Rail Director May 2022

EXCLUSIVELY FOR RAIL INDUSTRY LEADERS May 2022

Angie Doll GTR’s chief operating officer Andrew Barnes Finding alternatives to coal Luisa Moisio World Congress on Railway Research Karl Gilmore Transforming travel across South Wales

STEPHEN MACCALLAUGH Gatwick Express: Back for good

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Introduction

Onwards and upwards A

very warm welcome to the latest edition of Rail Director. There is more than a hint of excitement in the railway air as Transport for London has announced when the Elizabeth line will be opening.

It’s been a long time coming, but the project is a fantastic feat of engineering and we should celebrate the opening and congratulate everyone who has been involved in its construction.

To put Crossrail into context, it is more than 100km long with new trains operating in 42km of new tunnel and track under central London. I can’t wait until I’m able to travel on the line from May 24, and I’ll be sure to take a moment to appreciate all the hard work.

This month has also been all go at the Business Daily Group. Fresh from the announcement that Chris Leech MBE will become our new managing director in June, I am delighted to welcome Richard Clinnick as our new editor of Inside Track, which will soon be going monthly.

When we created Rail Business Daily a few years ago, our ambition was to gather around us the most reputable journalists and creative talent in the rail industry. Richard’s appointment is the latest step in that process, and led by industry stalwart Nigel Wordsworth, I’m really excited for the future of magazines Inside Track and Rail Director, as well as our online platforms Rail Business Daily and Rail Insider.

I hope you’ll agree that this month’s Rail Director is filled to the brim with interesting, insightful features from those leading lights in the rail industry.

I’ve spoken many times about a return to normality post-pandemic and that has been highlighted by our cover feature, an interview with Gatwick Express general manager Stephen MacCallaugh about the return of services after two years.

But there are still challenges to be overcome for the rail industry. Particularly the heritage railways, with lump coal supplies running out. Andrew Barnes, managing director of Bure Valley Railway, has spoken to us about taking the lead to find alternatives to coal.

This time of the year is always great for me as there are lots of events happening, offering a chance to catch up with friends old and new. As I write this Railtex has just taken place, the annual Women in Rail Awards will take place later this month (where I’m honoured to be a judge) and in June the World Congress on Railway Research is on its way to the UK. You can read more about the latter in our interview with the organisation’s chair Luisa Moisio, who urges the UK rail industry to grasp the opportunities of welcoming experts from all over the world to Birmingham.

Please don’t hesitate to engage with us. We want to continue to be a force for good in the rail industry as well as being better for business – creating a strong and vibrant community that connects people and organisations. We will always be an advocate for positive change in the industry supporting innovation and new technology. Enjoy the latest magazine and hopefully speak soon.

Please don’t hesitate to engage with us. We want to continue to be a force for good in the rail industry

Best wishes

Da vid

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

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May 2022 | 3

Contents

Gatwick Express: Back for good

5

After two years of silence, it’s time to make a noise about the return of services running non-stop between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria

News

8

Transforming travel across South Wales

10

Work is picking up pace on the transformation that will enable faster and more frequent services between Cardiff and the heads of the valleys

46

Volunteer cadets making a difference to railway communities

48

Railway Mission chaplain Mike Roberts’ way with words has put him near the top of the list for organisations to contact when support is needed. This month he gets his teeth into a quarterly column in Rail Director

Sergeant Tony Freeman on the British Transport Police initiative giving young people the powers to keep everyone safe on the UK’s railway

World Congress on Railway Research on its way to the UK

14

The organisation’s chair Luisa Moisio has urged the UK rail industry to grasp the opportunities of welcoming experts and leaders from all over the world to Birmingham

SLCO lands ‘The Honeybourne Hoover’ 50 and ‘Ore No More’ as its first charter Birmingham-based train operator takes the helm for the Hanson & Hall / Branch Line Society’s 400-mile Class 50 adventure

Building up steam

18

Delivering a better railway under the new National Rail Contract

24

Andrew Barnes, managing director of Bure Valley Railway, on taking the lead to find alternatives to coal

GTR’s new operations chief, Angie Doll, discusses the need for the industry to adapt quickly to changes in customer behaviours and expectations

RISQS: Delivering both value and benefit to the railway

Why mental health shouldn’t be like pulling teeth

30

Members of the Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS) gathered in Coventry recently for the organisation’s second ‘annual’ conference

Boosting passenger confidence using VR technology innovation

36

Building a culture of trust

40

Bringing rail safety to the front and centre of people’s minds

42

Ensuring good ideas don’t fall at the last hurdle

44

Passengers can explore a dozen East Anglia railway stations from the comfort of their own homes. Greater Anglia’s Rebecca Richardson and Virtual Tours Experts Neil Henderson explain more Melissa Marcellin, HR manager at Colas Rail, discusses the need to work collaboratively for industry EDI change

The founder of Rail Safety Week, Alan Tarrant, says this year’s event will celebrate rail safety heroes

The Railway Industry Association has launched a new strategy to harness innovation in the sector

Connecting, growing and inspiring

52

Muslims in Rail has recently celebrated its 100th recorded event since its inception. Arcadis senior project manager Hasan Ahmed explains more

25,000 rail industry staff trained to save lives

58

New hybrid locomotive on its way to the UK from 2025

63

Building the UK’s longest railway viaduct

65

International News

68

Working together to make the railway as safe as possible

71

More than one in five in the railway industry have the skills to identify and help vulnerable people to safety thanks to a partnership with Samaritans

GB Railfreight says the new trains could save 585,000 tonnes of carbon a year

Rail Director has been on site to see HS2’s production of 1,000 enormous concrete segments that will form the deck of the Colne Valley viaduct

RBD Community has brought together members and industry specialists for its Rail Safety and Infrastructure event. The group’s head, Eli Rees-King, explains how it went

Movers

74

Return of the refurbished Pendolinos

78

Avanti West Coast’s £117 million investment is the UK’s biggest ever train upgrade

Tel: 0800 046 7320 Sales: 020 7062 6599 Managing Editor Nigel Wordsworth nigel@rbdpublications.com Editor Danny Longhorn Designer/Production Manager Chris Cassidy Production Editor James Jackaman Director of Marketing Rachael Dean Subscriptions Danielle Burwood Advertising Team Christian Wiles – chris@rbdpublications.com Freddie Neal – freddie@rbdpublications.com Elliot Gates – elliot@rbdpublications.com Amy Hudson – amy@rbdpublications.com Published by RailBusinessDaily.com Ltd. 15 Mariner Court, Calder Park, Wakefield WF4 3FL Printed by Stephens & George © 2022 All rights reserved. Reproduction of the contents of this magazine in any manner whatsoever is prohibited without prior consent from the publisher.

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People

Gatwick Express: Back for good

After two years of silence, it’s time to make a noise about the return of services running non-stop between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria

G

atwick Express has now resumed its non-stop service to support the recovery of Gatwick Airport and the South East economy.

Services, which returned in April, were first suspended in March 2020 as the pandemic took hold and passenger numbers at Gatwick Airport tumbled. But with the removal of travel restrictions this March, an increase in passenger numbers and the airport’s Southern Terminal now open again, the Gatwick Express team are already looking ahead to tackle the busy summer travel season.

Gatwick Express, operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) along with Thameslink, Great Northern and Southern, is now operating with two Gatwick Express services running non-stop between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria.

Station improvement The service previously ran with four trains an hour but the ongoing upgrade of Gatwick Airport railway station continues to limit the number of platforms available, with platforms 5 and 6 closed for widening. The station is being rebuilt to improve accessibility, reduce passenger congestion and cut delays for commuters and leisure travellers using the Brighton Mainline.

These works will be completed in March 2023.

Mondays to Saturdays inclusive, all Gatwick Express trains are timetabled to run non-stop between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport, then run through non-stop to Brighton. Peaktime weekday services will also call additionally at Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Hassocks and Preston Park.

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May 2022 | 5

People

The services did resume on weekdays in December 2021 before being curtailed two weeks later due to Christmas engineering work and then the impact of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Having faced a difficult two years, Stephen MacCallaugh, the general manager of Gatwick Express, is pleased about the return to business as usual.

‘Back for good’ Stephen said: “It has been a difficult couple of years but we’re absolutely delighted that we’re back and back for good. We had that little bit of hope back in December, and there was a lot of excitement around coming back in time for the winter, and then we planned to be back in time for the May timetable change but to be back even sooner shows the direction of travel in which the industry, passenger numbers and aviation are heading.

“There’s been a lot of work going on behind the scenes of course to make sure that we were in a great place when services resumed and that there could be a smooth transition. That work wasn’t just on the operations side but the customer side of things regarding what the changes to the service look like, as well as rebuilding brand awareness as we get our name back out there. There’s been two years of us being quite silent but now we’re back to support people with their travel plans as we head towards the summer. We have a great team and many within our business have supported us to get back up and running.”

We are still living in a somewhat different world to that experienced pre-pandemic and there is a lot of focus around providing returning passengers with high levels of reassurance and confidence that choosing Gatwick Express is the right travel choice.

6 | May 2022

Stephen said: “We have more of a fight on our hands than we have ever had. Pre-pandemic the industry banked on customers really being there on tap but one of the lessons that we’ve all learned is we need to fight for our customers and provide them with a reason to come back and then stay with us.

Gatwick Express returning provides such a big boost for the economy around Gatwick and the local area “Providing reassurance plays a big part, as it has throughout COVID. We learned a lot of lessons in terms of how we ready our trains, present them, and made advancements in our cleaning operations, in addition to being there to support customers with getting from A to B, and arriving safely at their locations. So we’ve put that learning into practice and will take these approaches forward in our business, across Gatwick Express and GTR.” These new cleaning measures include the continued use of a long-lasting viricide that kills coronavirus for weeks at a time. In March, GTR re-treated its 20,000th train and, throughout the pandemic, the viricide was applied to all 2,700 carriages in the Great Northern, Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink fleet and they are regularly re-treated to keep them that way.

GTR has also treated its 235 stations over 7,000 times, while trains that are air-conditioned also refresh the air on board every six to nine minutes, giving passengers returning to rail the added confidence they are protected from the virus.

Stephen added: “We’re also supporting passengers in their choices to wear face coverings and for people not to feel strange wearing them. There is still a lot of work to do to make people feel safe on rail.”

Economic powerhouse Pre-COVID, Gatwick was the single biggest driver of economic growth in the region, delivering £2.7 billion of economic activity and 71,000 direct and indirect jobs. As a gateway to the UK for 5.5 million overseas visitors each year before the pandemic, it was estimated that visitors through Gatwick spent 9.7 million nights in the South East including seaside towns such as Brighton, bringing a significant economic boost to local hotels, visitor attractions, restaurants and shops. So that economic boost as Gatwick Express returns to business is widely welcomed.

Stephen said: “Gatwick Express returning provides such a big boost for the economy around Gatwick and the local area. Gatwick and Crawley are big employers for the aviation industry and our services help people get to and from work and commute to and from Brighton and London. That connectivity and reliability of service is really important. People have changed their travel patterns as working from home continues but more and more people are starting to go back to the workplace. We will continue to play a massive part in that and to drive people towards sustainable transport options. Rebuilding customer confidence is a key aspect of rebuilding the economy.”

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People

There was no stride broken in the upgrade works at Gatwick Airport, which remain on schedule. The project is being managed by Network Rail in partnership with the Department for Transport and GTR. Gatwick Airport Ltd and Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership are co-funding the project with £37 million and £10 million respectively. The project is being delivered by Costain.

Upgrade in progress Stephen said: “One of the shining lights through the pandemic is that the project team were able to keep that running and on-track for completion this time next year. Work continued safely throughout the restrictions, which is incredible and a real positive. The work can be seen to be coming out of the ground now: the eight new escalators are already on the platforms in readiness for the new deck coming in at the station and the refurbishment of the existing concourse is in full flight.

“There are some big changes within our industry in terms of Great British Railways and national contracts for rail, but getting back up and running with Gatwick and14:10:59 the 2205 RBD Half Page AD.pdf Express 1 04/05/2022 return of non-stop services reconnecting us

More room: How the new concourse at Gatwick Station will look once completed

with London and Brighton is the first big step, then moving on to the completion of Gatwick Airport and boosting the local economy. We’re focused on delivering all of that and it being a good experience for our people and our passengers.

“It’s going to be a busy year, with the added pressure of more passengers returning as we move towards summer. We are making sure that we’re absolutely ready to give people an

experience in the station with very minimal disruption. There is still a lot of work needed to re-establish the values we stand by and reconnecting customers with the brand and building customer confidence, making sure they stay with us when they come back. We’re trying not to look too far ahead but a brand new station next year to provide everyone with a great travel experience will be the crowning moment in 2023.”

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May 2022 | 7

News

N

etwork Rail has praised the progress being made on making green commitments, with 67 per cent of suppliers now signed up to the Science Based Targets initiative to reduce their carbon footprint.

Science Based Targets form a key part of Network Rail’s comprehensive Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which sets out a clear pathway to a better, greener railway for Britain.

These are independently verified plans to reduce carbon emissions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and mitigate the worst effects of climate change.

Network Rail is the first railway infrastructure body in the world to adopt Science Based Targets to this ambitious level.

About 97 per cent of Network Rail’s emissions are within ‘scope three’, meaning emissions largely come from third parties, including suppliers.

To address this, Network Rail’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy includes a target for 75 per cent of suppliers to have their own science-based targets by 2025; a target which Network Rail’s commercial and procurement (C&P) team have announced is already in sight.

Clive Berrington, Network Rail’s group commercial and procurement director, said: “As a country, we know that climate change needs to be addressed by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. This will leave a positive legacy for future generations and help make our industry fit for the future. Rail is already a very environmentally friendly way to travel. However, we can do more and need our suppliers’ help to become an industry powered by renewable energy.”

8 | May 2022

Government makes £7.6 million available for rail innovation

T

he UK Government has pledged £7.6 million to trial and launch innovative technology that will help improve rail travel.

This year’s First of a Kind competition was launched by Rail Minister Wendy Morton last month and is open to applicants until 8 June.

In association with Innovate UK, the contest invites bids from companies of all sizes specialising in forward thinking that seeks to modernise the railways — both in terms of improving the passenger experience and decarbonisation.

The year’s competition focuses on technologies that improve the industry’s cost efficiency and network performance to support a more reliable railway for passengers and improving rail freight.

Rail Minister Wendy Morton

The Rail Minister said: “I am incredibly excited to launch the sixth round of our First of a Kind competition. In partnership with Innovate UK, we have already invested £35.4 million into more than 100 ground-breaking projects.

“We’ve seen cutting-edge

technologies such as HydroFLEX developed, the first ever trial of a hydrogen-powered train on the UK mainline, and software improving accessibility such as the Hearing Enhanced Audio Relay app.

“As part of our Plan for Rail it’s key we continue breathing life into new ideas and supporting innovation and design to deliver greener rail journeys and transform rail travel for all passengers.”

Last year saw 33 innovators receive grants of up to £400,000.

The First of a Kind fund has helped trial and launch more than 100 projects that are promoting greener railways, improving passengers’ rail experience and accessibility on the transport network, and helping the railway to be more cost effective.

‘UK Rail for Ukraine’ sends first humanitarian aid train

T

he UK rail industry has joined together to facilitate sending more than a million items of aid to Ukraine in response to the humanitarian crisis in the region.

The first of its first aid trains left the UK last month on a special DB Cargo service consisting of 24 shipping containers over a 500metre train bound for Ukraine.

The service was carrying more than 1,500 tonnes consisting of a range of aid, including nonperishable food, hygiene and medical products, basic living equipment, and other much-needed supplies that have been donated from a wide range of businesses and organisations following requests for aid from the Ukrainian authorities.

Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko,

Image: DB Cargo

Network Rail suppliers pledge to limit carbon emissions

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK, said: “I am expressing my gratitude to the UK railway industry and everyone who contributed to the UK Rail for Ukraine initiative. We greatly appreciate your support during such challenging times.

“Despite the complexity of the logistic routes, the industry managed to organise a delivery

directly to the places of greatest need in Ukraine. In addition to the humanitarian aid gathered by volunteers from different businesses and organisations, the UK railway facilitated the delivery of 21 powerful industrial generators purchased by the Ukrainian Embassy that are imperative for Ukraine’s energy sector.” railbusinessdaily.com

I n sFue raat nu cr e

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

Buildings insurance – straightforward or not?

I f a business owner buys the premises that they trade from, then they will usually wish to insure the buildings against damage and any mortgage company will certainly insist on this.

The building can usually be added to a commercial property policy covering the contents but there are matters that need to be considered.

The cover is typically all risks, including subsidence, heave and landslip. Any existing signs of subsidence must be declared from the outset or otherwise the owner risks non-disclosure of material fact.

Many buildings are placed into the ownership of a pension fund (SIPP) and, often, a commercial lease is created between the SIPP and the trading tenant, thus building up SIPP rental income funds.

John McNeill, NEBOSH Dip Cii

In this case, the buildings are best insured on a separate property owners’ policy, which can also insure the rental income. Cover usually includes property owners’ liability, which would insure against an injury claim arising from a person who allegedly was injured due to a defect in the building/land attributable to the landlord.

The rent cover is much wider on a property owners’ package policy because it keeps paying the rental income to the SIP even after the

building may have been repaired following insured damage, right up until a new tenant moves in or the existing business moves back in. A normal commercial policy stops paying the rent once the building has been repaired, irrespective of whether a tenant is moving in or not.

Buildings insurance is subject to average, which means that the sum insured for rebuilding the building as new must be adequate or insurers will reduce the claims payment in proportion to the amount of underinsurance. In the last 18 months, we have seen high increases in construction costs.

Insurers index-link their premiums, with the recommended year-onyear increase currently running at 10 per cent. It is therefore essential for building owners to increase their sums insured annually to keep pace with inflation or they can find

the rebuild sum insured proven to be inadequate when they want to make a claim for damage.

We have relationships with surveying companies that can carry out desk-based rebuild assessments at very low cost and we know that, where our clients decide to check the rebuild sum insured acting on our advice, the average underinsurance found is 40 per cent. If you have not obtained a fresh rebuild survey valuation of your commercial and residential buildings in the last few years, then we strongly recommend you do so now.

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

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S o u t h Wa l e s M e t r o

Transforming travel across South Wales Work is picking up pace on the transformation that will enable faster and more frequent services between Cardiff and the heads of the valleys onstruction of the South Wales Metro reached another milestone this spring with the commencement of a 26-day blockade enabling major works to be undertaken across the Core Valley lines, including engineering work taking place between Aberdare and Abercynon.

The transformation of the Core Valley lines for the Metro, which has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, will enable faster, more frequent services between Cardiff and the heads of the valleys.

The 26-day closure has allowed engineers to carry out complex work, including the installation of foundations for overhead line equipment, demolition and reconstruction of the footbridge between Penrhiwceiber and Cwm Cynon Business Park, platform works, signalling maintenance and testing, line speed improvements, and cutting back vegetation.

Key work Transport for Wales (TfW) is also building a new depot and control centre at Taff’s Well as part of the project, with more work at the station and surrounding area taking place across the same period.

With the majority of the key works for South Wales Metro due to be complete by the end of 2023, the latest work is another major step in delivering the multi-million-pound project for the people of Wales, while the key infrastructure works taking place also allow preparations to be made for the introduction of new tram trains.

Currently being built by CAF and Stadler, and representing an investment of £800 million, the future Transport for Wales fleet for the railways and on-street tramways will significantly increase capacity and transform the passenger travel experience When complete, the South Wales Metro will be an integrated network of bus, rail and active travel, improving connectivity and providing sustainable travel choices across South Wales.

Talking to Rail Director ahead of the blockade period, and excited about what the future holds, rail infrastructure director at TfW Karl Gilmore’s 10 | May 2022

Karl Gilmore, rail infrastructure director

Image: Transport for Wales

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more immediate concern was ensuring that passengers continue to remain positive about rail while navigating the host of replacement services that have been put in place.

“Of course, like everything in major construction, people want the work to be complete far sooner than it will take but they recognise the long-term benefits of the project.”

South Wales Metro will be an integrated network of bus, rail and active travel, improving connectivity

Constant team work Karl added: “As with all major infrastructure projects there are issues on a daily basis and my role is about constantly working with the team to solve those issues. We’re working with a very aged asset and we went into this knowing that. But suffice to say as soon as you start lifting the lid on old assets you start to uncover things that are slightly worse than you thought.

That creates some extra interventions, so in some cases some more track lowering, more drainage and culvert works to make sure that all of our equipment is resilient for the future.

“While much of the Core Valley lines are relatively rural, there are a lot of built up residential areas and industrial estates so we don’t have great access. In some cases, we have had to build new temporary access points.

He said: “A challenge is to make sure people come back when these works are completed. I know colleagues in our communications team are publicising the benefits, and it’s clear that our lineside neighbours and communities recognise and really want the Metro to be there.

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S o u t h Wa l e s M e t r o

The Craidd Alliance is responsible for the three-quarters-of-a-billion-pound Core Valley Lines Transformation Project, including the 25kV electrification of the route on behalf of TfW. Karl said: “While I have a lot of transferable strengths from the military, I’m a generalist from a project management perspective. The experts are in the Craidd Alliance so it’s how we pull that expertise together.

“In terms of how we’ve created this different business model and method of contracting could be of benefit to others in rail.

“Naturally we talk to each other daily across the Craidd Alliance, but meet on a formal basis every four weeks to analyse the progress of the programme and discuss key milestones.”

“Our key stakeholders have been keen to help us and our lineside neighbours have been really tolerant over the past couple of years and we’re in no doubt that they will continue to be supportive right up to completion.

“The key aspect right now is about communication and getting timely information out to people so that they can make decisions, sharing the right information and recognising that a lot of our neighbours are not necessarily au fait with how our industry works.”

Dealing with complex projects In addition to his 12 years in rail, and four years with TfW, Karl is able to draw on a military background that saw him serve in the British Army with the Royal Logistics Corps to deal the complexities of the project.

More important in the delivery of this flagship programme of work, however, is the successful collaboration established by the Craidd Alliance, the partnership between TfW, Amey Infrastructure Wales, Balfour Beatty, Siemens Mobility and Alun Griffiths Contractors Ltd. The Craidd Alliance is the first rail alliance to secure certification to IS044001 in the world, and was also commended at the 2021 Institute

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Karl in his pre-rail military days

for Collaborative Working Awards, winning the prestigious Industry Award for Collaboration.

IS044001 certification is the international standard for collaborative business relationship management systems and recognises the Alliance’s approach to sharing its resources, experience and skills to benefit its suppliers, customers and partners.

Dividends and benefits Karl continued: “I know others in rail work as alliances and see the benefits of collaborative working but the work we have done to get formally certified at ISO 440001 has paid dividends and has had real benefits. For any other major infrastructure project, if you’re representing a significant public spend, investing to build the right alliance model so that everyone has a common goal is crucial.”

May 2022 | 11

S o u t h Wa l e s M e t r o

The economic benefits of the project are already being realised via a commitment to working with a supply chain of SMEs and Walesbased companies. One example of growth is Bond Demolition Ltd, which was involved in two phases of demolition works at the former Forgemasters site to make way for the new Taff’s Well depot.

Karl said: “It’s fantastic that we can make a real difference to SMEs and their growth. At the time of that demolition there were 12 people employed at the site but now there are hundreds of permanent roles. What we’re seeing is the end of one era but the creation of a new one.

“Having a workforce that is so proud to be delivering work in their own area is thrilling and you can see that people are really invested in the work they do and building on their own doorstep is fantastic. There are short and mid-term benefits to employment but long term, even more employment opportunities.”

Employment opportunities are also being provided to those in the justice system. Phase 1 of the project’s Pathway Programme is providing sustainable employment opportunities for current offenders who are within and soon to be leaving the justice system.

Employment gains This programme got under way with nine delegates joining the South Wales Metro programme in 2021. Five have now left the justice system and gained permanent employment with the Metro’s supply chain.

Subsequent to the creation of those initial opportunities, the supply chain has recruited a further six people from the justice system via daily employment, with this number planned to increase month-on-month. Phase 2 of the programme will, in a partnership with Safer Wales, provide women in justice with employment opportunities.

Karl added: “We’re carrying out a lot of work with other groups in our communities, including in the veterans space to create further

12 | May 2022

employment opportunities, and also with our outreach to schools and STEM, talking about the cultural change that South Wales Metro will bring. This includes making young people aware of the opportunities that the construction and engineering sectors provide and addressing the representation of women in the rail sector. We’re working really hard on all fronts.”

There are short and mid-term benefits to employment but long term, even more employment opportunities The programme of work remains on schedule, despite the inevitable restrictions brought about

by COVID-19. Work only paused for a 48-hour period while guidance was sought from the Construction Council regarding safe working practices and ensuring that the safety of lineside neighbours and customers was also prioritised.

Interestingly, during subsequent work, the benefits of surveying via drones became clear.

Karl explained: “Rail can move slowly in terms of introducing innovations, but there is a lot of drone surveying going on in other industries and we were able to adapt that quickly and use new technology to mitigate any potential delays. Some of this will remain in place as working methodologies. When we’re looking at steep embankments and viaducts there’s no reason why we won’t continue to use that drone technology. It’s more efficient and the more it is used it becomes cost efficient as well.”

The future fleet of faster, greener and more comfortable trains will also arrive on schedule, bringing about a modern, turn-up-and-go transport service across South Wales.

Karl said: “The benefits of South Wales Metro

long term are the connectivity of key South Wales areas and communities, joining together more services, longer services, more comfortable, greener, sustainable transport and of course all helping TfW meet our carbon offset targets.

“We have been working really closely with the manufacturer to make sure the new infrastructure talks efficiently with the trains and that we get the right information from the rolling stock to our teams as well. The new trains have got so much technology packed in to them that they will tell us so much about the asset we’ve built and how the trains are performing.

“It’s interesting, as I look out of the window, to see the Taff’s Well depot flying up really quickly, and we’re working to ensure it’s fit for purpose long into the future, that trains can be maintained efficiently and get in and out of the depot as quickly as they can.”

There are significant wider cultural changes that South Wales Metro will bring about regarding the adoption of active travel.

The Burns Delivery Unit, established in 2021 to accelerate implementation of the 58 recommendations of Lord Burns and the South East Wales Transport Commission, is progressing plans for new rail, bus and active travel infrastructure that will form a network of alternatives for the region.

Integrated active travel Other recommendations in progress include changes to network policies, encouraging travel behaviour change, transport governance, land use and planning. The Unit is taking a hands-on approach to designing options for bus and active travel corridors in and between Cardiff, Newport, and Monmouthshire, improving bus and active travel access to new and existing rail stations.

Karl added: “Together, it’s all about integrated, active travel. We are providing opportunities for people to make informed decisions about how they travel from point A to point B. More widely, TfW is providing increased vehicle parking, access travel, bus connections, travel routes and integrated ticketing to create the South Wales Metro system. So it’s about linking all these aspects together and making it efficient, so that all the barriers that people currently experience are removed and active travel is an easy decisionmaking process for passengers.

“There is a significant amount of public money being invested in South Wales, we’re learning every day and we want to share the lessons learned. So if others in the industry see something that is of interest they should get in touch with us.

We are absolutely here to share knowledge, what we know and have learned with the rest of the industry.” railbusinessdaily.com

LAUNCHING SEPTEMBER 2022

People

World Congress on Railway Research on its way to the UK The organisation’s chair Luisa Moisio has urged the UK rail industry to grasp the opportunities of welcoming experts and leaders from all over the world to Birmingham

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ncreasing research quality and speed, putting the findings quickly into action and fostering international co-operation to work together will be the key in the rail industry’s ability to attract customers back, deliver great value for money and lead on transport sustainability.

That’s the message from the organisers of the 13th World Congress on Railway Research (WCRR), which takes place in Birmingham next month (6-10 June) – the first time it’s been held in the UK in nearly 20 years.

“It’s going to be a great occasion and this year’s event is taking place at a particularly exciting and challenging time for the rail industry,” said Luisa Moisio, chair of the WCRR and director of research and development at the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB).

“The railways in different countries share a lot of opportunities and challenges so there is a real value in joining forces and working together on common research and development initiatives as opposed to working in isolation.

“That is exactly what will be happening in Birmingham when people from all over the world will be networking, collaborating, sharing their progress and exploring new opportunities to make the most of the new solutions R&D delivered.”

A new mindset The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had a massive and long-lasting impact on the rail sector throughout the world, with the new knowledge and novel solutions generated by research as important as they’ve ever been both now and in the recovery for the industry.

It is why the theme of this year’s WCRR, hosted

by RSSB and the University of Birmingham, is ‘Reshaping our railways post-pandemic: Research with an impact’.

Luisa said: “We need to celebrate the research successes we have in rail and to learn from each other. Joining forces helps leverage the resources and knowledge to tackle the challenge of getting passengers back and the opportunity of freight modal shift.

14 | May 2022

“Notwithstanding the differences in how the railways are structured and regulated in different countries, the progress required to improve the rail offering and deliver excellent rail transport is remarkably similar, and every edition of the WCRR is the stimulus for new thinking in this space.

“Now more than ever it is important to bring expertise and views from the wider transport sector into the discussion of rail experts and leaders, to reflect on where transport is going, what long term changes COVID has accelerated in term of passenger demand, and what the role and opportunities for rail is in the ever-pressing need for net zero transport.

“This wider transport perspective ensures that rail doesn’t fall into the trap of looking at its future in an insular way, as it is all about complementing and integrating with other modes making the most of rail unique selling points.

“Ahead of this year’s event we’ve seen a

lot more abstracts than before submitted on the topics of emissions and sustainability, we have received a good amount on traditional engineering subjects, and we have also seen more submissions on operational and customer centric topics, including more freight focus submissions.”

Rail event WCRR, the world’s largest international congress on railway research, was founded by SNCF (France), Deutsche Bahn AG (Germany), Trenitalia (Italy), Railway Technical Research Institute (Japan), RSSB (UK), Association of American Railroads (USA), and International Union of Railways.

The first event was held in France in 1994 and it has since continued to provide a platform for railway technical development and for discussion into the future direction from the management perspective of the world’s railway research, addressing everyone from railway companies to industry and research institutions. railbusinessdaily.com

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People

Luisa said: “It all started off when the founding organisations realised that opportunities were being missed by the lack of closer relationship and an event was organised that brought together researchers from around the world and the wider railway family to share knowledge, discuss opportunities and network.

“The importance of providing a forum for all railway colleagues is as important today, if not more, as it was in 1994, helping to bridge gaps between research and industry practice, enabling the latest research to be showcased and discussed throughout the industry. Ensuring this informs and speeds up the application of lab-based research to the real-world railway, as well as the transfer of real-world railway challenges to research.

“In our experience as founding members of WCRR, each Congress has provided RSSB with unique opportunities to start new partnerships and strengthen existing ones. Examples include collaboration with colleagues in Japan on human factors and adhesion related research, knowledge exchanges with Trenitalia around rolling stock remote condition monitoring and drivers’ alertness monitoring, and also with SNCF on hydrogen and branch line technologies. These exchanges offer valuable insights to RSSB to facilitate and inform the adoption of new solutions through its core safety and standards functions.”

Knowledge sharing At the WCRR there will be opportunities for the dissemination of novel research outputs, knowledge exchange, focused discussion between global industry leaders and researchers on key rail challenges, and formal and informal networking opportunities.

Delegates will also be invited to attend a technical site visit from a list which includes the 16 | May 2022

HS2 Curzon Street Station construction, Network Rail’s Innovation Development Centre, the Alstom train factory at Derby and the McLaren Technology Centre, only to name only a few.

“It is an action-packed programme which will be a combination of insight and fun,” said Luisa.

“The papers absolutely sell off the show because there is much to be said about celebrating our researchers. Then there are also the master classes and the plenaries where we will welcome a number of CEOs and board members from around the world.

We need to celebrate the research successes we have in rail and to learn from each other “I’m very excited that we’ll be able to take delegates to see different sites and businesses in the UK on the Friday, which will showcase the great infrastructure projects happening in this country and some of the most innovative rail businesses.

“The event on the whole is an opportunity for UK innovators that want to pursue greater internationalisation because it offers a unique and easy way to gather information and thoughts from around the world, together with the vital international contacts. This is a chance to show what the innovators in the UK have worked on and understand how their offering fits with initiatives and investments being pursued abroad.

“Whatever we have successfully developed or are researching in the UK, this is likely to be of interest and needed also to railways in

other countries, and WCRR is in the unique space that it allows organisations to start those discussions.”

“It is great to have Europe’s Rail as a very active and vocal supporter of the Congress, hosting the Welcome Reception on Monday 6 June, interactive sessions on their calls for proposal, and expert-led masterclasses.

“While the status of the UK participation in the European research programmes of which Europe’s Rail is part has not been agreed, UK businesses and universities are fully eligible to apply and be part of Europe’s Rail ambitious programme, and the Congress will offer plenty of opportunities for networking in this space.”

People first Luisa concludes the interview by stressing the event is of value to everyone working in the rail industry, providing a forum for all railway colleagues to bridge gaps between research and industry practice, enabling the latest research to be showcased and discussed throughout the industry.

“Research cannot flourish and succeed in isolation,” said Luisa. “For it to be of value and to make an impact, the research community needs to continuously engage with rail practitioners on the front line and with industry leaders, and these latter groups need to find time to engage back and be curious, supportive and challenging as well. An event like this helps restart and promote the value of such exchanges, and to do so at an international level.

“WCRR is going to be fantastic event with many opportunities to learn, collaborate and network as part of the global rail family.

Its value will be seen long after the event in Birmingham.”

Visit wcrr2022.co.uk/ website/938/homepage/ for more information or to attend.

railbusinessdaily.com

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B u r e Va l l e y

Building up steam Andrew Barnes, managing director of Bure Valley Railway, on taking the lead to find alternatives to coal

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ever has it been so important to find alternative fuel to power the UK’s steam locomotives. Coal is becoming increasingly difficult to source, with the only remaining mine in the UK producing lump coal (Ffos-Y-Fran near Merthyr Tydfill) due to close this year.

Once stocks run out the industry will be reliant on foreign imports for its 26,000 tonnes of coal per year, accounting for 0.02 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions. But this is more expensive and generates a huge carbon footprint, so survival depends on finding alternatives.

Leading the way is Norfolk’s longest narrowgauge railway, a nine-mile line between the historic town of Aylsham and bustling town of Wroxham. For the past few years, Bure Valley Railway has been trialling bio-coals.

Environmental future “Finding a sustainable steam coal is the biggest challenge facing the heritage railway movement and if we don’t sort out something we’re going to be in a very, very bad way,” said the railway’s managing director Andrew Barnes.

“We are already seeing the impact of dwindling coal supplies with Severn Valley and East Lancs scaling back some of their steam services to preserve coal supplies.

“As well as coal supplies running low, we also have to be conscious that the public might not want to travel on the trains in the future if they are not fuelled in a more environmentally friendly way.”

Building up steam with alternative fuel’ then amend standfirst to ‘find sustainable substitute for coal

The ultimate aim is to get one product that will work across all railways, so either one good steam coal or bio-coal The railway has teamed up with Advanced Steam Traction Trust (ASTT), Heritage Railway Association (HRA), Network Rail, and the fuel manufacturer Coal Products Limited (CPL) to

find an alternative, with trials well under way on comparing the burning of Welsh coal from Ffos-YFran to variants of Ecoal50.

The latter comprises waste biomass from the olive oil production process, blended with coal dust, both of which would otherwise go to landfill, giving a 42 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions.

Trials have taken place on the railway in June and November last year, and in March this year.

One size fits all would be best Andrew added: “The ultimate aim is to get one product that will work across all railways, so either one good steam coal or bio-coal,” said Andrew.

“If we’re unable to achieve that, what we want are formulas that work best for different railways.

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B u r e Va l l e y

“At the moment we’ve got products developed that would work for at least 50 per cent of the railways in the country. It’s not a one-size-fits-all yet, which is the ultimate nirvana of where we’d like to get to, but if we can carry on the work we’re doing, every success will increase that current 50 per cent.

“Beyond getting something that works for everybody what we really want to do is to get a total bio product that has got very limited coal content. We want to achieve this while maintaining the character, integrity, history and heritage of steam railways, but also recognising its environmental obligations.”

Although the tests carried out by Bure Valley initially were met with some scepticism as to the benefits for larger standard gauge railways, the trials are already making a difference, with the alternatives being tried on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway earlier this year.

“In March we held another two days of trials at Bure Valley researching both bio-coal and smokeless fuels that could be used. The next steps will be to look at the chemical analysis from the most recent trials and then to take some of the products we trialled on narrow gauge back to Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

A unique formula It was the first ever UK trial of bio-coal in a full size, standard gauge locomotive – the British Railways Standard ‘2MT’ 2-6-0 No. 78022.

They pitted a trial batch of Homefire Ecoal, developed by CPL for use in steam locomotives, against the steeply graded, five-mile-long line in West Yorkshire.

In this trial CPL created a unique formula featuring up to 20 per cent biomass and manufactured using CPL’s hot cured process to provide greater strength and durability. The larger, specially shaped hexagonal ovoid was designed to sit on both narrow gauge and standard gauge locomotive firebars just like traditional coal and was classified as smokeless, emitting up to 80 per cent less particulate matter (smoke) than traditional coal.

“This was a significant milestone in the history of steam locomotives in the UK and it threw up a whole new load of data which we are now working with,” said Andrew.

“We’ll keep doing that process of tweaking and trialling on the narrow gauge and then taking it to the standard gauge to see how it works.”

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This was a significant milestone in the history of steam locomotives in the UK and it threw up a whole new load of data

Collaboration has been at the heart of what Bure Valley is doing. Taking the lead, the railway is sharing the results with those interested and is on fortnightly video calls with half a dozen railways and scientists discussing how to take the work forward. Organisations trying other methods are also being urged to share their results.

Changing the industry “We’re proud to be doing this and we are achieving results that the industry is taking on board,” said Andrew. “We’ve got to change as an industry, and we need the industry to be fully behind what we are doing and for us to work together on the solution.

“We’ve also been looking at some proprietary products and been trying them in a railway environment, which as a result has seen quite a few railways switching over to use some of these proprietary ovoids because they are struggling to get coal.

“The trial methodology has allowed that to happen, but parallel to that we’re continuing to trial bio-coal and we’re up to blend four now with CPL.

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May 2022 | 19

B u r e Va l l e y

“It will be trialled at Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and then there will be detailed lab chemical analysis of the combustion and also the deposits, making sure they don’t adversely impact copper fire boxes, or if it’s a steel box you don’t want a chemical reaction between the combustion gases and the welds.”

As well as taking a pioneering role in trials of biomass blended fuel to replace traditional coal, Bure Valley has also adopted a raft of other initiatives in an effort to prove that steam railways can respond to ever increasing concerns about the environment.

Environmental innovation Such has been the success, that the 15 inch gauge railway recently won the Heritage Railway Association Award for Environmental Innovation. It was also shortlisted in the Outstanding Visitor Attraction category.

“For the past few years we’ve been doing a lot of research on bio-coal, but also under my tenure of more than 20 years we’ve been looking at technical innovations on the locomotives,” said Andrew, who was delighted the railway was recognised for all its hard work.

“We’ve drawn inspiration from Formula One – they are always looking for improvements to performance through engine management systems and gas flow within the engines so we’ve looked at our steam locos, rigged up computers to them and looked at what’s degrading the efficiency of our steam locos.

“We actually took measurements of back pressure, smoke box vacuum, mechanical efficiency and said let’s measure this, quantify and document it and then design out the inefficiency. To look at the engine, you wouldn’t see any difference from before the improvements and after them – we’ve completed the work without degrading the efficiency of the actual underlying asset.”

Just some of the changes that have driven efficiencies includes making steam ways more smooth and without any angular passages and to smooth everything out internally, improving the blast nozzle, ensuring all the valve gears are perfectly balanced, putting needle roller bearings in instead of plain bearing, and making all the reciprocating mass properly balanced and weighted.

When it was proved on one locomotive to save a 30 per cent reduction in coal and water consumption, it was then rolled out across all of its five steam locos, a project which was completed early this year.

20 | May 2022

“As a result of this work we’ve saved 34 per cent of our coal consumption each year, but we’ve also increased the passenger train miles worked so it was actually a greater saving of around 79 tonnes of CO2 per year while running a greater number of train miles,” said Andrew, whose father worked for British Rail as a civil engineer and also worked on bridge design on the Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales.

To look at the engine, you wouldn’t see any difference “One thing we’ve also been doing is environmental audits of the railway, which includes things such as looking at recycling rubbish. All our lighting is now LED. It’s taken us probably 10 years to go over to entirely LED lighting, but we made the investment and that paid for itself in five years through savings of electricity consumption.

“We had gas removed from the site and no longer have mains gas coming in, so we’ve increased the use of electricity, but we’ve gone for energy-efficient appliances in our catering activities and we’ve shared that data back into the HRA. “What we’re doing is looking at the railway on the whole, at where we are producing CO2 emissions that we can cut. We have to run the business as efficiently as possible but make them as environmentally friendly as possible as well.”

Bure Valley is one of more than 150 operational heritage railways in the UK, running trains over nearly 600 miles of track, with almost 500 stations. HRA stats say they provide 4,000 full-time equivalent jobs, supported by 22,000 volunteers, and pre-COVID welcomed more than 13 million visitors every year.

Fantastic achievements Andrew, whose involvement with heritage railways started off with volunteering on the Ffestiniog, before joining Bure Valley, said: “It’s the best job in the world. I’m doing my dream job.

“I won’t be here forever. What I’ve got to do is work with the HRA to make sure the industry is sustainable and viable, both financially and environmentally for the long-term future.

“What we’ve done overall as heritage railways is fantastic. When we started 60 years ago the railway industry didn’t think it was possible and just thought it was groups of people playing trains.

“What has been achieved over that time has been fantastic, but from then when the focus was on saving lines, rolling stock, locomotives and restoring them, now the industry is more mature and is beginning to acknowledge its environmental obligations and its environmental responsibilities, and I think we are very well placed to combine that with its educational and heritage obligations.

“We’re preserving heritage and history but actually doing it in a way that’s as environmentally friendly and responsible as possible.”

Visit bvrw.co.uk for more details.

railbusinessdaily.com

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

Investing in innovation Jo Surley, Head of Accountancy & Tax at MPA, explores the tax reliefs available to offset some of the costs of transformation and innovation

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ur rail networks are going through an intense period of transformation and innovation.

Being historically somewhat slow to keep up, now, with sustainability on everyone’s agenda and demand for fast transportation increasing, research and development is occurring throughout every aspect of the industry.

Enhanced train designs, new lines and platform adaptations are improving speed and comfort; automation and digital communication tools are creating a better passenger experience; and things like drones and smart sensors are keeping infrastructure maintained and safe.

Implementing these advancements of course requires new hardware and software to be created and adapted, while advanced sources of data like biometrics and AI are influencing decision making, engineering, and design.

The result of this is that many companies working in or with the rail industry are expending vast amounts of money on equipment and research and development.

To help companies that are investing in this type of transformation, there are tax reliefs and allowances available that can offset some of the costs incurred. Here are just a few.

Research and Development (R&D) Tax Relief R&D Relief is available to all UK companies that undertake qualifying R&D. If your company is solving a problem or driving significant industry change you may qualify for this important tax relief.

R&D Tax Credits as they are sometimes known can be worth up to 33p for every £1 of qualifying expenditure and, depending on company size and financial position, can result in a corporation tax saving, a tax refundable credit (cash), or a loss which can be carried forward and offset against future taxable profits.

Patent Box The Patent Box regime was designed to encourage companies to keep their intellectual property (IP) within the UK. The incentive allows UK companies to apply a lower rate of corporation tax (10 per cent) to profits earned from patented inventions and IP. 22 | May 2022

To qualify a company must be liable to UK corporation tax, make a profit from exploiting patented inventions, own qualifying IP rights, or have undertaken qualifying development on the patent(s).

“Maximising tax reliefs and innovation incentives is crucial for sectors undergoing the type of rapid evolution that the rail industry is” Capital allowances Capital allowances provide valuable relief on a company’s capital expenditure, with most businesses taking advantage of these.

The types of capital allowances available include Plant and Machinery Allowance (PMA), Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), Research and Development Allowance (RDA), Writing Down Allowance (WDA), and Structures and Buildings Allowance (SBA).

We also shouldn’t forget that the 130 per cent Super Deduction is available until 31 Advertorial

March 2023, as well as a 50 per cent first year allowance for special rate plant and machinery.

Some can be used in conjunction with others, and they all have different rates, limits, qualification criteria and timing restrictions that need to be considered before deciding which should be used, and when.

For example: An asset such as plant and machinery may qualify for PMA, which provides relief at 18 per cent.

Depending on what it is, it may also qualify for the 130 per cent Super Deduction, as well as AIA and RDA, which give relief at 100 per cent.

However, AIA has a limit on the amount of relief available whereas other types don’t.

So depending on what other capital spend you have, you may wish to claim the Super Deduction or RDAs against that asset spend instead.

Without good tax and accounting advice decisions on allowance use can be inefficient, and there are certainly companies that qualify for R&D Tax Relief and Patent Box but aren’t claiming.

Innovation at the heart Maximising tax reliefs and innovation incentives is crucial for sectors undergoing the type of rapid evolution that the rail industry is seeing right now, and in fact for any forwardthinking technology-led business.

Developing an innovation funding cycle naturally pushes businesses to the next stage of growth; the more research and development you conduct, the more incentives you can access, the more you have to re-invest in the next project and so on.

Regular liaison with your accountant and tax advisor is key to ensuring you’re claiming the right relief, at the right time, at the maximum level year on year.

For more complicated businesses and activities, there are also innovation funding specialists like MPA that have sector expertise to help you access the rewards you deserve and invest them with your business goals in mind.

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

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These certifications enable us to promote a high level of control over product quality and process improvement.

Product testing is carried out in our newly equipped laboratory to confirm part specifications adhere to our customer’s high standards.

People

Delivering a better railway under the new National Rail Contract GTR’s new operations chief, Angie Doll, discusses the need for the industry to adapt quickly to changes in customer behaviours and expectations

“T

he commuter market has changed forever and rail operators can no longer rely on the predictable travel patterns these customers once provided.” That’s the message from Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR) new chief operating officer (COO).

Angie Doll, who has held the role on an interim basis for the past six months, has now taken on the role permanently, and is excited but under no illusions that adaptation is needed quickly because of the changes in customers’ behaviours and expectations.

“We need to attract the commuter market back to the railway in a way we’ve never had to before,” she said. “To do that we need to meet customer satisfaction by running our trains safely, reliably and on time.

“We also need to ensure that our services match demand in the new world of travel.

24 | May 2022

I feel everyone is now on the same page with regards to the green agenda During COVID the industry demonstrated that we can be agile and change our timetables at short notice, we need to do that to ensure what we offer works with our customers. Our new timetable (which came into effect on 15 May) is the starting point for rebuilding our railway to reflect new travel patterns.”

Since 2014, GTR has operated Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express, delivering 349 million passenger journeys annually prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although travel patterns are starting to settle down post-pandemic, numbers using the trains are at around 65 per cent of those pre-COVID, with Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday proving to be the busiest commuter days.

Angie, a former managing director of Southern and Gatwick Express, says they need to look closely at how people are travelling and flex services to match that.

“Leisure travel is building back much quicker than business, but with those figures including commuters travelling off peak we need to look at this data and think differently about how we plan services,” she said. railbusinessdaily.com

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People

“Pre-COVID GTR was carrying more than 1.1 million people a day, but if we’re being honest during those peak times it might not have been a great experience for all of those travelling, so people might continue to travel outside the traditional business commuter hours.

“I do think people are remembering the benefits of travelling, commuting and reconnecting with restrictions lifted, so now the key is to ensure we are running reliable train services that customers can depend on, and also making sure we can flex capacity to meet demand, so when they do come back they have an enjoyable journey.”

New beginnings Angie takes on the role of COO at an exciting time for GTR, with the organisation starting its National Rail Contract (NRC) last month to continue operating the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern rail services until at least 1 April, 2025, with up to a further three years at the Secretary of State’s discretion.

The NRC, like the Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement (ERMA) contract it has replaced, is a management contract which has extremely limited exposure to changes in passenger demand and no substantial cost risk to GTR. The organisation, managed through its 65 per cent owned subsidiary Govia, which is 35 per cent owned by Keolis, earns a fixed management fee of £8.8 million per annum to deliver the contract, with the additional performance fee of up to £22.9 million per annum.

26 | May 2022

“Winning the NRC was so important for us to give some stability and continuity, particularly for our colleagues who have been really hard working and passionate about keeping the railway running during the pandemic,” Angie said.

“It also gives us that opportunity to say ‘ok, what is the purpose of the railway now, what is our focus and what are we here to do?’ I am keen to stress to all our colleagues that we are in the business of moving people and it is all about great customer service.

Apprenticeships are one of the ways to drive diversity and inclusion in the organisation

It is working towards phasing out its diesel fleet by 2035, introducing its first zero emission ancillary vehicles in the next 12 months, and aiming to increase recycling rates to 80 per cent over the next three years.

“One of the key priorities of the NRC is for us to really strengthen our green credentials,” said Angie. “There is already a lot for us to be positive about, particularly around decarbonisation and the green agenda, but there is a real opportunity to grow this. I feel everyone is now on the same page with regards to the green agenda. Looking after and taking more care of our environment is something that people no longer question but strive to achieve.

“We have several initiatives under way, such as switching our petrol and diesel road vehicles for hybrid vehicles, and recycling. Since the pandemic we have become more digitalised, not printing as much, and during COVID we quickly moved all refunds online making it more convenient for customers.”

“We have to ensure that we are delivering for passengers, particularly now we face strong competition from working from home and the car. I don’t think we’ve always put the customer at the heart of our decisions as an industry and it is vital this changes.”

As well as focusing on encouraging more people to return to rail following the pandemic and further improvements to the customer experience, GTR has also made a commitment to build on its environmental credentials following the NRC contract.

Rise of the apprentices Another passion for Angie is developing the organisation’s apprenticeship offering. During the course of the NRC, GTR has vowed to increase apprenticeship opportunities, aiming for 2.5 per cent of its workforce to be new apprenticeship starts. Acknowledging the value of diversity, the business will set targets aimed to build on its positive work to increase female and ethnic minority representation among both train driver recruits and in engineering/technical apprenticeships.

railbusinessdaily.com

People

“We’re pretty much there already with our engineering and driver apprenticeships,” she added. “We’ve had 140 colleagues who have come through The Prince’s Trust scheme, and we were one of the first operators to utilise the government’s Kickstart Scheme and Sectorbased Work Academy Programme.

A wealth of experience Angie added: “One of the reasons why we’re so successful is because we’ve gained a lot of experience and learning from these schemes, and everyone in the company is on board. Some of the apprentices can have had complicated backgrounds, but when the managers are engaged and involved in mentoring and supporting, you see everyone developing new skills. Seeing apprentices flourish is so rewarding.

“Apprenticeships are one of the ways to drive diversity and inclusion in the organisation, by bringing in more people of all backgrounds.

“Our role goes beyond the basic apprenticeships. Many have gone on to become ambassadors and role models, promoting diversity in the industry. We are already seeing the benefits, particularly when it comes to train

drivers, with a 50/50 split of male and female drivers coming into our training.”

Angie joined the railway family in 1999 as station manager at Brighton and worked up through the ranks in Go Ahead Group before joining Southern and Gatwick Express in 2014 as

passenger services director, becoming the MD there in 2018.

“I initially agreed to cover the COO job on an interim basis only as I loved my job as the managing director of Southern and Gatwick Express,” she said.

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May 2022 | 27

People

“I’ve worked on Southern and Gatwick Express since the start of the franchise and I am one of the few people who have worked all the way through the GTR franchise. I also worked on the bid, so I’ve been working on this franchise for 10 years.

“When I took on the MD role, I had a great opportunity that you very rarely get to create a new hand-picked team. I was able to bring together a really good team of great individuals.

“I really didn’t want to leave such a great team, especially one we’d invested so much time and energy creating, but getting Southern to ‘passenger operator of the year’ along with everything else that we have achieved, I decided it was time to step aside and hand over to new leadership for the next chapter, and time for me to find new challenges in the rail industry.”

Looking back, moving forward Angie can take on the new role full of optimism and pride in what she has already achieved, including planning and leading the UK’s first high-speed trains service, introducing the concept of rail enforcement officers across the industry, and leading on the company’s response to the pandemic.

With her team, she introduced a new Gatwick Express fleet and gave hundreds of underprivileged young adults a career in rail with The Prince’s Trust and Kickstart programmes. She worked in partnership with many stakeholders and partners, leading the team at Southern to win the industry’s prestigious National Passenger Operator of the Year in 2021.

She said: “It was never an aspiration to work in the railway, my aspiration was to work overseas and that’s what I did for the first 12 years of my career.

28 | May 2022

“When I came back into the UK in 1999, I was looking for a job where I could use my skills and at the time Connex was interviewing for a commercial manager for the London terminus.

“I was offered the position, however, as I had no experience in working in the railways, they asked me to take the role of Brighton station manager for a year to gain a better understanding of the railway. That was great experience, and I thought I’d be in the industry for a few years... that was 23 years ago.

“It has flown by and I’ve done some really

interesting roles and jobs which have given me an opportunity to learn and really pushed me out of my comfort zone at times.

“It is a bit of a cliché when people talk about the railway family, but it really is a family and once you get in, you just get hooked.

“I’m passionate about delivering customer services and making our railway better for our customers, and I’d say I’m more enthusiastic now than I was when I started 23 years ago. As COO I want to ensure the railway really does deliver for the passenger.”

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28/10/2020 17:51

RISQS

RISQS: Delivering both value and benefit to the railway

Image: RISQS

Members of the Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS) gathered in Coventry recently for the organisation’s second ‘annual’ conference

Dal Chatta

R

ISQS is the pre-qualification service which provides the industry’s 90 buyers – including Transport for London and Network Rail – with the assurance and confidence to do business with the railway industry’s 4,000 suppliers.

Administered by the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), RISQS is run “by the industry, for the industry” to reduce supply chain risk by ensuring businesses have the capabilities they claim and the processes to apply their capabilities safely.

The first annual conference was held in 2019.

COVID-19 then intervened, making the 2022 event, held at the Coventry Building Society Stadium in Coventry, the second event.

30 | May 2022

We have created a new audit and scheduling tool, which streamlines our processes, and we are investing in the latest innovations

Delegates heard from a range of speakers from across the industry on topics that were of interest to all. Tony Howard, director of assurance at the RSSB, hosted this “most rearranged” conference.

Te industry and the environment Paul McLaughlin, RSSB’s commercial officer, opened proceedings by explaining that RSSB, a not-for-profit organisation owned by its members, was formed following the Cullen Inquiry into the Ladbroke Grove disaster.

RISQS is its cross-industry assurance scheme and every penny generated remains in the industry. railbusinessdaily.com

RISQS

As a result, costs have been reduced by 20 per cent in the first four years of RSSB’s involvement and there will be no increase in audit day rates in 2022.

“We have strengthened our data insight capabilities to allow us to identify industrywide issues”, he said. “We have created a new audit and scheduling tool, which streamlines our processes, and we are investing in the latest innovations as part of the next evolution of the RISQS platform.”

The Railway Industry Association’s David Clarke stated that RISQS is all about connecting buyers with suppliers. He reminded delegates that those buyers are not just Network Rail, Transport for London and HS2, but also other organisations in the railway and their principal contractors.

Social responsibility The industry’s social responsibility was the topic of a presentation by Claire Dove CBE, the Crown representative for Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSE). Joining the conference remotely, she said that government has huge responsibilities in this area, defining social enterprises as businesses that trade but do not seek to make profits for shareholders.

Transparent, clear and open Looking forward to Great British Railways, David described RIA’s five tests for the new organisation: “There should be no hiatus in workflow – GBR should be transparent, clear and open, with suppliers – it should be accessible to the private sector – it must ensure the industry is able to thrive, increasing revenue, reducing costs and, for us as suppliers, increasing productivity – and it must leave a positive legacy in terms of constantly improving safety as an industry but also building a bigger and better railway for UK plc and the great British public.

“Rail is a vital sector, contributing £43 billion to the UK economy and employing over 700,000 people. It is a big, big industry and also let’s not forget that for every pound that we spend on investing on the railway we get £2.50 in the wider economy.” railbusinessdaily.com

Tony Howard

Image: RISQS

The railway’s responsibility to the environment was the subject of James Brewer’s talk. Head of rail supply chains in the rail team at BEIS (the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy), he commented that, although rail is already the greenest form of public transport, still more needs to be done to hit zero-carbon by 2040 and it is essential that

Image: RISQS

The government wants to send a clear message, cheapest up front is not the same as best value overall

small businesses be given the opportunity to participate in the ‘Race to Zero’ campaign.

Net Zero does not necessarily mean zero emissions, he commented, but any remaining carbon in the industry will need to be offset to hit that ‘net zero’ target. All companies need to establish a carbon baseline, so they can then judge how they are performing over the coming years.

“The government wants to send a clear message,” he told delegates. “Cheapest up front is not the same as best value overall.

With that in mind, all contracting authorities should consider the following national priority outcomes in their procurement activities: creating new businesses, new jobs and new skills; improving supplier diversity, innovation and resilience; tackling climate change; and reducing waste.”

This theme was taken up by the next speaker – George Davies, RSSB’s director of sustainable development. He talked on recycling, introducing the concept of the ‘circular economy’ in which scarce resources are recycled and reused, and the long-term problem of a shortage of potable water. This, he said, should be reserved for drinking and he urged the industry to come up with new ways to source and conserve water for its other needs.

May 2022 | 31

Image: RISQS

RISQS

Rupert Lown

The challenge is not confined to the rail sector, she said, but VCSE organisations can make a large contribution to the levelling-up agenda and not to involve them will be a missed opportunity.

RISQS scheme manager Phil Smith looked back at how RISQS had taken account of members’ comments in a ‘You Said – We Did’ session. As examples, members had said that they needed a greater level of confidence in the decisions being made by the scheme. In response, RISQS has introduced a robust governance process that is subject to impartial internal review and external assessment, providing greater control, transparency and accountability in all operations.

Risk and safety In addition, members had asked for help in further identifying potential supply chain risk. RISQS is now moving towards a more intelligent system for the benefit of both the buyer and supplier communities.

Two presentations followed that warned delegates of some of the challenges of doing business in today’s world. Dr Emma Taylor, head of digital safety at RazorSecure, gave her perspective on cybersecurity. With a single modern train having as many as 100 32 | May 2022

internet-connected devices on board as part of its systems, the possibility of someone acting maliciously becomes obvious. “If data can flow,” she said, “then someone can connect…”

This is all about people, and people come to work for a wage, do a day’s work, go home again at the end of the day Companies need to make sure that no-one can hack in via public Wi-Fi, that the maintenance technician, when updating software, does it in the correct way and doesn’t plug in an uncontrolled laptop. “We see all sorts of variants,” Emma continued. “We try not to share all the horror stories because, if you make cyber a horror story, then nobody thinks about the practicalities. But when you are

using mature operating systems and slightly older than ideal laptops and complex trains that have been modified over their lifecycle, it is actually quite difficult to prevent problems.”

Daniel Scully, the chief operating officer of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, talked about modern slavery and exploitation. It’s a major problem – in 2021, 12,727 people were admitted to the National Referral Mechanism and the true figure of those affected in the UK could well be closer to 100,000. Even in a regulated and safetycertified industry such as rail, possibilities still exist for unwary employers of casual labour to be caught out, and Daniel gave some tips on what to look out for.

Network Rail The final sessions of the day were turned over to Network Rail. Chief health and safety officer Rupert Lown spoke on the safety framework and safety expectations, and also covered learning from accidents and preventing repeats – a session that was to have been led by director of regulator liaison Allan Spence except he was on the way back from Ukraine having handed over five vehicles loaded with tools that Network Rail had donated to Ukrainian railways. railbusinessdaily.com

Rupert said that the hardest thing in his job was visiting the family of a Network Rail employee to explain why that person wouldn’t be coming home that day. “I’ve done it on too many occasions,” Rupert said, sombrely. “It’s probably the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life. I never want to repeat it.

“This is all about people, and people come to work for a wage, do a day’s work, go home again at the end of the day, knowing that they have been paid, knowing they have done a good job.” Rupert’s comments, and the way he delivered them, really brought home how safety is personal and that everyone should look out for everybody else.

A talk on accidents over the last two years highlighted the risks still present on the railway.

From the derailment and crash at Carmont, scene of the first passenger fatality since Grayrigg on 23 February 2007, to accidents at Roade junction, Surbiton and elsewhere that resulted in rail worker deaths, it was a sobering list.

David Clarke

Over the last two and a half years, over 99 per cent of red zone working has been eliminated on Network Rail’s infrastructure Delegates were also reminded that the second highest risk to railway workers is driving to and from site, so employers need to take steps to prevent fatigue and enforce drug and alcohol r egulations.

Network Rail’s commercial director Dal Chatta spoke last and on one of the topics

Image: RISQS

Refresh knowledge Some of the accidents were down to people doing things they should never have done and that they should have known not to do. Engineers are being retrained and having their safety knowledge refreshed to prevent recurrences, but everyone on the railway needs to remain vigilant and report any deviation from safety protocols.

Network Rail’s safety task force has made a big push to eliminate red zone working, under which engineers go onto the live railway to carry out work between trains. It has been a fact of life on the railway for years, yet the tragedies at Margam in July 2019 and at Surbiton in February 2021 demonstrate how unsafe a practice it is. Over the last two and a half years, over 99 per cent of unassisted lookout working has been eliminated on Network Rail’s infrastructure.

Image: RISQS

RISQS

34 | May 2022

everyone in the room had been waiting for.

Network Rail’s procurement was his topic, and he explained that procurement had already commenced for Control Period 7 (CP7) that will commence on 1 April 2024.

He laid out what was important to Network Rail, gave details of the goods and services it would be procuring for CP7, and explained its use of RISQS. Answering a question, he confirmed that, while all safety-critical work needed to be undertaken by RISQS-audited firms, Network Rail reserved the right to contract with nonRISQS companies for high-street non-railway work such as car parks and the like.

Income shortfall How much it will receive for CP7 is yet to be decided. Even if the railway returns to 80 per cent of its pre-pandemic passenger numbers, that is still an estimated income shortfall of £2.4 billion a year, or £12 billion over a control period. “The railway has changed forever,” he said, referring to COVID-19.

Looking forward, Network Rail will be looking for its suppliers to help with its four pillars of sustainability – establishing a low-emission railway, improving resilience to climate change, improving biodiversity and minimising waste, as well as deliver its efficiency challenges.

The two sessions with Network Rail concluded the day’s proceedings. Judging by the number of delegates that stayed until then end, it had been a well-received conference with interesting presentations from engaged speakers.

Hopefully it won’t be another three years until the next annual event! railbusinessdaily.com

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Te c h n o l o g y

Boosting passenger confidence using VR technology innovation Passengers can explore a dozen East Anglia railway stations from the comfort of their own homes. Greater Anglia’s Rebecca Richardson and Virtual Tours Experts Neil Henderson explain more

V

irtual online tours of 12 rail stations in East Anglia are the first in a pilot project by Greater Anglia to give people more information about how accessible their journey is and to help increase their confidence to travel.

The innovative tours are designed to support journey planning, give customers a clearer picture of the station before they travel, and reduce anxiety about how they’ll get around from car park to platform to airport.

Greater Anglia is the first train operator to use VR technology in this way, and the idea was born after talking with their customers.

Greater Anglia’s accessibility manager Rebecca Richardson said: “I wanted to offer customers the chance to decide for themselves whether a station environment is accessible to them.”

Journey decisions She added: It’s important that customers are able to make decisions for themselves about their journey and their access needs rather than having to rely on someone else’s notion of what is or isn’t accessible as it’s not a hard science.

For example, being able to identify where the toilets are before you arrive and where they are in relation to your departure platform.

“I’ve also spoken to lots of groups over the years, for instance young adults with learning disabilities, who want to know exactly where to buy a ticket, where to look for information, how to identify the platform.”

This feedback is also supported by the latest industry research on experiences of disabled rail passengers (DfT, July 2019) which found that almost a quarter (21 per cent) said that they anticipated experiencing a problem at a train station when travelling by rail.

One of the areas where passengers said they either anticipate or experience problems at train stations is in navigating and moving around the station, with some passengers reporting getting lost, confused, tired and panicked by not being able to get around the 36 | May 2022

Rebecca Richardson from Greater Anglia

One of the areas where passengers said they either anticipate or experience problems at train stations is in navigating and moving around the station station. In some cases, this can lead to people not even completing their journey.

Rebecca added: “Being able to take the time, in the comfort of your own surroundings, to have a good look around the station prior to travel reduces anxiety by removing the basic steps of a journey from the unknown list and getting a clear picture of what to expect on arrival.”

Members of Greater Anglia’s Accessibility Panel, a group of disabled customers who

meet regularly with the train company, offered feedback during the development of the project and have been supportive of it.

For example, one member said how useful it was to know how the lift worked, as not knowing if the lift would open forwards or backwards creates anxiety for them when travelling.

Confidence and certainty Rebecca said: “The other huge benefit of the tours is that we can give people who may not have travelled by rail for a while, or maybe not at all, more confidence and certainty.”

The technology was provided by The Virtual Tour Experts and the tours software has been designed to be accessible.

Neil Henderson, managing director of Virtual Tour Experts, said: “We’ve really enjoyed working on this project to create a number of industry firsts. The world of VR is developing fast but until now that development has not given due consideration to online accessibility. railbusinessdaily.com

Te c h n o l o g y

Detailed 360-degree photography has been used to map the station, capturing all public spaces, which people can navigate virtually – even visiting the toilet or the waiting room before going to the platform. Aerial photography and an interactive map have also been used to show the location of all the customer facilities in relation to each other, with all people removed so that users can see every detail of the station with no obstacles.

The web-based online virtual tour offers autopilot or manual choices for navigating the station, and an interactive map to see the entire layout with ‘hot spot’ links to specific areas of the station.

“This tour is the world’s first virtual tour experience that incorporates an accessibility widget, guided tours, subtitled scene guides, and there is much more to come. The user-first attitude of the team at Greater Anglia provided the perfect base for development and will ensure the platform continues to evolve.”

Using the virtual station tour, people can find out how to get to all public areas of the station including the toilets, customer service desk, platforms and anywhere else they might need to visit at the station such as car parks or drop-off areas – making it easier for them to plan their journey in advance.

railbusinessdaily.com

The web-based online virtual tour offers autopilot or manual choices for navigating the station

Key features highlighted There is an aerial view showing the car park, cycle parking, bus stop and taxi rank/drop-off location.

Key features such as tactile paving – textured paving on the edge of platforms – assisted travel meeting points and toilets and individual platforms can also be navigated to directly through a drop-down menu system.

The ‘autopilot’ tool gives users the option of selecting their destination location within the station and being automatically guided to it or, if preferred, through a series of clicks.

May 2022 | 37

Te c h n o l o g y

Now that the new trains are in service, they are providing improved accessibility features on every train, such as accessible toilets, wheelchair areas, passenger information systems, call for aid buttons and priority seating – these seats are available to anyone but people who can stand or sit elsewhere are encouraged to offer them to others who may have a non-visible impairment, be pregnant or less able to stand.

The arrival of additional new trains means that more of the train operator’s old trains have been retired and, as a result, Greater Anglia’s entire fleet now meets modern accessibility standards.

A spoken scene guide with closed captions plays on the home page at the station entrance and it features an accessibility widget that enables the user to change to high contrast, large font size or audio transcribe. Future developments will look at incorporating British Sign Language videos as part of Greater Anglia’s commitment to improving customer information.

Now that the new trains are in service, they are providing improved accessibility features on every train

Building on VR experience The 12 stations to be included in the tour are Bishop’s Stortford, Broxbourne, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow Town, Ingatestone, Ipswich, Norwich, Shenfield, Southend Victoria and Stansted Airport.

It’s not the first time Greater Anglia has used VR technology to help people experience its service.

In 2018, in advance of the introduction of its fleet of new trains, the company toured a VR roadshow where people could don a headset and be transported to a virtual railway station, giving them the chance to ‘walk’ through a Stadler bi-mode, Stadler intercity and Aventra electric train and find out about the facilities on each one.

38 | May 2022

Accessibility boost New trains with low floors and retractable steps which bridge the gap between the train and platform run on the majority of Greater Anglia’s regional, intercity, and Stansted Express services.

Greater Anglia’s other new trains, which have two wheelchair spaces and one accessible toilet per five-carriage train (so four wheelchair spaces and two accessible toilets when running as 10 carriages) operate on routes in Essex and on West Anglia services.

Rebecca said: “We are committed to making rail more accessible and providing quality information to enable more informed journey planning and we can get continually better at this as technology evolves.”

The tours can be viewed at https://www.greateranglia. co.uk/travel-information/your-journey/ virtual-tours on any device and the addition of more stations is planned in the future

railbusinessdaily.com

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EDI Charter

Building a culture of trust Melissa Marcellin, HR manager at Colas Rail, discusses the need to work collaboratively for industry EDI change

M

elissa Marcellin might be relatively new to the rail industry, but she is hoping to play an important part in longlasting change for the sector.

The HR manager at Colas Rail recently joined the EDI Charter Working Group, driving forward the positive equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) agenda with UK rail.

“My reasons for joining the Working Group were to get a better understanding of the railway community and to play my part in continuing to build that culture of trust within our communities and within the workplace,” she said.

“I want to broaden my capabilities and be more equipped to be able to support individuals from different backgrounds and identities explore what the challenges are and how we can continue to incorporate EDI into all people activities to foster psychological safety.”

Committed to EDI It is 18 months since Women in Rail and the Railway Industry Association (RIA) launched the EDI Charter. The Charter has reached 185 signatories, covering organisations of all sizes across rail.

The two organisations have worked with the EDI Working Group, made up of 11 individuals from signatory organisations, to deliver and promote the Charter within the industry.

“It is really positive that a lot of people have signed up and made that commitment to take EDI seriously and by working together we can take away best practice and implement it within our organisations,” said Melissa.

Melissa Marcellin, HR manager at Colas Rail

“I think there has been a lot of lip service historically in which EDI has been spoken about and the momentum was there initially, but it then trailed off.

“As the Working Group we’ve got to ensure that doesn’t happen here and create the building blocks and collaboration to make sure there is long-lasting change.”

Over the past year, Rail Director has been speaking with members of the Working Group to find out their stories and aspirations with the EDI Charter.

Melissa said: “When you are delivering on any initiative or project it is really important that you get a really good idea of the people that you’re working with and the communities you are serving.

“Already, being part of the Working Group has given me a really good overview and a deeper understanding of the different people who make up the railway community, their lived-in experiences and how that ties into my view of the community and cultures we live and work in.

Mike SURVEY CONSULTANCY LTD Chartered Land and Engineering Surveyors

40 | May 2022

railbusinessdaily.com

EDI Charter

“I’ve already learned so much. As well as the opportunity to network, I’ve got some great ideas that can be applied within the workplace, and as a group we are discussing long-term sustainable change.”

Melissa’s journey in rail started four-and-ahalf years ago when she joined Colas Rail UK. “For me it is all about creating an environment in which people feel they can speak up, feel safe and be allies, which is particularly important for an industry like the railway,” she said.

“I’m enjoying my time in the industry, but one thing that I’ve found is that some people still feel that historic societal attitudes around disability remain due to a lack of understanding, and therefore people do not feel entirely comfortable disclosing a disability for fear of what impact it could have on career progression. Within the Charter we need to establish challenges and remove the stigma and unconscious bias for people from underrepresented and minority backgrounds and actually focus more on removing barriers and enabling everyone to participate in the same way and feel confident to be open and honest.”

Positive change Since being launched, the Charter has been successful in raising the profile of EDI in the industry as well as enabling discussion on how to ensure inclusive opportunities for disabled colleagues, building inclusive leadership development and facilitating relationshipbuilding with the industry. In recent months the Working Group has launched a newsletter sharing initiatives and Coffee Roulette, an opportunity for signatories of the Charter to meet, listen and chat with new people across the community on moving inclusivity forward.

“As well as the networking rubbing shoulders with people who share my passion on EDI, my aim is to both learn and take away some good initiatives, but also play a part in creating some positive EDI initiatives,” she said.

It is all about creating an environment in which people feel they can speak up

get with the programme and punish them if they don’t. The message I want to spread is about giving people a voice and allowing them to let us know what they honestly think about EDI topics, ways of promoting inclusion, and how we can create opportunity for growth.

The only way this will work is if we all work collaboratively together as an industry, sharing ideas” Melissa says that collaboration is the key to creating long-lasting change and although many organisations have their own initiatives and working groups, it is about bringing those together. But beyond that she also wants to see a wider focus on STEM and early careers as well as removing stereotypes around certain roles.

“There needs to be a cultural shift and a change in understanding of what EDI is within organisations because I think when you mention EDI some people think it is all about changing policy. It is not only about policy changes, it is also about educating people, building capabilities to create inclusion and having an overarching industry-wide meaning for how EDI feeds into safety,” she said. “EDI can be a sensitive topic and what we don’t want to do is force people to

Psychological safety Melissa added: “EDI and safety have a clear link and it is key that this is widely communicated, and that people are educated on the role of psychological safety and how this underpins EDI so that everyone feels that they can be their authentic selves and speak up freely with ideas, questions, as well as mistakes.

“People being able to feel that they do have a voice and that their voice is heard leads to psychological safety, leads to them being able to speak up about maybe where they see something that isn’t safe or isn’t right. That can only be a good thing for the industry. I think more people are starting to see the importance of EDI both for the individuals and the business and we need to ensure we continue to make improvements.

Bringing a diverse workforce into the organisation creates diverse outcomes. The EDI Charter is helping on that journey.”

Mike SURVEY CONSULTANCY LTD Chartered Land and Engineering Surveyors

railbusinessdaily.com

May 2022 | 41

R a i l S a f e t y We e k

Bringing rail safety to the front and centre of people’s minds The founder of Rail Safety Week, Alan Tarrant, says this year’s event will celebrate rail safety heroes

I

t was while driving down the M6 having attended a supplier safety event looking at how the industry can work more collaboratively on safety that Alan Tarrant had a lightbulb moment of launching Rail Safety Week. A bit of research and a few meetings later and the event was born, the first of which was attended by 50 organisations.

That was seven years ago. Now the initiative has grown to 160 supporting organisations.

Even a pandemic didn’t get in the way of its progress, with last year’s virtual event hosted

by Learn Live seeing more than 20,000 people tune in across the week.

Sharing ideas “I’m incredibly proud of what has been achieved and in providing the platform for organisations to promote and share ideas as well as giving a little something back to the industry,” said Alan, who organises the event alongside his full-time job as a director at Fission recruitment services.

“The aim is to keep growing and become a recognised industry week where the whole industry can support and become involved.

This I believe isn’t too far away.”

This year’s industry-led initiative takes place from 20-26 June, focusing on rail safety for all, with a mixture of health and safety conferences, site briefs and school safety-based events.

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R a i l S a f e t y We e k

Aims of the week To raise the profile of the importance of rail safety within the UK; To work collaboratively with leading names to successfully deliver Rail Safety Week; To bring the industry together delivering the same message across a dedicated week; To prevent accidents, fatalities and deaths in and around rail infrastructure.

Alan said: “This year’s theme is rail safety heroes and we want to celebrate all the good things people are doing across the industry, which as well as giving the individuals the recognition they deserve, could also be inspirational for others to take a lead.

“We’ll be opening with a conference on the Monday (20 June) at the Railway Industry Association (RIA) hub in London with speakers from RIA, Office of Rail and Road, Network Rail, Rail Safety and Standards Board, VolkerRail and more to be confirmed. There will also be various station events being held across the week.”

Engage and address He continued: “In addition to this there will be all the ongoing promotion on workforce and passenger safety, mental health and wellbeing and trespass.”

Rail Safety Week aims to address, engage, promote and bring rail safety to the forefront of people’s minds across the dedicated week.

“Building safety together with one vision for one industry is what it is all about,” added Alan. “The week has in the past been a great

railbusinessdaily.com

Building safety together with one vision for one industry is what it is all about

How organisations can participate Visit schools to conduct rail safety presentations; Safety stand-down session/additional safety briefs; Posters promoting Rail Safety Week; Dedicated company champions/ ambassadors.

opportunity to share ideas, collaborations, a chance to celebrate the good work that has taken place and to campaign to improve rail safety.

“I expect that to continue this year and would urge the industry to get involved because this is our industry and we need to work together and share ideas to ensure it is safe for everyone.”

Getting involved is free.

Visit www.railsafetyweek.org or email Alan at alan@railsafetyweek.co.uk

May 2022 | 43

RIA innovation

Ensuring good ideas don’t fall at the last hurdle The Railway Industry Association has launched a new strategy to harness innovation in the sector

T

he Railway Industry Association has published a new rail innovation strategy calling for the sector to be more radical and overcome barriers to innovation, ahead of the transition to Great British Railways (GBR).

A Railway Innovation Strategy looks at the state of innovation and research and development (R&D) in the industry and the barriers to getting new products and services into the railway.

It says that further collaboration to help businesses get new ideas to market more rapidly and a culture of innovation will be key under GBR to make the industry more cost efficient, sustainable and accessible to passengers.

Image: RIA

Maximise benefits The strategy sets out six ‘asks’ for industry and government decision makers to maximise the benefits from R&D and innovation.

1 Increase government investment in rail research, development, and innovation.

2 Strengthen support during the innovation rollout phase.

3 Lead a concerted cross-industry effort to identify and overcome barriers to successful adoption.

4 Provide a pathway and funding for radical innovation.

5 The railway must adopt a whole-system and long-term view to enable the right innovation.

6 Support skills development and the creation of an innovation culture.

The paper comes after RIA published a survey of industry professionals in December last year, which found that – while there is support for R&D – procurement processes remain the biggest barrier to innovation.

RIA emphasises the cost benefits that investments in innovation can have, pointing to estimates that Network Rail’s £245 million of R&D funding from 2019 to 2024 is expected to create a gross value add of £1.6 billion over 20 years.

44 | May 2022

The report also makes five recommendations to those responsible for crafting the shape of Great British Railways and highlights a number of case studies and current projects that will help drive innovation.

Enabling innovation really is a win-win for everyone. It is now up to the government and GBR Darren Caplan, chief executive of RIA, said: “The RIA Railway Innovation Strategy sets out how the industry can harness innovation, to make a real difference to everyone who uses, builds, operates and maintains the railway, opportunities which should be seized by the government as it establishes Great British Railways.

“Central to this will be the willingness of decision makers to embrace radical innovation – for example, a technology, outcome, or approach, which can completely transform or replace existing ways of doing things, and help get new ideas to market or in procurements. We cannot keep letting good innovations fall at the last hurdle, instead we need to ensure there is support as they are delivered.”

Government and private funding Darren continued: “On funding, while the government has supported Network Rail with its R&D fund and held recent innovation competitions, we would like to see this go further, with businesses encouraged to invest in new products and workforces. Co-funding is key, but this requires long-term commitment and clarity from clients.

“Enabling innovation really is a win-win for everyone. It is now up to the government and GBR to work closely with the railway industry and unleash the full potential of the supply chain, to help build a greener and more reliable railway system, at better value to the taxpayer.” railbusinessdaily.com

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People

Why mental health shouldn’t be like pulling teeth Railway Mission chaplain Mike Roberts’ way with words has put him near the top of the list for organisations to contact when support is needed. This month he gets his teeth into a quarterly column in Rail Director

“I

won’t lie,” he said, “this is going to hurt.”

These were my dentist’s words to me when I visited him after four weeks of toothache that I’d told myself would go away if I ignored it and masked the pain with paracetamol. It did hurt, and those around me for a few days afterwards knew about it too. It hurt when he took that tooth out, and then again when I had to pay the bill.

As I lay back on the chair, listening to him talk in the bizarre code of the dentist’s language, he stepped back, breathed in and started the sentence with, “Well…” From that tone I knew it wasn’t going to be good news, and that he was about to tell me that the tooth had to come out.

Sure enough, the tooth was ‘beyond saving’ but the good news (apparently) was that he could take it out there and then. I wasn’t sure which was the lesser of two evils, the idea of him pulling a tooth out, or running and coping with the toothache.

He asked how long I’d been in pain with the tooth, to which I replied (not entirely truthfully), “oh not long, a week or so…” I think he knew I was stretching the truth when he told me that if I’d gone when it first felt sensitive he could have filled the tooth instead of removing it now. It’s one of those little bits of information that is no use at the time, but fills you with regret afterwards. If I’d overcome my fear of the dentist a few months ago, instead of waiting until that day, I’d have been in pain for less time, I’d have spent less money, and I’d have endured something less traumatic. (Have you noticed, I’m not a big fan of the dentist?)

Don’t wait for a crisis I waited until crisis point, and suffered because of it, But the truth is, this isn’t just something in the dental realm, but it’s in so many more parts of our life. We’ve seen before, in our own industry it can take a disastrous event to move us to action; we may have seen people we love ignore symptoms until the diagnosis comes too late for treatment, or ignored a problem at home or on the car until it becomes critical and harder to resolve.

46 | May 2022

Waiting until crisis point is a very human act, but it’s also very costly. It is also potentially disastrous when we do it with our own mental health. In the same way I ignored my ‘tooth niggle’, or we don’t take note of the yellow warning light on the car dashboard.

Support for mental health awareness needs to be recognised and embedded in our culture The mental health of our industry has been talked about more since the start of the pandemic than it ever has been before. COVID has forced us to talk about it, but sometimes we can still look at our response to mental health in terms of crises and reacting to breaking point, rather than responding to those first warning signs.

Every day is an awareness day for something, or a campaign week for a project.

Mental health is, rightfully, promoted in numerous initiatives, but support for mental health awareness needs to be recognised and embedded in our culture and not just our events and programmes.

Mental wellbeing should be part of what is written throughout our core, just as Blackpool is written through the centre of a stick of rock.

Mental wealth Wendy McCristal, founder of the Mental Wealth Company which support numerous partners across our industry, was the first to challenge me to think in terms of mental wealth, rather than just mental health.

We all have a level of wealth, albeit at different levels, and as life has its ups and downs – like the small print on the advert says – ‘the value of your investments may go up or down.’

Our trains have systems, backups and failsafe systems to prevent an accident. Signalling systems are designed to stop trains before they end up in a place of danger. railbusinessdaily.com

People

Safety critical staff undergo medicals and health assessments to minimise the risk of them getting to the point where something puts their physical health in danger, but the question is how do we prevent the greatest asset we have from reaching the red line?

I sat with a friend recently, a driver manager, and after we’d talked for a while he asked how I was. I thought for a moment, had a sip of coffee, tried to avoid the question before saying to him: “If I’m honest I think the speed warning light might be on…” Looking back, I think I’d been pushing myself a little beyond the limits of safe working, and as a result the edges were becoming a bit worn.

How do we create a culture and a working environment where (amid a thousand targets for efficiency, productivity, punctuality and value) we promote and encourage (and model) good mental wealth techniques?

In my day-to-day visits as a railway chaplain I think I speak to five people about their mental health for every one person about their physical health. People talk about the impact that two years of worry, lockdown, dashed hopes, the arrival of COVID variants have placed on top of the normal concerns that weigh them down. One person said to me recently, “it’s like you’ve taken the concerns about job security, the worries about my bills, the stress about my daughter’s school and exam pressure and then you’ve put it all up on the wall in a frame named coronavirus.”

Our mental wealth is not easy to diagnose. If I could do the equivalent of a lateral flow test on my mental wellbeing and see one line meaning things are good, and two lines mean things are a bit dodgy, life would be easy. Mental health isn’t about a positive answer or a negative one.

Saying my mental health is good or bad is like saying “it’s raining”. Some days you know it’s definitely not and the sun is shining, and other days it’s absolutely pouring down. But a lot of time, it’s just stop-start or fine drizzle. It’s ‘changeable’. My mental wellbeing tends to live in that zone. I have some really good days (usually due to the really good people who support me) and a few really bad days, but a lot of the time I live in that middle ground, just about being ok.

“Just about ok,” is where a huge number of people are at. They aren’t basking in the glorious long days of summer, nor desperately keeping their heads up in the storm, but they are walking the tightrope of just about managing.

As I travel around, interacting with different companies and operators, I’m aware of more initiatives and projects than ever before, but each time I read a description the same question comes to mind. railbusinessdaily.com

How do we transfer the best intentions and great ideas into culture and behaviour? How do we move mental wellness from our heads to our hearts?

My first job was in a bookshop. Twice a year we did stocktake, and everything in the shop was checked and counted. It made sure that what all the records said we had matched what was on the shelves. Perhaps what we can all take away from this reflection is that to ask if there is any disparity between what we are offering or intending to provide and what’s hitting the ground. Writing our strategies is the easy part, holding roadshows and drop-in sessions is a good step, but unless we are seeing the impact between peers, in messrooms and in the provision of a safe and nurturing environments then we might as well be building trains without wheelsets.

How do we move mental wellness from our heads to our hearts?

I’ve been on anti-depressants for much of the past 18 years. For me, it’s like carrying a good waterproof coat, in that it keeps me protected from the unexpected downpours. Ultimately I, like most people, will rarely access the formal support systems but I will rely on support that comes from colleagues and those I work with.

It’s a reason we need to resource our teams with skills like mental health first aid, and work to create constructive and healthy communities

in our offices, stations and depots. It’s also the reason I passionately believe in the job I do with the Railway Mission.

We’re not there as the answer to every question or problem, but we are there to be a friend, a supporter and a listening ear to those around us on the network. We’re there for the downpours, but we’re also there for the light showers. Chaplains are there to engage with staff in the good and the bad. For some staff when you’ve laughed and joked through the good times and shown genuine concern for wellbeing (even when it comes at the expense of performance) it gives you a greater and more authentic permission to weep and cry with people in their pain, and vice versa. Communities that thrive in terms of mental health don’t just share the good, or share the bad, but they share life, vulnerability and compassion.

‘The best feeling’ I want to finish by telling you a story about someone. I’d got to know them over the course of a year as they’d struggled with miscarriage.

Sometimes we’d talk for a few days, and then she’d go quiet, come back, and go quiet again.

After talking about some of the darkest days and signposting specialist support things went quiet. Just over a year later, I got a WhatsApp message at 2.30am. It was a picture of her, with her newly born daughter and simply the words, ‘the best feeling.’ Tears are a healthy part of our mental health, though we need a safe place to shed them. Tears are part of journey. And, in the same way my dentist told me I should have come to him earlier, let us create an industry of safe spaces for people to find safety to be themselves and express their mental wellbeing.

May 2022 | 47

Safety

Volunteer cadets making a difference to railway communities Sergeant Tony Freeman on the British Transport Police initiative giving young people the powers to keep everyone safe on the UK’s railway

A

rmed in their police uniforms, these teenagers are leading the way in ensuring the railways are safe. The 13 to 17-year-olds are British Transport Police (BTP) cadets, part of the National Volunteer Police Cadet organisation.

“Young people want to have their say in their communities and that includes the railway, where they want to feel safe and secure when travelling,” said Sergeant Tony Freeman, BTP cadet coordinator.

“Cadets get to find out what happens at stations, on the line and the railway community, and they engage with frontline and back office railway staff, opening future opportunities within the industry.”

Their role has never been more important.

Rarely a month goes by in which Network Rail doesn’t release photographs or footage of level crossing misuse or trespassing on railway lines in the UK. Guidance and direction This is backed up by Network Rail figures showing more than 13,500 trespass incidents occur on the rail network each year, a quarter of which involve young people.

“The railway also brings cadets in contact with other young people who are not necessarily there for the right reasons and by working with organisations like the Railway Children, local authorities and station management they can help or direct them to someone who can help them,” said Tony.

“Cadets learn about the various railway and police safety and crime prevention campaigns so that they can speak confidently about the subject with adults and engage with their peers to help raise awareness and reinforce safety messages.”

BTP has units in London, Islington, Birmingham, Basingstoke and York, with a new unit opening in Glasgow this year, and aspirations for one in Wales in the near future – both areas having issues with trespass and youth-related crime.

The cadets scheme aims to recruit 25 per cent of cadets from vulnerable backgrounds.

48 | May 2022

Cadets get to find out what happens at stations, on the line and the railway community, and they engage with frontline and back office railway staff This includes young people and adults in need of special care, support or protection because of age, disability, or risk of abuse or neglect.

Tony said: “I have spent the past 27 years working with young people through policing and other cadet organisations, and I have recently had the pleasure of managing the volunteer police cadets for BTP.

“Working with young people is certainly the best job in the force. Cadets is about inspiring and supporting young people to make a difference in their local community.

“I take great pride in the fact that the cadets help to break down barriers between young people and the police. This helps us reach their peers and those who wouldn’t usually engage with us to benefit the wider community.”

Positive education The cadets initiative is looking at working with a special educational needs school to create a cadet unit, helping to create new opportunities and make coming onto the railway a positive and safe experience.

It is also on the lookout for new cadets and cadet leaders. If you are interested and want to make a difference in your community or a young person’s life, email cadets@btp.police.uk railbusinessdaily.com

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Infrastructure

SLCO lands ‘The Honeybourne Hoover’ and ‘Ore No More’ as its first charter

Image: courtesy of Sam Dixon Picture

Birmingham-based train operator takes the helm for the Hanson & Hall / Branch Line Society’s 400-mile Class 50 adventure

‘Ore No More’ arrives at Cannon Sreet

I

t was a milestone moment for Birminghambased train operator SLC Operations (SLCO) last month, when for its first passenger charter it was chosen to helm the Hanson & Hall / Branch Line Society’s (BLS) venture along the Hampshire and Sussex coast.

Using classic English Electric Class 50 haulage, (Hanson & Hall’s 50008 ‘Thunderer’ and Class 50 Alliance’s 50007 ‘Hercules’) the special charters included the ‘Honeybourne Hoover,’ and ‘Ore No More,’ with both charters exploring branches normally dominated by multiple units.

Charity benefit SLCO’s managing director Cath Bellamy said: “We’re delighted to have had the opportunity to use our passenger operating licence to support BLS and it’s benefitting charity in running such an unusual and exciting charter.”

A UK-based voluntary association for railway enthusiasts, the BLS runs a dedicated programme of rail tours, with the ‘Honeybourne Hoover’ seeing passengers travelling in Mark 1 coaching 50 | May 2022

stock pulled by Hercules from Burton-on-Trent to Eastleigh via Pershore and Honeybourne, with a number of sought-after loops for added interest.

We’re delighted to have had the opportunity to use our passenger operating licence to support BLS Again, using the Mark 1 stock, but this time hauled by Thunderer, the ‘Ore No More’ journey was a marathon 400-mile round trip starting and finishing at Eastleigh.

The train was stabled overnight at Arriva Traincare, Eastleigh.

During the weekend in April, organisers BLS held a raffle, which when combined with the proceeds from the charter and onboard buffet, raised more than £3,000 for the Trussell Trust, which supports a nationwide network of food banks and emergency support for people locked in poverty.

Major landmark For SLC Operations, the trips represented a major landmark as the business’ first passenger charter in its two-year history, with the company providing the operation and train crew for the weekend, with assistance from DB Cargo, GBRf and Balfour Beatty.

SLCO’s commercial and charter manager Ben Mason said: “It was truly a team effort and it’s heartening to have successfully operated a very complicated rail tour over extremely busy parts of the UK rail network, with no impact on other services.”

Now SLCO is preparing itself for a busy summer, with a further four charters scheduled from now through to September. railbusinessdaily.com

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Muslims in Rail

Connecting, growing and inspiring Muslims in Rail has recently celebrated its 100th recorded event since its inception.

Arcadis senior project manager Hasan Ahmed explains more

I

t is only when stopping and reflecting that Hasan Ahmed can fully appreciate the journey of Muslims in Rail (MIR). Starting off as a social gathering for Muslims working in the rail industry, he says the biggest decision was what food to go for at the restaurant.

But as the membership has grown, so has its impact on the industry. In the past six years, thousands of pounds has been raised for charity, MIR is inspiring the next generation of workers and also influencing policy to ensure workplaces are welcoming to people of all faiths.

Organic growth “It’s unreal really, but we’re all buckled in for this ride and who knows what stops lie ahead of us,” said Hasan, one of the three original members of the group which started off as a casual gettogether.

“From a bite to eat in which the biggest decision was to decide whether to have a lamb or chicken kebab, we’ve organically grown to more than 500 members organising careers fairs, STEM events (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Ramadan Iftar dinners with leading mosques in the country.

52 | May 2022

“We’re also writing publications – we recently did a submission to the Great British Railways and we’re doing one right now to the Department for Transport as part of a Transport Labour Market and Skills consultation. That alongside raising thousands of pounds for charity and we can be really pleased of what has been achieved so far.”

We’re all buckled in for this ride and who knows what stops lie ahead of us The group aims to increase awareness and understanding about the Muslim faith through community engagements, recently delivering several nationwide Discover Ramadan Iftar

dinner and mosque tour events – which recently surpassed 100 recorded events since its inception.

“Obviously nothing happens without effort and hard work, but we do consider this to be a blessing from God and that we’re blessed to be in a position where we have a network now of more than 500 people,” said Hasan, senior project manager at Arcadis.

Committed volunteers Hasan added: “It was humbling to reach the 100th event and I’d like to thank everyone who has played a part and given up their time to get involved. We are run entirely by committed volunteers, as a not-for-profit social enterprise.

What we have is a very simple formula in which we’re trying to add value, create value and to work together to connect, grow and inspire.

“Hopefully we can go from strength to strength and, having gone from simple dinners, we’ve diversified this organically over the years with passionate and talented people coming onboard. It’s amazing when we look at how much has been achieved, and we are now seen as a leader among other Muslim professional networks.” railbusinessdaily.com

Muslims in Rail

British Muslims face universal barriers to employment and the rail sector is no different.

However, Hasan, who joined the rail industry as an assistant project manager (network operations) at Network Rail, says he has seen vast improvements.

“I started in the rail industry about 11 years ago and I think from then to now there has been a lot of improvement,” he said. “There is a lot more awareness and I think generally the diversity and inclusion effort that has been made has been a positive thing.”

Challenging journey Hasan continued: “There are some challenges, these things are a generational journey, and particularly in the supply chain. Unfortunately, we still do hear about pockets of racism and Islamophobia, anti-Muslim sentiment that can marginalise employees.

“Also, though recruitment levels are far better at entry levels for BAME people (which Muslim employees generally fall under), there are still challenges of upwards progression through the hierarchy.

“There are also retention issues. This forces many to move sideways or externally for better

Faizza Rumani, MIR Birmingham ambassador (project manager, Network Rail) “As a young Muslim woman starting out my career in a male-dominated industry, I had struggled to find role models who looked like me in the workplace.

MIR International Women’s Day event

prospects. The industry needs to give more attention to this problem if it is to inculcate diversity and inclusion properly at all levels within its constituent organisations.

“There is still work to be done but we feel that our existence as MIR is a way of helping to turn the tide on that and I’m hopeful we will get there eventually.”

A key to that hasn’t just been promoting the industry and providing a safe platform for Muslims in the rail industry to network, but also to widen understanding about Islam to nonMuslims through community engagement.

“So I became a MIR ambassador hoping to help change this for others. MIR has now marked International Women’s Day three years in a row by hosting various events and bringing both Muslim and non-Muslim colleagues together, to shine a spotlight on the contributions of Muslim women to the industry and to create a space for us to network and learn from each other.

“Being part of MIR has emboldened me to share my faith more openly in the workplace and to show up as my whole self. Through MIR, I’ve also been fortunate to find a Muslim female mentor in the industry who understands the unique experiences and perspectives I have, which has had a hugely beneficial impact on my career. I hope that the work we do continues to make an impact on others.”

CARLISLE, CUMBRIA: Steaming ahead with a bid to be the new Great British Railways HQ Find out how we’re on track to be a growing city at www.carlisle.gov.uk/regeneration

railbusinessdaily.com

May 2022 | 53

Muslims in Rail

Saqib Ahmed, MIR Scotland ambassador (project engineer, Network Rail) “I believe MIR is imperative as it enables our colleagues from different faiths, beliefs and backgrounds to participate, experience and learn about Islam while stamping out any stereotypical views surrounding the religion.

We do so by facilitating open discussions and Islamic events such as breaking the fast (Iftar) as it offers our colleagues the ability to ask questions while immersing themselves within a novel environment.

Saqib Ahmed, MIR Scotland ambassador

Recently MIR held Discover Ramadan Iftar dinner and mosque tours, as well as encouraging employees to take part in the organisation’s MIR Fast Day last month, raising money for charity.

The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community.

Encouraging colleagues “This year we encouraged our friends and colleagues to try a one-day fast at least nine to five to experience it for themselves as there are some misconceptions,” said Hasan.

“We also do Ramadan briefings every year, issuing a guidance pack for employees and HR managers and for people at all levels and organisations so that they can brief their teams using that guide, explaining what Ramadan is, what fasting is and what actually happens.

“We’ve even had input from medical professionals and looked into the physiological impact for someone fasting and to dispel the assumption that just because we are fasting it must mean that we won’t be able to do our job correctly.

Encouraging others to look at the rail industry as a career choice “There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution though, and in simple terms it should be at the discretion between an employee and their line manager as everyone has a different tolerance level for fasting.”

It is this openness that Hasan believes is crucial in creating a welcoming and safe workplace for all to thrive.

“If we can have those relationships with our line managers and our teams where we can be open and talk to each other about our wellness, then these things aren’t problematic at all,” he said.

“That is part of what we are hoping to achieve with MIR, ensuring that everyone can be fully

“Personally, MIR has been extremely helpful as I saw my network grow by connecting with fellow Muslims across the organisation who were able to support me in my early years of my professional career; to be myself as a practising Muslim within Network Rail. As challenging as it can be juggling the day-to-day tasks with extracurricular activities, I have thoroughly enjoyed organising and hosting the Discover Ramadan Iftar at Glasgow Central Mosque.

“We had the privilege to host our inaugural MIR Iftar event in Scotland, held in one of the largest mosques in Scotland. Our guests were able to experience the life of a Muslim during the month of Ramadan by partaking in a Mosque tour, experience two of the daily prayers and join us in breaking the fast. It is vital that our colleagues within the railway industry immerse themselves in these experiences to understand why Muslims observe fasting, the challenges they may face and enquire more about Islam. Previously, Iftars were primarily held in England, however it is also important to broaden MIR’s horizons by reaching out to colleagues in across the whole network.

“Looking forward, we intend to continue organising events throughout the year, as Eidul-Fitr (which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan) falls during this month, and look to invite all to join us and hope to collaborate with other railway faith groups to arrange multi-faith events and experiences.” themselves, connect, grow and inspire and for everyone to be comfortable within their own skins as Muslims in the workplace, but also to be better rail professionals.

“As well as helping current Muslims in rail to thrive, our work such as the mentoring schemes and working in schools are encouraging others to look at the rail industry as a career choice, showcasing the diversity of roles available.”

Faizza Rumani, MIR Birmingham Ambassador

54 | May 2022

Visit muslimsinrail.org for more details. railbusinessdaily.com

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

Showing its metal for three decades Premier Group Manufacturing (Coventry) is transforming the UK rail industry for the better with its sheet metal forming and fabrication

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or 30 years Premier Group Manufacturing (PGM) has been specialising in low volume and prototype sheet metal forming and fabrication.

Originally focused on the automotive industry, the West Midlands-based SME is now also wellestablished in the railways, with Bombardier, Network Rail and Alstom among its clients.

Greg Hodge, new business development manager, said: “Since being established in 1992 we have grown to become the market leader in the bespoke manufacturing of low series production panels, assemblies and prototypes spanning the international rail, automotive, aeronautical and defence industries.”

Skilled operators Greg added: “We are the definition of an SME with a headcount of 15 staff skilled in metal forming projects, including design for manufacture reviews of customers’ submitted projects where requested.

“The shop floor contains the heart of our capabilities with skilled operators able to manipulate metals (steel, aluminium etc) to form the intricate parts our customers require.”

56 | May 2022

All projects undertaken by PGM are done so covered by its recently updated ISO9001:2015 Certification and its written operating policies.

As well as metal forming, the experts also provide fabrication in Metal Inert Gas, Tungsten Inert Gas, and Cold Metal Transfer (CMT).

“We are the definition of an SME with a headcount of 15 staff skilled in metal forming projects” “CMT provides excellent control of the heat affected zones found with all welding work and can be critical to the success of the fabrication project,” added Greg.

“In addition, we provide powder coating and painting as well as metal surface treatments required by our customers’ projects through sub-contract local companies.”

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All manufactured parts are CMM (coordinate measuring machine) inspected to its customer specified levels to provide full traceability of manufacture from the actual dimensional tolerancing of the manufactured parts to the detailed records of the materials used.

Greg concluded: “As our history stems from our automotive roots, we have a full appreciation and understanding of the importance of fast reaction to customer timings.

Bright future “That alongside the offer of a full turnkey manufacturing capability, cutting-edge design, development, prototyping, manufacturing and logistics support, is why we’ve been so successful these past three decades and why the future looks bright.

“We apply this passion and knowledge to all our customers along with a do it right first-time philosophy. Our customers are our future and collaboration and innovation are the keys to ensuring a successful partnership.”

Visit https://pgmanufacturing.co.uk/ for more details. railbusinessdaily.com

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

Lighting up the rail sector Urbis Schréder is helping to transform north-south travel through London

A

t Urbis Schréder, we have expert knowledge and a wealth of experience in LED lighting solutions, and are leading the way globally in the rail lighting sector.

An example of this is the completion of the LED lighting regeneration work at London Bridge station back in January 2018. The project, which was officially opened by the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, was part of Network Rail’s Thameslink programme, worth £1 billion.

The project helped to enhance transport links throughout the capital with Schréder working in conjunction with WSP UK to provide the main platform and concourse lighting.

Slimline design The number of tracks at the station increased and a new concourse – larger than the Wembley Stadium pitch – was built at street level, beneath the raised tracks.

Our SCULPflood was chosen due to its highperformance light distribution and slimline aesthetic design that mirrors the station’s modern environment.

We supplied 410 of its SCULP floodlights – 386 SCULPflood 60 luminaires and 24 SCULPdot luminaires – providing the required lumen output of 150 lux average on all 15 of the new platforms, as well as the central concourse.

Our SCULP range was selected to replace high-intensity discharge (HID) lanterns due to its high efficiency, low maintenance requirements, visual aesthetics and long LED lamp life.

London Bridge station

railbusinessdaily.com

London Bridge entrance

“The SCULP luminaires play a central role in the new look of London Bridge station” The SCULP luminaires exceed the project’s requirements and have a lifespan of more than 100,000 hours – outperforming that of the previous HID solution. Each lantern is fitted with a diffuser that eliminates direct glare for the visual comfort of passengers and staff.

Ranjit Reehal, area sales manager at Urbis Schréder, said: “The SCULP luminaires play a central role in the new look of London Bridge station by providing high-quality LED lighting for customers and significant energy savings for Network Rail.”

The lighting design and management of London Bridge station’s redevelopment was handled by WSP UK. Sacha Abizadeh, senior engineer and principal lighting designer at WSP UK, said: “The regeneration project required a Advertorial

product that fused technical quality and aesthetic design, while providing a cost-effective, energyefficient and eye-catching lighting solution.

“The SCULPflood is a slimline architectural floodlight ideal for lighting high-quality environments like London Bridge station.”

Ambitious programme The government-sponsored £7 billion Thameslink Programme was an ambitious 10-year programme of extensive infrastructure enhancements and the delivery of 115 new trains that has brought faster, more frequent, more reliable, better connected journeys for passengers – transforming north-south travel through London.

The programme delivered new infrastructure, better stations, new technology and new trains on an expanded Thameslink network to deliver significant improvements that respond to the growth in passenger demand now and into the future.

At Urbis Schréder we are proud to have been part of that and we are now looking forward as our journey continues in the rail sector.

Let’s get connected.

Please contact us if you have a project you’d like to discuss at sales@urbis-schreder.com

May 2022 | 57

People

25,000 rail industry staff trained to save lives More than one in five in the railway industry have the skills to identify and help vulnerable people to safety thanks to a partnership with Samaritans

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obile security officer Karl knows only too well the importance of being trained to identify and help vulnerable people. He was the 25,000th rail industry worker to learn vital skills thanks to a Samaritans partnership with Network Rail.

Just three weeks after completing the charity’s suicide prevention training, what he learned was put into action, helping to save a man’s life.

“My colleague and I were patrolling one of our train stations and we noticed a man sitting down in the platform shelter,” said the Lingwood Security Management worker.

“He was leant over and had his head in his arms crying. We went over and asked him if he was all right, and he said ‘no I’m upset, I don’t want to be here anymore’, so I knew we had to stay with him and try to help him.

“We were talking for about 20 or 30 minutes, but he was shivering. I said he could get warm inside my truck around the corner. He was hesitant at first, but he agreed to come with us. He didn’t stop crying the whole time we were with him.

58 | May 2022

“We called for an ambulance and just before he got in, he threw his arms around me and thanked me and my colleague. I was so happy that we saved a life that day and that’s thanks to the Samaritans’ course.”

I was so happy that we saved a life that day Between April 2021 and March this year, rail staff have helped more than 650 people to safety, potentially saving their lives, according to intervention data from Network Rail, Samaritans and British Transport Police (BTP).

Karl said: “Mental health and looking out for people is really important to me.

“I went through a bad stage myself a few years ago and from my personal experience of being at the lowest of the low and having people, my partner and my mates, there for me to talk to and raise me up again, I’m so much stronger for it.

“I know I didn’t speak about it until it was almost too late. Since then, I just want to encourage others to talk, especially men.”

Starting the conversation The one-day Managing Suicidal Contacts course trains rail staff on how to identify, approach and support a potentially suicidal person. Delegates are taught how to recognise someone who may be suicidal, and how to start a conversation.

They are taught some of the essential listening skills that underpin Samaritans’ services and how to safely resolve a situation and refer a person to friends, family, the BTP or the charity to receive further support. railbusinessdaily.com

People

“I was given the opportunity to take part in the Managing Suicidal Contacts course, which I was really happy to do,” said Karl.

“I knew in my career on the railway I’d come into contact with vulnerable and potentially suicidal people, so I wanted to build my confidence and make sure I was saying and doing the right thing.

“It’s sometimes hard to pinpoint who is feeling low or if someone is just going about their normal business – but since doing the course it’s made me recognise the signs to look out for and how to talk to vulnerable people. The training definitely gave me more confidence.

“I’d really encourage other rail staff to do the course, to get the confidence and to know what to look out for. It’ll also help them understand what services there are if they’re going through a tough time themselves. I know if I’m going through a rough patch, it would be Samaritans I’d be calling.”

Helping vulnerable people The milestone achievement of 25,000 trained staff sees more than one in five in the rail industry, including Network Rail, British Transport Police and train company staff, having taken part in the course.

Since the partnership began in 2010, Samaritans has run around 1,900 courses across Britain to give rail employees the confidence and skills to look out for vulnerable people, teaching them how to start a conversation to get them to safety and onto further support.

Since doing the course it’s made me recognise the signs to look out for and how to talk to vulnerable people Great Western Railway train manager Kim Hellyer is another example of someone who went through the training and helped a distressed woman who she saw on a train.

“The intervention I did last year and the young woman I saved will always stay with me – I’ll never ever forget her,” she said.

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May 2022 | 59

People

“I was just going through the train as I usually do, checking tickets, and I saw a young woman sat with her legs crunched up and I noticed she looked really upset.

“It was during the pandemic, so I asked if I was okay to sit down next to her and I asked her where she was travelling to. She told me she was going away because she wanted to kill herself. I knew I just had to keep talking to her and keep her with me so she was safe and wouldn’t try to run off the train and harm herself at the next stop.

“I continued to chat to her and was able to call our control centre who arranged for BTP officers to come and see her.”

Samaritans trainer Jason Alexandre

60 | May 2022

Great Western Railway train manager Kim Hellyer

She said: “Since that happened, I feel so strongly about encouraging other train crews to learn and do the training. We need to go through the train and pick out those people who just need somebody to talk to and somebody to offload to.”

As well as suicide prevention training, the programme aims to work with the railway and within the wider community to destigmatise suicide and promote help-seeking behaviour.

Louise McNally, suicide prevention and trespass lead at Network Rail, said: “Suicide is not inevitable and thanks to the work of the rail industry and our partners like Samaritans we have made significant strides tackling these tragic events on and around the railways.

Image: David Oates

Making a connection Kim added: “At the next step the police officers got on but she didn’t want to talk to them, she only wanted to talk to me. We agreed that one police officer would travel the rest of the way with us.

“We got to the end destination and local police officers caught up with her there, so I knew she was in safe hands. I hadn’t been a train manager for very long and afterwards, I saw another guard who had been on my training with me and I just burst into tears.

“I phoned my mum afterwards to tell her, and she was really proud of me. The following day I saw the BTP officer who had travelled with us and I asked if he knew what had happened to her – he said she was taken to a place to get help. I was so relieved and realised I basically saved her life because I called for the police to intervene, otherwise she could have walked away and we wouldn’t know if she was alive.”

Kim Hellyer received a Gold Award from Great Western Railway for her life-saving intervention and is encouraging other staff, particularly her fellow train crew colleagues, to do the training.

“This 25,000 milestone is a fantastic achievement and we look forward to seeing even more lives positively impacted as a result of the wide range of training options available to rail industry staff to identify and support vulnerable people.”

Looking out for one another Samaritans’ head of rail programme Olivia Cayley said: “We’re so grateful to the rail industry and inspired by their commitment to look out for others every day and save lives.

This milestone is a testament to our invaluable 12-year partnership.

“We’re always looking for more ways to adapt and provide further support to rail staff, giving them the skills and building their confidence. We worked hard over the pandemic years to move our training online to reach staff virtually and are developing guidance for those who may be handling conversations with vulnerable people in remote social media or customer service roles.

“We know the pandemic has had a huge impact on the nation’s mental health and that will be felt for a long time – but suicide is preventable, and it’s everybody’s business. So please get in touch if you’d like to learn more and build those skills that you use every day – simply talking and looking out for passengers’ safety – which could save a life.”

For more information and to sign up to one of Samaritans’ free courses, please email railcompanies@samaritans.org railbusinessdaily.com

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

Celebrating Coventry Station’s 60th anniversary

The birthday has been marked with the completion of an £82 million station extension and refurbishment

Image: Andrew Moore

he Heart of England Community Rail Partnership, in partnership with Highly Sprung, have hosted the Coventry Station Community Day to celebrate the completion of the new £82 million station extension building and enhancements. It comes as the original building celebrates its 60th anniversary.

The extension has created additional capacity at Coventry station, providing a second station entrance and footbridge connecting to all four platforms, a 633-space car park with electric vehicle charging points and accessible spaces, new transport interchange connected directly to the station, alongside a secure cycle hub facility, new passenger waiting rooms and facilities and five additional retail units.

Funded by Avanti West Coast and Coventry City Council, the day brought together the best of transport innovation, culture and theatre through activities, information stands and performances. It also highlighted the creative developments at the station such as the artwork installations designed by Christopher Tipping on the concourse windows and a new “Welcome to Coventry” sign, made up of stitched squares crafted by residents of Coventry and artists Luisa Freitas and Charis Esther, working with Creative Giants on behalf of Coventry City Council and Avanti West Coast. It also featured as Coventry City of Culture 2021’s ‘Coventry Opens’ festival showcasing a number of cultural venues across the city.

62 | May 2022

Image: Andrew Moore

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The Community Day had a family-friendly festival feel with activities for all ages. Coventry Transport Museum hosted ‘Playhem on the Promenade’ with free play, learning and building with transport-themed resources from the museum. The Heart of England Community Rail Partnership worked with local illustrator, Emily Kaye, to provide a family activity exploring transport and innovation, where children had the chance to get creative and design their very own train of the future. Coventry City Council provided a model of the world’s first urban airport based just opposite Coventry Station and Avanti West Coast shared information on the organisation’s plans for the future and how they are leading the way in developing their sustainability practices.

There was a strong focus on encouraging active travel with Learn to Ride a Bike sessions from Coventry City Council, bike security marking

by West Midlands Police and the chance to try out some of the innovative pedi-cabs. Dr Bike was also on hand to provide free cycle safety checks and basic adjustments and there was information about the how to rent E-bikes from the West Midlands Cycle Hire Scheme.

A showcase for local talent The Community Day was able to showcase some of the best local talent with award-winning recording artist Sandra Godley hosting the Entertainment Stage. With performances from Coventry-based poet, rapper and writer John Bernard, multi-award winning UK Bhangra Group Gabhru Panjab’s dancers and Dhol Players, “the most in demand Jazz act in the Midlands,” The Jazz Apples and dance from the talented Louis Lewinson and his Advertorial

group of young dancers, the Community Day was able to shine a spotlight on those at the heart of the creative scene in the West Midlands.

The day concluded with a grand finale of two sold out performances of Highly Sprung’s In Transit.

In Transit combines stunning aerial performances with bold choreography and a beautiful story to enchant audiences of all ages. It tells stories of movement, migration and innovation in the city and celebrates Coventry’s industrial heritage while looking forwards to a greener future. The performances featured a professional cast alongside more than 100 children from six local schools, creating a joyous community atmosphere. In Transit was part of Commonwealth Connections, which connects children and young people in Coventry with schools across the Commonwealth. The Coventry schools that Highly Sprung worked with had the great privilege of making connections with young people from Zambia, and the performance featured an original recording of a Zambian song of welcome to celebrate this, composed and recorded by Tom Haines Music.

The City of Culture Julia Singleton-Tasker, community rail officer for the Heart of England CRP, said: “This was a fantastic example of collaboration between the railways, the local authority, Highly Sprung and our transport partners. Coventry has had an amazing year being the City of Culture and we’ve been proud to be able to be a part of it.”

Follow @HighlySprung, @HeartCRP and @coventrycc or visit highlysprungperformance.co.uk

railbusinessdaily.com

Rail Freight

New hybrid locomotive on its way to the UK from 2025

GB Railfreight says the new trains could save 585,000 tonnes of carbon a year B Railfreight has unveiled its new hybrid Class 99 locomotive, marking a major development in the decarbonisation of UK supply chains and consumer and business purchases.

Designed and built in collaboration with Stadler and Beacon Rail, the new hybrid locomotive will be operational from 2025, and are intended to replace existing diesel-only powered Class 66 locomotives.

Reducing carbon It is anticipated that the new hybrid model will reduce GBRf’s carbon footprint by 428 tonnes per working day across intermodal services operating along partially electrified lines.

John Smith, chief executive officer (CEO) of GB Railfreight, said: “Rail freight is not just

Image: Stadler

G

the backbone of the UK’s economy; it is now leading the push to decarbonise supply chains.

“Our new and cutting-edge locomotives will immediately make a huge impact on reducing CO2 emissions, improve choice for businesses and consumers, and cut their carbon footprints when purchasing goods.

“If scaled, with the help of the UK government to electrify more routes, the Class

99 locomotive can play an even greater role in helping supply chains and business operations become significantly more climate friendly.”

The first contract for the bi-mode Co’Co is for 30 units, which includes spare parts.

‘Environmentally friendly performance Inigo Parra, CEO of Stadler Valencia, said: “Stadler has extensive experience in the UK locomotive market. Over recent years we have introduced with Beacon the Class 68 dieselelectric locomotive and the Class 88 bi-mode locomotive.

“We are very proud to go one step further with the development of the Class 99, a versatile, high-performance locomotive that will provide environmentally friendly and costeffective rail transport services.”

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May 2022 | 63

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HS2

Building the UK’s longest railway viaduct

Image: Phil Marsh

Rail Director has been on site to see HS2’s production of 1,000 enormous concrete segments that will form the deck of the Colne Valley viaduct

Senior engineer Nicolas Gay at the HS2 viaduct fabrication site

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n the past few months, HS2 has been ramping up work on the UK’s longest railway bridge that will stretch 2.1 miles across a series of lakes and waterways just outside London.

As part of the work a second fabrication factory has become operational at its C1 compound near Denham in Buckinghamshire, which is operated by ALIGN, the joint venture made up of Bouygues Travauxs Publics, Volker Fitzpatrick, and Sir Robert McAlpine.

Challenging build It is no easy task – this section of the highspeed railway includes the 3.4km Colne Valley viaduct, the 16km Chiltern tunnels, a couple of reservoirs and the world’s largest slurry treatment plant. It also has its own access to and from the adjacent M25, keeping construction traffic away from local roads.

The 136-acre site, located in a large hollow on the edge of the Chilterns, was formerly a mix of quarry and low value farmland and is now a self-contained railway fabrication and construction site. railbusinessdaily.com

Each of the viaduct’s 1,000 deck segments will be individually numbered and uniquely shaped When construction activities are complete, more than 90 per cent will be returned to nature in a rewilding project using tunnel-bored chalk and chalk disturbed from other earthworks.

The Align Project Director is Daniel Altier an experienced engineering professional from Bouygues.

Prior to any construction work beginning, haul roads are often created to achieve access to a worksite.

This was not possible at C1 because the viaduct spans two reservoirs, so four jetties and associated piers had to be built across the water to enable cranes and piling rigs to start their preparatory work for some of the 56b viaduct supporting piers.

Segment production The first fabrication factory, open for a year, is fabricating the 112,000 tunnel lining segments required for the twin bore Chiltern Tunnels.

The second facility is the viaduct fabrication factory, which produced its first viaduct deck segments in February, completing seven by the media visit on 16 March. That left another 993 to go.

Each of the viaduct’s 1,000 deck segments will be individually numbered and uniquely shaped due to the vertical and lateral track alignment required to accommodate the high-speed slight curvature to form a perfect track deck.

Each segment, weighing up to 140 tons, will be fabricated in its order of installation in what is called a Match Construction Technique.

May 2022 | 65

HS2

Colne Valley viaduct rebar team start on a new segment frame

ork can be carried out under cover away W from weather interference preventing production; I t reduces external construction noise pollution locally.

There are two external production lines outside the factory where the rebar frames are constructed. Seven huge jigs, each containing a unique rebar frame in various stages of production, were adjacent to a line

Measuring a viaduct segment in the HS2 precast factory

66 | May 2022

Once completed, frames are taken on a self-propelled lifting platform into a factory side door

of completed frames waiting their turn to be transported into the factory. The steelwork is stored in a compound alongside the rebar construction jigs and where preparatory work is carried out by steelworkers.

Once completed, frames are taken on a selfpropelled lifting platform into a factory side door when their assembly slot calls. Once placed in the factory cells, flexible moulds and traditional shuttering is put in place held by jacks and rams.

Image: Phil Marsh

Completion times Nicolas Gay, viaduct precast factory senior engineer from Bouygues Travaux Publics, who comes from Lyon, expects the task to be completed in two years. The factory contains three huge assembly cells into which the bespoke rebar frames are placed before shuttering and moulds are put in place. It is an incredibly noisy environment where all staff have to wear ear defenders and it has several purposes away from viaduct segment production:

Image: Phil Marsh

Every segment is being poured and cast next to its neighbour to ensure the geometrical characteristics match the neighbouring piece.

Installation of the first segments was planned to start in April using a 700 ton, 155 metre-long launching girder assembled on site.

railbusinessdaily.com

Image: Phil Marsh

HS2

Inside the HS2 precast factory

The finished articles will contain three voids below the deck on which track will be installed The unique size of each segment is also driven by the interior strength required for each concrete deck segment, which means a different individual depth depending on where

Colne Valley completed viaduct rebar frames in jigs in the queue to enter the precast factory

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the segment’s position on the viaduct will be.

This is why the flexible moulds are used to create the voids in the rebar frame. Moulds can be made into any shape to match the individual design of the segment.

Segment finishing work is then carried out on every edge and checked to ensure accuracy and conformity to design while still in the factory cells. Tools and equipment are transported to the workforce within the factory by roof mounted 15-ton capacity cranes.

Image: Phil Marsh

When cement has been poured, the moulds collapsed and withdrawn from the segment, cleaned and checked, it is transported from the factory production line on another self-propelled rail-mounted platform to a temporary storage position outside. From there a 140-ton capacity crane will lift the segment to its storage position on a large concrete apron waiting for its visit to the 155 metre, 700 ton lifting frame, assembled onsite, and final installation.

Production began slowly in February to test that all processes, plant and machinery operated as planned. A stockpile will be manufactured so that viaduct installation will not be delayed once the process commences should any factory or supply chain disruption take place.

Easy maintenance The production line is capable of turning out 12 segments weekly and was running at about 25 per cent capacity in mid-March, but speeded up after engineers were satisfied the planned activities were working as expected.

The finished articles will contain three voids below the deck on which track will be installed.

These will be used for services enabling easier maintenance and drainage while lateral strength will be assisted by pre-stressed tensioning cables running along the viaduct’s length creating internal strength.

The viaduct’s north abutment and four piers were in place in mid-March with the former’s embankment being made up to enable the launching girder to access the construction.

Segments will be installed around piers to maintain physical balance at all times in cantilever style with the widest spans crossing the lakes with narrower ones elsewhere.

May 2022 | 67

International News

Alstom delivers first for India’s regional trains

lstom has delivered India’s first semi high-speed regional train for National Capital Region Transport C o rp o r ati o n’s (N C RTC) 82.5km-long Delhi-GhaziabadMeerut RRTS line.

The trains are designed and built to move passengers at 180kmph, and are expected to reduce the travel time between Delhi and Meerut by 40 per cent.

T hese semi high-speed aerodynamic trains are energy ef ficient, designed to of fer top-notch comfort and safety features to create a premium passenger experience for commuters, including those who are disabled.

Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, union minister for housing and urban

Shri. Manoj Joshi, Chairman – NCRTC, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, Shri. Vinay Kumar Singh, MD – NCRTC, and Alain Spohr, Managing Director, Alstom India

affairs at the Government of India, said: “It is a proud moment for all of us to witness the rollout of the RRTS trainset, which is a true manifestation of the Honourable Prime Minister’s vision of an ‘Aatmanirbhar India’.

“Designed in India, made in India, made for India – it is the

Image: Alstom

A

perfect demonstration of the PM’s Make in India initiative.

It is imperative that we plan efficient public transport to fully harness the potential of our metropolitan cities, so that we truly make them the engines of growth for tomorrow’s economy.”

In 2020, the company was

awarded the €436 million contract to: D esign, build, and deliver

210 regional commuter and transit train cars along with comprehensive maintenance services for 15 years D esign, supply, install, test and commission signalling and train control, supervision, platform screen doors and telecommunication systems.

Alain Spohr, managing director, Alstom India, said: “We are proud to reach another key milestone in making India’s first semi high-speed regional commuter service a reality.

Delivering the first train within a year of commencing production reinstates Alstom’s commitment to revolutionise India’s rail networks.

Green light given to delayed Cherbourg-Bayonne rail link

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rittany Ferries has given the go-ahead to a new railfreight link between Cherbourg and Bayonne.

The ferry company first announced the rail project back in February 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 health crisis hit and forced a reduction in ferry services for nearly two years.

But while the project — which Brittany Ferries deems strategic — was delayed, Brittany Ferries says it was never cancelled.

During the pause, Brittany Ferries worked with French rail network operator SNCF Réseau and the Ministry for Ecological Transition to determine the routing for the new service, which will provide daily return journeys between Cherbourg and Mouguerre.

Following a study into the modification of four railway tunnels on the Atlantic corridor route to allow the lowest available wagons to pass through, a

framework agreement was signed, allowing the project to enter its concrete development phase.

With support from the State, Europe, and the regions of Normandie and Nouvelle Aquitaine, Brittany Ferries will open the ‘rail motorway’ linking the port of Cherbourg to the European Freight Centre at Mouguerre, near Bayonne, thereby connecting Spain to the UK and Ireland via the French railway network.

The launch of the new service, initially planned for 2022, is now expected by mid-2024.

Jean-Marc Roué, Brittany Ferries’ president, said: “Shifting freight from road to rail is something that many have talked about. But with this President of the Republic, it’s become a reality, forming part of our recovery plan. I welcome these political decisions which accelerate the future of low-carbon freight transport.”

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International News

New hydrogen train from Siemens and DB iemens Mobility has launched its new hydrogenpowered train at its factory in Krefeld, Germany.

Based on the Mireo platform, the train has been developed in cooperation with German state operator Deutsche Bahn. Fuelled by hydrogen, the only emissions are water vapour emitted as steam, which will help DB achieve its goal of reducing rail-related CO₂ emissions to zero.

Intended to replace diesel multiple-unit trains on commuter and regional routes where electrification is not a viable option, the new Mireo Plus H has been launched as a two-car train with a range of up to 800km.

Its traction motors develop 1.7MW, giving the train a top speed of 160km/h and acceleration

Image: Siemens Mobility

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similar to its all-electric equivalent.

A three-car version will also be made available.

This will have an increased range of 1,000km due to the additional storage room available on the roof of the third car.

The new train has been developed as part of the H2goesRail project, funded as

part of the National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology, and €13.74 million from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV).

“In its coalition agreement, the federal government agreed to electrify 75 per cent of the country’s rail network by 2030,” said Michael Theurer, parliamentary state

secretary in the BMDV. “Here, alternative drives can help reduce emissions from diesel rail transport.

This way, we’ll be able to operate virtually climate-neutral on rail routes where full electrification is not possible. The H2goesRail project will not only test the use of hydrogen for rail, but substantially advance the technology.”

CAF signs deal to supply eight new units to Granada Metro

etro de Granada has chosen CAF to supply eight new units for the city’s network, which will be added to the 15 previously delivered units that are currently in service.

The new units will be similar to those already supplied by CAF, providing places for 221 passengers and a maximum running speed of 70km/h. The delivery time established in the contract is 22 months from the contract signing,

Image: CAF

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providing a response to the growth in metro passenger demand, while

also significantly improving service quality.

This extension of the train fleet is intended to significantly increase transport capacity by increasing the number of seats available, as well as train frequency at stations.

It will also make it possible to run double-train consists during peak demand times and for special, highintensity services.

This rolling stock extension will allow the company to cover planned future expansions of the Granada Metro network.

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May 2022 | 69

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

Shaping the future of signalling intelligence Andy Knight, the 98th president of IRSE, outlines his vision to drive the institution forward

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ndy Knight, managing director of Signet Solutions, has been inaugurated as the 98th president of the Institute of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE). Taking over from Ian Bridges, Andy’s focus is on shaping the institute’s future, particularly as the world builds back from a global pandemic.

It is a challenge that the boss of one of the leading providers of training and development solutions for signalling engineers is relishing. He has long been a supporter of IRSE, becoming a member in 2006 and Fellow in 2012, and is keen to play his part in delivering safe and sustainable global railways.

“To become president to lead a 5,000member organisation is a great privilege and I’m looking forward to the year ahead, especially in finding the new norm and connecting people around the globe,” said Andy, who has worked in the rail industry for four decades.

“We should be proud of the past, but we need to be passionate about the future, improving the institution for the day and age that we find ourselves in now.”

IRSE is the professional institution for all those engaged in or associated with railway signalling and telecommunications, train control, traffic management and allied professions.

‘Shaping the future’ Andy presented his presidential address at the IRSE AGM in April, with his chosen theme for his 12-month tenure ‘Shaping the Future’.

During their presidential year, each president

70 | May 2022

world and reflecting modern practice and governance,” said Andy.

“We’re looking at the organisational side of things, but there’s also the technical side looking at how signal engineers and the command control tackles the technological changes that are coming in and how that impacts them.

“There are some good lectures on technical issues lined up considering whether we are ready for more digitalisation of the industry, while not forgetting about legacy systems that still need to be looked after.”

‘Equality, diversity and inclusivity is one of our next priorities’ organises a themed series of presidential papers, presented by leading experts in railway signalling, communications, train control and traffic management.

“Equality, diversity and inclusivity is one of our next priorities to make sure that we’re adhering to proper governance approach and that we’re including everybody around the organisation to make sure that we’re doing things for a modern

Advertorial

Greater connections Technology is certainly one of the biggest changes for IRSE since it was founded 110 years ago. As well as video calls connecting members from all over the world instantly, now the papers being delivered can be downloaded at an individual’s convenience, with Andy wanting to take this further with more condensed presentations.

“The great globalisation of this institution means that you have access to 5,000 members in the same sort of job role, forming a communications network that can give you many opinions and advice,” said Andy.

“The institution needs to continue to provide to the globe. This year is an opportunity for us to reconnect and to a certain level reset because of the challenges of the past few years. We need to find the new norm with the changes in our habits and ensure we are operating better than ever before.”

railbusinessdaily.com

RBD Community

Working together to make the railway as safe as possible

RBD Community has brought together members and industry specialists for its Rail Safety and Infrastructure event. The group’s head, Eli Rees-King, explains how it went

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veryone Home Every Day” is so much more than just words; it sits at the heart of everything that involves people working on the railway. It was clear that there was a shared aspiration from everyone at our Rail Safety and Infrastructure event at the University of Birmingham, sponsored by S&C Alliance, as to how we can work together to make the railway as safe as it possibly can be.

With an event focused on rail safety and infrastructure, there was only going to be one person who could really give us an in-depth insight into the work taking place to make the railway safer, that person being Nick Millington, head of Network Rail’s Safety Task Force and president of the PWI (Permanent Way Institution). He spoke about the efforts and methodology being implemented to eliminate the risk track workers face every time they set foot on railway infrastructure.

Since the Safety Task Force was launched in 2019 (in response to the tragic incident resulting in the loss of two lives on the South Wales main line) Nick has made significant headway in improving safety on the railway – a task which has required immense focus and dedication, in addition to gathering and analysing a huge amount of data to identify risk factors and solutions to resolve them. railbusinessdaily.com

Safer, simpler and more collaborative planning, with improved assurance, is at the heart of RailHub The Safety Task Force was set up to address five key priority areas: Planning and delivery to optimise line block and access opportunities; echnology including the use of data and T intelligent infrastructure solutions to keep track workers safe; S upply chain collaboration for high quality solutions that ensure track worker safety; Assurance and verification; S afe behaviours where a culture of safety is embedded.

Nick highlighted two of the greatest risk factors – these being working on open railways and positional awareness. These risks are further heightened with high speeds and working in close proximity with S&C. It was surprising to hear that 70 per cent of all near misses involved lookout/LOWS (lookout operated warning system), but only 11 per cent of work historically was undertaken in that way.

New horizons With new advancements in intelligent infrastructure technology and the availability of solutions such as the Trackside Guardian (as presented by Tim Gray, managing director at Hitachi Infoco), and the SATWS systems offered

by RSS Infrastructure (explained by Pankaj Kapoor, operations director, RSSI), the shift has been significant in that technology has been proven as the safer option. However, the challenge has not so much been the deployment of technology, rather it has been the shift in mindset and behaviour to place trust in technology over human lookouts/LOWS. Nick said: “The answer lies in better planning to keep boots off ballast and we are also committed to not unintentionally transferring the ownership of risk.

May 2022 | 71

RBD Community

“Incredibly, since work started, the Safety Task Force has virtually eliminated work where human lookouts are the single point of failure.

“Our target is to completely remove lookouts and LOWS, as well as targeting 100 per cent additional protection/train activated warning and adopt a 100 per cent compliance with Standard 019. However, despite the UK operating one of the safest railways in Europe, there is still room for improvement.”

He added: “Going forward we are rolling out a new system called Network Rail RailHub. We have so far completed deployment in three of the routes and have 10 left to go. Our first region (North West and Central) is now under our belt and the GO LIVE of ‘Network Rail RailHub’ on our North West Route added 2,500 users in one night.

“Safer, simpler and more collaborative planning, with improved assurance, is at the heart of RailHub. We are committed to giving our teams the best possible way to plan work simply and deliver safely on site. We have deployed RailHub to the entire North West and Central region now, and our next stop is Wales and Western region.”

Nick emphasised the point that any product designed to make the railway safer must be proven 100 per cent reliable before being deployed at scale in the working rail environment. If it isn’t, this has a huge knock-on effect with confidence and can result in the solution being removed permanently in spite of the merits of its use.

He added: “We have taken big steps in creating a much safer working environment for track workers, but each day is a new day and it is about consistency. I am very conscious of the work we are doing only being as good as our last good day. The progress we have made over the past two years is down to the support and commitment of the 1000s of people who have been involved, for which I am so grateful for and thank my colleagues, suppliers and supporting organisations for getting us this far.”

Safety taskforce Darryl Hopper, RSSB health and wellbeing programme manager, spoke next and said: “We need to bottle up the Safety Task Force trackworker effort so that we understand the change culture, and enable us to maintain change offered through assurance activities. We need to embrace technology to relieve the challenges of separating trains and people, and collaborate to develop new technology and solutions. It is important that we support trackworker feedback based on their experience and create the opportunities to empower trackworker voices.”

72 | May 2022

Next we heard from John Ellison, head of SHEQ at the Midland Metro Alliance (MMA), who said: “MMA has created a culture where we respectfully challenge one another to remain to be FreeToBeSafe; the CARL safety recognition initiative was implemented to drive this and recognise the efforts of all involved and the collective contribution towards health, safety and wellbeing.

“Our priority is to engage our workforce in the reporting of close call and to have those safety conversations, as well as increasing the numbers of those carrying out safety inspections. By doing these simple things, we can identify trends and manage risk.”

Last, but not least, we heard from our event sponsor, the S&C Alliance, represented by Tim Flower, UK account director, Konux. The S&C Alliance is a collaboration between six RBD Community members (Konux, Interflon, Staytite, DWG Infraco, OneBigCircle and Flexilube), in addition to drawing on the expertise of two industry S&C and S&T

(signalling and telecommunications) specialists with a reputation for their knowledge and competence.

The S&C Alliance really does exemplify the true meaning of collaboration. It provides a full spectrum solution incorporating intelligent data and engineering solutions that offers everything from fixing and maintaining S&C to extending the life of the asset overall as well as identifying potential problems and delivering corrective maintenance before a problem occurs.

The most important subject in rail Adam Carlin, business developer (rail maintenance) at Fugro, attended the event and offered his stamp of approval. He said: “This was a very well thought out event that brought together innovators and infrastructure managers to collaborate on the most important subject in rail – safety. The RBD team continue to bring together all areas of the rail community to explore how we can make a difference to the future of our railways.” railbusinessdaily.com

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May 2022 | 73

Movers and Shakers

Beth West appointed as chief executive at East West Railway

eth West has hit the ground running as chief executive officer of East West Railway Company (EWR Co), taking over from Simon Blanchflower, who retired on 31 March.

The new East West Rail line, currently under construction, promises new connections for communities between Oxford and Cambridge including Bedford, Milton Keynes, Bletchley and Bicester.

Beth joins having previously been the regional south managing director at Balfour Beatty, where she had responsibility for a wide array of civil engineering and building projects.

Image: East West Rail

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Prior to this she was commercial director for HS2, head of development for Landsec, and spent nine years in several roles at Transport for London.

Beth said: “I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead EWR Co. The organisation has ambitious plans to make a significant and positive difference

to the lives of communities and businesses along the route.

“Delivering a new, sustainable connection between Oxford and Cambridge will be good for businesses, create more jobs for local people, help attract investment to the area and increase prosperity.

“I intend to see EWR at the forefront of innovation, exploring new and better ways to plan, build and run rail in the UK. I am really looking forward to working with local communities, as well as the EWR Co team and our partners, and a wealth of other stakeholders to deliver East West Rail.”

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ohn Lauder, deputy CEO of Sustrans, has joined Scotland’s Railway on an 18-month secondment to lead a special strategic project to reduce car journeys to the nation’s train stations.

John is working with Network Rail Scotland and ScotRail to create a new strategy for Scotland’s Railway aimed at promoting sustainable travel options and reducing passengers’ reliance on cars.

The strategy will examine how to encourage more use of walking, cycling and public transport such as buses when arriving at stations.

The project is part of the rail industry’s drive to decarbonise passenger rail services in Scotland by 2035 and help the Scottish Government achieve its target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2045.

John said: “This is an exciting time for sustainable transport

Image: Network Rail

Sustrans adds support to Scotland’s sustainability plan

and active travel in Scotland with government policy moving away

from private motoring and towards low carbon, people-focused transport.

“Giving rail travellers better choice not to use a car for every trip to the station is a key element in an integrated, sustainable transport strategy.

“This secondment will give me a chance to apply my learning of over 18 years working in the sustainable transport sector and improve what the railway can offer its customers.”

iona MacAulay has become an independent nonexecutive director at Costain.

She is a member of the company’s Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees and chair of the Remuneration Committee.

She takes over from Jacqueline de Rojas, who became Remuneration Committee chair

74 | May 2022

Image: Costain

Costain announces new non-executive director F on an interim basis on 12 January 2022, and will lead the review of Costain’s remuneration policy for 2023.

Prior to transitioning to a portfolio of non-executive and advisory roles in 2018, Fiona, a Chartered Geologist with more than 35 years’ experience, held senior roles and board positions in the upstream oil and gas sector across large and small cap companies including BG Group, Mobil and latterly as COO of Rockhopper Exploration plc and

CEO of Echo Energy PLC. Dr Paul Golby CBE, chair, said: “We are delighted that Fiona is joining our board. She is highly experienced within the resources and industrial sectors and has significant credentials in ESG, which will be important in supporting the delivery of our strategy which is focused on decarbonisation.” railbusinessdaily.com

Movers and Shakers

MTMS appoints Matt Forst to managing director role

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Image: MTMS

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ail depot maintenance firm MTMS has appointed Matt Forst to the post of managing director to lead its ambitious growth plans and preparations for the Great British Railways era.

Matt, who has worked his way up through the ranks after joining as a maintenance technician, takes over the MD role from Malcolm Prentice, who has become MTMS’s group chairman.

He said: “I am proud and honoured to have been appointed managing director of MTMS ahead of what is set to be an important time for the company and the rail industry as a whole.

“We work with some of the biggest names in the industry

New procurement and supply chain director for AmcoGiffen

From left, Malcolm Prentice, chairman of rail depot maintenance firm MTMS, Elaine Clark, chief executive of the Rail Forum Midlands, and Matt Forst, managing director of MTMS

and we take really seriously our responsibility to ensure that trains are smart, clean, reliable and give the customer everything they expect of a 21st century product.

“We have worked extremely

hard over the past to put the building blocks in place at MTMS to ensure that we have everything we need to continue to provide this level of service in order to position ourselves as the market leader.”

mcoGiffen has appointed Ben McCluskey into the newly created role of procurement and supply chain director.

Ben has 14 years’ experience in the construction industry having held roles at J Murphy & Sons, Balfour Beatty, Laing O’Rourke and Carillion.

He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply.

Ben will create and deliver a national procurement and supply chain management strategy. The strategy will focus on collaborative and solutions-based relationships to drive innovation and sustainable procurement practices.

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May 2022 | 75

Movers and Shakers

John Sisk & Son announce two big appointments J

FirstGroup’s new CEO appointed

Loraine Martins OBE joins Nichols in diversity and inclusion role

raham Sutherland has been appointed as FirstGroup’s next CEO following a search process led by the nomination committee of its board.

Graham joins the board as an executive director and takes up the role of chief executive officer.

He was CEO of KCOM Group plc, a LSE-listed telecommunications company, from 2018 until its sale to a Macquarie-managed infrastructure fund.

Prior to this, he held a number of senior executive roles within BT Group PLC over 12 years, including as CEO of the BT Business and Public Sector division.

Graham said: “It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to lead FirstGroup. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to drive the group forward and deliver the vital services that are key to achieving society’s sustainability

oraine Martins OBE has joined Nichols’ team of strategic change specialists to lead on diversity and inclusion.

She is currently Network Rail’s director of diversity and inclusion, and prior to that led a multi-award-winning team in the construction of the Olympic Park, its infrastructure, venues and facilities for London 2012.

Loraine was awarded an OBE in 2021 for her work to improve diversity during her time at Network Rail and for her voluntary work with the National Mentoring Scheme.

Kathryn and Frances Nichols,

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Image: Network Rail

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Mark has been with Sisk for more than 26 years and has held a number of senior positions in that time focused on delivering the best commercial outcomes for Sisk and driving the successful delivery of strategy.

He said: “I am thrilled to take on this more expansive role and to play a leadership role in support of Paul, the Sisk Board and the wider team, to ensure we deliver the quality of earnings needed to be a sustainable business and to grow in key service areas. I am proud of the business we have created and the faith the board have placed in me to continue to help make it even better. We

owners of Nichols, said: “We are beyond thrilled that Loraine is joining us. Her experience is

Image: John Sisk & SonSisk & Son

Ajaz said: “I am delighted to be entrusted with this new role and look forward to successfully growing the business, working closely with our talented teams, excellent clients and trusted supply chain.”

Ajaz Shafi

Image: John Sisk & SonSisk & Son

ohn Sisk & Son has appointed Ajaz Shafi as chief operating officer (COO) of its business in the UK, following previous COO Paul Brown’s appointment to the chief executive position late last year. The company has also announced that Mark McGreevy is its new chief commercial officer (CCO).

Ajaz is a civil engineer with more than 30 years’ experience working for major contracting organisations in the UK, Hong Kong, India and the Middle East delivering a range of challenging and complex infrastructure and building projects.

Mark McGreevy Andy Barker

have the best people at Sisk and we can continue to attract those who want to work in an industry leading company with exciting opportunities across Ireland, the UK and Europe.”

second to none, and she will bring immense expertise, knowledge and insight.

“A commitment to championing equality, diversity and inclusion to build a more balanced, fair and high performing society lies at the heart of everything Nichols does, and with Loraine joining us we hope to take these ambitions to the next level.”

Loraine said: “It’s an honour to be joining Nichols Group and to have the opportunity to develop fresh and exciting ways to build diversity and inclusion into our strategic and transformational work.”

CrossCountry announces new service delivery director

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a rk Goodall has been appointed as CrossCountry’s new service delivery director, starting in early summer.

He joins from Chiltern Railways, where he undertook the role of

operations director.

Earlier in his career, he held numerous senior operational roles, including head of alliancing at West Midlands Trains, where he led on building strong relationships with key stakeholders such as Network

Rail, West Midlands Rail Executive and Birmingham University.

With full responsibility for operational strategy, Mark will play a central role in delivering a reliable timetable for customers and supporting growth. railbusinessdaily.com

Movers and Shakers

Holly Price named as Keltbray’s first group sustainability director eltbray has announced that Holly Price, currently skills and communities director, is being promoted to the newly created role of group sustainability director, reporting to main board director and chief operating officer Vince Corrigan.

Holly will lead the dedicated group sustainability function, taking responsibility for the implementation of Keltbray’s published targets in this critical arena for business, and continue her involvement in driving improvements in equality, diversity and inclusion.

She will also retain responsibility

Image: Keltbray

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for the KML occupational health team, and will continue to play a leading role in employee wellbeing, working with Phil Price and the

safety, health and environmental leadership team.

Darren James, Keltbray’s chief executive officer, said: “Holly’s collaborative leadership approach will be instrumental in achieving our sustainability goals across the business, in line with our ambition to be a net zero company by 2040, and create greater social value that helps people and communities thrive.

“Holly brings a wealth of experience to the role, and her vast industry knowledge and leadership skills will be integral in driving forward the group’s sustainability agenda, ensuring that we reach our targets.”

Dave Bates appointed as CWE commercial director

WE Ltd has announced the appointment of Dave Bates as its new commercial director.

Dave joined the independent supply, maintenance and logistics specialist in 2004 as a coupler fitter and held numerous roles before becoming commercial manager in 2020. In his new role, Dave will be responsible for CWE’s continued growth and for helping to establish it as a strategic partner for the UK’s rail sector.

Image: CWE

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He said: “The past 18 years have been a very enjoyable journey and I

really appreciate the opportunities I’ve been given to progress my career at CWE. “The past year in particular has been really exciting, and my main focus is on helping grow CWE into a £10 million-plus business. I pride myself on building strong customer relationships, and I will also be continuously looking at ways to improve our scope of core works so we can offer our customers an even better service.”

Wendy Smith to join CrossCountry from HS2 this summer

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rossCountry has announced the appointment of Wendy Smith as HR and safety director, joining the business in the early summer.

Wendy joins from HS2 where she was head of HR, responsible for developing the future capability of the organisation.

Prior to that, she has held numerous senior HR positions in a variety of industries including construction, media and logistics, and has significant experience of unionised environments.

With full responsibility for HR strategy, Wendy will play a central role in shaping the future of CrossCountry so that the business is sustainable in the long term.

She said: “Like many sectors, the rail industry is undergoing significant change due to the impact of the pandemic.

“I am looking forward to working with the CrossCountry team to ensure our business thrives and colleagues are equipped to not only meet b ut e xceed custo m er s’ expectations.”

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he Rt Hon Theresa May MP has joined train operator Great Western Railway’s (GWR) independent stakeholder advisory board, its external body of experts helping to provide opinion and oversight.

Invited to join the 12-strong board by the current chair, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, the Rt Hon Theresa May MP said: “I know how important reliable rail services are for my Maidenhead constituents railbusinessdaily.com

and others across the Thames Valley, therefore I welcome this opportunity which will enable me to help deliver for our area.

“It was an excellent first meeting and I am looking forward to working with the board to push for outcomes which will directly improve services for rail users across Maidenhead and the entire GWR network.”

GWR has had a stakeholder advisory board since its conception in 2015, bringing forward the idea

Image: GWR

GWR welcomes former Prime Minister to independent advisory board

from First Great Western. Set up to offer a sounding board and critical,

informed advice, the advisory board includes representatives from all the routes served by GWR, covering the fields of business; academia; the voluntary sector; the House of Commons, and the House of Lords.

Theresa May takes the vacancy created when Ranil Jayawardena MP joined the government. She will receive no payment and no complimentary travel but will attend up to six meetings a year with the GWR senior team.

May 2022 | 77

A n d f i n a l l y. . .

Return of the refurbished Pendolinos

Avanti West Coast’s £117 million investment is the UK’s biggest ever train upgrade

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he first of Avanti West Coast’s refurbished Pendolinos has returned to the railway as part of the UK’s biggest train upgrade.

The tilting, electric powered trains transformed train travel in the UK when introduced nearly two decades ago in July 2002 and have since clocked up more than 270 million miles.

Now they are being upgraded with new, more comfortable seats, a revamped shop and better onboard customer information.

Rail Minister Wendy Morton said: “The iconic Pendolino is back and better than ever before.

“This refurbished version of the classic fleet is a fantastic example of our cutting-edge rail network and how our railways are leading the way in creating a cleaner, more environmentally friendly and modern transport system.”

The £117 million upgrade programme was two years in the making and involved experts in technology, customer information and ergonomics.

Dramatic transformation The remaining 55 trains are to receive the same treatment as part of the programme with the second set due back in service early this month.

Rail manufacturer Alstom is undertaking the work at its new depot in Widnes in the North West, helping to secure 100 skilled jobs.

Phil Whittingham, managing director of Avanti West Coast, said: “This investment has been one of the key promises to our customers and they will see a dramatic transformation of our well-loved fleet.

78 | May 2022

“The refurbished Pendolinos look and feel like new trains with state-of-the-art technology as well as new seats that promise best-in-class comfort.”

UK suppliers are benefitting from 80 per cent of the investment, which is financed by Angel Trains, one of the UK’s leading train asset management companies.

Malcolm Brown, chief executive officer of Angel Trains, said: “We are delighted to see the first of our new refurbished Pendolino trains re-enter passenger service.

“As one of the UK’s most iconic fleets, this project demonstrates how, through sustainable methods, existing trains can be renovated to provide a top-tier passenger experience.

“It has been a pleasure to collaborate with our industry partners to deliver a fast, comfortable, and low carbon mode of transport for passengers on the West Coast main line.”

The upgrade programme will run until 2024 when the last of the 56-strong fleet is expected to leave Widnes.

Customer improvements 25,000 new, ergonomic Standard Class seats; Conversion of one First Class carriage on each of the 35 11-carriage Pendolinos to provide more than 2,000 extra Standard Class seats; T he introduction of a new onboard shop; I mproved lighting and new interior carpets; G reater use of technology with customer-friendly passenger information screens; Additional luggage space in Standard Class; Power points at every seat; N ew carpets throughout using sustainable British wool; Refurbished toilets; N ew First and Standard Premium seats.

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

Rail Power and Construction The new specialists in the supply of safety-critical staff to the rail industry at the time it needs it most

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ith record levels of investment and brand new high-speed routes, it is vital the rail industry possess a modern, productive, skilled and enthusiastic workforce.

But despite the opportunities ahead the sector, with an ageing workforce, is facing a skills shortage in the thousands, which is why access to reliable, talented workers is at a premium.

It was this reason Rail Power & Construction Ltd (RPC) was set up, born out of a passion to support companies looking for safety-critical staff. Although new by name – only established in 2020 – the Manchester-based strong leadership management team has more than 150 years’ combined experience.

“Despite being relatively new as RPC Ltd, word is already quickly spreading about our capabilities,” said managing director Dean Gray, who himself has 20 years’ experience in the industry, particularly when it comes to resource, recruitment and plant supply.

“We have been providing the construction and railway industry with a complete assembly and installation service, which has gathered momentum over the past two years.”

Qualified staff RPC provides fully qualified construction managers, site engineers, site managers, site supervisors, erectors, labourers, plant operatives and isolation staff.

“As a company we pride ourselves on safety, quality, honesty and integrity and providing staff competent to carry out first-class work,” said Dean.

“We fully appreciate the importance of getting the job done efficiently and safely which is why we provide the staff with the skills of installation and renewal and maintenance, hand in hand with all necessary plant, tools and equipment for various projects.”

Among just some of RPC’s success stories includes providing a large amount of skilled labour to Balfour Beatty over a two-week blockade period at Crick and Willesden for hollow bearers, sleeper and rail replacements.

It also supported Keltbray on its Great Western Electrification Scheme, with staff involved in balance weigh replacements, re-wiring, traction return bonding and overhead line equipment (OLE) surveys. railbusinessdaily.com

RPC managing director Dean Gray

Dean concluded: “RPC is an expanding rail business with the capability to manage and supply a complete delivery service in track renewals, track maintenance, OLE renewals maintenance and all new works.

“We are a team with rail and construction experience both on and off track from design through to completion, whether that be a platform extension to a new build.

“We fully appreciate the importance of getting the job done efficiently and safely which is why we provide the staff with the skills”

What RPC offers he assembly and installation of steel and T precast structures. efurbishment and modifications to existing R steel structures.

Isolation staff and isolation planners. he installation of gantry steelwork for OLE T works such as self-supporting anchors and twin track cantilevers.

I nstallation of all manner of overhead line small part steel (SPS), including switches and bespoke SPS arrangements.

LE registration work pre and post main O conductor and auto tension feeder/return conductor wiring. iring including auto tension using Tensorex W and/or balance weight anchors. Also work with fixed equipment for trams.

Civils from land slips to platform extensions.

“Already just two years in we are having a positive impact on the rail industry. That is only going to get more important in the years ahead.”

RPC is working in partnership with Elmec Plant Ltd and CK Rail and Civils. Such has been the success that the company is looking to expand its isolation teams nationwide, particularly around the North West, North East, Midlands and South.

Advertorial

Cable pulling.

Rope access.

E lectrification and plant works including signal maintenance testing handbook installers.

Visit www.rpclimited.co.uk for more details

May 2022 | 79

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