Danny Longhorn Dave Windass 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 Jack Allen – jack@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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Government

Evolution rather than revolution Minister of State for Transport Chris Heaton-Harris MP on delivering the 62 commitments of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail

T

he Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail has set out the most ambitious changes to the rail sector in a generation.

Delivering on the 10 outcomes outlined in the white paper swiftly is now essential to unlocking a new model that balances risk and reward between train operators and the government, and is expected to create a successful railway system that delivers meaningful change for passengers, freight customers and taxpayers.

MP for Daventry Chris Heaton-Harris, Minister of State for Transport since July 2019, was a government whip when the Williams Review commenced. In 2018, he was sitting in Parliament watching urgent questions, Westminster Hall debates and regular questioning of the Prime Minister around the issues faced by passengers being let down by UK rail.

A drop in quality As everyone in rail is aware the May 2018 timetable changes, coupled with infrastructure problems and industrial relations disputes, had led to huge swathes of people experiencing delayed, complicated or cancelled journeys with annoying regularity.

The quality of service was failing to meet the travelling public’s expectations. Enough was enough for the taxpayer. The Review, expected to be published in early 2020, was well advanced when Chris became Minister. Until, that is, COVID-19 delayed those recommendations.

He said: “To be quite frank it was probably best that it didn’t come in at that point because everything changed.”

The pandemic initially led to the almost total collapse of passenger demand, while the fragmented nature of the sector’s operating model was greatly magnified, as rail franchises sought urgent government support.

He added: “It was in our party manifesto that we were going to end franchising although at the time we considered that to be 10 years down the

line. I don’t think anyone could have conceived that in a matter of months we’d have Emergency Measures Agreements, then Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements (ERMAs), then be transitioning to a third contract, and that in that time franchising would go. It was obvious that the market was fractured if not broken and everything had changed.

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September 2021 | 5

Government

“Having delivered an initial government response to COVID-19 for rail, Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps MP and I spent a lot of time working out with Keith Williams and others about how we needed to edit, change and move things on to reflect the new realities of the COVID world and what the potential prospects and opportunities would exist in the post-COVID world.”

Replacing the previous revenue risk-based franchising system, the first wave of National Rail Contracts (NRCs) was announced in May 2021, providing a new contract structure for agreements between train operating companies and the Department for Transport.

At the same time, however, some TOCs will extend their ERMAs, which is all part of a considered rollout and the move towards Passenger Service Contracts (PSCs), which will be awarded by competitive tender.

Chris explained: “What we’re trying to do is stagger how companies come to the new NRCs. It will be done in stages, which means they can evolve, and means that we can build much more reliable, efficient and innovative products into the forthcoming PSCs, which means the industry can respond appropriately to different competitions.

“One of the lessons we’ve learned is that TOCs want time to understand the market and what they are getting into.”

First Group’s South Western Railway and TransPennine Express, along with c2c, are in the first wave of the directly awarded NRCs. He added: “We’ll stagger all of the others as well. So we will have a timeline where we can drop the PINs and have proper competition.”

As for open access operators Hull Trains and Grand Central, which had to mothball trains, cancel services and furlough staff to survive the impact of the pandemic, the government will “leave that door open.”

Chris said: “Open access operators give us something to benchmark against. They bring something different and demonstrate to other operating companies what can be done outside of a franchise – so we wanted to leave that door open. They are coming back much stronger and I like the fact that they are there.”

Commuter market return One concern for rail is when, if at all, passengers will return to pre-COVID numbers.

The only certainty is that there can no longer be any reliance on the commuter market.

The MP said: “Nobody knows. It is a real challenge for the industry as a whole and one that everyone well understands and is up for working together to solve.

6 | September 2021

Local MP Stephen McPartland cuts the ribbon to open a new £40 million platform at Stevenage with (l to r) Ed Akers, Principal Programme Sponsor, Network Rail and Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Rail Minister

“The industry has been running as one for the bulk of the pandemic and pointing in the same direction, and that includes the unions as well – they completely understand passenger numbers at 30-40 per cent of pre-COVID numbers and that revenue is less.

“We have to recover, we have to win our business back, who knows what hybrid working will do to all sorts of industries? You can have a guess about passenger numbers. Leisure travel is returning very strongly but commuter travel, where the big revenues were, are probably

If we’re going to decarbonise and level up, get our roads decongested and improve air quality, it’s got to be freight some of the quietest times of the day now on the railways.”

When the public does return in bigger numbers, it will demand the contactless journeys, digital ticketing and Pay As You Go travel mentioned in the white paper.

He added: “We need to work out what products people want. Flexible season tickets will be the first of many trials and offerings and pilots to find the products that people want.

“We need to go smart, nobody wants to use cash. People are absolutely expecting trains to run on time, that are really reliable and resilient and also spotless. There’s a huge amount of work to do together to win our business back.”

Making local connections Great British Railways (GBR) promises to be made up of “powerful” regional divisions, with budgets and delivery held at a local level, not just nationally.

Towns, cities and regions will have greater control over local ticketing, services and stations.

The MP explained: “A levelling up white paper will come out after summer going into some of the detail regarding how this can happen. Great British Railways will operate along the current five Network Rail regions, and we want local stakeholders involved in fares and ticketing, the station offer, what goes on around the station. Where it happens now it works really well but it doesn’t happen enough.”

As for whether Transport Scotland and Transport for Wales (TfW) will embrace the Great British Railways journey is still up for discussion.

The MP added: “GBR will continue to own the infrastructure in Scotland and Wales, other than some of the South Wales valley lines. As is pointed out in the white paper, we want to explore options with Transport Scotland to enable the railway in Scotland to benefit from the reforms with the wider rail network of Great Britain. They don’t have to follow any of these but we think there are some great reasons to do so. railbusinessdaily.com

Government

“These are positive reforms to help the railway develop and provide new markets for the future. There will be a joint working agreement between TfW and Great British Railways exploring ways to improve the rail offer in Wales.”

Innovation and modernisation The DfT’s Transport and Decarbonisation Plan will be published in the next few weeks in response to Network Rail’s Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy, and will naturally chime with the innovation, modernisation and environmental recommendations in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail.

He said: “The Transport and Decarbonisation Plan will give everybody a very clear steer and direction about how we want to do this. We are committed to further electrification of the network, and we want to trial battery and hydrogen powered trains on passenger routes.

“We believe that transport is one of the ways that can help the whole country decarbonise by 2050 and to take that next step, via electrification and rolling stock solutions, the time is now to make these decisions.

“There is a massive future for rail freight. If we’re going to decarbonise and level up, get our roads decongested and improve air quality, it’s got to be freight. There is a lot of private investment waiting to happen but the market is waiting to see what the future looks like. I fully expect the market to respond by moving to get diesel out of the way when it’s viable, and helping us with decarbonisation. The opportunities for freight are outlined all the way through the white paper.”

We have to recover, we have to win our business back, who knows what hybrid working will do to all sorts of industries?

Joe and Joanne Public, with little concern about the first PSCs being awarded within the next two months but having heard of the promise of Great British Railways, will

be wondering when all of this change will be delivered and they can turn up and go on a new and improved railway.

Long-term plans He added: “I’m going to be talking a lot about the robust national accessibility strategy, our long-term investment programme, and how we improve inclusion and access on the railways over the next two to three weeks.

“There’s a whole industry strategic plan that needs to be done by 2022. Andrew Haines and Sir Peter Hendy are working with people from inside and outside of the industry, and there’s a lot of work going on.

“There are 62 commitments in the white paper and not all of them will be delivered on 1 September 2022, it’s not going to happen like that. Rail is an evolution rather than a revolution. A number of commitments will be delivered before that date, and a number after.

“We will need a piece of primary legislation to set up Great British Railways when it happens but we have so many powers based in the old Railways Act that enable us to get on with this right now. So we are.”

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September 2021 | 7

Tr a n s p o r t f o r L o n d o n

Keeping the capital running Andy Byford discusses life as Transport Commissioner for London and his Triple Crown challenge for the Crossrail project

W

hen Andy Byford, Transport for London (TfL) Commissioner, took over direct running of Crossrail a year ago this month, he vowed there would be no further slippage on schedule or cost over and above that identified by the outgoing board.

Twelve months down the line and he repeats those claims saying it will open in the first half of 2022 and it won’t need any extra funding on top of the £1.1 billion stated in 2020.

“These statements remain true, which is why I’ve said there will be no further slippage beyond the first half of 2022 to phase three – that’s the section through the middle – and there will be no further recourse to public funds beyond that which they (Mark Wild and Tony Meggs, Chief Executive and Chairman of Crossrail respectively) identified,” said Andy.

“The recent Project Representative Reports show there is now pressure on the additional funds that we secured. That’s true, because in one of the other funding settlements, out of that £1.1 billion, we secured an additional £825 million from the Greater London Authority (GLA). That’s good but it’s £825 million, not the £1.1 billion we said we needed.

8 | September 2021

“We’re doing our damnedest to try to get as close to that as possible. We may need the full £1.1 billion, I’ve never conceded on that. We may not need the whole lot, but those are the facts.”

The Elizabeth line was originally due to open in December 2018, but delays and extra costs – compounded by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic – mean that the full Crossrail timetable will not be in operation until 2023.

When we open the Elizabeth line it will make a real difference to those travelling across London “I have set my team three challenges – we call them the Triple Crown,” said Andy. “This challenges us to see if we can improve on the schedule that the outgoing Crossrail board left us.

“They said phase three would open in the first half of 2022, and everyone knows that’s code for probably June. I’ve challenged my team to achieve the earliest possible safe and reliable opening of phase three, from Paddington through to Abbey Wood. Triple Crown challenge number two is to open it up end-to-end, from Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the East through to Heathrow and Reading in the West, as early as possible. The Crossrail board was going to do it in two parts, in December of 2022 and May of 2023. We’re trying to improve on that.

“Challenge number three is the cost one.

Without conceding on the £1.1 billion, I’m looking with my team to see how close we can get to the £825 million. If we can finish Crossrail for around the £825 million, and sooner than was predicted on phases three, four and five, against the backdrop of COVID, which is proving a nightmare in terms of getting the job finished, it will be a triumph for Mark Wild and the team.”

Conditional role Such is its importance to Andy, that he had one condition on taking on the role of the next Transport Commissioner in 2020 – that he must have control of Crossrail. railbusinessdaily.com

Tr a n s p o r t f o r L o n d o n

It was transferred from the Crossrail board to TfL 95 days after his arrival.

“It has my personal attention,” he said. “I literally have a phone call about Crossrail every day, I go through in minute detail how we’re tracking. It will need that close attention until the day we open.

“There is still much to do, but I know everyone is pulling together and when we open the Elizabeth line it will make a real difference to those travelling across London; increasing capacity, transforming accessibility and providing a huge economic boost.”

High-profile project Crossrail is one of several high-profile projects Andy is juggling as Commissioner. To get Britain working again, he said he has shovelready projects that could be implemented at short notice.

Two notable railway projects that have been ‘paused’ recently are Crossrail 2 – running from nine stations in Surrey to three in Hertfordshire – and the Bakerloo line extension (BLE), which is a proposed extension of the London Underground line from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham station.

“I’m not sure if these will be coming back in the short term but we absolutely have not shelved those projects,” said Andy. “We see that they still have compelling business cases.

“I firmly and passionately believe there’s still a need for them in the medium term but we’ve got to be realistic and, in the short term, we

realise that our capital aspirations might need to be reined in. So, for now, those two projects are on ice.

“The work is not wasted – far from it. It has been archived, so we know exactly where we are with it. The routes are being safeguarded so that is not wasted work.

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September 2021 | 9

Tr a n s p o r t f o r L o n d o n

“They could be dusted off and resurrected in very short order. They will make a real difference.

The BLE goes out into a bit of a desert – there’s no tube in Camberwell and places like that – that would make a massive difference, and Crossrail 2 would have a transformative effect throughout a very long route.”

New role Andy was appointed to the position of Commissioner on June 29, 2020, after the COVID-19 crisis had hit and ridership of London’s transport services plummeted to – at its lowest – just five per cent of normal.

With such a high dependency on fares, to the tune of 72 per cent – although Andy’s predecessor secured a settlement with Her Majesty’s Government for around £1.6 billion, and a more recent deal of £1.08 billion taking it through to December 11 – there are concerns about the longer-term future.

“There are two main issues,” he said.

“Number one – short-term financial support packages are no way to run a £10 billion organisation. We cannot continue on this hand-to-mouth basis.

“We’ve already seen Moody’s downgrade us two notches because they recognise the adverse impact of short-term deals on our credibility with suppliers and our ability to leverage long-term contracts, which basically disappears.

“We can only make short-term provision with suppliers, and I argue that costs more because the suppliers are rightly worried about whether they are going to get a long-term deal or not. So to me it’s false economy, we’ve got to secure a long-term deal.

10 | September 2021

Slashing services is absolutely not an option or a sensible proposal

just two years, by the beginning of the 2023-24 financial year, covering our day-to-day operations, maintenance and ‘cost of funding’ costs.

“It’s not going to be easy. Radical cost-cutting needs to happen, but we also need new revenue streams so we won’t cut our way out of this.

Slashing services is absolutely not an option or a sensible proposal.”

“Secondly, on 11 January we submitted our Financial and Sustainability Plan (FSP), which sets out very positively how we can emerge from this if we work in partnership with government.

“We’re saying we can be self-sufficient within

Out of the red Andy is adamant TfL can be back to selfsustainability but to do it a case is made within that FSP for continued capital expenditure support, to the tune of £1.6 billion per year for the next 10 years.

railbusinessdaily.com

Tr a n s p o r t f o r L o n d o n

He describes it as not a begging bowl, but a proposal to form “a sensible partnership with government to meet government’s own objectives”.

He said: “Number one – government wants a jobs-led, project-led, infrastructure-fuelled recovery. We have plenty of projects ready to go.

Let’s get on with them and re-fire the economy.

“Number two – government has set out the laudable objective to have a carbon-free, decarbonised UK by 2050. That is not going to happen unless London is decarbonised so London needs to have an electrified bus fleet by that point. If they work with us, we can electrify our bus fleet, by far the biggest in Britain with 9,500 buses, by 2030. That means new buses and also the infrastructure paraphernalia that needs to go into the garages.

“This links very nicely to government objective number three, which is levelling up. They want to see a levelling up across the country. Again, we can help with that. We are not the problem, we are part of the solution, because where do we buy our buses? And where do we spend 55p out of every pound? In the regions.

“We are building new trains in Goole in East Yorkshire for the Piccadilly line, we spend money

on signalling systems in places like Chippenham and Ashby de la Zouch. The buses don’t get built in London, they get built in Ballymena, in Falkirk, in Leeds, in Guildford. It really is levelling up.

“So, what we’re saying is, thanks very much for the short-term funding but let’s now move to a sensible long-term funding settlement with

new income streams so that we bring down that 72 per cent dependency on fares to more like 40 per cent, the industry norm. See us as a partner and we can power London’s, and I would argue the UK’s, economy by a properly funded transport system.

“That’s my pitch.”

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September 2021 | 11

News

12 | September 2021

A

new world-class rail testing facility on a former opencast mining site at the head of the Dulais and Swansea valleys has been given the seal of approval by both Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and Powys County Council.

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) – a train, rail infrastructure and technology testing facility – will be located on the site of Nant Helen opencast mine in Onllwyn, which is currently operated by Celtic Energy.

The centre will support innovation in the UK and international rail industry by serving as a testbed for cuttingedge, green technologies, which will act as a driver for accelerated innovation in the rail industry.

The Welsh Government has developed the idea for the centre from scratch and has engaged with experts from across the global rail industry to bring it to this point.

In a further sign of the Welsh Government’s confidence in the project, it is investing £50 million

Photo: Welsh Government

T

he first algorithm to detect delays automatically on the tracks has been developed.

The intelligent tool was developed by researchers at the University of Portsmouth in conjunction with First MTR South Western Railway via a two-year knowledge transfer partnership (KTP), funded by Innovate UK. Minimising disruption to rail travel is challenging, with more than 1,700 trains operating on South Western Railway’s (SWR) rail network across Southern England daily.

It is difficult for controllers to detect delays promptly, which leads to further delays in selecting contingency plans.

Despite large increases in passenger numbers, trains and crews, rail operators have been using the same systems and technology for decades.

Dr Edward Smart, KTP academic supervisor, said: “As a commuter myself, I’m delighted to be able to contribute to this project that will improve the customer experience. It highlights the impact that machine learning algorithms can have for realworld applications.”

Uni ver sit y researcher s automatically analysed data to determine the point of delay, identify which trains would be affected, and select the appropriate contingency plans to get the services back on track. The intelligent tool is designed with machine learning techniques to reduce dramatically the time to analyse and process the data.

The tool is currently being used within the SWR Control Centre, which is responsible for controlling the movement of trains across the network.

All signals go: New world-class rail testing centre given green light

Pictured with Welsh Government Economy Minister Vaughan Gething (right) are Celtic Energy’s Chair, Richard Walters, and CEO, Will Watson.

to support the delivery of the new facility. The UK Government has also pledged to invest £30 million in the project.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said: “The new centre will help create the next generation of high-quality jobs, attracting new investment and opportunities for local people, driving new technologies and innovation, and helping us to realise our ambition of creating a stronger and more prosperous economy in a greener, cleaner and stronger Wales.”

The Welsh Government has been working in partnership with Neath Port Talbot County Borough

Council and Powys County Council to develop proposals for the GCRE. A joint venture was established in 2019 between Welsh Government and both Powys and Neath Port Talbot councils to support project development and delivery.

The proposals are the result of collaborative working with partners and extensive engagement and consultation with stakeholders and local communities.

A land option deal has been completed for the sites at the Nant Helen surface mine and Onllwyn coal washery, which will see Celtic Energy gift all the land necessary for the project.

Work begins to link South Wales Metro Control Centre to the rail network

W

ork to link the South Wales Metro Control Centre to the rail network has started ready for the arrival of the new £150 million fleet of Metro tram-trains.

The scheme includes raising the road bridge and creating a new tunnel to join the £100 million control centre, maintenance facility and depot in Taff’s Well, Cardiff, to the rail network.

Phase 1 involves work between 23 August and 10 December 2021 to prepare the site for the new tunnel. Pending planning

Photo: Transport for Wales

Researchers develop algorithm to reduce rail delays

approval, Phase 2 will involve the build of the new bridge between 10 December 2021 and Autumn 2022.

Karl Gilmore, TfW’s Rail

Infrastructure Director, said: “We have a significant amount of work to carry out to create the South Wales Metro and this is a crucial phase of the development.” railbusinessdaily.com

I n sFue raat nu cr e

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

Tips for manufacturers A

comprehensive insurance for a manufacturer will provide cover for damage/theft to tenant improvements, stock, fixed/portable assets, loss of gross profit due to reduction in turnover arising from insured damage (this is business interruption cover), injury to employees/ third party visitors, injury/ damage claims arising from manufacture/ sale/supply of defective products.

The business interruption cover is crucial and can often secure survival of the company after a fire.

Machinery assets are insured on a new-for-old basis and care must be taken to ensure that sums insured fully reflect the new price to replace items.

Moulds tools and dies can be tricky, as these can be expensive to make but are often overlooked when assessing new-for-old values – if many are old and infrequently used then it may be better to declare them as uninsured as otherwise, if the loss adjuster thinks that the sum insured did not adequately take them into account, then they can reduce the claims payment due to underinsurance.

We recommend that the cover is extended to insure uneconomic increased costs of working,

John McNeill, NEBOSH Dip Cii which is wider than the standard off-the-shelf cover most policies give. This provides much greater flexibility as to what the business can claim when it needs money to get back on its feet.

For instance, uneconomic increased costs cover would give you the option of subcontracting some product manufacture to a competitor, perhaps at much higher cost than you would have made the product for yourself, in order to fulfil a customer order, and having those costs paid in full by insurers.

The skill of a broker is to add suitable additional

clauses to the insurer’s ‘standard’ wording to provide a much more comprehensive solution – usually these extra clauses can be granted at no extra cost.

Importantly, the good broker will conduct a factory tour and write a detailed risk presentation about the business. This will (hopefully) emphasise that there are high standards of risk management, fork truck charging bays are free from combustible materials, working areas are clean and tidy, swarf is swept up and removed daily, extraction equipment has been serviced regularly, the IEE fixed electrical certificate is up to date, LOLER/PUWER examinations have been carried out on time and that there is an NSIapproved, DualCom monitored alarm system etc.

A modern digital grade CCTV system, monitored by an offsite security centre, can be very effective to protect the premises also. Underwriters can reduce your premium cost for good risk management and the broker’s job is to sell the client to them as a good risk, well managed by experienced people investing in health and safety and risk protections.

John McNeill, NEBOSH Dip Cii Client Director at Jobson James Rail 07867 459054

www.jjrail.co.uk www.jjrail.co.uk

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September 2021 | 13

News

ondon North Eastern Railway (LNER) has announced new Azuma services will be introduced between Middlesbrough and London King’s Cross from Monday 13 December.

The daily weekday service in each direction will be LNER’s first direct link between Middlesbrough and the capital and will also connect nearby Thornaby directly with London King’s Cross.

The Azuma services will be the first wave of new LNER trains between Teesside and London.

David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: “Our new Azuma services will not only help transform the customer experience for people who travel between Middlesbrough and London but open up new economic opportunities for the town and wider area.

“The new, direct services from December will see journey times of around three hours between London and Middlesbrough, offering more opportunities for business travel, tourists and international visitors wanting to travel to the Tees Valley.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “This connection will prove ever more critical as we take advantage of all of the opportunities our Teesside Freeport, the UK’s biggest, will bring.

“It will help strengthen ties between the Freeport, our towns and our capital to show businesses all the benefits of being based right here, and help our local companies forge new partnerships. This is all the more important as we look to recover our regional and national economies following the coronavirus pandemic.”

14 | September 2021

I

n a pioneering and environmentally friendly first for the UK, hybrid cars built in the Midlands will soon be carried to continental Europe via an eco-locomotive that runs on greener fuel made from used vegetable oil.

Rail freight operator DB Cargo’s sustainable hydrotreated vegetable oil-fuelled (HVO) locomotive can cut carbon emissions by up to 90 per cent compared to diesel.

The train, named “I’m a climate hero”, to reflect its new role, is an important step in the transition towards the government’s goal of net zero by 2050.

Rail Minister Chris HeatonHarris said: “We are boosting British business while cutting carbon. This is what building back greener is all about.

“Trains are one of the most eco-friendly ways to transport

Photo: Department for Transport

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‘The Frying Scotsman’: Train running on used vegetable oil exports green cars to EU

goods and, through ingenuity and innovation, DB Cargo is leading the way in making it even greener.”

DB Cargo is the largest rail freight operating company in the country and has been trialling and expanding its use of HVO as a way to reduce carbon emissions in the short term.

This new service using HVO will transport Toyotas built in Derby to continental Europe through the Channel Tunnel and import Toyotas on its return leg.

DB Cargo CEO Andrea Rossi said: “We are very excited at the prospect of working with Toyota to trial the use of HVO on its services to and from Europe. HVO is one of the world’s purest and greenest fuels and has an important role to play in helping DB Cargo UK and its rail customers decarbonise their operations.

“This will be the first time we have used HVO on an automotive service and one bound for the continent. It’s a first on many levels for us.”

Revised proposals for Forth Bridge Experience

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etwork Rail has submitted a pre-application notice to City of Edinburgh Council for revised proposals to install a bridge walk and visitor hub at the iconic Forth Bridge.

The revised proposals include a low-level reception hub to the east of the Forth Bridge, further away from neighbouring residential properties, minimising the impact on the surrounding environment.

The pre-application process will include online engagement meetings to communicate the revised proposals to the public and gather feedback which will help inform the final designs.

A full planning application, including plans, artist impressions and detailed designs will be submitted later this year following the public engagement exercise.

The proposals will see construction

Photo: Network Rail

Date set for new LNER direct services between Middlesbrough and London

of a bridge walk and reception hub on the South Queensferry side of the UNESCO World Heritage site, which will be used for preparing those heading out on the bridge walk as well as providing an access point to the structure. Groups of between 12 and 15 people will put on safety harnesses before being led out onto the bridge’s south cantilever, walking up to a viewing point at the top using walkways built into the structure.

Alan Ross, Network Rail Scotland’s director of engineering and asset management, said: “The events of the past year have prompted us to look more closely at all of our projects to consider how they could be improved or made more affordable in such challenging conditions.

“The project team has worked extremely hard to draw up revised proposals without compromising the desirability of this exciting project.” railbusinessdaily.com

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We provide efficient construction planning ensuring early, continuous and consistent integration of construction knowledge into the conceptual planning, design, construction and operations of a project.

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

Taking the weight off your shoulders

Photo: HS2 Ltd

RFS Works Managing Director Jim Flatman on material handling, logistics, earthworks and heavy mobile equipment solutions

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hat does HS2, the Channel Tunnel, Heathrow’s Terminal 5, London 2012 Olympics and Crossrail all have in common?

All the projects have turned to RFS Works Ltd, a leading UK provider of integrated services for material handling, logistics, earthworks and heavy mobile equipment solutions.

The company has built an enviable reputation on complex site operations, managing projects from initial site set-up through to completion, while handling and moving large volumes of materials for major contracts.

RFS Works is built on four decades of experience, of which the last decade has been led by Managing Director Jim Flatman – who prides himself on his customer and staff focus, willing to go the extra mile to ensure the client is happy with the service.

“You are only as good as your last job, which is why we give 110 per cent to every job,” he said.

“I’m immensely proud how far we have come in the past decade and been able to build on the growth of the company. We all take a great sense of pride working on some of the biggest rail projects, playing our part in an industry that impacts so many lives.

16 | September 2021

“Our key objective is to deliver our customers value with their service requirements, by providing innovative service solutions, whether it’s material handling, logistics, earthworks, and equipment solutions.

“You are only as good as your last job, which is why we give 110 per cent to every job” “We provide our customers cost-effective service solutions while utilising the latest technology within the equipment we operate.”

Forty years of growth The RFS Limited business was initially founded in 1978 trading as Rock Re-handling, then Advertorial

Yeoman Plant – within the Yeoman Aggregates business – set up to offload aggregates from trains delivering to the company’s rail terminals.

In 1998, the RFS Limited business was created to meet the specialist requirements of the rail, marine and quarry industries, to service customers with bulk materials handling solutions, providing services on a 24/7, 365 days-a-year basis where required.

Jim, who joined RFS in 2012, said: “The majority of our equipment is custom-built and uniquely designed to provide maximum value to the customer in efficiency, while ensuring the highest levels of safety and environmental compliance during operation.

“We utilise the rail and marine network to offer a seamless, sustainable and fully integrated transportation and logistics service, from source to delivery point, handling all types of bulk or containerised materials.

“The company has many years of experience that has given us an unrivalled wealth of knowledge of the services we provide, which enables us to think beyond standard industry practice and strive to provide innovation in everything we do. railbusinessdaily.com

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

Putting the biggest rail projects on track RFS Works has long been involved in the UK’s biggest rail projects. That has continued during the pandemic, with the company involved in the HS2 project, awarded a materials handling, stockpiles management, train loading and rail shunting contract by the Skanska Costain Strabag Joint Venture.

The company is managing all tunnel spoil imports, handling, stockpiling, rail wagon loading and rail shunting works at the Willesden Euro Terminal tunnel.

Jim explained: “The soils hub is reducing movements of HGVs on London’s congested road network and is reducing the CO2 emissions into the local environment, while ensuring the tunnel spoil is transported by rail freight to provide a much-needed source of restoration soils for other projects across the UK providing a beneficial reuse of tunnel arisings.”

It is the latest in a long line of projects RFS Works has worked on, including being involved in the HS2 project at Washwood Heath in Birmingham. Over the next decade, up to 15,000 freight trains will haul 10 million tonnes of aggregate to HS2 construction sites.

Each freight train replaces around 70 lorries, representing a massive reduction in carbon emissions and marking a significant investment for Britain’s rail freight sector.

Prior to that the company carried out unloading of box wagons to stockpiles on a 24/7 operational basis as part of the work to construct 42km of new rail tunnels as part of the Crossrail project.

Over the past few years RFS has carried out millions of tonnes of rail freight material handling – in partnership with many of the main construction materials producers and traders, including Aggregate Industries / Holcim, Tarmac / CRH, GRS Group, Cemex, Hanson, Brett, DAY, TATA, Hope to name but a few.

RFS Works has also continued to invest during the pandemic, recently purchasing two new MHL360 F material-handlers for the loading and unloading of aggregates and soil at several locations along the River Thames in London.

The machines offer a maximum reach capability of 18m and are equipped with a 2,250-litre clamshell grab.

Jim said: “We place a huge emphasis on having the right equipment to fulfil our contracts across the UK. The new MHL 360 F machines is just one example of the investments we make to give our clients the best possible service. railbusinessdaily.com

Photo: HS2 Ltd

“We share this expertise with customers, consultants, quarry and freight operators alike to provide safe, cost-effective sustainable solutions.”

“We all take a great sense of pride working on some of the biggest rail projects, playing our part in an industry that impacts so many lives” “The benefit of these machines is the lifting capability even on long reach. Of course, sometimes we have a tide to contend with and these machines can lift the full clamshell grab – at six tonnes – from the barges beneath and deliver the full 18m reach when required.”

Putting people at its heart RFS dedicates time and resources to training its workforce as well as its clients’ workforces, to help complete operations safely and efficiently.

“Although a lot has changed over the four decades, one thing that hasn’t is our vision and our priorities in always looking to exceed the expectations of our customers, our communities and our people,” said Jim. “Having this as an ethos, collaborating and building that trust and mutual respect are the keys to our being the preferred integrated services provider and partner of choice.

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“We make sure our workers are well trained, but beyond that we offer training to our clients’ workforces to make sure we all arrive home from work.”

RFS dedicated operator training covers most categories of construction plant, material handling equipment and earthworks and mining plant requirements.

Jim said: “We operate within the Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS), National Plant Operators Registration Scheme (NPORS), Mineral Products Qualifications Council (MPQC), Safety Pass Alliance (SPA) certification schemes – this ensures our training is simple and straightforward, yet comprehensive.

“We strive to meet the requirements of all industry associations and the Health and Safety at Work Act – with training either carried out on site or at our training centre.

“For customers that have their own plant at either single or multiple locations, our equipment operator solutions can cover all types of material handling and heavy earthmoving requirements.

“This can include as much or as little support as required from a single operative to the allocation of site supervision and project managers. We can provide fully trained resource to manage and operate plant activity – a service that can also include full repair and maintenance support packages 24/7, 365 days a year.”

Visit rfsworks.com for more details.

September 2021 | 17

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Industry Spotlight

Connected leaders programme: Building a better railway Sarah Law discusses a platform for leaders to join forces for the greater good of the rail industry

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onnected Leaders is a unique initiative within the UK railway sector – a platform for rail leaders to consider the common challenges for passengers and freight customers and drive reform for the benefit of the industry as a whole.

The programme was conceived in the summer of 2019, when the Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned the National Skills Academy for Rail and AECOM to assess the potential of a leadership scheme to address the shortage of rail leaders with whole system knowledge and experience.

Network Rail (NR) Chief Executive Andrew Haines and the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) championed the idea, recognising the need for rail leaders who understand operational excellence and effective collaboration.

“There were strong commercial drivers, competition and incentives which did not align for the benefit of passengers and freight and had created a fragmented railway,” explained Sarah Law, Programme Lead.

“Having numerous bodies, each with different stakeholders and without a shared overall purpose, leads to a lack of joined-up thinking.

“So this deficit of cross-sector perspective and diversity of thinking was the impetus for establishing Connected Leaders – with the belief that industry leaders working together, not just for their own business benefit, is better for the whole rail system.

“It’s about connecting leaders with a purpose and creating an opportunity for differently minded people to come together for the greater good, which is essential if the railway is to innovate.”

Connected Leaders virtual launch After successfully reaching out to industry leaders to participate in the new initiative, a high-profile Connected Leaders launch event was scheduled for March 23, 2020 – the date Prime Minister Boris Johnson would go on to announce the first COVID-19 UK lockdown.

With foresight, the plug had been pulled on the event a week earlier, when former Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons that all unnecessary social contact should cease.

18 | September 2021

Mike Bagshaw, MTRL with Sally Rose NR

“Everyone in the sector was focused on the pandemic. Although at times there was a 90 per cent reduction in train passengers, we still kept key workers and goods moving,” said Sarah.

It’s about connecting leaders with a purpose and creating an opportunity for differently minded people “However, COVID-19 also presented an opportunity, a headspace, to determine what the sector could do together and for leaders to share experiences and learning and support each other.

“Rail organisations were all experiencing the same storm, just in different boats”

Just two months later than planned, Connected Leaders launched as a virtual pilot programme with the first cohort of 24 senior leaders, including representatives from Network Rail, train operators, the rail supply chain, DfT, Rail Safety and Standards Board, British Transport Police and RDG. It wasn’t until 14 months later that the participants met face-to-face for the first time at the UK Rail Industry Innovation Network on July 14, 2020.

A second cohort was recruited in November 2020 and a third in May this year, including the first freight operator.

Seventy-four participants are now currently involved in the programme from 36 different rail sector organisations.

Participants for a fourth cohort, starting in November, have already signed up.

The programme development and pilot were initially funded by Network Rail, with Connected Leaders now an independent, self-supporting scheme, with participants paying a fee to cover running costs. railbusinessdaily.com

Industry Spotlight

The Governance Board, chaired by Chief Executive Officer of HS1 Dyan Crowther and with members including Sir Michael Holden, Dame Clare Moriarty and Professor Andrew McNaughton, reports to the RDG People Strategy Board.

“Programme participants are decisionmakers, managing directors or senior directors, those with the influence and authority to effect change,” said Sarah.

“Members set their own agenda as they not only know the key challenges but what is within their control to change.

“The programme operates under Chatham House Rules to establish trusted, sustainable relationships and facilitate open and honest conversations, which is essential to effect change.”

Tackling industry challenges Several task forces and think tanks have already been established within the Connected Leaders cohorts to consider current rail challenges and opportunities and explore solutions.

Many of these fall under umbrella issues, such as balancing the needs of freight and passengers, improving customer experience, driving new technological innovations and VR March21 Print Half Page v2 copy.pdf decarbonisation.

Jim Richards DfT and Aidan Hancock, NR

One example of a specific issue on which Connected Leaders has contributed is the creation of the new National Rail Contracts.

A think tank from the initial cohort, comprising leaders from NR, RDG and Hull Trains, collaborated to produce a report for the DfT, on utilising the customer perspective in the new contract structure.

“We26/03/2021 made a real difference to a current 1 11:29 industry challenge,” said Richard Evans,

member of the Connected Leaders National Rail Contracts think tank and RDG Head of Policy.

“It was great to be part of a team, through the Connected Leaders programme, that delivered real world benefits to customers.”

A task force is also currently investigating decarbonisation, specifically what issues – whether it be refuelling or air pollution at stations – are within participants’ control and which they can address directly.

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September 2021 | 19

Industry Spotlight

“The programme’s principles are being embraced across the industry and in the future we believe there are likely to be more connected programmes to solve rail challenges,” added Sarah.

Government recognition Connected Leaders has already gained government recognition with its contribution highlighted in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, as: “beginning to equip future leaders across the sector with a deeper understanding of customer needs and a genuinely cross-sector perspective”.

Sarah added: “Connected Leaders is not made up of the usual suspects on the usual committees; it provides a different sort of platform, with different voices coming together, all of whom are passionate about rail making a positive difference.

“There is real recognition across the industry that there needs to be a transformative change if Great British Railways, and the sector as a whole, are to realise their ambitions for rail in the UK. “There is no point in waiting for all the details to come down from government, Connected Leaders participants are able to make decisions and take action in the clear direction of travel that has been laid out – a joined-up railway that is focused on delivering social, economic and green value through an effective and efficient rail system for the benefit of passengers, freight users and the UK as a whole.

“Participants from all cohorts are engaging with the GBR Transition Team to feed their diverse views and experiences into the work on defining a new culture and ways of working.

“With its unique mix of people and perspectives, Connected Leaders is making a real contribution.

“The programme is also committed to the building of a more balanced and higher performing railway and, to this end, recently signed the Women in Rail and Railway Industry Association Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Charter, championing ED&I in the UK railway industry.”

What some Connected Leaders participants have to say about the programme: “People have taken time to look more broadly and have been given the opportunity to view the whole systems – too many siloed decisions in the past.” Colin Denman, Managing Director VTG Rail UK “More integrated decision making.” Becky Lumlock, Group Director Transformation Network Rail 20 | September 2021

Exploring real possibilities to collaborate on improvement in efficiencies, safety and carbon net zero “Exploring real possibilities to collaborate on improvement in efficiencies, safety and carbon net zero. (Connected Leaders) helps to reinforce and align our values with rail to maximise the value of

our collaborative partnership.” Sanjay Razdan, Managing Director Omnicom Balfour Beatty “Starting to raise awareness and connect initiatives on common challenges.” Luisa Moisio, Director of Research and Development Rail Safety and Standards Board “Attention and personal accountability being put on leaders in industry to do something proactive to improve.” Tricia Williams, Chief Operating Officer Northern Trains For more information, visit www.connected-leaders.co.uk

Dave Penney NR, Ann Mills RSSB and Michael Holden

railbusinessdaily.com

The R2R Welfare transports 18 people from the track access point to the rail worksite quickly and efficiently. It Includes a canteen with microwave, kettle, heater, hand washing facilities and two gender fluid toilets that can be separated with ease to enable privacy and safety

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• The Permaquip Kubota has unique features including: an increased towing capacity, hydraulic braking (X900 only), single line air braking, twin line air braking, hydraulic steering lock, hydraulic rail gear providing quick on/off racking, adjustable wheel loading, windscreen, washer & wipers.

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F e a itnuirneg Tr

“It gives clients confidence that we have control of the competency system that we deploy”

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ork in the rail industry is continuing to accelerate as restrictions caused by the pandemic begin to ease. With significant levels of work required to complete projects as part of Network Rail’s Control Period 6, and projects such as HS2 and East West Rail continuing to gather momentum, companies are preparing themselves for the huge swathes of work that will be available.

It is no surprise, therefore, that rail industry businesses are looking towards digitalisation and are exploring opportunities to further streamline processes within their operations to gain an upper hand on competitors.

Competency Training MarketplaceTM (CTM) has seen significant growth since its launch in late 2020. The marketplace of training courses, which is combined with an online-based competency management system, has swelled to more than 1,000 courses from accredited training providers based across the UK. Improved tools Organisations are also making the most of the competency management tools to better demonstrate how they are effectively managing operations and ensuring their training is under control. Thanks to a smart tracking system which alerts users to book training before competencies expire, CTM has helped companies win work currently available.

One of the businesses benefitting from CTM is electrification and civils design and build specialists ESL UK. While it provides a range of services for projects across the UK, it is also branching out into providing rail labour. A more structured competency management system is therefore required to handle an influx of personnel.

Dave Vamplew, General Manager for ESL UK, said: “Some of our clients will quite frequently ask us in tenders for competency information. When we can send them the Competency Training Marketplace screenshots and dashboard it gives them confidence that we’re taking it seriously and we have control of the competency system that we deploy.

22 | September 2021

“One of the areas that we’ve expanded to towards the end of the pandemic is into resource supply, so our work bank and our workforce is going to increase exponentially. Being able to control large numbers of people with a simple tool – that’s going to help us win a lot more work on the labour supply side of things.

‘With its smart tracking tools, CTM was developed to help teams get ahead of planning training and labour resourcing’ “When we are being asked in tenders about how we manage competence we are able to talk about Competency Training Marketplace and that is going to help us win those valuable tender points.”

With its smart tracking tools, CTM was developed to help teams get ahead of planning training and labour resourcing. Coupled with a training course marketplace, CTM allows businesses to search for courses from training providers across the UK to achieve cost efficiencies and book it at a time and location to suit them.

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HR teams can also plug any competency gaps on a project-by-project basis using the project matrix – a key tool for businesses as they grow and work on multiple projects.

Jeroen Boomsma, Client Director for CTM in Sopra Steria, the global organisation behind the system, said: “CTM is seeing a huge increase in the need for training and over the summer, we’ve seen a plethora of courses added to the marketplace. This gives users more training options than ever before.

“The data is telling us the training providers are gearing up for additional work coming down the line. Equally, rail businesses which provide teams to deliver that work should be prepared to rise to the challenges ahead. There is a lot of work to be done and these companies need to be focused on competencies in order to be successful.

“Our users are telling us first-hand of the intense focus buying organisations are placing on competency and training – we know we have the system to help them meet the demands and better manage their people.”

CTM is free to use.

Visit competencytrainingmarketplace.com or email info@competencytrainingmarketplace.com for further information.

railbusinessdaily.com

Come and see the Competency Training Marketplace team at Railtex 7 - 9 September 2021

We’re delighted to be attending Infrarail and Railtex this year, with a stand in the railbusinessdaily.com Eagle Lab. CTM Client Director Jeroen Boomsma and Product Owner Charles Kennedy-Markham will be offering a preview of the platform as part of the Railtex/Infrarail Technical Seminar.

We invite you to come and check out what CTM has to offer and enter into our prize draw.

In the meantime, take a look at our website VISIT WWW.COMPETENCYTRAININGMARKETPLACE.COM

Spending Review

Spending Review 2021: A careful balancing act

Jason Hurst, Director in Grant Thornton’s Public Services Advisory team, explains why he believes the next Spending Review will be more significant than ever before for the rail industry

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cross government, departments are preparing for the planned Spending Review later this year. The economic climate and financial challenges facing the rail industry means the Spending Review will be more significant than ever before, and the outcome could have far-reaching impacts across the rail industry.

The Department for Transport (DfT) and HM Treasury (HMT) will need to balance many competing aspects to determine the appropriate level of financial support over the coming review period. This includes the potential recovery profile of revenues as we emerge from the various stages of lockdown; the government’s commitment to levelling up; the focus on achieving net zero; as well as any investment needed to deliver the WilliamsShapps Plan for Rail. A number of these areas push towards increased financial support and may not all be affordable in the current climate.

Driving the return to rail With so many competing issues, the DfT, HMT and the industry will need to work hard to ensure that focus remains on passengers and driving their return to rail. Rapid and maximised demand recovery will help ensure that the industry returns to a level of financial stability. A successful recovery is likely to better support the UK’s drive towards net zero, by utilising excess capacity expected with new working and travel patterns enabling increased modal shift from car onto public transport. However, this will not be easy and will require the focus of the whole industry to, for example, promote safe travel and maintain high levels of performance as passengers return or are converted from historic car use.

The Spending Review will undoubtedly bring the need for short-term cuts to help drive cost efficiencies. These will be difficult to find as rail costs are mostly fixed by the timetable, so there may need to be a change in focus to step changes to the cost base to better tailor services to changing passenger flows rather than efficiencies. But any such changes will need to sit comfortably beside the vision of the future of rail as set out by the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail.

24 | September 2021

This budgetary planning will need to be conducted in the context of huge uncertainty about future passenger volumes and travel patterns. We expect flexible working to continue and with that flexible travel times, which will have an impact on services, particularly services into cities. This will create an element of ‘discretionary commuting’ as passengers will have a choice of when and whether to travel, reducing the numbers on potentially busy peak services.

The Spending Review will undoubtedly bring the need for short-term cuts to help drive cost efficiencies While the current level of increased government financial support is not sustainable long term, the upcoming Spending Review will come before we have a full understanding of the true shape of the economy’s recovery from COVID-19.

Decisions that have long-term impacts on the

country’s services and infrastructure could be made prematurely and have an adverse impact on revenues and their ultimate recovery.

A balance is required between continued support and cost reductions. The DfT, HMT and the industry need to work closely together to ensure an approach is taken that provides flexibility without making short-term financial decisions that could negatively impact the industry, its customers and the UK economy in the long term Road to recovery The underlying principle of the WilliamsShapps Plan for Rail is to put passengers at the heart of decisions. This approach must be applied now to support demand and revenue recovery and ensure that the right decisions are taken to allow rail to deliver its full potential, supporting passengers, the economy and the environment in the ‘new normal’.

Grant Thornton’s Public Services Advisory has significant experience in providing advice to governments and its supply chain across all aspects of transport and infrastructure.

Visit www.grantthornton.co.uk for more details.

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Providing a solid platform for rail passengers Visul Systems: Two decades of manufacturing a comprehensive range of innovative surface-mounted tactile paving products

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he Department of Transport is working with Network Rail to install station platforms with tactile paving as part of a national strategy to improve safety and confidence for disabled people on the railways.

It is a passion shared by the team at Visul Systems, the originator of the innovative surfacemounted tactile paving products that now have

a successful track record in excess of 20 years.

“The purpose of tactile paving is to convey important information to visually impaired pedestrians about their environment,” said Ross Carty, Group Head of Marketing.

“We have an important role to play in building back confidence in people returning to the railways now lockdown restrictions have been lifted, and ensuring they are safe.”

Ross added: “We are the pioneers of surfacemounted tactile paving warning surfaces with our innovative surface-bonded tactile system having a tried and tested track record.

“The innovative technique ensures perfect distribution of resin and special fillers within the tile construction.”

Visul tiles are manufactured on the company’s innovative assembly line, which delivers perfect fillers and resign distribution, ensuring excellent wearing qualities with built-in flexibility.

It has been endorsed and installed with a trouble-free record for over 20 years by Network Rail and London Underground. Most recently it is being installed as part of Network Rail’s next stage in upgrading platforms along the Kent route.

System benefits: Seven times stronger than concrete.

No surface excavation is required.

Rapid installation.

Adheres to most construction surfaces.

Hard wearing and durable.

Lightweight and easy to transport.

No ‘hot works’ adhesive-only application.

26 | September 2021

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

Visul Systems is part of the USL Speciality Products – a leading manufacturer and supplier of specialist construction products in the UK and overseas.

Ross said: “Our surface-mounted tactile paving for the visually impaired is formulated using Polyurethane (PU), Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) and Epoxy (EP) technology. We guarantee excellence through our regularly audited IS0 9001 Quality Assurance scheme, with closely monitored design and manufacturing procedures.

“The Visul Systems tile and adhesive portfolio adheres to current safety and Department for Transport guidelines, which enables products to be specified by Network Rail, London Underground, plus many national rail and light rail operators.”

Walk with confidence Visul Systems offers platform edge off-street and on-street warning surfacing, which warn visually impaired people they are approaching the edge of platforms.

“The profile of the platform edge (off-street) warning surface consists of offset rows of flattopped domes five millimetres high, spaced 66.5mm apart from the centre of one dome to the centre of the next,” said Ross. “The profile of the platform edge (on-street) warning surface comprises rows of ‘lozenge’ shapes. The lozenge shapes are six millimetres high and have rounded edges in order not to be a trip hazard.”

The company also manufactures a range of adhesives with excellent bond strength and nonslumping characteristics, making them ideally suited for bonding surface-mounted tactiles to construction surfaces/substrates.

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Ross said: “Using the adhesive supplied with each kit of surface-mounted tactile paving, it is truly possible to produce a chamfered or tapered edge detail, enabling smoother identification for the visually impaired and a seamless transition for both foot and wheelchair passengers alike when alighting the train.

“It is important to monitor the tactile surface condition and plan for replacement as part of maintenance programmes. The profile of the tactile surface is crucial to its effectiveness as a warning to visually impaired people.”

Visul Systems’ technical department can advise on suitable design and maintenance programmes.

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Further technical information may be obtained on request and consultation is encouraged to ensure the suitability of materials and that installation detailing is optimised, to achieve in-service performance requirements.

You can find out more about Visul Systems, new and exciting developments at this month’s Railtex/Infrarail in Birmingham at Stand C50.

Ross added: “It is a really exciting time for everyone at Visul Systems and we can’t wait to showcase what we have to offer at Railtex/ Infrarail.”

Visit www.visulsystems.com/ for more details.

September 2021 | 27

Infrastructure

First trains travel on proposed Northumberland line The scheme will see five new stations built and an upgrade of 18 miles of track

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pecial rail services have taken place between Newcastle and Morpeth as plans to reintroduce passenger trains on the Northumberland line gather pace.

Northumberland County Council and Northern hosted the events which saw trains travel on part of the line – taking in the route that will see five of the six proposed new stations built.

As well as the new stations – Northumberland Park, Seaton Delaval, Newsham, Blyth Bebside, Bedlington and Ashington – the Northumberland line will also result in an upgrade of 18 miles of track to provide local communities with enhanced connectivity.

The scheme, proposed by Northumberland County Council, has been made possible thanks to the government’s Restoring Your Railway Fund, which offered development funding to explore options to restore lost rail services connections to communities.

Planning ahead Earlier this year the Department for Transport provided £34 million towards detailed design and preparatory works which, subject to funding for the delivery of the full scheme being confirmed by the government – and the recently submitted Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) application being approved – will allow for the reintroduction of a regular rail passenger service between Ashington and central Newcastle, with several stops inbetween.

Councillor Glen Sanderson, leader of Northumberland County Council, travelled on the special service last month. He said: “Passenger services on the Northumberland line will provide a huge economic boost in South East Northumberland and beyond, improve transport links, attract more visitors, and support growth sectors.

“It will also help to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions, contributing greatly to our climate change targets in Northumberland.”

The Northumberland line – currently partially used by freight trains – aims to further stimulate and support economic growth, regeneration and community development in Northumberland and the surrounding regions by providing new and improved transport links for local people and businesses.

28 | September 2021

By doing so, the scheme will improve access from towns such as Ashington and Blyth to employment hubs like Newcastle, as well as opening up new opportunities for leisure, education and travel. It will also provide a real incentive for potential employers to relocate to and invest in the local area.

Passenger services on the Northumberland line will provide a huge economic boost in South East Northumberland and beyond Councillor Martin Gannon, Chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee, said: “The Northumberland line will be a wonderful asset

for local people and helps us take further steps to encourage people out of their cars and onto cleaner, more sustainable forms of transport.

“This development demonstrates that the region has major ambitions, restoring passenger rail services has enormous benefits and this scheme is one of the major interventions which has been identified and agreed by our region in the North East Transport Plan.

“The line will offer enhanced opportunities for education, employment and leisure for the people of the North East and enhances public transport connectivity, offering a seamless transfer onto Tyne and Wear Metro at Northumberland Park.”

Three-year countdown With the new line set to open in early 2024, Northern – which will operate all passenger services – is already developing plans to provide a timetable that will help local communities and deliver this positive impact for the region. railbusinessdaily.com

Infrastructure

Kerry Peters, Regional Director at Northern, said: “Bringing new rail services to the northeast as part of the Northumberland line is really exciting and we’re honoured to be able to provide those services for all the communities based along the route.

“Rail plays a vital role in the economy of the North of England and we’re delighted to be able to play our part in opening up new leisure and business opportunities for the region.

“We’re currently working on proposals for the first timetables for the Northumberland line and, initially, expect to offer two trains per hour on weekdays and Saturdays between 6am and 7.30pm, with an hourly service after 7.30pm and on Sundays.”

New stations Work on the Northumberland line is expected to begin next year and, with Morgan Sindall in place to construct the new stations, Network Rail is now working on its own plans to upgrade the track and infrastructure.

Matt Rice, Route Director for Network Rail in the North and East, said: “We’re really excited to be able to be part of the eagerly anticipated reintroduction of passenger services on the

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Northumberland line. We’re confident that, when the first passenger trains run in 2024, they will be very well used by the local community, building on the significant contribution that freight services on the Northumberland line already

makes to our economy. The project will provide more employment and leisure opportunities for people across South East Northumberland, and it will help to boost the economy and attract new investment into the area.”

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Local people, serving national projects Spencer Group – five decades of daring to be different

F

ive decades ago, Spencer Group set out on a journey to create a business that would be at the forefront of a new movement in engineering – one which set aside dated ways of doing things and pushed for innovative, high-quality engineering solutions.

Spencer Group sought to recruit the strongest and most innovative project designers they could find alongside programme managers with industry-leading reputations for delivering safely and delivering well. The company inspired them to think differently, and to re-think the impossible – delivering projects ahead of schedule and within budget but with a combination of blue-sky thinking tinged with a hint of realism.

Track record This philosophy has stood the test of time. Indeed, with the proliferation and advancement of technology, the company’s track record for delivering some of the country’s most challenging projects continues to grow stronger by the day. Today, Spencer Group’s reputation as an ideas business founded on a robust and reliable delivery performance is underscored by a number of infrastructure projects that are exceeding client expectations across the UK. RailDirector caught up with Jon Bailey – Operations Director, who has joined the company following years of top-level contracting experience in some of the country’s biggest infrastructure businesses.

Jon said: “I joined Spencer Group in the midst of an unprecedented period due to the COVID pandemic. Having met Charlie and his leadership team, I was immediately struck by the difference in their attitude and thinking and by the unique culture for finding clever engineering solutions to the client’s challenges While a lot of organisations were cutting back, Spencer Group continued to capitalise in new team members, training and development, and investing heavily in apprentices and the managers of tomorrow.

“Confidence in the business was justifiably high. Incredibly, by working collaboratively with a fantastic Network Rail team, Spencer Group had just successfully completed the complex Stevenage Turnback facility project one year ahead of the original planned opening.

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Jon Bailey – Operations Director at Spencer Group

“We aim to use at least 70 per cent of local resources on all of our projects – both people and materials” Hailed as unprecedented by government and industry commentators alike, the team then went on to win a major project to refurbish the Union Chain Bridge spanning from Scottish Borders to Northumberland – an intricate scheme taking the 200-year-old suspension bridge apart component by component and adopting modern engineering solutions to restore the heritage structure it to its former glory “Hot on the heels came a major project to deliver Border Control Posts at Hull and Immingham for ABP, required as a consequence of Brexit. It became clear very quickly that Spencer Group was going to be the place to be in the next phase of my own journey, and I couldn’t be happier with the move I have made.”

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Spencer Group’s legacy has seen the company – founded in the 1980s – deliver major projects in rail, highways, ports, bridges and in the energy sector. Often chosen for its innovation in design and the team’s ability to ‘make the impossible, possible’, the organisation has been entrusted with some of the most challenging major projects over the past decade.

Gravesend project The 15-day blockade that saw the company completely rebuild Gravesend station was a standout project, alongside the installation of a new Chord in Ipswich that went on to win Best Large Project at Network Rail’s coveted Partnership Awards – with special mention for the company’s stakeholder and community engagement programme.

Platform extensions in Wessex, Access for All projects, depot upgrades across the UK, and a new station for Wokingham drew positive attention and plaudits from leading politicians, infrastructure owners, and train companies – all standing the business in good stead for other Department for Transportsupported projects that are now due to start nationwide. railbusinessdaily.com

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

Spencer Group is currently working in West Yorkshire on new station and station upgrade initiatives with local authorities and Network Rail – projects that Jon believes are driven by the company’s inventive and collaborative approach.

“Recent times have tested us, and in doing so, they inspire ideas, engineer new realities and create a network of inspiration between stakeholders – from rail operators and principal contractors to suppliers and teams on the ground,” he explained.

“When we look back at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am pleased to say there were moments of true collaborative greatness that played their part in instilling new ways of thinking in Spencer Group and the stakeholders with whom we work. This has paved the way for a range of new projects across the country, with people and organisations seeing Spencer Group’s points of difference.”

The Stevenage Turnback facility was a £30 million package of works, designed to enable two additional trains per hour to operate between Stevenage and London King’s Cross.

The Spencer Group team built a 130m-long platform and installed circa two kilometres of new electrified track and signalling. The scale of the operation, and later the extra challenge of COVID-19, created something of a rallying call between the company, Network Rail, Govia Thameslink, and supply chain partners to really drive the project forward.

At times there were hundreds of specialist personnel involved, who had to be deployed safely and effectively during a series of sensitive and crucial blockades. However, despite this and the sudden need for social distancing and other new ways of working, the team was able to deliver the project a full year earlier than planned.

Investing in the business Spencer Group has continued to further invest in its people and back-office infrastructure – building on the company’s track record of finding the right people and supporting them as they progress through the business. In 2013, the company was the first engineering business in the UK to become an accredited Living Wage employer.

The business is also building from solid financial foundations, with strong turnover and profitability in recent years and a very robust balance sheet giving the business major resilience, as the team aims to become the supplier of choice for projects up to around £50 million in value – described by Jon as being the company’s “sweet spot”. railbusinessdaily.com

Stevenage Turnback Facility

“As well as the projects we now have in play, we also have a robust pipeline of work with customers recognising our points of difference in planning, design and safe delivery,” said Jon. “Our pipeline of work includes a number of projects closely aligned with Network Rail’s passenger-first improvement plans, which will see

“When we look back at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am pleased to say there were moments of true collaborative greatness” us working closely with local people and supply chain partners as we extend our reach with small to medium enterprises (SMEs), making a hugely positive socio-economic difference in the areas we serve. Our operating model has been created to design and manage our work centrally, delivering it locally as part of our ‘local people serving local people’ approach, with our own leadership teams embedded on the ground. Our aim is to become a positive force for good on a local level working with a strong SME marketplace. The socioeconomic impact of getting this right is incredibly rewarding and very powerful.

“Spencer’s footprint has always been nationwide and overseas. Current projects include depot improvements at Neville Hill, Feltham, East Ham, Shoeburyness, Worcester and Tyseley.

“We’re also working with our partners in rail to build a new £22 million station near the White Rose Shopping Centre, on the Leeds to Huddersfield line.

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“Outside the rail sector, we have recently been working to protect and improve a number of iconic bridges throughout the UK, including the Forth Road Bridge, The Avonmouth and Severn Bridges and the Kessock Bridge.”

Yet the team at Spencer Group believe that future success is not guaranteed if you only look forward. They are of the view that you need to look back to appreciate where lessons have been learned and success emanated – as well as understanding what is working well in the present.

Only then is there the opportunity to prudently plan ahead and find answers to unlocking further engineering potential for its loyal band of customers.

Solid foundations Jon continued: “Our business story started with our founder, and still CEO, Charlie Spencer. Back in 1989, Charlie realised a lot of work that was being done in civils and infrastructure was a one-size-fits-all solution.

It is worth remembering that, back then, the word ‘innovation’ was not bandied around in the way it is today.

“As a company, the then C Spencer Ltd established that a ‘first-principles approach’ was crucial to inspire new solutions. This resulted in new, sophisticated project designs that would ultimately simplify and improve how buildings and infrastructure worked for clients, saving them time and money.

“An important part of this approach was to look past the tender process and build meaningful relationships with customers. It was to understand, in their language, not just what they wanted but what the specific outcomes were.

September 2021 | 31

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

“This outcome-based approach, setting aside all preconceptions, was what delighted customers of that time and formed the foundations of what would follow. Consequently, the business started working on its first rail projects for British Rail in 1990, building relationships that are still as strong today.

“Outside rail saw Spencer working on the first retracting footbridge in the UK, the first ship lift in the country, and developing innovative personnel-carrying ‘cable crawlers’ that allowed us to scale and maintain suspension bridges.

A greener future Jon added: “By 2010, rail became a major player in a greener future. The crisis facing the environment is all too apparent now, but was less so then, and it was forward-thinking businesses like Drax and Port of Tyne who helped lead the way.

“Spencer Group was commissioned by these organisations to develop an expedient solution to offload biomass from ships entering South Shields and take it to Drax power station in North Yorkshire. As with all rail projects, it was important to maintain momentum – stopping and starting a train as it loaded was environmentally inefficient and cost too much time. The Spencer team realised the best answer was simple: ensure the trains never stopped. The trains passed through the port, under a silo, and the grain unloaded from ships was poured onto the train from above.

“On arrival at Drax power station, it would be dispensed in a similar way – Spencer Group building specialised storage and material handling conveyors to complete the journey.

“This rail-centric solution to a cleaner, greener future would not have worked had it not been for a meeting of minds – Spencer Group, Drax and Port of Tyne developing a series of projects to get to the heart of the matter and develop the scheme in full collaboration from start to finish.

“On something this complicated, they had to communicate meaningfully, keeping constant track of all correspondence, personnel and documents via Spencer Group’s own collaborative cloud-based system called SOS (Spencer Online System) – a £5 million investment by the company to join everything up in-house with customers and supply chain partners. Stakeholders had a constant overview of all that was happening, allowing the Spencer team to carry out extensive possession works with everyone on the same page, as well as delivering complex rail infrastructure projects such as recycling facilities for Network Rail, station refurbishments, overhead line work, platform extensions and depot construction.

32 | September 2021

Union Chain Bridge refurbishment

“This huge investment in IT infrastructure was another example of Spencer Group’s pioneering approach.

The present “What keeps us successfully challenging convention now is a constant desire to expand on what worked before: strong communication and a willingness to look at an idea, developing it based on customer-determined outcomes rather than preconceptions.

“We build on this in a two-fold approach: developing new best practice standards while using the best in digital technology to create industry-leading information-sharing methodologies.

“Best practice is still grounded in longstanding relationships, just as it was in 1989. However, we now begin to develop those relationships much earlier in any given project. As soon as we have won the contract, we ensure all stakeholders are brought together to collaborate.

“We have found this creates a positive motivation for all involved, as they understand every requirement early on, feel fully integrated into the project and, crucially, understand the reasoning behind recommended approaches.

“It allows for far more efficient planning, but also the collective will to create a strong on-theground presence that can source locally where possible. We aim to use at least 70 per cent of local resources on all of our projects – both people and materials. We ensure everyone knows how to play their part and pool collective resourcefulness.

“Early collaboration also allows teams to concentrate on key performance outcomes, ensuring that we all have the same aims in mind when we begin work. SOS, our proprietary data system, has over the years matured into DataCow – a shared data and storage solution we are making available to help all SMEs. DataCow turns contracts into fast-flowing data, ensuring the proper overview of resources.

Port of Tyne rail loading facility

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Spencer Group apprentices

As before, with SOS, every change to every document can be tracked, shared, or audited to protect firms and ensure accountability.

“We’ve been a paperless firm for at least 10 years now, and our communication and information sharing is becoming even greener.

On Stevenage, for example, data was shared and updated using XER Schedule Toolkit. This software provides easy-to-view programme metrics, from materials and staffing to design changes and schedule updates, available to the full project team in real time. This information, derived from planning data, was shaped to fit the understanding of the stakeholder using it. It was as if they were able to carry the whiteboard from the team briefing away with them and see it update as the day progressed on their computer, tablet, or phone.

“XER allows all costs to be tracked fully against projected outcome models, so if there is any change in the project, everyone can understand the effect on the bottom line for all involved.

The future “The future is about a lot of exciting things.

Chiefly, it’s about caring for our planet through sustainable solutions and the latest technology, and it is about bringing the brightest minds into the industry.

“On site it means maximising waste recycling during the construction phase, and our Stevenage team did just that: diverting more than 90 per cent from landfill. We also ensure we use as much sustainable material as possible.

On the same project more than 90 per cent of timber we used was Forest Stewardship Council approved or equivalent sources.

“At our Head Office, we have embraced paperless working practices. railbusinessdaily.com

“Even our design team has turned from drawing boards to A3 graphics tablets to carry out work digitally. And when it comes to transport, we have installed 20 car charge points and invested in a fleet of Tesla Model three cars.

“We’ve been a paperless firm for at least 10 years now, and our communication and information sharing is becoming even greener” “What takes this improved environmental care, communication, and digitalisation into the future is a workforce building ever-stronger links to communities they hope to help and inspire.

“This involves replacing older ways of doing things. It involves moving faster and being more adaptable, but being aware that you have to make sacrifices to do so.

“The best and most cost-effective way to help customers and mobilise at short notice is to create a system driven by an agile, multiskilled workforce. But it comes at the cost of old ways of thinking, not least certain artefacts of prestige. We reduced our regional offices, long considered a hallmark of ‘making it’, and instead put that resource into better networks of teams ready to go, as well as the resources to help them do so quickly.

“And these teams, when deployed, are done so in a way that integrates into the local community, boosting their economy.

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“Engineering can disrupt an area, and we understand the importance of putting something back. At the heart of this, we ask that our people don’t take the easy option when staying away on a project, and instead consider using local bed and breakfasts or hotels. Rather than using a famous fast-food outlet for lunch, we tell them to consider a local cafe or sandwich shop.

“This approach, designed to create a better outcome for nearby communities, is also designed to improve diets and reduce stress in our own workforce. In short, the outcome is better for everybody.

“We measure this social value annually in the hope we can do better in the future. We take all expenses and evaluate which were used for purchases from major outlets and which helped the local economy. This analysis allows us to see where we can improve next year and build a pool of recommendations for new staff entering the area.

“Again, we see the essential combination of best practice and the technology to plan for better outcomes working together.

Inspiring the next generation “Working with communities is one way I’m reminded that true change is, in fact, generational. As we hope to inspire our colleagues and the teams we employ to provide great solutions, so we are beginning to see our own apprentices returning to schools, as mature professionals, to inspire future engineers.

“It is something we take close to heart. Our future business success depends on inspiring potential new recruits with relevant technical and digital skills and the attitude to succeed. At Spencer Group, we’re committed to ensuring the next generation of talent has the resources and experiences to help them progress, which is why we became a Founding Partner of the new Ron Dearing University Technical College.

“Ron Dearing UTC is one of the most technologically advanced new schools in the UK, equipped with cutting-edge digital technology and state-of-the-art equipment, matching the very best in industry. Spencer Group was a hugely instrumental figure in the formation of Ron Dearing UTC, which opened its doors to students for the first time in September 2017. Spencer currently employs 19 apprentices and is employing a further nine from Ron Dearing UTC this month.

“If the next generation, savvy with digital technology and conscious of the environmental challenges which lie ahead, can come on board, rail will have a legacy to be truly proud of.”

Visit https://thespencergroup.co.uk/ for more details.

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People

Faith in the future Former Chair of Trustees at the Railway Mission Keith Rose on the ongoing work of the charity and its funding needs

K

eith Rose retired from his 13-year role as Chair of Trustees at the Railway Mission recently after 20 years’ service on the charity’s Trustee Board.

Keith’s successor is Alex Volossevich, who is the Company Secretary of a number of associated technology companies based in the City of London and, for the past 30 years, has worked at director level both in the UK and overseas. A large part of his work has been for not-for-profit bodies to which he has brought cohesion, stability and development.

The Railway Mission, a Christian faith-based charity offering independent, confidential, impartial pastoral care to the railway community and members of the public affected by rail operations, will hugely benefit from the experience Alex brings to the table.

Alex takes up the role of Chair as the charity enters this new season for the rail industry, and as the government works to introduce the new Great British Railways.

Looking forward As the Railway Mission looks to this new chapter in its 140-year history – and there will be huge pressures and challenges on the charity’s work in the months and years ahead as the rail industry goes through significant change – Keith is in reflective mood about how much the Mission has changed in his two decades of involvement.

He said: “As I reminded the Trustee Board at our last meeting, when I accepted the job as Chair I said I’d do it for five years – I suppose 13 is very nearly five, isn’t it? That’s how these things go, and I’ve enjoyed every moment. I leave knowing that Alex’s incoming leadership brings fresh impetus and fresh ideas.

“The Mission has changed over the years to keep pace with the change on the railways.

What hasn’t changed since 2001 is what is at the heart of the Railway Mission and what motivates us all to be involved – we’re Christians, and that’s the big motivator. The way the Mission goes about its work hasn’t really changed. We are there and exist to try to help people. Our strapline is support on life’s journey and that’s what we try to do, whether those problems are financial, health, relationships, the stress of work, or those significant issues that are related to rail operations and fatalities on the railways.

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“When you move from a small organisation, a family affair almost, to the point when there are over 20 staff, things necessarily have to change and there will always be some way to go. In a sense 20 years ago, and I include our chaplains here along with the trustees, we were very interested amateurs, but everything we do and have done in those two decades has led to us all becoming highly competent professionals.

As I reminded the Trustee Board at our last meeting, when I accepted the job as Chair I said I’d do it for five years – I suppose 13 is very nearly five, isn’t it?

“Organisationally there has been lots of change. The number of our regionally based chaplains has increased from half a dozen to around 20, therefore our turnover has gone up. Some of the changes are partly related to increased legislation and, as a charity, we are much more organised, have proper procedures and policies in place, a modern accounting system and we obtain good financial data.

“Liam Johnston, the Mission’s Executive

Director, gets good anonymised information from the chaplains about every person they meet with so that when, for example, he goes to see the Chief Executive of a TOC, he can let them know how many interventions and the type of support that has been provided to staff members. The support the Mission provides helps thousands of people a year now.”

Almost five decades in rail Keith is a chartered engineer and entered the rail industry in 1974. At university he became a Christian and his involvement with the Railway Mission began tentatively when he attended a meeting run by the Mission at the Railway Technical Centre in Derby. When working for a rolling stock leasing company he was approached by Liam Johnston’s predecessor and asked if he would consider becoming a trustee.

Keith said: “We had a bit of a chat. By then I had worked in rail for over 30 years and knew of the Mission’s work which matched my faith and beliefs and was supporting the industry I was a part of, so I was very happy to say yes.”

Now leaving the work of the Railway Mission behind, Keith is looking forward to spending more time with his family, including his eight grandchildren, who are aged from two to 14.

Given the impact of COVID-19 on people, first and foremost, and the financial pressures on railways and those working on them, Keith is mindful of the potential impact this could have on the charity and the essential work it delivers. railbusinessdaily.com

People

“We’ve discussed at length how the demands on the Mission’s services are only going to increase, not least because of the long-term implications of COVID-19 on mental health and wellbeing. We have talked about how we cope with that, how we can protect our chaplains, how we help them to keep delivering what they do for the industry.

An uncertain future Keith added: “One of the biggest concerns are the changes to the industry following the WilliamsShapps Review. We get lots of financial support from rail companies but if their funding and revenue is reduced and controls and limitations are put on them, the support they provide to the Mission could be reduced and the situation could become problematic. Unfortunately, we can only see the need for the work of the Railway Mission increasing so we need to get that message over to those making the decisions that continued funding is very important.

“There is always a creative tension between faith and finance. As a faith organisation we have taken decisions often not quite sure where the money will come from two or three years down the line.

Keith Rose and Alex Volossevich

“Being a trustee is an important role, particularly these days with so much legislation, compliance and form-filling. I know that there’s a general concern across the third sector that people are loath to become trustees because of the responsibility, which isn’t good is it?

“I have been very proud to have been involved with the work of the Railway Mission for 20 years. Very little of the important work that is done is to do with me, it’s the chaplains who are

out there doing that excellent work, and they are fantastic. I couldn’t do what they do, God puts us together differently and we all have different skills and abilities.

“In some ways there is some sadness to stepping down as Chair but I will continue to keep an interest in the Railway Mission and seeing how it faces that challenges that lay ahead. I will continue to be a huge supporter of the work that the charity does.”

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September 2021 | 35

Infrastructure

South Wales Metro work to continue in the Cynon Valley

Major work is underway as Transport for Wales looks to transform its rail network

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The biggest upgrade to the ageing Core Valley Lines infrastructure to this scale since it was first built Karl Gilmore, TfW’s Rail Infrastructure Director, said: “We have a significant amount of work to carry out to create the South Wales

Metro. This includes the biggest upgrade to the ageing Core Valley Lines infrastructure to this scale since it was first built, so that we can deliver the faster, more frequent and greener services the people of the South Wales valleys deserve.

“While work is taking place, we’ll do everything we can to work responsibly by ensuring our sites are well managed and our people are considerate to our neighbours.”

The investment in the Metro will significantly improve connectivity providing access to jobs, leisure and other opportunities for the people of Wales, through unifying rail, bus and active travel routes.

Photo: Ceri Breeze / Shutterstock.com

Careful planning The 16-day closure allows engineers to carry out complex work including repositioning signals, installing and testing new equipment, devegetation, realigning the track, and installing the foundations for overhead line equipment.

The scale of the preparation to be achieved in the 16-day window when trains aren’t running means work is required 24 hours a day. A large collection of people, plant and machinery has meant the railway closure is unavoidable.

When installed, the overhead lines will power the new tram-trains, which will reduce journey times between Aberdare and Cardiff city centre and allow TfW to increase the frequency of services to four every hour.

Photo: Transport for Wales

s part of the Transport for Wales (TfW) transformation plans for the South Wales Metro, the railway line between Aberdare and Pontypridd closed on Saturday 28 August until Sunday 12 September to allow heavy engineering work to take place in preparation for the introduction of brand-new electric tramtrains.

Replacement bus services are in operation between Aberdare and Pontypridd. The threequarters of a billion-pound transformation of the Core Valley Lines for the Metro has been partfunded by the European Regional Development Fund through Welsh Government, and will enable faster, more frequent services between Cardiff and the heads of the valleys, including Aberdare.

36 | September 2021

railbusinessdaily.com

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

Providing the platform to zero carbon

Mark Albiston discusses his vision to position Garic as the sustainability solution provider to the rail industry

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etwork Rail has challenged its contractors and suppliers to help deliver more ambitious targets to strictly limit carbon emissions. It comes as it was the first railway company in the world to set a science-based target aligned with limited warming to 1.5°C. It has also set the deadline of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 – 2045 in Scotland – looking to the whole rail industry to join it on a journey to a cleaner, greener future.

Ahead of the game is Garic – one of the most trusted plant and site equipment providers in the country. Its Solar Loo is soon to be celebrating its 20th birthday so it’s clear that developing eco products is in the company’s nature and something it’s been working on from the beginning. Not one to shy away from its commitment for change, the organisation and the Bibby Line group of companies are aiming to reach carbon zero by 2040.

“We are passionate about our eco credentials and reducing emissions to create a better environment for ourselves, our clients and future generations,” said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Albiston. “However, eco is not enough, we need to support our customers’ zero carbon journey and also lead our own.

“We’ve been producing products that are sustainable now for 20 years and probably have one of the biggest installed fleet of eco products.

What we are doing now is looking at how we can make even more of a difference – every new product we bring out is significantly more sustainable than its predecessor.”

Improved range One of the most recent additions to its kit is the Combi Cabin Eco 1.5 – a self-contained and fully CDM-compliant unit with male and female toilets that will also reduce customers’ carbon footprint.

While the unit itself is designed for 10 operatives, it can actually be expanded to support up to 25 people when linked with other units – all of which would be powered by the single Combi Cabin Eco 1.5 unit.

The circular economy product – made from a recycled shell – is a fully insulated, solar solution that is supported by a hybrid generator to ensure 100 per cent reliability for the customer. The added bonus of the hybrid generator being that it can also be powered

by HVO. Having undergone thorough testing on a number of sites, it appears the generator is only needing to kick in for a maximum of five per cent of the time. Over a 22-day period, this not only meant a saving of over £1,000 in fuel costs, but also enabled a carbon reduction of 3,000kg.

Garic offers a range of site solutions for any rail job – most notably its range of towable welfare units ideal for trackside working, which can be towed on or off-site and easily along the track. It also provides mobile welfare vans and

eco or hybrid tower lights to ensure rail projects can be undertaken safely.

Mark – who has been at Garic for more than five years and became CEO in July – has seen the company grow from a £15 million business to one where turnover has reached a record high of £34.6 million.

“There has been a real transformation and it’s all down to the hard work of everyone involved in the business,” he said. “This growth is set to continue and we have recently been working on a new strategy to take the business forward into its next chapter to give a focus on how we channel our efforts to further improve.

“There are three specific areas that I want to focus on and those are the culture, the customer and sustainability – all of which have to be achieved with the safety of our staff and customers as a priority.”

On the sustainability front, just some of the initiatives include: S igning a new forklift truck agreement for HVO-enabled EURO 6 compliant engines to replace more than 50 per cent of the fleet in 2022. oving the company car fleet to 100 per cent M PHEV/EV – with only six left that are petrol or diesel.

S witching to 100 per cent green energy use across its depot network.

P urchasing stage five engines for generator hire and sales fleet.

Garic also appreciates that this route to carbon zero isn’t going to be an easy task, but everyone in the company is keen to achieve it and help their customers as much as possible. As a result, the organisation is also looking for a fulltime sustainability lead to accelerate efforts.

“It is all part of the aim to position Garic as the sustainability solution provider in the rail market,” Mark added. “I think we’ve got a strong position in the marketplace, experience in creating sustainable solutions, and a passion and hunger to continue to deliver strong solutions on the green journey not just for us as a business, but our customers.”

Visit www.garic.co.uk or 03300948069 for more details.

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September 2021 | 37

Show guide

Introduction

Welcome to Railtex/Infrarail 2021 2 Great Shows 1 Exciting Rail Event – Joining forces to shape the future of UK rail

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rom 7 to 9 September 2021, Birmingham’s NEC will play host to Railtex/Infrarail, the ultimate exhibitions of railway technology and services.

This year, more than 200 exhibitors will be in attendance, with technologies and innovations ranging from total railway systems to the smallest specialised components.

Beyond the main exhibition, there will be a rich supporting programme packed with keynote speakers from leading industry names, plus technical seminars, project updates and discussion forums. The full programme is available to all participants and is accredited by the CPD Certification Service, meaning participation can be used by attendees and their professional bodies towards annual Continuing Professional Development.

While the impact of COVID-19 has been strongly felt across the entire railway supply chain, the sector is still thriving. Significant improvements to the network are being made 38 | September 2021

and around £50 billion will be spent over the next five years. Projects such as HS2, the Transpennine Route Upgrade, East West Rail and TfL’s Four Lines Modernisation (4LM), are currently under way and are worth billions of pounds to the industry.

While the impact of COVID-19 has been strongly felt across the entire railway supply chain, the sector is still thriving The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, which was drafted by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and chair of the review Keith

Williams, will be implemented in 2023 and includes the creation of Great British Railways (GBR), a new public body that will oversee the entire infrastructure and manage fare collections.

These substantial changes and ongoing projects highlight the growing need for a rail marketplace as short and long-term plans are now emerging across the whole country, meaning it is more important than ever for organisations in the industry to position themselves in front of their target markets. Railtex/Infrarail 2021 will give visitors open access to some of the most influential organisations and decision-makers in the industry, all under one roof.

Visitor registration is now live, just go to www. uk-railhub.com and click on ‘Register Now’.

We look forward to meeting you and your colleagues in Birmingham for a memorable show!

Natig Asadullaev, Exhibition Manager railbusinessdaily.com

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2. Pithoi platform is Infinitive Group’s Data Lake and is used to store data acquired and harvested data from Irris and or Ramus

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Show guide

Event Speakers

FlexMSE – Vegetated Retaining Walls Rosie Birkett Head of Sales Gravitas

Technical Seminars at Railtex/Infrarail 2021 Hosted by Nigel Wordsworth Presented by Rail Business Daily

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Anderton: a UK manufacturer at the heart of sustainability and innovation Neil Cross National Sales Manager Anderton Concrete

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he Technical Seminar programme, arranged and hosted by Rail Business Daily, gives exhibitors the opportunity to talk about their latest developments to an enquiring and knowledgeable audience.

A total of 20 exhibitors will get their chance to present details of their latest product, service or concept to delegates who are attending the UK’s leading railway industry exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC. For many, this will be the first time they have been able to meet people face-to-face, and to see and handle this year’s crop of innovations, and to ask questions directly of industry experts.

Hosted by RBD Publications Managing Editor Nigel Wordsworth, a degree-qualified engineer and a well-known commentator on rail industry affairs, the Rail Business Daily Technical Seminar programme will be a popular attraction, so delegates are advised to plan their visits and take their seats early for a series of enthralling presentations.

Every talk will be followed by a question and answer session, but time will be limited, so be prepared to get your questions in when asked.

Above all, enjoy Railtex/Infrarail – and welcome back to normality!

etaining walls and vegetation are not often seen as going hand in hand. But, with FlexMSE, Scott Parnell’s vegetated retaining wall system, that is exactly what users get.

A combination of geotextile bags and interlocking plates allow structural retaining walls to be built in a modular and flexible way, allowing structures to curve and flow with the natural environment. The omission of steel, concrete, or often both, is a huge movement towards the nation’s net zero ambitions.

Furthermore, a system that can be seeded or planted after installation becomes a carbonneutral structure and, when carbon recovery has been achieved, the structure begins its journey into carbon negativity.

Build is permanent with a 120-year ASTM design life and the vegetation can be designed to meet site requirements. Most commonly, the surface face is hydroseeded with small seed mixtures such as grass, wildflowers or a combination of the two.

A fully landscaped finish can also be achieved.

Vegetation can be matched to existing plant life or to encourage new insect and wildlife to the area awarding it with biodiversity.

This presentation will explain how FlexMSE can withstand unlimited differential settlement, supporting areas where there is ground movement. It scores 21 BREEAM credits, installs quicker and cheaper than traditional retaining wall products and, impressively, when compared to a concrete block system, offers a saving of 97 per cent of greenhouse gases generated.

After the presentation, visit Scott Parnell on stand N17 in hall 11 to find out more.

nderton has a wealth of experiencing in supplying cable troughing and associated products to the industry for over 20 years. National Sales Manager Neil Cross will be taking delegates through the supply of carbon efficient products, innovative products, Anderton’s responsibilities as a manufacturer regarding sustainability and its environmental awareness that challenges the perception of the industry.

Anderton’s ‘Eco’ trough and its precast capabilities will be highlighted as two areas in which innovation has come to the fore and where Anderton has worked closely with its customer base to provide solutions.

The rail industry has embraced the need for carbon reduction and understands that rail travel is among the most efficient and lowest emitting modes of transport. All those involved in the industry have a part to play in this – Anderton is no exception and will look to explain how it is tackling this issue.

As part of the Ibstock group, Anderton has been able to procure 100 per cent of its energy from renewable sources. This is one example of how Anderton has understood its responsibilities as a manufacturer and will explain why it has ambitions to be the most sustainable manufacturer of concrete products in the UK, concentrating on the four areas of customers & suppliers, environment, people and communities.

More information can be obtained on stand N37 in hall 11.

Visit Rail Business Daily at Hall 12, Stand J57

10:30 Tuesday 7 Sept 2021

11:10 Tuesday 7 Sept 2021

40 | September 2021

railbusinessdaily.com

REINFORCEMENT

RETAINING WALLS

Hall 11, Stand N17

CULVERTS

Anderton has an unrivalled reputation for manufacturing market-leading rail and structural precast concrete products.

From troughing to signal bases, cable theft deterrents to ballast and king boards, Anderton has the solution. Along with our bespoke concrete offering, we’re the go-to provider of quality concrete products for the rail industry.

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Full range of cost effective solutions available

September 2021 | 41

Show guide

Event Speakers

Show guide

Event Speakers

Trackworker Protection, a Digital Solution from Hitachi Matthew Diggle Engineering Manager Hitachi Infocon

Track warning for now and the future Neil Bradbury UK Managing Director Schweizer Electronic

CTM: the future of managing training and competencies Jeroen Boomsma, Client Director, Charles Kennedy-Markham, Product Owner

Powered by

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eeping trackside workers safe on Britain’s busy and complex rail network is a vital task. The existing processes, including safe systems of work planning and line blockages, are effective when applied well but they can be time-consuming and cumbersome, and sometimes people make mistakes or take shortcuts, occasionally with tragic consequences.

Hitachi is developing a novel system which offers both increased safety and improved efficiency. It operates in parallel with the existing processes, independently calculating what signalling protection is required to protect a work site, and doesn’t require any lineside equipment, although, if devices such as TCODs are present, it can interface with them.

It formalises communication between trackside and signalling staff and displays information about signalling protection to both parties. By monitoring lineside infrastructure, it can provide warnings about unexpected events, such as SPADs or runaway vehicles that approach a line blockage, and it can filter out potentially unsafe commands by sitting between signalling control systems, including panels and VDU-based workstations, and relay or electronic interlockings, without needing changes to either of them.

Sounds like magic? Come along to the talk to find out more, then visit stand P16 in hall 11.

s employers grapple with a complicated regulatory environment, they need a fast, simple solution to keep projects on track.

CTM is the integrated competency management and training marketplace platform that allows business to work smarter. CTM Director Jeroen Boomsma and Product Owner Charles KennedyMarkham will take delegates through their platform, showing how easy it is to use the onestop shop to book and manage workforce training, keeping businesses fully compliant and operational.

Jeroen and Charles will cover key features including: • Dedicated dashboard to allow you to visualise your training matrix smarter; • How to create role frameworks to help you define training requirements within your organisation; • Smart analytics to help inform business decisions using easy-to-read data; • Skills-gap analysis tools to better pinpoint missing competencies; • Clever use of an integrated marketplace to keep your competency management needs in one place.

CTM’s creator Sopra Steria has used an in depth knowledge of rail and its skills as a European leader in consulting, digital services and software to provide the industry with a smarter way to work. Sopra Steria places people at the heart of everything it does and is committed to making the most of digital technology to build a positive future for its clients.

CTM can be found in the Eagle Lab on stand L50.

n his presentation to Railtex/Infrarail, Neil Bradbury will give a realistic overview of how the Schweizer Electronic Group has developed systems that allow for greater flexibility in the area of track safety, in particular how the development of Automatic Sector Switching systems can only benefit track working.

For more than 50 years, Schweizer Electronic AG has been developing and manufacturing train detection and warning systems. Still owned by the Schweizer family with head­quarters in Switzerland, the group’s goal is to increase safety while also improving access efficiency, user friendliness and worker productivity.

Today, Schweizer Electronic is the market leader in Europe for on-track automated protection on busy railways for both passenger and freight lines. Railway automation and high-availability radio systems complement the product range and market segments.

Supplying countries across Europe and globally, Schweizer Electronic provides a range of products including Automatic Track Warning Systems (ATWS) and Lookout Operated Warning Systems (LOWS) for temporary worksites, permanent Signal Controlled Warning Systems (SCWS), and FLEX level crossings.

Schweizer Electronics’ core competences centre on high-security remote control and radio data transmission systems, along with interactive diagnostic systems for use wherever safety and efficiency are important.

To learn more about the complete Schweizer Electronic range, visit stand N16 in hall 11.

11:50 Tuesday 7 Sept 2021

12:30 Tuesday 7 Sept 2021

13:10 Tuesday 7 Sept 2021

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COMMUNICATIONS

Show guide

Event Speakers

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Graphene – The Future in Corrosion Technology Andy Gent Commercial Director Blocksil

Tender planning essentials for success Tom Hudson Managing Director Market Infra

Innovation in the Rail Sector: Concrete on a Roll Gavin Adams Technical Sales – Midlands & North Concrete Canvas

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CCMs (Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats) have been widely used by Network Rail across the UK for more than ten years and are an industry-accepted alternative to conventional concrete. The geosynthetics have been specified by Route Directors, Senior Asset Engineers (Drainage) and minor works teams across the five Network Rail regions and their 13 routes.

Offering a lower carbon, environmentally sensitive solution for erosion control and weed suppression applications when compared to traditional concrete solutions, GCCMs have been extensively used through CP4, CP5 and CP6.

Concrete Canvas® is an excellent example of a GCCM, being BBA certified with a durability in excess of 120 years when used in erosion control applications. The majority of route network framework contractors have installed Concrete Canvas, including QTS, BAM Nuttall, Costain, AmcoGiffen, Alun Griffiths and Story Contracting.

Specified on numerous projects for Network Rail, Transport for London, Translink NI Railways and others, typical rail applications for Concrete Canvas in the UK include the rapid lining of crest drainage channels, culvert repair and weed suppression.

The presentation will explore the use of GCCMs in the rail sector since their first use in 2009 and how it is rapidly establishing itself as the construction material of choice with network providers worldwide. Its speed and ease of installation means Concrete Canvas is well suited to time-critical track-side work, reducing line possession and improving safety.

To examine samples of Concrete Canvas, go along to stand D30 in hall 12.

oo often, when a tender lands, there is a scramble to assemble a team, understand what the customer is looking for and engage sub-contractors without the time available to consider a winning bid strategy.

Market Infra was set up in 2016 and is an independent consultancy working across every aspect of today’s built environment. Working together, Market Infra helps its clients solve their most complex challenges – turning exciting ideas into tangible reality as they strive to find a better way and shape a better world.

Recognising that delivering business growth and certainty requires a unique set of skills during the pre-construction phases of project development, Market Infra’s team of specialists is involved in all aspects of pre-construction activities, ranging from market analysis, bid strategy and preparation to contract negotiation and supply chain management in order to secure projects and frameworks.

During his talk, Tom Hudson will take delegates through some of Market Infra’s proven pre-tender planning tools that will set them up for success, improving customer engagement and win rates.

A visit to stand L60 in hall 12 will reveal more.

raphene is an exciting and thoroughly 21st Century material. First isolated in 2004 at the University of Manchester, it has, in its purest form, a molecular structure comprising of a single layer of carbon atoms bonded in a hexagonal structure.

The graphene used in Blocksil corrosionresistant coatings is manufactured by Applied Graphene Materials in the UK using a patented, synthetic, bottom-up process that is repeatable, proven and almost completely free of graphitic impurities, graphene oxide or transition metals.

Graphene possesses an unsurpassed combination of mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. It has an extremely high aspect ratio, considerably higher than conventional additives such as MIO (micaceous iron oxide) or glass flake.

This presentation will demonstrate how graphene enhances corrosion resistance and coating adhesion. For example, in the ISO 9227:2017 neutral salt spray test, an astonishing 11,800 hours was achieved, while the addition of graphene improves coating adhesion after 5,000 hours by 45 per cent over a more conventional coating.

Blocksil’s main graphene enhanced Blocksil coating has been successfully fire tested and the company is currently working on adding graphene into other coatings and paints, such as two-pack primers and an aerosol applied industrial etch primer.

Finally, the presentation will show graphene enhanced coatings in use and explain the benefits of Blocksil coatings.

More information can be found on stand N18 in hall 11.

13:50 Tuesday 7 Sept 2021

14:30 Tuesday 7 Sept 2021

15:10 Tuesday 7 Sept 2021

44 | September 2021

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September 2021 | 45

Show guide

Event Speakers

Show guide

Event Speakers

Improved automatic counting provides real-time passenger information Phil Linnecor Director Acorel

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Extending a customer’s engineering capability through an innovative partnership Julian Gill, General Manager QuEST Global

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Shaping the future of the digital railway David Palmer Vice President Main Line Rail (UK) Thales UK

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or more than 30 years, Acorel has been providing automatic counting solutions to the passenger transport industry. Those solutions have assisted transport operators on understanding passenger travel behaviour and trends, with the ultimate goal of improving the service to meet the changing travel demands.

As the transport industry slowly returns back to normal following the COVID-19 outbreak, Acorel’s Phil Linnecor will look at how real-time passenger information provides passengers with a stop/go solution to enable them to make an educated decision on whether it is safe to travel. Service planning solutions that incorporate machine learning to help operators decide which vehicle or configuration may be required to meet the projected service demands and platform crowd technologies that helps maintain a safe social distancing as we slowly return to normality.

In his presentation to Railtex/Infrarail, Phil will also demonstrate how passenger counting solutions are helping to level the playing field for passengers, following the introduction of wheelchair and pushchair technologies and how these technologies can be used to improve the travel lives of those passengers.

The Acorel automatic counting solution relies on sensors installed on the vehicle doors, which record the number of passengers getting on and off in real time. The data collected, enhanced by other systems (VMS, TMS, GPS, etc.) are then processed and analysed by the software Focus on Board, which produces standardized or custom reports.

Acorel can be found in hall 12 on stand G36

n the competitive markets of today, an intelligent approach to ensure competency can meet the peaks and troughs is that of ‘partnering’.

Collaboration, in this context, requires partnering behaviours to be at the forefront of the relationship, sharing needs, opportunities and technology roadmaps.

This requires a high degree of trust from all those involved.

The recent pandemic cannot be ignored, specifically the impact on the role and importance of the contingent workforce and the significant changes associated with more team members working from home.

At the heart of QuEST’s strategy is working with its customers to develop centres of excellence. These can provide the agreed strategic capability to meet their needs in addition to the more common tactical goal of providing additional capacity to facilitate smoother resource management for the lead contractors.

Julian Gill has over 20 years of professional experience in major infrastructure, with a background in safety critical systems. He is currently responsible for the Rail Signalling and Smart Mobility vertical at QuEST Global.

In his presentation, Julian will discuss these two points and explore the benefits and challenges associated with their success.

Discover more about QuEST Global on stand B38 in hall 12.

he impact of the pandemic and the government’s commitment to net-zero transport in the UK have combined to highlight the role that the digital railway can play in delivering a more reliable, resilient and lower cost railway that can accelerate modal shift to integrated public transport systems.

As a leading provider of digital signalling technology, Thales continues to push the boundaries by leveraging data to maximise performance and improve outcomes for passengers, operators and the environment.

The Thales Driver Advisory System (C-DAS), known as GreenSpeed™, provides unparalleled operational excellence by integrating with the ARAMIS™ traffic management system to optimise traffic flow and provide the ideal speed curve. This ensures strict adherence to the timetable, thereby providing a smooth journey that is energy efficient, as the C-DAS ensures punctuality with the least amount of traction energy used.

The move to in-cab signalling and moving-block technology can bring significant cost and operational benefits. Thales is a leading player in the development of ETCS Hybrid Level 3 (MAX) which combines signalling and train control in a single solution that works by digitally slicing each conventional block section into a number of virtual blocks, allowing operators to safely increase capacity.

Fundamentally, however, technology alone will not achieve the ambition of delivering a worldclass integrated transport service. To achieve this, it is critical that organisations collaborate, and draw on expertise from other disciplines and sectors in order to create a transport service that we all in the UK can be proud of.

Thales UK can be found on stand G57 in hall 12.

10:30 Wednesday 8 Sept 2021

11:10 Wednesday 8 Sept 2021

11:50 Wednesday 8 Sept 2021

46 | September 2021

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September 2021 | 47

Show guide

Event Speakers

Show guide

Event Speakers

Onboard Data Centre – making the connected vehicle a reality Paul Vaclik Head of R&D and Architecture Nomad Digital

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Aluminium vs Copper transformers – a technical and economic comparison Nicholas Manning UK sales manager TMC Transformers

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Rail milling explained – when to use it and the benefits it can provide Elvis Kozica International Sales Manager

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o deliver the services that passengers expect, now and into the future, vehicles are being equipped with more and more systems to gather and analyse data, then to turn that data into useful services for passengers and operators.

This session will explore the challenges hosting and managing all of the software services required to achieve this vision and present Nomad Digital’s Onboard Data Centre solution set.

The Nomad Onboard Data Centre has longevity and is both upgradeable and expandable, reducing the proliferation of hardware requirements. It allows train operators to evolve their passenger experience and offer a tailored service, in turn, providing a fully connected vehicle and journey.

With technology constantly evolving, Nomad’s Onboard Data Centre gives the freedom and flexibility to integrate selected train systems, making it maintainable and future-proofed. It can support both Nomad and third-party applications, providing one commonplace with open Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs) for secure data sharing between applications.

This is cloud computing at the edge, bringing computer data storage and processing on-board where it is needed. Nomad’s virtualised on-board connectivity computing platform helps train builders create trains for the future.

More information on the Onboard Data Centre can be found on Nomad’s stand, P69 in hall 11.

MC Transformers is a leading company in the production of medium and low voltage dry-type transformers. the possible applications for which are multiple and versatile.

Together with the choice of the correct technology and its execution, there is the question of whether to use aluminium or copper windings to obtain the best performance.

All the main manufacturers have, for many years, produced transformers utilising both aluminium and copper winding conductors.

Both winding materials, in fact, provide low loss, highly reliable transformers which have identical technical performance.

In the earlier stages, working with aluminium proved more difficult than copper, but modern manufacturing and metallurgical processes have improved dramatically. These advances in jointing technology have made aluminium more suitable as a winding conductor.

In the last 50 years the use of aluminium as a winding conductor in transformers has become widespread, and today’s lower and more stable prices (compared to copper) make it the preferred material for cast-resin transformers manufacturers.

Generally speaking, the choice of material usually depends on the project’s technical specification or the client’s preference.

Experienced manufacturers such as TMC Transformers have the knowledge and experience to be objective regarding the technical ‘pros and cons` of either conductor material and can advise the best technical solution for any specific project.

s both the number of passengers and the freight tonnage moved by rail increases every year, railways are being called upon to deliver an ever-more-reliable service.

Keeping the tracks themselves in good condition is therefore increasingly important – a task that has to be done without closing the railway.

Rolling contact fatigue, caused by the repetitive passing of wheels over the rail head, produces a variety of defects, including squats, head checks and gauge-corner cracking. These incipient defects need to be removed before they grow into larger cracks that can eventually break the rail and, potentially, cause derailments and accidents.

Grinding the rail, to remove the top surface and, at the same time, restore the design profile, is one traditional answer. However, rail grinders can only remove a thin layer of the surface in one pass, so removing heavy damage requires multiple passes, which slows the process down.

Rail milling, on the other hand, can remove much larger amounts of material, and deeper cracks, in one pass and without producing the sparks that can be hazardous in tunnels and other areas where flammable material is present.

Linsinger is a pioneer of this process, and there are over 70 Linsinger rail-milling machines successfully operating worldwide.

In this presentation, Linsinger’s Elvis Kozica will detail the process, explain the advantages of rail milling and discuss where it can be used to best effect.

To learn more about rail milling and its application, visit Linsinger on stand E17 in hall 12.

12:30 Wednesday 8 Sept 2021

13:10 Wednesday 8 Sept 2021

13:50 Wednesday 8 Sept 2021

48 | September 2021

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Show guide

Event Speakers

The future of trackside communications David O’Connell Managing Director DBD Communications

Performance modelling of Tensar reinforced soil walls under high-speed rail impact loading Dr Basil Ogunmakin Associate Geotechnical Engineer Tetra Tech Coffey

T

A

Green Shoots and Grass Roots Robert Hopkin Head of Collaboration & Development, Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education

A

he application of reinforced soil walls has been used extensively in close proximity to normal speed rail lines.

However, further ‘engineering numerical justification’ was requested by the client for consideration within the high-speed rail corridor.

Load-bearing reinforced soil walls can cut construction costs by up to 75 per cent and halve build times compared with traditional solutions, while being robust and low-maintenance.

Reinforced (or mechanically stabilised) soil is becoming a standard way of forming costeffective walls and bridge abutments on roads and railways, instead of the more traditional options that frequently involve piling and reinforced concrete.

The approach uses layers of geogrid to reinforce soil, increasing bearing capacity and increasing resistance to differential settlement.

Reinforced soil structures have lower bearing pressures, which can eliminate the need for expensive foundations.

Tensar partnered with Coffey Geotechnics, together with input from the client, to formulate an appropriate model that would allow comparison of conventional reinforced concrete walls against the alternative reinforced soil option.

The model was successfully implemented, evaluating the behaviour of a Tensar reinforced soil wall subject to impact loading due to highspeed train derailment, which satisfied the no-collapse criterion.

Experts from Tensar will be on hand to explain the benefits of reinforced soil on stand F50 in hall 12.

UK manufacturer and supplier of wireless duplex communications, DBD Communications has been supplying the UK rail industry for 10 years, after receiving Network Rail product approval in 2011.

In his presentation to Railtex/Infrarail, David O’Connell will speak about what is to come next for technology innovation with regards to communications and safety for operating teams when working trackside. With technology and working practices continuously evolving, the industry is aware that spoken safety-critical communications are of vital concern.

During the seminar, David will be referring to typical types of working scenarios and identifying ways that a variety of communication and safety solutions can reduce risk and improve efficiency to these types of operations.

There are also ways in which the latest technology can be used to retrieve operational data, including voice recordings. This can support risk mitigation for operations – being able to retrieve such information will allow faults to be diagnosed and improvements to be made where necessary. Having a recording capability may also be a legal requirement, as it can establish the accuracy and timing of events, or it can be used for training purposes.

More on this capability, as well as other types of solutions, will be discussed during the seminar. Information will also be available on DBD Communication’s stand – N04 in hall 11.

s the railway industry works together to come out of the pandemic safely, while at the same time embracing the content and the opportunities of the Williams-Shapps review, it is becoming increasingly important to find ways to add value to today’s and tomorrow’s railway.

Innovation and the introduction of new suppliers, including those companies diversifying from other sectors, will help to meet these new technical challenges and contribute to a revitalised decarbonisation agenda.

In his presentation, Rob Hopkin will consider how the relationship between the University of Birmingham, BCRRE and the National College for Advanced Transportation and Infrastructure (NCATI) can work to develop the supply chain companies’ workforce and address training, education and skills shortages. Railway supply chain SMEs are working with BCRRE R&D experts to deliver unique and innovative solutions as part of the BCRRE’s ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Digi-Rail project (now in its third year).

Working closely with cluster partners on the European mainland, BCRRE can help innovative companies to increase their knowledge base and competitiveness to access markets outside of the traditional European client base. Rob will also update delegates on the United Kingdom Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN), identified by the Williams-Shapps review identified as being essential accelerators, incubators, deliverers and collaborators for the much-needed modernising of the railway industry. BCRRE has its own stand at Railtex/Infrarail – E10 in hall 12.

14:30 Wednesday 8 Sept 2021

15:10 Wednesday 8 Sept 2021

10:30 Thursday 9 Sept 2021

50 | September 2021

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Show guide

Event Speakers

Conquering corrosion on the Customer journey enhancement: Access railway corridor to audio services in rolling stock and infrastructure for people with hearing loss Stephen Lewis, Senior Rail Consultant Gordon Hodgson, Construction Jonathon Hoskin, Business Account Manager Development Manager British Steel Ampetronic

Does your railway station comply with the Equality Act 2010?

Suzanne Saynor Sales Manager Visul Systems

O

T

T

ver five per cent of the world’s population require help to address their ‘disabling’ hearing loss. It is estimated that, by 2050, more than one in every ten people will have disabling hearing loss.

To give an example of the level of influence that deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers hold, they are part of the third largest consumer market segment but have the largest discretionary income. This figure doubles when families and friends are taken into account.

Although people with disabilities earn less than people without disabilities and represent a smaller share of the market, businesses should pay attention to this group for three reasons: 1. Most businesses are not taking advantage of the nearly half a trillion dollars in market value of this population; 2. Societal shifts point toward growing numbers and greater inclusion of people with disabilities; 3.

T his presentation will provide realistic estimates of the purchasing power of people with disabilities.

In the UK alone, 12 per cent of travellers experience significant hearing loss, equating to over 400 million passenger journeys or £2.2 billion per year. For the transport industries around the world, the spending, political and societal power of this market segment has significant implications for regulation, legislation and performance. This presentation will further detail the need for assistive listening and the opportunities that it represents. It will also identify the relevant standards and legislation; the assistive listening solutions that are available and where they should be applied, and how best to enhance the passenger journey for this influential and important group.

oday’s railways are under extreme pressure to perform. The everdemanding challenges of faster train speeds, heavier axle loads and higher traffic volumes ultimately have a knock-on effect on railway maintenance. Possession times become shorter, so it’s essential to have an efficient infrastructure to keep the railway running like clockwork.

Corrosion is one of the main hindrances in maintaining the smooth running of the rail environment. Rust has the potential to reduce the lifespan of the railway dramatically and turn trouble-free track into a cumbersome corridor.

The British Steel team will discuss two distinctly different solutions, both formulated to address this specific and expensive industry issue.

Starting with the track, Senior Rail Consultant Dr Stephen Lewis will examine how improved corrosion-resistant Zinoco® rail uses sacrificial protection to continue enhancing the life of railways across the world, protecting them from the hazardous effects of salt and water.

Expanding into the surrounding features, Construction Account Manager Gordon Hodgson will then discuss how British Steel’s recently launched weathering steel structural sections are the perfect choice for a wide array of outdoor projects in exposed locations. Thanks to their self-protecting and durable nature, they offer an attractive and economic solution for many structures, including bridges, buildings and catenary gantries.

Meet the team at hall 11 stand N71 or on-track and find out how British Steel can help build stronger railways.

he Department of Transport is working with Network Rail to install station platforms with tactile paving. It is all part of a national strategy to improve safety and confidence for disabled people on the railways.

Visul Systems has a vital role to play in building back confidence in people returning to the railways now lockdown restrictions have been lifted and ensuring they are safe. As the originators of surface mounted tactile paving in the UK, the company’s passion is to empower disabled passengers to use the railways with the same confidence as everyone else – keeping them safe at all stations.

In his presentation, Chris Milner will describe how Visul’s surface mounted tactile paving, which incorporates raised profiles to alert the visually impaired to a potential danger ahead, has been endorsed and installed with a trouble-free record for over 20 years by Network Rail and London Underground.

Most recently, over 100,000 Visul Systems tactiles will be installed on more than 200 platforms as part of a major station upgrade

by Network Rail along the Kent and Sussex routes. Visul Systems chamfered edge tactile has been chosen due to the quick return to service along with time and cost savings offered when compared to other methods.

Examples of the seven different profiles of tactile that Visul manufactures in the UK can be seen on stand G30 in hall 12.

11:10 Thursday 9 Sept 2021

11:50 Thursday 9 Sept 2021

12:30 Thursday 9 Sept 2021

52 | September 2021

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For more information on how to join visit RailBusinessDaily.com or email: Rachel@RBDCommunity.com

Show guide

Eagle Lab

Lift off for first-time SME exhibitors The Eagle Lab makes its nest at one of the most important events in the UK rail calendar

R

ailtex and Infrarail exhibitions have successfully served the rail market for more than 20 years and this month come together to take over the NEC in Birmingham to deliver the ultimate rail show for the industry.

The co-located event will provide an unparalleled opportunity for companies serving all aspects of the infrastructure and rolling stock sectors to present their products and services, meet new and existing customers, and be part of the industry’s networking event of the year.

Working together To bring the whole industry together, exhibition organiser Mack Brooks and media partner Rail Business Daily (RBD) have joined forces to offer first time SME exhibitors an opportunity to participate.

The Eagle Lab (powered by RBD Community) is located in Hall 12 adjacent to the Rail Business Daily stand at J57.

“The RBD Community is all about helping SMEs grow by providing an effective business platform where companies can gain access to a suite of tools to suit their needs. Being able to offer an affordable option for SMEs that haven’t exhibited before fits perfectly with the RBD Community ethos,” said Eli Rees-King, RBD Community’s Head of Product and Marketing.

“Collaboration is a key word as sweeping reforms set out in the recent Williams-Shapps plan for rail will see the industry brought together. We all have a role to play in this and for us, while the reforms are drawn up, we want to do what we can to provide organisations with an opportunity to showcase their products and services at the UK’s biggest rail event.”

As part of the Eagle Lab, the team from RBD will support exhibitors in this location, who also receive all Railtex/Infrarail exhibitor benefits and marketing opportunities, to help them from an industry advisory, profile enhancement, making connections and work-winning perspective.

Eli added: “Our experienced senior leadership team from RBD – which includes industry stalwart David McLoughlin and former KPMG Director Steve Burch – will also support in the making of introductions and arranging meetings with/for Eagle Lab partner business prospects throughout the event.

“This really is an excellent opportunity to engage with 10,000 national and international industry professionals and to not only get your company seen, but, with the additional support

of the RBD Community, have the RBD spotlight focused on Eagle Lab exhibitors.

“As the rail industry helps the country to build back better, it has a great opportunity to lay the foundations for a fantastic platform.”

More than meets the eye This year’s combined Railtex and Infrarail event in Birmingham on 7-9 September has so much to offer, with thousands of visitors expected and hundreds of exhibitors showcasing their products and services.

The event comes at an exciting time for the RBD Community, which was launched this year to provide a dedicated business resource specifically set up to meet the needs of organisations working in the sector. Eli was appointed in June, alongside Client Relationship Manager Rachel Woodman, to establish the Community as the gateway to collaboration, business support and growth.

“There is a real appetite for networking and collaboration, ensuring that the railway goes from strength to strength. RBD Community has a big part to play in that, as does Railtex/Infrarail,. and the feedback so far has far exceeded my expectations.

“We are all really looking forward to being part of this event and to supporting all the exhibitors in the Eagle Lab as well as our wider community members exhibiting elsewhere in the show.”

For more information visit railbusinessdaily.com/rbd-community/eagle-lab

54 | September 2021

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The Rail Business Daily stand (J57) is located in Hall 12 adjacent to the Eagle Lab (powered by RBD Community)

Show guide

Exhibitor list

Company Name Achilles Information Limited Acorel ADComms a Panasonic Company Advanced Resource Managers (ARM) AEI Cables Ltd Airquick Ltd Aldolex Irl Ltd Alpha Cleantec AG Alstom AMiT spol s.r.o Ampetronic Ltd Anderton Concrete Aqua Fabrications Ltd Arentis Ltd Asset International Structures (A Division of Hill & Smith Ltd) Aura Graphics Axminster Carpets Ltd Ballyclare Ltd Barkers Fencing Bender UK Bespoke Composite Panels Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd Binder UK Ltd Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education Blaschke Umwelttechnik GmbH Blocksil Ltd Bolle Safety UK Bonomi British Steel Bulldog Tools Buttkereit Ltd Cablecraft Cembre CIBEST Cleansoft CMCA(UK) Colchester Fuel Injection Ltd CoMech Metrology Ltd Competency Training Marketplace (CTM) powered by Sopra Steria Complete Cyber Concrete Canvas Ltd Cordant Services Cordel Ltd Craig and Derricott Cubis Systems Dartford Composites Ltd dBD Communications Depot Rail Deutzer Technische Kohle GmbH DMS Technologies Dormakaba Dürr Technik UK Ltd Duvine Ltd EAO Ltd Eartex Ltd EKE Electronics Ltd Elkem Silicon Materials ENAG enGauged Ltd Ensafe Consultants ETAP Automation Ltd E-Tech Components Eurofins E&E European Railway Cluster Initiative Exception PCB Ltd Federal-Mogul Friction Products Ltd Findlay Irvine Ltd FirstClass Safety and Control Ltd FISA Fabbrica Italiana Sedili Autoferroviari Srl

Stand No. C35 G36 R30 H60 G41 E62 G60 Q81 B11 B37 D15 N37 P10 E46 R37 N31 B30 E11 N77 F61 H10 J80 Q30 E10 D31 N81 B47 E01 N71 R79 H47 C02 F17 R16 R47 G38 P06 G17 L83 R80 D30 J81 G51 H14 Q40 L80 N04 B31 B56 E37 Q17 E36 E37 C41 P76 F37 R41 B34 K51 K56 R11 C30 TBC E10 B58 H02 B48 N07 E31

Company Name Flexicon Ltd Frazer-Nash Consultancy Frazer-Nash Consultancy FREQUENTIS UK Fugro Fujikura Europe Ltd G. Zwiehoff GmbH GAI-Tronics Ganymede Solutions GDS Technology Limited Gem Cable Solutions Gemini Rail Group GeoPal Solutions Goldwing Cable Ltd Gramm Barriers Harmill Systems Ltd Harting Hegenscheidt-MFD Hepworth Group (B Hepworth & Co Ltd) Hikvision UK & Ireland Ltd Hilti (GB) Ltd Hird Rail Development/Trough-Tec Systems Hitachi Infocom Horizon Utility Supplies Ltd HR Kilns Ltd / HR Fibreglass Hubner UK Limited Hydram Enginbeering Ltd Hydro - Pole Products icotek iLine Te c h n o l o g i e s /C h a n n e l i n e International Infinitive Group Ltd ITH Bolting Technology (United Kingdom) Ixthus Instrumentation Ltd Jet Aire Services Jewers Doors JMS Transformers Ltd Johnson Controls Jones Nuttall JSP KeTech Klauke UK Ltd KLEIN Anlagenbau AG Kloeckner KMT Korea Railroad Corporation Kwik-Step Ltd LECM Industries Leo Workwear Lindapter International Linmag Rail Milling Service Linsinger LPA Group Plc Lucchini Unipart Rail (LUR) Lucid Communications Market Infra Consulting Ltd Marshalls CPM Mechan Megger MJ Sections Ltd Morris Line Engineering Mottor Scrubber UK MPI Ltd Murphy Geospatial Neokon Baltija UAB NextSense GmbH NilesSimmons Hegenscheidt GmbH Nomad Digital Ltd Ogab Ltd Omicron Electronics UK Ltd PACE Networks

Stand No. C36 N11 C66 G06 N40 N09 D31 D41 L71 L70 Q16 Q11 G67 G31 R59 D37 H46 F56 N82 B62 F31 G11 P16 M11 Q66 N46 G16 G32 Q10 G37 L61 N68 J46 K70 P42 P70 H61 D17 P30 N41 M11 D31 P80 L73 Q82 E56 P61 D47 R21 B50 E17 B38 Q46 K80 L60 E30 D31 G66 P81 E01 F30 D61 K71 P78 D31 F56 P69 L51 G48 E01

Company Name

Stand No.

Pandrol - Vortok Pennant International Ltd Petzl UK Agency Pfisterer Ltd Phoenix Contact Ltd Phoenix Dynamics Polyco Healthline Portaramp UK Limited Project Control Tools Prover Technology AB PSV Glass and Glazing PULSAR ® QuEST Global Radionika sp. z o.o.

Rail Alliance Rail Baltica Rail Forum Midland Rail Innovations Rail Professional Ltd RailBusinessDaily Railmetrics Railway Gazette International Railway Industry Association RBLI RED TRAINING RISQS Roxtec Ltd Sabre Rail Schaltbau Schweizer Electronic Ltd Scott Cables Ltd Scott Parnell Ltd Secheron SA SEED Architects SEKISUI Chemical GmbH Sella Controls Senceive Ltd SeSys Limited Silver Fox Snap-on Industrial SPL Powerlines (UK) Ltd Stadler Sulzer Rotating Equipment Services UK Tensar Thales UK Ltd The CPD Certification Service The Crown Group The Permanent Way Institution Thermit Welding (GB) Ltd Tidyco Ltd Time 24 Ltd TMC Transformers S.p.A Totalkare HDWS Ltd Train FX Transmag (UK) Ltd Tratos VDS Rail Srl Viewtec Signs Ltd Visul Systems Ltd Vivarail Ltd VVB Engineering (UK) Ltd Washington Metalworks Ltd Wec Group Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd Weighbridge WISKA UK Ltd Worldsensing Xrail Group Ltd Zep UK Zöllner UK Ltd Zonegreen

P40 H36 G07 F10 Q77 H16 P30 J71 P60 H30 C37 P30 P60 N67 E10 R10 H51 N64 P02 J57 Q37 G15 R66 G02 P04 G10 M17 E40 C67 N16 F02 N17 F36 K61 H41 F39 N83 N64 R36 B10/B14 E47 F11 B41 F50 G57 E60 L53 N07 E50 N30 C03 C31 F16 F46 N62 P11 N84 N61 G30 P72 Q71 B02 P31 B16 D11 Q80 D34 D51 P46 G40 N02

Information correct on 18 August 2021 56 | September 2021

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FIND US AT RAILTEX/INFRARAIL 2021 The biggest online rail news platform in the UK

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The Rail Business Daily stand (J57) is located in Hall 12 adjacent to the Eagle Lab (powered by RBD Community)

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

Optimise your business using a professional, intelligent and reliable people-flow analysis W

e are often asked “when do we think passenger numbers will return back to normal?” and “is there light at the end of the tunnel?”

Like all transport mechanisms, rail has seen a large reduction in travellers since the start of the pandemic and some networks are already seeing a return of 60 per cent of passenger numbers compared to the preCOVID-19 figures. If we put that in real-terms, 60 per cent of passengers is equivalent to the 2000-2001 passenger numbers and before the end of 2021, we will start to see a phased return of those people working from home.

This means, by the end of 2021, we could experience the same passenger numbers as 2010 and by the middle of 2022, we could see the same level of passengers as in 2015 and if we read back on the news clippings and adverts from 2015, passengers complained about being overcrowded on trains and cried out for investment.

Every passenger counts One thing the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us is that the virus does not discriminate its victims on their age, race, abilities or any other factors and healthcare professionals around the world have fought tirelessly because all lives matter.

Although some automatic counting systems on the market still discriminate and only report on walking adults over a particular height, at Acorel our solutions report on everyone – children, adults, and wheelchair users, because every passenger counts.

Understanding passenger travel patterns is important when planning services – if we look at the returning passengers, then in 24 months we

will achieve the passenger numbers that originally took 20 years to achieve.

However, passenger behaviour will not be the same and COVID-19 has meant some passengers are more concerned about their surroundings, with an increase in anxiety levels.

These concerns are similar to the human fight or flight emotions and transport operators are looking at ways to address them, but we all may need to do more.

Operators and passengers Acorel’s technologies are therefore designed to assist operators and passengers alike. For operators we provide real-time load statistics and can use historical data to help predict the passenger capacity on future services.

For passengers we can provide real-time and true real-time capacity information with stop and go solutions on the trains to enable the passenger to make an educated decision if they are to use this service or the next.

For more information on the solutions Acorel can offer, please contact us on +44 1376 324825, via email on info@acorel.Com or visit our booth at railtex 2021.

58 | September 2021

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People

Globetrotting journey takes an unexpected turn Lockdown put paid to Women in Rail judge Nita Rabadia’s travel plans, but led to her playing a key role in supporting people hit hard by COVID-19

W

hen Nita Rabadia stepped away from HS2 Ltd after eight years and her position, since May 2017, as Director of Specification and Technical Assurance, she was looking forward to taking time out from 18 years in the rail industry and travelling the world.

Peru was high on her list of destinations, and a long-held ambition to head up Mount Kilimanjaro was about to be fulfilled. Nita had headed first to India, to spend time with family before embarking on her globetrotting. However, heading back to her Brent home to finalise travel arrangements coincided with COVID-19 blowing everyone’s well-laid plans out of the water. For Nita, this meant that her journey would take a somewhat different turn.

As someone who had explored the healing technique reiki long enough to become a reiki master in the Japanese form of alternative medicine, Nita realised she had much to offer to those facing the impact of the pandemic.

Nita, who first encountered reiki following the sudden death of her father in 2015, quickly moved to make her healing abilities available to others. She offered help to individuals in hospitals all over the world suffering from the coronavirus and people who were dealing with the impact of those they loved being struck down by COVID-19, people who were suffering and dealing with anxiety, worry, loss and bereavement.

60 | September 2021

Nita said: “People were suffering so I put myself out there and offered to help if anyone needed healing. I made my services available for free and during the first period of lockdown I set up my own website so people could get in contact with me easily.

“We are all connected by energy and reiki is about using the energy that exists in the universe.

I have the ability to open myself up as a portal,

and redirect that energy to where it needs to go.

“I was honoured to be a part of the healing and recovery process for so many people.

Some people had lost close family members and I was asked to help by sending reiki each day to them. There is no time and space limitations when it comes to reiki and I can do this remotely, working with love and light of the highest level.”

railbusinessdaily.com

People

Donations that Nita received for the support she provided were then donated onwards to the foodbank for NHS workers that had been established to address the shortage of essential products these frontline key workers required.

Given her extensive experience of technical governance, systems engineering and requirements management, it was also logical that Nita would go on to play a part in the rollout of the UK’s vaccination programme. However, she had to weigh her desire to get involved in this highly important work against a need to protect her own family members – her husband is a diabetic and her 12-year-old daughter suffers from juvenile arthritis (which meant that Nita was already skilled at administering injections) and both were identified as high-risk individuals.

A conversation with her husband and careful consideration about the risks involved took place prior to Nita making her availability known to both the NHS and St John Ambulance in December 2020.

Close to Nita’s home in Brent, the multifunctional hall at Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury, in Kingsbury Road, was the first Hindu temple in Europe to open as a COVID-19 vaccination centre, with initial aims to immunise more than 1,300 people a day. The hall was provided to Harness Care, a group of 20 GP practices working together to run the vaccination programme for Brent residents.

Leadership role Nita quickly found herself being part of the operational leadership team and helping with the day-to-day operations of managing volunteers (over 50 per day) made up of stewards and vaccinators.

Nita explained: “I have given my daughter weekly hormone injections since she was two so I was already trained to administer injections. The rest felt like it was the experience of my day-job in rail coming into play, establishing and running

It was really rewarding to give something back to the community

from the public and volunteers so that we could run the site without any issues while still working to government guideline and protocols.

“It was really rewarding to give something back to the community and be involved in the vaccination programme.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do this had I been in full-time work so I took it all as a blessing and really believe that I was called upon to do this.”

a system from the ground up. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan along with other parliamentary dignitaries came to visit us and a lot of effort and encouragement was made to get the local community, including those especially from the BAME community, to realise the importance of getting the vaccine.

“Occasionally I’d catch my breath and realise that this had never been done before and everything was unprecedented. We found ourselves learning and adapting as the six months rolled by listening to regular feedback

3,000 vaccinations per day Nita’s leadership skills were quickly recognised and she was given the responsibility of section leader, which would involve overseeing aspects of a local programme that, at its peak, saw 3,000 people a day receiving vaccinations and 12-hour shifts.

Nita added: “The reality is that I am used to working on large-scale projects, my background as a systems engineer aids me in thinking of the big picture and how all the parts must work together to enable a smooth operation.

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People

“I was leading a team and making sure governance, DBS checks and the necessary training records were all in order for any audit compliance checks. The leadership qualities I had came naturally to the delivery of an important programme of work that was unprecedented due to my previous experience.

This was an area where everyone was making decisions on the fly, and considering how we could adapt given the scale of the vaccination rollout initiative and how we could make this happen and sustain it. It’s what I’m used to.

“Some people asked me why I had taken a break from my rail career and why I was volunteering full-time and my response was that it’s not always about work. As a result of the pandemic life as we knew it changed drastically and it was now how each of us played a vital role to help come out of this together as one and make a real difference where it mattered most.”

Improving diversity Supporting the BAME community – Public Health England noted that the risk of dying among those diagnosed with COVID-19 was higher in black, Asian and minority ethnic groups than in white ethnic groups – also came naturally to Nita.

She explained: “Supporting people from diverse backgrounds was part of my DNA throughout my time in rail. I was one of the only senior female Asian leaders underneath the executive level. I have always seen it as my job to be an advocate, both when it comes to women in engineering, and also recognising that diversity, inclusion and equality needs to be heard and that we all need to be treated fairly. So in this situation, we made sure that everyone was treated with the same dignity and humanity and brought that to the forefront of the programme.

“When everyone pulls together you can make a difference on a big scale and can come out of it knowing you’ve done a good job. It’s been a real privilege to play a small part of this historic event.”

Nita is conscious that should there be a need for booster vaccinations her skills may be required again and she is still registered as a vaccinator should other centres or hospitals require any support.

I’ve found being on the judging panel of Women in Rail fascinating and a real privilege While her travel plans have not been permanently shelved – Mount Kilimanjaro remains on her bucket list, the Inca trail is still beckoning and an interest in exploring South America is a high priority – Nita is now turning her thoughts to a return to the rail industry. Quite what form this might take is unknown to Nita – she is considering providing consultancy services and would also consider being part of large-scale infrastructure projects should they present the right challenge.

Right now Nita, who was voted one of the 20 Most Inspirational Women in the UK Railway Industry in 2016, is currently sitting on the judging panel of the Women in Rail Award and mentoring young female engineering students at her alma mater Brunel University.

Women in Rail Nita added: “I’ve found being on the judging panel of Women in Rail fascinating and a real privilege. Women in Rail is what I personally stand for, we need more women in the sector.

What is refreshing to see is the calibre of women and supportive men who are championing this change and paving the way for future women to enter the industry without judgement.

“Whatever my next role, it will be something I want to get my hands into and get involved in. I look forward to the opportunities that the coming changes and transformation in rail will bring.

“My mentality has shifted during the course of the pandemic. I realise that what you put out there in the universe you get back in so many rewarding ways. Law of attraction is so powerful when you practise it and bring it into your day-to-day routines. We should always continue to grow, and be open to evolving and learning from each so that we can work and live better, together.”

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

The platform to keep workers safe

Heightsafe Systems Sales Director David McNeil discusses the company’s important role for the rail industry

W

orking at height continues to be one of the biggest causes of fatalities and major injuries. It could be falling from a ladder or for those in the rail industry falling from viaducts or raised platforms.

In a recent Health and Safety Executive report on workplace fatal injuries there were 142 workrelated deaths in 2020-21, with almost 25 per cent being caused by falls from height.

Passionate in making sure those working in the rail industry are well equipped and educated in keeping safe is Heightsafe Systems – which since its inception in 2009 is now an established and trusted market leader in the UK’s work at height industry.

“The latest HSE report for workplace fatalities showed that falls from height were still the biggest cause of deaths for workers in Great Britain,” said David McNeil, Heightsafe Systems Sales Director.

“We aim to reduce those numbers through our work across many sectors to educate and emphasise that work at height safety should not be optional – it is imperative to keep your workers safe.”

Faily-owned business David is among the 80 members of the team of the family-owned business which operates across nationwide offices, boasting a wealth of longstanding and loyal blue-chip business clients.

“With over 50 years of combined experience in the work at height, roof and façade access industry, we are able to provide our clients with the highest quality systems for competitive prices, while always valuing safety above all that we do,” said David, who joined the company in 2017.

“We provide a range of products, from fall arrest and restraint systems, edge protection, roof and plant access systems, work at height training, lightning protection, and a comprehensive list of compliance testing services.”

Heightsafe Systems has a proven track record in the rail industry. Among a long list of work includes providing an overhead track system – and subsequent inspections and testing on the safety line system – for CAF to allow its workers to safely and efficiently access its carriages for maintenance.

“We also recently secured a tender for more than 600 Transport for London sites to carry out its compliance inspections, and we’ve also recently completed a 22-station installation project for Docklands Light Railway,” added David.

“Heightsafe Systems always provides an outstanding service. So much so that we still maintain the system of our very first client won by our director back in 2009, because we value the relationships we build with our clients.

“We will never compromise on safety, but will tell our customers if there is a better solution to their needs even if it works out costing less. We have already built outstanding relationships with individuals within the rail industry, and our team has exceptional knowledge of what is required for a rail company.”

Safety offering The organisation is ready and raring to offer a huge catalogue of work at height systems, training, compliance testing and maintenance services, to ensure the safety of those working at height.

David concluded: “We are the UK’s leading fall protection specialists and our aim is to continue to develop knowledge and awareness into new markets as a company. We are a young and hungry business, with an incredible team and an extremely tenacious mentality, which filters through to all of our staff, in every role.”

Head Office: 020 3819 7199 London Office: 020 3861 8100 info@heightsafesystems.com www.heightsafesystems.com

64 | September 2021

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

A fresh approach to depot safety Designing and supplying safety control systems through bespoke, innovative and integrated solutions

U

K-based safety control system specialist – FirstClass Safety & Control (FirstClass) – has been supplying safety control systems for more than 20 years.

The company was created following a management buyout of the safety control division of Beck & Pollitzer back in 2017 and has continued to prosper and develop.

Depot Protection Systems is just one of the products offered for the rail sector, along with Depot Control Systems and Locally Operated Points Systems (LOPS). The range of products means that FirstClass can provide a rail depot operator with a fully integrated safety system.

FirstClass developed an industry first in 2017 – the RFID operator control panel – allowing users to log on and off using an RFID card, the same card that links to the depot security system and any other RFID-based system. The operator control panels also use pictorial menu screens, eliminating the need for “wordy” on-screen instructions, and allowing translation into multiple languages at a fraction of the cost of other systems on the market.

The National College of Advanced Transport and Infrastructure in Birmingham where FirstClass installed a system to be used to train the students

All FirstClass Safety systems come with SIL 2 level safety certified as standard. Additional features of the company’s Depot Protection System that can be provided are wi-fi interlocks and OLE interlocks.

All FirstClass Depot Protection and Depot Control Systems are designed to the client’s specification, allowing 100 per cent tailored

solutions – not a standard product that has been tweaked. All of the technical capabilities of FirstClass are backed up with unrivalled service support, available 24 hours a day with full on-site support, as well as back office support for software and online diagnostics.

Looking to the future, FirstClass is excited to be developing rail safety systems that incorporate its knowledge of the petrochemical and oil and gas sectors, for applications such as hydrogenfuelled trains, where the TUV Functional Safety Engineer certification FirstClass holds is a prerequisite for system design and verification.

With a track record of installations over the past 15 years across the rail sector – from metro depots such as Blackpool Tram to mainline depots, including the Ilford Crossrail depot and the recently completed GWR Exeter Depot – FirstClass can support you with any depot safety control system requirements.

Visit www.firstclass-safety-control. co.uk/rail-services/ for more details.

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Te c h n o l o g y

Accessibility, inclusion and democratisation of transport services Transreport’s Jay Shen on his passion to use technology to remove barriers that make life harder for people with impairments

J

ay Shen is on a journey to improve the passenger experience through his Transreport business – particularly for those who have to overcome barriers when using the railways.

The company has launched a Passenger Assistance app – which makes it easier and quicker for disabled people to request assistance for their train journeys – described as a first for public transport in Great Britain.

“My passion for accessibility came from being inspired by the Social Model that says people are disabled by the world around them, not by their impairment or difference,” said Jay. “I wanted to use tech to remove some of the barriers that makes travel harder for people with impairments.

“At Transreport, we believe that everyone should be able to travel spontaneously and have the independence and flexibility to go where they want, when they want.

“However, we know this isn’t the case for a lot of disabled people, as travelling anywhere can take a lot of pre-planning and we want to use technology to help where possible.”

Room for improvement The foundations for the business came while studying mathematics at university and an engineering Masters. Travelling by train regularly, he started to notice things he could improve to enhance the customer experience.

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

His university friend was working for a train company at the time and suggested he should use his studies to make things better, which led to him expanding his research to look at passenger mobility.

He founded Transreport in September 2016, and less than a year later was selected as one of 10 start-ups invited to join London Midland’s first Labs accelerator programme in April 2017.

Such was the success that on a demo day the

company was awarded the London Midland Labs’ Phil Margrave Award.

The recognition continues to spur him on to continue developing and refining what is now the Passenger Assistance app.

“We launched the Passenger Assistance app in May this year after extensive trials with several train operators,” said Jay, who is also currently studying for a PhD in engineering, Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor technology.

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Te c h n o l o g y

“The app is fully integrated with the unique service code railway companies apply to scheduled journeys, with passengers and station staff each using a separate interface to access the app.

“There is a lot of innovative technology behind the scenes that we’ve developed to make the app possible, and we really look to leverage the advances made by smartphone manufacturers and operating system providers.”

Personalised experience For the first time, disabled passengers can book assistance across the entire national rail network and across all train operators in one app. Passengers can set up and save their profile for future use to cut down on the time spent booking assistance.

The ability to include an optional profile photo also makes them more easily identifiable to station staff.

Jay said: “In addition to crucial real-time notifications on any journey changes, the app also allows station staff to manage passenger assistance workflow, such as assigning and taking over different tasks.

“We built the app in collaboration with a variety of interested parties, focusing on the touch points disabled people experience when seeking assistance for their train journeys, and we sought input from disabled people and accessibility experts to ensure the app meets real-world needs.

“The app aims to give passengers more control and independence over their journeys. As COVID-19 lockdown rules continue to be relaxed, the app is helping to give users confidence about resuming their train journeys and attracting patronage back to rail in a safe manner.”

The company’s recently been boosted by the award of £410,000 from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) First Of A Kind (FOAK) scheme – taking the total funding from DfT to more than £1 million.

“We’re currently working on functionality that enables real-time auto-validation of journey requests. The funding will also support a second project which will tackle rail cleanliness and improve passenger comfort and confidence.

The project will integrate end-to-end cleaning management software with existing train operator infrastructure to record all cleaning activities from in-service cleaning to overnight cleaning and sanitisation so it can be monitored by staff more effectively. Passenger requirements regarding cleanliness are more critical than ever.”

The app aims to give passengers more control and independence over their journeys The funding will be split across two projects, as Jay explained: “We were delighted to be awarded funding from the DfT and Innovate UK as part of the FOAK competition, which focuses on making the railways cleaner, greener and passenger focused. The funding will be used to develop two technologies.

“The first is Passenger Assistance, where we will further develop the app’s features and functionality.

Expansion of use Jay is also looking to expand the Passenger Assistance app to cover other modes of transport in a bid to deliver seamless multimodal accessible journeys.

“We are currently in conversations with a number of airports, airlines, bus and coach companies, both in the UK and beyond, that have reached out to us to help them with their challenges around accessibility,” he said.

“The common theme we are seeing is that all transport modes want to improve the quality and consistency of the support and assistance they deliver to customers, but often they lack the right technologies to facilitate real positive change. This is where our Passenger Assistance technology platform can make a massive difference, overcoming complexity and bringing together previously siloed IT systems and data.

“Ultimately, we are working towards removing the barrier of poor accessibility across all modes of transport by delivering a technology solution which makes it quicker, easier, and more flexible to book assisted travel. Initially we have developed this for rail but we aim to expand into multiple modes of transport in the next few years.”

Visit transreport.co.uk/ for more details.

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

UKRL has the edge with a mixture of rail industry and finance experience Managing Director Mark Winter and Co-Founder Edward Stevenson discuss new contracts and the expansion of the company’s train care offer

O

n 3 August, UK Rail Leasing (UKRL) celebrated a new agreement with Arriva Traincare and CrossCountry to fully service six Turbostar trains each night at the company’s Leicester Depot. The event was marked by the naming of a Class 170 Turbostar DMU “Pride of Leicester” by the Mayor of Leicester, Sir Peter Soulsby.

The contract came into effect for the start of the summer 2021 timetable after a six-month period of upgrades and training, and includes provision for FPX, fuelling, CET, cleaning and repairs each night for up to 20 vehicles made up of two and three-car Turbostar sets.

UKRL’s Managing Director Mark Winter said Leicester is ideally placed to care for CrossCountry’s Class 170 trains: “Locating high-quality train care in the right place allows companies to reduce the cost of moving trains, cutting down on driver and track time. This is an exciting opportunity for UKRL. It shows how we can offer support in a very real way for CrossCountry.”

Multi-talented team While this contract clearly demonstrates UKRL’s capability in providing train care and delivering high-quality turkey projects, train care is but one of UKRL’s services. The company also offers rail related financing, rail vehicle engineering and overhaul, plus fleet maintenance – from the depot and via ‘in field’ callout and maintenance with dedicated support vehicles.

The company is run by a mixture of seasoned rail professionals and ex-financers, who provide not only investment expertise but also agile thinking at a time where flexibility is crucial in an industry sector that is beset by change.

Mark Winter founded the company in 2013 with Edward Stevenson, taking on a lease of DB Schenker’s long-disused Leicester depot and ultimately acquiring the freehold of this strategically located depot in 2018.

“We pride ourselves on our ‘can do’ attitude which underpins our ability to deliver engineering, service and finance solutions,” said Mark, who

spent many years in the banking sector and the city before he left to concentrate on UKRL. “The fact that CrossCountry is trusting us with such a crucial part of their business shows how far we have come since the company was founded. Passenger train operators know how critical good train care is – and it must be provided in the right place, at the right price and where reliability is essential. We view our role as making sure passenger companies like CrossCountry can be confident that its trains are turned out and operating as customers expect, every single day.”

New developments This ‘can do’ attitude has fostered the recent development of rail industry financing. A full range of financing options for the rail industry are achievable – financing anything from freight wagons or passenger trains through to infrastructure projects.

Edward said: “Our team’s experience in finance means that we can offer the most competitive rates. This unusual marriage of rail industry knowledge with the directors’ knowledge of the banking and insurance sector means the company has been very successful in providing financing for a variety of infrastructure and on-track plant projects for clients in the rail sector.”

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

At the ‘coal face’ is engineering and projects lead, UKRL Director Alan Lee, who has 37 years’ experience managing, developing, and leading large projects and teams in the rail industry. A recent hire is General Manager Darren Sharpe.

His experience, gained from 31 years at Brush Traction, will enable UKRL to expand its activities and offerings into high end technical support services to the freight locomotive operators.

Services will include reliability modifications, project management, technical riding support, on-site fault diagnosis, cost saving analysis, reactive breakdown services, 24-hour on call response, end to end spares and repairable management.

Train care, maintenance, engineering and overhaul Back in 2018, a multi-million-pound investment in train care facilities began when UKRL’s Leicester depot took on the overnight maintenance of part of the East Midlands Railway fleet, which needed a temporary location for overnight maintenance because the comprehensive remodelling of Derby Station and ensuing construction work significantly reduced capacity and access to

the adjacent Etches Park Traincare facility for a three-month period. UKRL Leicester was chosen to provide a “pop up” servicing facility and invested in a modern train-care and CET facility, capable of servicing trains of up to eight cars and equipped to offer cleaning, engine level checks and additional engineering and maintenance services. This was a key enabler in developing level three servicing at Leicester.

“The fact that CrossCountry is trusting us with such a crucial part of their business shows how far we have come since the company was founded” The regular maintenance of traction and rolling stock is a crucial part of safe and reliable train operation and UKRL’s engineering expertise covers all mechanical and electrical systems.

Services include inspection, routine maintenance, painting, component change and component maintenance.

UKRL has developed and implemented multiple solutions for its customers, including modifications to locomotives enabling freight rail services to move state-of-the-art new passenger equipment around the network very efficiently and at speed.

UKRL can also provide complete rail vehicle overhaul. Operators can work with UKRL to develop and implement strategic plans for traction and rolling stock.

This includes sourcing obsolete components, providing due diligence during the procurement process and managing and delivering entire maintenance regimes. The company also offers a callout service for breakdown. Repairs requiring workshop facilities can be completed in the Leicester workshop.

Future plans Looking to the future, Mark said: “There is room to expand our train care offer at Leicester and we have plans to further invest in the site, increasing our maintenance, engineering, and overhaul capability. We have the advantage of having a large amount of land, which will enable us to upgrade our facilities for other regional operators who can make use of the Leicester depot.”

With growth for rail services predicted to be strong, UKRL expects to continue to see a big demand for financing. Edward added: “Our unique mixture of rail industry and finance experience and contacts gives us a real edge when it comes to developing financing offers that really work for the rail industry.

“As the industry picks up post-COVID, we are confident that the predicated growth will mean increasing demand for finance. We are accessing institutional investors globally to provide the most competitive rates for clients.”

Mark concluded: “As the rail industry continues to grow strongly, we will be looking to strengthen our ties with our existing passenger and freight clients and develop into new areas, where we can build new partnerships.

“It’s an exciting time to part of an industry which is remodelling itself to respond to the challenges of the 21st century, particularly around climate change and the challenge of carbon neutrality in the rail industry. UKRL has already entered discussions with interested parties so that we can play our part in this important initiative.”

Visit www.ukrl.co.uk for more details.

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

Trackside asset innovation Cubis System’s Rail Sector Manager George Woollard discusses lineside electrical asset installation and maintenance

T

rackside electrical equipment can be housed within a variety of enclosures including steel/GRP cabinets, hinged boxes or metal shrouds. If there is variance in this part of the asset, or a particular design is required to accommodate a new development in technology, there is free rein to adjust it.

However, the one element they all have in common is the method of retaining them in the ground which until now has remained steadfast and universally accepted as being a concrete jigsaw totalling in at around 250kg encircled by a type one and timber-edged hardstanding area.

On investigation of lineside electrical asset installation and maintenance, Cubis Systems – the global leader in the design and manufacture of access chambers and cable ducting systems – has found weight is not the only problem.

George Woollard, Rail Sector Manager, said other issues include extremely limited working space when cabling, fixed 300mm depth creating bend radius issues, no ability to change the cabinet bolt centres or improve the technology substantially as the concrete bases are fixed in dimension, and vermin entering the cabinets.

“In response to the problems we discovered, Cubis Systems formed a working group after a rail demonstration day conducted at sister company NAL’s HQ,” said George.

“It incorporated members of the signals, civils and maintenance disciplines from Network Rail, to provide a broad understanding of what was required to afford maximum benefit for everyone utilising it.

“After IDC style reviews and cross-company collaboration with numerous stakeholders, an all-encompassing solution has been produced in the Rail Cabinet Base (RCB).

“The RCB is a lightweight, modular system that removes issues such as those mentioned and creates a standardised installation method for single pieces of equipment or full suites of assets, making this a truly unique and innovative solution.”

It is made from standardised components that feature on all variations, which assists in the consistency levels of installation and in turn reduces potential snagging issues.

72 | September 2021

Figure A: Render exploded view of the system

Product Components Cabinet Base The Rail Cabinet Base system is made up of six component parts. See Figure A – (Render exploded view of the system) The base/foundation is made from the Cubis STAKKAbox™ ULTIMA Connect Chamber – a modular system comprising compression moulded GRP, linked together with GRP pegs to form a solid and stable ring. It can also be linked to trackside drainage.

Cabinet Location Modules These are made from powder-coated aluminium, providing a stable and lightweight interface between the base and the cabinet, which is protected from saline oxidation. A Full LOC case module weighs just 20kg.

Cover and Frame Modules Between cabinets, lightweight aluminium frames fix to both the base module below and the cabinet modules adjacent to provide strength and stability. Each frame has integral earthing points, so all the modules can be linked together. GRP covers fit into the frame and form the hard-standing area.

Trough Connector In place of simply butting a piece of trough to the base of the cabinet, a positive location point has been introduced that can be manufactured to fit any size of cable trough required.

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Cover Plate In place of pallets, ply or bags of cement over the open hole left in the traditional concrete base method while waiting for a cabinet to arrive, a purpose-made cover has been introduced.

Installation A successful trial installation of this system has been conducted at the Swindon Electrification Training School. An RCB2A (two LOC Cabinet Base) was installed by a team in a single shift.

For context, a two-cabinet base installed using the standard method takes 2.5 shifts on average to complete with a team of three operatives.

George concluded: “When combined, these elements offer far more than a basic foundation for a piece of equipment. There is consideration for the civils teams and the electrical installation, along with maintenance requirements, and above all else the ability to allow management of risk to be simplified and programme times to be reduced.”

Visit www.cubis-systems.com for more details.

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Diversity and Inclusion

Be the change you want to see Keltbray’s Corporate Communications Manager and Group Inclusion Manager Nina Fairfowl on collaboration and education to create change

T

he Working Group of the Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Charter are keen to take personal responsibility for informing positive change on the EDI agenda in rail and are therefore embarking on the action stage of their agenda.

That is the message from Nina Fairfowl, who is among the rail professionals chosen to drive forward the Railway Industry Association (RIA) and Women in Rail (WR) initiative for sector change.

Keltbray’s Corporate Communications Manager and Group Inclusion Manager was asked to join the EDI Charter Working Group on her personal commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. Members of the Working Group include a wide spectrum of backgrounds, ages, gender, ethnicities, abilities and identities, roles and companies.

“It is a great honour and a privilege to be part of this exciting initiative among a fantastic group of people,” said Nina. “I joined the group not only because I am of a diverse background, but because I’m passionate about diversity, equality and inclusion.

“I want to work in an industry which reflects the diversity of the communities we live and work in, and where everyone is given a fair chance to succeed.

“Equality is first and foremost about people and I look forward to the day when equality, diversity and inclusion will be so deeply embedded in the railways that working groups such as this one are no longer needed.”

With a background in the technology and fast-moving consumer goods sectors, Nina is relatively new to the rail industry having joined Keltbray two years ago. However, she has already been impressed by its passion and commitment for change.

“Of all the industries I’ve worked in, the rail and construction sectors are the first I’ve seen where equality, diversity and inclusion are so openly discussed,” said Nina. “There are a lot of challenges and there is a long way to go, but just having those conversations and the fact people aren’t shying away from them speaks volumes.

“I am still relatively new to the rail industry, but my experience with Keltbray has been fantastic.

The culture is great and incredibly supportive – there really is a family feel when it comes to the rail industry.

“At Keltbray we’ve recently formed an Inclusion Committee, looking at how we can help continue to develop our diversity goals and what positive changes we can make. Change doesn’t happen overnight but we are willing to put in the work to make a positive impact not only in our organisation, but across the industry in general.”

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Diversity and Inclusion

Since the EDI Charter was set up four months ago, more than 170 organisations connected to the rail industry have signed the pledge for change – something Nina thinks emphasises the commitment to change across the whole sector.

“It is incredible to see so many organisations sign up to the Charter. It really does show that we are all on the same page; and so many people are wanting to see change – our collaborations are going to be key,” she said.

“As a Working Group, we’re now entering into the action stage after having our initial meetings and setting out our intentions and planning out our agenda.

“We’re now into the next steps of planning events and speaking opportunities, with several initiatives in the pipeline which is very exciting.

We’re building momentum and hopefully over the next few months we will have some things to shout about.”

Improving the workplace In the meantime, Nina says there are several things organisations can start to do to set the precedent for more inclusive and diverse workforces.

“I am a big believer in education and raising awareness. Looking at effective communication and behaviours has to be at the start of creating long-term change,” she said.

“Training is integral to this and key to starting conversations. At Keltbray for example, we’re looking at introducing a series of training modules specifically focused on equality, diversity and inclusion. We’re also about to introduce a reverse mentoring programme.”

One thing Nina is working hard to change at Keltbray is the perception of the rail industry – looking at how it can attract a more diverse workforce from all parts of society.

She said: “At Keltbray we are trialling blind

I want to work in an industry which reflects the diversity of the communities we live and work in CVs and we’re also looking at job adverts and the way they are presented to see what can be done with them to attract more diverse applicants.”

Overall, she is very optimistic there will be some real change in the coming years – not just at Keltbray but in the rail industry on the whole.

“Already it is really promising what has been achieved and there is no reason why we won’t be seen as the inspiration for other industries to follow, showing the examples of best practice,” she said.

“It’s a journey and it’s important to trial new and innovative ways of doing things. It is okay to put yourself out there and be bold. Together, we will break down the barriers.”

To find out more about the EDI Charter, email: info@edicharter.co.uk

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September 2021 | 75

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

Finding the balance between tradition and innovation Pandrol’s Eran Gartner, John Porrill and Lucie Richardson discuss taking the rail fastening systems and aluminothermic welding specialists to the next level of performance

P

androl prides itself on being a business founded on a passion for innovation, with its heritage still at the heart of how it does business today.

Over 100 years of product development, engineering know-how, acquisitions and growth have enabled the specialists in rail fastening systems and aluminothermic welding to become a world leader and global employer.

At a time when the company is investing record amounts – with work under way on new facilities in India and the launch of automation equipment in the UK, France, US and Australia – Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eran Gartner, Head of Fastenings John Porrill and Marketing Director Lucie Richardson, have spoken with RailDirector about the track ahead.

“Everyone at Pandrol is an entrepreneur and ideas come from the bottom not from the top,” said Eran, who has more than two decades of international rail engineering leadership experience.

“We’ve got a track record that I’m really proud of. Any ideas that colleagues have come up with – that have been worthy – have been launched, such is our confidence in their abilities.

“We have an appetite to make it happen and we are making major investments in our plants – running at a record historical level of capital expenditure – setting us up for a prosperous future.”

Products and services worldwide The company has created rail infrastructure in more than 100 countries, with its products and services extending to designing, developing and manufacturing equipment to make the construction and maintenance of railways more efficient.

“That means we’ve experienced just about every situation, overcoming the problems and questions, and coming up with the solutions,” continued Eran.

But despite this proven track record, Eran believes many may underestimate the company’s capabilities. He added: “I think anyone who doesn’t know us wouldn’t necessarily be inclined to guess that we are a company that is pushing forward in numerous fields of innovation. It is a traditional metallurgical business, but then you open the box and inside you find it is a beehive of invention.”

76 | September 2021

Marketing Director Lucie said: “Innovation is a really important part of what we do with a lot of great work going on in our laboratories, which we showcase to our clients and explain how it could work for them. We constantly challenge ourselves, and seek to surprise and delight customers with design evolution that directly benefits their business.

“We constantly strive to find solutions and innovations that will bring significant benefits to the customer” “Organisations don’t just make kneejerk reactions to their systems. You have to understand the customer and that their mindset is ‘safety first’ – we pride ourselves on uncompromising safety, whether that is in the factory or on track.

“Every system provided by Pandrol is backed up by a program of research, development and testing that eliminates risk and is aimed at providing an improvement in safe and sustainable track performance.”

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There is a fine line in finding the balance between tradition and novelty, with John, Technical Director and Head of New Product Development, adding: “We constantly strive to find solutions and innovations that will bring significant benefits to the customer.

“We are passionate about working with railway operators, offering solutions that really help them maximise the time the trains are running. We do this by thinking holistically across manufacture, delivery, installation and lifetime maintenance of the railway – quicker, easier and safer.”

Never letting a good crisis go to waste Like most organisations, Pandrol – part of the Delachaux Group – has suffered through the global pandemic, with revenues slightly down but surprisingly resilient. It has also impacted colleagues and their families, with the company continuing to work hard to keep staff safe.

Making the most of the difficult situation, Eran said it has been heartening to see that the events of the past year have brought the whole organisation closer together, with colleagues supporting each other and collaborating better than ever.

“It is incredible to think that our factories continued to operate at nearly 100 per cent throughout the crisis and that is a tribute to all the operations and supervisory staff who have worked tirelessly and selflessly,” he said. railbusinessdaily.com

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

“As soon as we got past the initial crisis management, our management productivity has gone through the roof. We have tackled issues of significant importance and complexity and have been able to resolve them in a manner that we never would have thought possible at an impressive speed.”

Lucie said: “We all had to adapt quickly when lockdown struck. The IT department did a great job in making sure we could work from home and we have had a fantastic response from the workforce. They’ve been flexible, worked some very challenging hours and everyone has been really productive and supportive.”

Eran added: “I am truly grateful to the Pandrol team and the customers as well who continue to have the confidence in us to deliver.”

Diversity and inclusion During the discussion the trio are keen to talk about their passion to develop a more inclusive and diverse workforce. On gender imbalance, currently the company has only 13 per cent women in the workforce, something Eran, Lucie and John are all determined to change.

“There is not a role within Pandrol that is gender dependent, so we are having the conversations into what we can do to have a more diverse workforce,” said Eran.

“Studies actually show that doubling from where we are today to get to 25-30 per cent gender balance would lead to the company performing even better, delivering more profitability and more productivity because of the diversity in decision-making and thought processes.”

John added: “One of the actions is to look at female mentors, and investing time and thought into the recruitment process to insist with our recruiters on attracting more female applicants for all roles, but technical ones especially.

“I’ve been speaking to people in areas where the applicant ratio is good and speaking to new female recruits to try and get a better picture as to what we can do and what can be implemented in other areas of the business.”

To demonstrate the company’s commitment, earlier this year Pandrol joined the Women in Rail initiative and signed the Railway Industry Association Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Charter – an industry-wide commitment to build a more balanced, higher performing sector.

“I think it is an industry-wide issue, and for me it is about presenting those different roles better, creating better links with schools and universities and engaging with people at a younger age,” said Lucie, who after five thrilling years at

Pandrol forging the global brand, is leaving the company to join global rail consultants SYSTRA’s UK operations – departing as a valued contributor, a friend and an important future ally.

“It is something that we need to do together as an industry – similar to the Climate Change sustainability challenge and developing battery technology. We’ve joined some associations that I think will help to amplify the voice and help make the railways a career that more women aspire to.”

Bright future Concluding the discussion, all three are in agreement that the future looks both exciting and bright for Pandrol, with the organisation having an important role to play in shaping the UK and the global railway industry.

“Record levels of investment in innovation and capital expenditure that we’re putting into the plants is the vote of confidence not just in the future of the company, but also the future of the rail industry,” said Eran.

“We have our home markets, but in the months and years ahead we are going beyond our comfort zone as we look to expand and continue to invest in our journey to excellence.

That journey aims to develop our people’s skills, competence and confidence in serving our customers . This isn’t just going to improve them as individuals but will also help bring the company to the next level of performance.”

Visit www.pandrol.com for more details

railbusinessdaily.com

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September 2021 | 77

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

Bringing rail landmarks back to life After 12 years Andy Savage MBE is stepping down as Executive Director of The Railway Heritage Trust. He explains why the vacancy is an opportunity not to be missed t’s an organisation whose funding and expertise has made significant contributions to the railway – from the maintenance and restoration of station signage through to full refurbishments of some of our best-loved stations.

For the past 12 years Andy Savage MBE has been at the helm of The Railway Heritage Trust as its Executive Director – an organisation which supports, with grants, the conservation and restoration of historic railway building structures. It also acts as a catalyst between those owners and outside parties on conservation and re-use of the built railway heritage.

“I get great pleasure out of seeing derelict buildings restored and brought back into sustainable use, as well as the improvements to heritage features on the railway,” said Andy, who last year was awarded an MBE for services to the rail industry and heritage and for more than 50 years of volunteering with the Ffestiniog Railway.

“Even after all these years in the post, I still get a thrill at visiting completed projects where there was dereliction and is now a thriving enterprise that reveals and uses the wonderful built heritage resources of our railway. Just one example is the Maidenhead canopy, something that was just pieces of timber and iron which was put back together and is now a superb development.”

“As a body we do around 50 or 60 projects a year and I’ve done about half of those myself.

“It is the job that has everything – you are dealing with all sorts of people from the Chairman of Network Rail right through to the people on the frontline. Sometimes there are very high-profile events, while other times you might be stuffing envelopes, but it is all important work.

“The railway is not a museum, it is an operating system, so we’ve got to make the most out of its heritage” “There have been so many highlights including plaques for those awarded the Victoria Cross to mark the centenary of the Great War. We managed to get family of those to the unveiling and it was great seeing their reaction.”

Photo: Railway Heritage Trust

Half-century After more than five decades in the railways – including working on the Ffestiniog and at British Rail – Andy has decided to step down as Executive Director of The Railway Heritage Trust but is keen for a replacement who shares both his passion and enthusiasm.

“What I’ve enjoyed most has been actually being able to get things done,” he said.

Photo: Railway Heritage Trust

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Although rail heritage has always been an important part of Andy’s life on the railways, his career has taken him on many stops including time as a British Rail civil engineer, Director of Safety for one of the major contractors, and Deputy Chief Inspector of Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB).

“The role at The Railway Heritage Trust has certainly been different to my previous roles including at Carillion where I was Safety Director for 15-20,000 people. Here I am running a company with two people but I’m working at every level of the industry,” he said. “That is very stimulating to do. For me the priority has been about making the heritage serve the industry, not the other way around. The railway is not a museum, it is an operating system, so we’ve got to make the most out of its heritage.”

End of the line?

With the 70th birthday next year, now is the time that Andy wants to retire, although he still plans on helping out behind the scenes and will be involved in the Ffestiniog Railway.

“The Railway Heritage Trust is a highly valued, well-respected organisation and the role of Executive Director is a really great opportunity and a role I’d highly recommend,” he said. “I think the ideal candidate is someone who is able to work with people and you’ve got to have that drive and self-motivation and not be too worried about going to chairs and managing directors with alternative suggestions. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my journey and have worked with a small but fantastic team. It is time to move on, but this opens up a wonderful opportunity for someone else.” railbusinessdaily.com

Executive Director – Railway Heritage Trust Salary: £80K pa based on 4 days per week Contract: 2-year fixed term, extendable Location: Home-based, with travel throughout UK (estimated 2-3 days’ travel per week) Benefits: 28 days annual leave, Pension Britain’s railway heritage is the world’s richest. It includes a wide range of types of buildings and structures, many of which were first devised in this country to meet the needs of the new railways. Every style and material are represented in its architecture and engineering. This heritage is still growing with railway buildings completed as recently as 1966 have now been listed. The 681 railway buildings, structures and Ancient Monuments listed in 1985 in England, Scotland and Wales, has increased to over 1700 in the same period, while numerous parts of the railway estate fall within Conservation Areas. Along with churches and government departments, the railway industry is one of the most significant owners of historic premises and structures. Of particular interest is the extent to which the industry’s infrastructure is still in use for its original purpose.

Established in 1985, the Railway Heritage Trust (RHT) was set up to assist with the operational railway companies in the preservation and upkeep of listed buildings and structures, and in the transfer of non-operational premises and structures to outside bodies willing to undertake their preservation.

The RHT supports a wide range of projects each year, with a balance struck between buildings and structures, and

between large projects and small. The RHT currently delivers around 60 projects a year, with a turnover of some £2.7m pa.

The RHT believes that the need for a consistent and sustained focus on Britain’s historic railway premises and infrastructure is proved, and looks forward to continuing to work with like-minded partners in this rewarding field.

There is a now a fantastic opportunity for someone to lead the RHT as its Executive Director. You will be responsible for maintaining relationships with external parties, attracting funding contributions, and overseeing projects on the ground. One of the exciting parts of this role will be visiting the variety of projects that are taking place across the country, so you’ll need to be available to travel regularly.

Ideally, you’ll have a real passion for the railway and how we preserve and use this great legacy for the future. Knowledge of the railway industry would be beneficial but not essential, more importantly will be your excellent communication and influencing as stakeholder engagement will be key to this role.

Closing Date: 8th October 2021

To apply please send your CV to recruit@railwayheritagetrust.co.uk

IFnetaetrunraet i o n a l N e w s

E

tihad Rail has signed an agreement with Al Ghurair Iron & Steel (AGIS) to use the UAE National Rail Network to transport the steel producer’s product across the nation.

Etihad Rail will be transporting steel products from AGIS’s manufacturing facilities through the rail freight terminal in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD) to Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali in Dubai for exports.

Mohammed Al Marzouqi, Executive Director of Rail Relations Sector at Etihad Rail, said: “Our agreement with AGIS will facilitate the transport of its products through the UAE National Rail Network, connecting industrial hubs, exports points and commercial centres.

Abu Bucker Husain, Chief Executive Officer at AGIS, said: “Transporting steel coils by rail is both reliable and environmentally friendly, reducing both time and damage caused by road transport.

“Additionally, rail transport allows for shorter timeframes for import clearance of hot rolled steel coils. With such improvements in our supply chain, galvanised steel coils made in UAE will find a wider customer base.”

Knorr-Bremse to equip Alstom’s Citadis tramway platform for another five years

K

norr-Bremse and Alstom have extended their framework agreement of hydraulic brake systems for Citadis trams for another five years.

Having started in the last quarter of 2020, Knorr-Bremse is supplying braking as well as entrance systems for 69 Citadis LRVs. Most vehicles are destined to operate in Nantes, contributing to more available mobility and higher transport capacities.

Mark Cleobury, Member of the Management Board of KnorrBremse, said: “Knorr-Bremse has accompanied Alstom in the Citadis success story as major systems supplier for more than 20 years now. We are happy to extend this long-standing

Photo: Knorr Bremse

Etihad Rail partners with Al Ghurair Iron & Steel

partnership for another five years.”

Eric Tassilly, Managing Director at Knorr-Bremse France, said: “By equipping these low-floor vehicles

with our systems technologies, we are able to make a decisive contribution to modern, flexible and more available mobility in major of France’s urban centres.”

Etihad Rail completes excavation of Gulf’s longest rail tunnel

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tihad Rail – the developer and operator of the UAE National Rail Network – has completed the longest tunnel in the Gulf Region.

Running for 1.8km, the tunnel is part of Package D on Stage Two. Package D runs for 145km from Dubai and Sharjah, through the

Al Hajar Mountains, toward the emirate of Fujairah.

The package includes the construction of nine tunnels through the mountains at a cumulative length of 6.9km, and additionally includes 54 bridges and 20 animal crossings.

The achievement is a significant

step for the project’s development in 2021. The route passes through some of the most complex topographical areas in the construction of the network. Tunnel excavation required 300,000 working hours to complete, with over half a million tonnes of stone being removed during excavation.

ARE WE

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

Wabtec celebrates 1,000th modernised locomotive in the Americas

abtec has celebrated its 1,000th locomotive modernisation in North and South America. The milestone delivery to Norfolk Southern highlights the commercial and environmental success of Wabtec’s modernisation programme.

“This achievement is a testament to the value that our locomotive modernisation service provides to customers,” said Pascal Schweitzer, President of Wabtec Freight Services.

“Our modernisation programme breathes new life and technological advancements into customers’ ageing locomotives, while also reducing a railroad’s operating costs and carbon footprint.”

The company says modernisations revitalise older locomotives resulting in up to a 25 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency; more than a 40 per cent increase in

Photo: Wabtec

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reliability; up to a 55 per cent increase in haulage ability; and up to a 20 per cent reduction in maintenance, repair, and overhaul expenses.

The fuel efficiency benefits of these 1,000 locomotives have

reduced carbon emissions by more than 1.4 million tons since 2015.

That reduction is the equivalent of removing the emissions from 340,000 cars.

Norfolk Southern accounts for 500

of the 1,000 locomotives Wabtec has modernised. Each modernised locomotive in Norfolk Southern’s fleet reduces more than 500 tons of carbon emissions per year.

With rail already four times more fuel efficient at moving freight than trucking, the increased emission savings from locomotive modernisations further helps Norfolk Southern and its customers meet their sustainability targets.

“As a leading transportation provider, it is our responsibility to reduce our environmental impact,” said Tom Schnautz, Vice President – Advanced Train Control for Norfolk Southern. Our partnership with Wabtec is one way we plan to achieve our target of a 42 per cent reduction in emissions intensity by 2034. Wabtec’s program is maximizing thevalue of our locomotives, lowering operating costs, and reducing emissions.”

Alstom signs framework agreement worth €910 million

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lstom has been awarded a framework contract to supply Trenitalia with 150 Coradia Stream regional trains for a total value of around €910 million.

The trains will have a

maximum speed of 160km/h and will be equipped with stateof-the-art onboard equipment that ensures the highest levels of safety and first-rate passenger experience.

Michele Viale, General Manager

of Alstom Italy, said: “This agreement confirms the know-how and experience of Alstom, which provides state-of-the-art trains and railway technologies that are used around the world.

“This new generation of

trains represents the future of Italian regional rail transport.

We are proud to give impetus to a passenger-focused vision of green regional transport, in line with national objectives on the ecological transition.”

Mike SURVEY CONSULTANCY LTD Chartered Land and Engineering Surveyors

railbusinessdaily.com

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Putting the foundations in place DGP Infrastructure’s Managing Director David Pateman explains why the business has an exciting future

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or over three decades David Pateman has been heavily involved in the infrastructure, transportation, utilities, telecommunication and rail sector.

Formerly a Commercial Director at Balfour Beatty Major Projects, working with HS2; he is using his experience in the railways to help accelerate DGP Infrastructure Division’s growth.

“Despite being a relatively new company, we are already proving a big success in delivering robust logistical and civil engineering services to the infrastructure sector throughout the UK,” he said.

“We support businesses on all elements of civil engineering from large, city centre stations to minor civils works, ensuring that every project undertaken is delivered to the highest levels of health and safety and quality.”

David is supported by Operations Director Michael McMillan, who himself has been

involved in highways maintenance and construction activities for nearly two decades working for clients such as Highways England and Transport for London.

DGP Infrastructure provides construction and support services to the rail infrastructure sector throughout the UK. Our new Net Zero Mobilisation Hub takes full responsibility for your site establishment through the life of the project to help you become Net Zero.

Michael said: “DGP Infrastructure was formed in 2020 as part of the expansion of DGP Logistics PLC. It was established to meet the growing demand of civils projects while growing our existing client base.

“Already we have provided services for a number of big clients including Network Rail, Lendlease, Skanska and Galliford Try, working on prestigious projects such as Birmingham New Street Station, the Shard and Birmingham Airport.

“The key to the success is our commitment to deliver intelligent infrastructure solutions for projects throughout the UK – with our experienced team having the passion and knowledge to provide civil engineering solutions.”

Visit www.dgpinfrastructure.com for more details.

Accelerate your Net Zero Programme

DGP Infrastructure prides itself on innovative solutions and strong client care.

To find out what we can do for you, contact: David Pateman 020 8114 0307

82 | September 2021

david.pateman@dgpinfrastructure.com

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railbusinessdaily.com

You know we make troughing.

But our rail solutions don’t stop there.

When it comes to manufacturing concrete for the rail industry, Anderton go a lot further.

Our cost effective, bespoke concrete offering means a client’s very own concept can be both designed and built in-house at the Anderton factory.

With a proven track record for bespoke solutions, our experienced team has successfully completed projects this year for Feltham Resignalling, Werrington Separation, Durham Coast and Birmingham New Street to name but a few. What’s more, our own on-site mould manufacturing facilities ensures quicker lead-times, better availability and saves you time on site.

So, if you’re thinking bespoke, speak to Anderton.

Call 0333 234 3434 or visit www.andertonconcrete.co.uk

Rail Director Magazine_297x210mm A/W.indd 1

28/10/2020 17:51

Freight

Class 321 Swift Express Freight train ready for service RailDirector visits Wabtec’s Doncaster facility to see Eversholt Rail’s solution for transporting parcels around the UK

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surge in online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic has seen online retail sales in the UK increasing by more than 30 per cent from 2019 to 2020, totalling a staggering £99.3 billion. Some experts believe that another similar increase is due in 2021.

With roads increasingly congested, particularly in major cities, organisations in the rail industry are looking at how they can capitalise when it comes to deliveries – with speed, emissions and capacity among the advantages rail has over road.

The solution Eversholt Rail has unveiled the Class 321 Swift Express Freight train. The conversion began in early 2021, with the company supported by Ricardo and Wabtec, carrying out the works at Wabtec’s Doncaster facility. The conversion is now complete and the train is service ready.

“We are proud to see the first Swift Express Freight train completed and ready for service,” said Paul Sutherland, Client Services Director at Eversholt Rail.

“Collaborating with both Ricardo and Wabtec on this project has delivered a train that will demonstrate the potential for a cost-effective, low-carbon solution to meet the growing demand for home delivery of parcels around the UK and contribute towards the 2050 net zero emissions target.”

As part of the work, out came the seats – two were left at each end so that staff could be carried onboard to sort parcels on longer runs, or customer ‘overseers’ could be accommodated if required. Out came the carpets, interior partitions, toilets and interior heating. In went checkerplate floors and walls, tie-down points and sidewall fixings, and railings to protect both an exit route for the driver and the GSM-R radio installation, which remained in the interior – it can be moved if the customer wishes and will pay for all of the new cabling.

The result is a four-car train, with each carriage capable of carrying up to nine tonnes of cargo either in parcels in wheeled cages, retained by a newly installed moveable crossbeam system, or pallets securely strapped to the floor.

Team-building Jonathan Brown, Technical and Innovation Engagement Lead (Rail), Ricardo, said: “It’s been immensely enjoyable to be part of the Swift Express Freight team with Eversholt Rail and Wabtec.

High performance, low smoke, low toxicity, elastomer materials and components An extensive range of unique elastomer materials for Surface, Sub-Surface, Tunnel and Rolling Stock applications - all of which are tested & approved to EN45545-2 and many other certifications, including LUL S1085 compliance.

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84 | September 2021

innovative rubber solutions | j-flex.com

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Freight

“The project required significant collaboration between all stakeholders in order to successfully deliver a viable, low-carbon solution within the timescale.

“I can’t wait to see the vehicle in service and making a positive impact on sustainable logistics.”

Dubbed Swift Express, the new parcel carrier was unveiled to potential customers and RailDirector. The demonstrator was an example of what can be done.

The basic train is a four-car unit, based on trains being returned to Eversholt Rail by Greater Anglia as they come off lease. They can be coupled together to make eight or 12-car units.

An overhead electric traction package covers the main routes from London to the North and West. For a last mile capability, such as to run off the main line to a non-electrified freight distribution terminal, the train can be loco hauled.

New innovations However, a battery pack – meant solely for the ‘last mile’ operation of three or four miles maximum at 20mph – is under development to ensure the train is truly decarbonised and to remove the complication of coupling up to shunting locos.

Andy Derbyshire, Group Managing Director, of Wabtec UK, said: “It is great to see the recent efforts of our collaboration with Eversholt Rail and Ricardo come to fruition.

“Our team in Doncaster has done a superb job delivering this important milestone project and we look forward to seeing the train produce genuine carbon and cost reductions.”

Eversholt Rail believes that its customers will be the traditional freight operating companies, with the trains having to run to privately owned parcel terminals. However, there are quite a few of them with Marks & Spencer rail connected at its Castle Donington warehouse, as is Amazon at nearby East Midlands Airport, to name but two examples.

Our team in Doncaster has done a superb job delivering this important milestone project It isn’t just Eversholt that is exploring the idea of parcels and packages as a potential area for growth. Orion, part of the Rail Operations Group, recently showed off a converted Class 319 parcel carrier at London Euston station that had been converted at Eastleigh.

Karl Watts, Chief Executive Officer for Orion, said: “Orion High Speed Logistics represents a revolution in the way we deliver goods into city centres.

“Using converted, electrically powered passenger trains, Orion is able to deliver goods into terminal and other principal railway stations

where electric road vehicles complete the final mile transportation into city centres.

“The shift from road to rail transportation delivers economic, environmental and social benefits. Each eight-car train removes 24 dieselpowered vans from our roads thereby reducing congestion, lowering carbon emissions and improving inner city air quality.”

A bright future The Rail Innovation Group also recently published a report exploring the potential for expanding the use of the existing rail network to facilitate the faster and more sustainable delivery of smaller and medium sized parcels.

Speaking in a previous edition of RailDirector, The Rail Innovation Group’s Director Deb Carson, and Founder and Chair Liam Henderson, said: “As the UK recovers from the mobility and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no better way to support the government’s ambition to build back better than through the utilisation of one of our most valuable national assets –the railway network.”

Cleaner Engines Mean Less CO2

Blocked injectors at idle increase CO2 ouput by up to 20%* - where rail engines spend most time in and around stations & depots.

EcoClean™ HSDI is a fuel additive in widespread automotive use that cleans up & keeps engines clean, reducing CO2 emissions for Stations, Depots & Communities. EcoClean™ HSDI is used by a range of U.K. rail fleets including Scotland’s Railway reducing their emissions output by 3.6 million kg of CO2e per year. Visit fuelcare.com/ecoclean or email sales@fuelcare.com for more. * 20.62% MTU183TD ISO8178 Cycle F at Idle SOT vs. 200 hours running with EcoClean™ HSDI (Millbrook Leyland).

railbusinessdaily.com

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‘A clean and easy win for the rail industry to reduce CO2 emissions’

Oliver Rumford-Warr, Managing Director of Fuelcare Ltd, says now is the time to turn to fuel additives

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he drive towards low carbon and net zero targets has shifted the cost benefit of fuel additives to rail. They have become essential gateway products in making diesel engines an interim part of the solution – making best use of existing assets.

Leading the way on their use on the UK railways is Fuelcare Ltd, which is providing EcoClean™ HSDI – one of the world’s most powerful fuel detergents removing harmful engine deposits, improving fuel storage and combustion.

“There has been a trust issue with fuel additives in the past, but things have changed; I would urge organisations in the rail industry to take another look and act now,” said Oliver Rumford-Warr, Managing Director of Fuelcare.

“The fuel specifications have changed, and the engine emissions regulations have changed.

There is an overwhelming desire to reduce CO2 and technologies like fuel additives can fill that gap very quickly and easily without huge infrastructure.”

Reducing carbon emissions Fuel additives are designed to stop deposits building up in engines – these additives reduce carbon emissions by lowering fuel usage as well as supporting a cleaner combustion process.

“As diesel margins continue to tighten, fuel quality is often the first to suffer. Conversely modern engines designed to meet strict emission regulations require ever-higher quality diesel in order to maintain these standards,” said Oliver.

“Fuel additives can help bridge this gap but at the moment, while performance additives are widely used throughout the automotive industry, there remains relatively low uptake across the UK’s rail industry.

“This is despite the higher duty cycles expected of traction engines verses most cars, with the former typically running constantly for more than 12 hours per day.”

But this is starting to change. In pursuit of its greenhouse gas reduction objectives – and following the successful EcoClean HSDI rollouts

by Govia Thameslink Railway and Southwestern Railway – ScotRail started using EcoClean HSDI across its diesel stock in May after a successful study into its benefits.

86 | September 2021

Test cell dynamometer running ISO8178 Cycle F tests with EcoClean™ HSDI Fuel Detergent 2019-2020

Oliver said: “Rail organisations are starting to see the benefits of using the fuel additives to return engine performance to a ‘like-new’ status.

“The diesel additive – manufactured by Innospec Ltd – cleans engine injectors and fuel systems, therefore improving combustion, reducing fuel usage and lowering air pollutants.

This is vital when you think that in 2019-2020 alone freight trains consumed a total of 172 million litres of diesel, with passenger rail also seeing an increase.

“Engineers in the rail sector should take another look at fuel additives, look at the data and look at who is using the products in the industry” “A lot has changed in the past five to 10 years and engineers in the rail sector should take another look at fuel additives, look at the data and look at who is using the products in the industry.”

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In the case of the ScotRail study, the train operator supplied an MTU183TD engine from a Class 170 and a CumminsNT855 from a Class 158 for intensive testing at the world-leading, independent research facility Milbrook Leyland, from January to June 2019.

“The resulting data showed not only clear performance improvements during the tests, but also indicated that these improvements could be reliably maintained with the use of EcoClean HSDI,” said Oliver. “The data also revealed that the additive particularly enhanced engine performance at maximum and minimum loads, where rail engines spend most of their time in service.

“Translating the data into real-world benefits, the results showed that by using EcoClean HSDI, ScotRail’s diesel fleet would benefit from a 3.06 per cent reduction in energy usage, equating to a reduction of CO2 emissions totalling 3,676,000kg per year. These emission savings include 3,631,600kg of CO2, 3,760kg of methane, and 41,020kg of nitrous oxide.”

Electronic dosing system Addressing the dosing challenges, ScotRail has employed Fuelcare’s electronic dosing system that allows the depot to dose using Internet of Things (IoT) enabled monitoring and control.

It is phased to ensure a gradual, more effective engine clean-up across the fleet. railbusinessdaily.com

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

Damian Keaveney, Head of Environment at ScotRail, said: “The results of the EcoClean trial were clear. By using this additive in our fuel we can continue to reduce carbon emissions while making use of our diesel fleet.

“Diesel trains remain central to our service and while we work towards decarbonisation, it is essential they remain as clean and efficient as possible. The Fuelcare electronic EcoClean dosing system put into action this May represents one part of the many-branched approach we are using to balance the needs of our customers, our organisation and our commitment to reducing greenhouse gases.”

As well as success with the likes of ScotRail enhancing the reputation and credibility of fuel additives, Oliver also hopes the introduction of Great British Railways will enable a uniform approach to transitional decarbonisation strategies, such as fuel additives, by making consistent industry-wide dosing a possibility.

He said: “The drive towards low carbon and net zero targets has shifted the cost benefit of fuel additives. They have become essential gateway products in making diesel engines an interim part of the solution.

“Cost, operational complexity and logistics are some of the key factors which have historically prevented fuel additives reaching their ‘tipping point’ in the UK’s rail industry. The introduction of Great British Railways therefore enables a uniform approach to transitional decarbonisation strategies such as fuel additives, by making consistent industry-wide dosing a possibility.

“We’re also looking at synthetic hydrocarbons as well in the background for later on, but at the moment, additives are a very nice, clean, easy win for the industry.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for technologies like additives to be used on a national scale.

Installation of EcoClean™ HSDI fuel detergent dosing systems at a diesel fuelling depot in Scotland 2021.

“At Fuelcare we can apply the dosing technology and the tanks very quickly. There’s not a huge number of major diesel rail depots that don’t have our kit and it wouldn’t take long to install.

“As Great British Railways takes the industry reins, particularly where decarbonisation is concerned, we might see more operators encouraged to embrace this technology, among others, in future.”

The case for fuel additives in diesel-only engines is strong, but there are also greener hybrid engines and the impact of biodiesel blending to consider.

Engine maintenance The fact that diesel fuel may sit unused for longer periods in hybrid engines means that they are in as much need of engine-maintaining, fuel stabilising additives as their single-source counterparts.

In automotive hybrid engines it is the accepted reality that diesel stored in the tank ages and oxidises more quickly, leading to increased deposits before, during and after combustion.

Equally – although harder to evaluate given varying fuel feedstocks and their origins – the blending of biodiesel in diesel fuel has shown increased water content, microbiological growth and, again, further fuel deposition.

Oliver concluded: “While the end is arguably in sight for diesel traction, it’s not here yet, so what can the industry do in the meantime? How can the newly formed Great British Railways move towards decarbonisation while making the best of what it has today?

“Fuel additives have long demonstrated their value in the automotive industry and now with climate change obligations and dosing systems that harness IoT technology, the UK’s rail industry is in a prime position to take advantage of these immediately available gateway products.

“While work continues apace to reach those all-important targets, diesel trains can continue to play the role they have played all along; helping people, and the industry in this case, reach its destination.”

Abellio ScotRail test cell dynamometer running ISO8178 Cycle F tests with EcoClean™ HSDI fuel detergent 2019-2020. Injector before and after photos. railbusinessdaily.com

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September 2021 | 87

Directory

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Recruitment specialist Coyle Rail is one of the largest suppliers in the UK. The company offers everything from weekend supply to a fully managed service. info@coyles.co.uk www.coyles.co.uk 020 8861 3000

Ford & Stanley Executive Search specialises in retained permanent and executive interim opportunities at the highest level of organisational leadership and management across the rail, digital and general manufacturing sectors.

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Jobson James Rail is a national specialist railway insurance broker, the market leader in the UK by a huge margin with over 325 rail clients across the UK, Middle East and Australasia. keven.parker@jjrail.co.uk jjrail.co.uk 07816 283949

Kelly Rail is a principal contractor to all major UK industry service providers, specialising in multi-disciplinary solutions including, telecommunications, SISS, signalling, M&E, lineside civils and electrification HV & LV. info@kellyrail.co.uk www.kelly.co.uk 0208 424 0909

We are an engineering solutions business. From the simple to the most complex of projects, we provide solutions across the widest range of temporary works. info@mabeyhire.co.uk www.mabeyhire.co.uk 0845 741 3040

Naturally Wild Consultants’ expert team of experienced ecologists offer ecological services at any stage of a project, from feasibility and advice through to planning, consultation and implementation. hello@naturallywild.co.uk naturallywild.co.uk 0800 999 6636

Pre Metro Operations works with UK transport companies and investors to provide low-cost light rail solutions that connect communities across the West Midlands.

Future-proofed. Green. Reliable. Award-winning. info@premetro.org www.premetro.co.uk 01384 441325

Radius is a service orientated plant installation, contract lift and tower crane hire solutions provider. Our service is not about what we do; it is all about what you need. info@radiusgroup.co.uk www.radiusgroup.co.uk 01604 62 28 65

RMF is a leading provider of reservation based international settlement and clearing services providing solutions for sophisticated revenue and cost allocations including analytical tools. david.hiscock@rmf.co.uk www.rmf.co.uk 020 7042 9961

Zonegreen’s SMART Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPSTM) delivers the highest level of staff safety whilst maintaining a productive working environment within rail depots worldwide. info@zonegreen.co.uk www.zonegreen.co.uk 0114 2300822

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Movers and Shakers

Atkins appoints new digital lead for transportation

Photo: Atkins

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tkins has appointed Kelly Burdall as Digital Programme Director for its Transportation division, responsible for improving the way technology and data is harnessed to increase the predictability of project delivery.

Kelly joins Atkins from Connect Plus Services – the Balfour Beatty, Atkins, Egis joint venture that operates and maintains the M25 – where, as Head of Performance and Quality, she drove business improvement with a focus on lean management and digital transformation. Prior to this, Kelly held management roles at Atkins and Mouchel.

Kelly said: “As the UK looks to build back better and prepare for a

net zero future, we need to seize the opportunity that digital technology and data brings, recognising that we can and must do better as an industry.

“I now look forward to helping our clients across the full engineering lifecycle, from our

digital designs to bringing new insights from data to intelligent operations. By creating structured data representations of the physical asset we will be able to increase the predictability of project delivery while also increasing the whole life value of assets.”

New Managing Director for Unipart Rail

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nipart Rail has announced that Neil McNicholas is the company’s new Managing Director.

With more than 35 years of rail experience and senior executive roles – previously Managing Director at both Freightliner and DRS and, having been a customer of Unipart Rail – Neil fully understands

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the value the organisation brings to the rail industry and also the challenges faced.

He said: “Unipart Rail is a great business and I am extremely delighted to have joined the team at a time I see as being really key in taking the business forward.

“The rail industry has been affected as a result of the

pandemic yet, what we have seen is collaboration, resilience and capabilities which are a solid base to build back better. Yes there are lots of challenges, but out of adversity comes opportunity.

“I look forward to steering Unipart Rail over the coming years to achieve its true potential and help the industry become great again.”

Go-Ahead Group strengthens senior management team

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he Go-Ahead Group has announced t wo appointments to strengthen its senior management team.

David Statham, who has been Managing Director of Southeastern since 2014, will be moving to a new role in the group’s executive team as Go-Ahead’s Strategy Director.

He will play a key role in overseeing business strategy across rail, bus and public transport, including Go-Ahead’s response to the climate crisis.

Taking on the leadership of Southeastern will be Steve White, currently Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), who has more than two decades’ experience in management across UK and international rail businesses.

Both appointments will be effective from October 2021.

David Brown, Group Chief Executive, said: “These are changes that will strengthen Go-Ahead going forward as we rebuild passenger numbers following the pandemic, play a part in the restructuring the UK rail industry and proceed with plans to decarbonise our business.”

September 2021 | 89

Movers and Shakers

ransport Secretary Grant Shapps has appointed Tom Harris as a Non-Executive Director to the High Speed 2 (HS2) Limited Board.

Tom has been appointed for a three-year term. He has been a Non-Executive Director on the HS2 Ltd Board since July 2020 and was appointed as a community engagement leader to strengthen the company’s focus on community engagement, further ensuring that those impacted by HS2 continue to be listened to.

Tom, a former parliamentarian, was also a member of the Expert Challenge Panel supporting the government’s independent review of the railway industry, which recently resulted in the publication of the government’s plan to transform the railways in Great Britain, the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail.

He said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed to the HS2 Ltd Board. I’ve enjoyed being a part of this project over the past year, helping to strengthen the company’s focus on community engagement and ensure everyone impacted by the new railway feels they are being listened to and treated with respect.

The process to appoint a new Chair of HS2 Ltd is under way, following Allan Cook’s departure on 31 July 2021.

A

former apprentice has this month started as the new Chief Executive at Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Tim Balcon has led professional and membership bodies, the most notable being as Chief Executive at the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, where he transformed its vision and performance, leading to year-onyear growth.

Tim started his CEO journey back in 1999 as CEO of The Gas and Water National Training Organisation, leading a fledgling

organisation from £400,000 turnover to over £7 million in

three years. He started out from a mining town in South Yorkshire as an apprentice service engineer with British Gas in the early 1980s, where he spent his early career.

He said: “As a former apprentice I know how much having the right skills at a young age can transform your whole career and support your employer. That’s why I’m so passionate about skills and am thrilled to be joining the team at CITB to help many more people join the construction sector and to have long and fulfilling careers within it.”

Appointments strengthen LRSSB Board

T

wo senior figures from the light rail sector have been appointed to the board of the organisation responsible for strengthening safety standards across the UK’s tram and metro systems.

As Non-Executive Directors representing operators, Clive Pennington and Colin Kerr bring a wealth of experience to the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board (LRSSB). Both Colin and Clive were elected to the LRSSB board at a recent meeting, and the organisation’s Chief Executive Carl Williams said the appointments mark another significant step forward for the organisation.

“Light rail is already one of the safest modes of transport, but to

Photo: LRSSB

T

New Chief Executive for CITB

Photo: CITB

Tom Harris joins the HS2 Ltd Board

continue building on the excellent work that’s already been done to drive up standards, we need to have broad representation from the sector at the highest levels of our organisation,” he said.

“Both Colin and Clive have a proven track record of delivering complex tramway projects and

have demonstrated a commitment to safety over many years. Their appointments will further strengthen the LRSSB team, providing additional experience and expert oversight as we embark on a wide range of projects to enhance light rail safety and set new standards across the sector.”

Transport for the North makes two senior appointments

T

ransport for the North (TfN) has welcomed two senior and experienced figures to two key leadership positions. Martin Tugwell has joined as TfN Chief Executive, while Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, is Acting Chair.

Together, they will lead the Sub-national Transport 90 | September 2021

Body and its Board through a number of opportunities and key activities in the coming months, including the upcoming Spending Review, development of Northern Powerhouse Rail to the next business case stage, and the publication of TfN’s Decarbonisation Strategy and Freight and Logistics Strategy.

Martin said: “This is a really

exciting time to join Transport for the North and it’s an honour to take up the position of Chief Executive.

“There are many opportunities in the months and years ahead, and my focus is on ensuring we implement TfN’s vision of a thriving region, with sustainable transport connections that enable growth for our people and businesses.

“With vital strategic projects

already under way, including our pioneering Decarbonisation Strategy and transformational Northern Powerhouse Rail network, the North is well placed to meet our ambitions.

“I look forward to working with our regional leaders and government to make transport more accessible, inclusive and sustainable as part of the wider levelling up agenda.” railbusinessdaily.com

Movers and Shakers

GRAHAM appointment drives FIR strategy

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GRAHAM’s Managing Director for Civil Engineering, Leo Martin, said: “As Head of EDI, Hollie will be influential in supporting our recruitment, employment, learning and development and training processes here at GRAHAM. Her vast breadth of experience in a variety of sectors will be a great asset for us as we strive to reinforce our position as a leading employer for fairness and inclusion.”

Hollie said: “I’m delighted to be joining GRAHAM and taking the next step in my career with one of the UK’s oldest, most experienced and highly respected construction and civil engineering companies. This is a fantastic opportunity for me to work with the organisation’s stakeholders to shape our EDI strategy and make a real difference for our people.

I’m looking forward to bringing my expertise to the role and I cannot wait to get started.”

Photo: Graham

onstruction and civil engineering specialist GRAHAM has appointed a new Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion as part of its aim to be an industry leader for Fairness, Inclusion and Respect (FIR).

Hollie Cregan’s appointment will bolster GRAHAM’s comprehensive, specialist and practical inclusion and diversity expertise, offering strategic, tactical and operational advice and solutions across the company. GRAHAM has given a clear commitment, and is taking a stand, to ensure that the organisation continues to be a fair and inclusive workplace where everyone is respected – being a great place to work so that it is always a great place to do business with.

Hollie joins GRAHAM from VolkerWessels UK, where she was Head of EDI for almost four years, and brings significant experience

in the civil engineering, highways and rail sectors. She is a member of the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), with a Level 4 qualification in Managing Equality and Diversity. In addition to this, she is also a Network Rail diversity and inclusion champion, STEM and FIR ambassador and sits on the board of governors at her local primary school.

MacRail Systems expands Board of Directors

M

acRail Systems has appointed Adam Crago as Operations Director.

Adam has been with the company for more than 11 years and has been at the forefront of the company’s operations development for much of that time.

MacRail Systems Managing Director Tim Westwood said: “Adam has been an invaluable member of the team throughout his career with us but has taken on an even more significant role since the business was purchased from the previous owners.

“Adam’s experience and knowledge of both our company and the rail industry brings a great strength to our business and I am delighted to see him joining the board and driving the company forward.”

CIVIL ENGINEERING | RAILWAY ELECTRIFICATION | PERMANENT WAY | COMMUNICATIONS | AIRPORTS AND STATIONS

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September 2021 | 91

Industry Spotlight

Cleaning up the railways Emilia Ferenc, Managing Director of Perfect Clean, explains the important role the company has to play in keeping trains clean and on the go

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t’s more important than ever that train carriages are clean and hygienic. Putting the industry on the right track is established Scottish and North of England cleaning specialist Perfect Clean.

Managing Director Emilia Ferenc formed the company in 2013, initially to service Royal Scotsman – with the company fully cleaning and preparing the iconic luxury overnight train between journeys.

Such has been the success and growth of its reputation that seven years later the company has expanded its offering with the likes of Hitachi Rail also putting its trust in Perfect Clean as the go-to train cleaning experts.

“I am incredibly proud of the growth of the organisation and the fact this has happened because of recommendations and due to our reputation for affordable excellence,” said Emilia.

“We were first appointed to deliver a set specification/shift pattern of cleaning tasks for The Royal Scotsman – with only a three-hour turnaround providing a five-star cleaning of 10 carriages inside and outside.

“Once or twice per year the train is also getting a hand polish using the most innovative machines making sure the outside look is well maintained. We also provide an onboard team that cleans Royal Scotsman during each journey and keeps the train in sparkling condition.”

COVID-secure The company’s specialist train cleaning team has undertaken extensive training in enhanced COVID-secure cleaning procedures to ensure passengers and staff are safe and comfortable, both in the carriage and on the platform.

Emilia said: “It is more important than ever that train carriages are clean and hygienic, which is why we ensure our staff are well trained and are equipped with the best equipment.

“During the pandemic we have invested thousands of pounds in fog machines, steam cleaners and ATP Sanitation Monitoring Systems.

“The coronavirus pandemic has been posing a huge challenge to operations, but we’ve been determined to make it through from the beginning and playing our part in helping new and existing clients to keep their spaces clean and COVID-secure.”

92 | September 2021

At the heart of Perfect Clean’s success is a passion to keep clients and employees safe.

Emilia is proud of the company’s exemplary record – working an average of 65,000 hours per year with no major health and safety or RIDDOR incidents in its seven-year operating history.

“We are members of Citation Platform – Atlas, all training and health and safety regulations are getting updated on a daily basis to make sure we can prevent and react as quickly as possible to any challenges,” she said.

‘We’re well-versed in what it takes to keep the rail network on track and know how to maintain an excellent level of cleanliness’ As well as a long-term partnership with Belmond’s Royal Scotsman, the organisation also delivers comprehensive cleaning services to the office spaces, depot areas and training Advertorial

carriages located in Hitachi’s Craigentinny Train Maintenance Centre in Edinburgh.

Emilia said: “We’re well-versed in what it takes to keep the rail network on track and know how to maintain an excellent level of cleanliness in hightraffic areas like trains and platforms.

“Our services include everything from surface cleaning and disinfection, through to station cleaning and hazard clean-ups.

“To ensure we deliver a rail cleaning service that meets the industry’s needs, we offer flexibility in the time of day we work, and we also train our cleaners to work to quick turnaround times.

“At the time the industry needs to be at its cleanest, we have the expertise and experience to ensure it is both a safe, five-star environment for passengers and staff alike.”

Other services Perfect Clean also offers bio cleaning and steaming, carpet and upholstery cleaning and daily services. It can provide a rapidresponse team of well-trained technicians to rail accidents and COVID-19 outbreaks, who are accredited by the National Academy of Crime Scene Cleaners (NACSC).

Visit www.perfectcleanltd.co.uk for more details.

railbusinessdaily.com

A n d F i n a l l y. . .

Momentous restoration of beloved locomotive The oldest surviving ‘Black Five’ class locomotive returns to service on Strathspey Railway after an absence of nearly three decades

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A born survivor 5025 is the oldest surviving ‘Black Five’ – the sixth built out of 842 – and has been put back to 1934 condition. It was delivered to Perth Motive Power Depot when new and worked on the Strathspey line until late 1935.

“It first ran on Wednesday 5 September in 1934 with the 1212 ex Perth for Inverness and has always been considered a Scottish engine,” said Paul.

“Such is its historical value, this locomotive was in steam on the last day of British Rail steam working on 11 August 1968 and the 5025 was involved in the first incident of the Second World War involving fatalities.

“It survived when it collided with another train at Bletchley in Buckinghamshire in 1939.”

Fundraising began in 2002, when the Watkinson Trust – which looks after the locomotive – began to consider the possibility of restoration. In 2011 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant of £50,000 which, with funds already raised, meant work could start.

94 | September 2021

Photo: Pearl Blount

new chapter has started in the history of the oldest surviving ‘Black Five’ thanks to an incredible restoration costing £520,000.

The return to service of LMS 5025 on the Strathspey Railway in August after its major overhaul is the result of several years of fundraising and engineering work.

“This is a story of endeavour, enthusiasm, thousands of hours of effort and sheer determination,” said Project Manager Paul Blount, who has praised everyone who has put time and money into the project.

“People said it couldn’t be done with our lack of facilities, manpower and finance and, despite much additional work making many new parts and restoring/refurbishing other components, it worked perfectly first time. That is almost unheard of in preservation.

“It really is a story of engineering achievement and due credit must be given to the Strathspey Railway’s Workshop Foreman, Nathan Lightowler, whose expertise, knowledge, skill and dedication has made it all possible.”

Further money was pledged by the Strathspey Railway Company, the Strathspey Railway Association, the Strathspey Railway Trust, covenanters and individuals – including two legacies, free labour by volunteers and some donations of materials.

This is a story of endeavour, enthusiasm, thousands of hours of effort and sheer determination Paul said: “The locomotive was purchased from British Rail in 1968 by WEC (Ted) Watkinson for use on the Strathspey Railway and after his death the Watkinson Trust was set up to manage and

caretake the locomotive and Ted’s other railway artefacts, and to fundraise major overhauls.”

Back in time 5025 returned to service in August and is due to continue throughout the rest of the season hauling trains on the 10-mile heritage line that runs between Aviemore and Broomhill in Scotland.

Paul concluded: “I am immensely proud that 5025 is back in service, particularly as we return to business after the difficulties of the last year with the coronavirus pandemic, and especially as we mark 40-plus years of steam rail travel in the Highlands of Scotland.

“I can’t thank enough everyone who has played a part in the restoration and I hope we can all enjoy the locomotive for many years to come.”

Visit www.strathspeyrailway.co.uk

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