RailStaff - Issue 271 - January-February 2021

JAN-FEB 2021 | ISSUE 271

TRANSPORT AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH Page 30

Transport needs vary from country to country. The commonwealth represents this variety and recently met to discuss global needs

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PLUS NEWS PEOPLE INTERVIEWS FEATURES HEALTH & SAFETY TRAINING CAREERS

ES TO RUN K A T T I T A H W

S S O R C S KING' Page 22 IT TAKES T A H W S U PHY TELLS ER AT ONE OF THE LAURA MUR ION MAST USIEST STATIONS TO BE STAT UK'S B

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CONTENTS JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 | ISSUE 271

FROM WALT DISNEY TO HARRY POTTER WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN KING'S CROSS | 22

When looking for a career on the railway, one of the top jobs is that of station master at one of the UK’s busiest stations.

RUNAWAYS, OVERSPEEDING AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING | 26

RailStaff safety expert Colin Wheeler explains how the latest reports on railway accidents and incidents all point to human error being the primary cause.

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TRANSPORT AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH | 30

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Transport needs vary from country to country. The commonwealth represents this variety and recently met to discuss global needs.

TURNING 'BLUE MONDAY' INTO 'BREW MONDAY' | 34

Short days, long nights and bad weather make January the most depressing month of the year, Blue Monday being the worst day of all.

NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS A FOCUS ON STATIONS | 36

Having experienced passenger growth of 130% over 12 years, Northern Ireland’s stations needed urgent attention.

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T H G I L T O P

40 ANGE k| on 10 years of .

H C Y R c m INDUSeTn Blakey looks brcaial Directors’ Foru G IN IV h me DR tep Rail’s S the Com Network ve working by rati collabo

YRP NEEDS YOU! | 44

Young Rail Professionals is searching for enthusiastic volunteers to join its dynamic committees at both regional and national level.

Get up to speed with RSSB RSSB is an independent body that works collaboratively with the rail industry, offering safety, consulting and engineering services and resources. We make our collective industry knowledge freely available to our members. So whatever project you’re working on, you can get up to speed quickly and efficiently.

Here are three of the hundreds of resources we offer on our site.

RSSB Tools

RSSB Guidance

RSSB Reports

Red Aspect Approaches to Signals (RAATS) Toolkit

The Rail Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework

Safety Performance Reports

An online tool that helps you to plan better timetabling, performance, and reduce the chance of signals being passed at red.

With a range of practical resources, the framework helps rail companies navigate the challenges of managing workforce mental wellbeing.

We also offer training and access to some of the world’s foremost rail experts. Visit:

rssb.co.uk/up-to-speed

A series of reports that combines the latest information on health and safety performance, operational learning, and risk reduction initiatives.

Staff

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Contact us: Publisher:

Paul O’Connor

Editor:

Nigel Wordsworth

Production and design:

Adam O’Connor

Matthew Stokes

Track safety:

Colin Wheeler

Advertising:

Asif Ahmed

Craig Smith

Chris Davies

Contact email addresses News: news@rail-media.com Track safety: colin@rail-media.com Pictures: pictures@rail-media.com Adverts: adverts@rail-media.com Subscriptions: manda@rail-media.com Contact details RailStaff Publications, Rail Media House, Leicestershire, LE67 3FP.

King's Uncrossed

Tel: 01530 816 444

Crucial stage of £1.2billion East Coast Upgrade

Samson Road, Coalville,

Fax: 01530 810 344

Network Rail teams are gearing up to carry out a major stage of the £1.2billion upgrade to the East Coast Main Line, which is the biggest investment into the historic route in a generation.

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From March to June, rail workers will simplify the track layout just outside of King’s Cross station, as well as reopen a railway tunnel which closed in the 1970s, creating two extra tracks in and out of the iconic transport hub.

Both pieces of work will make it easier for trains to enter and exit London King’s Cross station, reducing congestion and creating smoother, more reliable and more punctual journeys for passengers.

Trains will be able to run to and from London King’s Cross station for the vast majority of the work, although there will be a slightly reduced service in place, as well as two weekends, one in April and one in

June, when no trains will be able to call at the station. Once the work completes in June, more than 6km of new track and over 15km of overhead wires will have been installed.

Ed Akers, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail’s East Coast Upgrade, said: “Our teams are busy making sure that everything is ready for the latest stage of this industry leading project. The work we’re doing at the end of this month is vital to enable a reduced train service to run in and out of King’s Cross station for the vast majority of the main part of this work, which begins in March.

“This East Coast Upgrade is a truly transformative programme, which will bring significant and tangible benefits, such as faster, more frequent and more reliable journeys, which will be felt by all those using the East Coast Main Line and we’d once again like to thank all those impacted by this work for their patience.”

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Tractor driver dumps slurry onto railway A tractor driver has been filmed dumping a tank full of slurry onto the West Coast main line in Cheshire.

LNER named as 'Top Employer' The Top Employers Institute has named London North Eastern Railway (LNER) as a UK top employer for another year.

The award recognises LNER for its excellent work in areas including employee health and wellbeing, work environment and performance development.

Achieving Top Employer status demonstrates LNER’s commitment and passion for creating a better world of work, which is achieved by developing effective experiences through authentic people practices, policies and truly understanding

each and every employee’s journey.

Karen Lewis, LNER’s people director, said: “At LNER we recognise that our people are the beating heart of our organisation.

Receiving the Top Employer award for another year is testament to our commitment and genuine passion for providing the very best experience for every member of our team.”

The Top Employer Institute is the global authority on recognising excellence in people practices, certifying organisations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey.

A member of the public filmed the brazen act at Hartford Station near Northwich in Cheshire on Wednesday 20 January as floods ravaged the region.

The video shows a large tractor towing a slurry trailer being reversed into the station entrance. The driver then gets out to release thousands of litres of filthy liquid which cascades down the station access road and onto the West Coast main line below.

Storm Christoph had already forced the closure of several key rail links in the North West, but this act added Crewe to Warrington to the list.

British Transport Police is investigating.

Network Rail donates laptops to schools To help schoolchildren continue their learning from home during lockdown, Network Rail has donated refurbished laptops to St. Willibrord’s R.C. Primary School in Clayton, East Manchester. Over 70 children took delivery of their laptops this week, with more devices due to be collected in the coming days.

A team of volunteers at Network Rail plans to distribute at least 8,000 refurbished laptops to schools across Britain, to help pupils who are without a home laptop for remote learning during the national lockdown.

Stephanie Hart works in IT Services at Network Rail and came up with the idea to donate refurbished laptops to schools and is leading a team of volunteers to deliver the project. She said: “I’ve been working on this idea in my spare time, so it is just fantastic to see pupils collecting their device. We’re asking colleagues across Network Rail to nominate schools in need of laptops and we hope to help as many as we can.”

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Mass transit for West Yorkshire

Improving lineside biodiversity The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has announced ambitious plans for a clean and connected transport system that will connect all West Yorkshire’s communities to jobs, education and opportunity.

The new proposals identify where people will live and work in the coming decades, the journeys they will need to take and how best to connect them through an integrated network including walking and cycling, bus, mass transit and rail.

They also set out the critical role of major projects including HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and the upgrade to the Trans-Pennine line, alongside a rollout of rail electrification, in delivering an integrated transport system that connects communities in West Yorkshire to each other and the wider UK.

The proposals: • Outline the early phases of a new mass transit system for West Yorkshire in this decade; • Improve transport connections for up to 675,000 people in the 20% most deprived communities in West Yorkshire; • Connect up to 35 housing growth areas and 17 employment growth areas and five hospitals; • Make the case for rail electrification and investment in new infrastructure enabling a minimum of two trains per hour to and from every rail station in the region alongside improved intercity connections to the rest of the UK; • Encourage 24 million additional journeys a year by bus by 2033 through additional vehicles and priority measures; • Enable the reduction of transport’s contribution to carbon emissions by up to 81% as the region aims to be net-zero carbon by 2038.

As part of its new action plan for sustainable vegetation management, Network Rail is using cutting-edge technology along Britain’s 20,000-mile rail network.

Scientists from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) have used high-resolution imagery from satellites and aircraft to produce a detailed national map of all the habitats found alongside the rail network, which dates back almost 200 years.

By combining this information with millions of records of species, UKCEH has predicted what animals and plants are likely to be present in these lineside habitats including grasslands, heathlands and woodland.

Since the 1960s, there have been large changes in vegetation associated with the railway, which has resulted in the loss of biodiverse, flower-rich habitats. In its Biodiversity Action Plan, Network Rail has committed to end net loss in biodiversity on its land by 2024 and achieve a net gain by 2035.

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PEOPLE

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

Steve Cordwell joins Universal Group

Peter's EKFB promotion

Steve Cordwell has been announced as the new business development manager for specialist piling, civils and resource company the Universal Group.

HS2 main contractor EKFB, a joint venture of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial and BAM, has appointed Peter Bimson as its new project director.

Steve, who has spent twenty-five years in the rail industry, has a wealth of business development experience from his time working for a number of the leading infrastructure contractors and design consultancies.

To support the planned growth of Universal Group, Steve will be accountable for optimising opportunity through developing relationships with existing clients and attracting new business through targeted expansion of the current client base, as well as leading the client relationship management philosophy of the company.

Universal Group managing director Richard Lowe said “Steve will be a real asset to our leadership team and reflects the talent we continue to attract to join us here at Universal Group. After a challenging 2020, the recruitment of Steve as our Business Development Manager represents our commitment to delivering strategic growth during 2021 and beyond.”

Two champions for Rail Supply Group Two leading experts have been appointed to the Rail Supply Group’s industry-wide Council.

Lizi Stewart, managing director of transportation at Atkins, becomes the joint RSG Champion for Digital Railway, alongside Rob Morris, managing director rail infrastructure at Siemens. Lizi replaces Shaun Jones, vice president ground transportation at Thales who last year started a new role within Thales Group and is therefore stepping down from the Champion role.

Jake Rudham, marketing director at Unipart Rail, has been named as the RSG Industry Champion for Export and Inward Investment.

Philip Hoare, chairman of the Rail Supply Group and president at Atkins, said: “The Rail Supply Group seeks those talented individuals who can see the bigger picture and collaborate well across the industry and Government to drive tangible change on behalf of the entire rail sector.

“I warmly welcome Lizi and Jake to RSG Council. Each bring their unique and much needed expertise at a pivotal time for our industry.”

PEOPLE MOVES

Peter, who previously held the roles of deputy project director and operations director for EKFB, has been appointed to the role as part of the board’s formal succession plan.

In an additional move, Emmanuel Rossignol has been appointed to support in the role of deputy project director.

Commenting on his appointment, Peter Bimson said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to lead EKFB in delivering an 80km section of one of Europe’s largest civil engineering projects, HS2.

“With Emmanuel’s and the senior leadership team’s support, I am confident that our existing and new people will achieve on our mission, on construction milestones and on social value.”

Joanne joins Morson Morson Group, the recruitment and talent specialist, has appointed Joanne Lake as non-executive director to help drive strategic growth within its core STEM markets - in particular, rail, engineering, nuclear, aerospace and infrastructure - whilst capitalising on increasing demand for talent in complementary sectors such as construction, IT & digital, professional services and more.

Joanne has more than 30 years’ experience in financial and professional services, having held senior positions with investment banks Panmure Gordon, Evolution Securities and Williams de Broe, and as a chartered accountant with PwC. Ged Mason OBE, Morson Group CEO, said: “It was clear that Joanne would be an excellent fit for the group, and I’m thrilled to have her on board. She is enormously experienced, and her addition brings strong leadership, financial acumen and a fresh perspective, which will support continued success across our group of companies.”

New chairman at Angel Trains Leading train leasing companies Angel Trains has announced the appointment of its new chairman, Mark Russell CBE, who will be joining the Board from 1 February 2021.

Mark is also chair of DE&S, the Ministry of Defence’s procurement and support organisation, which is responsible for £12 billion defence equipment spending and employs 11,500 staff. He is also vice chair of UK Government Investments (UKGI) and non-executive director of DP World.

His previous experience includes a five-year tenure as a board member of Eurostar International and a similar tenure as a board member of London & Continental Railways.

Angel Trains’ current chairman, Tom Smith, will be stepping down from his role after two successful three-year terms. During Tom’s stewardship, Angel Trains has undertaken an unprecedented programme of asset renewals and enhancements, including recent innovations to deliver green rolling stock technologies.

WITH THOUSANDS OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES UPDATED DAILY, YOUR NEXT CAREER IS A FINGERTIP AWAY. #OURKINDOFRAILWAYPEOPLE

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RSSB appoints sustainability director

McGinley Support Services appoints Russell Otter

George Davies has been appointed as RSSB’s new director of sustainable development to lead a new, dedicated programme designed to reinvigorate the railway’s collective efforts to tackle key sustainability challenges including carbon, air quality, and social sustainability.

McGinley Support Services has appointed Russell Otter to be Operations Director. Russell has been working in senior leadership positions in rail recruitment for over 10 years and the industry in general for over 25 years. He brings to the role a wealth of experience gained at some of the nation’s largest specialist recruitment companies including Reed, Morson and most recently Matchtech.

He joins from Heathrow Airport, where he was head of sustainability.

The RSSB board recognises that the industry now needs to move to the next level on sustainability and bring together a more ambitious and coordinated industry-wide approach with RSSB taking on the role of lead developers. George and his team will build on work that RSSB has already supported since the

mid-noughties, but with much better definition and coordination across industry and government, and ensure sustainability is embedded in rail’s approach following any outcomes of the Williams Review.

New rail director at Van Elle Piling, geotechnical and ground engineering contractor Van Elle has appointed David Buckley to lead its specialist rail division.

With a geotechnical background, David joins Van Elle from Balfour Beatty, where he was most recently the director and general manager of the organisation’s track monitoring business Omnicom, having previously been technical services and engineering director of Balfour Beatty Rail.

Speaking of his appointment, David Buckley said: “I’m excited for a new challenge with Van Elle, which is in a period of real growth. I’m looking forward to enhancing our rail services and providing even more valueengineered solutions to clients and helping the company reach its potential.”

Mark Cutler, chief executive

officer at Van Elle, commented: “Specialist rail geotechnical engineering is a very important aspect of Van Elle’s broad capabilities, so we are delighted to welcome David to lead our ambitious growth plans. He brings excellent experience, knowledge and innovative thinking to our team, is a collaborative leader and is well known throughout the rail industry.”

DON'T MISS OUT!

Managing Director, Dermot McGinley said of the appointment “Russell joining is key to the continued expansion of our business, the strengthening of our management board and the delivery of our five-year business plan. It will consolidate our ability to deliver a wide range of bespoke recruitment and support service to the civil engineering infrastructure market.”

Commenting on his appointment Russell said, “I am

excited to join McGinley and work with a team who are as passionate as I am about delivering innovative recruitment solutions to the Rail, construction, and infrastructure industries helping build the nation.

We have a high level of commitment to safety, training, skills, and customer service to assist the delivery of project support services to help candidates and companies alike to find and retain the best talent to help deliver some of the most exciting cutting edge projects across the UK. I’m very proud to be part of a company that is a trusted partner and has been recruiting for almost 40 decades"

Laura to chair UTG The new chairman of the Urban Transport Group has been named as Laura Shoaf, the managing director of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM).

Previously the vice-chairman, Laura has over 20 years’ experience leading in urban transport planning in the UK and USA and is a long-standing supporter of the organisation’s goals to bring funding and powers to city regions where they can be managed and implemented with local knowledge.

The first female chairman of the organisation, she was recently shortlisted in the Everywoman awards for transport and logistics as a leader in their field.

Her appointment follows the end of the two-year term of outgoing chairman Stephen Edwards, the executive director of South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive.

The Urban Transport Group is the UK’s network of city region transport authorities. Its board is made up of seven directors - one from each of its full members.

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RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

Egypt's new monorail trains to be built in Derby

The trains for two new monorail systems in Egypt will be built in Derby, with the help of £1.7 billion of backing from UK Export Finance.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss announced the government guarantee, which will support highly skilled jobs in Derbyshire as the UK builds back better in the aftermath of coronavirus.

Bombardier’s consortium was named preferred bidder for the project at the 2020 UK-Africa Investment Summit and, with UKEF’s guarantee, has secured the financing needed to fulfil the contract and start production. Bombardier can now invest in its manufacturing centre in Derby where the trains for the Egyptian monorails will be designed and built.

This will be the UK’s only monorail car production line and will directly support 100 UK jobs at the company and many more in its UK supply chain.

Back in service The new Heathrow Express fleet of 12 refurbished Class 387 trains has now entered service, replacing the iconic Class 332 fleet which dates from 1998.

The former GWR trains have upgraded interiors and are fitted with regenerative braking and ETCS in-cab signalling.

Passengers will also have a more comfortable journey with more space for wheelchair users, double the number of toilets and a continuous gangway through the whole train. In addition, Business First passengers will enjoy worktables and extra legroom.

The modern interiors include USB plugs with every plug socket, making it easier for international passengers to charge devices while they travel.

Every carriage has more and improved TV screens showing live flight and rail connection updates, daily news highlights and shopping deals at Heathrow.

Heathrow Express is naming all 12 new trains after cities voted for by the UK public.

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Tunnel 'pushed' under East Coast main line In a first for UK engineering, an 11,000-tonne curved concrete box has been successfully pushed under the East Coast main line at Werrington near Peterborough.

The new tunnel will enable slowermoving freight trains to dive underneath the passenger route and use an adjacent line northwards.

The 155-metre curved concrete box tunnel, which is heavier than the Eiffel Tower, was pushed into place at just 150cm per hour, using four hydraulic jacks. This is the first time that a curved concrete box has been installed using this industry-leading engineering technique in the UK. It took nine days, but using this cuttingedge technique avoided hundreds of hours of passenger disruption on this vital part of the East Coast Main Line and meant that services could continue running throughout.

Teams removed three of the tracks, lifted the overhead wires and dug out spoil from the site. Once the tunnel was eventually underneath, they then put everything back in place ready for regular services to resume.

Britain’s Largest Specialist Transport Union

Transport workers ___ are ESSENTIAL workers All the analysis shows that transport workers have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s transport workers who have kept key staff and freight moving during lockdown.

It’s time for the Government to recognise that contribution and give transport staff the priority and protection they deserve.

In 2021 our priority will remain our members and their livelihoods... join us today! rmt.org.uk

FREEPHONE 0800 376 3706

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Rail traverser for DIRFT III Island Line says goodbye The Island Line, the Isle of Wight’s railway, has been operated since 1989 by refurbished former London Underground trains, built originally in 1938.

However, they have now operated their last service. The final Class 483 train rolled out of Ryde Pier Head Station at 23:17 on Sunday 3 January, closing a historic chapter for Island Line passengers and staff.

The trains are being replaced by another, but much newer, former LU train - Vivarail’s converted District line trains which will take over the service on 1 April once some major refurbishment work on the railway has been completed.

The old trains, which are estimated to have travelled in excess of 3 million miles in their 82 years, will enjoy a retirement which befits their cherished status. One will be heading to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, meaning that islanders and visitors alike will still have a chance to enjoy the old red train, while another unit goes to the London Traction Transport Group. Formed in May 2020, the Group hopes to run the train on the Epping Ongar Railway under its own power and even take it to rail galas across the country.

A new £29 million Intermodal Rail Freight Terminal, that is being constructed by Winvic Construction for Prologis at its DIRFT intermodal logistics park in Northamptonshire, will feature a bespoke rail traverser, supplied by Mechan.

The DIRFT III project comprises a 344-hectare logistics site, which will include a state-of-the-art rail freight terminal. Mechan’s traverser will be situated outside the terminal building, at the end of 9km of new lines, and will be used to move Class 66 locomotives in a perpendicular direction to the tracks, so they can return to service after loading/unloading. This has allowed the terminal length to be shorter, as a head shunt isn’t required.

Working closely with the Winvic team, Mechan has designed the multi-rail traverser to suit the specific conditions at DIRFT III. It spans 28 metres, has a capacity of 140 tonnes and comprises an access platform, plus loco buffer to prevent trains overrunning.

South Wales lines reopen after successful Metro works The railway lines north of Radyr in Wales have reopened after a successful three-week blockade to push forward with building the South Wales Metro.

With low passenger numbers due to COVID-19 restrictions in place across Wales, Transport for Wales (TfW) took the opportunity to close the Aberdare, Treherbert and Merthyr lines, so that its teams could work around the clock and progress with the South Wales Metro and essential track renewals.

Some of the key engineering achievements include re-railing over two miles of track, excavating over 700 hundred trial holes, replacing

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forty-six sleepers, installing forty-two metres of track drainage and over 2,600 metres of cable containment system.

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

Are your windscreen wipers the best in their class?

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PSV Wipers have everything you need to improve your wipers from wash jets, wiper blades and wiper arms to full replacement electric motor assemblies including pneumatic to electric conversions.

As the UK’s leading supplier of Rail stainless steel wiper blades, from traditional 460mm (18”) Rail Flat Blades to 1200mm Rail Bridged Blades PSV have consistently improved performance and minimised unscheduled maintenance for depots.

Why not discover the benefits PSV Wipers equipment can bring to your fleet, by contacting our Rail Specialist Paul Curry today.

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RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

Lying across a live railway!

Network Rail has released CCTV footage of a woman lying on a level crossing on a live railway to pose for photographs.

The clip, of Tidemills level crossing in Sussex, is the latest in a series of dangerous incidents on the railway, which could have ended with fatal or life-changing consequences.

This is the 17th incident at this crossing in the last nine months (since 1 April 2020) with 15 recorded near misses.

Previous dangerous behaviour includes level crossing users filming the emergency stop of an oncoming train. In another incident, bike users narrowly missed a train while large groups of pedestrians have also experienced close calls by trying to beat approaching trains. Cameras have also captured a funeral procession using the crossing.

Network Rail has now been granted permission to replace the crossing with a footbridge.

Improved protection for rail workers A new and innovative range of multi-hazard protective workwear, designed to meet the needs of wearers in the rail sector, has been launched by Ballyclare.

The new ProTec category III ‘Life-Saving’ workwear range includes a comprehensive selection of arc-protection, flame-retardant garments which offer protection against different hazards such as electrical arc flashes, static discharges, welding sparks, molten metal and many more.

All garments in the range are designed to combine maximum comfort with outstanding protection and durability for people working in dangerous, flammable or other high-risk environments. Already being supplied into the rail sector, ProTec offers trousers, jackets, coveralls, long sleeve polo shirts, sweatshirts plus bib-and-brace garments.

Among the many impressive features found on these garments are funnel neck collars, chevron reflective strips and YKK®

zips for maximum protection, elasticated waists and adjustable hook-and-loop cuffs for a perfect fit, plus utility pockets and triple needle stitching for maximum practicality and durability.

Transpennine Route Upgrade summer 2021 Network Rail has announced its plans for the first tranche of its Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) programme.

The work forms part of TRU’s wider goal to deliver sought-after improvements along the full 76-mile Transpennine route - stretching from York to Manchester, via Leeds and Huddersfield.

This summer, work will take place east of Manchester Victoria station, closing the lines towards Stalybridge and Rochdale, with a 16-day railway closure between these destinations from the 31 July to 16 August 2021.

During the 16-day closure, hundreds of railway workers will be working day and night to renew key sections of track, including around Miles Platting, and upgrading railway bridges to improve reliability. This important work is the first step to enable wider improvements that are expected to bring much needed benefits to passengers.

The planned closure means that, from 31 July, there will be no trains between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge and Manchester Victoria and Rochdale until these lines reopen on 16 August.

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‘Support on life’s Journey’ When life’s journey hits those ups and downs.

We are there to care, to listen and to help you cope with life’s uncertainties.

We are Railway Mission, a group of specially trained people who offer friendship and a listening ear to anyone connected with our nation’s railways.

We’re a Christian charity offering support to everyone.

How do we help?

Railway Mission has been offering support to the railway family for 140 years, but we’re totally up-to-date with the trials of modern living. We help railway staff (at all levels) and the travelling public to enjoy the good times and get through the bad times. So if life’s

journey feels threatened we offer face-to-face friendship and an opportunity to talk about problems and explore solutions.

Help us support them

Donations

Railway Mission relies on donations to finance our work and meet an ever-growing need for our services. While we receive some rail industry support, we depend on the generosity of individuals like you.

There are various ways to give, for more information visit: railwaymission.org/donate.

Please give something so that we can give a helping hand to those who need us.

For further information please email: office@railwaymission.org.

Charity number in England and Wales: 1128024 Scotland: SC045897

We’re also on hand to help staff and the public in the event of rail incidents, including suicides.

Cheques should be made payable to Railway Mission and sent to: Railway Mission, Rugby Railway Station, Rugby, CV21 3LA

To donate £5 text RAIL 5 to 70085.

This costs £5 plus a standard rate message.

Alternatively, you can opt to give any whole amount up to £20.

www.railwaymission.org

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Rail innovation could level up northern economy

A report by economics and policy analysts Perspective Economics claims that greater investment in rail research could be used to help level up the economy in the north of England.

Entitled ‘Rail Innovation Eco-System: Understanding the Region’s Research and Innovation Capacity, Capabilities and Potential’, the report says there is a “compelling case” for further investment in rail innovation in the region that could drive “...economic recovery, and longer-term industrial advancement and economic growth”.

The report, which was commissioned by the University of Leeds and University of Huddersfield, describes a “collective appetite among academia and industry to drive research.”

Porterbrook wins Gold from Investors in People

Rolling stock asset management company Porterbrook has been awarded Gold Accreditation by Investors in People.

For nearly 30 years, Investors in People (IiP) has been recognised as the international standard for employee engagement. With just 17% of all UK companies achieving Gold, this accreditation demonstrates the value that Porterbrook places upon supporting colleagues across the business. Porterbrook embarked upon the IiP pathway in 2018. The early attainment of Gold accreditation at the end of 2020 reflects the business’ commitment to continuous staff engagement and support, despite the challenges caused by remote working during much of the year.

Passengers consulted on revised rail services

The Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a new consultation on improving the performance on the rail network in and around Manchester. Three options are being presented to passengers, featuring increasing levels of change to previous service patterns.

The three options affect different routes, and which routes have direct services to Manchester Oxford Road and Piccadilly stations, and Manchester Airport.

Once decided, the agreed option will be introduced in May 2022 and will significantly improve overall reliability. The DfT believes that this change will give passengers a more reliable service, with less risk of knock-on delays, while longer term infrastructure changes are developed that will enable more services to be added in the future in a sustainable way.

Welsh Government tackles congestion

The Welsh Government has endorsed the recommendations of the South East Wales Transport Commission on tackling congestion in South East Wales. Transport for Wales has established a dedicated “Development Unit” to provide ongoing advice on the recommendations and develop a delivery programme.

Responding to the Commission’s recommendation to increase the number of train stations and services in the region, the Welsh Government has confirmed it will work with partners to increase capacity, reduce journey times and improve network resilience.

These partners include Transport for Wales, Network Rail and the UK Government, which remains responsible for rail infrastructure under the current devolution settlement.

HS2 to plant 730,000 trees by Spring 2021

HS2 will plant over 300,000 trees this winter as part of the project’s extensive Green Corridor programme, designed to create a network of bigger, better-connected, climate resilient habitats and new green spaces for people to enjoy. When added to the 430,000 trees already planted across Phase One, this will take the total to over 730,000 by the Spring. Up to seven million trees will eventually be planted along Phase One, with many new grasslands, meadows and recreational areas for local communities.

Some of the UK’s most experienced and leading ecological consultants are working with HS2, with the winter programme being carried out by a number of specialist ecology companies subcontracted to HS2’s enabling works contractors.

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New H&S passport for HS2 workers

HS2 is working with Midland-based Biosite to develop a new initiative that will boost health and safety and competency insight across the supply chain.

The company building England’s new high-speed rail network and its contractors have taken a major step in improving health and safety assurance across sites between London and the West Midlands by introducing a new health and safety passport system. The new digital ‘Health and Safety Passport System’ (HSPS) will be used initially by all of HS2’s Main Works Civils Contractors to share vital health and safety information across contractors.

Although contractors and their staff may be working across multiple sites and multiple contracts on the new high speed rail route, the new digital passport system will establish a central database of critical workforce information across the HS2 supply chain. The collection and synchronisation of data from local level to project wide will help to ensure consistency of standards and performance.

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

Rail-connected freight terminal for Tilbury Walsh, London’s leading provider of river, road and rail freight solutions, has signed a 20-year agreement with the Port of Tilbury to help to meet the capital’s demand for construction materials in the most sustainable way.

As a result, Walsh will create two new freight hubs at the port - a logistics terminal with aggregates processing plant and a rail-linked freight facility.

Transporting aggregates by river and rail significantly reduces road miles and traffic congestion and

represents a fraction of the carbon emissions of road haulage.

Every year, Walsh will bring 400,000 tonnes of secondary aggregate into Tilbury by sea and river from china clay producer Imerys in Cornwall. This material - known as Cornish Granite - is a by-product of the china clay industry and is rated as one of the most sustainable aggregates available in the UK. Combined with transportation by marine and rail freight, the result is a greener supply chain for built development in London and the South East.

NEWS

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Rail Operations orders Class 93 tri-mode locos Rail Operations (UK) has signed a framework agreement with Stadler for the supply of 30 Class 93 tri-mode locomotives, with an initial batch of 10 locomotives due for delivery in early 2023.

The Class 93 is a Bo-Bo mixed-traffic locomotive based on Stadler’s Class 68 and Class 88 locomotives, which have been operating successfully in the UK for some years. Stadler’s first tri-mode locomotive, it has three different power sources. In electric mode, it is able to run on 25kV AC overhead lines with a power of 4,000 kW. In addition, the locomotive features a Caterpillar C32 engine and Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) traction battery packs, allowing it to operate over non-electrified lines.

The diesel engine has a nominal power of 900kW and meets EU 97/68 Stage V emission requirements. The two LTO battery packs provide 400kW extra power to supplement the engine when the locomotive is running in diesel/battery hybrid mode as well as last mile carbon free shunting operation.

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NEWS

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

Rail campaigners are calling for a new type of rail ticket for people who spend only part of their working time in the workplace. Neil Middleton, a director of Railfuture who is leading the campaign, said: “There’s often an enormous gap between the price per journey for someone travelling five days a week with a season ticket and someone who travels two or three days a week – our proposal aims to bridge this gap.”

The railway already regularly offers Carnet tickets – in return for buying a bundle of tickets in advance, a small discount is given (typically 5% or 10%) and all the tickets need to be used within a set period (often two or three months).

“Our idea is for an additional type of Carnet ticket, with a bigger discount, where the bundle must be used much more quickly. Priced at the cost of a weekly season, it would offer five return journeys that must be used within two weeks. Aimed at the five to six times a fortnight workplace attender, it would often benefit a four-days-a-fortnight attender.

“Whilst we’re in lockdown, workplace attendance is only expected when you cannot reasonably work from home. When lockdown ends, and social distancing starts to ease, we’re confident that many people will continue to spread their working time between their home and the workplace.”

Chris Page, chair of Railfuture, said: “We’re keen that passengers who don’t commute to the workplace every weekday get a fare reduction as compared to the more occasional user. Our ideas are designed to work using the ticket technology that’s in place now. In the medium term, smarter fare options may well be needed to spread attendance across all of Monday to Friday.”

Time for a new type of train ticket?

Midlands leaders call on Chancellor to back Midlands Rail Hub

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has joined forces with Sir John Peace, chairman of Midlands Connect and the Midlands Engine, to urge the Chancellor to support the “nationally-critical” Midlands Rail Hub infrastructure project.

BIG savings with REPTA membership

In a letter to Rishi Sunak, the pair highlight the importance of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to unite the Midlands region and improve public transport links between the East and West Midlands. They also highlight the need for the project to prominently feature in Government’s upcoming Integrated Rail Plan, which will outline national rail investment plans for the next twenty years.

Midlands Engine Rail’s flagship scheme, the Midlands Rail Hub includes a catalogue of improvements to improve journey times and increase capacity on the railway, through track and platform upgrades, new signalling systems and the construction of two new ‘chords’ running into Birmingham Moor Street Station.

Once complete, the Midlands Rail Hub, set to cost in the region of £2bn, will create space for 20 extra passenger trains every hour in to and out of central Birmingham, enhancing east-west links across the region to destinations including Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Hereford and Worcester. It will also enable the reintroduction of direct rail services between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham.

Fantastic offers for active and Passenger benefits aside, the scheme will allow more freight trains retired members of the transport to run on the network, with the capacity to move over one million industry and their families. lorries’ worth of cargo from the roads to our railways each year.

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NEWS

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World-first hydrogen doubledeckers enter service As railways start to look at using hydrogen to power the trains of the future on lines which it would not be economical to electrify, news of any public transport initiative that makes hydrogen fuel ‘the norm’ is to be welcomed.

Tram-train pilot learning hub launched A tram-train pilot learning hub has been launched by Network Rail, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) and Stagecoach Supertram. It contains a wealth of information drawn from the collective experience of designing, constructing and operating Britain’s first tramtrain system.

Tram-trains can generally provide new journeys and connections with much less infrastructure than totally new tram or rail routes. Passengers can make a single, seamless journey between light rail tram

stops and conventional heavy rail stations. And with many being electric or battery-powered, they are better for the environment.

The tram-train pilot scheme in South Yorkshire runs between Sheffield Cathedral and Rotherham Parkgate via Rotherham Central station, linking previously unconnected areas.

Funded by the DfT, it has been running for two years to test customer satisfaction, passenger numbers, reliability and costs.

The scheme has proven popular and scored 96 per cent for user satisfaction on the latest independent survey by Transport Focus.

Therefore, RailStaff is pleased to report that the world’s first fleet of double decker hydrogen buses officially launched into service on Thursday, 28 January in Aberdeen.

While prototype hydrogen buses have been designed and used previously, as the transport industry explores how it can make use of the universe’s most abundant element, these double deckers are the first of their kind to go into operation and welcome customers on board.

Run by First Bus - one of Scotland’s largest bus operators - in a project led by Aberdeen City Council, the hydrogen buses represent a major step forward in reducing climate change, as cities across the world witness how far innovation in the transport industry has come.

Built by UK firm Wrightbus, the zeroemission fleet emits nothing more than water from its exhausts as the fuel is made from just wind and water.

Furthermore, plans are in place for Aberdeen to make its own hydrogen to power the buses, making it an even greener energy source for the local community.

TfN seeks joined-up approach to transport Transport for the North (TfN), in its submission to the Union Connectivity Review chaired by Sir Peter Hendy, has stated that a holistic, sustainable and collaborative approach to transport investment is the key to enhancing the UK’s connectivity and unlocking opportunities for people and businesses.

Claiming that a joined-up plan for crossborder investment is critical, TfN suggests that improved connectivity between the nations and regions of the UK will encourage trade and inward investment by improving links to the nationally significant ports and airports, and faster links between the economic assets that they serve. This would not only benefit freight

on national and international routes but would also improve connectivity for passengers and businesses on regional and local journeys too.

“For too long transport has been underfunded and plans have been made in a fragmented way,” said Tim Foster, interim strategy director at Transport for the North. “It is high time that changed.”

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NEWS

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

Wymondham rail station to return to former glory Two local volunteers have ‘adopted’ Wymondham rail station and hope to return it to its former glory.

Brendan Gray, the new owner of the Station Bistro, remembers the bistro and station in its heyday when former restaurateur, David Turner, won acclaim for the stunning floral arrangements and extensive railway memorabilia that adorned the station and attracted visitors from far and wide.

Joined by fellow volunteer, John Harwood, they have vowed to recreate the attractive and welcoming atmosphere for passengers and visitors.

Brendan commented, “I took over the Station Bistro in March last year and decided to adopt Wymondham station because I would like to see it restored to its former glory when David Turner used to look after the station. I feel this is an important role as the station is the first thing many visitors to Wymondham see, when arriving by train, and so it is important to make a good first impression.”

John, 63, who is retired, lives in Morley St Peter, and is an active member of the Mid Norfolk Railway, said, “My interest in railways goes back to 1968 when school holidays were spent at Wymondham Station, observing the variety of trains which existed then and catching the train to Norwich to watch the football at Carrow Road. It is this historical interest plus remembering how the station looked under a previous tenure that has made me decide to be part of the Station Adoption initiative.

New steam loco builds up steam The charity behind the famous No. 60163 Tornado and Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive No. 2007 Prince of Wales, has announced that Cleardata has started the scanning of 366 of the original Doncaster Works drawings to enable the construction of a yet-to-be named third Gresley class V4 No. 3403.

The LNER class V4 was a 2-6-2 steam locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for mixed-traffic use over the whole of the LNER network.

The class V4s had similarities in their appearance and mechanical layout to the class V2s of which pioneer No. 4771 Green Arrow is preserved. Two class V4s were built at the LNER’s Doncaster Works in 1941 – No. 3401 Bantam Cock and No. 3402 which was un-named but known unofficially as Bantam Hen. No. 3401 Bantam Cock was unveiled at York on 11th February 1941 by its designer Sir Nigel Gresley – his last public appearance before his sudden death in office on 5th April 1941. It was anticipated that many more would be produced, but his successor Edward Thompson produced the class B1 4-6-0s instead of which 410 were built.

Steve Davies MBE, chairman, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, commented: “We want to be ready to start assembling our new Gresley class V4 as soon as our new class P2 is completed. We anticipate the project costing around £3m and taking around five years subject to the pace of fundraising.”

First train in GTR's £55 million fleet modernisation programme is back in service The first of 270 trains in Govia Thameslink Railway’s £55 million fleet modernisation programme has returned to service with a host of new features.

The trains form the UK’s biggest fleet of ‘Electrostars’, the most common type of electric-powered train built since rail privatisation in the 1990s. The Derby-built, air-conditioned trains have been very successful and GTR’s Electrostars have been in service for up to 20 years.

The first updated train emerged from GTR’s Selhurst Depot in south London on 5 February. Its enhancements range from new information screens, USB/power points and energy-saving LED lighting to passenger-counting technology and high-tech on-board operational systems that cut the time trains spend out of service for maintenance or repair.

The screens will display up-to-the minute GTR and London Underground service information. The passenger-counting sensors will allow GTR to better analyse how busy individual services are, helping to adjust timetables to support essential travel and social distancing.

Bringing every train up to the same modern standards, with common features across the whole fleet, allows GTR’s engineers to streamline routine maintenance and repairs. That keeps each Electrostar out in service for longer, reducing delays and cancellations. To accelerate maintenance and improve reliability still further, a new “smart” On-Train Data Recorder will help predict and diagnose faults – which means that some problems can be fixed without returning to the depot – and CCTV cameras will film the track in front of the train to help analyse incidents that delay the service.

The £55 million programme is funded by Porterbrook, the train owner from whom GTR leases the fleets.

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GTR’s Engineering Director Steve Lammin said: “These Electrostars are great trains. Taking on board our passengers’ feedback, this comprehensive upgrade will provide an even better on-board experience and more reliability. Our team at Selhurst Depot has used this first train to develop and learn all the complex processes involved in fitting the new features, guided by the trains’ manufacturer, Bombardier. We’re now testing our new knowledge on the second train, and as we gradually speed up the work, more and more passengers will notice the benefits over the coming years.

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INTERVIEWS

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

FROM WALT DISNEY TO HARRY POTTER -

WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN

KING'S CROSS

WHEN LOOKING FOR A CAREER ON THE RAILWAY, ONE OF THE TOP JOBS THAT PEOPLE CAN ASPIRE TO IS THAT OF STATION MASTER AT ONE OF THE UK'S BUSIEST STATIONS

T

he current station master at King’s Cross started her career at Disney World in Florida. It seems like a big jump from there to one of the railways top jobs. Kirsten Whitehouse was intrigued and arranged to meet her to find out more.

Laura Murphy is station manager at London King’s Cross, one of Britain’s busiest stations – it was tenth on the 2018/19 list with 34,645,924 entries and exits. However, she started her working life at Disney World Florida. So, almost the first question RailStaff put to her was how had she come to be working on ‘The Great Movie Ride’ at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World?

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Laura laughed. “Well, I grew up in Essex and went to school in Billericay, before I moved to Portsmouth to study web design.

As a teenager it seemed like a really cool thing to do, I was really interested in all things internet.” Though while Laura enjoyed herself over the three years of the course, she realised that perhaps this wasn’t quite what she wanted to do for the rest of her life – “I just wasn’t technical enough”.

THE GREAT MOVIE RIDE Like so many students, she decided to take a gap year after receiving her degree and applied for a number of short-term positions – amongst them as an attractions host at Disney World in Florida. “I was so excited when they got in touch to offer me a job,” Laura reminisced. “Interestingly, this was also where my love for customer services began.”

Laura arrived in the USA in October 2008 and was put in charge of ‘The Great Movie Ride’ – a little tram journey right ‘into’ a selection of famous movies, which required her to learn a 22-minute spiel and deliver it to 60 people at a time. “I started off a bit timid, but I soon got into it,” laughed Laura. It turned out to be a fabulous learning opportunity for her.

Disney World’s customer service is famously second to none, thanks to the emphasis the corporation puts on it with all its employees. Staff are encouraged to regard themselves as cast members, whilst customers are referred to as guests and treated accordingly: ‘I suppose it’s a bit like this in the rail industry, too: we don’t so much use the term customers and instead refer to them as passengers – it personalises our relationship somehow.’

After all these years, Laura still travels to Florida regularly to meet up with friends she made during that time. Even though ‘her’ ride no longer exists – The Great Movie Ride got retired in 2017 – her time entertaining her guests made a lasting impression on a young Laura.

She realised that she enjoyed working with people and making sure that they felt well looked after and cared for. On conclusion of her time in Florida, she headed back home to Essex in April 2009 – “My Mum is a saint, she took me back in for quite a while!” – and decided to pursue a career in customer services – she just didn’t quite know where or how to start.

CUSTOMER SERVICE A number of temporary roles followed, including six months in retail at Next, the fashion chain. “I enjoyed the contact with people,” mused Laura, “but sorting through clothes in the storeroom wasn’t all that much fun.” It did, however, confirm further that Laura’s future lay in a customer facing role, and so she applied for a number of suitable roles – including being a customer service assistant at King’s Cross station. “I had also applied for a similar position at Waterloo – they just got there first,” laughed Laura.

She remembers her interview fondly. The station manager at the time was Katie Frost, who later moved on to become managing director at Network Rail (High Speed), which

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

operates, maintains and renews the HS1 route infrastructure and its three stations: St Pancras International, Stratford International and Ebbsfleet International.

“I remember thinking that it was great to see a lady in a leading position in what was still a very male-oriented industry then, she recalled. “According to my grandmother, I came home so excited and told her about this lady and said that I wanted to do a job like that one day.”

In April 2010, Laura was offered the position of customer service assistant at King’s Cross, a role that she thought would be mainly selling tickets to passengers. In fact, she soon learned that ticket offices and the likes are run by the train operating companies themselves; the work Network Rail does at the station is much more on the ground and includes security tasks and providing support where needed.

“I was asked if I would be okay with doing shift work, working weekends and bank holidays – of course I was!” In fact, she said, doing the 24/7 shifts at King’s Cross were some of the most eye-opening moments of her life. “Friday night shifts are second to

INTERVIEWS

23

none,” Laura laughed. “I learned a lot about conflict management for sure, people are on their way home after a busy week and a wellearned drink or two in the pub. But we also had so many really nice experiences, people are lovely, and so interesting.”

FIVE YEARS IN CHARGE This month sees Laura celebrate her five-year anniversary as station manager at King’s Cross, a promotion she achieved in January 2016. What are her day-to-day responsibilities? “No day is the same – that’s exactly what I love about it.” People don’t just come to King’s Cross to catch a train, people love the shopping opportunities, the hospitality outlets and, of course, the famous Harry Potter Platform 9¾. “Having your picture taken with the trolley is the main attraction here,” she laughed.

There is a small exhibition space on the station concourse, and it is her team that makes the final decision on whether or not suggested uses are appropriate. “We have had giant Christmas trees, dinosaur skeletons and, early last year, even a mass Sweaty Betty workout class take place,” she reminisced.

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INTERVIEWS

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She laughed as she recalled the team from ‘I’m a celebrity get me out of here’ wanting to do a promotion – they had suggested they could bring live cockroaches - one of the well-known features from the show - with them, but “it didn’t seem terribly well thought-through, what with our food outlets nearby!” One of Laura’s team convinced them to bring giant African land snails instead, and a successful event was enjoyed by all.

There is also a lot of stakeholder management in Laura’s role – the station is funded by the various train operators who are, of course, keen to understand how their money is being invested – and making sure the station is a safe and secure environment.

Asked whether it is harder or easier to ensure that at the moment, Laura paused and thought. “Obviously, passenger numbers are really down at the moment – in fact, I ran a report this morning and midweek last week we had 16,000 people come through the station each day, where it would normally be anywhere between 140,000 and 170,000 passengers a day.” The team had to implement changes to make the station as safe as possible for travellers and staff alike, and Laura is happy with how this is being managed. Sadly, most of the retail units are closed under current restrictions – only six out of 25 are classified as offering essentials for passengers.

It’s obvious that Laura is saddened by this; the unavoidable drop in passenger numbers makes it feel as though the life and soul is missing from her station at the moment. Like the rest of the world, though, Laura pins her hope on the vaccine returning things to normal before too long: “We have to look forward!”

WOMAN IN (CHARGE OF) RAIL This seemed an appropriate time to ask about her experience as a woman in rail – would she recommend a career like hers to young women and men who are job hunting right now?

“Absolutely!” She explained that the rail industry is a really pleasant environment to work in nowadays. The laddish banter of the past has been replaced with better education and equal opportunities – in fact, there are many varied opportunities in rail all the time: “Working in the customer services field, which maybe attracts more women, stations have always been fairly well balanced, but why not work in engineering or maintenance?”

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Laura urged young women to come in with an open mind as to what they can achieve in this versatile industry. “I have certainly never regretted aiming to be that female station manager I told my grandmother about all those years ago!”

Incidentally, reminding Laura of her excitement about the female interviewer when she first started working for Network Rail wasn’t the only ace Laura’s grandmother had up her sleeve. She was delighted when Laura started working in the rail industry, and, in particular, at King’s Cross station, with its close connection to the history of the Flying Scotsman: her own grandfather, William ‘Bill’ Hagland, had been a driver of the famous train, while his daughter-in-law was working out staff rotas in the office at the station.

“I never knew this,’ said Laura. “But it was lovely to have that connection between my family and ‘my’ station. When the Flying Scotsman was refurbished and put back into service a while back, it was so lovely to be there to see this. It was quite an emotional and very special moment for me. I really do love my job.”

Cigarette card of William Hagland from the collection of W Reginald Bray.

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TRACK SAFETY

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER

RUNAWAYS, OVERSPEEDING

AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING WITHOUT GOOD COMMUNICATION, GETTING THE SAFETY MESSAGE ACROSS BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE

I

Colin Wheeler.

n his first safety report of the new year, Colin Wheeler stresses the importance of good communication to make sure everyone is clear about what needs to be done, and how it should be done safely.

In 2021, we are living in a multi-cultural country. Safety-critical communication is of the utmost importance. Delightfully, standard English (whatever that now is!) no longer predominates even in offices - maybe it never did? Consequently, mandating the use of standard English protocols for railway operations, including work on the track, all too easily results in confusion and mistakes are made.

I advocate a return to “reaching a clear mutual understanding”.

Whether this is achieved in a different mother tongue from standard English or by the mutual use of a local dialect or heavily accented speech need not be a safety issue.

During my many rail working years, I recall learning and subsequently using half a dozen local phrases to describe food brought to work for consumption halfway through the working day (snap, bait etc) and a similar number for those who failed to get out of bed in time to get to work on time. Nonetheless we all understood!

More work for RAIB

© Avanti West Coast

How wrong can one be? After the spate of Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) published reports at the end of 2020, I thought there would be little more to say this early in the year. How

wrong I was. Over-speeding, emergency speed restrictions and runaways, not to mention possessions, and level crossings continue to be reported on websites.

The most disturbing perhaps was the very near miss with a mobile operations manager as a result of vandal-like behaviour by youths.

Over speeding between Laurencekirk and Portlethen, Aberdeenshire At around 06:35 and again at 07:40 on 4 December, passenger trains passed through an Emergency Speed Restriction (ESR) of 40mph at speeds described as being “up to 100mph”.

The first train travelling north was from Dundee to Inverness, whilst the second was travelling south from Inverness to Edinburgh. The ESR’s had been imposed as a precautionary measure in case the forecast heavy rain resulted in ground movements that affected track stability.

Neither train driver was aware of the ESRs. Network Rail’s signaller noticed how quickly the second train passed through

(Left) 5mph ESR board at Beattock.

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the area. Subsequently, the first over speed was then identified, using electronic train movement records.

RAIB found no evidence of other trains failing to observe the ESRs that day, but, after the second over-speeding, trains were stopped and reminded of the reduced maximum speed before they reached the restricted area. RAIB has indicated that its investigation will consider the processes for advising drivers of ESRs. I remain of the opinion that all driver cabs should be equipped with the technology that a satnav uses to give warnings when motorway traffic is disrupted by an incident or accident.

Over speeding near Beattock, Dumfries and Galloway At 12:25 on 20 December, the Glasgow to London Euston passenger train entered a 5mph ESR at 45mph. The ESR had been imposed due to an earlier embankment failure. The RAIB has carried out a preliminary examination and will publish a Safety Digest “in the next few weeks”.

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

Rowlands Castle station from the overbridge.

“Clear Possession Communications”

This is the title of a timely Safety Bulletin from the Head of Workforce and Delivery (Shared Learning) Safety Scotland issued on 23 December last year. The date of the incident is not given but it happened on the Down Polmont to Grahamston line. The driver of a freight train travelling from Polmont to Carlisle North Yard was authorised by the engineering supervisor (ES) to proceed to a worksite marker board a mile distant and be ready to leave the possession worksite. The marker board was on the approach to the Protection Limit Board and adjacent to the detonator protection.

The report states that “the possession protection arrangements were adequately communicated”. However, the driver drove at a speed above the limit permitted within a

worksite, failed to stop at the marker board and ran through it and the possession limit board before coming to a stand 20 metres beyond the possession exit and protecting signal. The bulletin sums the incident up stating: “The recognised protocols to facilitate understanding and confirmation of safety critical information were not robustly used by either the engineering supervisor or the driver prior to the incident.”

Near miss at Rowlands Castle Hampshire

The lines through all the stations on the Wessex route require a line blockage before anyone goes onto the track, according to Network Rail’s Safety Central website.

On 19 December, a mobile operations manager (MOM) was responding to a report of a bag of rubbish having been thrown

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27

down onto the line by vandal youths.

Rowlands Castle is between Petersfield and Havant. The MOM did not request the stopping of trains or contact the signaller at Havant signalling centre, which controls the area including Rowlands Castle.

Instead, he contacted Petersfield signal box, which controls the adjacent area on the approach to Rowlands Castle, to check whether any trains were approaching. After an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve the bag of rubbish whilst sitting on the platform edge, the MOM jumped down into the four-foot but then saw the lights of an approaching train.

He got back onto the platform one second before the train passed.

Both the MOM and the train driver were distressed by the incident, which occurred in the early evening after darkness had fallen at 19:14. RAIB is investigating.

Runaway and derailment at Clitheroe

RAIB’s report 16/2020 was published on 23 December last year. At 08:16 on the morning of 9 March, a loaded wagon ran away from a siding at Hanson’s cement works. It travelled for three quarters of a mile on falling gradients before being derailed at Horrocksford junction, where the freight-only branch line connects to the main line.

As it ran away, it broke through the works gate and went over a level crossing on a public road where two cars were forced to stop for it!

It then crossed over a private road to a chemical works. On reaching Horrocksford

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TRACK SAFETY

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

The derailed cements wagon at Horrocksford Junction.

junction, it was derailed clear of the main line by the protecting trap points. There were no injuries and little damage to the wagon, but the track was damaged by the derailment.

The wagon handbrake had been applied but was insufficient to hold the loaded wagon on the gradient. The RAIB report says that “staff who stabled the wagon did not know the brakes would not hold the wagon in place”. It adds that “over time, the air in the brake system leaked away until the air brake was released”.

In the report, both those operating trains at the cement works and Network Rail are criticised.

Runaway at Dereham Station

At 15:52 on the afternoon of 10 December, a rail coach was being off-loaded from a heavy haulage trailer onto the railway at Dereham station on the Mid Norfolk Railway. During the unloading, the vehicle became detached from its winch rope (see picture) and ran away.

It collided with and broke through the crossing gates of the nearby level crossing before coming to rest across a public road. RAIB has indicated that it will be publishing a Safety Digest.

Problems with signalling at Sheffield

The potential consequences of signal testing irregularities can be enormous. I still have my copy of Anthony Hidden QC’s Clapham Junction Railway Accident Investigation report dated 27 September 1989.

A Safety Advice available on Network Rail’s Safety Central website from 23 December is worrying. Following the derailment at Sheffield on 11 November last year, work was undertaken on 17 November to plain line two sets of points. The issue’s Safety Advice says: “Signalling alterations were made which introduced a wrong side failure that could have allowed the signaller to set conflicting moves. The alterations were commissioned, introducing the risk of train collision at the junction, but this was discovered and safely mitigated.”

I congratulate those involved on taking the decision to share their experience. Doing so is not only good for ensuring safe signalling it may be seen as a good example of safety awareness.

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Drugs and Alcohol - post-incident testing Also, on Network Rail’s Safety Central website, the Health and Wellness team issued advice on post-incident testing on 2 November last year. It states: “A number of recent investigations have raised concerns that post-incident drug and alcohol incident testing is not always taking place when it is required.”

The advice adds: “Drug and alcohol tests shall always be undertaken where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that someone is under the influence of drugs and alcohol.” It also refers to “testing due to an incident”. It is aimed at “accredited contractors”.

I suggest that the phrase “the recognised protocols to facilitate understanding and confirmation of safety critical information were not robustly used” in effect identifies one of the current problems.

Professional train drivers, engineering supervisors and those who work on our railway focus on doing a good job and I would argue that the best way is to leave them with the responsibility of reaching a clear understanding rather than using forms of words composed by safety professionals sitting in offices.

Unannounced testing and safety audits

Equally worrying is the drugs and alcohol testing advice on Network Rail’s Safety Central website. Its implication is that suspicion of being under the influence should be a primary requirement before testing is carried out.

Conversely, I recommend unannounced random checks. I recall my astonishment when an unannounced mass testing was begun without warning on one of my bridge repair worksites. It was early afternoon and a number of contract workers (who I later surmised had spent lunchtime in a nearby hostelry) quite literally made a run for it to avoid being tested.

Unannounced random testing and possession protection audits, carried out at unusual times, have often uncovered poor safety arrangements. Are the Office of Road and Rail and Network Rail doing enough of them?

In some places, regular scheduled mass safety tours are carried out. Equally limited in value are the unannounced safety tours, carried out around midnight. I recall making useful site visits a couple of hours before dawn or a couple of hours after a prearranged safety tour to discover what was actually happening - I recommend it!

THIIS IS WHAT WHAT A CONFIDEN CONFIDE NCE L KS LOO LIKE In this increasingly complex world, the RISQS supplier qualification scheme lets the rail industry do business with confidence.

Designed with industry involvement, it gives members a clear sight of what good looks like. So you know exactly how to reach, maintain and access industry-agreed levels of quality and safety – while saving money and time.

See how our new, smarter platform and enhanced audit services could help your business. Visit risqs.org today.

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TRANSPORT AROUND THE

COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORT NEEDS VARY FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY. THE COMMONWEALTH REPRESENTS THIS VARIETY AND RECENTLY MET TO DISCUSS GLOBAL NEEDS

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ransport challenges are global, particularly in the contexts of social mobility, accessibility and global climate change. Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain, Rail Knowledge Transfer Manager at KTN, and a UK representative at the Commonwealth Youth Parliament 2020, looks at how international collaboration can meet some of these needs.

Transport systems around the world vary widely and are perceived differently within this global context. Those who use public transport systems on a regular basis are certainly far more likely to have more detailed opinions on their function than a tourist, who may only use a system once. But, whilst some of these views naturally carry more weight, they must all be considered for the establishment of truly worldclass transport systems.

Similarly, people of all backgrounds and with different needs and accessibility requirements must be consulted, to ensure that systems are truly reflective of all users. More than 70 per cent of the rural population of African nations are estimated to have been left

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unconnected, due to missing transport infrastructure and systems. In urban areas, where an additional two billion people are expected to be living in cities by 2045, the growth in population is far outstripping the growth in public transport, thus limiting access to economic and social opportunities.

One key element of the development of these outstanding systems lies in the value of international collaboration and the sharing of best practice (and lessons learned). Whilst not all technologies, projects and principles are internationally uniformly applicable (most people would not directly compare the Transport for London network in the UK with bus transit in and around Neiafu, Tonga), learning from almost every transport network can, and should, be shared. It is important not to make assumptions about which messages may be useful; those at a local and community level are best placed to make judgements and to extract useful information.

This is especially relevant in the context of global economic recovery from COVID-19, through enabling businesses to market and sell their products and innovations internationally, to the future of the UK following Brexit as we look to build stronger relationships outside the EU, including within the Commonwealth.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Through the Commonwealth Youth Parliament, representatives from a variety of nations discussed international transport development needs and opportunities, specifically amplifying the views of young people.

Decarbonisation is a key focus in transport around the world, with transport emissions, including road, rail, air and marine transportation, accounting for more than 24 per cent of global CO2 emissions in 2016.

In the context of global climate change, and the varying contributions that different nations make to emissions, we must all work to address this crucial need to help those nations most at risk from the catastrophic impact of climate change (including India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Canada and beyond). This has the impact of improving lives around the world in every nation, regardless of risk, safeguarding those in the global community and across the Commonwealth.

Development of sustainable transport is ongoing internationally, from hydrogen train development in the UK with HydroFLEX, through work to develop sustainable stations, to developments in Canada, where the University of New Brunswick is researching lightweighting trains and boats through

use of aluminium, and the University of Carleton is developing a database for precise measurement and assessment of the health impacts of pollution from aviation.

The outputs and learning from this work must be shared internationally, to reduce duplication of effort, and to ensure that the most impactful practice is enacted in nations around the world.

For both improved connectivity and sustainability, development of better integrated networks and transport systems

is crucial. Giving passengers in a wide range of communities greater choice and ensuring door-to-door connectivity is essential in effecting the modal shift from private to public transport.

VARIETY OF VIEWS David Salmon, representative for Jamaica at the Commonwealth Youth Parliament 2020, focussed on bus services, commenting that, “… public transport is essential for communities in order to provide integrated and comprehensive development that factors the needs of all citizens” and that priorities for improvement include punctuality, as well as “…making buses more accessible for the disabled community and to decrease waiting times”. He also commented that “public transportation is important as it can serve as the mechanism to link respective communities,” adding: “Due to the zoning plan in Kingston, many people have to commute for long distances, thus a viable public transport system is essential. To build viable communities, public transportation is necessary”.

Adam Tate, representing the UK, particularly highlighted the regional disparity of public transport across the nation, with transportation in London being much more reliable and accessible, whereas outside the capital it can be “irregular, overpriced and old”.

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A man sits on a boda boda in Uganda.

© Rock Staar

© Random Institute

For national improvements, Adam feels that, “Integrated transport planning is essential, to provide a more robust national infrastructure and systems which are conducive to use focussed on sustainability and health benefits”, particularly to reduce isolation of rural communities and to meet carbon reduction targets.

He highlighted Amsterdam as a key example of a well-integrated city, illustrating how the sharing of learning is particularly key for international transport development; for Amsterdam, active travel facilities and connectivity by bicycle provide a superb example for other smaller cities around the world.

For larger cities and for those in more rural communities and suburbs, however, rail and light rail development is essential for full access to all opportunities. Erasto Richard Magamba, representing Uganda, firmly believes that there is a need to improve railway transport within the nation. He uses boda bodas (motorbike taxis) regularly, in an effort to avoid traffic. Boda bodas are also a common source of income, especially for young men, but have recently been banned from carrying passengers in Uganda to reduce the spread of COVID-19, only being permitted to carry cargo. This has a significant impact on connectivity in the nation, with Mr Magamba commenting, “… public transport is very important when it comes to business transportation because it goes beyond… to cater for an ordinary person deep down in rural areas to connect with urban areas”.

Pubali Bezbaruah, representative for India, echoed this development need in rail and light rail, commenting: “Metro, in almost every state, is needed so that much of the time and money is saved.”

Very Light Rail development in Coventry, UK, may well hold the key to some of these communities’ needs, enabling connectivity without the need for major infrastructure development and reducing costs, timescales and disruption.

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INTERNATIONAL INCLUSION Across this, accessibility and inclusion come to the fore, and must be considered and included for development of public transport of all types. Maria Ovcharenko, representative for Canada, feels that the transport system in her nation is effective and efficient, as well as inclusive, commenting that “…most, if not all, buses and LRT systems are wheelchair accessible”. However, she feels that this inclusion needs further development, particularly in ensuring women feel safe travelling alone at night, commenting that “Edmonton specifically… has begun implementing measures to address this on a superficial level, such as hiring security personnel”.

This consideration of inclusion in the widest possible context is vital for building safe transport networks which inspire public confidence. In the UK, initiatives including Visible Platform are working in this space, highlighting the needs of women and ensuring that the inclusion agenda goes beyond physical access.

A bus in Jamaica.

Moving forward, it is clear that international collaboration across innovations and transport development can address some of these significant challenges. Collaboration is fundamental to the ethos of the Commonwealth, and KTN works to enable this international communication, including through work such as the UK Rail Innovation COVID-19 brochure, which highlights innovations applicable in a global context for rail recovery.

Adam Tate, representing the UK, commented: “…the UK suffers with competing political agendas and is reliant largely on Victorian era infrastructure. There needs to be shared and equitable spending across the UK, looking at methods of creating green and sustainable funding models for public transport.”

Ensuring transport is developed for the needs of people at every level - from tiny rural communities to the international climate change context - is essential to equal access and inclusion. This can be achieved through consultation with communities, working with experts in transportation and through collaboration with international groups.

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TURNING 'BLUE MONDAY' INTO

'BREW MONDAY'

SHORT DAYS, LONG NIGHTS AND BAD WEATHER MAKE JANUARY THE MOST DEPRESSING MONTH OF THE YEAR, BLUE MONDAY BEING THE WORST DAY OF ALL

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he third Monday in January, often referred to as ‘Blue Monday’ is traditionally considered to be the most difficult day of the year. Samaritans’ research with over 1,400 of the charity’s volunteers found that the start of cold days and long nights over winter heightens feelings of isolation and loneliness, especially for those already experiencing loneliness due to the current pandemic restrictions.

This year, on Monday 18 January, Network Rail and the wider rail industry, including British Transport Police and train operating companies across the UK, came together virtually in support of Samaritans’ annual Brew Monday campaign that encourages people to connect with friends, family and colleagues over a warming virtual cuppa and a chat.

New online research from Samaritans found that over half (58%) of UK adults felt that speaking regularly to friends and family either on the phone, via video calls or in person over the last year had a positive effect on their mental wellbeing. Among these, helping people keep in contact with loved ones, feeling less isolated and improving their mood were all highlighted as common reasons for keeping in touch.

To ensure that nobody suffers alone, the annual awareness campaign turned virtual for the first time. Ordinarily Samaritans volunteers would be seen at stations across the UK campaigning and talking to passengers about the importance of listening and staying connected with others. In light of the current pandemic, the rail industry was encouraged to host its own virtual Brew events with staff instead and help Samaritans spread the message across station screens and social media.

Colleagues from Network Rail, British Transport Police and train operating companies, including ScotRail, MTR, LNER and CrossCountry, dedicated time for video calls. On Monday 18 January alone, ScotRail managed collectively to clock more than 80 hours of staff virtual Brews. Rail staff also took part in over 13 virtual ‘How To Listen’ events, run by local Samaritans’ branches to share Samaritans’ listening tips and encourage people to reach out to those around them.

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MOLE AND THE CAKE Railway stations across the UK had a digital Brew Monday presence too, with the help of acclaimed author and illustrator Charlie Mackesy. He shared an uplifting illustration from his international bestselling book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, whose drawings and words of hope have brought comfort to many this year. Charlie penned a new message for Brew Monday within the illustration, as the Mole asks a slice of cake, “can I share you with a friend?”

The artwork was displayed across all 20 of Network Rail stations’ digital screens, including London Waterloo’s big screen on Monday 18 January. The wider rail industry also donated its station screens along routes such as Northern Rail, Govia Thameslink and LNER routes, to highlight the power of human connection to inspire passengers and staff.

Speaking about his support for the campaign, Charlie said: “I’m happy to be able to share the Mole with Samaritans for Brew

Monday. I hope people will see the drawing and consider sharing their own virtual piece of cake and a nice cup of tea with someone close to them. It has been a hard year for a lot of us and talking and being with loved ones means so much more to us now.”

Station staff and those travelling also might have heard a special PA announcement of Samaritans’ listening volunteer Steve talking about Brew Monday. The message was played out across Network Rail stations and train company routes such as West Midland Trains, Northern Rail, ScotRail and LNER on Monday 18 January.

TALKING AND LISTENING Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail said: “This year it was inspiring to see so many people get involved in Brew Monday, taking five minutes to connect over a virtual cuppa. I recognise it is only marked once a year, but it’s more important than ever that we continue to make time for one another, something as simple as this can make a real difference to someone in need.”

Julie Bentley, Samaritans’ CEO, said: “We’re so grateful to Network Rail and the rail industry for their support of Brew Monday this year. The challenges that many people face during this season have been felt

even more acutely this year with the pandemic restrictions.

At Samaritans, we know how powerful talking and listening, even if it is virtually, can be. It doesn’t have to be a Monday or a cup of tea, it’s about taking the time to really listen and supporting one another, which could potentially save a life.”

The Brew Monday support comes as part of the rail industry’s suicide prevention programme. Samaritans has worked in partnership with Network Rail, on behalf of the rail industry, to reduce suicides on the railway for over 10 years, having trained over 22,000 rail and British Transport Police staff to look out for passengers and make conversation if they feel someone might be vulnerable.

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But the campaign and its message of staying connected isn’t just for one day in January, Samaritans is encouraging everyone to continue to check in on their loved ones throughout the winter and beyond. It’s so important now, more than ever.

For more information and to support Samaritans visit Samaritans.org/ brewmonday and why not make a donation while you’re there, you could help save a life.

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NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS

A FOCUS ON STATIONS REPORT BY TIM CASTERTON

HAVING EXPERIENCED PASSENGER GROWTH OF 130% OVER 12 YEARS, NORTHERN IRELAND'S STATIONS NEEDED URGENT ATTENTION

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he Northern Ireland network carried 15 million passengers in 2018, with growth having hit 130 per cent over a 12-year period. Trains and stations were becoming increasingly crowded and investment was needed. Tim Casterton reports on how operator Translink has tackled the constraints on its stations.

During the five years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the world economy, the number of passengers using Translink’s Northern Ireland Railway (NIR) service had been increasing dramatically. This is down to several reasons, including increased traffic congestion in Belfast, new trains and improved rail timetables.

In total, 21 new carriages have been ordered to increase train accommodation, but the stations were not forgotten as several key locations around the network were already at capacity and needed urgent attention. New park and ride locations were also looked at to help reduce congestion.

THE BELFAST STATIONS - A BRIEF HISTORY By the late 1960s, history had left Belfast with various terminal stations on a muchreduced network. The formation of Northern Ireland Railways became the turning point, with the Bangor-line services being linked, in 1976, to the former Great Northern services via the then virtually disused former ‘Central Railway’. Belfast Central station (now Lanyon Place) was opened and Queens Quay and Great Victoria Street stations simultaneously closed.

New stations were opened on the former ‘Central Railway’ at Botanic (November 1976)

and City Hospital (October 1986), serving key locations in central Belfast.

The Larne line and NCC (Northern Counties Committee) route to Londonderry used York Road station until 1992, when the new Yorkgate station was opened, along with the Cross-Harbour link, allowing services access to Central station.

By the start of the current decade, with Belfast Central being re-named Lanyon Place and the more centrally located Great Victoria Street having re-opened in September 1995, circumstances had changed and passenger numbers increased dramatically.

GREAT VICTORIA STREET – THE ‘CENTRAL STATION’ These days, you have to wonder why the perfectly located Great Victoria Street station was ever closed, with its very central location in the City, but, back in 1976, the situation was very different and the diversion and integration of services to the then newly opened and secure Central Station was logical. Sensibly, though, the area and track beds were retained, so as to enable a new station on the site to be re-opened just short of 20 years later.

The Good Friday Agreement in 1998 brought a new and stable peace to Northern Ireland and that, without doubt, brought an increase in demand for travel and tourism and released the latent demand for rail travel.

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Twenty years after re-opening the fourplatform Great Victoria Street station, just a few minutes’ walk from the Europa Hotel and with the Europa bus station adjacent to it, it had outgrown itself as the new lynchpin of the NIR network and has become quite restrictive, so the Belfast Transport Hub project was born.

Planning permission for the development, submitted in June 2017, was finally granted by the Department for Infrastructure on 21 March 2019.

The new £150 million Belfast Transport Hub, one of the NI Executive’s flagship projects, is to be built on the former Great Northern Railway goods yard. The scheme will take around five years to complete and will provide employment for over 400 people during construction.

Designed by John McAslan + Partners, along with Arup, this project will double the capacity of the station, with four additional

platforms. Enterprise cross-border services will be diverted to the new hub from Lanyon Place station. The passenger facilities will also be expanded and further integrated with the adjacent bus station, which will be enlarged by fifty percent. Cycle storage and links to the cycle network are included and also ‘Belfast Bikes’ cycle hire facilities.

The Weavers Cross Development, adjacent to the station, will also bring additional commuters through it. Within the station, enhanced passenger waiting areas, improved accessibility, baby change rooms and new ticket vending machines will be provided.

BELFAST LANYON PLACE Lanyon Place station (previously ‘Central’) is on the east side of the city centre, adjacent to the River Lagan. Now used by 2.6 million passengers annually, it needed a posttroubles refresh.

By September 2018, the main entrance had been modernised and the ‘blast wall’ removed and replaced with a far more welcoming frontage. Inside, the ticket hall was modernised and improved, with retail and café outlets provided. Externally, a new ‘Belfast Bike’ dock has been installed.

To be more reflective of its location, following completion of the works, the station was renamed ‘Belfast Lanyon Place’, after the 19th-century architect who had designed the nearby Custom House and several railway buildings in Ulster.

YORKGATE Yorkgate station was opened in 1992, to replace the former LMS NCC York Road station, as part of the Cross Harbour line project to join the Larne line (and, since 2003, the Londonderry line) to the Portadown and Bangor lines.

The station, located in north Belfast, is to be redeveloped with improved passenger and staff facilities and the layout enhanced and designed to accommodate future passenger growth.

The proposal for the new high-quality transport hub is currently out for voluntary pre-application consultation, which is being undertaken by Translink. The proposal includes a new station building, wider platforms with canopies, a new footbridge, toilets and baby-change facilities, retail FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK

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outlets and landscaping areas of the exterior.

Once redeveloped, the station will deliver improved accessibility and better links to walking and cycling routes, as well as providing enhanced connections to the new nearby Ulster University Campus.

DERRY/LONDONDERRY In the North West, improvements to the Derry/ Londonderry line had caused capacity issues, particularly at Londonderry Waterside station. In 2012, service reductions had been threatened on the route west of Coleraine due to poor track conditions. However, the then NI Regional Development Minister reallocated the A5 road duelling money to pay for the track works.

The line closed for nine months for a complete relay and foundation rebuilding which was completed in March 2013.

The second phase included resignalling and relocation of the passing loop from Castlerock to Bellarena station, allowing services to double from every two hours to an hourly service to and from Belfast from July 2017.

This resulted in a staggering 37

per cent increase in the number of passengers using services between Coleraine and Derry/ Londonderry. In perspective, the line carried just 500,000 passengers in 2002 – this had increased to over three million by 2018.

As a result of the increased passenger numbers, the 1980s-built Waterside station could no longer cope with the throughput, having experienced a 61 per cent increase in use over two years. Translink looked to see what could be done and, in a popular move, eventually decided to re-purchase the vacant former 1873-built Belfast & Northern Counties Railway Waterside station, a Grade B listed building designed by John Lanyon. This was restored and incorporated into the new enlarged Waterside transport hub.

The opening of the new platforms and diversion of trains from the 1980s station to the new site took place in October 2019, as a first stage of the £27 million project. The new track and platform layout offers greater flexibility and now has the capacity to handle additional trains, such

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as the Belmond Grand Hibernian hotel train.

The Lanyon train shed building no longer has trains in it. Instead, it is used wholly for passenger and staff accommodation and includes an information point, ticket facilities and a coffee shop. The project also includes secure cycle parking, a 100-space car park and a bus turning circle.

A new Greenway will be constructed to link Waterside station to the City Centre and Foyle Street bus centre via the Peace Bridge. The project has been designed to make the station a gateway to the North-West region, a catalyst for the re-generation of the wider Waterside and Duke Street areas, and will integrate multimodal forms of transport to support business, leisure and tourism.

As for the postponed third phase of upgrade, NI Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has commissioned a feasibility study to consider the introduction of half hourly train services on the Derry to Belfast railway line. The study will also examine the viability of establishing additional halts, along with park and ride facilities, at Strathfoyle, Eglinton/City of Derry Airport and Ballykelly.

BELLARENA In connection with the introduction of the hourly service to Derry/Londonderry, the passing loop on the single line at Castlerock required relocation to Bellarena, around 10 miles east of Derry/Londonderry station. This required relocation of the station from west of the level crossing to

the east of it. Two new six-carlength platforms, with shelters and customer information screens, were provided and were opened to the public on 22 March 2016.

The official opening took place on Tuesday 28 June when Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied

by The Duke of Edinburgh, unveiled a commemorative plaque on the new Down platform. The project was primarily funded by the Northern Ireland Executive with EU funding support - a topical point that seemingly didn’t go unnoticed by Her Majesty, being just a week after the EU referendum!

PORTRUSH Portrush, a popular holiday destination on the Atlantic Coast, with attractions nearby such as the Giants Causeway, is served by a single-track branch line from Coleraine. With over 620,000 passengers using the branch terminus per year, weighted in the summer, the station building from 1973 had become inadequate.

The 148th Open Golf Championship, scheduled to be held at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in July 2019, would put undue strain on the terminal, so a decision was made to have a complete rebuild completed in time for it. The Department for Communities (DfC) provided £4.7 million of the funding and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) provided a further £0.9 million.

The redevelopment of Portrush station was designated as one of the key regeneration initiatives for the town.

A new landmark three-platform station, fully accessible and

allowing for future passenger growth, was designed. Platforms 1 and 2 were extended to accommodate six-carriage trains. Features include a new main concourse with an atrium which provides natural light, modern waiting facilities, better passenger information, cycle storage and improved signage to local amenities and attractions.

The new station also has the only fully equipped wet room at any Translink station!

Although the station has three platforms, re-signalling in Coleraine in 2016 now means that normally only one platform is in use, unless special provisions are put in place to operate the service with a pilotman on trains and the signal box at Portrush especially opened.

The Eglington Street side of the station has newly constructed, stone-clad walls featuring images of the North Coast including the North-West 200motorcycle race, the air show, golf and costal views. In addition to the regular Northern Ireland Railways services, the Railway Preservation Society

of Ireland has operated the popular ‘Portrush Flyer’ steam train excursions to the station on summer weekends for many decades.

LISBURN WEST – A NEW ‘PARK & RIDE’ The former Knockmore Halt was opened in 1932 on the former Great Northern Railway of Ireland line on the Portadown side of Lisburn. It was served primarily by services on the Lisburn to Antrim Branch line.

However, when services to the branch were withdrawn, it could only be served by Belfast-bound services, as there was no Down platform on the main line. Northern Ireland Railways closed the halt

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

completely on 25 March 2005.

Ten years after closure, housing and industrial development proposals west of Lisburn prompted Translink to submit a planning application for a new park and ride station at the site - Lisburn West.

Located around 1½ miles west of Lisburn, the station was finally granted planning consent on 30 July 2020 by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council. This had initially been deferred in February whilst assessments of road traffic generated by the project were updated.

The consent for the station provides for Up and Down platforms and a loop platform face using the Antrim branch

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line, which can be used to turnback services. A footbridge will incorporate the ticket office and staff facility. The 372-space car park includes 22 disabled parking spaces and two electric car-charging points. The design includes a bus turning area.

A Translink spokesperson has advised RailStaff that “the project will now be progressed, subject to funding and other business priorities”. The proposal complements the council’s plans for sustainable development around fastgrowing West Lisburn, an area where there is already much employment and the re-opening is expected to attract further investment post COVID-19.

RAIL SAFETY WEEK 2021 21st – 27th June 2021

Building Safety Together For more information: call

0161 302 0575

@RailSafetyWeek #buildingsafetytogether

email alan@railsafetyweek.co.uk

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DRIVING INDUSTRY CHAN

10 YEARS OF COLLABORATIVE WORKING THROUGH CD FROM A NERVOUS START, WITH 30-LIFELONG COMPETITORS GATHERED IN THE SAME ROOM AS THEIR MAJOR CUSTOMER, THE COMMERCIAL DIRECTORS' FORUM BECAME A VIBRANT WORKING COMMUNITY

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ust before Christmas 2020, Network Rail held its last National Commercial Directors’ Forum (CDF), bringing one of its most successful engagements to a close and passing the baton of future CDFs to the devolved regions. Stephen Blakey, commercial projects director at Network Rail, provides a review of the journey, CDF’s key achievements and points to some important ongoing themes.

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Launched in 2011, the Commercial Directors’ Forum, or ‘CDF’ as it quickly became known, set out with a brazen aspiration; to drive industry change across the rail sector and establish collaborative working as the dominant approach within the rail supply chain.

It began with some 40 delegates from Network Rail’s Tier 1 capital works suppliers attending a conference centre in Westwood, and initially met something of a luke-warm reception. There was a blend of caution, curiosity and pockets of cynicism, with some expecting they would be told how things should be done, not asked.

But the emphasis was always about having a conversation, seeking to understand the issues that inhibit collective success and, through dialogue and collaborative effort, to deploy ways of doing things better.

It was also about role modelling the right behaviours in the belief that those behaviours would be a catalyst for collective change and strengthening of relationships. The aspiration was to establish a crucible for change and

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NGE

CDF

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Tackling Inefficiency & Waste Systemic Inefficiencies in Network Rail Infrastructure Projects

an environment of transparency and trust that would be the platform from which to commence our collaborative journey. And, indeed, it was the arena from which we committed to a collaborative strategy for our capital works portfolio and to pursue independent accreditation of our collaborative capability through achieving BS11000 by 2012.

WORKING GROUP 2B:

EFFICIENCY

DELIVERING KEY OUTPUTS To ensure it wasn’t a ‘talking shop’ it was important to identify key issues and deliver tangible change. This was achieved, in the first instance, through a focus on improving the speed of payments from Network Rail to Tier 1s and in turn from Tier 1s to Tier 2s. The output was a Fair Payment Charter (FPC) that committed signatories to pay suppliers within 28 days and to cease the use of retentions.

Whilst the FPC was voluntary for the Tier 1 suppliers, Network Rail formally changed the payment terms for its capital works contracts from 56 to 21 days and abolished the use of retentions.

As a result, by 2012 the CDF was seen as a serious undertaking and, in addition to burgeoning attendance from key suppliers, professional institutions and industry stakeholders began to enrol as regular delegates.

Convening every six months, each National CDF established several working groups to address a range of thorny issues - from safety and sustainability through to change control, claims management, benchmarking and efficiencies. These working groups comprised volunteers from within the CDF, who defined the problem and proposed outputs via a

‘quad of aims’ - a simple chart that helps to ensure every team member understands the project and what they expect it to deliver.

They would then develop a solution which, once validated by all CDF delegates, would be deployed and adopted across all CDF organisations.

It took a lot of collective effort amongst the members to maintain momentum and two facets are acknowledged as being fundamental to CDF’s success - the building of trust through open and honest exchange and the concept that the ‘price of participation, is participation’. The latter not FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK

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only set the expectation of delegates whilst attending each two-day CDF, but also applied to their active participation in a number of working groups tackling a set of priorities agreed for each year. With the working groups meeting two to three times between each CDF, membership represented a serious personal commitment.

But the delegates kept coming and the appetite to participate grew to the point where numbers had to be capped at 80.

EXTENDED ENGAGEMENT Over the years, the forum faced several challenges from finding the optimum ’drum beat’ and format to maintaining a manageable number of working groups.

Importantly, the forum had become mature enough to regularly take stock, reflect and challenge itself as to how to do better. It also now included delegates who were ‘Agent Provocateurs’, included specifically to act as critical friends and constantly provoke and test our approach.

One such challenge was how to extend the engagement to Tier 2s and Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) without becoming unwieldy and deconstructing the relationships that had been built over the years. The answer, which unwittingly was the precursor to future CDFs in a devolved structure, was the ‘Franchise Model’.

This model established regional and asset-based CDFs across the country, with the majority of delegates drawn from the regional supply chain and an emphasis on Tier 2 and SME representation, supplemented by relevant Tier 1s. These regionally led CDFs focused on local priorities, with Network Rail’s regional commercial directors ensuring

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working group continuity and alignment. It proved to be a highly effective model and a blueprint for the future.

By 2016 the strength of empowerment and advocacy across the regular delegates reached its height and CDF was widely recognised as market leading, with a number of industry awards to prove it.

More importantly, the forum had delivered a range of industry-changing improvements including: • A rail sector Fair Payment Charter - an industry first; • A rail sector Sustainability Charter - an industry first; • A minimum 5% tender weighting for Sustainability - an industry first; • BS11000 certification of Network Rail, with key suppliers following suit; • Significantly shortened payment terms (from 56 to 21 days) and the removal of retentions; • An improved approach to assessing safety competencies during the tendering process; • Joint development of a consistent framework for collaborative behaviours; • The use of NEC3 (a family of contracts offering a complete end-to-end project management solution for the entire project life-cycle) with some of our long term frameworks; • Review and collective adoption of Rail Method of Measurement (RMM); • The publication of a range of best practice guidance notes on issues such as disallowable costs and fees, change control and claims management.

Many of the above aspects, first tackled at CDF, went on to mature and become

‘business as usual’ for the rail sector. For example, key elements of the Fair Payment Charter are now enshrined in Network Rail’s standard terms and conditions, along with many of the best practice guidance notes and, of course, the use of a standard commercial taxonomy for capital works, the Rail Method of Measurement.

National CDF continued to inform the collaborative agenda, outputs and publications right up to 2020, including: • Network Rail’s accreditation as one of the first six organisations from around the globe to the International Standard for Collaborative Working, ISO44001; • Published guidance on the 12 key enablers to successful Alliances and the use of NEC4; • An industry-wide survey of commercial practitioners’ perceptions and challenges; • Further best-practice guidance and improvements to our standard terms and conditions; • The creation and roll out of Dispute Avoidance Panels (DAP); • The publication of the first standard form of subcontract for rail (NR22).

TTT Perhaps one of the most valuable outcomes from the National CDF wasn’t so much ‘a thing’ but the creation of four successive cohorts of a working group called Tomorrows Talent Today.

Known colloquially at the ‘Triple Ts’, these successive groups comprised high-potential commercial practitioners (seen as potential commercial directors of the future) with a remit to bring a practitioners’ perspective to the forum. In addition to informing areas

of focus, validating proposed solutions and being CDF/rail industry ambassadors, they were charged with holding the CDF to account and testing sentiment and awareness of outputs via an industry wide commercial survey.

The credibility of the Triple Ts has gone from strength to strength and the value of being part of a network of high potential practitioners and commercial directors is obvious. In addition to positive feedback from the 40 plus participants, Tier 1 commercial directors confirm that participation is valuable enough to warrant inclusion on CVs. Advocacy from suppliers as to the value of the Triple Ts is strong and is perhaps best summarised by Alasdair Reisner, chief executive of CECA, in his executive summary to the latest Triple T commercial survey, published in December 2020: “One of the things that the Commercial Directors’ Forum can be most proud of in its history is its decision to set up the Tomorrow’s Talent Today (Triple Ts) working group. Over the last 10 years, more than 40 future leaders from CDF member businesses have played an active role in both the working group and forum. But Triple T members have not only been participants. Through their industry surveys, they have also provided a vital resource, developing real data on how the CDF has changed the way our sector operates.”

Sentiment and advocacy from longstanding as well as more recent delegates is very strong with regards the Triple Ts, as well as CDF, both being cited as a ‘force for good’ and highly effective models for driving a collaborative agenda directly with the supply chain.

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• Suppliers should consider how to support the Conflict Avoidance Coalition and The Pledge; • RICS (The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) sees Network Rail as a ‘Gold Standard’ client in the pursuit of conflict avoidance through its deployment of Dispute Avoidance Panels (DAP) and associated conflict avoidance and mitigation processes; • The launch of the first standard form of subcontract for rail (NR22), developed through a CDF working group and with a follow-up form now planned for April 2021; • The collaborative journey continues and it’s time for CDF to be devolved to the regions; • There are some recurring themes to be considered, ranging from safety and sustainability through to efficiency and benchmarking.

Each region is well placed to take advantage of its own previous experience and the blueprint of the ‘Franchise Model’ and draw from the items above as it feels appropriate. And, in addition to the inherent agility and focus a regional approach will bring, the regions will also be able to immediately harness the strength of sentiment from those suppliers that are advocates of the CDF model.

First out of the blocks is Northwest and Central Region, which held its first Regional CDF in January and has already picked up the thread on several key themes, including improving safety, collaborative working, improved efficiency and benchmarking and vitally, the establishment of the next cohort of Triple Ts. Our collaborative journey has taken us from opening a dialogue and asking questions at that first CDF to delivering tangible changes on matters important to our suppliers and industry. In doing so, we’ve established the rail sectors’ collective credentials and have shown the power of collaborative working.

There’s more to do and many a challenge ahead, but the experience and appetite is in place for the regions to continue the collaborative journey, deliver a collective aspiration to drive industry change and leave a lasting legacy.

It’s a journey that I have found personally and professionally to be one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.

DEVOLVED TO THE REGIONS In December 2020, National CDF was brought to a close with the baton being handed to the devolved regions. In its final forum, the following was offered up to delegates and the regions: • Working collaboratively has meant that our industry responded very well to COVID; • Collaboration, whilst more relevant and prevalent than ever, must flourish after the pandemic; • The Triple Ts issued a very credible commercial survey for the regions to take forward; • The future’s bright, the future is CEMAR (a cloud-based contract management system); FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK

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YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

S L A N IO S S E F O R P L YOUNG RAI U! O Y S D E E N YRP

OU DON'T, Y IF , R O ?

IL A R IN K DO YOU WOR DO YOU SIMPLY R O ?

O T E IK L U O Y WOULD R TRAINS? O F T O P S T F O S A E HAV

I

f the answer to any of these questions is yes, then please read on... Young Rail Professionals might just have the perfect volunteering opportunity for you!

YRP is searching for enthusiastic volunteers to join its dynamic committees at both regional and national level. The current team has navigated amazingly though the unprecedented challenges of the past year, keeping the community engaged through new and inventive initiatives, creating a support network for loyal members and utilising its voice in the industry to connect people from living rooms across the UK. YRP has grown from strength to strength, adding new technologies, collaborators and activities to its repertoire.

And now it needs your help to continue the YRP mission.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

Ultimately, YRP is looking for people with passion, awareness, dedication, ideas, drive, approachability ... people who want to join YRP committees and make YRP even more of a success than it already is. The search is on for the next team of YRP leaders!

A YRP leader is anyone who holds responsibility for YRP. There are eight regional

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committees, focussed on delivery of YRP initiatives and YRP networking at a local level.

There is also a National Executive Committee that oversees the running of the organisation with finance, marketing and communications, strategy and coordination responsibilities.

Typically, YRP leaders start at a regional committee role and work up to a national executive role, garnering confidence, contacts and experience along the way.

The range of roles is broad, so hopefully there’s something for everyone.

YRP needs young rail professionals to lead and support its national initiatives and activities, such as into rail, Rail Week, our networking and development programme, our annual awards, our heritage railways project and Young Rail Tours.

On top of all that, YRP needs young rail professionals to lead and support its regional

committees, grow its activities on a regional level, encourage cross-working and build sustainable local networks.

Young rail professionals are needed to guide, support and engage with members, nurture and develop relationships with industry contacts and collaborators, manage the website, marketing and social media channels, raise YRP’s profile in the industry, share skills, share knowledge, share career insights and opportunities and endorse the UK railway industry as a great place to work.

In short, YRP needs young rail professionals to promote, inspire and develop the next generation of railway talent.

A full list of leadership positions can be found on the YRP website.

WHY JOIN? YRP leadership is an opportunity unlike any other you are likely to have in the

early years of your rail career. It offers a chance to run elements of a business, lead teams of people or projects, raise your profile across the industry, and get exposure to a broad range of people, professions and experience levels. YRP leaders have used their experience in chartership and professional qualification applications, and

many will tell you how their career progression has been accelerated by skills and experience acquired with YRP. YRP is also fun! Whilst the work to inspire, promote and develop the next generation of railway talent is taken very seriously, YRP leaders form a tight community, together with their members, and make friends for life. There

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

is a strong social scene and members enjoy relaxing together after their work is done.

In most positions, the workload is very manageable, even though it is in addition to the demands of the day job. Whenever circumstances change, and YRP leaders struggle with a commitment, colleagues are extremely flexible and support each other. No-one is left to be overwhelmed by work.

WHO CAN JOIN? YRP provides maximum development benefit to those in the first 10 years of their career in rail.

But anyone who works in the rail industry (or with an interest in the same) can get involved there are opportunities to suit all abilities, backgrounds and locations.

As well as committee members, YRP is always on the lookout for speakers, mentors, corporate members (more on that next time!), collaborators and, of course, members generally.

ANY OTHER USEFUL BACKGROUND? YRP is a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers alone, and its constitution restricts it from giving monetary benefits or gifts in return. This is

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

45

for good reason - every penny of funding YRP receives from corporate members is carefully invested in its initiatives and aligned to its objectives.

That all makes for agility, allowing flexibility in roles and responsibilities, simplifying the process for onboarding new volunteers, and makes every member and leader of YRP equal, from newbie to executive.

That all sounds wonderful! So how do you get involved?

YRP’s election and appointments process is taking place right now, until 1 April 2021 - please contact chairsoffice@youngrailpro.com with expressions of interest or any questions if you’d like to get involved. You’ll find that everyone is happy to talk to anyone about the opportunities on offer.

And finally ... if you work for a company that’s interested in becoming a YRP corporate member - how does this work?

Keep your eyes peeled for the next article, where you’ll be able to find out more about corporate memberships. In the meantime, you can download the current YRP Corporate Members’ brochure from the YRP website or contact rachael.thompson@ youngrailpro.com (YRP Head of External Relations) for more information.

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CAREERS

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SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS IN 2021 The 2020s have got off to a unique start, and for many, life has been turned upside down. If a new job is on your to do list for 2021, don’t miss out on Advance TRS’s top tips on how to land your perfect role in the new virtual world.

ENGAGE AN AGENCY Recruitment agencies have been working with key clients throughout the pandemic and have a full understanding of who is hiring and what opportunities are out there to best suit you.

To get the most out of your agency make sure you select an industry-specific recruiter and build up a positive relationship with your consultant. Good recruitment consultants have exclusive relationships with their clients, with access to roles that are not openly advertised on the job market. Simply put, your dream job might be out there but you may never see it unless you engage with a consultant well embedded in your industry, working with the companies you want to work for. So do your research to find the consultant representing these companies and let them unlock the hidden gem jobs you didn’t even know about.

A recruitment consultant can help you throughout the job hunting process from updating your CV, to guiding you through the interview process, bringing you to life for the client, supporting you as an advocate in any uncomfortable salary conversations through to helping you settle in your new role.

Finally, remember this service is free for you! So make sure you get the full benefits of working with a pro.

Start with your most relevant experience and achievements and make sure to tailor your personal statement to the role you’re applying for. When it comes to personal statements, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Putting a little effort into getting it right can go a long way.

When it comes to formatting your CV, go with a layout that looks professional and will keep the reader interested. This is your chance to sell yourself and making your CV easy to read and interesting will help you stand out.

UPSKILL Now is a great time to upskill and it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are plenty of courses online that are either free or only require a small fee to be paid and you can enrol and get started right away. New certifications can then be added to your CV. This will also show potential employers that you are proactive and take your personal development seriously.

You might even want to think about reskilling and getting qualified for a new role or sector

entirely. Maybe it’s something you have been wanting to do for a while but never found the time to do it.

KEEP IT RELEVANT When it comes to applying for jobs, try to stick with what is relevant to you and your experience. It can be very disheartening being turned down for a role, even if it wasn’t suitable for you in the first place.

Take your time to really read job descriptions and decide whether you have the right skillset and experience for the role before you apply.

You will be much more likely to stand out and you’ll have a higher chance at hearing back and being invited for an interview.

GIVE YOUR CV SOME ATTENTION Updating your CV should be your very first point of action. Bear in mind that recruiters and hiring managers look at dozens of CVs on a daily basis, so you want yours to really stand out and be interesting for them to read.

You can do this by writing everything down, condensing the information to a maximum of two pages and restructuring.

Updating your CV should be your very first point of action.

Bear in mind that recruiters and hiring managers look at dozens of CVs on a daily basis.

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TOP TIPS FROM SPECIALIST RECRUITER ADVANCE TRS ON HOW TO LAND YOUR PERFECT ROLE IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS Many things about the interview process have changed or evolved in response to the pandemic, but the importance of preparation remains to be the most vital step.

Whilst the interview is an opportunity to learn more about the role and your potential new employer, it is important to make a strong first impression and the easiest way to do that is to prepare.

UNDERSTAND THE JOB

Read through the job specification and match previous experience against it ready to demonstrate in the interview. Make notes on key points or where you have any questions.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Look at their company website, key personnel on social media and note down any relevant information to have with you for the interview. Find out about the company’s Vision / Mission / Values / Purpose, key selling points and differentiators, key specialism and area of expertise, service offerings and geographical coverage KNOW YOUR CV

Read through your CV prior to the interview,

Advance TRS are a niche recruitment consultancy specialising in the provision of highly-skilled technical professionals for the built environment.

Advance TRS provide permanent, contract and temporary recruitment solutions to both candidates and clients across a number of key technical sectors including rail, water

making sure you remember start/finish dates of previous jobs and you can speak about any points on your CV, with examples of projects or work completed.

PREPARE SOME QUESTIONS

Make a list of 5-10 questions that are relevant to the role. You can then ask these during and at the end of the interview.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Be ready to back up any achievements or competency-based questions with statistics, supporting documentation and impact statements.

VIDEO INTERVIEW TOP TIPS • Test your camera and microphone set up before your meeting.

• Do a couple of test runs with the specific software being used to become familiar with it. Often you can open the interview link early to test your camera and mic.

• Make sure you are in a quiet location with strong wifi signal and good lighting so you can be clearly seen.

• Make sure your background is suitable and you are well presented (if in doubt dress smart!).

• Click the link in good time to make sure you do not miss the meeting.

Just because you are not face-to-face does not mean first impressions are any less important! Even though you may not be able to be seen, your posture dictates a lot about how your voice is perceived. Make sure if seated, you are comfortable, and sitting upright (not slumped).

If you are more confident walking or standing, make sure you do not get out of breath or distracted by other activities and you have a place you can return to, to write notes or review documents.

PHONE INTERVIEW TOP TIPS

& environment, construction and property services.

Our specialist rail recruiters have over 200 years’ experience in the industry. We work with Tier One contractors on some of the biggest rail infrastructure projects in the UK. Key specialist disciplines within the rail industry include: Signalling, Telecoms, M&E, Civils,

Permanent Way, E&P, HQSE, Commercial, Project Management, and C-Suite.

For more helpful interview tips and job search advice check out the Advance TRS website and Advance Advice articles.

For our latest opportunities visit www.advance-trs.com or speak to the team on 01483 361061.

• Make sure you are somewhere quiet with good signal.

• Set up a space where you can focus and have a surface where you can keep any documents to hand or write notes.

• Make sure any other devices are on silent or do not disturb and make sure you pick up the call!

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CAREERS

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REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER

MAKING

AN EARLY START IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION ON THE FIRST DAY IN A NEW JOB. BUT ARRIVING EARLY CAN BE JUST AS IMPORTANT.

C

olin Wheeler remembers a true story that can be taken as good advice to all new starters, but which can also act as a warning to the complacent.

I recall being told about the newly appointed railway divisional boss who had lodged locally near his new office and was expected to begin his first day by arriving at around nine in the morning.

Instead, he arrived at the office doors a little before 7am. The office messenger arrived, having collected the morning post, a few minutes later. He accepted the assurance that the man was “due to start work in the office but was early” at face value.

The new man offered to help unlocking the building and with sorting and delivering the mail around the offices. With a little prompting as they worked together, the messenger explained to the newcomer what each of the sections did, who was likely to arrive first and who he found best and easiest to do work for.

The office, the new boss had been warned, was not working well and “had its problems”.

An hour or more later, he thanked his confidant and, having admitted who he was (and shown proof thereof), he moved into his personal office, asking his confidant to say nothing as he thanked him profusely for their time together.

This gave the talented new boss a great start in his new job, in which he was most successful.

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From this beginning, the individual went on to establish a good rapport with local engineers, supervisors, and indeed all staff, both outside and in the offices, before being promoted further.

He also earned the respect and commitment of trades unions and safety representatives.

w way ay People P Pe eople.com The perfect r u o y r o f m r o platf new career

RailwayPeople.com is the largest dedicated rail job site in the UK. With thousands of job opportunities updated daily, your next career is a fingertip away.

Visit RailwayPeople.com to find your next role today and become an essential part of the UK’s rail industry.

Tel: +44 (0)1530 816 450

@railwaypeople

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CAREERS

RAILSTAFF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

DELIVERING QUALITY RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS FOR THE RAIL INDUSTRY Regional Test Manager Location: London Salary: Negotiable Type: Permanent This role is an excellent opportunity to work with a tier 1 global contractor and work alongside some of the most experienced signalling testers in the industry.

+44 (0)1483 361061

Head of Account Development

Design Manager - Rail Civils Location: Cardiff Salary: Negotiable Type: Contract Ideal for a Design Manager with depot build experience on stations and previous experience working in a similar role within programmes from a civils aspect.

info@advance-trs.com

NATIONWIDE

Nationwide, based working from home

Principal Systems Engineer Location: York Salary: Negotiable Type: Permanent Lead the development, adaptation, introduction and systems delivery elements of SSI and SMARTLOCK systems for signalling systems in the UK and Ireland.

advance-trs.com

Subscribe to our free publications at www.railsubs.com

Full Time, permanent position, salary negotiable + competitive benefits package As our Head of Account Development you will lead and develop our Account Management function to ensure that contractual framework opportunities are maximised across multiple divisions so as to embed our services in the clients supply chain. As a key member of the SMT, your focus will be on identifying new target customers and converting opportunities into a sustainable pipeline of work. This will be achieved through research and intelligence gathering, action planning and meeting with clients in order to promote our range of services.

Apply today by emailing kaye.toy@auctusmg.co.uk www.rssinfrastructure.com RSS Infrastructure are an equal opportunities employer.

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www.rail-media.com

e h t n i o j

team

Do you want to influence the future of Welsh infrastructure?

We’re one of the largest and most diverse rail organisations in the UK and we’re looking for ambitious individuals to be part of our team.

You’ll be responsible for delivering innovative engineering design and operational delivery solutions, enabling you to make a genuine difference to the environment around us.

We’re supporting Transport for Wales with the Core Valley Lines Transformation project, upgrading the railway infrastructure on the Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr and Rhymney valley lines.

Broaden your skills, build relationships, develop leadership capabilities – our environment is one of collaboration and support that empowers you to take control of your career. Now is your time to join a team of specialist railway professionals.

Take a look at the roles available – visit amey.co.uk/rail-recruitment and start your journey with us.

Serious planning TRS offers a complete project management service that takes you all the way from plan to plant.

Grounded in our unrivalled industry knowledge and expertise, we can save time, protect budget and improve quality on your next project – helping you get the job done safer and better than ever before.

Call 01962 711642 for more or go online. totalrailsolutions.co.uk