Emma Porter
Driving environmental sustainability
Adam Bennett
Adopting connected and autonomous plant
Ajeet Gill
Exploring new opportunities for plant
RIA Conference 2024
A look back on the two-day event
November 2024
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elcome to November’s Rail Director. The UK railway is working hard to become carbon neutral by 2050. The emphasis on achieving this is predominantly on the trains, but there is also on-track plant to consider, the majority of which is diesel powered. But this situation is changing as this magazine uncovers.
This month’s cover is an interview with Network Rail’s Technical Head of Plant, Jordan Skey, who discusses with Nigel Wordsworth the challenges around making plant green by 2050 and how the answer isn’t as simple as just buying battery-operated equipment. He said: “Network Rail has a broad decarbonisation strategy. How that applies to rail plant, and specifically on-track plant, is a very complex question.” Read the full interview on page 6.
There is already a lot of great work taking place in the rail plant industry. As Emma Porter, Chair of Story Plant, points out on page 10, “Through rigorous maintenance, repair, and refurbishment practices, rail plant operators have created a system that exemplifies how commercial drivers can lead to sustainable outcomes”.
Sticking with the plant theme and on page 12, Adam Bennett, Interim Rail Sector Director at Costain, has written about a recent study which has found that the widespread adoption of connected and autonomous plant in the construction and infrastructure industry would have enormous economic and productivity benefits for the UK. Ajeet Gill, Head of Business Development at Explore Plant and Transport Solutions, discusses the launch of its new on-track plant hire division Explore Rail and how it is bringing greener innovation to the industry on page 62.
Also in the magazine is a review from this year’s fantastic Railway Industry Association Annual Conference, looking at some of the key speeches, including the well-publicised £100 million HS2 bat shed, comments made by the project’s Chair Sir Jon Thompson at the event. Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines also addresses concerns from some of the supply chain over a lack of transparency around CP7 expenditure, especially with SMEs. The conference review starts on page 26.
I
Thanks also to Alan Hyde, who has spoken with Suzanne Donnelly, Customer and Revenue Growth Director at Great British Railways Transition Team, and Emma Robertson, Railway 200 Programme Manager, about why next year’s 200th anniversary of the modern railway is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the rail industry, and what’s coming down the tracks in 2025. The article is on page 22.
I hope you enjoy the magazine and a big thank you to everyone who has contributed. Work is well underway on the next edition, which is themed around light rail, and also January’s magazine which will centre around a reflection of 2024 and a look ahead to 2025. If you’d like to advertise or feature in either of these magazines please get in touch with Chris Wiles, Head of Sales.
hope you enjoy the magazine and a
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thank you to everyone who has contributed
All the best,
Danny Longhorn Editor All the best,
Rail Director magazine and Railbusinessdaily.com are assets owned by the Railway Industry Association. Railbusinessdaily.com delivers more than 70 stories a week to +73,000 rail industry professionals in our daily 7am newsletter. If you have not already subscribed, it’s free and it’s easy to do so at www.railbusinessdaily.com, please also encourage your colleagues to do the same. This is the very best way to keep abreast of what is happening on the UK’s railways. There is a digital copy of Rail Director on our website.
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With pressure mounting on the railway to decarbonise, and almost all heavy plant being diesel powered, what do hire companies buy today that will still fit the bill in 15 years’ time? Network Rail’s Jordan Skey explains more
10 Rail plant: A testament to sustainability through maintenance and reuse
Emma Porter, the Chair of Story Plant, explains how those involved in the rail plant industry are contributing to a circular economy and driving environmental sustainability, but how more on decarbonisation must be done
12 The benefits of adopting connected and autonomous plant for UK rail could be enormous. How do we harness it?
Adam Bennett, Interim Rail Sector Director at Costain, writes about a recent study which has found that the widespread adoption of CAP in the construction and infrastructure industry would have enormous economic and productivity benefits for the UK
16 UK rail news
Including Labour’s first Budget for 14 years, Network Rail’s SME strategy, and major rail upgrades for South Wales Metro
22 Railway 200 – be part of the journey
Suzanne Donnelly, from the GBRTT, and Emma Robertson, Railway 200 Programme Manager, talk to Alan Hyde and highlight why next year’s 200th anniversary of the modern railway is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the rail industry
26 RIA Annual Conference – A fresh start for UK Rail?
The revelation about a £100 million HS2 bat ‘shed’, quizzing Network Rail bosses over Control Period 7 spending, and a look to major infrastructure projects in the future were among the topics at this year’s Railway Industry Association (RIA) Conference. Rail Director takes a look at some of the key speeches
34 Driving efficiency and sustainability: QTS’s approach to plant optimisation
John Simpson, Plant Compliance and Special Projects Manager at QTS Group, writes on meeting the highest of standards when it comes to safety, reliability and efficiency
Should every rail company partner with Bidvest Noonan? The company writes that there is a compelling case to be made for it after being named the Global Light Rail Supplier of the Year, setting new standards for FM services
46 Sella Controls turns 50
UK-based Sella Controls, market leader in the provision of ‘engineered solutions’ for safety, control and automation applications in the rail and process industries, recently celebrated its 50th birthday
48 Thinking the impossible
Rock Group is celebrating 10 years of providing innovative financing solutions for new modern rolling stock and zero-emission buses to deliver public-sector value and support a step change in sustainable transport. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Swindell discusses the journey
58 UK rail industry report launches in new format for RBD
Rail Business Daily Managing Director Dean Bruce is encouraging members to make the most of this resource, and has said it will continue to be updated to ensure it remains useful, relevant and value added
Explore Plant and Transport Solutions, part of Laing O’Rourke’s Specialist Trading Business Group (STBG), launched its new on-track plant hire division ‘Explore Rail’ earlier this year. Head of Business Development, Ajeet Gill, explains how it is bringing greener innovation to the industry
70 Corporate pebbles
Railway Chaplain Mike Roberts writes about a new term he has coined and the importance of creating places where we can drop in forms of gratitude, appreciation, affirmation, support, encouragement and compassion
72 International news
Including Alstom’s new Coradia Stream train for FGC, and Madrid investing more than €500 million to buy a fleet of 40 Metro trains
82 Movers and shakers
Including a question and answer from Aoife Considine about her new role as Business Lead at Heathrow Express
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With pressure mounting on the railway to decarbonise, and almost all heavy plant being diesel powered, what do hire companies buy today that
will still fit the bill in 15 years’ time?
The UK railway has been set a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
As part of this ambition, all trains and locomotives powered solely by diesel engines will be banned after 2040. Hybrid vehicles, powered by diesel as well as a ‘green’ energy source, will be phased out by 2050.
This target has fostered much debate within the industry. How will this be achieved? The simple answer is to electrify all lines by 2050, but there does not seem to be the funding, the time, or even the political will to do that.
Instead, discontinuous electrification – with easy lines electrified and difficult ones left until later –seems to be the current trend. Trains will therefore need two power sources – electric traction where it is available and a mix of batteries and hydrogen to fill in the gaps.
The great debate continues.
However, it is not just trains that emit exhaust gases and contribute to pollution on the railways. On-track plant – road-rail excavators and the like – are all diesel powered. So, what are the options to make these ‘green’ by 2050? Is it just a question of buying battery operated ones?
The answer – and the challenge – is more complicated than that. A conversation with Jordan Skey, Technical Head of Plant at Network Rail, helped clarify the road ahead. “Network Rail has a broad decarbonisation strategy,” he said. “How that applies to rail plant, and specifically on-track plant (OTP), is a very complex question.”
To understand the challenges, one needs to appreciate how the system works. OTP, or roadrail machinery, is usually converted from standard construction equipment to which has been added everything needed to run it on railway tracks. This includes flanged rail wheels that can be lowered into place, often jacking the road wheels or ‘caterpillar’ tracks clear of the railway track. There will be additional braking systems and perhaps digitally adjustable stops and controls, so that boom movement can be restricted and not foul adjacent lines or hit bridges and tunnels.
Construction machinery used on conventional building sites has a hard life. It is not unusual for it to need replacing after as little as four years.
Rail plant, on the other hand, is not used so intensively. Mostly owned and operated by plant-hire companies, although some contractors possess their own, plant is used over weekends and at night, often
on quite short shifts. The more specialised equipment may not even be used at all for some weeks. Hence the life is extended.
Items of plant are certified for use on the railway for a seven-year period. Due to the cost of the machinery, with all the rail-specific additions, and the low usage, it is not unusual for a machine not to earn its owner any profit at all over the first seven-year cycle, as its value is written down and the initial cost paid off. It is in the second seven-year cycle that a machine makes its money. Some are then retired after 14 years, others, if they are in good repair, have their lives extended for a third cycle, being retired at 21.
This means that a machine bought today, fitted with the latest design of diesel engine, may still be in operation in 2045. Conversely, some machines currently available for hire first entered service in 2003.
Over the years, diesel engines used in construction machinery (classed as non-road mobile machinery – NRMM) have had to comply with increasingly tough emissions regulations. These are defined in a series of EU regulations, starting with Stage I in 1999 and Stage II, which was implemented from 2001 to
Network
Rail has a broad decarbonisation strategy. How that applies to rail plant is a very complex question
While the demand is always there for new staff,
2004, depending on the engine power output. Stage III standards, which were further divided into Stages IIIA and IIIB, were phased-in from 2006 to 2013, Stage IV came into force in 2014. Stage V regulations were effective from 2019, for engines below 56 kW and above 130 kW, and from 2020 for engines of 56-130 kW.
With a keen eye on the future, Kieran recognised there was a gap in SEP Geotech’s offering:
“What SEP Geotech does ties together perfectly with piling. The purpose of our investigation forms the basis of the pile design, and our sister company, SEP Rail Design, designs the piles; now we will install them.”
Piling, in engineering terms, involves the installation of foundations driven or bored into the ground to transfer loads to deeper, more stable soil.
These structural elements are essential when the natural bearing capacity of the soil is insufficient for supporting heavy construction loads.
Kieran’s extensive engineering experience, developed since his teenage years, has been centred around piling. He explained:
This means that a machine that entered service in 2003 could be fitted with a Stage II engine, while a new machine must comply with Stage V. As a comparison, the particulate mass limit for a Stage V engine is 40 per cent lower than for a stage IIIB. For a Stage V 75 kW diesel engine, the time taken to release 6kg of particulate matter or soot is around 20 years, compared to about two months for an unregulated engine.
“This is a critical moment for the piling and foundations industry. Exciting innovations within pile design and installations are allowing for improved project turnaround times and more technically demanding programmes.
Meeting these latest requirements adds cost, so a machine powered by a Stage V machine will cost more to purchase, and therefore more to hire, than an older machine fitted with a Stage IIIB engine or earlier. This can sometimes cause problems, when a sustainability manager’s desire to reduce carbon emissions is defeated by a procurement team wanting to save money by hiring an older, and therefore cheaper but dirtier, machine.
rail industry landscape also demands industryleading equipment. To address this, Kieran provides a candid glimpse into a forthcoming investment at SEP Geotech:
or construction machines more generally, there are a number of potential options for low-carbon power sources,” said Jordan Skey. “Companies such as JCB have heavily invested in the development of hydrogenpowered machinery, but hydrogen combustion rather than the more conventional hydrogen fuel cell.
“We’re investing in a new, state-of-the-art solution designed for safe work on embankments, slopes, and even over water. This innovation eliminates the need for traditional rope access, streamlining our processes even further.”
But even Stage V machines still emit carbon. Is there a zero-carbon solution?
“By leveraging our team’s experience, alongside utilising the wider SEP Rail Group’s capabilities, SEP Geotech is in a perfect position to deliver projects from feasibility to design through to completion.”
Prioritising growth and expertise
Alternative technologies
“When you consider the technological aspect to the decarbonisation of railway construction machines,
Investing in the professional development of the current team is also not just a priority; it’s a key part of SEP Geotech’s vision for the future.
“I’m not sure on the payback or the use case for hydrogen fuel cell technology in railway construction machines, noting the railway’s specific constraints, such as gauge, axle loads restrictions etc. I think it’s not a technology that’s easy to switch over to, and there are known efficiency issues with using fuel cells.”
As SEP Geotech continues to evolve and expand its offerings, one thing is clear: Kieran Moran’s experience, dedication, and vision will remain at the forefront, driving the company to even greater heights in the geotechnical engineering industry.
Fuel cells use hydrogen to generate electricity,
From a technological perspective, we’re on the precipice of knowing what the best direction is
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When you consider the technological aspect to the decarbonisation of railway construction machines, or construction machines more generally, there are a number of potential options for low-carbon power sources
which is then used to drive a machine that is basically an electrically-powered machine with batteries which are charged using the hydrogen fuel cell. The alternative is an internal-combustion engine that burns hydrogen rather than petrol or diesel. The mechanical operation of the machine is therefore similar to that of conventional machines, it just has a different fuel source and a different fuel tank.
“Hydrogen combustion appears on the surface to be, from a technological engineering perspective, a potential alternative that has few drawbacks in terms of the infrastructure requirements or fundamental machine design changes,” Jordan continued. “There’s always a big trade-off for low-carbon emission power sources between energy density, volatility, and weight. So, you can potentially replace your engine with a hydrogen-combustion engine, and you fill up a tank with hydrogen rather than diesel.”
The downside is that hydrogen, although it has a higher energy density than diesel fuel (diesel has an energy density of 45.5 megajoules per kilogramme (MJ/kg) while hydrogen has an energy density of approximately 120 MJ/kg, almost three times more than diesel), takes up a lot more space and has to be contained in a pressure vessel at around 350bar – or around 350 times normal atmospheric pressure. Fuel tanks are therefore a lot stronger and bulkier than a simple diesel fuel tank and the storage and dispensing equipment has to be similarly built to withstand the high pressures.
The other obvious solution is to move to electrically powered machines fitted with batteries. However, that technology has challenges too. High-output batteries are both large and heavy. “With lithium-ion batteries, the energy density just isn’t there yet for usage in heavy construction machines, although they are utilised well in smaller equipment and Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs)” Jordan commented. “For machines required to undertake energy intensive tasks, the calculations for payload versus output don’t make sense. Plus, you would need the infrastructure for fast charging, which on a construction site is very, very difficult. How do you deal with peak loads? How do you have enough chargers in one place, and how
do you power those chargers in a remote location?
“If we look at some of the emerging battery technologies like sodium-ion or solid-state batteries, and if we are able to get those alternatives to be stable and to mass produce them cost effectively, they may then become preferential to hydrogen combustion, in combination they could solve most of the drawbacks in terms of energy density, charging, power supply etc, etc.
“There are obviously other industries that are very heavily invested in battery technologies. I think that the automotive industry will almost certainly implement those new technologies before they are seen in construction machines, and they will then, in turn, trickle down into the railway industry.
“So, from a technological perspective, we’re on the precipice of knowing what the best direction is, but it’s unlikely to be a one size fits all scenario. There are now low carbon energy sources that are able to replace conventional diesel engines, albeit with a loss of efficiency, and we have to decide whether we can deal with that loss in energy density and efficiency when we plan our works, and when looking at utilisation. I think that’s probably one of the biggest challenges that the industry has, and we have in Network Rail – if we have to plan much more carefully, accounting for these low carbon energy sources, what does that look like?
“When I say plan for, I mean just on a general worksite basis. If we have a new set of restrictions that would apply to these types of machines, have we got the tools to account for that? Do we understand the cost implications associated with that? And, noting that these power sources are currently more expensive than traditional diesel engines, and therefore the cost of hiring such machines would likely increase, together with the loss of efficiency, how do we balance the books? We’re an organisation with finite resources, and so we’ll have to find a way of making up those increased costs by generating efficiencies elsewhere.”
And that’s the conundrum. When planning to purchase machines now that will still be used in 15 to 20 years’ time, what do hire companies buy?
It’s a puzzle…
Emma Porter, the Chair of Story Plant, explains how those involved in the rail plant industry are contributing to a circular economy and driving environmental sustainability, but how more on decarbonisation must be done
When we think about industries that embody environmental sustainability, rail plant operations might not immediately come to mind.
The sector is often associated with large, powerful machines performing heavy-duty tasks, not necessarily with green practices.
However, beneath the surface lies an exceptional model of resource efficiency, where little to nothing goes to waste.
“Through rigorous maintenance, repair, and refurbishment practices, rail plant operators have created a system that exemplifies how commercial drivers can lead to sustainable outcomes,” said Emma Porter, Chair of Story Plant.
One of the key factors driving this responsible
approach is ownership. Unlike other sectors where equipment may be leased or turned over quickly, rail plant machinery is typically owned by the operator.
“This ownership creates a direct incentive for companies to maintain their equipment meticulously,” added Emma. “Rail machines are built to last, but not through neglect – every seven years, the entire machine undergoes a complete refurbishment and upgrade which is necessary to obtain an updated Engineering Acceptance Certificate. This combined with the levels of utilisation and ownership model drives owners to adopt a circular economy mindset.
“Reusable parts are kept for spares, ensuring that if a component fails, it can be replaced rather than scrapped. Hydraulic hoses and electrical wiring are renewed, and critical components are systematically
maintained to keep the machines running efficiently and ensure that high levels of reliability are maintained.
“This process not only extends the life of the equipment but also minimises the need for new production, a key aspect of reducing the industry’s environmental footprint.”
Even the smaller details reflect this ethos of reuse. The grit used in grit blasters (the blasting and repainting of machines during refurbishment) is filtered out and reused multiple times, ensuring minimal waste from cleaning and surface preparation. Oil rags, a staple of any busy workshop, are collected, cleaned, and used again. Waste oil itself is recycled, preventing it from becoming hazardous waste
Through rigorous maintenance, repair, and refurbishment practices, rail plant operators have created a system that exemplifies how commercial drivers can lead to sustainable outcomes
These are practices that happen quietly behind the scenes but demonstrate a deep-seated culture of preservation and resourcefulness.
“Historically, these practices may not have been driven by environmental concerns. Instead, the motivation has been largely commercial - extending the life of machinery reduces capital expenditure and operational costs,” explained Emma. “However, what has emerged from this financially prudent approach is a model of sustainability that other industries could learn from.
“By maximising the use of each component, rail plant operators are contributing to a circular economy, where fewer resources are consumed, and less waste is generated.
“In an age where industries are increasingly being asked to consider their environmental impact, rail plant offers a powerful example of how commercial incentives can lead to sustainable outcomes.
“Without the fanfare or green marketing campaigns, this sector has quietly refined its processes to ensure that nothing is wasted and that every piece of equipment is looked after with care. It’s a lesson that sustainability doesn’t always have to start with environmental consciousness – sometimes, it’s driven by the simple need to do more with less.”
This commitment to maintaining, repairing, and reusing extends to every aspect of rail plant operations, from the largest components to the smallest materials, like oil rags and grit. This is fundamentally different to the throw away and buy new culture that is seen so much in every day life.
“As we move forward in a world where sustainability is more than just a buzzword, industries like rail plant can serve as models for how economic pragmatism and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand,” said Emma.
“By preserving their machines and reducing waste, rail plant operators are proving that sustainability is not just about new technologies or green branding, but about valuing what we already have and making it last.”
However, don’t be under any illusion that the work
here is done. Though the approach to maintenance and repair might be a sustainable model the fossil fuels powering these machines undoubtedly is not.
“When you think about carbon we need to look to see how we can both use the fuels we have now more efficiently and eventually transition towards alternative fuel types in the future,” she said.
When it comes to alternative fuel, that is a longerterm project, but one in which progress is being made.
JCB as one example earlier this year unveiled its new concept hydrogen generator, which is said to deliver the same power, performance and efficiency as its diesel equivalent but with zero-emissions. And earlier this year representatives from JCB presented their progress to the Rail Plant Association.
The company is investing more than £100 million in pioneering hydrogen as a fuel solution for construction and agricultural machines and by June
this year had already produced 115 evaluation engines which are powering backhoe loaders and Loadall telescopic handlers.
“The likes of JCB and Liebherr are doing lots of amazing work on using alternative fuels,” added Emma. “There is lots of stuff happening and from our perspective we’ll be keeping an eye on what is happening and ensuring we have the infrastructure in place to utilise it.
“In addition we are already working with our key suppliers in the industry to look at the development of hybrid technologies to both drive greener solutions, and to make the plant more versatile in its uses to further reduce requirement for new.
“But in the more immediate future we have got to look at how we can stop wasting diesel. Late changes drive inefficiency in delivery, including transport logistics. There is no doubt that the way we deliver machines in the rail industry could be done far more efficiently with a bit more planning and collaboration. Less wasted miles means less fuel costs, less HGVs on the road, less hours driving and lower carbon emissions.
“It is very important that the investment is made into alternative fuels to reduce carbon, but in the meantime there are opportunities to reduce carbon emissions tomorrow. One example is in trying to make sure access points are close to where the work is taking place. RRVs are not designed to drive five miles down the track, they are fuel hungry.
“There could also be secure compounds near the work site where we can leave them in between shifts so we don’t have to move them back and forth.”
“Better planning, more blockades, site security, better cancellation terms, more early engagement with plant operators and less last minute changes could reduce this and are potential quick wins,” she said. “These wouldn’t take huge investments or much to change, just a different and a collaborative mindset.
“There should be more collaboration between plant operators and schemes like Transpennine Route Upgrade are looking to do just that.”
Adam Bennett, Interim Rail Sector Director at Costain, writes about a recent study which has found that the widespread adoption of CAP in the construction and infrastructure industry would have enormous economic and productivity benefits for the UK
The benefits of adopting connected and autonomous plant (CAP) for UK rail could be enormous.
The news cycle is no stranger to crystalball gazing. Every day there are new stories and articles about futuristic technology predicted to revolutionise the way we live, whether that’s flying taxis, holidaying in space, or other science fiction concepts.
In the world of complex infrastructure, it’s a bit different. Technology, particularly when it comes to construction machinery and equipment, has and
will continue to be essential for the delivery of critical national infrastructure. Today, there are plenty of examples of CAP - construction equipment that uses the latest digital technology to optimise processes - being used across the world that could not be imagined just a few years ago.
The entire construction sector is increasingly seeing heavy plant and equipment using cuttingedge connected and autonomous technologies
to improve output, lower cost and make projects safer. Approximately one-fifth of construction plant currently in use has some degree of connectivity and autonomy, in addition to technology such as 3D printing and AI robotics.
In Norway, fully digitising all processes has seen intelligent machine control become standard across construction projects. In the UK, telematics technology is growing, used by both hire companies
and owner-operators, and gives a view of the performance of plant fleet in terms of utilisation, idling time and performance.
Another popular example of CAP is the adoption of geotagging and geofencing, increasingly used to derive safety benefits by keeping people and plant separate from one another and avoiding hazardous areas of operation. In addition to the safety benefits, there are potential efficiencies to be gained through real-time asset tracking of equipment, vehicles and materials for resource allocation and live route planning and fuel savings. Organisations using geolocation technology in their plant have seen a 30 per cent decrease in fuel costs and a 15 per cent improvement in overall fleet productivity.
And in rail the adoption of these technologies is also spreading. Delivering automation in rail is often possible due to vehicles using the track infrastructure and the associated operational systems such as signalling. This is particularly the case for light rail operations and metro services, which typically have smaller networks and a single operator controlling the infrastructure and vehicles, including the Docklands Light Railway in London. Ballast tamping, removal and replacement of sleepers and automated inspection are among the tasks where automation is now commonplace, whilst the construction of rail tunnels is now highly automated, with tunnel boring machines ubiquitous across the world. It is expected that the installation and fit-out of tunnel services, which at present is predominantly a manual process,
will soon become fully automated.
Indeed, this is something that Costain is investing in. As part of a consortium of mechanical engineering, civil engineering and robotic automation industry leaders, we’ve conducted successful trials of ATRIS, an integrated robotic and AI solution that can autonomously select brackets, locate where they need to be mounted along a tunnel wall, and install them. It has the potential to revolutionise the installation of mechanical and civil services in tunnels. Once fully developed, the final system can be deployed in tunnel construction and is expected to increase productivity by 40 per cent, due to faster installation,
Technology, particularly when it comes to construction machinery and equipment, has and will continue to be essential for the delivery of critical national infrastructure
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With the increasing adoption of CAP, the workforce will not only earn more, but it will also enjoy improved working conditions
reduce installation costs by 30 per cent, and cut construction plant movements by 40 per cent, thereby lowering carbon emissions. ATRIS has also enabled the consortium to create a real-time digital assurance system, called DATA-IS – that is designed to reduce the cost and time of re-works, which can be as high as 38 per cent of total project costs.
So, with some confidence, we can say that we will continue to see the adoption of connected and autonomous plant and equipment, not only in rail but across the wider infrastructure ecosystem. But what does this mean, and is this a good thing?
Well, one thing that we can be certain of is the potential economic benefits of CAP are enormous.
In a recent study produced for the Department for Transport, we found that increasing the production and sale of CAP equipment to meet global demand could add £61 billion to the UK economy by 2050, through a combination of direct, indirect and induced effects across the supply chain. This includes equipment makers ordering more parts and services from their own suppliers, and they from theirs, and so on, fuelling a virtuous circle for the economy with higher wages for employees and profits going back into the economy.
But it’s not all about the economy. There are a number of additional benefits that the increased adoption of CAP through to 2050 would enable, including higher productivity, savings on fuel and energy costs, and safety improvements.
It won’t be a surprise to anyone working in rail infrastructure to know that the use of plant is a major source of construction emissions. It has been estimated that emissions from construction plant can represent five per cent of a road construction project’s total carbon emissions. Whilst decarbonisation targets will inevitably move fuel use towards electricity and potentially hydrogen, increasing efficiency through greater adoption of CAP will reduce energy use, no matter what the fuel. This will have positive impacts not only on the construction sector, but the wider economy and environment.
As such, it is estimated that wider adoption of connected and autonomous plant would see the UK’s road and rail sectors reduce carbon emissions by approximately 19,300kt of CO2e by 2050, equivalent to the annual CO2e absorbed by an area of forest the size of Wales. At the same time, the greater use of autonomous plant would also reduce the cost of energy and fuel by £10 billion through to 2050.
At the same time, greater industry-wide adoption of CAP would significantly increase the sector’s productivity output. Together, the road and rail sectors are forecast to see £33 billion of increased output in total by 2050, which translates into additional Gross Value Added (GVA) of £14 billion for those sectors. When scaled across the construction sectors most likely to adopt CAP, albeit with increasing degrees of uncertainty as a result, this is estimated to be worth £73 billion in additional GVA through savings and increased productivity, and when scaled across the entire construction industry, this is estimated to be worth around £356 billion in additional GVA by 2050. When these factors are combined, the UK’s wider adoption of CAP could lead to additional GVA of £417 billion (as a cumulative total) by 2050.
In the rail and road sectors, it is estimated that CAP adoption could reduce the number of safety incidents by 28,000 through to 2050, with the technology potentially removing operators from high-risk environments, in addition to driving improvements to workplace wellbeing.
The introduction of any new technology can often cause shifts in the labour market, creating both challenges and opportunities. With the increasing adoption of CAP, the workforce will not only earn more, but it will also enjoy improved working conditions. This is also reflected in the predicted lower costs to employers of loss of workdays, compensation, and so on. This results in cost savings of £6.3 billion to employers in the rail and road sector. Of course, the quality-of-life gain for workers is subjective and difficult to measure but it should be recognised as an important benefit of CAP adoption.
All types of infrastructure investment are recognised as a pathway to national growth and prosperity. However, with so many competing pressures on public spending, investment in sectors like rail must showcase value for money and maximise productivity.
As we’ve seen, CAP has the potential to transform the productivity of construction activities in the rail sector and play an important role in fostering greener, safer ways of working, as well as creating more highskilled jobs. Greater adoption of CAP in the UK will be encouraged by the commitment to long-term major infrastructure projects, which will help organisations plan their procurement in a manner that prioritises productivity and unlocks investment in exciting and new technologies. Therefore, in order to scale up and achieve the benefits of CAP faster, there needs to be a mindset shift to embrace the technology and drive permanent, positive change.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered Labour’s first Budget for 14 years, outlining plans to “support public services, restore public finances” and “invest, invest, invest”.
The new Budget raises taxes by a record £40 billion – an increase the Chancellor said was made necessary by the “£22 million black hole” Labour had inherited from the Conservative Government.
She stated that she had made “difficult choices”, and vowed that Labour would “rebuild Britain once again”.
While employees will not pay more National Insurance directly, employers’ National Insurance contributions are set to rise by 1.2 percentage points, to 15 per cent, in April 2025.
The Chancellor added that, from 2028 – 29, personal National Insurance and income tax thresholds will be uprated in line with inflation. The National Living Wage is also set to increase by 6.7 per cent to £12.21 in April 2025.
Changes to the fiscal rules will allow Government to borrow more, and public spending will increase.
Elsewhere, the current freeze on road fuel duty will be extended for another year, while the Metro Mayors
Network Rail has published its SME strategy (2024-29), which it says reaffirms its commitment to build on the progress made in the past five years. It added that there is renewed focus on enhancing transparency and visibility of opportunities with Network Rail and the supply chain.
Tracey Williamson, Network Rail’s Group Commercial & Procurement Director, said: “The UK rail network is the lifeblood of the country, essential for moving people and freight, and small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone.
“Supporting SMEs brings numerous benefits, including innovation, cost-effectiveness, local economic growth, competition, diversity, regional knowledge, and technology adoption. These are crucial for achieving our CP7 goals, and we remain committed to providing opportunities for SMEs to work on the railway.”
The Government set a target for Network Rail to allocate 33 per cent of its annual expenditure to
will receive an extra £200 million in funding for local transport in 2025/2026. This is set to bring City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements to over £1.3 billion.
HM Treasury also stated that capital investment (including in local transport) will increase by £13 billion next year, while £650 million will be spent on improving transport in villages, towns, and rural areas.
It added that, as part of work to deliver longterm growth, the Government will develop a 10-year infrastructure strategy, to be published in 2025.
During the announcement, the Chancellor confirmed that Government had committed to a range of rail projects – including tunnelling that will take HS2 to Euston.
Discussing transport, she said that the following projects would be delivered:
Transpennine Route Upgrade.
East West Rail.
Increasing capacity at Manchester Victoria station, carrying out upgrades at Bradford
Forster Square station, and electrifying the line between Wigan and Bolton.
The Chancellor added that the Transport Secretary had laid out a plan to “get a grip of HS2”, which will be delivered from Old Oak Common to Birmingham. She also confirmed that Government would fund tunnelling to London Euston.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “Investment in our transport infrastructure is vital to delivering our growth mission. Without improvements to our roads and rail we won’t be able to create jobs and boost business, which is why I prioritised projects like the Transpennine Route Upgrade and the long awaited A57 upgrade in the Budget.
“Securing the delivery of these two important schemes brings our key northern economic centres closer together. This Government is ending 14 years of neglect of the North, instead bolstering the region’s immense growth power to benefit the whole country.”
Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, said: “Reliable, well-connected transport links are crucial to driving up productivity and unlocking opportunities for jobs, education and businesses across our towns and cities.”
Those who prefer to ask their self-employed contractor operatives to buy their own Employers’ and Public Liability insurance should try our own dedicated website www.railworkerinsurance.co.uk
This might apply to any of your team not on Customer Information System (CIS), particularly those paid through their own Person with Significant Control (PSC) Limited companies.
We pride ourselves on our knowledge and experience when providing insurance for the rail sector, including its workers. We are a RISQS-
accredited specialist rail industry insurance broker.
Rail worker insurance starts from as little as £322 per annum for a year and will meet the insurance requirements set out by your primary sponsor, employer or accountant where you need to buy Employers’, Public and Product Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance.
Our coverage is suitable to support applications to the HMRC from individuals who wish to show that they fall outside of IR35. However, please note that JJ Rail do not give IR35related tax advice.
The route to purchase is very easy and takes just two minutes online. Quotations are issued automatically by email. Once the premium has been paid the policy document is emailed to the operative straight away, so that they can arrive on site at a moment’s notice, ready to present the policy certificate and commence the work.
It is important to routinely check any contractor’s cover and policy certificates held on file, to confirm they remain valid and in force. We will always support our clients in checking these documents for them.
Call the team on 07816 283949
Fifteen years ago, Andrew Oliver and Luis McCarthy met by chance, setting the stage for a partnership that is now set to re-shape how the rail industry approaches work at height and specialist access
Andrew Oliver and Luis McCarthy met through a mutual friend at a birthday party. Two ambitious individuals involved in similar industries, they connected instantly. Andrew was working offshore on NDT projects, while Luis was ascending the scaffolding ranks in what would become his future business. Over the years, life took them on separate journeys – Andrew founding Culant Offshore Services (now SEP Culant) and Luis expanding JMAC from a small family run scaffolding business into the bustling multi discipline operation it is today.
“Like all friendships when you’re busy, especially growing a business, you naturally drift apart,” Andrew said. “We kept in touch, but around 18 months ago, we sat down for a proper catch-up.” It was during this reunion that the foundations of their partnership were laid. SEP Culant has made a name for itself with IRATA-accredited rope access and reliable vegetation support across the UK rail industry. Meanwhile, JMAC has become a leading provider in scaffolding, and multi discipline services across various sectors.
“We both provide work-at-height access and support,” Luis said. “By coming together, we realised that we could use our joint experience across multiple sectors to offer a one-stop-shop service.” And that’s exactly what they did.
The £140 million renovation of Darlington Train Station set the stage for their newfound partnership. SEP Culant and JMAC were contracted to construct a substantial shore scaffold for the Grade 2 Listed building’s Clock Tower North entrance, which was found to be structurally unsafe. This vital scaffold not only prevented further deterioration but also safeguarded a live gas main underneath. Since then, more collaborations have followed in sectors like pharmaceutical, petrochemical, oil and gas and industrial construction.
“These sectors have strict guidelines that take time and experience to understand, just like the rail industry,” Luis noted. “By using our shared knowledge, we were able to work in unison. We’re getting stronger as a team and bringing in more work.
“It’s exciting but we keep our feet firmly on the ground and remain focussed on the longer-term tasks at hand.”
Their partnership was taken to new heights during works at the SeAH Wind development – a £500 million mega-project constructing what will be the world’s largest offshore monopile factory at Teesside’s Freeport. Standing at 40 metres tall, the giant building requires over 162,000 square metres of safety netting to protect workers from falls – a record in European construction history.
“Before our involvement, the project faced several contractor issues,” Andrew explained. “We were called in to devise and implement a reliable strategy.” Within one week, their teams had mobilised and turned the whole programme around. “We brought our joint experience and operational standards to the site,” Luis added. “Since we arrived, there has been a regular rotation of between eight to 15 of our team members on-site, fluctuating based on the client’s needs and programme demands.
“We pride ourselves on being agile our ability to be dynamic.”
With obstacles on the ground creating access challenges, the importance of using rope access methods became clear. Luis continued, “MEWPs are ideal in certain situations and used for the majority of works, but when building materials block safe access, rope access is the best option” Andrew pointed out, “This is where we took the lead, providing solutions that work around the challenges and environment.”
The dynamic difference
Together, JMAC and SEP Culant employ over 250 full-time team members. Whilst this provides a strategic advantage, it’s not just the numbers that make a difference. “Most of our team members are trained across specialisms,” Andrew said. “That means we can deploy individuals as needed, rather than telling clients we don’t have enough staff that are trained to undertake the work.”
Luis emphasised, “We carry a large labour pool, which allows us to be reactive and align with the client’s needs swiftly. This coupled with our approach to providing careers to our team members then creates longevity and skills – but most of all through having a diverse order book across multiple sectors we can retain and grow our team’s skills, experience and loyalty. Smaller contractors might have a handful of workers – we can scale our teams from eight to 15 or more on a single project at short notice.”
Their ability to mobilise quickly isn’t just talk. “There have been times when we’d get a call on a Saturday afternoon needing 15 skilled tradesmen the following morning to support the SABIC shutdown as the chosen provider didn’t have the labour in the area,” Luis recalled. “We made it happen, after some negotiation with the trades of course. Our agility sets us apart.”
Investing in people and the community
“We believe in creating jobs and investing in the future,” Luis explained. “At any given time, we have over 20 apprentices across various disciplines –from scaffolding to finance and quantity surveying graduates pursuing degrees. We’re not just filling positions; we’re building careers and people.”
Andrew echoed this sentiment: “Our teams are the backbone of our project success. By providing continuous training and opportunities for crossskilling, we not only increase our service offering but also contribute to the future of our team members’ personal development.”
A unique position in the market
“There’s no other company that offers our combined expertise, assurance and manpower – of our size, in our region,” Andrew affirmed. “Larger corporations might offer similar services, but they often lack the agility and personal touch we provide. Smaller companies can’t match our breadth of services or resource availability.”
Luis added, “We’re in a blue ocean – a space where our size and capabilities allow us to offer comprehensive solutions without the bureaucracy of larger firms. We can provide the personal attention of a small company with the resources of a large one.”
Their comprehensive suite of services includes fall arrest safety netting, IRATA-certified rope access, NASC-certified scaffolding, FASET-certified platform decking and RISQS certification – all critical for construction projects on the railway. “Together, we provide a dependable height access solution with safety as the highest priority – and we have the necessary certifications and experience to back it up,” Andrew explained.
As CP7 (Control Period 7) work begins to be released, Andrew and Luis believe they are primely positioned to assist the rail industry in a way it has not yet experienced. Luis added, “Safety netting is an essential part of almost all construction projects. It protects workers from falls at height and protects against falling debris. To date, there’s not been a contractor who is specifically geared up to deal with the rail industry. We want to change that.”
Andrew followed by saying, “This is going to be a game-changer for the industry. No longer do clients need to work with contractors who potentially lack the necessary certifications and experience to work on the railways. Now there is a complete, dynamic solution that’s agile enough to react when the project demands it.”
Paul and Mona Bhatia from Geospatial Ventures Ltd, a geospatial systems solutions provider and integration consultancy, explain how their ASLAN project, part of BCIMO’s Clean Futures Accelerator Programme, is poised to transform rail transportation
The rail industry is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by technological advancements and a growing demand for sustainable transportation solutions.
At Geospatial Ventures Ltd (GVL), we are at the forefront of this revolution, developing ground-breaking geospatial solutions to reshape the future of rail.
We utilise geospatial technologies that collect, analyse and exploit geospatial data. Geospatial datasets have an earth-based location or spatial component to them. Geo refers to the earth and spatial refers to location or how things relate to each other in size, shape and location, either down here on earth or further out into space.
In today’s evolving world, geospatial technologies are enabling many innovations that are changing the ways businesses operate and are creating new business opportunities.
For example, the rapid proliferation of connected and automated vehicles, drones, robots, mega satellite constellations, 5G communications and other advances are leading to the emergence of a hyper-connected future enabled by an Internet-ofThings consisting of location-aware devices and connected devices.
There are also excellent opportunities for companies to use the power of geospatial technologies to improve business processes and achieve effective digital transformations.
Examples here include the integration of geospatial datasets such as satellite imagery into planning applications and the use of aerial survey data to count cars in car parks to manage capacity.
An innovative approach to surveying Our latest innovation, the Automated Survey Localisation and Navigation (ASLAN) system, is pushing the boundaries of technology to meet the evolving needs of the rail sector.
ASLAN is a modular, automated survey system that incorporates satellite connectivity, communication, positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) technologies.
This powerful combination enables enhanced vehicle speed management, improved fuel efficiency, safety, and overall system performance.
The ASLAN initiative exemplifies how modern technology can enhance efficiency, safety, and reliability in urban transport systems.
The ASLAN Project is a ground-breaking effort aimed at developing a Proof of Concept (PoC) Technology Readiness Level 3 (TRL3) prototype On Board Unit (OBU). This unit is designed for transport and logistics applications, utilising the latest advancements in satellite connectivity and PNT technologies. The project’s primary focus is on urban tram applications, with a Very Light Rail (VLR) application being the first beneficiary of this innovative technology.
Key components of the ASLAN Project
1. Modular Design: The ASLAN Project features a modular design, making it highly adaptable and scalable. The positioning module includes Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and Inertial Measurement Units (IMU), along with an Inertial Navigation System (INS). Other modules are dedicated to control, data collection, processing, computing, and connectivity.
2. Plug-and-Play Interfaces: One of the standout features of ASLAN is its generic sensor/ connectivity interfaces. These enable a plug-andplay approach, allowing for the easy integration of various instruments. This flexibility facilitates the testing and optimisation of the instrument suite through post-processing of data.
3. Comprehensive Data Collection: The ASLAN Project collects data across different operational phases of VLR tram assets. These phases include starting, accelerating (speeding up and slowing down), cruise control in both clear and blocked spaces, and handling exceptional or anomalous conditions.
Harnessing the power of GNSS Technology
The core of ASLAN lies in the utilisation of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). GNSS technology provides precise positioning, navigation, and timing data, enabling vehicles to operate with greater accuracy and efficiency. By integrating GNSS into our solutions, we are empowering the rail industry to achieve significant improvements in various areas:
Enhanced safety: GNSS-enabled systems can detect and alert drivers to potential hazards, such as track obstructions or signal failures, significantly reducing the risk of accidents.
Improved efficiency: Precise positioning and navigation capabilities enable optimised route planning and scheduling, leading to more efficient operations and reduced downtime.
Increased reliability: GNSS technology helps ensure reliable and punctual service by providing accurate real-time information on vehicle location and performance.
Reduced environmental impact: By optimising vehicle speed and reducing fuel consumption, GNSS-powered solutions contribute to a greener and more sustainable rail industry
ASLAN: A catalyst for transformation
ASLAN is not just a technological advancement; it’s a catalyst for innovation and transformation in the rail sector. By leveraging the power of GNSS and other cutting-edge technologies, we are empowering rail operators to reduce costs by optimising operations, minimising fuel consumption, and reducing maintenance expenses.
Operators will offer enhanced passenger experience through improved punctuality, comfort, and overall satisfaction. And importantly, ASLAN will drive sustainability, contributing to a greener future.
As part of our work on the Clean Futures Accelerator, which includes a six-month programme of technical and commercial support, we are trialling ASLAN’s advanced satellite-connected positioning on VLR infrastructure at BCIMO’s Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Dudley.
This is an exciting opportunity for us to showcase ASLAN’s potential on urban tram systems, with the aim of achieving unprecedented levels of accuracy, precision, continuity, and availability in terrestrial transport systems.
At GVL, we are driven by a vision of a future where rail transportation is not only efficient and reliable but also environmentally friendly. We are committed to developing innovative solutions that address the challenges facing the industry and pave the way for a sustainable future. Our goal is to make rail more affordable to install and promote the uptake of VLR systems across the UK and internationally. By leveraging technology and innovation, we can create more sustainable and efficient transportation solutions for communities around the world.
We believe that ASLAN is a significant step towards realising this vision. By harnessing the power of geospatial technology, we are empowering the rail industry to embrace the future and deliver a more sustainable, efficient, and passenger-centric transportation experience.
www.geospatialventures.co.uk
Suzanne Donnelly, Customer and Revenue Growth Director at Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT), and Emma Robertson, Railway 200 Programme Manager, talk to Alan Hyde and highlight why next year’s 200th anniversary of the modern railway is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the rail industry, and what’s coming down the track in 2025
Next year marks a historic milestone in our national life – the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, inspired by the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway on 27 September 1825. It was a journey that changed the world forever.
A year-long celebration is planned to mark rail’s past, present and future, and its role in shaping the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe.
The influence of the railway has been remarkable and widespread. It continues to have a massive impact on the way we live our lives, today and tomorrow. The railway created countries, crossed continents and connected communities. It redefined how we live. It boosted economic prosperity and created jobs. It created mass tourism. It helped to build cities, towns and coastal resorts. Culturally, it
inspired artists, musicians, writers and filmmakers down the ages, and continues to do so.
As the engine for growth during the Industrial Revolution, the railway’s transformative and continuing impact on society, commerce, culture, employment and the environment is akin to the invention of the internet and its influence in the digital age.
“The scale of rail’s contribution to national life is immense,” said Suzanne Donnelly, Customer and Revenue Growth Director at GBRTT, who is also executive sponsor for the cross-industry Railway 200 campaign.
“Railway 200 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shout long, loud and proud about rail’s many achievements and exciting plans for the future, as we move towards Great British Railways
and a better, simpler, greener and growing industry,” explained Suzanne.
“Importantly, Railway 200 is not simply a retrospective, looking back through rose-tinted glasses at 200 years of innovation. Rather, it’s just as much about today and tomorrow, as we build on our pioneering pedigree and create a more digitallydriven and sustainable future.
“One of Railway 200’s objectives is to get more people, especially young people, to consider a career in the railway, showcasing the diversity of opportunities available for everyone, regardless of their background. Working with the rest of the industry, we hope this will help to plug the current skills gap which could otherwise widen as more staff retire.
“Railway 200 is about freight as well as passenger
rail,” added Suzanne. “It will help to convey the importance of rail freight in daily life. Many people don’t know that the products and services they enjoy every day are often delivered by rail freight, so the campaign aims to widen public awareness of freight’s crucial contribution and, of course, the major role rail cargo plays in taking lorries off our congested roads and protecting the environment.”
Following a huge, ongoing engagement programme across the industry and beyond, the rail sector is fully supportive of the 200th-anniversary celebrations, but Suzanne says there’s more to do as we count down to the start of the milestone year.
“I would encourage the industry to embrace the opportunity next year brings. It’s a rare, historic moment in our collective development and we should seize it with both hands. Everyone, and every organisation, has a role to play in using it as a platform to celebrate their own heritage, plans and people.
“What’s so encouraging is that so many retailers, heritage railways and community rail partnerships are getting involved, as well as tourist boards, museums, art galleries, business and civic bodies, and others. It is, after all, a national celebration.”
Suzanne also highlighted how the partnership-led Railway 200 campaign can help to reset the public’s relationship with rail after a challenging period, including COVID and industrial unrest, and as much of the industry prepares to transition to Great British Railways.
“As an anniversary campaign, Railway 200 can only achieve so much. But, with industry support, it can help to leave a legacy by laying the foundations of a new era of trust and confidence, reminding everyone of rail’s role and relevance, which of course must be backed up by improving performance, simpler fares and more.
“Hopefully, by bringing the railway together for its 200th birthday, the sector can rediscover more of its mojo after testing times. Whilst never being complacent, Britain’s railways, and particularly its people, have much of which to be proud. We invented an industry that changed the world, and 2025 will be a new chapter in our revolutionary story.”
So, what’s planned for next year?
Emma Robertson, Programme Manager for Railway 200, picked up the conversation.
“Next year promises to be an exciting and memorable one. Our partners, inside and outside the industry, have a great programme of events and activities lined up, supported by a toolkit of handy messages and materials available from the Railway 200 website,” said Emma.
2025 kicks off with a ‘Whistle-Up’ of locomotives, old and new, at midday on 1 January. It is already attracting national media attention. Spearheaded by the Heritage Railway Association, it is hoped that this will become a global event.
The Secretary of State for Transport has announced a national Railway 200-themed seat sale in early 2025, offering reduced advance purchase tickets for great days out.
Other highlights so far include:
A fun-filled three-day event in August at
Alstom’s historic Litchfield Lane site in Derby, the new home of the railway, called The Greatest Gathering. It will be the largest temporary collection of trains and rail-related exhibits for a generation.
A nine-month international arts festival at worldclass venues in Durham and Tees Valley, from March to November – www.sdr200.co.uk.
Planning for a touring exhibition train, called ‘Inspiration’, which will criss-cross Britain, creating a buzz at main line stations, heritage railways and rail freight depots. Developed in partnership with the National Railway Museum (NRM), part of the Science Museum Group (SMG), the train aims to celebrate railway innovation and inspire schoolchildren and others to consider a career in rail.
The NRM’s 50th birthday celebrations, including the summer re-opening of its refurbished and refreshed Station Hall.
The launch of a Railway 200 merchandise range early next year, retailed by the SMG.
A competition to choose the world’s favourite UK rail art, and much more.
“It’s shaping up nicely,” said Emma. “I’m proud of the progress made so far by the small, core national team and our partners. There’s more to come. We expect the campaign will continue to evolve throughout the anniversary year, as new opportunities arise and get confirmed.”
Emma highlights the four main themes that will be explored to tell rail’s big story:
Education and Skills.
Innovation, Technology and Environment. Heritage, Culture and Tourism.
Celebrating Railway People.
She added: “We hope there will be lots of storytellers, sharing their own stories with their own audiences and organising all sorts of activities and events. For our rail partners, the anniversary is also a no-cost, or low-cost, opportunity to re-purpose or re-frame existing planned initiatives or campaigns for next year under the Railway 200 banner.
“Ultimately, we’re reliant on our partners to help spread the word, as we want to reach and engage with as many people as possible, across the UK and abroad, to give the anniversary celebrations real scale, significance and impact.
“So,” encouraged Emma, “please follow Railway 200 on social media, sign up for the monthly newsletter, download the partner toolkit, and register activities and events on our website so they can be promoted on an interactive map.
“We look forward to everyone in rail being part of the Railway 200 journey and celebrating the remarkable contribution of this amazing industry and the brilliant people who make great things happen.”
www.railway200.co.uk
Railway 200 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shout long, loud and proud about rail’s many achievements and exciting plans for the future
GeoAccess is celebrating its 10th birthday. Managing Director (MD) Mark Coleman refl ects on the journey and the company’s mindset that regardless of the challenge, a solution is always possible
It was 10 years ago that engineers Mark Coleman and Dave Frost decided to set up GeoAccess, with the aim of providing solutions for inspections on difficult access sites in the rail sector.
“It would have been very easy not to make that leap, but we did and what we’ve gone on to achieve has been amazing and something I’m incredibly proud about,” said MD Mark.
And with good reason. From just Mark and Dave, GeoAccess has now grown to 20 full time members of staff and up to 150 sub-contractors. In the 2023/24 season alone its earthwork examiners inspected over 15,600 individual five-chain lengths, comprising cuttings, embankments, and rock slopes.
“It’s astounding really,” added Mark. “We’ve evolved, and the industry has changed, and we’ve adapted to stay with it, we’re still here and stronger than ever, with no signs of slowing down.
“GeoAccess started out with the aim of solving one tiny problem, doing something better than anybody else could do. We then solved another problem, and another, and the business expanded from there. It has always been about making a positive difference in what we do, which is something that drives us forward every day.”
Mark said that first challenge, which involved tricky access requiring rope access and de-vegetation, demanded that they think outside the box, accessing the site differently and using different systems and
ideas that hadn’t really been used before in the railways. That risk was rewarded with a project completed on time and under budget.
“We thrive on the clients who come to us saying they’re not sure the problem can be solved,” he said. “That is what gets our creative juices flowing, thinking about different ways it can be done.
“In the last few years, there has been added pressure on clients with budgets and standards, so we’re finding projects are being squeezed more and more, putting the onus on us to think more about innovative solutions that deliver better services for less.
“This is something we continue to do, using technology and the likes of AI to make even more of a positive difference. You are going to see groundbreaking projects out of GeoAccess imminently, with one in particular which is going to be breathtaking and will make such a positive difference.”
It is set to build on the company’s growing reputation, utilising its highly experienced geotechnical engineers coupled with unmanned aerial vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, rope access and confined space techniques.
Its clients include Network Rail, for which it has developed an alternative way of accessing infrastructure to carry out inspections. Such has been its success that GeoAccess is exploring more line blocks, possessions and traditional track access that
have all historically caused issues.
Mark added: “Another area of success has been employing Ben Bowen as an ecologist to support our vegetation management and environmental teams. It has really propelled that side of the business, and we are looking to expand that team in the future.
“We continue to do lots of work with Network Rail, trying to find better ways to resolve ecology issues such as protected species and areas, ascents, and licences that we need. It is working really well, a lot more efficient, cheaper, and we are still protecting and looking after the environment and ecology.”
Another area of excitement is surrounding the company’s full digital training academy, currently being developed by Techcare Digital, which aims to bring innovative, interactive, and accessible training to everyone, everywhere.
“We’re hoping this will be released in the next 12 months,” said Mark. “It is going to have a tremendous impact on the industry both internally for us as an organisation, but also for other organisations as well. There is a massive gap that we’ve all got which this is going to plug, and it all comes back to our ethos of making a positive difference.
“Overall, I’m very excited for the future. I can’t wait for the next few weeks with what is coming, let alone the next few months and years. It is onwards and upwards definitely.”
www.geoaccess.co.uk/
The revelation about a £100 million HS2 bat ‘shed’, quizzing Network Rail bosses over Control Period 7 spending, and major infrastructure projects. Rail Director takes a look at some of the key speeches from this year’s Railway Industry Association (RIA) Conference
“D
espite tough economic circumstances, sometimes low confidence in our sector, and mixed early signals from the Government’s political leaders back in July, the mood music now seems much more positive.” That was the message from Darren Caplan, RIA Chief Executive at the organisation’s Annual Conference.
Addressing attendees on the opening day he added: “The support in the Budget for major projects, manufacturing investment and long-term rolling stock pipelines was tangible, and passenger numbers, rail freight and revenues are all heading in the right direction.
“With rail restructure potentially simplifying and bringing track and train closer together – which many in rail and across the political party spectrum have called for over the years – let’s overcome lack of confidence and uncertainty; and, together, ensure we deliver that fresh start for UK rail.”
RIA’s award-winning conference is a muchregarded highlight of the UK rail calendar with this year being no exception. Guests at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London Tower Bridge were treated to two days of keynote speeches, panel discussions, interview sessions, spotlight exhibitor pitches and unique networking opportunities.
This year’s event was themed around the question ‘A fresh start for UK rail?’, something opening keynote speaker Rail Minister Lord Hendy, answered as ‘yes’.
“The Secretary of State Louise Haigh has made it her mission to move fast and fix things and in the railway, we certainly do need to fix things,” he said. “Confidence and trust in the railway is earned and not bought, and it’s this Government’s mission and role to earn that confidence back. For too long we’ve tried to piece together a disjointed industry, one
Chief Executive, Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd; Marie Daly, Chief Customer and Culture Office, Transport for Wales; Claire Ward, Mayor of East Midlands
Let’s overcome lack of confidence and uncertainty; and, together, ensure we deliver that fresh start for UK rail
Changes are afoot for the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC). Next year it will be merging with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority into a new body, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, which aims to strengthen the oversight of the delivery of Government infrastructure plans.
“Undoubtedly, success can only be that we actually build the infrastructure that we need over the next 25 years in an efficient and consistent way,” NIC Chair Sir John Armitt said at the RIA Conference. “It is an enormous opportunity to get a lot of people into jobs across everything that needs to be done.”
To put the opportunity into context, he said that roughly we’re looking at £40 billion to £50 billion a year from the private sector and £30 billion to £40 billion a year from the public sector for the next 20 years.
“You’re looking at, at least £80 billion a year every year for the next 20 years going into infrastructure,” he said. “If we can deliver that in an efficient and costeffective way and there is stability of Government policy, then we have a reasonable chance.
“The role of the new organisation is to clearly support Government primarily in making sure the right policies and the right recommendations are in place to enable that delivery to take place and to make sure we have got the right incentives for the private sector investors to want to come in and invest.”
with responsibility and decision making muddled, and quite often, frankly avoided. To run a successful service, you need three things; track, train and staff.
“Many people have spent years trying to reconcile fragmentation through a mass of conflicting contracts and contractual objectives and now we are going to restart the system. We’re committed to reform and that commitment starts with bringing our railway operations into public ownership. By restructuring under the new framework of Great British Railways, we aim to consolidate decision making and create a unified system that serves passengers better, which means that we stop blaming each other about what has gone wrong and start collaborating to put it right and improve performance.
“It has been very hard to make the railway work. In fact, it’s been so hard to make it work that many people making it work forget what it’s for and don’t advocate what it’s for and what it delivers for the country as well as we should. So, I’d like you to have the energy and ambition to come with us, work with us and seize the opportunity that this fresh start under this Government can bring.”
The former Chair of Network Rail ended his speech with a message to the supply chain about the important role it has to play.
He said: “We’re giving our supply chain the clarity it will need and the stability it deserves, and we’ve got a golden opportunity to build something that’s
slightly functional but ambitious, forward thinking, innovative and prosperous to give us a railway that lives up to the standards we expect, that connects the country, brings people together and delivers the business.
“All of you have a huge part to play in that and the opportunities of better careers for people in an industry that is changing are huge. I hope on a personal as well as a corporate and business basis you’re all excited that we’re going to get on with this reform programme and in the meantime, I want to end by thanking you for everything you do.”
Among the other speakers on the first day was John Larkinson, Chief Executive of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), who spoke about the efficiency targets from Network Rail’s five-year settlements and the ORR’s role in holding them to account. He also acknowledged the difficult start to Control Period 7 (CP7) experienced by businesses due to various factors including cost pressures on renewals and that there is much less headroom for Network Rail due to the CP7 settlement being tighter. However, John made it clear that this is not an excuse and needs to be addressed.
The second day of the event was opened by Green Signals, the UK’s leading railway podcast, with hosts Nigel Harris and Richard Bowker CBE interviewing Chris Green, a career railwayman in both the public and private rail industry whose achievements
This led to the question about how we can make the UK a much more attractive investment, which was easy for Sir John to answer, although he certainly accepted that getting to the answer is anything but easy.
“We’ve got to make it attractive by having consistency of policy and by making sure that despite the Government there is a consensus of what we do for the country,” he explained. “If you are in the private sector, you want to see there is consistency of regulation, and that regulation is regulation which is enabling regulation, rather than regulation which is almost stopping you from doing things.
“We have to promote the benefits of infrastructure and the fact that if we don’t do it, we’re going to be in a real mess as we’ve seen from climate change particularly, and the resilience and operation of that infrastructure if we don’t make the
investment and the changes that we need.”
Next year is going to be a big year for infrastructure, particularly with the release of the Government’s 10-year transport plan, infrastructure plan and industrial strategy, all due to come out in spring.
Addressing the RIA Conference audience, Sir John had this message to attendees.
“The decisions you make at the front end are the most critical decisions,” he said. “When it comes to delivery, the challenge all of the time for us is how do we make our engineering more efficient, how do we make sure we are training people so that we have got the skills we are going to need.
“So much of this requires a collaborative approach, but what we have to do is constantly be aware of the fact that if you have got something to sell then you have got to make it as cheap as you possibly can, and it has got to be reliable.”
included creating the ScotRail brand during his time as General Manager Scotland and then Network SouthEast when Managing Director.
When asked by Nigel about his three wishes for the industry, Chris said: “I can give them under one heading, it is about restoring freedom to manage. We have got to persuade the Government that they will have a better railway if they don’t try and run it in Whitehall. If the professional railway people get that freedom, they have got to accept there is accountability which means we have got to stand up and take the blame, we have to deliver, and we get sacked if we get it wrong.
“You will get far more out of life if you can do that then, you have the freedom to balance your costs and your revenue. In all three jobs, ScotRail, Network SouthEast and Virgin, the big success came on the income front, your costs are pretty fixed on the railway, income we doubled in Virgin Trains in five years once it came right. That is where we need the freedom.”
Platinum sponsor of this year’s event was BAM Nuttall, and gold sponsors were CPC Project Services, Arcadis and Waterman Aspen. The event was hosted by Natasha Kaplinsky, who during the keynote by the Chair of Liverpool Manchester Railway Partnership Board, Huw Merriman, asked about the Conservative Government’s decision to cancel Phase 2 of the HS2 project, something Huw described as his “biggest disappointment” during his time in the post of Rail Minister.
“I respect the decision made by the then Prime Minister, but for me being an HS2 advocate it was very difficult to talk the opposite,” he said.
Questioned about whether he was tempted to walk away from the post because of the decision, he said: “I decided I was better in the tent fighting for rail projects than walking away, some people think I made the wrong decision.”
As well as keynote speeches, there were also panel discussions. On the first day there was a discussion on Nations and Regions Chaired by Iain Stewart, a former Chair of the Transport Select Committee; and Neil Robertson, Chief Executive of NSAR, Chaired a panel discussion on the topic of skills. On the second day, Anthony Smith, Chair of Independent Rail Retailers, chaired a discussion around ticketing.
As well as insights from a wide range of highprofile speakers, it was also an opportunity for the hundreds of people in attendance to question rail industry leaders on the topics that mattered to them. A particular issue was around concerns from some of the supply chain over a lack of transparency around CP7 expenditure, especially with SMEs.
“I think it is very varied in different parts of the country and for different parts of our supply chain and different programmes,” said Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines, speaking on day two of the event. “I absolutely recognise that the combination of budgets which were reduced to our final determination, big spend last year then resulting in some of that being an overspend to this year have made it really tough for some people in the supply chain, and we’ve got to be more transparent about those issues.
“Transparency will not make the problems
go away, but that is not a reason not to be more transparent about them. But there are some underlying financial pressures which we’re all going to have to try and find our best way to work through and that is why I believe in a more collaborative conversation.
“We’re not sat on all the answers, and we’ll have to make some difficult trade-offs. I think some of what frustrates the supply chain is when we try to do that internally. Sometimes because of reasonable procurement requirements, but sometimes probably a nervousness, or indeed when our own plans our changing because what we are trying to do is deal with the latest inflation figures. The message loud and clear I have heard is we have got to do a better job of talking to people so they have confidence that we are being as transparent with them as we can be.”
I decided I was better in the tent fighting for rail projects than walking away, some people think I made the wrong decision
Andrew had originally planned to be at the RIA Conference in person, but appeared via video link after a last-minute trip to Manchester to meet the Chancellor and Transport Secretary to discuss how the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) will better connect people, communities and businesses across the region. It comes after funding was secured for the project in last week’s Budget.
Commenting on the Budget, Andrew said: “It was good in parts, there was some really profoundly important helpful news including TRU, real commitment to East West Rail over the next seven or eight years, and really super important, the commitment to the tunnelling at Euston.
“That level of ongoing commitment we can’t take for granted in today’s fiscal pressures, but they were really good strong indications of political support for rail. There were challenges though. It was fairly clear we’re going to be working with some pretty tight fiscal constraints and there’s maybe not as much money for enhancements as I would like in an ideal world.
“There are real cost pressures. National Insurance Contributions - we reckon just for our own staff costs,
that is going to cost us around a quarter of a billion unbudgeted expenditure in our current control period. Some suppliers will be looking for us to cover some of that cost as well. Taking the really good news and challenges more or less sum up where we are as a rail sector at the moment, balancing those big opportunities with some real cost pressures.”
He added: “I am very conscious a number of colleagues have been under real pressure and are finding the start of CP7 very, very painful. It is an illustration of us having to navigate a very enhanced cost base. In the last six months, we have spent about £800 million more than we did in the same period in CP6, but almost all of that money has gone on inflated prices. What is a ramp up of activity financially isn’t coming through as a ramp up of activity for all suppliers.
“I am very conscious we are going to have to work very, very closely and probably much more collaboratively with other areas of the supply chain than we’ve had to do previously because we’re going to be walking a tightrope about how we get the best value for money and part of that is to give better certainty to the supply than we have done already.”
When Sir Jon Thompson spoke at last year’s RIA Conference, the Government had just announced the decision to cancel Phase 2 of HS2.
“Let’s be transparent, we weren’t involved in the decision to cancel Phase 2, that was for ministers to decide and is their privilege as they were elected as a Government,” he said, explaining that they had taken a step back from that decision and been through an extensive fit for purpose review since then.
On the topic of closing down Phase 2, the Chair of HS2 Ltd said they have got a plan, but at the moment, the Government has frozen all of the work on this section.
“We haven’t sold any of the land, we haven’t reversed any of the early works we’ve done; we’re waiting on the decision about what the Government wants to do while it looks at its options because the decision to cancel doesn’t solve the problem on the West Coast Main Line,” he said. “It doesn’t have enough capacity for the train service we all need to run.”
Sir Jon is confident the railway will still open in the 2029-2033 window set by ministers. This year alone £8 billion is being spent and 30,000 are involved. When he spoke at the RIA Conference it was 69 per cent of the way through the earthworks, 66 per cent of the way through tunnels, and had poured 62 per cent of the concrete.
“I am confident we will do it and there is more confidence than there was before, but there is a huge amount of swirling around about HS2,” he said. “There is more we can do to improve ourselves, but if one might be transparent about it, the Government needs to be a better client, and needs to be quicker at making decisions. It can take six months to get a decision that most of us can make around a board table on a Friday.”
On top of that, Sir Jon highlighted that there are
national and international issues that the UK has to face up to if you want to understand why we struggle with building infrastructure in this country.
“To build a railway between Euston and Curzon Street in Birmingham I need 8,276 consents from other public bodies, planning, transport, Environment Agency and Natural England,” he added. “They don’t care whether Parliament did or didn’t approve a railway because they have their specific interests.”
The example he gave was spending £100 million on a ‘shed’ to protect bats around a section of the line at Sheephouse Wood in Buckinghamshire.
In response, Natural England has said the Bechstein bats, which live in the area, are a highly protected species all across Europe and habitats are protected under the Habitats Regulations in England, with an estimated less than 10 breeding colonies in the country. It said it had not advised HS2,
or any others, on the design of the structure.
“I have got Natural England on board with the curved structure, but when I go to Buckinghamshire County Council for planning permission for this blot on the landscape that costs £100 million of course the answer to that is ‘you’ve got to be joking’,” he said.
“So now I’ve got two different bodies, and one says I have to do it, the other says no chance, so what do you do? You reach for the lawyers, and the environmental specialists and so on, which stretches out time and costs hundreds of thousands of pounds. In the end, I win the planning permission by going over Buckinghamshire County Council’s head.
“I could give you loads of those examples. That is one example of 8,276 of these I’ve got which brings it to life to people. They say it costs more, of course it does.”
Angie Doll, of Govia Thameslink Railway, has shared her insights on key current rail issues and her perspective on the future, during her keynote speech at the evening event of the RIA Annual Conference
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has spoken of her pride in working in the rail industry.
Angie Doll was addressing attendees of the evening event at this year’s RIA Annual Conference, which was hosted by Fayon Dixon, Engagement Manager at Equal Engineers, and also included a three-course meal, live music from Seren Soul, and DJ/Producer Kruel Intentions.
“I am immensely proud to work in an industry with a heritage and influence so few others have,” said Angie. “After 25 years in the sector, I can say that the camaraderie, the resilience and the pride of our people are what make this industry so special.
“Next year we will be celebrating 200 years since the opening of the world’s first railway. What an incredible milestone. I wonder if George Stephenson, that early pioneer, would ever have imagined the railway would grow to cover 130 countries and literally transform the lives of millions of people every day.”
Angie, who recently celebrated her first year as CEO of the train operator which carries almost one million passengers a day, added: “Our railway to me is more than just tracks and trains. It is no longer one or two lines of route, it is a network, in fact, I would even say it is more an ecosystem, where every part supports the whole.
“At the heart of that ecosystem are our customers and our passengers that we serve every day,” she said. “The system only works thanks to the hard work and dedication of the supply chain.
“As an industry, we are on the cusp of change. The
After 25 years in the sector I can say that the camaraderie, the resilience and the pride of our people are what make this industry so special
public ownership bill is now in its final reading in the House of Lords, which will bring those of us that are still private operators back into the public sector, but (there is) no firm timeline.
“In Great British Railways, we will bring track and train together but again no firm timeline. So with so much uncertainty and change ahead it would be easy to have a moan and just decide it is too hard to do everything.
“But I often say to my team when there is change there is opportunity and this industry has always been a catalyst for change and with the Government’s focus on economic growth, rail is poised to be pivotal in that economic growth.”
During her keynote speech, Angie made reference to RIA-commissioned research which highlighted the economic contribution the UK rail industry has on UK plc, which included £43 billion GVA in economic growth, and £14 billion in tax revenue.
“I know from my own experience the impact that rail can have on regions when I was part of a team that launched the UK’s first domestic high-speed service in 2009,” she said. “For context that was right off the back of a major global financial crisis.
“The boost in connectivity that HS1 gave to Kent was unbelievable. We saw Londoners moving to more affordable housing outside the capital. HS1 transformed Kent into an attractive commuter area cutting travel times from London from 86 minutes to 37 minutes, making travel to London easier and quick.
“This for me was an absolute lightbulb moment when I realised that rail doesn’t just move people, rail builds prosperous communities and drives local economies. So you might be surprised that I am quite optimistic about being a train operating company CEO at the moment and on the verge of public ownership, but I am also realistic and change is coming.
“We are agreed we need reform, and we all need to play our part in delivering. I see the next couple of years as a chance for us to innovate to create a better proposition for our passengers and to lead our brilliant people through that change. As leaders of the industry, we have an important role to play in guiding our people. During times of change, you need great leadership.”
Scott Harrison, Chief Operating Officer of Permaquip and Aquarius, highlights some of the new, innovative products that the combined company is bringing to market
In the dynamic world of UK rail maintenance, standing still is not an option. At Permaquip, we’ve dedicated over 50 years to delivering safety, reliability, and innovation in railway maintenance tooling. The 2021 acquisition of Aquarius Railroad Technologies Ltd merged the two well-known companies under one vision to drive forward the future of rail maintenance. The best way to predict the future is to create it, and Permaquip and Aquarius together are redefining what is possible in the sector.
Innovation beyond the tracks
Permaquip and Aquarius bring together more than 78 years of combined expertise, creating a powerhouse of rail solutions that serve the UK and far beyond. Known for their trusted and certified products, both companies design their equipment to meet international standards, accommodating various track gauges, rail profiles, and rail weights. This adaptability means that our products can seamlessly support maintenance teams worldwide, ensuring an efficient, safe and consistent service, regardless of local rail specifications.
Our strategy is simple: continual innovation. We are not only building tools, we are refining and futureproofing every element of our product lines to support the unique demands of rail networks around the globe.
through innovation
At the heart of Permaquip and Aquarius is the commitment to enhance safety, performance, and operational efficiency. Permaquip has recently introduced ergonomic and operational upgrades across various products. Our flagship HMS70 stressing equipment, for instance, now comes with ergonomic enhancements that reduce manual handling challenges and improve usability. Offering the option to update existing units, or as a feature of new products, the HMS70’s superior design includes a stressing stroke in excess of 380mm, making it the most reliable solution in the UK and adaptable to international standards, ranging from 90lb to 175lb
rail weights for overseas clients.
Innovation is not limited to tooling alone. Recognising the global push towards sustainability, we’ve collaborated with Hydraulic Technologies to offer eco-conscious options. In 2021, we upgraded the PG182 power pack to a Honda petrol engine, compliant with EU regulations, and compatible with Aspen Alkylate fuels. Our evolution continued with the PG182 Series hydraulic pump fitted with Honda’s EGX battery motor. Approved globally by Honda for rail stressing operations, this electric variant supports our global distribution, marking a milestone in reducing emissions without sacrificing power.
Our development journey also includes UK battery-operated power solutions, thanks to our ongoing partnership with Hydraulic Technologies. Our lightweight PB43 battery power pack is now a sub-38kg practical reality, setting new standards for environmental responsibility in railway equipment, whilst implementing Network Rail’s ergonomic requirements for manual handling.
Our journey of innovation continues with the Permaquip Link Trolley MK2, a Network Rail Product Approved model designed to make railway maintenance more ergonomic and efficient. Featuring a range of accessories, the Link Trolley MK2 simplifies tasks, improves safety, and is RIS1530 PLT approved,
providing our customers with assured quality and compliance. The units are in service in North America, Europe and the Middle East.
Alongside the Link Trolley MK2, the Ironman Mk3 sets a new standard in manual handling by integrating ergonomic enhancements that ease the operator’s workload. Certified to the latest RIS1530 PLT standards, this product reduces fatigue and improves usability with a centrally applied brake.
Martin Sheppard, Engineering Manager at Permaquip, explained: “The patented adjustable gauge design effortlessly enables on-site maintenance adjustments. With a brake release pressure of under three kilogrammes, the Ironman Mk3 is ideal for prolonged use, embodying our commitment to user-centric design.”
Looking ahead, our product roadmap is filled with new launches focused on reducing maintenance costs, enhancing safety and driving reliability. These advancements are scheduled to hit the market from 2025 onwards, all aligned with Permaquip’s core mission to make railway maintenance a safer, easier and more efficient operation.
Commitment to service excellence with National Plant Services (NPS)
Delivering high-quality equipment is just the beginning; maintaining it is equally as important. In line with this, we appointed NPS as our official UK service agent. NPS upholds Permaquip’s high standards by providing maintenance, repair, and refurbishment services according to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) guidelines. Its technicians are trained rigorously to meet Rail Plant Association (RPA) standards, ensuring they are equipped with specialised knowledge and tools to maintain Permaquip’s equipment to exacting specifications.
NPS also maintains stocks of an extensive inventory of OEM spare parts, enabling quick turnaround times and minimising downtime for our clients. This partnership reinforces our dedication to ensuring that Permaquip equipment performs at its best, day after day, across the UK.
Expanding our global reach
As our UK operations develop, so does our
international footprint. Permaquip and Aquarius products are now available through distributors in the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions. We’ve adapted our equipment to meet the needs of these diverse markets, extending the reliability and innovation that have become our hallmark in the UK to a global stage.
Road to rail innovation with Aquarius
At Aquarius, innovation thrives on a global scale. A recent addition to Network Rail’s fleet, the Isuzu D-MAX R2R Hoist represents a new era in vehiclebased material handling. This IP-registered system enables operators to load materials from a static point within the track area using mechanical assistance, with no tail or boom swing, for safer and easier operation. With a 125kg lift and storage capacity, this innovation significantly reduces manual handling, enhancing safety and efficiency in demanding work environments.
Kelly Brown, Operations Director at Aquarius, commented: “The R2R Hoist’s modular design means it can accommodate various hoist configurations, adding only 75kg to the vehicle’s weight while meeting RIS1530 PLT standards. It is a compact yet powerful solution for reducing manual handling, offering our clients a practical and adaptable option.”
Beyond rail, Aquarius continues to innovate with the supply of specialised vehicles worldwide, including in-country conversion of Scandinavianspec Kawasaki Mules for the Nordic market. This adaptability underscores our commitment to meeting the unique requirements of each market and maintaining an agile approach to product development.
The future of railway maintenance lies not only in robust engineering but in sustainable solutions. As the demand for environmentally conscious sustainable solutions grows, we are focused on reducing our clients’ operational costs and environmental impact by prioritising our customers’ reduction time in completing the task, ensuring enhanced safety and reliability, increasing the flexibility of equipment in use and finally realising the actual whole-life cost of existing assets to ensure the best possible fleet
The future of railway maintenance lies not only in robust engineering but in sustainable solutions
sustainability. Supported with four years of batterypowered development options to enhance the durability of existing assets, we are helping the rail industry achieve cost-effective, long-lasting and ecoconscious outcomes.
Whether it’s reducing fuel dependency, minimising manual handling risks, or extending the lifecycle of existing equipment, our goal is clear: to create solutions that respect both the industry’s operational needs and its environmental responsibilities.
From developing battery-powered solutions for on-track vehicles to offering innovative upgrades for petrol engines, we’re pushing the boundaries of sustainability in the rail sector. And, if you’re wondering about the possibility of a battery-powered Land Rover – yes, that’s within our capability too.
The future awaits Permaquip and Aquarius stand at the forefront of a rapidly evolving industry. Safety, efficiency and sustainability is at the core of our work and we’re proud to support rail maintenance teams in the UK and beyond. By anticipating industry challenges and investing in our team and new technology, we are not only meeting today’s needs but shaping the future of railway maintenance.
As I stated earlier, “The best way to predict the future is to create it”. At Permaquip and Aquarius, we’re doing just that, one innovation at a time.
www.permaquip.co.uk
www.aquariusrail.com
John Simpson, Plant Compliance and Special Projects Manager at QTS Group, writes on meeting the highest of standards when it comes to safety, reliability and efficiency
The rail industry is built on machinery that must be safe, reliable and efficient, whilst operating under strict regulatory standards and intense usage demands. For companies like QTS, a leader in rail contracting and plant maintenance, the challenge lies in meeting these standards while balancing cost-effectiveness and sustainability.
As the owners of the largest contractor RRV fleet in the UK, and with an increasing focus on eco-friendly practices, QTS has adopted an innovative approach to machinery optimisation, setting a benchmark for internal efficiency and sustainable operations.
The problem
Machinery in the rail sector typically undergoes rigorous wear and tear, requiring frequent overhauls and upgrades to stay compliant with the latest ever evolving safety standards. However, the process of acquiring new equipment or
outsourcing machinery upgrades can be timeconsuming and costly. Approval and certification also present challenges; the UK has limited plant approval bodies, creating a challenge for companies awaiting certification to put machinery back into service. With the industry’s shift towards sustainability, the environmental cost of manufacturing new machinery adds another layer of complexity, prompting companies to seek out greener alternatives.
The solution
The answer lies in finding ways to extend the life of existing machinery while ensuring it meets updated safety and environmental standards. For QTS, the solution has been to bring machinery overhauls within the company. By refurbishing, upgrading, and repurposing existing equipment, reducing both cost and downtime, while also achieving a sustainable approach to equipment management. This internally
As the rail sector continues to evolve, models that prioritise internal innovation and sustainability are proving to make a lasting impact
managed solution not only cuts down on reliance on new machinery but also streamlines the certification process.
QTS has developed an efficient in-house system for overhauling machinery, extending the operational lifespan of its fleet and ensuring compliance with industry standards. The process begins with a complete strip-down of various machines across our diverse fleet. We meticulously enhance and upgrade our equipment with a ‘bottom up’ principle, and a no comprise approach.
QTS is a leading rail contractor setting industry standards with its first-of-type machinery. The MegaVac truck is a powerful M.A.N. 26-tonne truck chassis with a Zweiweg hydrostatic rail conversion, seating six personnel. Fitted with a custom GK&N Vactor Pod, the MegaVac was modified in-house for ‘adjacent line open’ (ALO) operations and includes a recovery system. This machine is also certified to tow one rail trailer up 20 tonnes for versatile performance on site.
Similarly, our U400 Shunter seamlessly transitions from a Unimog with a chip box and chipper to a shunter capable of towing up to 10 rail trailers or 12 carriages with its high-capacity, dual air systems. These custom machines, along with QTS’s Towable Road Rail Chipper and Unimogs with onboard information control systems, highlight the company’s dedication to providing solutions to unique rail industry needs.
By working closely with companies like Delta Logic, QTS has integrated modern technology into all of its equipment, replacing manual levers with touchscreens to enhance operational ease and safety standards. This approach allows QTS to bring machines back online within six to eight months— significantly faster than if outsourced.
The business has also worked with leading technology company, Pathfindr, to develop a smart safety system which creates virtual exclusion zones to protect individuals around heavy plant. Zonr alerts workers through a proximity alarm when a vehicle or other hazard comes close, or if they step into a highrisk area - guiding them through a workplace to avoid potential incidents. It gives site operators real-time data over incursions, enabling interventions to be made in the moment, as well as providing holistic data to enable overall health and safety processes to be improved.
QTS’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its focus on evolution and repurposing of existing machines, rather than always just defaulting to the purchase of new equipment. Overhauling internally reduces waste and cuts down the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing new equipment, a move that aligns with the business’s environmental goals. This sustainable model not only saves the company money but also aligns with broader industry expectations for cost efficient solutions, due to lower capital expenditure requirements, allowing us at the same time to develop machines in line with specific business needs.
To support long-term efficiency, QTS produces detailed manuals for each overhauled machine.
These manuals provide step-by-step guidelines for future maintenance, ensuring that machines operate at peak efficiency throughout their extended lifespan. This proactive approach to documentation minimises the need for repairs and supports sustainable machine management.
By embracing an innovative proprietary approach to machinery overhauls and maintenance, QTS has set itself apart in the rail industry. Through cuttingedge technology integration, sustainable practices, and efficient processes, the company addresses
the dual challenges of machinery optimisation and environmental responsibility.
As the rail sector continues to evolve, models that prioritise internal innovation and sustainability are proving to make a lasting impact. This forwardthinking approach offers a roadmap for companies aiming to optimise their operations, reduce costs, and minimise environmental impact – demonstrating that, with the right strategy, rail maintenance can indeed be efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective.
www.qtsgroup.com/plant-fleet/
For rail maintenance service providers, aiding operators to keep services running smoothly and safely is top of the agenda. With a real focus on rail reform following the introduction by the Government of the Passenger Services Railway Bill, maintainers will be under more pressure than ever to do this.
Ensuring the basics are right – from hand and power tools through to test and measurement equipment and PPE – is crucial. Working with a reliable, trusted supplier can help rail maintainers do their jobs safely and effectively with the right tools and equipment. .
Whether it’s on-track plant, rail freight or rolling stock maintenance, there will be a range of mechanical and power tools needed for the job. These tools will need to have the capability to withstand the rigours of heavy everyday use.
So quality can be a key consideration, although in challenging economic times, budgets are also a priority. But no maintenance operator wants to fall into the trap of buying substandard tools and equipment that may not be effective for the job, or fail, leading to a repurchase.
Combining the best of both worlds, the budget and quality-conscious RS PRO offering is underpinned by the values of quality, choice and value. All RS PRO range products come with a seal of approval that guarantees they have been audited, inspected and tested to high standards. The three-year warranty provides peace of mind, and the range comprises 80,000 products, all available within 24 – 48 hours. This is key for 24/7 operators.
Some items, like torque wrenches or test and measurement equipment, will need to be calibrated for use. RS offers a service that can recalibrate existing tools and equipment, or provide new ones already calibrated. This reduces the downtime associated with calibration, which can be almost three weeks in some cases. RS calibrates in-house within three working days for new equipment purchased from RS, and within five working days for existing customer equipment.
Health and safety is paramount in the rail maintenance arena. Operators of maintenance services have a duty to their employees to provide a safe working environment, and to provide the right equipment for their personal protection. The risks of inaction include jeopardising employee safety, damage to reputation in the case of an incident and non-compliance with relevant regulations.
Using a safety solutions specialist like RS can help maintainers reduce their risk through proper site surveys and assessments, which can cover everything from PPE requirements to compliance audits and fire risk assessments. Using a provider that can give an end-to-end service from initial site survey to final recommendations removes the hassle for maintenance providers, enabling them to get on with the job in hand.
Using such services can also help maintainers make cost savings. Through proper assessment and analysis, key areas for cost savings can be identified, as well as areas for operational efficiency improvements. These benefits are on top of improved compliance, enhanced reputation and productivity gains.
sustainability
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is no longer a buzz phrase but a reality for many organisations that are looking to meet goals in this area.
But choosing sustainably can sometimes be daunting, and verifying sustainability claims often challenging. To help in this area, RS Group launched its Better World range, which categorises products as those that are either made more sustainably, offer a sustainable solution like reducing energy and emissions or support circularity, by having an increased lifespan due to being reusable, recyclable or repairable.
Under the ‘made more sustainable’ category, factors like using products with a lower environmental impact, using lower carbon manufacture and using recycled or responsibly-sourced materials are considered. When it comes to sustainable solutions, criteria include waste, water or energy-reducing, and improving air quality, as well as protecting health and safety.
Supporting circularity is a key issue. The Better World range offers products designed for disassembly, for ease of disposal at end of usable life and increased chances of recovery of core materials to increase recycling rates. Products that support circularity can also be those that have an extended product life with more durable properties, to keep them in use for longer.
It is clear that in times of stretched resources and budgets, and under pressure to offer a smooth, safe and environmentally conscious service, turning to expert providers can offer a lifeline for rail maintainers.
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/
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3. Power up with AI
Technology is on the march in plant, from alternative power sources to hardware run by software. This evolution gives the buyers, hirers and users of plant new options to get their work done on time and on budget. But it also presents new risks to understand and mitigate, said Neil
Dinmore, Chair of RSSB’s Plant Standards Committee
Plant and on-track machines are evolving, along with the rest of the railway. This change is spurred by the goal of a greener railway, plus the perennial quest for more reliability and lower cost.
The imperative for change is also built into the plant industry through the seven-year cycle of recertification that machine regulations impose. This makes plant operators more likely to refurbish or overhaul equipment to meet the necessary standards. They might also choose to replace it altogether, finances permitting. And new and emerging technologies – and the advantages that go with them – are potential differentiators when
they come to make that choice.
As this change gathers pace, though, whether it’s the power that drives equipment or the technology that increasingly controls it, there are new risks for plant operators to assess and manage.
This matters because plant is vital to a safe and reliable railway. The better operators are at keeping risks in check, the more efficiently the railway runs and the safer everyone travelling or working on or near it remains.
Exploring new power sources
Anyone interested in the short-to-medium-term future of equipment to maintain and check track – or
plant – would have found it on display at September’s InnoTrans 2024 trade show in Berlin.
One of the clearest examples of an emerging trend was multi-mode power sources. The push to decarbonise the railways means more plant running on fuel cells, batteries and electric power drawn from overhead contact lines (OCL) via pantograph, or a combination of all these, for instance batteries charged from the OCL.
These sources not only reduce carbon emissions, but also address concerns over noise and air quality by lowering nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and particulates.
But, while demand for these power sources is
growing, there’s no clear front runner or emerging industry default as yet.
The formation of Great British Railways (GBR) could bring industry strategy on electrification and rolling stock into sharper focus, making investments in emerging technologies less risky. Even so, no single mode has an obvious advantage in all situations. Indeed, to manage risk, operators could see value in relying on a mixture of modes across a plant estate, rather than depending mostly on one.
The choice usually boils down to the specifics of the area where the plant operates – terrain and other constraints such as access to power – and what it does and what technology is available. It’s easy to envisage pantograph contact to move equipment to or between work sites, for example, followed by a switch to diesel or battery to carry out the actual work, as power is likely to be off on the section of track where work is happening.
It’s also clear that diesel, for now at least, is still very much part of this mix, and not just because it’s often how equipment moves between, or operates within, work sites. Its enduring attraction is also down to it being a fuel that can run anywhere, and in any conditions, in equipment that’s easy to maintain. All this is despite concerns over the effect on air quality of running diesel units for long periods, particularly in enclosed environments such as tunnels, and the need to bolster rail’s status as the transport mode with the lowest carbon emissions.
Another fast-emerging development is equipment managed by software, which handles logic controllers and other elements that provide the functional requirements. While this has clear advantages in reducing reliance on human operators, and so limiting the risk of error and fatigue in safety-critical situations, the move away from fully mechanical systems and towards technology-based ones means investing more time and effort in identifying and avoiding risk.
Take software updates, for instance. They might be necessary to guard against obsolescence or when replacing another part of the same system, but they come with risks, which anyone responsible for maintaining and running plant has to understand, manage and mitigate.
At the very least, plant operators need to know both that updates have been properly tested before release and how changes are applied. These safety-critical systems need high levels of validation assurance to shut down the risk of lost working time on site or, worse, safety incidents such as runaways.
As software and connected equipment become more prevalent, plant operators must also tackle cyber risk in ways they didn’t need to before, whether it’s by restricting access to systems and hardware or protecting passwords. Operators need to understand these risks in detail, make that understanding explicit and have detailed plans for managing the risk.
Similar challenges apply to plant as to rolling stock, where software is already used on a large scale. RSSB has updated the rolling stock standard RIS2700-RST to include guidance on software and cyber security, and will soon update the plant standard RIS1710-PLT to align with it as part of broader work on cyber security.
Plant operators need to make sure that engineering change processes developed for equipment used as rolling stock are also appropriate for when that equipment is used as plant. For instance, a process for rolling stock could include making sure the equipment owner understands what the change is and why it’s being made, running a ‘regression test’ to make sure it’s robust and introducing it to one vehicle, or a group, for testing.
Adapting this for a far smaller plant fleet is challenging because there’s no option to roll out gradually through batches of equipment. Indeed, the plant operator may only be updating one piece of equipment. But safety assurance is still critical and needs processes that fit the plant context.
Beefing up assurance on new plant
Another reflection of the pace of change and the need to stay abreast of it is a proposed change to the Rail Industry Commodity Classification List (RICCL), the classification of equipment, materials and services used in the rail industry. This will shortly begin a process of rolling updates aimed at giving an extra layer of assurance around the processes used to develop, manufacture, and maintain equipment.
The proposed update to the RICCL codes will show which providers of safety-critical equipment, including plant, have had an independent audit of their management and quality systems as well as their
Plant
manufacturing and overhaul processes. This reflects plant’s role in some medium to high-risk processes.
While some rail equipment is already independently audited, manufacturers and suppliers were previously required to mitigate their own risk. Although this has not changed, there is a decreasing level of third-party assurance being applied by suppliers to their own processes and management systems. To avoid confusion, the RICCL is being updated to show which equipment should be subject to assurance – these updates will be applied following ongoing consultation. To prevent disruption, items will stay on the list pending their suppliers’ eventual audit, submittal of evidence of audit, and/or acceptance. There will also be full communication across the industry as the change takes effect.
The proposed change is part of the industry’s ongoing response to the Cullen Report’s recommendation that suppliers of safety-critical products or services to the rail industry, including plant, should be accredited.
In conclusion, these issues all show that, while plant might be out of mind for some, it faces the same challenging landscape of change as the rest of rail. It can learn from other sectors but also needs to make sure that new technologies or processes are working appropriately in the plant context.
Onwave has recently received an unrestricted Network Rail Product Acceptance Certifi cate for its geofencing technology OWL. Managing Director (MD) Andy Mehaffey discusses the platform and how it will enhance track worker safety
Following the deaths of two track workers in 2019, Network Rail launched the Track Worker Safety Taskforce, an initiative to explore ways to improve the safety of track workers. This included a safer trackside working programme which incorporated designing and developing new innovative protection and alerting systems, including geofencing tools. This led to a Network Rail standard being introduced for the use of geofencing wearable devices on Network Rail infrastructure in December 2022.
Onwave initially received product acceptance for its OWL geofencing technology in July 2022. Since then, at the request of Network Rail, the product has been further advanced and put through further rigorous testing. The OWL devices now report
location information up to four times a second.
“Overall, Network Rail wanted something more sustainable, reliable and accurate, and that is what we have,” said Onwave’s Andy Mehaffey. “Following the original Safety Advice in February this year the system was restricted for its use within three metres of the running rail, but this has now changed, and it can be used for alerting within 1.25 metres of the open railway. There are no restrictions for its use if it is used as a secondary means of protection. The new product acceptance, which comes after several months of rigorous testing, proves it is reliable, accurate and is ready to start saving people’s lives and making sure that they stay out of the way of danger. Beyond improving safety measures, OWL can also enhance operational efficiency and environmental protection
and enable businesses to make data-driven decisions based on real-time location information.”
Geofencing allows the creation of a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic boundary, which when combined with wearable devices or the mobile app can trigger alerts or warnings to enhance the situational awareness of workers.
Initially having relied on technologies like GPS and RFID, recent advancements in cellular, Internet of Things and mapping technology have allowed geofences to be created and deployed at scale, covering larger and more complex areas and synchronised to more devices.
“This combined with enhanced positioning technology using satellite correction data allows low-cost devices to be produced that can be
positioned with an accuracy down to less than 10cm, which is extremely important when considering the safety of workers,” added Andy.
“These various advancements mean that geofencing technology can now be used as a reliable means of secondary protection in areas where there is limited positional tolerance, for example where track workers are working adjacent to open lines.”
Onwave’s geofencing technology provides a high level of accuracy and is specifically designed for outdoor use, enhancing operational efficiency. The primary business applications for OWL include track worker safety, prevention of people/plant interface/ mitigating the risk of objects being left on the line, and possession management.
Network Rail’s product acceptance comes as the dark nights draw in and the temperatures drop, on top of already challenging conditions for track workers who operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Historically, track workers have relied on a site warden to ensure they stay in specifically safe areas, but this type of alert system can be subject to human error.
“In the last six periods there were circa 260 incidents, and we believe that geofencing technology could have mitigated circa 50 per cent of those ever happening,” said Andy. “Preventing these would ensure workers are safer and there would also be the time savings with not having to carry out investigations, which are a costly and timely exercise.”
OWL wearable geofencing devices are already having a positive impact on the safety of workers in rail and across other sectors.
“Predominantly it is a safety device so I would urge field teams across the network whether in operation and maintenance or capital delivery to use OWL to enhance the safety of their people, but its benefits don’t end there, particularly around the collection of data,” added Andy, who added the use of Power BI dashboards as an example.
“One of the user cases we have is for the collection of CO2 emissions, putting a device on an item of plant and recording its movements. We can then use readily
available public data to provide CO2 emission data based on usage and monitor idle time.
“Although the safety benefits should be enough, we have wider use cases and benefits that can give operational benefits and can help de-risk critical activities.”
It is the further potential of the technology that particularly excites Andy. Among the opportunities include surveying land boundaries; real-time monitoring of people, plant, and equipment; automated resource allocation and mitigating the risk of points run through.
Commenting on the latter, he said: “When machines approach the set of points, we can alert the operator to stop, and it will also indicate that the machine controller needs to check that the points are set in the correct direction.
“Considering that points run through cost Network Rail between circa £25 million and £30 million a year, this is something I believe our product could help to mitigate.
“The technology could set your route for you, and it will automate the process that already exists. Within the standard there is a process that must be adhered to between the ES, machine controller and the points operator. This will automate it and make peoples’ lives easier. It is acting as an additional procedure or action, but for saving £25 million to £30 million a year I believe that it is worth it.”
Overall, Andy, who joined Onwave as MD last year bringing over 25 years of experience on infrastructure projects, is optimistic and has one final message to the industry about OWL.
“We would welcome anyone who hasn’t seen OWL in action to ask us for a demonstration as once you’ve seen it in action, you’ll immediately see the positive impact it will have,” he said. “The technology doesn’t stand still and we’re constantly developing our technology in line with customer requirements to make rail operations as safe and efficient as they can be.”
www.onwave.com/owl/
Beyond improving safety measures, OWL can also enhance operational efficiency and environmental protection and enable businesses to make datadriven decisions based on realtime location information
There is a compelling case to be made for it; after all, Bidvest Noonan has been named Global Light Rail Supplier of the Year and is setting new standards for FM services
More and more rail companies are choosing Bidvest Noonan, with the company supporting key networks across the UK. What makes Bidvest Noonan the right choice for every rail company?
Flawless operations
The smooth operation of rail networks depends on expert management of every detail. That’s where Bidvest Noonan comes in. The company provides first-class service solutions to the sector, delivering cleaning, security, washroom services, vegetation management and more. Every service is delivered by experienced teams with deep expertise in the transport sector. With the right combination of talent and technology on every contract, clients enjoy performance and efficiency improvements, and exceptional value for money.
Passenger experience that drives growth
Passengers are the lifeblood of any transport network, and delivering a safe, reliable, and comfortable journey is key to success. Supporting over 1.5 billion passenger journeys every year, Bidvest Noonan is the expert in passenger experience. The company leaves no stone unturned in the pursuit of improvements for passengers. This relentless
focus on continuous improvement has made it a leader in passenger experience and an invaluable partner to its clients.
Great service requires both skilled people and the best technology. Bidvest Noonan’s operations are supported by a strong technology backbone. Its people use a powerful digital operations platform, driving performance, improving safety, and providing greater transparency. The company is always quick
The smooth operation of rail networks depends on expert management of every detail. Thats where Bidvest Noonan comes in
to embrace emerging technologies. It has recently won awards for its robotics, sensor-driven dynamic cleaning and innovative waste management solutions. Its latest offering TwinSpace, a stateof-the-art digital twin platform, is helping clients transform how spaces are managed and optimised.
Peace of mind
Safety is at the core of everything Bidvest Noonan does. Through significant investment in technologies, rigorous training, and best-in-class processes, it provides the assurance that your people, passengers, and brand are always protected. Bidvest Noonan delivers peace of mind, allowing rail operators to focus on what they do best, running world-class transport networks.
A champion of sustainability
Bidvest Noonan has a proven track record of helping clients achieve their sustainability goals. The business makes a transformative impact, reducing the use of energy, water, chemicals, plastics and other packaging materials. And it’s not just working to improve the environment; the company is a force for good in all of its local communities, supporting good causes and creating opportunities for disadvantaged groups.
www.bidvestnoonan.com
Railway Competence Group (RCG) are a premier provider of comprehensive train driver assessment and training services. Our suite of offerings, including Train Driver End Point Assessment, Psychometric Testing, and Train Driver Incident Prevention Courses, are designed to elevate the standards of railway operations and safety.
Ken Cameron, Managing Director (MD) of Scheidt & Bachmann UK’s Fare Collection Division, introduces FareGo PG|50, an innovative new fare gate designed for rail
Ken Cameron has a simple and compelling message for the rail industry. “We’ve developed a new product, and we want people to come and talk to us about it,” he told Rail Director. “Come and see it, try it out, put it to the test – don’t do what you’ve always done.”
This product, FareGo PG|50, is being billed as the “next level of fare gate technology” by Scheidt & Bachmann, whose international group specialises in fare collection systems, energy retail solutions, parking solutions, and signalling systems.
MD Ken and Scheidt & Bachmann’s international team unveiled the next generation fare gate at InnoTrans 2024. Two months on, and it’s already garnering considerable interest, with organisations keen to learn more about the benefits it could bring.
It’s exactly the kind of response Ken was hoping for. “We wanted to bring choice to the market, where previously, there wasn’t a choice,” he explained. “We saw there was room for a new, more intelligent fare gate, and we’ve taken our time to design it. Our software has been rewritten, our hardware redesigned, and all the latest standards adhered to.”
A next generation fare gate
The result is FareGo PG|50, part of Scheidt & Bachmann’s FareGo portfolio (which includes sales and validation devices, central system platforms, data management solutions, and related services). Fully modular and long-lasting, the new pivoting gate has been designed to enhance passenger flow and improve the customer experience. Ken explained that it also supports revenue protection and fraud prevention and detection, with minimal operating costs.
“We developed the gate with simplicity, durability and longevity in mind,” he added.
FareGo PG|50 features a high-resolution sensor system, indicator light, and staff indicator, enabling accurate fraud detection. Special guidance and orientation features (including overhead displays) improve passenger flow, while carefully placed validation targets and fast opening gate flaps make for an improved customer experience.
When it came to designing FareGo PG|50, installation, control and maintenance were also key concerns for Scheidt & Bachmann. The gate can be installed without any construction work and controlled remotely via a device management system. It is similarly easy to maintain; neighbouring gate aisles can remain in operation as common service actions are carried out.
We developed the gate with simplicity, durability and longevity in mind
“We’ve redesigned what was 15 – 20 years old, and are confident that our offering is more reliable, more user-friendly, and more cost-effective,” Ken said.
A collaborative design process
And this redesign process was, he added, “more collaborative than ever before.”
“FareGo PG|50 was designed in collaboration with our customers, and we kept them with us throughout the journey, seeking their feedback at every stage,” Ken recalled. “We asked them what they liked about their gates, and what they didn’t like. There was a lot of research and development, which enabled us to arrive at this solution.”
It’s a solution that could help organisations to
future proof their operations, he explained.
“Many ticket gates have been operating successfully for 15 years, but technology has changed in that time. Contactless is coming slowly, and barcodes surged in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. FareGo PG|50’s modular architecture makes it long-lasting, ensuring it can evolve as ticketing technology changes,” Ken said. “And, in the meantime, it can be seamlessly integrated with existing account-based ticketing or card-based systems.”
Now, Ken and his team are keen that customers try out this next generation fare gate for themselves.
“Our demo unit is returning to the UK, and we’ll be booking people in to view it,” he concluded. “Come and engage with us, have a conversation – we want the industry to know that there’s something new on the market, and we can certainly help.”
www.scheidt-bachmann.de/en/fare-collectionsystems/field-devices/farego-pg50
UK-based Sella Controls, market leader in the provision of ‘engineered solutions’ for safety, control and automation applications in the rail and process industries, recently celebrated its 50th birthday
Based in Stockport in Greater Manchester and Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, Sella Controls employs some 130 people designing, supplying and installing integrated safety, control and automation systems for the rail and other industries.
Acquired in February 2023 by Germany’s Hima Group, a company with which it has had a long trading relationship, Sella Controls celebrated its 50th birthday in August 2024. To mark the occasion, Sella Controls held a Safety Symposium in Birmingham, honouring its journey from modest beginnings in Whaley Bridge to becoming a leader in safety and control systems.
Back in 1974, Sella Controls was founded by Terry Lardner and George Bennett to supply safety control systems into the mining and chemical industry. They started working from a small premises in Whaley Bridge, with the help of one or two engineers. The original location was in the cellar of Paddock House in Elnor Lane, Whaley Bridge - hence ‘Sella’ Controls. Since then, and over the past five decades, Sella Controls has consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation and safety, making significant contributions to projects across multiple sectors, including rail, oil and gas, and petrochemicals. It was therefore fitting that Trish Lardner, wife of
company founder Terry Lardner, attended the symposium and birthday celebration.
The Safety Symposium reflected on Sella Controls’ rich history, including its transformation into a key player in the safety sector. Notable speakers from HIMA, Sella Controls, and key customers addressed how the collaboration had propelled both companies into new markets and technological frontiers.
Steffen Philipp, Shareholder of HIMA Group, discussed the history and partnership between the two companies. The acquisition of Sella Controls has played a pivotal role in enhancing HIMA’s portfolio, especially in the railway sector, while also expanding the business in the process industry in the UK and Ireland.
“HIMA and Sella Controls shared a long-standing and close partnership, built on safety excellence, shared values and vision,” he said. “To become an integral part of the HIMA Group has been a logical next step for Sella Controls, and it represents a key milestone in HIMA’s company history.”
HIMA Group CEO Jörg de la Motte focused on the strategic growth opportunities that resulted from the acquisition. Sella Controls now acts as the regional centre for the HIMA Group in the UK and as the Global Centre of Excellence for rail activities.
Dr Michael Löbig, CFO of HIMA Group, shared
Reaching our 50 years milestone is a huge achievement for Sella Controls
insights on the investment strategy and future growth plans, while Chris Parr, CTO of Sella Controls, spoke about the technological evolution and innovation at Sella Controls. “Reaching our 50 years milestone is a huge achievement for Sella Controls,” he said. “Over this period, we have significantly contributed to the safety and operability of our clients’ assets through a combination of technical innovation and functional safety expertise. We look forward to the next 50 years as an integral part of HIMA group.”
In addition, industry leaders such as Rob Stockham, Director from GI Systems and Mark O’Neill, Technical Director and Jorge Santos, Project Director at Amey Rail Limited, discussed key projects and the integral role Sella Controls had played in advancing safety and control solutions in both the process and rail sectors.
Rock Group is celebrating 10 years of providing innovative financing solutions for new modern rolling stock and zero-emission buses to deliver public-sector value and support a step change in sustainable transport.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Swindell
discusses the journey
When Mark Swindell retired as a lawyer and set up Rock he vowed, as a principal and as an owner, never to wear a tie, however the day he speaks with Rail Director is an exception. Nothing to do with the interview, but a date at Westminster Abbey that evening.
It is for the launch of The Commonwealth at 75 publication. Rock was put forward by the joint Houses of Parliament to celebrate 75 years of history, unity and progress and to appoint King Charles as the leader: he sets out his stall using leadership, sustainability and innovation as his three key themes. Rock was picked to represent international leadership in the transport industry.
“It’s a real privilege to demonstrate what we’ve done on those three themes to make passenger journeys better and I hope what we are doing in the UK, Germany and soon in Australia, France and the United States can be useful as a model to others in the Commonwealth,” he said.
It’s recognition of Mark and the rest of the Rock team’s passion to transform the provision of rail and bus services for the benefit of passengers, national economies, local communities and institutional investors.
The journey started when he turned 50, bringing a 28-year career as a successful lawyer to an end. Rather than slow down, he and his wife put
their savings into creating Rock, an independent developer, owner and asset manager of rolling stock and zero emission buses.
“I wanted to put infrastructure in place with private investors, institutional pension funds and insurance companies who want to responsibly invest money directly into assets that make a difference to people’s lives and transform communities,” explained Mark. “They want a steady return to match their long-term liabilities and need a sector specialist to actively manage the risks in a complex regulatory environment.
“The Government needs private investment, but it wants the management fees and equity returns to match the risks being managed for direct investors. Rock develops sector specific opportunities and forms investable entities with robust governance and ensures the delivery of long-term promises. We do this by having the best people who work hard to deliver results, who innovatively manage a global supply chain and who are passionate about what they do.”
It was 2011 when Rock Infrastructure (now known as Rock Group) launched and Mark was kept busy as the Commercial Director of the procurement team on the Mersey Gateway Bridge, as well as working on the Ministry of Defence Simulator Training Facility at RAF Benson, developing the first privately financed major training facilities.
Following the completion of both projects, the decision was made to focus on rolling stock with the launch of Rock Rail in 2014. It has proved to be a success, with the business securing almost £3 billion of institutional investment into new passenger rolling stock for UK rail franchises, with seven fleets in the UK, and around €1 billion for four fleets in Germany. However, things didn’t start off successfully.
“By Christmas 2015 we were almost out of all of our money, but we decided to continue to go for it, putting all of my pension in and remortgaging my house to cover staff wages,” said Mark, who explained how there was a relationship with abrdn, which would potentially put up the majority of equity in transactions if Rock covered all the development costs. “I thought the UK was going to buy some trains. I put three bids into operators, and despite feeling pretty well placed we hadn’t done a deal before, and we were unsuccessful. However, we showed the necessary grit to keep going in the darkest of times.
“Thankfully another door opened, and we were successful in 2016 and won Moorgate. That was our first deal, and we made it happen working with Govia Thameslink Railway and Siemens on the £300 million transaction to buy and finance 150 Desiro City cars for use on the Thameslink, Southern, and Great Northern franchise. Without that we were going to start looking at closing the business. I had used all our money, and I was considering going back
to work as a lawyer. That didn’t need to happen and now Rock is in a great position and I’m loving it.”
Later that same year the company worked with Abellio and Stadler on a £700 million transaction to buy and finance almost 400 Flirt cars for use on the Greater Anglia franchise; and the following year there was success with First MTR and Bombardier on a £1 billion transaction to buy and finance 750 Aventra cars for use on the South Western franchise. It’s wonderful seeing all these trains in passenger service now.
“2018 was a fallow year but we bought shares from Hitachi to buy into the Intercity Express Programme (a Department for Transport initiative to procure new trains to replace the InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 fleets) and I was a director of that for four years,” said Mark. “Then in 2019 Rock Rail worked with Abellio and Hitachi for the financing of a new 165 vehicle fleet of intercity bi-mode trains to be operated on East Midlands, and a further Hitachi order for Intercity Trains for the Avanti West Coast Partnership.
“I then opened in Australia and Germany, COVID made that move difficult, as it did for the whole transport industry. However, we have bounced back and remain in a strong position, success I put down to the incredible team working here. The 35 people here are the crème de le crème. Together we think the impossible and aspire to use institutional money to transform people’s lives.”
Mark’s interest in the rail industry stems back to his days as a lawyer at DLA Piper, who when tasked to find his own work turned to the then recently launched Railways Act, which provided for the restructuring of the British Railways Board, the public corporation that owned and operated the railway.
“I didn’t know anything about the railways but saw an opportunity in 97 companies going to be privatised,” he said. “I read the act from page to page, immersing myself in the railways making sure I understood the market, how everything works. I did well and got a lot of work out of it.
“Then Connex came along with a seven-year franchise on South East, with the Government making it a 15-year franchise providing they bought some trains. No one had bought trains before in the private sector and I devised the whole of the procurement process. I ended up helping Connex South East buy £500 million worth of Electrostars. That was my first taste of rolling stock.
“Unlike the way British Rail used to buy trains, which was very much to the spec, I advised Connex South Eastern to buy them on an output basis which opened up the expertise of the global market to freely develop the design and bring in the best that could be done, but ensuring that what was produced was a train that fitted the track and power infrastructure. The Electrostars are still running today.”
The organisation has gone from strength to strength. Rock Road was launched in 2021 to support bus operators, councils and Government in meeting decarbonisation targets while managing an industry shift towards reregulation. The aim is to accelerate the uptake of zero emission buses in the UK by providing a finance solution that provides a greater risk transfer than traditional funders in the market.
In April, this year, the company announced a joint
venture with Aviva Capital Partners to establish a new funding platform for Rock Road in partnership with the National Wealth Fund (formerly the UK Infrastructure Bank). The partnership, alongside a debt facility from HSBC, has committed an initial £100 million to fund up to 250 zero emission buses and associated infrastructure. Rock Road closed its first deal under the new platform with the financing of 60 BYD-ADL battery-electric buses, initially on lease to Go-Ahead in London.
Rock has also recently been recognised for its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) work with its GRESB scores (an independent organisation providing validated ESG performance data) number one in the transport rail sector globally. Its rolling stock assets Rock Rail East Anglia and Rock Rail Moorgate were awarded first and third place respectively with perfect scores of 100 out of 100 and five-star ratings.
“We’re very pleased with our GRESB award,” he said. “This isn’t about a simple award, this is day in day out trying to be as good as we can be, ensuring the little decisions are constantly made in the right way, at Rock and in collaboration with our partners.
“As to the future, we currently have 1,578 vehicles in the UK now and we’re hoping that the Government will want to buy more. We’re also looking to bring private finance into the modernisation of rail infrastructure, particularly the digitalisation and electrification of the UK network, so I’m really excited about what the future could hold. We are a way for the Government to access much needed off-balance-sheet institutional money to transform our railways.
“I’m very pleased with where we are, and excited about where we are going to go and how we are going to deliver for people going forward. I would love it for institutions to start to invest significant sums of money into transformational transport. Rock wants to continue to support the investors on that journey, to stimulate demand in city centers and generate greener movement of people. Me personally, I’m 64 years of age and I don’t want to stop because I love it.”
By Christmas 2015 we were almost out of all of our money, but we decided to continue to go for it, putting all of my pension in and remortgaging my house to cover staff wages
GTS Rail Operations Limited will take over from the existing operator, MTR Corporation (Crossrail) Limited, in May 2025
Transport for London (TfL) has announced its intention to award the new Elizabeth line operator contract to GTS Rail Operations Limited, a joint venture between Go Ahead Group, Tokyo Metro and Sumitomo Corporation. The contract, starting in May, will cover seven years with an option to extend for up to two additional years.
Claire Mann, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “The Elizabeth line has had a transformational impact since opening in 2022 and has quickly become one of the most popular and reliable railways in the country. The railway has provided new, more direct journey options which has led to huge numbers of customers using our safe and accessible trains and stations.
“I am delighted that we have appointed GTS Rail Operations to continue to build on the success of the Elizabeth line and I look forward to working with them.”
TfL has said the new concession operator contract will support and achieve this by bringing the best
parts of Tokyo and London to the Elizabeth line to optimise the current operation and prepare for the increase in services to Old Oak Common when it is planned to open in 2030
Future plans also include bringing into service the 10 new Class 345 trains to support the introduction of additional service enhancements in response to increased passenger numbers and growth opportunities across London and the South East
Miguel Parras, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Go-Ahead Group, said: “We’re proud to have been chosen to be TfL’s partner, together with Sumitomo Corporation and Tokyo Metro, for the operation of the iconic Elizabeth line.
“We look forward to bringing our collective expertise across UK and international rail operations to London. Our objectives are aligned with TfL –to connect communities across London through safe, reliable, and sustainable public transport services, delivered to the highest level of customer satisfaction.”
Our objectives are aligned with TfL – to connect communities across London through safe, reliable, and sustainable public transport services, delivered to the highest level of customer satisfaction
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John Blackham, Managing Director of HÜBNER UK and Vice President Global After Sales & Service HÜBNER Group Mobility Rail,
discusses a new direction the company is taking to ensure it flourishes in the future
From its beginnings in 1946, HÜBNER has been shaped by a spirit of enterprise, inventiveness and innovation. Today there is the same passion for new solutions that drives the leading global supplier of complete gangways and articulation systems for railway vehicles, and its employees.
Products from HÜBNER are found on around 70 per cent of all trains with performance gangways running worldwide, with the organisation continuing to come up with advances that have increased the capacities of vehicles and improved the comfort of passengers in public transport. Its success is driven by an ongoing engineering improvement culture embedded within the organisation to give better and better life cycle cost.
As the rail industry worldwide is feeling the financial pinch, HÜBNER is on a journey to creating a world-class customer service experienced centred around servitisation, which refers to the product for sale being a service, usually called outcome as a service.
It is a concept being led by the company’s John Blackham, who believes change is vital to ensure there is a solid platform years down the line.
“I’ve been working all over the world and I am regularly hearing that there is no money, and it is starting to feel like a race to the bottom, particularly as the increased security risk, social care costs etc are leading to transportation being cut,” he said.
“There is a burning platform and if we stay as we are and just complain about the environment that we are in, your feet are just going to get hot and eventually the flames are going to engulf you.
“You have got to find a constructive solution, differentiating yourself from the competition. We are looking at how we make our manufacturing around the world far more agile to respond to customers’ needs and more responsive, getting things down to weeks for a part that has traditionally taken six months as a one off.”
The culture which John is implementing is one that empathises with customers, something that can only be achieved if you understand their problems.
“Without empathy, you can’t demonstrate your understanding, and you can’t be proactive to head off something that you know is going to hurt them in the future,” he explained. “The aim is to create
unique selling points by having a much higher level of service than our competitors. It is a cultural, structural change from operations through technical and so on.”
Alongside empathy it is about ensuring the business has agile operations with a key focus on modular solutions that enable the movement of critical material and stocks efficiently and effectively. This includes the consideration of new product offerings such as generic solutions of sub components you can get.
“We’re also working hard on product solutions that are not just replacements but enhancements to the current product that are maybe pretty close to fatigue failure,” he added. “The easy solution might be to take it off and throw it away, but we’re trying to help customers get over the line when it comes to obligations they have on maintenance contracts or whatever it is.
“We are putting effort into developing solutions. It is not always about the big buck. We are here for the long haul, and it comes back to this empathy and being highly servitised. Get these two things right and we will get the loyalty for the long-term for sure.”
John has been at HÜBNER for 13 years, but his role as Vice President After Sales was an addition to being MD of the UK side of the company, just over a year ago. It came after the head office in Germany had seen what he had achieved in the UK, and wanted something similar implementing for the rest of the numerous companies around the globe.
The group’s head office realised the opportunity from ring fencing an after-sales and service division and selling resources, facilities and production with its own engineering, globalising a service culture.
“Building trust and those relationships is key, hence the importance of emphasising the fact it is not about being here for the short-term profit,” he said. “We are in a project-based, high-value, high-risk environment and that means relationships and trust are key.
“We are making great progress and are continuing to refine what world-class should look like. Overall, the core strategy is simple, we need to be local, responsive and agile when a physical system is needed.
“Now it is about implementing a medium-term programme that delivers on HÜBNER being a worldclass service business. There are the technological
challenges, particularly around the digitalisation of what is basically a passive mechanical system, but we’ve got things we are doing. It is developing agile, operational response times, and technically developing products that are continuous improvement on what we’ve got now, but also having solutions that can support failing products in the markets and are dedicated to aftermarket solutions.”
This culture will also feed into the UK arm of the business, which is a newer element of the organisation, which globally has been around for nearly 80 years. It was the idea of John, who saw potential in setting up in the Midlands and not operating out of Germany seven years ago, setting up the Derby-based facility, building the first products, completing an ISO 9001 audit, and setting up an Enterprise Resource Planning system within the first four months.
Now, the business has a wide portfolio of products in rail, ranging from touch screen human-machine interface in drivers’ cabs for auxiliary control systems, through to gangways and bogie products.
“We’ve gone from a little start-up with two guys and a spreadsheet to where we are now with a great profile, an order book for several years, good levels of support and we’re getting recognised for the work we are doing,” he said, highlighting one particular project which saw the company complete a 34 gangway order for Porterbrook in two months.
“The plan here is to keep building and to grab the takeaways from what I’m doing as Vice President pushing that through the organisation here and being more supportive, more visible, and more local because we are still getting operators who don’t know we are here.
“We’ll be keeping a close eye on rail reform and what is happening with Labour in charge, ensuring we are on the front foot to react to it and take advantage of it. But we are in a positive place with increased turnover, and investment in the company and our facilities.”
Despite the uncertainties globally, such is the good beat rate for HÜBNER UK there has and will continue to be a real emphasis in this country on CSR and an investment in the development of employees.
“We’ve put a lot more energy into our team developing the resources and the environments and made the workforce a lot better, because trained
We are looking at how we make our manufacturing around the world far more agile to respond to customers’ needs and more responsive
experienced people are so valuable,” he said. “There is personal development in regards to educational support from NVQs Level Two coming right up to Master level qualifications, but also the workplace, creating a pleasant and creative environment.
“I like to give up the time to work on personal development, because apart from the fact it helps them develop, it is also very rewarding seeing individuals thrive and maximise their return. I always get a kick out of people that you’ve developed, especially when you see that return on the time and energy that you’ve put in. I think we are a cracking company to work for and that is something that I’ll always be passionate about.
“Overall, I am confident we’ll get to the year-end where we have a vision and road map on how to create a high servitised culture that empathises with customers. I am comfortable with the vision and the values that we are striving for and I’m comfortable that what we are doing in the UK is very empathetic with that. It is of the same recipe.
“If you can create solutions, create response time improvements, give high levels of service, and demonstrate your empathy you are going to win peoples’ hearts and minds. It is not a chest beating session, it is a burning platform that needs to change people and create change.”
www.hubner-group.com/en
Forestry, Rail and Civils Ltd (FRC) might only be three years old, but the business already has an enviable reputation for its vegetation management solutions. Colin Browne, Danny Freeman and Martin Shirley explain more
Integrity, innovation and excellence are the roots which define the way FRC operates. It stems from the vision of Director Colin Browne in setting up a company that combines unparalleled expertise with innovative solutions, setting new standards for excellence in the vegetation management and infrastructure sectors.
Just three years after creating FRC with Contract Manager Danny Freeman, the organisation has grown to 77 sponsored staff, each sharing that same original ethos, something that has been rewarded with high-profile jobs, and a reputation for getting the job done. This has only increased since the start of Control Period 7.
“The last few months have brought a monumental amount of work in,” explained Danny, who has been an integral part of FRC, one of the founding team members, and has played a crucial role in shaping the company’s values and reputation for excellence. “We are very quickly becoming the favoured Tier
2 supplier, especially in the South of England, something we won’t take for granted and will continue to build on.”
Colin added: “FRC’s rapid growth and strong reputation are testament to our commitment to quality, reliability and customer satisfaction. Our team’s extensive experience, combined with a proactive approach to problem solving and a dedication to investing in the best equipment, enables us to deliver tailored solutions for a wide range of projects, whether it’s complex railway vegetation management, highways maintenance, or large-scale land clearing.”
With an impressive 35 years of experience in commercial vegetation management, Colin brings a wealth of knowledge to FRC, having tackled a diverse range of projects, from large-scale vegetation clearance and environmental management to highly specialised work along complex rail networks.
“It’s our attention to detail and the way we work with clients to get to that end goal,” added Colin,
who emphasises that it is not all about going to the site and writing an invoice out. “People come to us because they’ve got problematic sites. We come up with the solutions and although we are a Tier 2 contractor, we also provide a project management service that can be managed on site.”
Danny added: “Between us, you are going to be hard pushed to find something that we haven’t seen or been involved in. Colin himself has probably encountered almost every conceivable scenario and has yet to face a job he couldn’t successfully complete, from navigating difficult terrain and coordinating with multiple stakeholders to devising innovative solutions for particularly demanding situations.
“The great thing about Colin and the way he runs the business is that he is very driven, knows what he wants and is extremely experienced, alongside many other experienced colleagues. There are also the newer recruits which means we get the experience and knowledge from the old school, but we also get the innovation and creativity from the new school. It
is a really good mix and we collaboratively, as a team, come up with creative solutions.”
One of the newer recruits to FRC is Commercial Manager Martin Shirley. Joining in June, this year, he has brought a fresh perspective and a wealth of expertise to the growing team, particularly with his strong background in commercial management and engineering, having previously spent more than a decade at Network Rail, the majority of that time as Project Manager. His arrival at FRC also reunites him with Colin, with the pair working together at Fountains Rail.
“It has been amazing,” he said. “15 years ago, it was Colin who taught me an awful lot about vegetation and fundamentally the railway in one of my first jobs outside of college. It feels like I’ve gone full circle and I’m really enjoying working with a small, motivated, very driven team.”
The trio are keen to stress that the success has been a team effort. Other pivotal members of the management team include Damien Evans, who is responsible for overseeing FRC’s RISQS and management system as well as being Sentinel co-ordinator; and Jen Stinson who works closely with Damien to ensure that the day-to-day compliance is maintained and managed and appropriate records kept up to date.
On the resourcing side of the business, there is Richard Parker, who manages the resourcing day to day and works closely alongside Amie Reynolds who takes care of compliance and training requirements.
Alongside the dedicated, knowledgeable team is their passion with an approach that goes beyond mere removal – with an understanding that preserving vegetation can be equally, if not more important.
Danny said: “It is not a case of wanting to remove everything, it doesn’t always look the best, and it isn’t always what is best for the environment, so we work with clients to come up with the best solution overall. Our work near Beaconsfield Station is an example. Rather than removing all the trees, we removed a section of trees which were in a dangerous position and others were reduced to a safe working height.”
Colin added: “We explore innovative methods to retain and manage vegetation whenever possible. We believe in balancing ecological preservation with operational efficiency to support the natural environment while meeting project requirements.
“We also understand the complexities and challenges that come with controlling invasive species and our teams are well-versed in handling Schedule 9 invasive species. As listed under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which includes some of the most aggressive and damaging species found in the UK.
“These species are often resilient and capable of rapid spread, which is why professional management is critical to prevent further ecological damage or costly repairs to property and infrastructure.”
Martin, Colin and Danny are all keen to praise the full team in regard to the company’s success. To ensure the best team, FRC’s in-house staff are not only highly trained but also hold competency in a wide array of safety-critical positions. Comprehensive training is undertaken covering a spectrum of roles, from basic Personal Track Safety certifications to advanced qualifications for engineering supervisors.
FRC is also RISQS accredited and approved, signifying its commitment to maintaining industry standards for safety and quality. It demonstrates the adherence to rigorous safety protocols and operational excellence, assuring clients that they are working with a trusted partner in the railway sector.
“Our efforts go beyond these accreditations, but also making sure we invest in top-of-the-line machinery and equipment to ensure that we have the right tools for any job regardless of size and complexity,” said Colin, who said the company had invested more than £750,000 in equipment and machinery. “This commitment to using the best tools available not only enhances our operational efficiency but also reflects our dedication to the safety and well-being of our team members.”
FRC’s diverse fleet of machinery includes everything from powerful mulchers and excavators to specialised equipment for precision vegetation management and land clearance. A new addition to the list of kit are small defibrillators, something it is hoped won’t be used, but something the company wants to ensure workers have access to on-site if needed.
“We’re always looking at different ways of innovating and how to improve safety because we want to be leaders and be a company that looks after our employees,” added Colin. “I’d like each team when they go out on site to have access to a defib kit. It is a significant investment, but an investment to keep colleagues safe.”
Danny added: “Another thing that is setting us apart is our communications. All of our staff are issued with a set of Stihl Advance Pro Com headsets so they can communicate effortlessly, ensuring uninterrupted comms for all staff on site. This, in addition to minimising noise from loud on-site communications, means that we are able to work quietly at night and minimise disruption to our lineside neighbours. It is proving a game changer and is another example of the investment being made to ensure jobs are done efficiently and safely.”
It all feeds into FRC’s passion for continuing to build on its strong foundations and build strong, lasting relationships with clients by delivering exceptional service and results every time, something Danny has said will continue into the future.
“As we continue to grow, we remain committed to upholding the values that have driven our success; integrity, innovation, and a passion for excellence,”
FRC’s rapid growth and strong reputation are testament to our commitment to quality, reliability and customer satisfaction
he said. “We are proud to be a trusted partner for vegetation management across the South of England, and we look forward to helping our clients achieve their objectives with the same dedication and professionalism that has become the hallmark of FRC.”
www.forestryrailcivils.com/
James Price, the Chief Executive Offi cer for Transport for Wales (TfW) has described the trains’ arrival as a huge moment for TfW and Wales
Electric ‘tri-mode’ trains have been introduced for the first time in the UK as part of the South Wales Metro.
They are entering passenger service first on the Merthyr and Aberdare lines, followed by the Treherbert line. In a phased introduction, they will replace TfW’s older trains, with 14 set to be in service by spring next year.
TfW has already introduced 65 brand-new trains and seven premier class MK4 trains to the Wales and Borders network over the last two years as part of their £800 million investment into new trains.
James Price, TfW CEO said: “This is a huge moment for TfW and Wales, as we’re the first in the UK to be introducing this modern ‘tri-mode’ train into passenger service.
“Our teams and delivery partners have been working on transforming our rail infrastructure in South Wales for the last three years and this signifies the next phase of the South Wales Metro.
“We’ve been modernising and electrifying the railway line and we are now extremely proud to be able to introduce the first of our brand-new trains that will be powered by electricity.
“Our Class 756 electric trains will offer customers more capacity, improved seating, modern air conditioning, power sockets, Wi-Fi and passenger information screens with up-to-the-minute travel information. They’ll also feature automatic level boarding and space for up to six bikes.”
Built by leading manufacturer Stadler, the new Class 756 Fast Light Intercity and Regional Trains (FLIRTs) will be powered by the recently installed overhead electrified wires, which carry 25,000V.
These transformative ‘tri-mode’ trains are the first in the UK that can use diesel or battery on sections of railway track where there are no overhead wires.
The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates said: “This is great news and a truly historic moment as we see the introduction of the first brand new electric trains on the South
Wales Metro. These state-of-the-art electric trains with greater capacity will make passengers journeys more comfortable and with the addition of the latest technology allowing for Wi-Fi and up-to-the-minute travel information screens, are sure to encourage more people to use the train for their travel needs.”
Emil Hansen, Commercial Project Manager for Stadler, added: “We are thrilled to see the UK’s first FLIRT tri-mode enter passenger service in Wales. Using battery technology, these transformative rail vehicles represent a significant leap forward in Transport for Wales’ efforts to drive decarbonisation and underscore Stadler’s trail-blazing technology and commitment to clean energy.
“The realisation of these state-of-the-art trains is testament to the effective collaboration between Transport for Wales, Stadler and many other involved parties, and we look forward to continue building on this successful partnership.”
The transformation of the Core Valley Lines for the Metro has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government and will enable faster, more frequent services between Cardiff and the heads of the valleys.
This is great news and a truly historic moment as we see the introduction of the first brand new electric trains on the South Wales Metro
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Rail Business Daily Managing Director (MD) Dean Bruce is encouraging members to make the most of this resource, and has said it will continue to be updated to ensure it remains useful, relevant and value added
The UK Rail Report, packed with intelligence and key UK industry contacts, has been updated and relaunched this month in a new format.
The sought-after ‘insider’s guide’ to unlocking opportunities in rail, powered by Rail Business Daily, is available exclusively to RBD Community (RBDC) and Railway Industry Association (RIA) members in the member portal One Place.
It is rich with useful intelligence and contacts that members can use to help them identify key contacts and information for potential work-winning opportunities.
Update highlights
RBDC and RIA members have asked for a downloadable PDF version of the report, previously a dynamic online version, and so this update is available via a downloadable PDF to make it easier for members to use.
260 pages of valuable intelligence about the UK rail industry.
All information and contacts updated postelection to reflect changes since the new Government came into place.
More than 700 UK rail contacts – helping members to pursue contacts to build relationships and start work-winning conversations.
Everything you need to know about the UK rail industry – with feedback from members revealing it’s a valuable induction tool for new starters into the industry.
The current UK rail environment and organisations governing it.
The roles of Government, operators, and owners.
Key industry facts and stats.
Information about routes into the UK rail market.
Who’s who in UK rail organisations, TOCs, FOCs, and more.
Key projects across the regions.
Information about light rail, very light rail, test facilities and innovation centres.
Supply chain support organisations. Rail events and awards.
Dean Bruce said: “The UK Rail Report is very valuable to the rail supply chain and we created it, and update it so that RBDC and RIA members have access to the latest intelligence and contacts in our industry.
“It helps people better understand the UK rail landscape, governance, and organisations running and supporting it. And we’re delighted with the impact it is having on members. It’s well regarded and used by member companies’ business development and sales teams, with several members, who receive free access to the report with their membership, saying that the intelligence in it has led them to contract discussions and wins with buyers in the industry.
“It’s also being used as an induction tool to get new starters up to speed with the often-complex landscape that is the UK rail industry. Ultimately
it adds real value for members and supports our mission to be a force for good in rail.
“I encourage members to make the most of this resource. We will continue to update it regularly so that it remains useful, relevant, and value added.”
The UK Rail Report is available to RBD Community and Railway Industry Association members as part of their membership benefits, via the member portal One Place.
If you are a member of RBDC or RIA and do not already have access to the portal or want to find out more please contact Member Relations & Content Manager Fiona Broomfield at fiona@ railbusinessdaily.com or call 07949 409829.
A replacement for the existing Block Controller for single line track.
Our fully digital version of key token equipment communicates digitally through IP based systems, including provision for TPWS and section signal release.
The DiBloC features:
•IP connectivity with two redundant connections
•Physical key compatibility with existing key token machine equipment such as ground frame locks
•Ability to work in sets of 2-6 units
•Ability to operate TPWS and/or single throw/starting signals
•No on-board equipment –compatibility with all rolling stock
Orange Train Wash (OTW) will next year be showcasing its revolutionary train cleaning system at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE).
Founder Martin Whitbread discusses how the system continues to evolve and is already attracting interest from all over the world
For the past five years, OTW has generated excitement and captured the curiosity of rail industry professionals with its ground-breaking cleaning concept. It is with good reason. The system developed uses significantly less water, energy and space than conventional train washing technology, reducing carbon emissions and the cost to operators of providing clean trains every day for their customers.
“When it comes to cleaning trains nothing much has really changed for 50 years,” said Martin Whitbread, Founder of OTW. “No industry should be like that, even the rail one with its complications and regulations. There is no reason for trains to be dirty and no reason why how they are cleaned shouldn’t change using the technology and innovation available.
“A normal train wash uses around 5,000 litres of
water to clean an eight-car train, what we are offering uses 100 litres of water a side. We are also bringing back 90 per cent of that water, so for every 100 litres we use, we actually only lose 10 litres. Because our units are outside, we are also harvesting rainwater.”
Its chemical-free solution, which is 78 per cent cheaper than the industry average, uses 50°C deionised water and powerful air blades and brushes, which push the water back down into the Envirosump water catchment system, ready to be pumped back into each machine for recycling. The filters clean the water at 200 litres per minute back into the larger clean water tank ready for the next clean, with no drainage required.
Its 60 water jets allow for trains to be cleaned quicker than conventional methods and with a minimal footprint either side of the carriages, it provides huge savings on the civil engineering costs
required for other cleaning solutions. The modular system can be installed in as little as four days and can clean trains at a speed of three miles per hour.
The wash maintains water temperature at 50°C which means that unlike conventional train washes, winter conditions won’t disrupt train washing.
“The idea came about as I was selling a batterypowered machine that removed chewing gum from train seats in four seconds, instead of having to take the seat cover off and send it to laundry,” said the inventor Martin. “A rail industry leader joked about whether I could do a bigger product that could clean trains. Three months later I went back to him and said I had sorted it.
“Since then it has gone through several years of extensive research. Testing discovered that around 40 per cent of the dirt on the trains was detergent which was just glueing dirt to it. This is eradicated by
OTW’s chemical-free operations, and the deionised water was the starting point of what has been developed.”
In the last year Martin and the team have continued to develop OTW, ahead of the international showcase of the product at the GCRE site in Wales, expected early next year. Among the achievements have included a successful visit to Rolling Stock Networking in Derby and the creation of the next generation brushes, which vary in length, to clean the trains.
On the latter, the brushes can be changed by undoing four bolts and removing a section and fitting the clamming again, rather than having to change out the whole pole; turning a job which could take a day or two into one that takes only 10 minutes.
OTW also appointed Tom Smith as its Chief Executive Officer during the summer, bringing a fresh perspective and a shared passion for the revolutionary train wash system, driving forward the vision of setting new standards for sustainability in the rail industry.
“Tom has been a great appointment and is really helping to elevate the firm to new heights,” added Martin. “He is the expert when it comes to answering the rail questions, while I was selling the machine, and he pushed the importance of an Internet of Things system.
“Data is very important to customers and that is an important part of what we have created, enabling remote monitoring with energy consumption and condition reporting with smart technology. What was cleaned, what was used, how much water was lost, carbon savings, power used; customers can get that instantly on their phones or iPads.”
A key to the excitement surrounding OTW is its evolution and the impact it could have on trains in the UK and abroad. Ahead of its first train washer being constructed in South Wales, there has already been interest from 72 train operating companies and leasing companies from all over the world, all waiting with bated breath to see it in real life.
Adding to the anticipation, Martin told Rail Director that OTW had just completed a deal with Australian company Global Cavitation with the use of nanobubbles, which possess distinct cleaning properties and act as natural scouring agents for
better surface cleaning efficiency.
“Nanobubbles are 2,500 times smaller than a single grain of salt,” explained Martin. “It goes through six stages of putting a gas in water, but it gets smaller and smaller. By using nanobubbles we can force it out onto the train and be even more efficient in removing dirt, they are an effective and environmentally-friendly way to remove dirt.
“It actually means we get a two-and-a-half times better clean than by just using deionised water. At a time when everyone is trying to be net zero and carbon zero, it helps enormously. We’re also using ultraviolet light to kill off any bacteria in there.”
Overall, Martin said that OTW proves that sustainability doesn’t always have to come at a cost and that by doing things in a more efficient way operators and asset managements can also realise cost savings and operational benefits.
Although 2024 has been one of great progress for the company, it is next year when potential clients will have a hands-on opportunity to see the innovative system in action at GCRE that particularly excites Martin.
“The interest in OTW already spans the globe and, to work collaboratively with an innovative world-class facility will bring to life the environmental, practical and financial benefits to organisations in a hands-on environment,” he said. “GCRE is so important because there are so many people wanting to come and see a demonstration from all over the world.
“We’re going into GCRE to test it with a battery. Now because we are reducing the energy requirement, the battery size can come down and we can top that battery up over 24 hours and use it for when we want it. There is a lot going on, including on the data side which has really developed in recent years.
“What’s to stop trains being washed as they come into a platform and not just in a depot? That wouldn’t be possible under conventional methods as it takes an average of 20 minutes to clean a train, but we’re 17 seconds a carriage, so there’s no reason why we couldn’t with a five-metre straight run of track. It all adds to the potential opportunities and ones which will be greener, more efficient, and help keep the trains clean. What’s not to get excited about.”
www.theorangetrainwash.com/
There is no reasons for trains to be dirty and no reason why how they are cleaned shouldn’t change using the technology and innovation available
Explore Plant and Transport Solutions, part of Laing O’Rourke’s Specialist Trading Business Group (STBG), launched its new on-track plant hire division ‘Explore Rail’ earlier this year. Head of Business Development, Ajeet Gill, explains how it is bringing greener innovation to the industry
Rail is already the greenest form of public transport, but there is even more that can be done to help the Government to meet ambitious zero-carbon targets, but that involves looking at all aspects of the industry, including plant.
Looking to play its part is Explore Plant and Transport Solutions, a specialist supplier of transport and plant hire services to a wide range of industries including construction, rail and aerospace. Its Head of Business Development Ajeet Gill describes the challenge of looking for greener, efficient, safer alternatives to plant as something the organisation is constantly striving for.
“It is all about innovation and you’ve got to go with the times and on this journey to the end goal which is to become zero carbon,” he said. “This comes down
to collaboration both with our clients, but also the manufacturers to find out what they are doing and if it can work in the industries we work in.
“There is a lot that can be done and that continues to evolve. Even when it comes to small tools, we’ve got more battery-operated ones than ever before, and we’ve got small battery portable generators which are a greener alternative to 4kVA petrol generators.
“Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil is also important with our equipment Stage 5, so all carbon efficient, fuel efficient, and on the electric technology we’ve got two 17-metre electric telehandlers and recently got our first 20-tonne excavator. There is a lot more sites can do, and there are also the opportunities with all the telematics that are available, so you can see idling time, fuel burn and use the data to work more efficiently.”
The 20-tonne excavator that Ajeet referred to is the first 20-tonne Sany electric excavator brought to the UK, which he said is designed with advanced technology and robust features, making it a “gamechanger” for large scale construction projects.
“This is a major milestone in introducing leading sustainable solutions that drive efficiency, and pushes our sustainability strategy in the sector, epitomising the company’s passion in deploying the most efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles and assets across the UK,” he added.
“Bringing in innovation and equipment and seeing it move forward is definitely the aspect of the job that I find particularly exciting. It is providing a solution for the end customer and seeing them see the benefits. It defines how we want to be with our customers, this isn’t just about transactional relationships, we
For over 50 years, Jones Nuttall Ltd, based in Warrington, Cheshire, has been at the forefront of precision engineering, specialising in rail overhaul, refurbishment, CNC machining, and fabrication. Our extensive experience and customer-focused approach have allowed us to forge long-standing partnerships with some of the UK’s largest rail operators, including Metrolink, part of the iconic yellow Bee Network.
As the Bee Network continues to grow, Metrolink has ambitious plans to expand its tram network over the next 10 years, providing even more seamless connectivity across Greater Manchester. Jones Nuttall is proud to play a pivotal role in this expansion, contributing our engineering expertise to ensure the reliability and safety of the system as it evolves.
Our partnership with Metrolink is built on trust, reliability, and innovation. By supplying precision-engineered rail components, we play a crucial role in maintaining and upgrading their tram network. One of the standout projects has been the refurbishment and moderniation of Metrolink’s electro-magnetic track brake systems—essential emergency braking systems that provide additional stopping power in critical situations. These systems are vital for the safe and efficient operation of trams, activating during emergencies to deliver fast, reliable braking independent of the vehicle’s primary brake system. Our engineering expertise allows us to breathe new life into aging parts, offering cost-effective solutions to replace discontinued components without compromising performance, ensuring these systems remain reliable and effective for years to come.
At Jones Nuttall, we maintain full control over production through our comprehensive in-house machining capabilities. Whether it’s producing aluminum rubbing plates or other critical components on our CNC milling machines, we ensure every part meets the highest precision and quality standards demanded by the rail industry.
Beyond component manufacturing, we specialise in refurbishment and modifications. Our work on electro-magnetic track brake systems is a prime example of how we help our clients maintain safety and operational efficiency. By refurbishing these emergency braking systems, we ensure trams are equipped to handle critical braking situations, significantly enhancing both safety and reliabilitity while minimising downtime and operational costs. As a company, we are dedicated to advancing the rail industry by investing in the latest technology, skilled engineering talent, and innovative processes. This commitment enables us to meet the evolving needs of the sector, delivering high-quality solutions on time and within budget.
With Metrolink’s future expansion plans on the horizon, Jones Nuttall is excited to continue our partnership, providing the precision engineering expertise necessary to support the modernization and growth of the Bee Network. Our focus on precision engineering, innovation, and customer satisfaction makes us the ideal partner for rail operators seeking to enhance performance, safety, and longevity in their fleets.
Above: All electric range: Explore’s Faresin 17m full electric telehandler
Above right: Explore Rail Division: MEWPs in action on site
It is all about innovation and you’ve got to go with the times and on this journey to the end goal which is to become zero carbon
want to be an integrated supplier, an integral cog to them, taking businesses and industries forward.”
Established in 2015 by Managing Director David Cox, Explore has grown to encompass over 200 trucks and 6,000 plant hire assets, creating 350 jobs and generating an annual revenue in excess of £70 million.
Earlier this year the joint venture between Laing O’Rourke and WS Transport announced the establishment of a new division Explore Rail, dedicated to supplying rail contractors with road-rail vehicles (RRVs). Being led by industry veterans Steve Smith as Head of Rail Operations and Dave Burns as Head of Sales and Commercial, this new division follows the wider company’s ethos in striving to be the industry leader and delivering the best-in-class levels of safety, service and efficiency.
“We started talking about setting up a rail division last year, but when TXM Plant sadly collapsed it was something that became a serious venture for us and something we really wanted to get our teeth into,” added Ajeet. “It also opens up other avenues because we support Laing O’Rourke and we are keen they have market leading equipment.
“The rail industry isn’t new territory for us. We have supported Laing O’Rourke heavily on East West Rail, so it was a natural progression to sit alongside our transport, plant and small tool divisions. It shows our seriousness to the rail industry and our passion in making inroads, building on our good reputation for market leading, quality, safe, reliable, first-inclass service.” Ajeet has said the rail division follows the same ethos as the rest of the business, and is committed to ensuring it deploys the most efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles and assets across the UK, improving the environmental impact it makes.
Explore operates a modern and clean fleet of Euro-6 compliant trucks, backed up by industry leading planning and routing systems, working hard to achieve maximum efficiency of its transport network.
There is also a commitment in the continuing investment in its plant hire fleet to ensure it maintains an industry leading age profile. Its assets conform to the latest emission standards with 80 per cent of its plant hire assets meeting a minimum of Tier V and 20 per cent of this meeting Tier VI Final standards.
“The aspiration with Explore Rail is to build momentum, grow the business and become a
recognised name in the sector,” he said. “Despite being in its infancy, we have the expertise of people with more than 250 years’ experience between them, some of whom have had experience working for Network Rail doing risk accreditation and assurance. We’ve also recently achieved our provisional Plant Operating Scheme licence which is a big milestone and opens up so many more doors.
“Similarly to our other divisions we are always looking at ways to become greener and more environmentally friendly by looking at what is out there in the market, what the manufacturers are doing, and by trialling some of the equipment to see what it does and what the capabilities are.
“So far, I’m really enjoying it and overall have enjoyed my six years at Explore. I get up every morning and every day is different. There are the challenges, but it is great to be involved in so many aspects and seeing the positive changes we are making to industries. We are becoming a key player in the industry that can make influential decisions and push industries in the right direction to be a bit more green and environmentally friendly.”
As for the future, it is the technology that particularly excites Ajeet, while continuing to ensure Explore continues to deliver best in class levels of safety, service and efficiency.
“Even in the six years that I have been at Explore it has been exciting to see how things have developed,” he said. “We are taking on a lot more green machines, greener plant equipment, and the scale and size of the fleet has completely changed as well.
“With innovation we’re looking at machine control, such as it being integrated with the use of height and slew restrictor systems. We’re also always looking at how to increase safety and we’re talking about human form recognition so that is being fitted onto machines now as well. That is the next big change, so you have several cameras around the side and if somebody comes into your area when you’re in a machine it sends an alarm out to alert the driver that somebody is in your area.
“It is constantly developing. When you look at technology, I was watching a video where an excavator is outside working, and the worker is sitting in a simulator controlling it. That is next level, where you’re taking the human interface out of it. It is exciting times, and it is really interesting to be part of it all.”
Security, Fire & Blast Doors, Louvre Panels and GRP Platforms/Walkways for the Rail Industry
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Laura Hedley, Head of Consultancy and Talent Services at the Occupational Psychology Centre (OPC) explains more about
Research has consistently highlighted that diverse and inclusive leaders who nurture a varied and inclusive culture are more likely to drive organisational success. They’re more likely to perform better, solve problems creatively, adapt to change, successfully attract and retain top talent, and consistently meet or surpass financial goals.
Pivotal to this organisational success are leaders who create environments where employees feel valued, respected, and able to contribute. Inclusive leadership goes beyond the responsibility of promoting diversity; it actively develops an atmosphere of psychological safety and equity where individuals can bring their whole selves to work without fear of discrimination.
Laura highlighted some key aspects of inclusive leaders. She said: “Some of the best and most talented leaders that I’ve encountered excel at creating supportive and diverse work environments.
“They’re active listeners and open to feedback, genuinely valuing the team’s perspectives, embracing a ‘servant leadership’ style that improves team performance. Committed to continuous learning, they value diverse backgrounds and experiences. Focusing on fairness and respect, they empower others, ensuring everyone can contribute.”
Psychological safety:
A fundamental aspect
“As an occupational psychologist, I find psychological safety to be one of the most critical aspects of inclusive leadership,” added Laura.
“Psychological safety is crucial for safety-critical industries such as rail. It allows individuals to express their true selves - their values, thoughts, motivations, and personal characteristics - openly without fear of negative repercussions. These unique identities are influenced by our individual differences, e.g., our background, age, ethnicity, abilities or disability, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender or religious beliefs, etc.
“It involves creating a workplace where employees can openly share ideas, ask questions without fear of judgement, raise safety concerns without anticipating
backlash, and admit mistakes without fear of severe consequences.
“For example, if your leader makes you feel psychologically safe, you’re more likely to speak up and challenge unsafe behaviour, ask questions to clarify understanding, and raise concerns that help the organisation address and learn from safety issues. This atmosphere can encourage sharing about wellbeing, leading to better organisational support and helping keep you safe at work.
“Inclusive leaders prioritise psychological safety, understanding its role in better decision-making, creativity, employee wellbeing, job satisfaction, and talent retention. When leaders create psychological safety, importantly for the rail industry, it can promote more effective safety behaviours, impacting positively on operational safety performance.”
The OPC’s inclusive leadership services
The OPC integrates inclusive leadership principles both internally and in its client support.
The OPC has dedicated time to personal learning with the British Psychological Society (BPS) to deepen its understanding of inclusive leadership,
and apply these insights to better support its diverse clients.
It has recently supported a client facing a critical delivery milestone. It prioritised listening to and understanding the teams’ diverse perspectives.
The OPC captured this feedback via workshops and surveys, making actionable recommendations to create a more inclusive and supportive work environment.
The OPC help recruiters through role profiling to identify standout inclusive leaders for their organisations.
OPC psychologists provide 1:1 development training to help leaders improve their inclusive leadership skills.
The organisation’s safety culture audits help identify opportunities for inclusive leadership development aimed at enhancing safety performance.
It strives to ensure all OPC processes promote inclusivity and safety, creating a valued and secure environment for all its candidates and assessors at assessment centres.
This commitment extends to its clients and their employees too, helping them develop psychologically safe workplaces and embed diversity and inclusion in their practices.
Laura summed up: “Inclusive leaders recognise their perspectives and experiences aren’t universal. They prioritise employees’ psychological safety and create this safe atmosphere, understanding that diverse and inclusive workplaces lead to operational benefits, safer operations, and employees thriving. By role modelling inclusive behaviours and leveraging their influence, they ensure systems, processes, and the organisation’s culture evolve toward greater inclusivity, setting a standard that others can follow.”
+ 44 (0)1923 234646
www.theopc.co.uk
admin@theopc.co.uk
Naveed Ahmed, Co-Founder of Navali Consulting Services, refl ects on an “unprecedented” year and shares his aspirations for the future
Naveed Ahmed and Ali Maghsodipour, the dynamic duo behind Navali Consulting Services, have experienced a remarkable journey this year. Since its inception just 11 months ago, the consultancy has focused on providing expert advice and representation for infrastructure contractors. It has secured multiple high-profile clients and achieved RISQS accreditation. With significant contracts on the horizon, Commercial Manager Ali and Senior Quantity Surveyor Naveed are now preparing for substantial growth.
“We’ve attracted several major clients in the infrastructure sector,” explained Naveed, who has honed his skills on landmark projects from Crossrail to London Bridge and has more recently utilised this major project experience to work with mid-sized contractors. “This momentum has positioned us to expand our team in the coming months. It’s been an exceptional year- beyond our expectations.”
Naveed and Ali embarked on this venture with an ambitious vision: to support companies in navigating the complexities of the infrastructure sector. They now deliver expert project advice, contract administration support, personnel solutions, and strategic consulting services to improve commercial systems and processes.
Whether clients require assistance in contract negotiations, process optimisation, or monetising additional work, Navali Consulting customises its approach to meet their needs. With a combined 25 years of experience and complementary skill sets, Naveed and Ali have formed a powerful alliance in the field.
As an experienced Snr. Quantity Surveyor, Naveed oversees all contractual and project-related activities.
“On a daily basis, I manage the procurement of subcontracts and negotiate the legal terms associated with various contracts,” he detailed. “My areas of expertise are NEC3 and NEC4 contracts, which are prevalent in the infrastructure sector and often have to be tailored to suit risk profiles of projects.
“I’m used to dealing with the problems these contracts lead to, and have even created a uniform set of Cost Value Reconciliation (CVR) documents, which organisations can use and roll out. Developed over several years, and with input from project
While financial considerations are crucial, it’s the relationships that truly determine success in business
managers, they create a level of certainty for clients.”
Naveed’s deep understanding of contract intricacies and claims management positions Navali Consulting as a pillar of support for clients in what he describes as “very challenging scenarios.” Ali, with a background in accounting, contributes strong communication abilities and strategic insight to their partnership.
“While financial considerations are crucial, it’s the relationships that truly determine success in business,” Naveed noted. “Ali has substantial experience collaborating with senior leadership teams, conveying ideas effectively and insightfully,
while also comprehending strategic requirements.”
Ali’s expertise in conducting cost audits and critiquing client behaviours lends a competitive advantage to their consultancy.
“He possesses remarkable commercial acumen,” Naveed remarked. “When faced with interrogating 13,000 cost lines to understand a £1m overspend, he can identify discrepancies, identify spending patterns, and flag questionable data and costings. It can become a bit of an art.”
Together, they focus on change control, ensuring that as soon as a contractor embarks on a journey into additional scope, they swiftly initiate recovery measures to protect profit margins. Their mission is to carefully manage client risk profiles during project delivery and protect margins.
Currently, Ali and Naveed are delivering these services with the help of a trusted network of subcontractors. Looking to the future, they aspire to recruit a permanent team of five to 10 staff members within the coming 18 months, ranging from assistant quantity surveyors to senior quantity surveyors.
“We have a few tendering opportunities that could collectively be significant in facilitating expansion,” Naveed disclosed. “Our target is longevity with clientele, to be given the opportunities to build teams and really demonstrate value for money in service delivery. We have built comprehensive learning and development resources, policies, and procedures to nurture the new influx of talent. We are committed, and ready, to providing professional growth opportunities for the younger generation.”
Naveed and Ali also aim to give back to the industry that has welcomed their venture with open arms.
“Having worked in the railway sector for over a decade, it’s been an extraordinary year for usunprecedented, in fact,” he reflected. “We feel immense gratitude and want to contribute by donating to Railway Children, a charity that supports street-connected children safe globally”
To this end, Naveed is training for a charity boxing event in December. “This initiative represents our commitment to giving back to the infrastructure sector we are so passionate about working on, developing,” he concluded.
www.navali.co.uk
Railway Chaplain Mike Roberts writes about a new term he has coined and the importance of creating places where we can drop in forms of gratitude, appreciation, affirmation, support, encouragement and compassion
One night I sat flicking through YouTube, Facebook or Instagram looking at the random collection of videos they think match my interests, according to the cookies and analytics. I still don’t know why it thinks I would enjoy air accident investigation videos - especially if it learned I’m terrified of flying; nor, I’m afraid to tell Zuckerberg and Musk, am I actually that interested in how to use my air fryer better. But as I flicked through the endless stream of reels, it came up with David Attenborough, and an Antarctic stream of penguins.
Attenborough, in his younger days, is there narrating the parenting behaviour of a colony of penguins, talking about the journeys and efforts they take to feed the young, how they find them again (apparently all penguins don’t look the same), and
how the young penguins keep warm - apparently it’s quite chilly at the South Pole.
From there, as my mind works late at night, I started clicking links and finding out random facts about penguins. They don’t have teeth, they can recognise individual calls amongst tens of thousands of birds, and they practice an activity called pebbling.
Pebbling is the activity, in the cold southern snowy and icy landscapes, where a penguin carries a pebble in its beak and gifts it to its partner. Now, admittedly the gift range in the Antarctic isn’t great and Amazon Prime don’t deliver. But actually, a good pebble (a really great pebble) is a fabulous gift, as it enables you to build a good, sturdy protective nest that allows snow and ice to drip out. Nothing says you care like a fabulous pebble.
Now, as words evolve, pebbling has a new
meaning for the Instagram, GIF and meme culture. It has become about the sharing of a picture, a post or a clip that supports a bond, builds trust and connection and deepens a relationship between people. So, when you have a friend who drops you random cat videos, inspirational quotes and slightly irreverent memes, you’ve been pebbled. It’s not like you have an appointment where you swap content once a week, but there is a stream of digital pebbles dropped into your life each day. One of my Network Rail teams in Manchester, who I know very well, are constant mutual pebblers.
So, after two years of reading my thoughts here, you’ll know my brain will have started thinking and thinking about this, and linking it to the world of wellbeing. And my mind came to how we learn from this for ourselves and our industry. How does
pebbling bring us together, stronger than we are today? Well, we start by learning that pebbling is not a special occasion activity. In wellbeing terms, we can see businesses that do special events and occasions well. They have great annual events to tell people that they are valued, they have focused weeks where the messaging is that they are appreciated and supported, but the language is about a particular moment - and it won’t be long before we’re all telling teams from Wick to Penzance that they are appreciated this Christmas. But this occasional pebbling can make people wonder if it’s genuine or just part of a programme.
The art of pebbling, whether you are a Gentoo Penguin or an Instagram addict, is that you are constantly building that relationship. You are continually seeing your partner penguin turn up with a new pebble and drop it before you. For your phone book contacts, the pebbler doesn’t wait for a special occasion to share the funny story of the dog who thinks it’s an alpaca or the meme about the number of accidents caused by vacuum cleaners in the last year. Pebbling means just dropping that in, the same way that Pingu drops his pebble in front of the nest.
I’m going to invent a new phrase now, and then probably be told it’s already around in US business schools, and suggest that we need to pick up the art of corporate pebbling. We need to create places where we can drop in forms of gratitude, appreciation, affirmation, support, encouragement and compassion. Rather than making sure people know that they are valued, belong and matter for one night a year at a big event, and again for wellbeing week six months later, how can we (how must we?) create cultures where our leaders and managers practice the pebbling reminders of the value that we preach so often.
I’m not suggesting that every leader, manager and supervisor should start bombarding staff groups with hilarious memes, nor am I advocating that the p-way section managers start dropping off a great bit of ballast to each of their team members, but how do we practice the art of building authentic, genuine relationships that make our teams healthy and thrive?
We must continually recognise the diversity and vulnerability in the people we work with. One member of on-board staff said to me, “I’m gay all year around, but the company only ever recognises I might want to talk about it for 30 days in June when we put a rainbow in our social media header.” The small acts of pebble delivery are to say in both the words we speak, but also through the words we don’t speak in our values and our actions, that we accept one another for who we are.
Five years ago, I took a big risk. I went to Seasalt and bought my wife a dress for her birthday. I’m not a gambler, but this was right up there with the big risks I’ve taken. It could have gone very wrong, but it didn’t, and now I feel equipped to ‘go beyond the gift voucher’. The truth is, however, that five years on I think she now expects the choice, the decision, the risk to be taken. But if the only time I expressed
my appreciation, bought a gift, or shared words of thanks was on her birthday or at Christmas then I feel I wouldn’t be reading my relationship quite right. There are days when I know Dairy Milk will be needed when she’s back from a meeting, or flowers to sustain her through a tough week, or a decision to cook a favourite meal.
Just as I’ve learned how to respond and show value, so we can all do this at work: praising someone for a job well done, randomly leaving the nice biscuits out on the staff mess table (rather than the boring ones) for no other reason than that it’s been a long week (I love the look I get in Sainsbury’s when I rock up to the checkout with six bags of doughnuts in the basket). Pebble authentically - not because it should be done once a month, but because it builds authentic relationships. After a recent traumatic event at a station, which the team managed really well, I took the time to write and thank them, showing them that I appreciate their work - and thanking someone is hugely important.
As we appreciate and accept, so corporate pebbling means helping people aspire. The penguins pebble because they are creating a safe space for nurturing a baby and then raising their family. Our work conversations need to create safe spaces for people to grow into the skills, identity and characters they aspire to.
When we support and create cultures that thrive, rather than events that help people to thrive for today, we help people become more. Tomorrow is better because we pebbled today. People will remember that stone in the future. For example, I’ve got a piece of painted ballast (a literal pebble) at home from a good friend. I look back and remember that in a tough time, people helped me - I wasn’t alone in the difficult moments. Affirming today and aspiring to
We need to create places where we can drop in forms of gratitude, appreciation, affirmation, support, encouragement and compassion
tomorrow through each conversation means we can face adversity.
So, to conclude… If I’ve got any of the penguin psychology wrong, please don’t write in. File it with where I got my gardening facts and gritting information wrong last year. But look out for the penguin. Watch a YouTube video of them for no other reason than they are cute, but take the lesson away. Pebbles matter. Without pebbling, tomorrow is harder. Go ask how your organisation, your managers and your teams can pebble to make better communities together.
www.x.com/birdsnestsblog www.railwaymission.org
Hitachi Rail and SMRT have completed the Phase 1 milestone of their next-generation green Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) project at the SITCE Exhibition in Singapore. The project achieved an additional eight per cent energy savings for automatic trains, and marks a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts to enhance sustainable urban transportation.
Annual savings are more than 15M kWh, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of about 3,000 households annually.
In 2023, SMRT Trains and Hitachi Rail partnered on the project to support SMRT’s goal to attain net zero by 2050.
The green CBTC Next Gen technology leverages advanced data analytics capabilities within the SelTrac™ signalling system to optimise energy usage, enabling operators such as SMRT, to achieve traction energy savings and contribute to environmental objectives.
Hitachi Rail deployed SelTrac™ CBTC for the re-signalling of Singapore’s North-South Line (NSL) and East-West Line (EWL) in 2017 and 2018 respectively and has introduced Green CBTC features in the NSEWL network. The signalling system is responsible for the automatic control of the traction such as acceleration, braking and coasting.
With traction power accounting for 50 per cent of energy with the SMRT Train’s network, Green CBTC Next Gen allows for the reduction in traction power by utilising data analytics, inherently making passenger rides on the NSEWL greener.
Lam Sheau Kai, President, SMRT Trains, said: “We are encouraged by the positive energy savings achieved through our partnership with Hitachi Rail. Looking ahead, we are excited to target, and potentially exceed, a 15 per cent reduction in annual traction power consumption over the next two years, making travel on the NSEWL more sustainable and greener.”
Alstom has unveiled the design of new Coradia Stream single-deck trains for Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) at the ‘Tomorrow Mobility World Congress’ in Barcelona earlier this month.
The new trains, developed and manufactured at Alstom’s industrial site in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda (Barcelona), are set to provide rapid connection services between Barcelona and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, starting in 2026.
As a result, they have been designed for the specific needs of this type of journey, with lots of space for luggage and wider corridors to facilitate accessibility. They will also include the most advanced signalling solutions, as well as safety and passenger information systems to ensure the highest safety levels and best on-board experience.
Each of these five-car Coradia Stream trains will feature 10 doors on each side (20 in total), with 209 seats (202 fixed and seven folding), accommodating a total of 656 passengers. In addition to audible signals for door operations, a lighting system — green for opening and red for closing — will assist hearingimpaired passengers in identifying these actions.
Each train will feature 20 panoramic screens dedicated to displaying train information (four per car) and nine panoramic screens for airport
information, providing real-time data on flight departures and arrivals. Additionally, all cars will include multiple luggage storage spaces. For passengers on the platforms, the trains will be equipped with 12 exterior LED screens: two front screens (located at the top of each car) and 10 side screens.
The trains will be fully accessible, with no access steps from the platform and an automatic ramp at the doors near the reduced mobility area. Each train will include two reserved spaces for people with reduced mobility, adapted toilets, and two multifunctional spaces for bicycles, trolleys, etc. For the train’s design, which was done in collaboration with the ONCE Foundation, Alstom followed the universal design criteria, with the aim of offering the best travel experience for all FGC users, including those with reduced mobility.
The new trains will be developed using an ecodesign criterion: choosing raw materials, traction systems, energy efficiency, and recycling at the end of their life. Ergonomic design, accessibility, low life-cycle costs and fleet reliability will contribute to making these trains an attractive and sustainable option for promoting public transportation, thereby significantly reducing road congestion and CO₂ emissions.
The Community of Madrid is investing €504 million in the purchase of a new fleet of 40 Metro trains. Earlier this month the Governing Board approved the award of the contract for the design, manufacture, supply and commissioning of the narrow gauge rolling stock that will be used entirely on Line 1 (L1, Pilar de ChamartínValdecarros), which was the first to be inaugurated by the metropolitan company in 1919.
This acquisition is in addition to the production process already underway for another 40 trains, in this case of wide gauge, which will go to Line 6 (L6, Laguna-Lucero).
CAF will manufacture the new units for Metro de Madrid’s L1, and it is expected that the first units will be in operation during the first half of 2027. The rest will be integrated progressively. This contract, worth €498.2 million, also includes maintenance, improved digitisation of the new trains and a programme to optimise their life cycle, which involves consultancy and technical assistance for their conservation for 10 years.
The other operation that the Governing Board has also addressed is the proposal to award the contract for the certification, inspection, monitoring and assistance for the supply of these infrastructures
for L1, with an investment of €6.3 million.
The consultancy will be carried out at all stages of the project, overseeing the testing of materials, equipment and systems, as well as checks on the full train. In addition, among other tasks, it will act as an assessment entity, independently certifying that the train and its structures meet all the requirements by the European railway sector.
The trains on Metro de Madrid’s L1 will be semi-automatic, so they will have a driver’s cab, unlike those that will run on L6. They will also consist of six carriages with intercommunicating corridors.
Neil Howlett, Sales and Marketing Manager and Trustee Director at PB Design, discusses
eliability’ is the watch word for the team at PB Design and has been since being founded 45 years ago. It is something that has served the company well particularly in the UK rail industry where it has supplied robust DC switch trippers to most of the major rail infrastructure in recent years.
“We take a lot of time engineering to make sure that what we supply lasts and is the most reliable product for the industry,” said Neil Howlett, Sales and Marketing Manager and Trustee Director. “We have a proven track record in the rail industry, pretty much manufacturing to the same ethos that we started off with which is to make sure that the product is right. What we supply will last for at least 25 years out in the field and in some cases, we have even occasionally come across some of the earlier systems built right from when the company first started.”
Its Parts and Drawings System (PADS) approved designs meet the design needs of Network Rail and the company also has extensive knowledge of London Underground installation, supporting the Jubilee line over 20 years ago.
PB Designs thyristor-based technology is a proven design with a product life of several decades with a range of application uses on offer including:
Battery tripping unit – power assurance for safe operation, always there when required.
Telecoms – communication assurance for constant communication to the substation assets.
SCADA – status and control assurance for safe operation.
Neil said: “What we find with a lot of the competition in the charger industry is that they focus on a technology called Switchmode for these kinds of applications, however we use thyristor-charger type applications.
“The big difference between the two is that Switchmode is great for getting a lot of power in a high density – you can use shoe box size rectifiers to get it to work - but we’ve found even the best ones out there tend to last 10-15 years before they need replacing and they aren’t suited to the seismic activity trackside.
“What we offer is proven, which is particularly important for a risk averse industry like the railways where if you get something wrong it’s not like the lights go out, this can be serious. We’ve been doing it for so long now you know it is going to work. We do a lot of work with the rail industry and there is a lot of trust put in us and we’re not going to disappoint that trust.”
Interestingly, PB Design is an employee-owned business, which means all employees have a significant and meaningful stake in the organisation.
“It tends to be more service-orientated companies that become employee owned and I believe that we’re one of few manufacturers that are,” he said. “What that means is that every one of us is manufacturing for ourselves. Everybody from the cleaner to the MD is passionate in ensuring that what we manufacture is right, what we supply works first time, and it is going to last.”
We do a lot of work with the rail industry and there is a lot of trust put in us and we’re not going to disappoint that trust
maintenance, something the business is looking to
That structure has provided the platform for a really positive feel around the business and a commitment to ensuring a first-class service. Providing bespoke products, the team is ready to find the perfect solution, leading clients through the sizing process to ensure the battery and charger are sized correctly. Post sales the service team can offer installation and commissioning as well as maintenance, something the business is looking to build on in the future.
battery comes to the end of life, we are able to
“We’ve got a fantastic team at PB Design, and we’ve always had a decent service department, but we’re expanding on that as well as offering more maintenance contracts for people,” he said. “Another area we’re looking to develop is around the support we offer rail clients by keeping an asset register of where each of the batteries are so when the battery comes to the end of life, we are able to advise clients so they can be proactive rather than reactive when it fails.
are supplying the most reliable product there is, that people can install and forget all about,
“Overall though our aim is to continue on the journey started in 1979 to make sure we are supplying the most reliable product there is, that people can install and forget all about, apart from routine maintenance. I am very proud of what we do in the railways and long may that continue.”
MANAGEMENT
Operations wide, results focused, digital management; improving performance and increasing capacity.
Operations wide, results focused, digital management; improving performance and increasing capacity.
Digital platform with automated movement authorities. Integrates with all interlockings and any TMS; reducing the cost of operations and infrastructure renewals.
Digital platform with automated movement authorities. Integrates with all interlockings and any TMS; reducing the cost of operations and infrastructure renewals.
Real time, disruption management. Plan optimum stock and crew utilisation; improving service resilience and customer satisfaction.
Real time, disruption management. Plan optimum stock and crew utilisation; improving service resilience and customer satisfaction.
Customer communication, data gathering and analytics; delivering personalised engagement and informed journeys.
Customer communication, data gathering and analytics; delivering personalised engagement and informed journeys.
3Squared helps you deliver digital transformation in rail without complications, objections or delays. hello@3squared.com www.3squared.com 0333 121 3333
At Assisting Success we provide clients with a range of services through all stages of the project lifecycle. martin@assistingsuccess.co.uk www.assistingsuccess.co.uk
BSquare Controls delivers complex automation projects across sectors including infrastructure, transportation and manufacturing. enquires@b2controls.co.uk www.b2controls.co.uk 01613 273 019
Trusted by industry leaders like Transport for London, Network Rail, and TOCs & ROSCOs, Complete Cyber offers tailored, innovative cybersecurity solutions for railway operational technology. contactus@completecyber.co.uk www.completecyber.co.uk
Eaton Electrical Products are manufacturers of DC-DC converters, including models specially designed and approved for use on railway rolling stock. MartekUKSales@eaton.com www.eaton.com/railway 01954 267 726
Abacus Lighting is a leading provider of innovative lighting solutions, specialising in the design, manufacture, and installation of high-quality lighting products. sales@abacuslighting.com www.abacuslighting.com 01623 511 111
Bernstein Ltd specialises in developing bespoke solutions to address specific rail safety issues, using technologies designed for rolling stock, trackside and in lift applications. enquiries@bernstein-ltd.co.uk www.bernstein-ltd.co.uk 01922 744 999
CFMS is an independent, digital engineering research organisation, providing technical expertise and a secure on-site data centre to help organisations create better solutions in pioneering new product development. info@cfms.org.uk www.cfms.org.uk 0117 906 1100
Deploy Recruitment Group provide quality and safe turnkey recruitment solutions across rail and infrastructure. info@deployrecruit.com www.deployrecruit.com 020 7434 0300
Ellis Patents produces a range of certified fault-rated electrical protection devices for power cable management systems including cable cleats, straps and hangers. sales@ellispatents.co.uk www.ellispatents.co.uk 01944 758 395
enGauged is a bespoke, fast-moving civil and structural engineering design and consultancy business that provides support for organisations working across a range of rail projects. enquiries@engauged.co.uk www.engauged.co.uk 01270 255 731
The Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) will provide state-of the-art rolling stock testing, infrastructure testing and storage and maintenance. enquiries@gcre.wales www.tfw.wales/projects/gcre
Icomera is the provider of integrated connectivity solutions for trains and trams, serving millions of passengers and tens of thousands of vehicles daily. sales@icomera.com www.icomera.com +46 31 799 21 00
Inside Out Group are specialists in delivering high end filming and photography services for rail offering expert filming, time lapse, drone, virtual reality, and more. www.insideoutgroup.co.uk 0115 979 1719
Discover JurnyOn, the future of public transport! Our innovative Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform combines blockchain and AI to revolutionize your commute. success@jurnyon.com www.jurnyon.com 07553 131 904
Netcall helps businesses to realise their goals with cuttingedge communications solutions and process automation. David.oliver@netcall.com www.netcall.com 0330 333 6100
Frazer-Nash Consultancy provides expert support for rail clients, helping them to gain a commercial and technical advantage. rail@fnc.co.uk www.fnc.co.uk 07892 705 449
Hitachi Information Control Systems Europe is a provider of software products for railway signalling and operations, including simulators and automatic route setting systems. contact_us@hitachi-infocon.com www.hitachi-infocon.com 01225 860 140
As revolutionary designers and pioneers in customized consultancy services, IPS strives to bring our clients a one-stop service. www.ipsdesigns.co.uk 01753 987 741
Jobson James Rail is a national specialist railway insurance broker, the market leader in the UK by a huge margin with over 800+ rail clients across the UK, Middle East and Australasia. kevin.parker@jjrail.co.uk jjrail.co.uk 07816 283949
Lindapter International is the leading manufacturer of steelwork connection solutions providing an independently approved product range of steelwork fixings, cavity fixings, support fixings and more. sales@lindapter.com www.lindapter.com 01274 521 444
RBDMedia
TSO (a subsidiary of NGE) specialises in track construction, maintenance, and replacement, electrification and catenary upgrades, rail software and survey development, maintenance, rail safety, and signalling. contact@tso-uk.co.uk www.tso.fr/en 020 3773 5160
Providing civil engineering products and services, with expertise in foundations and piling to the Rail, Civils, Energy, Residential and Water sectors
With over 20 years of Rail and Construction industry experience, our familyrun company provides expert advice and cost-effective solutions to all sectors looking for experts that they can rely on. Delivering safe and sustainable solutions at the forefront of innovation and technology, ensuring the highest quality results first time, every time. We can assist clients from advisory and design to compliance and delivery, providing tailor-made solutions to meet clients’ needs.
Installation of all Piled foundation - bored, driven & screw piles
Erection and installation of OHL Gantry structures (masts, booms)
RED, LOC and DNO foundations and platform installations (GI, Design & Install)
Platform renewals and refurbishments
Cess walkways and throughing routes
Fencing and Access stairways
Site compound establishment and access road
Trial Holes
Excavation and installation of concrete bases
Embankment stabilisation & Cess retention
De-vegetation
Piling and Soil nails
Rabbit Netting
Gabian Walls
Phoenix Contact produces future-orientated components, systems and solutions for electrical controls, networking, and automation, operating to an accredited quality system of BS EN 9000. info@phoenixcontact.co.uk www.phoenixcontact.com
01952 681 700
SatSense help asset owner / managers and engineers identify areas at higher risk of ground or structure movement, monitor known movements, and raise early warning alerts. contact@satsense.com www.satsense.com
0113 306 1688
STAUFF are proud to manufacture and develop fluid power components, manipulated tube products, and finished kits. Tested, sealed and ready to install on production lines. uk.sales@stauff.com www.stauff.co.uk
0114 251 85 18
At UB Infrastructure we protect and enhance infrastructure assets with rapidly assembled, low-cost NetZero structures. info@ubi.eco www.ubi.eco 07496 638 050
Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors.
www.wabteccorp.com
01302 340 700
REO is an innovation driver in railway technology and one of the market leaders in developing and producing inductive and resistive components for the railway industry. main@reo.co.uk www.reo.co.uk
01588 673 411
SilverRail is a technology company that is building the ecommerce platform for rail that increases conversion and loyalty with products including journey planning, omnichannel ticketing, and data insight. www.silverrailtech.com
Timeless Tube custom-shape premium tube profiles for rails, racks and components, used globally for new builds, refits and station infrastructure. info@timelesstube.com www.timelesstube.com/railway 01202 66 65 60
UK Power Networks Services solve your energy challenges through innovative solutions, delivering resilience, cost efficiency and sustainability to deliver a bright energy future. www.ukpowernetworksservices.co.uk 020 7397 7845
Waymap is the world’s only navigation app that guides you indoors, outdoors, and even deep underground. info@waymapnav.com www.waymapnav.com
To be featured in the Rail Supplier Directory contact Fiona Broomfield on 07949 409 829 or email fiona@railbusinessdaily.com
Heathrow Express (HEx) has appointed Aoife Considine as its new Business Lead. The chartered engineer previously worked at HEx between 2018 and 2020 as Professional Head of Engineering, before returning to Heathrow in May 2023 as Head of Commercial Strategy and Planning, and more recently served as Interim Head of Digital
“Cementing
What attracted you to the role and how does it feel to be back at Heathrow Express, but not as an engineer this time?
Coming back to Heathrow Express feels a bit like coming home. Seeing so many familiar faces has definitely made the transition easier, but it’s exciting to see lots of new ones too. It shows how much HEx invests in its people, but also how much it has grown over the past four years. Seeing the diversity of HEx is also something that continues to inspire me, particularly in an industry not known for its diversity. I’m extremely proud of how HEx has created an inclusive environment not just for our colleagues, but also for our passengers – delivering familiarisation days for adults with special educational needs to give them confidence when travelling to Heathrow, volunteering with the Paddington Partnership, and supporting PR campaigns focused on diversity and inclusion. An example of the latter is the recent campaign where we teamed up with Wouter
Corduwener, who speaks 29 languages, to host 15-minute language masterclasses on board our trains – recognising our global passenger base.
HEx has always been about people, so returning to this customer-focused team was an easy choice. My technical experience with HEx has smoothed the transition—staying safety-focused, understanding railway jargon, and navigating key stakeholders are areas in which I’ve got experience. But this role demands more commercial and strategic thinking, which is exactly what drew me back.
Since I last worked here, I’ve managed night shift warehouse operations at Amazon and spent 18 months in strategy and digital roles across Heathrow Airport. I’m coming back with a fresh outlook and a commitment to tapping into the insights of our frontline teams - they’re the ones engaging with our passengers daily and spotting where we can add value. With such a talented team, I’m confident we can tackle the commercial and strategic challenges ahead.
Explain a bit more about the role and your and aims and aspirations?
Heathrow Express enables Heathrow Airport to be 15 minutes* from one of the most successful and commercially important cities in the world. Not only that, but it has been providing unrivalled levels of service and comfort to passengers for 27 years. I see my role in this journey being to support the wider team to continue driving not only a safe, but an elevated offer to our customers, as well as being pivotal to delivering the fastest route from the airport to Paddington.
With the arrival of the Elizabeth line, passengers now have even more sustainable ways to get to Heathrow. While some see this as competition, I view it as a win for the airport and our customers - both offerings are perfectly able to exist, not necessarily just compete, in parallel – just as we exist harmoniously alongside London Underground, buses, and coaches. The more sustainable transit
Install the SwiftLine Rail Jumper Clamps to both the catenary and contact wires in seconds. Thanks to the simple peg style install, you can lock in place with the correct torqe guarenteed every time.
Install the SwiftLine Rail Jumper Clamps to both the catenary and contact wires in seconds. Thanks to the simple peg style install, you can lock in place with the correct torqe guarenteed every time.
Install the SwiftLine Rail Jumper Clamps to both the catenary and contact wires in seconds. Thanks to the simple peg style install, you can lock in place with the correct torqe guarenteed every time.
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Gripple
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E: sales@gripple.com
E: sales@gripple.com
E: sales@gripple.com
T: +44 (0) 114 275 2255
T: +44 (0) 114 275 2255
T: +44 (0) 114 275 2255
options, the better we are at moving people away from less eco-friendly ways of reaching the airport.
As for my aspirations, it’s important to me to really understand who our customers are today and ensure our offer meets their needs. A friend messaged me recently saying “Heathrow Express…getting me back to my little girl two hours before expected” – these personal stories are what set us apart, and we need to make our unique value clearer. I’m also excited to expand our global reach, tapping into new markets through digital channels and our airport network. *15-minute journey time from Terminal 2/3 to Paddington
How did you find yourself in the rail industry – I read you were a ballet dancer, who had a choice to make between being a ballet dancer or an engineer?
I’ve been doing ballet since I was two, but things changed around 14 when my teacher said, “come on girls, it’s not like it’s maths class” – and I realised I’d rather be in maths class. There aren’t any engineers in my family, but with both parents working in STEM, maths and science were always a big part of my life.
Network Rail has appointed Molly Neal as its new Group Communications Director and a member of its Executive Leadership Team.
Molly will lead the strategic direction of communications and stakeholder engagement for the organisation, and will take up her new post in January.
She joins from National Grid, where she has led its global Corporate Communications & Brand function for five years. In addition to her time at National Grid, she has also led communications at UK real estate developer Land Securities Group PLC and is a former journalist at the Wall Street Journal
She said: “I’m really looking forward to joining Network Rail at such a crucial time for the rail industry. There’s an incredible opportunity to bring track and train together under Great British Railways, and communications will have a critical role to play in delivering the significant transformation ahead. Rail plays such an important role in people’s lives and I’m excited to be joining an industry with such strong societal impact.”
I’ve always loved problem-solving, but I’m also creative, so engineering felt like the perfect way to combine both. My love for rail however came later during my engineering grad scheme with Transport for London. I hadn’t expected the job to be so rail-focused, but I quickly got hooked by the passion, precision, and let’s be honest, the peculiarity of the industry – that’s what makes it so unique. I still do ballet as a hobby, but I’m glad I found my career in rail instead!
How have you enjoyed a decade in the industry?
My biggest lesson over the past 10 years has been learning to give people the freedom to surprise you. I’ve been lucky to have had incredible managers (three of whom were former HEx Business Leads) who gave me room to learn – and to fail. As a leader now, I try to create a space where my team feels safe to experiment and build their skills (outside of safety critical decisions of course).
The industry is also thankfully becoming more diverse. Early in my railway career, I worked at a depot where I had to ask the (male) depot manager for the key every time I needed to use the ladies’ loo – it
Rail operator Trenitalia c2c has announced that it has appointed Stephanie Michael as its first Chief of Staff.
The Chief of Staff role reports to Managing Director, Rob Mullen, and will work closely with the Executive Team to develop and deliver c2c’s longterm Net Zero Strategy, as well as embedding its new transformation programme into the rail firm’s ways of working.
She joins c2c from FS Group and Trenitalia UK, serving most recently as Operational Risk & Governance and Company Secretary. During her eight years with the organisations she has held roles across Greece, Italy and the UK, and brings experience in banking and finance, with a strong background in internal audit, process management and risk management.
Stephanie said: “I look forward to collaborating with our talented team to drive innovation and enhance our services, ensuring we meet our customers’ needs while contributing to the growth of sustainable rail transport.”
was kept locked since it was so rarely used. Another experience I had was at an overhaul site, where the one women’s stall had two toilets crammed in it, separated only by a broken wall that was never fixed, not to mention the fact it also stored filing cabinets filled with train schematics. I guess unused rooms make great storage?
Anecdotes aside, I’ve learned that the rail industry serves everyone, so our workforce should reflect that diversity. It’s been inspiring to see our field becoming more inclusive, recognising that we all learn more when we engage with people different from ourselves.
Are you optimistic for the future and what is going to be the key to fulfilling the potential at Heathrow Express?
I’m really excited about the journey ahead with HEx. With record-high passenger numbers at Heathrow, it’s crucial we offer passengers options for getting to the airport. Post-COVID, the mix has shifted toward more leisure travel and families, alongside a booming luxury market. Capturing these segments with HEx’s unique service is key to realising our full potential and cementing our place as a key asset to the airport.
James Richardson has been announced as the new Managing Director of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), the multi-billion pound railway electrification scheme delivering faster, cleaner and greener journeys for millions of people across the North of England.
He has held posts as Infrastructure MD and Rail Sector Director at Skanska, and brings many years of experience working in the rail, road and energy industries on programmes including HS1, M25 DBFO, Crossrail, Northern Hub, Wessex Capacity Alliance and Thameslink. James is currently Managing Director of the Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture delivering the HS2 London tunnels.
He said: “Leading this ambitious infrastructure programme of national importance is a huge source of pride for me. It will benefit millions of people by improving the connectivity between towns and cities.
“TRU is making fantastic progress and already demonstrating how complex infrastructure can be delivered safely and efficiently. I can’t wait to get started working with such talented teams.”
Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR) Oliver Turner has said it is hard to overstate the challenge of moving to European Train Control System (ETCS) and the signifi cance of reaching the point where every train on its route into Moorgate is controlled this way
Ground-breaking digital signalling technology is controlling every single train that commuters catch on the Great Northern route to Moorgate in the City of London. The ETCS allows continuous communication between train and track to create a more punctual and reliable service for passengers.
It does this by removing the need for signals at the side of the track (these will be completely switched off in 2025). Instead, drivers are continually fed a safe target speed to aim for on a computer screen in their cab.
ETCS was introduced to the Northern City Line as the first stage of the £1.4 billion Government-funded East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP). This involves partners from across the rail industry, including Network Rail, trade union colleagues, many train and freight operators and technology providers.
The first passenger train ran to the City of London using digital signalling a year ago. Since then, GTR has been steadily training its Great Northern drivers to use the system.
Oliver Turner, Head of Digital Signalling (Head of European Rail Traffic Management System) at GTR, said: “Digital signalling is better for passengers because it means we can run a more consistent, more punctual service.
“It’s hard to overstate the challenge of moving to ETCS and the significance of reaching the point where every train on our route into Moorgate is
controlled this way. It is a huge achievement both for Great Northern and our parent company GTR and also for the railway as a whole because this has been a massive collaborative effort from so many different industry partners.
“We are pleased with how the new system is working and we are working with Network Rail and Siemens Mobility colleagues to continually review and improve how we operate it.”
Introducing digital signalling on the busy commuter route to Moorgate is an important first step towards replacing regular signals with in-cab digital signalling on the southern part of the East Coast Mainline, between King’s Cross and Grantham. This in turn provides a foundation for the future expansion of digital signalling across the Great Britain rail network.
Ed Akers, Network Rail’s Industry Partnership Director for ECDP, said: “This is a great achievement on what will become the first commuter railway in the country to operate without any physical signals. I’d like to thank all the signallers, drivers, engineers and planners across our whole partnership who have worked hard to make the Northern City Line project a success.
“Introducing digital signalling on this route has provided many learnings and invaluable experience as we prepare to introduce digital signalling to the East Coast Main Line, creating a higher performing railway for the many passengers and freight customers who depend on it.”
Introducing digital signalling on this route has provided many learnings and invaluable experience as we prepare to introduce digital signalling to the East Coast Main Line
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in customised rail battery systems. Our energy storage solutions are used globally for railway applications.
