RailStaff May/June 2020

MAY/JUNE 2020 | ISSUE 267

SURVIVING COVID-19

KIRSTEN WHITEHOUSE'S BATTLE WITH COVID-19

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PLUS NEWS PEOPLE FEATURES HEALTH & SAFETY COMPANY FOCUS TRAINING CAREERS

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Let’s say thank you to rail industry key workers for keeping the country moving...

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net-cert.co.uk

CSM-RA free webinars

Ever thought about ways to de-risk your project?

Come and understand why and how to engage with CSM-RA at one of our free webinars NCB are hosting a number of free webinars providing an overview of Common Safety Method for Risk Evaluation and Assessment (CSM-RA).

NCB delivers essential independent assessment for technical, operational and organisational changes supporting around 135 safety assurance projects which enables us to be experts in CSM-RA.

The European Regulation on CSM-RA came into force on 30th April 2013. It is a framework that describes a common mandatory European risk management process and aims to harmonise processes for risk evaluation and assessment and the evidence and documentation produced during the application of these processes.

The briefing is for 30 minutes and then we will host a 30 minute Q&A session to answer any specific questions you have relating to this subject or your project.

If you are interested in attending one of our webinars please email ncbenquiries@networkrail.co.uk or visit our website to register online.

A Rail Infrastructure

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Rail Vehicle

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CONTENTS MAY/JUNE 2020 | ISSUE 267 TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF 'WORKING FROM HOME' | 30

Whether working from home or being furloughed, anxieties and concerns are only natural at a time when looking after our mental health is as important as our physical wellbeing.

ANOTHER TRACKWORKER DEATH | 36

In the aftermath of a recent tragedy and several near misses, safety expert Colin Wheeler asks what more the industry needs to learn and must do to keep its workers safe.

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SURVIVING COVID-19 | 40

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COVID-19 is an awful disease that has killed a lot of people.

But what is it like actually to suffer it and survive?

Kirsten Whitehouse tells her story.

A RICH AND RUGGED CANVAS | 44

Health workers from St Thomas’ Hospital no longer walk past drab brickwork after street artist Lionel Stanhope has brightened up the railway bridge they use aswell as many others.

INVESTING IN ESSENTIAL SKILLS | 54

Lockdown and social distancing have forced companies to work in new and different ways, favouring those with skilled, versatile and adaptable workforces. HS2 is no exception.

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? | 16 re HE AKES TARDS UNIQUtsEmore entries, mffo’s M T A H ta rac W FF AW re. RailS ards att RAILSeTaAr, the RailStaff Aawnies than ever btesfoix categories. comp the firs Every y nd more a preview of a t s re h inte s wit ge start covera

GRADUATES IN LOCKDOWN | 56

Trainees need to learn from supervisors and managers and work with different departments and projects around the railway, even while working from home during lockdown.

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Staff

The lockdown eases, replaced by confusion

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

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Two months ago, the message from government and health advisers was clear.

Don’t travel unless you have to, and even then, don’t travel. If you must go out, stay at least two meters from anyone else - even cross the road to avoid them - and then wash your hands.

Oh, and don’t travel.

With a few exceptions, the nation was banished to its back bedroom, working from home.

The exceptions were, of course, frontline staff - NHS workers, police and transport staff who were keeping all the other frontliners able to get to work and back again.

It seemed to work. There were few trains running with even fewer passengers on them, no cars on the road and only a few people out walking their dogs.

But it couldn’t last. The NHS got on top of the pandemic, the government started to feel the pain of paying the wages of furloughed staff, now reportedly up to nine million people, and business owners needed to get at least some income to pay rent and services.

So, in June, things started to ease.

People who couldn’t work from home were encouraged to get back to work, but on foot or by bicycle. If they had to, they could go by car. They should use public transport only as a last resort and wear a facemask - originally recommended and now compulsory.

Of course, that didn’t work either. At the first sniff of an easing of restrictions, we had people crowding onto beaches (and leaving them covered in litter), flocking to country beauty spots (and leaving them covered in litter), staging illegal raves and barbeques and generally NOT social distancing.

Then we had demonstrations, protests and, in some cases, riots, sparked off by events in America. Social distancing went out of the window - it’s difficult to distance when taking part in a large demonstration that is crowding the streets.

On the railways, the timetables picked up with more services running, though the unfortunate open-access operators, with no government funding, were all still on furlough with their trains parked up. Face coverings became mandatory on 15 June - a week later in Scotland - and rail unions were concerned that their members would be asked to enforce them. The government said that the police would do that, but that most people would be sensible and wear them from choice.

In fact, not many people wore them and almost nobody enforced the regulation. How surprising!

We therefore wait for the second spike of COVID-19 as the law of averages catches up with the bathers, picnickers, rioters and careless travellers. What will happen then?

Back to the back bedroom probably!

Through it all, RailStaff carries on, but even we are affected. We didn’t print in May but are doing so for this combined May/June issue. The next will be July/August and then, probably, September/October. Hopefully, we shall be back to normal for November.

Whether we will be, who knows? It partly depends on how well behaved everybody is and whether we get the infamous ‘second spike’.

We are still bringing you the news - look for it daily at railstaff.co.uk - and the RailStaff Awards is still scheduled for Wednesday 25 November. Fingers crossed! nigel@rail-media.com FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK

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RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

Avanti West Coast staff bolster policing teams To help with the Covid-19 crisis, some Avanti West Coast staff have swapped their day jobs to take on the role of special constables to bolster policing teams.

Customer service assistants Alistair Campbell and Josh Jensen have been given special permission to dedicate their usual working hours at Avanti West Coast to support the British Transport Police (BTP) as Specials.

Downloadable comic promotes safety on the railway Network Rail has produced a comic book, available online, which highlights the devastating consequences trespassing on the railway can have.

It has been produced as part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade and is based on Network Rail’s multi-award winning safety film ‘18’, which showcases just how dangerous trespassing on the railway is, particularly in areas where the railway is electrified.

The plot for both the film and the comic was devised through safety workshops that Network Rail ran with schools across Northamptonshire with more than 250 pupils ages 11-16 taking part and inputting their ideas. One idea, put forward by Kingswood Secondary Academy in Corby, was then chosen as the basis of the film.

Producing the film and comic in this way made sure that they resonate with the target audience, as well as getting pupils in the area where the railway line is being electrified, engaged with the message.

Network Rail is urging parents and carers to speak to their children about the dangers of trespassing on the railway, particularly as new figures show that there have been over 1000 trespass incidents since lockdown began.

Level crossing misuse rises

As people emerge from lockdown, Network Rail and British Transport Police are concerned at the dramatic increase in the number of people risking their lives at level crossings after a surge in people not using them correctly.

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Network Rail has released shocking pictures of a child left on tracks just so the irresponsible adult with them could take a picture.

This was taken at Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, while another image at the same level crossing shows someone kneeling on the track while holding a dog, again so a picture could be taken.

Meanwhile a few miles away at Mill Lane level crossing, footage shows two people almost walk out in front of a moving train before rushing back to safety.

Mike Gallop, Network Rail’s Western route director, said: “It is shocking to see people unnecessarily risk their life and it is happening too often.

“When people lose their lives through not using level crossings correctly it’s tragic, not only for the families involved but also the drivers, passengers and wider communities.

“We strongly urge people using crossings, to stop, look, listen and stay alive.”

In addition, special dispensation has been given to Seema Jadva, a human resources business partner, and to train manager CJ Morgan, for them to volunteer their working hours to support the Metropolitan Police as Specials on the streets of London.

Stephen Bullock, who started his role as operations and safety development consultant at Avanti a few weeks ago, has also been volunteering for his local force, Lancashire Police, in his spare time.

When the UK went into lockdown, they were given the go ahead by the inter-city operator to spend their working hours helping regular policing teams protect and support communities local to the West Coast main line during the pandemic.

MP makes 'virtual' visit to rail industry Several rail organisations have shown their efforts in combating Coronavirus in a virtual site visit with influential Transport Select Committee member Chris Loder MP. Balfour Beatty, Movement Strategies, Network Rail and Ricardo Rail all took part in the ‘virtual visit’, demonstrating their work to ensure the rail network can keep moving key workers and resources, keep workers safe on site and support the NHS efforts to tackle Coronavirus.

The organisations, ranging from multinational organisations like Balfour Beatty to small and medium enterprises (SME) like Movement Strategies, showed how the rail industry is working as a united front helping the UK through the crisis.

The virtual visit was part of the Railway Industry Association’s (RIA) Rail Fellowship Programme, an initiative established in 2018 which brings politicians onto rail sites to help them develop an understanding of the on-theground workings of the industry. The Fellowship Programme is an important mechanism for ensuring politicians are in touch with key issues and workings of the industry.

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LNER chooses innovative startups to improve UK rail travel As part of London North Eastern Railway’s innovation programme, LNER FutureLabs, the train operator will be working with five of the most innovative startups around the world to accelerate new projects to improve rail travel in the UK. Startups were invited to pitch their pioneering ideas in three key areas; More Journeys More Often, Personalised Customer Experience and Responsible Business.

Following two consecutive pitch days with startups from around the world - all held via Microsoft Teams - the panel selected five successful start-ups to take forward: • QikServe, from Edinburgh, will be using their experience of digital self-service

technology to help deliver an ‘at seat’ personalised customer experience; • Skignz, a global leader in augmented reality based in Middlesbrough, will be looking at how to create a personalised mapping and information experience for customers at and nearby LNER stations; • iomob, based in Barcelona, will aim to encourage more people to travel by train through the use of technology that supports better mobility; • Green City Solutions, from Berlin, will be working to provide clean air and healthy spaces for customers as part of LNER’s Responsible Business plan; • Sirenum will also be looking at the area of Responsible Business through advanced systems management from their headquarters in London.

Danny Gonzalez, chief digital and innovation officer at LNER, said: “It was fantastic to hear from startups from as far away as North America and the Middle East about how they would apply their innovative approaches to the UK rail industry.

“There was tough competition, but we have selected five startups that will now move onto the next stage of the accelerator programme and to see some of the ideas start to come to life. They certainly have the potential to make a real difference to the lives of our customers, communities and colleagues.”

The five successful start-ups will receive unprecedented access to LNER’s live operational environments and one-to-one mentoring from senior team members as they develop their proof of concepts. A Demo Day will then be held in Central London in September.

Russia: only railway bridge to Murmansk collapses The sole railway bridge that connects Murmansk in northern Russia with the rest of the country has collapsed due to the weight of water in the Kola river.

As a result, no passenger or freight trains can reach the Artic city, home to 300,000 people, for the foreseeable future.

Trains are being terminated short of the bridge and passengers are having to complete their journeys by bus as the road bridge is still intact. What arrangements are being made for freight are unknown.

Murmansk, which lies north of the Arctic Circle, has a relatively mild climate due to the Gulf Stream. However, the surrounding area still has a high snowfall and it is this that is melting, raising the water level in the river. © 51.mchs.gov.ru

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RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

Irish Rail helps reduce carbon footprint Over 50 of the largest companies in Ireland are signatories to Business in the Community Ireland’s Low Carbon Pledge.

In doing so, they have publicly committed to halve their direct carbon footprint between now and 2030.

Business in the Community Ireland, the national network for sustainability, created the Low Carbon Pledge in 2018 with the aim of being a starting point for their member companies to commit to cutting their carbon footprint. The Low Carbon Pledge requires signatory companies to reduce the intensity of their Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.

One of the companies to have signed the Pledge is Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail). Chief executive Jim Meade (pictured) said: “Public transport plays a central role in reducing Ireland’s carbon footprint, and in helping our customers to do so also, but through the Low Carbon Pledge we commit to doing more.

“We are committed to achieving a 50 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 and supporting Ireland’s ambition to becoming a carbon-neutral economy by 2050.”

GBRF invests in Cambridgeshire GB Railfreight (GBRf) one of the UK’s leading rail freight operators, has announced a series of investments into its existing facilities and properties in Cambridgeshire.

The company is continuing to invest in its site at Maskew Avenue, Peterborough, where its state-of-the-art simulators are located. Earlier this year the company announced a £3million investment in building a new control room, three classrooms, a board room and staff welfare facilities.

The company is delivering further investment at the site including upgrades to the locomotive fuelling system that will improve performance and the safety of staff using it. GBRf has also been working with Balfour Beatty and Network Rail to enable works to go ahead to create new intermodal sidings.

Meanwhile, at the March Up Yard site, the business is starting to see the benefits of the investment it has put in over the last few months. Operations now include a wagon maintenance and stabling depot, which has significantly improved all of the Sibelco rail services. The Sibelco contract sees trains run out of Middletown Towers to Goole, Monk Bretton and Barnby Dunn delivering sand to the northern region.

GTR staff cover over 800 miles for NHS To raise cash for NHS staff and volunteers caring for Covid-19 patients, eight members of GTR’s train presentation team came up with the idea of covering the distance from the most northern depots on the GTR network in Bedford and Peterborough, down to the depots in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis in the south west and Brighton and Eastbourne in the south east a total of 349 miles.

The team - Anthony Dowsett, based at the Brighton and Eastbourne depots; James Canty, based at Littlehampton and Bognor Regis depots; Janine Foulger

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and Daniel Odgers at Bedford; Simon Beal at Littlehampton; Emilia Zawisza at Cricklewood; and Allison Welsh and Arun James, who are both based at the Selhurst depot - all exercised in their local area and logged their distance on running application Strava. However, in just two weeks they far exceeded 349 miles and instead covered an impressive 838.5 miles - the equivalent of travelling from Land’s End in Penzance to John O’Groats in the far north of Scotland.

They also beat their fundraising target of £1,000 for the NHS Charities Together by raising £1,880.

Britain’s Largest Specialist Transport Union

COVID-19 reducing rail workplace risks...

GENERAL STRATEGIES – • • • •

If you’re not well – don’t come to work and don’t travel.

If you’re at work wash your hands frequently with soap and water/hand sanitiser.

Where possible work from home.

Maintain at least 2 metres social distancing at work.

THE EMPLOYER SHOULD ENSURE THE FOLLOWING – • • • •

•

• •

Restrict passenger travel to essential journeys only for as long as possible.

If 2 metres social distancing can’t be maintained, agreed protection must be in place.

Non-PPE standard masks such as surgical masks and face coverings are no excuse to allow over-crowding or breaches of 2 metre social distancing.

Tasks must be Risk Assessed and Safe Systems of Work created and agreed with RMT Representatives according to the circumstances and in order to protect staff and public in the current Coronavirus emergency.

Risk Assessments and revised Safe Systems of Work may mean that PPE is required in order to protect the wearer, such as face masks, visors and gloves. Where such PPE is required, it must be of a sufficient PPE standard as agreed with RMT Representatives to protect the wearer.

Where provided, PPE must be adequate and always available.

Such situations may include, but are not limited to, working on gatelines, providing passenger assistance and interaction with passengers on-board trains.

RMT ADVICE TO MEMBERS – • Remember, if you are placed in any situation where you feel your health and safety is not protected, you have a legal right to take yourself to a place of safety.

• RMT WILL PROTECT YOU AND YOUR RIGHTS. • Talk to your RMT Health and Safety Rep about your concerns.

If you’re not in the RMT, now is the time to join.

These are unprecedented times and you’ve never needed our protection more than now.

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Protecting our members’ interests is our priority

Join us today www.rmt.org.uk

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Andy Byford is new Transport Commissioner for London Andy Byford has been appointed as London’s new Transport Commissioner His most recent role was president and chief executive officer of New York City Transit Authority, where he was responsible for 50,000 staff and devised a $40 billion five-year investment plan to renew the city’s transport system.

He joins TfL on 29 June.

Current Commissioner, Mike Brown is staying on until 10 July before he takes up a position

overseeing the renovation of the Houses of Parliament.

Andy Byford, who is 54 years old and grew up in Plymouth, Devon, brings to TfL a track record of leadership and transformation within major urban transport authorities during a transport career that has spanned over 30 years and three continents. As well as his recent leadership role in New York, his previous positions include CEO of the Toronto Transit Commission, Canada, and deputy CEO of Rail

Corporation New South Wales, Australia.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m delighted to confirm Andy Byford as London’s new Transport Commissioner. I look forward to working with Andy as we build a greener city with clean and environmentally friendly travel, including walking and cycling, at the heart of its recovery.”

Past lives: Chris White (1942-2020)

Chris White was the epitome of the dedicated railwayman. He loved trains from an early age and, on leaving school, he joined British Rail as an S&T trainee at Exeter, soon getting to grips with the technology including work on the Bristol Power Box project.

Once qualified, Chris chose to specialise in telecoms, moving to Slough as a maintenance technician and, later, a telecoms works engineer on the Bristol-Paddington 4MHz transmission system.

In 1976, he was appointed telecoms maintenance engineer on the Southern Region, based in Croydon.

He set about creating a regional telecoms fault control to reflect the growing importance of telecoms in the successful operation of train services. The control

room staff were able to prioritise faults and direct the telecoms technicians accordingly.

He then moved to BR HQ, into the top telecom maintenance job, and introduced the same standards for fault controls on a national basis.

During the mid-1980s, Mercury Communications was established - installing its fibre cable network in railway trough routes with BR contracted for the maintenance. This required strict times for the repair of faults, with financial penalties imposed for poor performance and the telecom group needing to be BS 5750 (a quality management standard) registered.

Eventually, Chris was absorbed into BRT (British Rail Telecoms) but was never comfortable there. He retired from BRT and joined Atkins, where he undertook many projects, both in the UK and abroad, latterly advising Crossrail on telecom issues.

Chris also pursued his love of railways and steam engines, joining the Bluebell Railway to become a fireman and then a driver. The Bluebell realised his other talents and Chris became the safety director, introducing a safety management system into a largely volunteer work force.

He then became the infrastructure director, which presented him with the challenge of the extension northwards from Kingscote to East Grinstead, including the excavation of rubbish from a filled in cutting. The logistics of removing the waste material plus planning, environmental and financial elements were difficult tasks. The extension duly opened on 23 March 2013.

Chris was an inspirational leader to those who worked for him. His ‘can do’ ethos leaves a legacy of successful projects as a tribute to his memory. He died recently, after a short illness, and will be sorely missed.

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Malcolm Brown to replace Kevin Tribley at Angel Trains

Leading train leasing company Angel Trains has announced that its CEO, Kevin Tribley, will retire on 1 September 2020, after 21 years with the business.

Kevin has been with Angel Trains for over two decades, and on its board for 11 years, as commercial director, COO and CEO. Under Kevin’s stewardship, Angel Trains has undertaken a major programme of asset renewals and enhancements.

Former CEO Malcolm Brown, who led Angel Trains for ten years prior to Kevin’s appointment, will return to lead the business from AMP Capital, where he has spent the past two years as a partner in the infrastructure asset management team.

Angel Trains chairman Tom Smith said: “We are indebted to Kevin for his contribution to Angel Trains. He has been instrumental to the success of the business and establishing it as a leading investor in UK rail.

“While sad to lose Kevin, we are delighted Malcolm is returning. Malcolm led Angel Trains through one of its most successful decades and brings a deep understanding of the sector and industry.

We are fortunate to have a CEO of Malcolm’s calibre and experience to take the helm.”

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New chair for rail industry's West Midlands Supervisory Board and Grand Rail Collaboration Alex Warner has been appointed as chair of the Grand Rail Collaboration (GRC), a West Midlands rail industry group committed to boosting train reliability and passenger satisfaction. He takes over from West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, whose one-year term ended in May. The Grand Rail Collaboration, which also acts as the rail industry’s West Midlands Supervisory Board, brings together the West Midlands Rail Executive, Network Rail, passenger and freight operators and other rail industry partners. It is committed to leading the rail industry in the West Midlands by working together to provide passengers, freight operators and stakeholders with a better service.

Alex’s role as chair is

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Network Certification Body appoints George Bearfield Dr George Bearfield has been appointed as non-executive director of railway assurance and certification expert Network Certification Body (NCB).

independent of the industry but, as the leader of the supervisory board, he reports to Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy.

Areas of the rail industry the GRC will tackle include passenger and freight train performance, simplifying fare structures, improving the quality of trains and stations, sharing busy track capacity in the most efficient way and delivering resilient, reliable timetables.

George has 25 years of experience in safety assurance and engineering and is currently health & safety director at Rock Rail, with responsibility for Rock Rail’s safety management systems including safety assurance responsibilities for all fleets under its management.

He was previously the director of system safety and health at RSSB, where he was responsible for the work to support the rail industry in all aspects of its health and safety management and assurance processes and capabilities. George also played a key role in the setting of the national rail health and safety strategy and in delivering associated programmes, including sponsoring the successful relaunch of the national supplier qualification scheme, RISQS, in 2018.

Talking of his appointment, George said: “Robust and dependable technical assurance is absolutely essential to the railway and, since its inception, NCB has proven itself as one of the key players in this field.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the board of NCB and its executive on continuing that journey.”

Powering excellence A new company, Breserv, is setting out to be the ‘Go to Company’ for all electrical installation work on the railway while having the objective of providing a first-class service for all clients, based on integrity, honesty and professionalism.

With a skilled and experienced time-served workforce, Breserv prioritises sustainability and minimising the environmental impact of everything that it does.

Managing director Stephen Royle (left) comes to Breserv from major electrification contractor SPL Powerlines UK, where he was a senior project manager for systems and civils work. He has also held freelance consultancy roles at Network Rail, AECOM, Signalling Solutions Limited and ABC Electrification.

His rail career started in 1978 as an apprentice for British Rail on the London Midland Region (LMR).

After working in various roles including site electrician, senior and principal technical officer, he moved into a managerial role in 1992.

Nick Booth (right) is Breserv’s operations director. He joined Babcock Rail in 2008 as distribution supervisor, overseeing high voltage and low voltage renewals. As the Network Rail contract moved, Nick transferred with it, first to AmeySersa and then to Balfour Beatty as construction manager responsible for the installation of LV works in support of S&C renewals.

Earlier in his career, Nick worked overseas at Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok) installing power, lighting and the main fibre optic link

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connecting the airport buildings.

He moved into rail in 2006 when he joined Carillion in a new E&P division as site supervisor, undertaking points heating, level crossing upgrades including lighting and statutory fixed testing of Network Rail premises.

Between them, Stephen and Nick have the experience to manage a variety of electrical contracts on the railway. Breserv is actively taking on work in the fields of electrical surveying, electrical installation, specialist trackside locations (including

SEE PAGE 59

points heating, signalling power supplies, goods or stabling yards and level crossings), new buildings and refurbishments, testing and commissioning, and statutory and portable appliance testing.

Steve Royle commented: “We are committed to employing and developing a skilled workforce that will benefit both the rail and electrical industry.

To bring new talent into the workforce and offer a traditional progression from apprentice to senior manager with a solid development structure.”

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GB Railfreight appoints Alex Kirk as infrastructure manager GB Railfreight has appointed Alex Kirk as general infrastructure manager. He joins GBRf from Network Rail, where he began his career as a graduate in the commercial freight team. In the six and a half years there, Alex worked as freight manager in Wales and then sponsored freight enhancement projects in the South.

MTR European chief to retire in September Jeremy Long, CEO of the European business of MTR, is to retire on 30 September 2020 after 15 years at the helm.

Established in 1975, MTR now runs railways in Hong Kong, the UK, Sweden, Australia, China and Macao. Jeremy Long joined in May 2005 to establish a business for MTR in Europe, and has led its progressive development in UK and Sweden over this period.

During this time, MTR has become known as one of the most reliable and customer-focussed rail operators in the region.

Under Long’s leadership, MTR won a number of contracts including London Overground and the Elizabeth Line (TfL Rail) in the UK, and Tunnelbanan, Stockholm’s Metro system, and established the open access MTR Express operation in Sweden.

In the UK, MTR has been twice named London Transport Rail Operator of the Year – for MTR Elizabeth Line services.

Announcing his retirement, Jeremy Long said: “I am very proud of what we have achieved over these last 15 years and want to say thank you to all the brilliant colleagues who have played their part in this.”

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This appointment comes at a time when GBRf’s business has enjoyed a long period of growth.

It now has turnover in excess of £200 million a year and operate over 1,000 trainloads a week, moving approximately 23 per cent of the UK’s rail cargo. The infrastructure team is set to play a leading role in supporting the recovery of the railway post COVID-19.

Alex brings with him knowledge of Network Rail as well as of the drivers for CP6 and

the pressures they face. He has developed strong relationships across Network Rail and Transport for London, which will be key in his new role.

James Le Couilliard joins Rock Rail Rock Rail, the rolling-stock investment company, has appointed James Le Couilliard as a new partner to focus on rail development opportunities in the UK and Australia.

James’ appointment comes as Rock Rail is expanding its operations in both Europe and Australia, having successfully secured £3 billion of institutional funding for new rolling stock over the last four years.

James has over thirty years of commercial experience in major infrastructure transactions in both the public and private sector, predominantly in rail. He has worked in the UK and Australia and held numerous senior level commercial and industry advisory positions. Most recently in rail, he was projects and bidding advisor for Hitachi on existing rolling stock supply and maintenance contracts and ongoing bids.

As well as his commercial experience, James brings with him an extensive knowledge and appreciation of public sector operations, having spent seven years as commercial lead on the £5.7 billion Intercity Express Programme for the Department for Transport.

Rock Rail has also recently made two appointments to its advisory board in Germany, with Hans Leister and Andrew Chivers joining the team.

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NEWS

13

TransPennine Express donates catering stock Electric services from London finally reach Cardiff Passenger trains are now running from London Paddington to Cardiff using electric traction the whole way, following the electrification of the Severn tunnel.

While electric services commenced on 7 January, they had to continue running under diesel power through the Severn tunnel. This was because the overhead electrification (OLE) system was suffering from rapid corrosion in the tunnel, which meant that an electrical supply couldn’t be sustained.

Some parts of the tunnel perhaps 20 per cent - were very

wet from water leaking through the lining from the Severn estuary and covering the OLE system with salty water (a good electrolyte) wasn’t a good idea.

So Network Rail worked hard to replace drip pans and grout the tunnel lining, all to control the water and make sure that, if leaks couldn’t be prevented, at least they ended up in the drainage system and not on the OLE. The OLE was energised over Easter, since when test trains, and the occasional in-service train, have run through the tunnel under electric power. Those tests were successful, so passenger services can now run through allelectric for the first time.

With catering suspended on services due to the Covid-19 pandemic, train operator TransPennine Express (TPE) is one of several train operators that have been donating some of their stock of on-board catering product to organisations across the country.

To date, TPE and catering partner Rail Gourmet have donated around £5,000-worth of on-board catering product that customers would normally see on-board services travelling around the North of England and Scotland.

Organisations that have received donations include The Parkland Hotel, which look after homeless men in Manchester, and nearby Wellspring Community Church in Moston.

They received £1,000 worth of stock to help create food

packages for those most in need.

Newcastle Foodbank and the Happy at Home charity in South Tyneside have also received help.

Emma Teale, Customer Experience Manager for TransPennine Express, commented: “Rather than letting the perishable stock that we have go to waste, we have worked with our catering partner Rail Gourmet to distribute food and drinks to charitable organisations across the whole of our network.”

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14

NEWS

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

NEWS IN BRIEF Train operators kill 99.99% of viruses and bacteria

As train services are set to increase around the country, a number of train operators are trying out new anti-virus agents to deep clean and prepare their trains.

Avanti West Coast has been testing Zoono Z-71, a powerful, longlasting sanitising treatment, which kills 99.99% of viruses and bacteria on surfaces, inside its carriages.

Meanwhile, the South West’s leading train operators, SWR and GWR, have been trialling a similar product that is sprayed inside train carriages overnight, building to a fog which coats all surfaces and is proven to fight against Covid-19 for up to 28 days.

These trials came in the midst of the further easement of lockdown restrictions, and the introduction of mandatory face coverings, from Monday 15 June.

Employee director for Avanti West Coast

Train operator Avanti West Coast has chosen its first ever employee director. A train manager based at Euston, Lizzie Power will take on the role of representing colleagues in the boardroom.

Elected for a three-year term, Lizzie will step down from her ontrain role and concentrate on providing senior leadership with an employee viewpoint on matters affecting the overall business.

She wants to use her time to create an open forum amongst all roles through meetings and surgeries at offices, stations and depots across the network - focused on the changes and challenges colleagues will experience as a new business.

Greens call for increased electrification

In its response to the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) rail assessment commission for the North and Midlands, the Yorkshire and Humber Green Party has raised concerns about “the lack of commitment to tackling net-zero emissions on our railways”.

“We do not see how the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) can recommend investment priorities for the north without addressing the central issue of decarbonisation head on”, the party continued.

In its submission to the NIC, which will advise government on the investment priorities for rail in the north before HS2 is operational in the region, the regional Green Party stresses that the decarbonisation challenges are a central issue for the current review, which needs a major rethink on electrification.

LNER to improve mobile coverage north of Newcastle

To boost mobile phone coverage along a 45-mile stretch of the East Coast route between Newcastle and Edinburgh, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has announced plans to partner with mobile phone operator O2 that will not only benefit customers travelling onboard train services through the North East but also the many communities where limited or no signal currently exists in North Tyneside and Northumberland.

Northumberland County Council has granted planning permission for the first of up to 12 new masts, with the final phase of the project seeing 5G available within Newcastle Central Station by summer 2021.

Stobart Group to withdraw from Rail & Civils

In its annual financial results, Stobart Group has announced that it will withdraw from the Rail & Civils business.

David Shearer, non-executive chairman, said in his report: “The Rail & Civils business was impacted by continuing costs on a legacy contract which necessitated a further provision in the year.

This business is unlikely to generate the appropriate returns for shareholders given the risks and we have decided to withdraw from this sector during the course of FY21 (ending February 2022).”

However, a company spokesperson later said on Twitter: “We have a number of identified interested parties who are better placed to invest in our Rail & Civils division.” So perhaps a change in ownership is on the cards?

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Welsh distillery switches from gin to sanitiser A Welsh gin distillery has been working with international transport operator Keolis to produce thousands of litres of hand sanitiser for front line rail staff across Wales and the Borders.

Welsh-based Keolis UK contacted Hensol Castle to ask if the distillery could help meet the needs of its Transport for Wales Rail Services operation, which had been looking at ways of boosting its supply of alcohol gel sanitiser.

Hensol Castle, which until late February was making plans for the opening of a visitors’ centre and gin school in the cellars of its 17th century castle, understood there would be a critical need for sanitiser as the Covid-19 pandemic grew. Working quickly to re-purpose its distillery, it set about producing highly effective hand sanitiser for industrial use.

Nigel Stevens, chief operating

officer at Keolis UK said: “I’ve a real sense of personal pride that we have been able to strike a partnership with this fantastic Welsh company in their efforts to support the country during a time of national crisis - providing an excellent product and service to both staff and passengers in the process.”

15

NEWS

The one that got away This year’s Railsport National Angling Championships, due to take place on 12 August 2020 at Makins Fisheries, has been cancelled as a result of COVID-19.

Organisers delayed making the announcement to see how

the lockdown panned out, but it is now official.

Although individual angling has been allowed to recommence under strict guidelines, team competitions and major angling events remain on hold at the present time with social distancing being a major

problem. It remains unclear as to when the government will allow angling tournaments and team competitions to recommence - it may happen by 1 August, but then again it may not.

Reluctantly with the safety of anglers and their families in mind, not forgetting the distance

some competitors have to travel, and together with the timescale in organising the event, the decision has been taken to cancel this year’s National Angling Championships.

Railsport looks forward to welcoming fishermen and women back in 2021.

Improved freight train scheduling A consortium made up of Sheffield-based railway technology company 3Squared and operators Rail Operations Group and Freightliner has won government funding to develop an innovative solution to help rail freight plan short term paths more effectively.

Currently, a sizeable proportion of freight train schedules, which are in the Working Time Table, are either unused or cancelled.

The consortium’s Dynamic Freight Capacity Management (DFCM) solution will provide train planners with a historical record of train movements, allowing

people just like you!

schedules which are frequently cancelled or part-used to be quickly identified and then bid for.

As a result of the tool being able to identify unused paths, knock-on delays to scheduled services will be reduced, improving punctuality for both passenger and freight operators.

Rail Operations Group and Freightliner are due to pilot the system later in the year and it is hoped that if the reliability of paths improves and the time taken to produce and submit an application decreases then it could be rolled out across the industry in the future.

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16

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

WHAT MAKES

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

UNIQUE? EVERY YEAR, THE RAILSTAFF AWARDS ATTRACTS MORE ENTRIES, MORE INTEREST AND MORE COMPANIES THAN EVER BEFORE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT A CORPORATE EVENT. WHY?

T

he rail industry, like almost all other industries, has its fair share of awards evenings. Organised by trade associations, publications, interested parties and even individual companies, they are all pretty much the same. Only the RailStaff Awards stands out as being completely different from all the others.

Since its inception in 2007, the annual RailStaff Awards has been quite different from all the other rail industry events that take place throughout the year.

The first major difference is that no company ever wins anything. The RailStaff Awards are for rail staff – the people that make the industry great.

There are 20 categories, some for teams, some for individuals and some for both, but they are all for people.

Of course, all of those people work for a company, and their employer will get the kudos of them winning an award. Indeed, many companies encourage employees to enter, and even help them do so. Posters appear on company noticeboards, and it is possible that some nominations are even written by company PR departments, but, at the end of the day, it is the person that is in the frame, not the company.

Very often, the entrant isn’t even nominated for being a good employee, or a good representative of the company. The Train Driver of the Year doesn’t win because she is great at driving trains, and the Signaller of the Year isn’t a winner because he is a conscientious signalman. No, they win because of what else they do, in their spare time and between shifts. They work to support colleagues, the public and the industry, to make the railway safer or to help the needy and infirm, to help schoolchildren be safe around the railway and to develop new ways to make the railway more efficient and perform better – often not in the area in which they normally work.

In short, they win for ‘going the extra mile’ – a rather hackneyed phrase but one which, in this case, describes exactly what the judges are looking for.

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Do you work with an extraordinary train driver, station manager or engineer? Nominate them in one of 20 categories today:

THE CATEGORIES IN FULL: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Apprentice of the Year Award for Charity Customer Service Award Depot Staff Award Digital Railway Person (S&T) or Team Award Graduate or Newcomer Award HR, Diversity & Inclusion Person or Team Award Learning & Development Award Lifetime Achievement Award Marketing & Communications Team Award Rail Civils / Infrastructure Team Award Rail Engineer of the Year Rail Manager of the Year Rail Person of the Year Rail Project Manager Award Rail Team of the Year Recruitment Person or Team Safety Person or Team Award Samaritans Lifesaver Award Station Staff Award

17 - SPONSORS -

NOMINATIONS AND PUBLIC VOTING The second difference from other awards is that nobody enters. Everyone is nominated by somebody else. So, individuals and teams are nominated by colleagues and co-workers, by management, by friends, by union reps and even by the public. Anyone can nominate and there are only two rules – you can’t nominate yourself, and you can’t work for RailStaff (which would be a bit unfair).

It's also preferable if the nominee doesn’t work for the category’s sponsor, as that can affect the judging. So, for example, a train manufacturer could choose to sponsor the Train Driver of the Year award, as many of those drivers will be driving that company’s trains, and then encourage its own staff to be nominated for Depot Staff of the Year, as that’s where they work.

Once the nominations are in, details are posted on the Awards’ website and then the public voting commences. Yes – public voting!

Anyone and everyone can go onto the website and vote for their favourite, whether it be for an entry that has really impressed them or just for their mate. This is when the nominees need to mobilise their fan clubs to get the votes in.

Once the public voting is complete, details of the top fifteen in each of the 20 categories go off to the judges – a mix of independent

people, RailStaff personnel and category sponsors. The judging teams then choose a winner and up to two ‘highly commended’ entries for each category.

To give some idea of the volumes involved, in 2019, the 20 categories attracted 1,359 nominations for 765 nominees (some had multiple nominations) proposed by 1,221 nominators. Those nominees then received 100,776 public votes, or an average of 131 votes each.

EVERYONE HAS A GREAT TIME On the night, after a good dinner and some spectacular entertainment – usually consisting of fire-breathing young ladies hanging from the ceiling by ribbons (watch the video on the website if you don’t believe it!) – the compere runs through the various categories, every short-listed finalist is named, the highly commended entries are announced, then the category winners go up on stage to receive their awards to thunderous applause (and sometimes a lot of screaming from colleagues at the table!).

After the presentations are over, and photographs taken, the RailStaff Awards shows the third way in which it differs from other industry affairs. Rather than the largely male audience leaving their tables and aiming for the bar, which is what happens at many other events, in this case, as the Awards are

for people, many have spouses, partners and/or colleagues with them. Let the party begin!

Dancing continues until one, and there are various other activities to indulge in as well.

In summary, the annual RailStaff Awards is an EVENT. It’s a celebration of what makes our industry great - its people. Winners and finalists come from all levels of the industry, from the lowest to the boardroom. And you know what? They all mix and mingle and have a great time.

If you’ve not been to the RailStaff Awards, then you should. No, you must! It’s not a ball (but there are some great party frocks), it’s not a networking event (though it is), and it’s not a corporate event (though corporate pays for most of it). It is all of those things and more.

It’s the RailStaff Awards!

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18

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

RAIL TEAM OF THE YEAR O

ne of the most loosely defined categories at the RailStaff Awards, Rail Team of the Year gives nominators broad scope. A team can be any number between two and infinity, and there is no restriction on what role that team has in ‘real’ life.

So, nominating a pair of recruiters, five drainage specialists, ten train cleaners or twenty timetable planners – all are equally valid entries.

That permissible variety was evident in the nominations in 2019. A total entry of 64 teams included train operator apprentices, community ambassadors, a graduate outreach programme, a performance and planning team, train care, customer service, revenue protection, a station team (including the station cat!) and even a team of drivers testing new trains in the Czech Republic!

What will the RailStaff Awards attract in 2020?

MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY As it happened, the 2019 winner was the ‘Scotrail in the Community’ team, which had successfully delivered a number of community rail, regeneration, transport integration, accessibility and charitable schemes over the previous year.

This included high-profile events such as hosting the Association of Community Rail Awards in October 2018, which was attended by close to 500 people - an event record.

There have also been smaller changes that have had a big impact on people’s lives.

Grace’s Signs, a more-inclusive toilet door sign for people with invisible disabilities, has been introduced to all stations. It is named after 13-year-old Grace Warnock, who has Crohn’s Disease and who came up with the idea after facing criticism from strangers when she used accessible toilets.

In a nomination bursting with success stories, there were also mentions of: a comprehensive programme of cycling initiatives, reducing the notice for passenger assist times to only two hours from April 2019 and increasing ScotRail’s ‘Adopt a Station’ programme to 75 per cent of its stations, while still reducing overall costs by 20 per cent.

James Ledgerwood, head of economic development and communities at ScotRail, said: “I’m so pleased for the team, because that’s the key thing. I work with a wonderful team - they’ve worked so hard since Abellio won the franchise to really change what the railway’s about.

“They’ve changed it from being just about getting from A to B to being much more about the community and this is just a small reward for the work the boys and girls have done.

“Community rail is at the forefront of what the franchise is all about. Railways are going to be so important in the future, they’re going to be at the heart of communities, whether it be for getting people to education, work or for tourism, it’s about connecting people to opportunities.”

The Rail Team of the Year Award was sponsored by on-track plant hire specialists Total Rail Solutions (TRS). Paul Bateman, chief executive officer at TRS, said: “What can I say?

Another fantastic evening showcasing the rail industry and the people who make it happen.

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“For a second year, we have chosen to sponsor the Rail Team Award as I firmly believe it takes a team effort to deliver success and this is certainly the philosophy at TRS. So much so we have already agreed to continue our support at the 2020 awards.”

FORGING AHEAD Paul Bateman and Total Rail Solutions are back for another year, once again sponsoring the Rail Team of the Year Award. This is because team spirit is very important for TRS’ business philosophy, which is based on the three Ps – plant, processes and people.

“Our focus this year is to professionalise the business,” Paul Bateman said. “We’re launching TRS Digital as a platform that will enable us to digitise our site paperwork to make it more efficient and fully auditable. And we are working with a systems business that is helping us to develop a resource planning tool for all aspects of the business, from planning though to finance and assurance.

“Our capital expenditure for the year has been adjusted slightly, given the Covid situation, but our focus will still be on continuing to buy equipment to service the requirements of CP6.”

TRS is still making plans for the future – “We’re forging ahead,” said Paul, “and we’re

19

financially stable, so there are no concerns about that.”

Two major plans for this year are the move of the company’s headquarters from Basingstoke to Newbury in July and the establishment of a new depot in the North of England.

The company recently opened a depot in Wales. It started out as purely a yard, then portacabins were added until it turned into a regional office. “We needed a Welsh depot to support our work with Transport for Wales,” Paul commented. “It’s in a great location and it will help us with projects in South West England as well.”

The move from Basingstoke to Newbury is a key milestone for the business this year. The new headquarters is a purpose-built, 7,000 square feet office giving a good working environment for the staff. TRS will be able to host client events there, there is good security onsite and it will be a marked step up from the facilities at Basingstoke.

It has been a difficult time for the plant hire industry across the board. Covid-19 came along just as Network Rail was getting ready to start up its major CP6 works, and suddenly the lockdown resulted in the industry being largely shut down again (completely so in Scotland).

However, maintenance has continued and, once the lockdown is over, the work on the railway still needs to be done. It may mean that deadlines get extended, but the work will still be required.

The strength of the team is what will pull TRS, and the rail industry, back from this crisis. Paul Bateman is a strong believer in teams, which is why he sponsors the Rail Team of the Year award as well as the VIP reception, where his team can network with the industry as a whole.

He also appreciates the work that goes into staging the RailStaff Awards every year. Organising sponsors, arranging the venue, booking hosts and entertainment, music, lighting - it’s a team effort.

IT’S NOT JUST OUR MACHINES THAT DO THE HEAVY LIFTING There’s much more to TRS than plant hire. Where some providers give you a machine, we give you a service. And if you need it, complete project management running end to end, offering a single, reliable point of contact from planning to completion.

It’s why we’re the trusted partner for clients who count on us to go further.

To uphold their name, advise their teams and deliver on time and budget.

Nobody works harder to make your life easier.

www.totalrailsolutions.co.uk

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20

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

RAIL PERSON OF THE YEAR A

lthough not intended to be the ‘Champion of Champions’ award, it is historically the last award of the evening and is often seen that way.

The award encourages and celebrates the success of exceptional people within the rail industry. 52 people were nominated in 2019, 15 shortlisted and nearly five and a half thousand people voted for them.

Nominations were all about people who had overcome adversity, in themselves, in their jobs, and in helping other people.

Paul Case, of CPC Project Services, was highly commended in this category for being fundamental in the development of multiple industry programmes and initiatives that enhance the careers of young professionals and support the next generation of skilled leaders.

Scott Nickels of West Midlands Trains, on the other hand, attended a woman who had collapsed on a train.

Discovering her to be unresponsive and without a pulse, Scott then ran around the platforms at London Euston to fetch a defibrillator and then gave her CPR. By the time paramedics arrived, she had regained consciousness. He, too, was highly commended last year.

A RAIL INDUSTRY HERO Great Western Railway’s Pete White won the judge’s votes for his actions when a train he was working on became stranded by heavy snow with around 20 customers on board, including children.

Concerned about morale, Pete spoke to each of the customers several times to build up their spirits, keeping them calm and reassured.

As the train was still stranded at 22:00, and with customers having been onboard for nearly five hours, Pete left the train and, after struggling through snow, returned from a local shop with food and drink for customers and fellow staff members.

Later that night, at 23:30, he was contacted by his line manager who informed him that Network Rail and the local police would be unable to help for several more hours. Pete then spoke to every customer, keeping them aware of the situation, despite facing some challenging conversations. He also took the name and numbers of all passengers so GWR could contact them at a later date.

The points were cleared at approximately 01:00 and the train was finally able to transport most of the passengers back home. However, it became stuck again at another sets of frozen points, with a few RAILSTAFFAWARDS.COM | @RAILSTAFFAWARDS | FACEBOOK.COM/THERAILSTAFFAWARDS

passengers still on board. Pete again did his best to keep morale up until they eventually arrived at the final station at around 03:30.

Pete had, by this time, been on shift for 14 hours, taking care of his customers with a smile, reassuring them with his fantastic customer service and looking after them at risk to himself.

For his remarkable efforts, Pete was awarded the ‘Rail Person of the Year’ trophy at the 2019 RailStaff Awards. He said: “We all do a tough job on the railway – anyone in my position would have done the same thing.

“I just come from a slightly different background, that’s all, and made a success of it. I went from being long-term unemployed to having a lifelong career ahead of me - from being jobless for as long as I was, that’s not all that common.”

Kenny Burton, from award sponsor Matchtech & Resourcing Solutions, said: “I’m a firm believer in ‘you can teach anything to anyone’. But what you can’t teach is the attitude towards anything. The right attitude outweighs talent any day of the week and, if you’re talented as well, it’s a win-win situation.”

TALENT WILL COME THROUGH Matchtech & Resourcing Solutions will once again be sponsoring the Rail Person of the Year Award in 2020. It’s a good pairing, as the Rail Person of the Year Award is designed to recognise those within the industry who excel at what they do, while Matchtech & Resourcing Solutions are dedicated to connecting talent with leading companies in the rail industry, and so understand the value of exceptional people.

Last year, the award was given to Pete White of Great Western Railway, who won the award for the fantastic example he set working

21

N consultants pride themselves on as a ticket examiner and their industry expertise, building dispatcher. This year, the judges and retaining large networks of will be looking for similarly experienced and highly skilled inspiring people, who go above professionals. They build close and beyond to deliver excellence relationships with candidates in the rail industry. and foster a deep understanding As part of the same group of of their individual capabilities, specialist staffing companies, going further than just their Matchtech & Resourcing Solutions documented Sentinel and/or joined forces in 2017 to become industry-related competencies, one of the largest rail recruiters so providing an excellent service in the UK. Their complementary to both candidates and clients. offerings ensure excellent If there is one thing that the coverage across both design testing time of 2020 has taught, it and site works, with Matchtech is that people have an immense focusing on professional Email:services info@resourcing solutions.com capacity to inspire others, helping experts and Resourcing Solutions them to better themselves by specialising in site-based project leading through example. delivery talent.

Last year’s winner of the Rail As a combined force, Person of the Year Award, Pete Matchtech & Resourcing White, was proof of this. His CV Solutions are highly embedded did not boast the most impressive into the rail industry. Together, qualifications or projects, but his they have been connecting story spoke for itself - he was candidates with clients for the person most deserving of over 25 years, offering both an recognition for being inspirational excellent service and expert in his attitude to others. understanding of projects, skills There’s nothing better demands and talent trends. They than seeing people fulfil their have supplied talent to all of the potential, and that is what the UK’s major projects, including RailStaff Awards is all about – HS2, Crossrail, Bank Station sitting down with industry peers Capacity Upgrade, Victoria and celebrating the inspirational Station Upgrade, Northern stories of the nominees.

Line Extension, Transpennine Matchtech & Resourcing Upgrade, East West Rail and Solutions look forward to seeing Wales & Borders. you there!

The two companies' specialist

We are proud to sponsor Rail Person of the Year are proud to sponsor Rail Person of the Year

Engineering and construction recritment specialists, working together in rail, power and the built environment.

Engineering and construction recruitment specialists, working together to provide rail talent in signalling, P-Way, civils, comms, E&P and M&E. matchtech.com resourcing-solutions.com Email: info@resourcing solutions.com FACEBOOK.COM/THERAILSTAFFAWARDS | @RAILSTAFFAWARDS | RAILSTAFFAWARDS.COM

22

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

HR, DIVERSITY

AND INCLUSION O

ne of the longer titles for a category in this year’s RailStaff Awards - the HR, Diversity & Inclusion Person or Team Award - is also actually one of the most topical.

recruiting or recognising progress. The proportion of female graduates in the rail division has risen from 12 per cent in 2015 to 43 per cent in 2019.

Diversity is always in the spotlight. Whether it is Network Rail’s attempts to get its proportion of female employees up above 20 per cent, the activities of the Archway network for the railway’s LGBT+ community, or initiatives to include more disabled, ethnic minority and disadvantaged people into the rail community, it is all of great public interest.

The specialists who look after diversity and inclusion tend to work for HR – human resources. So, the three areas are rightly combined in this award.

Of course, winners don’t necessarily win for their work in these fields, so the actual nomination could be for something completely different.

HR SUPPORT The winner last year, though, did win for his efforts in HR support.

Dave Rees joined WSP’s UK rail business in 2008. Since then, it has engendered a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion while growing its headcount from around 250 to 760. His practical approach has helped deliver exceptional results for WSP and put it in a strong position to achieve its ultimate objective of being Britain’s first genderbalanced engineering consultancy.

As a result of Dave’s insight, drive and industry knowledge, particularly in identifying and targeting post-chartership staff as the group most at-risk of leaving, WSP’s attrition rate has fallen from 17 to seven per cent. It is becoming an ‘employer of choice’, attracting and retaining the most talented rail people in the industry.

As well as training the senior leadership team to see things from a people perspective, he has overseen the roll-out of ‘unconscious bias’ training to almost all senior rail staff, to ensure they make the right decisions when

Picking up the award last year, Dave said: “I’m fairly modest about what I do. I feel I’m just doing my day job, but other people see something I don’t – thinking outside the box, trying to bring a different view into what the business tries to achieve - and hopefully it works and we improve our inclusion, our diversity, the way we do things.”

FREIGHTLINER The sponsor of the HR, Diversity and Inclusion category for 2020 is G&W UK/ Europe Region, which includes the UK’s largest intermodal rail freight provider, Freightliner, and leading UK container logistics services provider Pentalver.

Like any responsible organisation, G&W UK places great emphasis on improving diversity and inclusion across its three business platforms of Rail, Road and Terminals.

This is reflected in its company value of Respect – it endeavours to treat all people with dignity and fairness, fostering diversity

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and inclusion, hence the reason it is sponsoring the HR Diversity and Inclusion category at this year’s RailStaff Awards, moving over from Customer Service last year.

Attracting highly skilled and diverse talent has been an ongoing priority for the group.

With a stronger focus on diversity and inclusion in the last few years, it is slowly and surely starting to reap the benefits, especially with the recruitment of females into frontline operational roles, including train and truck drivers.

Following a complete relaunch of the company website last year, the ‘careers’ pages now feature testimonials and videos of female colleagues in engineering and frontline roles.

All external recruitment advertising promotes and celebrates a diverse workforce through the use of imagery and by highlighting the development and career opportunities available to all. Ensuring equal opportunities are available regardless of background, race or gender is of the upmost importance

23

– particularly in historically non-diverse industries such as rail and logistics.

Freightliner has also been approved to join WORK180 as an Endorsed Employer for Women - the UK’s only jobs board which prescreens employers before they can advertise jobs against a set of criteria, including pay equity, flexible working, women in leadership and paid parental leave.

Actively participating in events such as the Women in Rail sponsored Big Rail Diversity Challenge has provided an opportunity to showcase that teamwork and diversity is not only beneficial, but also essential to the productivity and success of a business. Freightliner supports the Women in Rail Awards and is proud that one of its female train drivers is shortlisted in the ‘Inspirational Woman of the Year’ category at this year’s awards.

The importance of getting first-hand feedback from a female frontline workforce is greatly valued, which is why G&W UK celebrated this year’s International Women’s Day by inviting 30+ female colleagues to an internal event at its Shared Service Centre in Birmingham. The working group session provided a valuable opportunity to gain insight from a range of frontline operational colleagues on how G&W UK can improve diversity and encourage more females into frontline roles, as well as how it can ensure every single person in the company is valued, heard, respected, empowered, and feels a true sense of belonging.

In the words of CEO Gary Long: “When we hire and promote talent that is diverse, we become a smarter, better functioning and forward-thinking organisation. To not support inclusion, of whatever kind, would significantly limit our talent pool, thereby inhibiting opportunities for future growth and innovation in our industry” FACEBOOK.COM/THERAILSTAFFAWARDS | @RAILSTAFFAWARDS | RAILSTAFFAWARDS.COM

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

STATION T

STAFF

he men and women who staff the 2,500 railway stations around the country have a lot to cope with.

They have to keep those stations safe for passengers, make sure they are clean and provide opportunities for ‘retail therapy’ for passengers in a hurry as well as for those with time on their hands.

Train-operator staff have to sell tickets and then check them, direct passengers and answer a multitude of questions. They are expected to know everything about the railway, the local area, bus timetables, taxi fares and the weather forecast.

They also have to despatch trains, assist passengers boarding and disembarking, look after or search for lost luggage and dispense first aid.

Oh, and they have to deal with drunks, vagrants, children, the harassed, the pregnant, the disabled, the suicidal and the just confused.

Above all, they have to be nice to people, all the time, no matter what.

It’s a mammoth job that goes largely unnoticed. Passengers are often quick to complain yet slow to praise.

But colleagues notice a job well done. Last year, 98 nominations were received for the Station Staff award, sponsored by the Transport Benevolent Fund CIO.

RAY OF SUNSHINE Under the headline ‘Frontline Heroes’, last year’s review of the RailStaff Awards described how Aaron Koduah brightens up passengers’ journeys with his self-penned motivational messages on the announcement board at Crewe station.

For more than four years, Aaron, who works at the station as a welcome host, has provided a ray of sunshine for customers on even the dreariest of days with his contagious smile and often topical thoughts of the day.

At first, he was nervous about doing something differently, but, with his message board becoming synonymous with Crewe, and celebs such as Paul ‘The Sinnerman’ Sinha from gameshow ‘The Chase’ taking snaps of his quotes, Aaron now takes great pride in the impact he’s able to make to customer’s days.

He has also channelled his positive energy into publishing a book: Developing A Strong Mindset, which features a collection of his favourite quotes.

Aaron, who works on the gateline, received 17 submissions from customers and colleagues during the nomination process, and, for having such an impact on the customer experience at Crewe, he was recognised in the Station Staff Award category.

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The former soldier’s outlook is even more remarkable considering he and his partner were hit with tragic news last year when their son died shortly after he was born. Aaron said: “I just feel like life changes so, when you are in a bad situation you have to keep holding on because you don’t know what the future holds.”

The Station Staff of the Year Award was sponsored by the Transport Benevolent Fund CIO (TBF), a membership charity that offers a wide range of financial, health, welfare and financial benefits to public transport workers should need, hardship or distress arise.

Chris Sullivan, chair of TBF, said: “These awards are important, we need to encourage more young people into this business - people like Aaron with his attitude towards the work. They’re the people that will drive the railway forward - it’s not the big money that’s being invested. It’s all about the people, just like TBF.”

HELPING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE The TBF returns to sponsor Station Staff again this year. A nonprofit making membership charity, the TBF offers a wide range of health, welfare and financial benefits to those working in public transport, should need, hardship or distress arise.

Anyone engaged in the public transport industry in Great Britain is eligible to join. Membership

currently costs just £1 a week, covering the member, their partner and dependent children. Each family member is considered separately and benefits paid are not cumulative for the whole family.

The membership fee can be deducted through the company payroll facility or, if not available, paid by standing order.

Benefits include cash grants to help cover various needs including short-term financial hardship from sickness (typically two weeks or more), debt advice, legal help on non-employment matters and bereavement grants.

TBF also offers medical benefits such as second opinions, scans and tests (if the NHS is unable to deliver within an acceptable time frame), a wide range of complementary and alternative therapies, medical equipment, prescription pre-payment certificates and convalescence.

The Fund was originally formed in 1923 and the needs of today’s members are very different to those of 97 years ago. Unfortunately, there are still cases of hardship among those who work in the public transport industry; even more so during the difficult times everyone is living through at the moment.

TBF currently has nearly 68,000 members and the continuing relevance of the Fund’s work is best illustrated by the volume of awards to members, which, during the past 12 months, have been in excess of £2.8million.

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The Fund is run by a board of trustees, the majority of whom work in the industry, that decides on all benefits. TBF’s patrons include leading figures in the major transport groups and trades unions.

In recognition of the valuable work carried out by all those working in the rail sector, TBF has supported the RailStaff Awards for many years.

John Sheehy, TBF CEO and main judge of the nominees for the Station Staff award, said: “TBF is here to help its members in times of need and the Station Staff award is a great opportunity to thank those who regularly help others in need. Members of station staff are an integral part of the railway and, being the first point of contact for passengers, they play a very important role in helping customers’ experience on the railway to be a safe and pleasant one.

“Staff often face difficult situations requiring compassion and courage.

On a day-to-day basis, they are the unsung heroes of the railway, and that is why TBF is proud to take this opportunity to acknowledge their valuable contribution to the sector.

“When judging the nominees for the Station Staff Award category we are looking for a commitment to helping others, ensuring customers have a positive experience of the railway. The potential winner should be reliable, hardworking and demonstrate their initiative in response to often challenging, and occasionally, life-threating situations.”

Proud sponsors of the Station Staff Award, 2020 With the support of the TOCs, Network Rail and other employers throughout the industry, we now have nearly 68,000 members.

Membership offers a wide range of health, welfare and financial benefits for those working in the public transport industry, helping to improve members’ work-life balance and reduce staff turnover for the employer.

Just £1 a week covers you, your partner and dependent children

help@tbf.org.uk www.tbf.org.uk Transport Benevolent Fund CIO, known as TBF, is a registered charity in England and Wales, 1160901, and Scotland, SC047016.

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SAMARITANS LIFESAVER W

hile the nominees in all of the RailStaff Awards categories can be called ‘heroes’ for the work that they do, those who win the Samaritans Lifesaver Award have every justification to be called that.

In 2019, 133 people were nominated for this category, the only one that got into triple figures. The nominations can make harrowing reading, describing how ordinary rail staff, with the benefit of Samaritans training, have had to comfort vulnerable people and often prevent them from doing themselves harm.

Reading the nominations is hard enough.

Trying to judge the relative merits of one person’s actions compared with those of another is really difficult. It may be a cliché, but the phrase “you are all winners” is particularly true in this category.

SMALL TALK SAVES LIVES

But the judges have to make the call and, in 2019, Land Sheriffs’ John Dawson and Rob Shannon were awarded the 2019 trophy for their compassion, sensitivity and confidence to engage in small talk.

While on patrol as one of the company’s ‘safer station teams’, the pair noticed a woman wandering around the station who appeared upset but was not looking to board a train.

They approached her, but she was initially reluctant to talk, so John and Rob gave her some space. However, she soon re-engaged with them and admitted she intended to end her life.

John and Rob spoke with her to keep her calm and away from platforms and crowds, as this seemed to be making her agitated. They took her to the station coffee shop for a hot drink to warm her up and chatted away to keep her calm. In all, they sat with her for over two hours while waiting for the emergency services, who were extremely stretched on the night, to arrive.

The police were the first to arrive on the scene but their presence caused the woman to become agitated, so they withdrew and left her with John and Rob. A short while later, an ambulance turned up. The Land Sheriffs walked the woman to the ambulance, however, as soon as she stepped into the vehicle, she became aggressive.

She was let out but, with the assistance of John and Rob, she was convinced to get back in. As she was still slightly agitated, the duo offered to go with her to the hospital, an offer gratefully accepted by both the woman and the paramedics.

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Chris Gough, Land Sheriffs’ operations manager, commented: “Every day is different for John and Rob. They receive Samaritans training and use this to approach vulnerable persons and, on this occasion, they saw a vulnerable person, they approached her and, by doing so, prevented the unthinkable and gave her the help that she needed.”

Samaritans training officer Steve Tollerton added: “We’re very proud of these guys. The training is so important, but it’s not the training itself, it’s the guys stepping out of their comfort zone and approaching a suicidal person and saving someone’s life. Ultimately, its takes courage and confidence to do that, which is a credit to them.”

CHALLENGE AND CAMPAIGNS Training rail staff so they have the confidence and skills to help someone at risk of suicide is a key part of Samaritans work with the rail industry’s suicide prevention programme, which it has been involved with since 2010. In addition to the training, Samaritans in partnership with the rail industry deliver a number of other workstreams to reach those most at risk of suicide on the railway and to help improve the mental health of rail staff.

During Network Rail’s control period six (CP6 – 2019 to 2024), the rail industry is coming together to volunteer one million hours to help Samaritans achieve its vision that fewer people die by suicide, providing more support for people experiencing emotional distress.

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The Million Hour Challenge, which aims to help improve the mental health and wellbeing of rail industry employees, was conceived by Ian Prosser, chief inspector of railways at the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and launched on 28 March 2019.

As part of the Million Hour Challenge, rail staff across Great Britain will be encouraged to take part in a ‘Samarathon’ to raise vital funds for a local Samaritans branch and to boost their own physical and mental health. Supporters are being asked to run, jog or walk 26.2 miles in their own time and at their own pace, over the month of July in a virtual marathon.

Samaritans’ ‘Real People, Real Stories’ campaign, which sees people who have overcome tough times share their stories to encourage others to seek help, was launched in March 2019. It continues to be visible in hundreds of railway stations and a number of high-profile sports clubs have also been involved. The campaign has been a success, proving to be more effective than any other previous Samaritans campaign in raising awareness of the rail suicide prevention partnership, particularly amongst the 25-34 age group.

Another successful campaign, Small Talk Saves Lives, entered its fourth phase in October 2019. Developed and delivered by Samaritans, Network Rail and the wider rail industry, it reached thousands of rail passengers and the general public through a range of paid-for media including TV, video on demand, cinema, digital and social media.

In a TV first, the Small Talk Saves Lives, Samaritans and National Rail logos appeared on a silent Network Rail advert within Britain’s Got Talent on 5 October 2019. Viewers were encouraged to use the two and a half minutes of silence to talk to family, loved ones or even text a friend. The advert was seen by over eight million viewers.

Come November, more people and more stories like John and Rob’s and their heroic efforts will be acknowledged at the RailStaff Awards. “Samaritans are so proud to sponsor the RailStaff Awards again this year,” said Neil Peters, Samaritans’ strategic programme manager. “Every year, we are overwhelmed with stories of rail staff that have made lifesaving interventions on the railway. Year on year, we are seeing this shift in behaviour, where more interventions are happening and more lives are saved.

“We are really proud to continue to work with the rail industry to give staff the skills and confidence to make a difference. The LifeSaver award is an opportunity to say thank you.”

Chris Gough, Operations Manager at Land Sheiffs (who collected the award on behalf of the winners John Dawson and Rob Shannon), with Steven Tollerton, Training Manager at Samaritans.

“At Land Sheriffs we have been proud of the work our teams do to support the rail industry in suicide prevention. By recognising internally when our staff make interventions we have instilled a culture of intervention making, so we’re thrilled that John and Rob have been recognised by RailStaff for their contribution to this important and life-saving work.”

TYLER LEMAY, LAND SHERIFFS MANAGING DIRECTOR

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LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

L

earning and development can take many forms on today’s railway. For a start, all new employees need training, not only to do their jobs but on the safety aspects of what they will be required to do - even office workers will come into contact with the railway from time to time.

Then there is the career development aspect. Railwaymen and women are expected to progress through their careers, picking up new skills and facing new challenges. That takes training too.

Continuous professional development (CPD) is also a form of learning, whether it is attending formal training courses or going to conferences and seminars.

Then there is the task of just encouraging people to join the railway in the first place.

Taking the message to young people and students, promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects in schools. It’s all ‘learning and development’.

This is one of the categories that can be won two ways. As in other categories, those that work in learning and development can

be nominated for the work they do outside the railway, or voluntarily with colleagues.

But, also, new ways of thinking while at work, developing new courses and giving colleagues new opportunities - that could gain a nomination as well.

REALITY IN MOTION In 2019, the winners were one of the latter.

The Motion Reality team - a not-for-profit arm of engineering firm Motion Rail - tours schools and Big Bang Fairs, using specially designed virtual reality (VR) software to raise awareness of the dangers of playing on the railway through ‘gamification’.

The programme’s appeal to the computergame generation is obvious. ‘Players’ have to strap their heads into VR headsets and grab two controllers that allow them to move around in the virtual world.

One simulation sees the user presented with a typical scenario at an automatic halfbarrier level crossing. When a train begins its approach, the barriers start to close and the user has to follow the right sequence of tasks.

If they decide to cross as the train passes, it hits them - but doesn’t result in any gore!

The University of South Wales assessed rail safety knowledge in children before and after undergoing the Motion Reality training.

Knowledge and retention improved by 42 per cent on average once people had gone through the course.

Since the beginning of 2018, more than 300,000 people have used the system.

Plans are now in place to take Motion Reality to railway stations as part of the Samaritans Million Hour Challenge, to hold sessions around mental health awareness, educating people on how train drivers feel when a person is struck and the devastating ripple effect it has on individuals, friends and family.

Emma Dymond, group chief executive at Motion Rail, said of her team receiving the RailStaff Award for Learning and Development: “Everybody thought we were mad wanting to build a virtual reality railway two years ago, so getting recognition for this crazy idea is absolutely overwhelming - I don’t think there’s a better word for it.”

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LEARNING TO ADAPT

Heathrow Express, the non-franchised, unsubsidised private rail company that runs up to 150 services a day between London Paddington and Heathrow airport, sponsored that 2019 award, and is doing so again in 2020.

Learning and development is at the heart of how Heathrow Express aims to continue to top customer satisfaction rankings once pandemic travel restrictions are lifted. As the industry emerges from lockdown, everyone will be adapting to a ‘new normal,’ finding new ways to keep customers and colleagues safe while providing the best service possible.

With a track record of innovation and industry-leading customer service, Heathrow Express has its sights set on getting people moving again as Heathrow’s only dedicated rail link. While the COVID-19 pandemic has put a pause on international travel for now, customers can look forward to a new, specially converted fleet of trains being introduced later this year, ensuring Heathrow Express continues to provide the fast, frequent and reliable service it’s known for.

Due for launch towards the end of 2020, the six newly converted electric trains in the fleet will each be 160 metres long and have the capacity to carry 748 passengers.

These new Class 387 trains will replace the current Class 332 fleet, which has been in

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service for all of Heathrow Express’ 22 years of existence, carrying 115 million passengers and travelling 33 million miles since June 1998.

As with the existing service, the new fleet is bespoke for air travellers, so there will be plenty of room for luggage, an onboard high-definition TV service and the option of travelling in Business First, which offers worktables and complimentary copies of newspapers and magazines, as well as extra legroom.

In addition, the trains, capable of a top speed of 110mph, are being upgraded with new USB at-seat power sockets and faster Wi-Fi. Both these new trains and a continued focus on customer service will help the service build on being named top in the Transport Focus National Rail Passenger Survey four times running. Much of that success was down to delivering a fast and reliable service - over the last 12 months, 93.67 per cent of trains arrived within five minutes of schedule.

In February 2020, Heathrow Express took a team of frontline customer service colleagues and their managers to the Disney Institute in Paris for world-class customer-service training as part of its own learning and development programme. The team experienced the Disney way of delivering service and brought this learning home to their colleagues, supporting the Heathrow Express vision of offering the best airport transfer service in the world.

Heathrow Express is, and will continue to be, the fastest route between Heathrow airport and London Paddington. The route between Paddington and Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 takes just 15 minutes - a few minutes longer to Terminal 5.

Post COVID-19, learning and development will return to the heart of the rail industry, which is why Heathrow Express is proud to sponsor the RailStaff Learning and Development Award for 2020.

Express Train

between Heathrow Central* and London Paddington Heathrow Express is proud to sponsor the learning and development award at the RailStaff Awards 2019.

Heathrow Central for Terminals 2 & 3 For full terms and conditions visit heathrowexpress.com

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HOW TO TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF

'WORKING FROM HOME' WHETHER WORKING FROM HOME OR BEING FURLOUGHED, THE COMBINATION OF LONELINESS AND FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN MAKES THIS A STRESSFUL TIME

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ooking after our mental health is as important as our physical wellbeing. Polly Rivers has been talking with colleagues, both in the industry and outside, about what we need to do to combat the anxieties and concerns that are only natural at this time.

Maintaining health is something we are all taking very seriously at the moment. Whether it is doing laps of the garden (and raising millions in the process) or reaching for the fruit bowl rather than the Jaffa Cakes, keeping an eye on our physical health is a top priority.

However, with more and more pressure piling on from all angles, keeping our mental health in top condition is also high on the list.

But what do we need to be considering to ensure that we are managing our mental health needs, and those of our nearest and dearest, during this tricky time?

ESTABLISH A DAILY ROUTINE Most of us are creatures of habit, with a standard routine that keeps us ticking over day-to-day. So, when this is thrown in the air, it can shake the foundations, and leave us feeling confused and uneasy. Keeping some routine to our days is really useful to ensuring that we keep on track.

Late nights and lazy mornings are far from helpful when it comes to establishing a routine – they can cause real problems with maintaining healthy sleep patterns. Parents of teenagers may recognise this issue, with many teenagers seemingly becoming nocturnal at the moment! Whilst tricky to implement, heading to bed and getting up at similar times every day will regulate the body clock, helping it recognise when it is meant to be sleeping, and lead to far fewer frustrated nights spent staring at the ceiling.

Many of us are using our daily exercise as a way of keeping some structure. When we exercise, our bodies release feel-good

chemicals called endorphins – great news if you are in need of a pick-me-up.

With gyms closed and team sports out of the window, it can be difficult to feel like we are making a dent in our exercise regimes.

However, don’t underestimate the benefits of even a little moderate exercise every day.

It may not be the workout you’re used to, but a brisk walk out in the open air, a free online workout, or even a race around the house with the hoover will all get the blood pumping, improve energy levels, and promote better sleep.

MANAGE EXPECTATIONS As we settle into a new working from home routine, many of us find that the ‘to do’ list doesn’t stop with our own work…

For many, the added pressure of homeschooling has added another dimension, and it is no surprise that this situation can create a pressure cooker of emotions, for all family members. Claudia Graham, assistant headteacher at Meopham School in Kent shared her thoughts on the pressures many parents and children are facing with regards to tackling home-schooling.

“Teachers understand the pressures that families are under to juggle the complex situation we all find ourselves in. Trying to manage everything is a nigh-on impossible task. Your children will be scared, missing RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

their friends and familiar life, all of which can make them unresponsive to any new routines.

“We are asking our students and their parents to do whatever works for them. If it helps to have a routine that feels familiar to school, great! If not, just find a rhythm that feels manageable.

“When we eventually get back to school, we will work hard to get every child back to the stage they need to be – we’re all itching to get back in the classroom and we’re ready to take on the challenge.”

STAY CONNECTED When one long day stretches into another, it can seem like there is no end to the monotony – which can play havoc with our mental health. That said, living in the digital age is helping smash this boundary, with more opportunities than ever before to stay connected with friends and colleagues from home, and get involved with projects designed to keep us busy.

Nurturing relationships can help us feel happier and more secure, giving us a greater sense of well-being and purpose, as well as being a great way to offer emotional support and share experiences.

Organisations such as Young Rail Professionals have leapt into action, pulling together a series of online training courses and

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

webinars designed to help rail professionals make the most of this enforced downtime.

Jacob Cooper, national professional networking and development manager at Young Rail Professionals explained more: “We felt that this was a great opportunity for people in our sector to really come together. There’s an incredible amount of knowledge out there and we are all hungry to learn, however the pressure and pace of life so often gets in the way. We felt that people would be keen to use this time to engage with new information and may appreciate a distraction from everything going on around them.

“We called out to the industry for courses and the response was incredible – there’s courses from vehicle engineering to fraud protection available and it really goes to show how generous the railway family really is with their knowledge. We are also delivering our own development webinars which cover events on rail policy and investment, innovation and a suite of leadership talks.

“Digital courses and webinars are also a great way to keep connected with friends and colleagues. At YRP, we host a number of social events throughout the year, up and down the country. Obviously, these are not possible currently, but just because we are sat at home, doesn’t mean we cannot raise a glass together and share a social evening. We’re just doing so from the comfort of our sofas!”

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The YRP is also collaborating with the Railway Benefit Fund, as part of a project designed to help anyone working in the rail sector who has been adversely financially affected by the COVID-19 crisis get back on their feet.

DEAL WITH FEAR There is no doubt that this is a scary time, and most people have felt waves of fear and nerves wash over them as we feel our way through the COVID-19 journey.

However, in order to manage our mental wellbeing during this time, there are a few simple moves we can all make in order to minimise the pandemic panic, and ensure that, whilst we are well informed, we don’t let anxiety get the better of us.

Talking worries through with trusted family or friends is a great place to start if you feel anxious. Most people will be having many of the same concerns, so sharing your worries will help address these fears. It can be difficult to consider a solution on your own, two minds are better than one, after all.

Having open conversations as a family will also help you address any fears that your children may be concerned about, which are likely to be very different to your own. Tackling these together will hopefully calm the fears and allow them to feel more relaxed about the confusing situation.

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Whilst a second opinion can be really useful, having the world offering their thoughts can add to confusion. Social media, whilst great for keeping in touch, can be overwhelming, with plenty of conflicting information and speculation proving a confusing mix. Taking a break from social media, or muting non-reputable sources, is a great idea if you are feeling overwhelmed, and help you feel more in control.

Keeping an eye on younger family members’ social media consumption and checking that they aren’t getting misled is key too; there’s plenty of wild theories swirling at the moment!

The news is full of nothing but COVID-19, and whilst it is useful to stay informed, it is important to strike the right balance between staying in the loop and losing a day glued to the same information. Turning off news alerts on devices and sticking to one news briefing a day is a great way to stay informed, but not overwhelmed. You could even ask a trusted family member or a friend to update you, if you want a total break for a few days.

ACCESS SUPPORT Understanding how to access the right services is vital to making sure that you are well supported during this time, and there is plenty of assistance available should you feel you need a listening ear, or someone who can point you in the right direction.

Your local GP is always a great place to start if you are feeling in need of support. For many, the fear of entering a medical environment at the moment is a contributing factor to anxiety and stress, but, whilst most practices are not offering face-to-face appointments at the moment, many have great online triage options which allow you to note your symptoms and direct you to the best advice. This could be a telephone or video appointment with your GP, keeping you completely clear of any physical interaction with a medical practice.

Alternatively, there are a number of dedicated mental health support options

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available, all of which are perfectly placed to help people who may be struggling with COVID-19-related concerns. Organisations such as Samaritans (call free on 116 123) are available 24/7. The Samaritans Self-Help app is also available for download via smartphone or on a desktop - it has been designed to help you self-manage your mental health in a crisis. The anonymous app helps users learn safe, memorable techniques for coping with things that are troubling them, through a range of interactive features.

Don’t overlook assistance closer to home, too. The rail sector is great at recognising the need to place as much emphasis on maintaining mental health as physical health, and many organisations have a great provision for support within their own teams.

ScotRail is one of a number of railway companies that has recently rolled out a comprehensive mental health first aid programme, with 50 employees undergoing training to help them identify individuals who are developing mental health issues and guide them to the relevant service. With social distancing procedures in place, the team

members have put their newfound knowledge to good use, using video conferencing calls to hold meetings to offer support and guidance to their peers.

Nadya Kuhl, ScotRail occupational health and wellbeing manager, said: “During this unprecedented global crisis, it’s important that we continue to talk about our mental health.

“Whether that’s texting a friend, chatting to colleagues through video conferencing apps, or checking in with a vulnerable neighbour - our society really benefits from peoples’ selflessness and kind-hearted actions.”

We are all working through a confusing and complicated time at the moment. From schooling thrown up in the air, to lockdown restrictions and concerns over workplace security, it is no surprise that it feels harder than normal to take care of our mental health and wellbeing.

Whilst we are facing a worldwide challenge, you are never alone - support is always available.

Mind: call 0300 123 3393 / text 86463 Samaritans: call 116 123

‘Support on Life’s Journey’ Railway Mission - Supporting Railway People Since 1881 www.railwaymission.org

During the COVID-19 epidemic Railway Mission Duri is still here supporting the Railway Family. At this time of isolation we not be able to offer face-to-face support, because we do not wish to be responsible for the spread of the vicious disease and we too are staying home to save lives. But we still have a core team here to su support you and together we will defeat this virus.

If you need support you can e-mail: COVID19@railwaymission.org phone/ Text/ WhatsApp: 07793 246528

Railway Mission chaplaincy service Business as usual, in unusual times

Please support your chaplaincy service.

To make a donation, text 'RAIL 5' to 70085 to donate £5.

This costs £5 plus a standard rate message.

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

Charity number in England and Wales: 1128024 Scotland SC045897

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CLASS INVESTIGATION INTO SIGNALLING OPERATION

RAIB HAS INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS ON HUMAN PERFORMANCE IN SIGNALLING OPERATION FOLLOWING "NUMEROUS INCIDENTS IN WHICH SIGNALLER DECISION-MAKING HAS BEEN PIVOTAL"

T

he work of signallers, hidden away in signal boxes and control centres, is sometimes taken for granted. Now the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has published a report entitled “Class Investigation into human performance in signalling operation”, which includes six recommendations.

© Network Rail

Signalling, like the rest of the railway’s operating equipment and infrastructure, has come a very long way recently. Nowadays, many signallers work, not in lineside signal boxes, but in signalling centres with as many as fifteen computer workstations in front of them. The skills needed have also evolved, but RAIB has recommended that still more needs to be done.

RAIB report 03/2020, published on 12 May, states that railway safety is heavily dependent on signallers’ decisions and lists five categories of incident where those decisions sometimes aren’t up to standard user-worked crossing irregularities, line blockages, users trapped on CCTV controlled crossings, irregularities involving level crossings on local control and “other operational irregularities”. The class investigation examined and reviewed a number of case studies, selected from each of the five listed categories.

User-worked crossing incidents most often involved signallers giving permission to cross to members of the public as a train was approaching.

Line blockage incidents reviewed included granting a line blockage on a section of track with a train already in it or signalling a train into a blockage.

With CCTV-controlled crossings, there were incidents of signallers clearing signals whilst a user (most often a pedestrian) was on the crossing. At crossings under local control, most incidents were of trains passing over crossings whilst the barriers were raised.

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Example of a signalling centre with control panels (Nottingham Trent).

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Analysis

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The RAIB report makes six recommendations, which may be summarised as follows: 1. Network Rail should develop improved techniques for measuring and predicting cognitive workload and integrate such techniques into the management of signaller workloads; 2. Network Rail should review its processes to incorporate a user centred approach to changes in signaller workload and the review should include ergo-dynamic design; 3. Network Rail should develop and support those delivering training and assessment of signallers at local level and include ‘train the trainer’ coaching guidance; 4. Network Rail should research the experiential knowledge of experienced signallers and learn how such knowledge contributes to performance; 5. Network Rail needs to implement measures in the National Operations Programme and revise management to ensure that those

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500 SIGNAL “BOXES”

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM RAIB

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63 Taking the entire pool of 337 incidents in the three graphs above, RAIB further analysed the data according to type of signal box (lever frame, panel or workstation) to determine whether there was any association between type of signal box and category of incident. The results are presented in figure 9.

100%

Network Rail operates approximately 500 signal boxes nationwide. Signalling centres/ boxes are broadly of three types: lever frame, signalling centres with control panels and centres with computer workstations. (See photographs of typical layouts/arrangements).

Whilst most of the computer centres have five workstations, some have as many as fifteen.

In total Network Rail employs around 5,200 signalling staff.

A number of common factors were identified, including signaller workloads, user centre design, competence management, experiential knowledge and organisational structure. The report also states bluntly: “Network Rail’s investigations do not always fully exploit the opportunities to learn from these incidents.”

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8 15

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40%

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32 0%

UWC

1

LC trapping Line blockage irregularity

LC local control

Panel Lever frame

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12 65 Operational ALL irregularity INCIDENTS

Figure 9: Graph showing the total number of incidents in each category divided according to type of

signal box.

Statistically significant results are outlined red. category Totals for each column are shown across Graph showing the total number of incidents in in each divided according to type the top of the graph. of signal box. Statistically significant results are outlined in red. Totals for each column are shown across the top of the graph.

64 Finally, RAIB carried out statistical analysis of the data to compare whether the number of incidents in each category for each type of signal box was a ‘fair culture’ flowchart and analysis of supervising and managing signallers have proportionate to the totals of all incidents (shown in the rightmost column and factors using a wider trend theacross time, skills, knowledge and status so that the top of each column in figure 9). underlying This has enabled RAIB to identify analysis to identify systematic issues. they may undertake their roles effectively; those cases where the number of incidents of a particular kind is statistically Additionally, need number to achieve 6. Network should review, and/ higherRail than might havemodify, been expected on the basis ofthey the total of full separation investigations from the or reinforce investigation incidentsprocesses recordedfor in the each type of signal box (by wayofofsafety example, 19.5% of disciplinary process. of incidents.

Specifically, they should use all incidents that were analysed took place in lever frames, whereas 35.6% of incidents at user worked crossings involved lever frames).

Example of a lever frame signal box (Bury St Edmunds).

65 The results suggest that in lever frame signal boxes, there were more UWC irregularities (possibly due to the inferior presentation of train position information as compared to the other types) and operational irregularities than expected, while there were fewer than expected trappings at CCTV level crossings (probably because there are few lever frame signal boxes that control CCTV level crossings). Meanwhile, there were fewer than expected operational irregularities at workstation-based signalling locations (possibly because ARS is associated with workstation-based signalling). However, it is important to note that some of these results may simply reflect differential baselines (such as numbers of UWCs supervised from different locations) in the underlying dataset, which were difficult to separate out.

Report 03/2020 Human performance in signalling operations

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May 2020

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TRACK SAFETY

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER

ANOTHER TRACKWORKER DEATH WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE?

W Colin Wheeler.

ANOTHER RAILWAY WORKER - A CONTROLLER OF SITE SAFETY - HAS BEEN STRUCK BY A TRAIN AND KILLED. WHAT MORE DO WE NEED TO DO?

ith a track worker killed, an overhead linesman badly electrocuted, and three workers having to run for their lives and reaching safety with just one second to spare, Colin Wheeler asks what more the industry needs to do to keep its workers safe.

Tragically, I must begin by offering my sincere condolences to the family, friends and work colleagues of the track worker who, on 8 April at 10:52, was struck and fatally injured by a passenger train. It was travelling at 90mph on the West Coast main line near the village of Roade in Northamptonshire, close to Hanslope junction where the Northampton Loop leaves the WCML to Rugby.

The victim was the Controller of Site Safety (COSS) for a group undertaking civil engineering work, according to the news item posted on 22 April on the Rail Accident Investigation Board (RAIB) website.

The train was travelling from Northampton to London Euston when its driver saw the trackworker, sounded the train horn and applied the emergency brakes.

RAIB’s investigation

The work, which began back in February, was the reinforcement of the cutting slope adjacent to the Up Slow line. An excavator had been in use and was working within the safe distance of the return conductor of the overhead line equipment. A return conductor isolation was taken and a line blockage was used to install the earths for that isolation.

The COSS handed back the line blockage shortly before he was struck by the train. The

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RAIB have begun their investigation which will consider “the actions of those involved, the planning of the work, implementation of safe system of work and relevant underlying or organisational factors”.

Safety to improve from July 2022?

In July last year, the Office of Rail and Road issued an improvement notice to Network Rail Infrastructure Limited (NRIL) stating that “NRIL was not ensuring the safety of their employees and contractors working on or near the line so far as is reasonably practical” and “they have not ensured that appropriate procedures are in place, and suitable equipment is provided for preventing a person working on the transport system from being struck by a moving train”.

Disappointingly, the notice compliance date is listed as 31 July 2022!

Also, in July last year, following the two fatalities on 3 July at Margam, South Wales, Network Rail launched its “trackworker safety taskforce” and chief executive Andrew Haines is on record as saying “I don’t want to see another trackworker death”.

Many in the industry are already thinking that there is an urgent need for things to change more quickly; the 2022 date is surely much too far away?

“Less than a second” near miss

RAIB’s Safety Digest 03/2020, issued on 14 April, refers to a near miss on 14 November last year at around 09:00 at Merkland, 3.2km south of Kirklebridge crossovers in Dumfries and Galloway.

Three members of Network Rail staff had a near miss with a train travelling at 125mph. They had just begun a track inspection, believing it to be under the protection of LOWS (a radiobased lookout-operated warning system).

According to the Safety Digest, they jumped

clear with less than a second to spare.

LOWS has a receiver unit with flashing lights and a siren that starts working when switched on. The switches are connected to a receiver via a secure radio link. The LOWS controller and each lookout carry dedicated mobile phones provided with the equipment. The system is regularly used on the West Coast main line in south Scotland “because the combination of high train speeds and curved track often precludes the use of a warning system relying on lookouts using flags”.

Strangely this quoted statement seems to imply that “relying on lookouts using flags” would be preferable!

LOWS lookouts in position

All the team were familiar with the equipment, they drove to the site, a pre-work COSS briefing was delivered and they unpacked the equipment. The two LOWS lookouts travelled to their appointed locations and the Lookout South used the mobile phone to confirm he was in position and ready. The controller asked him to switch on the transmitter unit and wait until he had contacted the Lookout North. One minute later the Lookout North confirmed via his mobile phone that he was in position and was instructed to turn on his transmitter unit and test the system by operating it.

The system testing triggered the warning lights and siren at the worksite. When the phone call ended the controller expected both the lookouts to send warnings when trains approached, but the Lookout North “believed this was not yet required.” The controller had phoned the Lookout South and they conducted

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© Four by Three

H

Site of the fatal accident near Roade on the WCML.

A LOWS unit. a successful test. The controller then said “fine that’s us” or “right that’s you up and running”.

Just seven minutes later the train passed the Lookout North but the LOWS transmitter was not operated because the LOWS North lookout did not understand that he was required to start giving warnings for trains!

The inspection work was immediately cancelled after the incident and staff left the site.

“You are now looking out”

Training for the use of LOWS equipment includes the instruction of controllers to ask lookouts to make test warnings, confirm that these have been received, and then instruct lookouts to start giving warnings with immediate effect by saying, “you are now looking out”. The Safety Digest says that members of the LOWS team were “using informal language rather than the formal communication protocol mandated by Network Rail”. The conversation did not result in a clear understanding between the staff involved.

Network Rail’s standard operating procedures for use of LOWS are contained in two documents - “Use of Lookout Operated Warning System” and “LOWS set-up voice communications protocol”. The latter gives precise wording for “about 20 phrases (including five to be repeated back) in two phone conversations between the operator and each lookout”.

Network Rail and the RAIB have now agreed that this is too complicated and consequently too difficult to use. RAIB has “observed” that the standard and protocols in use have not been reviewed or updated since they were first issued in 2009, although the equipment was upgraded in both 2010 and 2018. “Network Rail’s national workforce safety team is to address the issue and are considering the most efficient way to ensure staff use the simpler protocol” the Safety Digest says.

I would have thought it best to leave it to a group of controllers and LOWS lookouts to propose a simple system and/or to consider delegating the choice of words to controllers, making it clear that they carry responsibility for ensuring that the pre-work testing is done and LOWS lookouts always confirm that they are looking out before work on track begins.

Test before touch on 25kV OLE (overhead line equipment) I am not an electrical engineer, but, if I were, I would accept and wish to abide by this relatively simple rule. However, Network Rail’s Safety Central website advice NRA 18-12 issued on 18 March had the above heading.

The Advice says that “test before touch is not being applied in a consistent manner”, before emphasising that “whilst approved live line indicators confirm de-energisation there could still be dangerous voltages in the equipment”. The advice lists the five-step process which should always be followed covering testing, applying earths, ensuring plans and permits are in place for 25kV, a Form C and it emphasises when you may need to re-test.

Overhead Linesman seriously injured

On 20 March, Network Rail issued (Network Rail Advice) NRA20-02 which details the accident on Christmas Day last year which resulted in an overhead linesman being seriously injured at Kensal Green in London when he came into contact with the live OLE. The formal investigation “revealed a number of factors which require immediate action to reinforce compliance with isolation planning and testing requirements”.

The Advice lists eight lengthy and detailed “immediate action points”.

These include not planning staggered isolations, site or virtual walkouts to confirm limits, nominated person competences, hazards to be identified on the OLE permit/Form C, work limits, travel route and residual electrical hazards. I am surprised not to have found evidence of the involvement of RAIB or the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

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Passenger train collision near Bromsgrove station At around 22:43 on Monday 23 March, a three-coach Class 170 passenger train, the 21:05 from Cardiff Central to Birmingham, was approaching Bromsgrove Station when it collided with a derailed Class 66 locomotive.

The Class 66 had derailed at the end of a siding, as may be seen in the picture. It had travelled from Bescot to Bromsgrove to assist by banking freight trains ascending the notorious Lickey Incline (1 in 37). It derailed after running through the buffers at the end of the siding adjacent to the main line, leaving its front left corner foul of the northbound line. A corner of the leading cab was damaged but the locomotive driver was uninjured.

RAIB’s investigation will include “recommendations to improve safety”.

Signal passed at danger (SPAD) near Loughborough

This incident is being investigated by the RAIB. It happened at around 10:57 on 26 March. A northbound train passed a signal at red without authority by 200 metres, around three quarters of a mile south of Loughborough Station. On the approach to the signal that was passed, the permitted line speed is 65mph. The train was an empty four-car Class 710 unit with a Class 57 locomotive at each end. It was being moved from the Old Dalby test site to storage at Worksop with the two locomotives being used to provide braking with a braking pipe through the unit’s carriages.

Signal LR 503 was displaying a single yellow on the approach to signal LR 507 showing red. The driver applied the brakes before reaching LR 507, but the braking was not sufficient to stop the train before it passed the red signal. There were no injuries or damage done, but a southbound passenger train calling at Loughborough Station was delayed by 24 minutes.

The RAIB investigation will focus on understanding people’s actions, the braking capability of the train, how it was formed, prepared and driven, train timing schedules, risks when hauling unbraked units, driving and fitness, and previous accidents and incidents. It will then make recommendations to prevent a recurrence.

Fatal accident at Eden Park Station

The RAIB has also begun its investigation into this fatal accident that occurred on 26 April at Eden Park Station in Kent. At 19:05 in the early evening, a person with impaired vision suffered fatal injuries after falling from the edge of the platform at the station and almost immediately being struck by a train operating the 19:00 Hayes to London Charing Cross passenger service.

The platform edge was not equipped with a tactile surface. These are designed to warn people with impaired vision that they are near the platform edge.

RAIB’s investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events that led to the accident and other factors relating to the provision of tactile surfaces.

Unsurprisingly I see that RAIB is now advertising for more staff!

Eden Park station.

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Derailed 66057 at Bromsgrove.

Weak compliance with Sentinel Scheme Rules

Released on 30 March as Network Rail’s “Sentinel Senior Responsible Owner”, Allan Spence has drawn attention to his concerns. He emphasises that “non-compliance puts workers and others at risk”. It has been a long time coming, but I welcome his intervention. His letter emphasises that “compliance with the rules is a condition for working on Network Rail’s managed infrastructure”.

Most pointedly he goes on to state that the obligations apply regardless of the “basis of payment” whether “on the books”, paying tax through PAYE or engaged through any form of self-employment for tax purposes, including payment through umbrella companies.

Having looked at published information about the funding and aims of the 100 persons strong “Trackworker Safety Taskforce” (that was launched in July last year with an eye watering budget of £70 million), I am convinced that our industry can and should be safer for its on-track workers. Website information states that there are 13,000 track workers per shift working on 20,000km of track at any one time. Also on the website, there are graphs and a ‘potential fatality dashboard’, together with other graphical aids and analysis. All good stuff, but is it influencing trackworkers behaviour sufficiently?

“When will we ever learn?”

The early success of the COVID-19 ‘Stay at Home’ campaign was achieved by repeatedly hammering home a simple and clear message.

I am old enough to remember when British Railways Board (BRB), with a board director for safety, ran a successful safety campaign leading to over 15 months without a fatal accident.

As I recall, the BRB campaign featured an award-winning video titled “Deadly serious about safety”. Everyone, without exception, who worked on the track, had to see it. Many left the viewing with tears in their eyes. It featured an interview with the young widow of a worker who had lost his life on the track.

Monthly briefings followed, with more videos from the board director and local two-way discussions with local supervisors and managers.

Failure to attend resulted in the instigation of disciplinary action followed by being banned from undertaking trackwork. The safety message was hammered home!

What eventually became the Track Safety Strategy Group vetted safety improvement proposals and made recommendations about further practical suggestions. Its members were not managers or safety professionals, but experienced and respected supervisors, union safety representatives and technical staff from all disciplines who worked mainly on track.

Local supervisors’ initiatives to make working safer were welcomed and, within delegated limited budgets, supervisors authorised and undertook work to improve safety. This all resulted in increasing commitment to safety ownership of safety.

For readers who are old enough, and have good memories, I make no apology for misquoting the refrain from “Where have all the flowers gone?” - it seems appropriate.

By the time the next edition of RailStaff is published, the industry will be halfway through its £70 million Task Force initiatives to comply with the Improvement Notices. Dealing with the additional difficulty identified by Allan Spence may not be easy, but will we see an improvement in track worker safety?

WE’VE GOT THE RAIL INDUSTRY COVERED

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WAISTCOATS

LEOWORKWEAR.COM /LEO-WORKWEAR

14

POLOS/ T-SHIRTS

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JACKETS/ SWEATS

QUALITY GARMENTS CONFORMING TO RIS-3279-TOM

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TROUSERS

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WOMENS GARMENTS

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FEATURE

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

SURVIVING CO COVID-19 IS AN AWFUL DISEASE THAT HAS KILLED A LOT OF PEOPLE. BUT WHAT IS IT LIKE TO ACTUALLY SUFFER IT, AND SURVIVE?

K

irsten Whitehouse has worked with RailStaff for several years, as exhibition manager for Railtex and Infrarail with RailStaff as a media partner. Then, shortly after setting up her own company, she went down with COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. This is her story.

On Saturday 28 March, in the space of less than 30 minutes, I went from teaching a bootcamp session to lying on my sofa unable to move, gasping for air with my chest and airways burning like the sun and dry as the desert.

This is my personal account of overcoming Covid-19. It doesn’t make for pleasant reading - but Corona is not a pleasant virus. The article is not meant to frighten you but, make no mistake, I AM trying to make you realise just how serious this virus is.

Some of you may know me from my previous role as exhibition manager for Railtex and Infrarail, two of the UK’s leading rail shows. I left that position in early 2019 to set up my own company, Green Tiger Events, counting organisations like the fabulous Railway Industry Association amongst my clients. I also studied on the side, qualifying as a fitness instructor in late 2019.

It is important for you to know this - I will explain why later.

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FIRST SIGNS - FEELING A BIT RUBBISH My Covid story starts on 24 March, just a few days after my 45th birthday, when I started experiencing very subtle symptoms: an occasional cough, a dreadful headache and a pain in my chest and stomach that made me think I had indigestion (I never get indigestion!). If I had a temperature it was low enough for me to not notice. My voice went strangely hoarse and coffee started tasting ‘wrong’.

For days, I dismissed my feeling a bit rubbish as a seasonal cold. It may well have been.

I continued teaching my online bootcamp throughout those early days without too much of a problem, until after that one Saturday morning class when everything suddenly changed: a leaden tiredness descended on me and wouldn’t lift for weeks. My airways and deep into my chest felt as if they were on fire. No amount of water seemed to even touch the bone-dry sides of my mouth and throat. It was this extreme sensation - one of the weirdest feelings I have ever experienced - which finally made me research Corona symptoms properly: I found a timeline of common symptoms and was horrified to realise that - with the exception of the fever - I was ticking them off, one by one.

I spent the next two days in bed but still in doubt: it seemed unlikely that I would be one of the first to pick this up. As a healthy fitness and nutrition teacher I didn’t think I was a likely candidate. Despite my cough progressively getting much worse, my chest feeling tighter and heavier and my breathing becoming more laboured, I commented to friends that I’d had colds worse than this in the past.

I spoke too soon. By day three, the cough had eased some, but the burning in my chest steadily worsened whilst my breathing became ever more restricted. The most

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OVID-19 distressing thing was the sheer tiredness.

I could not leave my bed for days - the occasional wobble to the bathroom wore me out so much that I literally had to crawl back to bed. Lying down was impossible, I felt like I was drowning. I was by now 100 per cent convinced I had the virus, though I still felt I could struggle through without having to burden the NHS. I was lucky in that my partner and my bootcamp clients took care of me by leaving shopping and nutritious meals on my doorstep for days on end. I was very aware that my body needed sustenance to keep fighting but I was far too weak to prepare anything. Once a day I would force myself downstairs to retrieve smoothies or soups.

It would often take me an hour or two to be strong enough to slowly climb back upstairs to bed.

Six days after that horrible first day, I slowly started feeling better. Still tired and weak, but I was breathing easier. My two teenage sons, who had been staying with their Dad since before I got ill, were desperate to come home and it felt safe enough to let them, albeit with strict rules about distancing, from me, and from anyone outside our little unit.

Boris Johnson - who had been taken ill the same day as me - reported himself as still having a temperature and thus staying in isolation. It confused me a little about the rules - was I allowed out then, as I was coughing but had no fever? I decided not to risk spreading it and stay indoors - I still felt too ill to contemplate anything else, anyway.

HIGH TEMPERATURE AND FEELING PANICKY That reprieve was short-lived. Just a day later, my temperature suddenly spiked at around 39 degrees (102°F), I felt weak, short of breath and very panicky. My downhill spiral continued until I eventually logged my symptoms on the NHS 111 website. A doctor called me within minutes. After thoroughly checking all the symptoms I had experienced over the last eight days, he confirmed that I had almost without doubt contracted Covid-19.

He explained that some patients were known to dip badly in the second week, because the virus keeps spreading around the already weakened body.

The symptoms I was experiencing now, however, were more akin to a secondary chest infection, which they were seeing in around a third of all Corona patients due to damaged airways. He referred me on for further treatment. Again, this second doctor called quickly, asked specific questions about previous (“definitely Corona”) and current symptoms, and after listening to my breathing and checking pulse and temperature over the phone, diagnosed bacterial pneumonia as brought on by Covid-19.

He said he could either admit me to hospital or I could try staying home with antibiotics. With my children still in the house FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK

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FEATURE

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

and my being very conscious of the strain on the NHS, I opted for the latter. The doctor agreed; he would have suggested the same.

Although clearly very unwell, he didn’t think I needed to go to hospital just yet. He warned me, though, to call back immediately should my symptoms worsen. I laughed, nervously just how much worse could this get?

This wonderful doctor, who couldn’t have given me more time and reassurance, then proceeded to describe what patients would normally experience for them to be admitted: unable to stand up even for a second due to extreme exhaustion, unable to talk in full sentences without gasping for air, severely struggling to breathe even whilst resting. My pathetic bathroom crawl seemed to count as a major win on this scale, and whilst I was catching my breath a lot, I was still talking and, yes, still breathing.

His words shocked me to the core: for the previous week I had felt the worst I ever have in my life, and yet there were people much worse off. My brain struggled to compute what was being said. I cried for every single person already or yet to be sent to hospital, because feeling absolutely beyond dreadful as I did myself, I could not even imagine the pain they had to be in and the terrible panic they would be experiencing with every single breath they tried to force. My heart broke for every one of them, for their terrified families and for the frontline staff who would act like heroic go-betweens in a horrific reality show.

I vowed not to become one of them, and instead turned into a model patient. The first and second lots of antibiotics failed to clear the pneumonia. By the time I was given my third prescription, doctors had discovered which antibiotics worked well and they did the trick at last.

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TOO WEAK TO MOVE

Beating first the virus and then pneumonia literally brought my body to its knees. There were days when I was totally unable to leave bed, my body was entirely devoid of strength and energy. My children took over running the house and constantly plying me with food and fresh water. Other than that, I just lay there. There is only so much sleeping you can do and, bizarrely, exhaustion does not equal tiredness. I was too weak to read, and not interested in watching tv.

I remember thinking on more than one occasion that I could probably just close my eyes and not wake up again, I felt my existence had already disappeared. In those moments, I was almost grateful for the agony in my lungs, which jolted me back into consciousness. But with it came the breathing problems and the threat of panic attacks.

They were dark days and weeks; whilst many of my friends were getting tired of being locked down, I was glad to just be alive. It took a cycle of five days’ complete

bed rest to finally make me start seeing slight improvements. It took five weeks from the start of the illness until I found myself washing up three pans in the kitchen. Euphoria! To be doing a mundane normal job again! Yet it tired me so much that I spent the whole next day back in bed.

It’s been a slow process since, there are good days, where I manage to go for short walks, and bad days, where I have to take myself back to bed for the whole day. I have learned to listen to my body and give it what it needs. I was unlucky to catch Corona, but I was lucky to get through it: I am improving all the time, as indeed the majority of patients will. Make no mistake though - this virus will wreak havoc wherever it can.

Remember what I said at the beginning? I am a 45-year-old female. I coach nutrition and fitness out of passion in my spare time. I am fit and healthy, without underlying health issues.

And still - this virus reduced me to a shell, lying in bed feeling closer to dead than alive. In the words of my GP: my body threw everything at that virus, to defeat it and to keep me alive. His prognosis is that it will take at least another two to three months until I have fully recovered.

I may be an unlikely Covid candidate on paper, but I made myself an easy target for the virus by not looking after myself: Green Tiger Events had grown so rapidly that I was often working seven days a week. Trying to fit my clients’ needs around spending quality time with my children also meant I often worked until 1 or 2am. I loved my work, but burning the candle at both ends meant my immune system was on its knees: I was completely exhausted, running on adrenaline, and then coaching hardcore fitness with a tired body. When I contracted the virus, my body had very few reserves left to fight it off.

Don’t repeat my mistakes! Please: look after your immune system, it is your best friend through all of this. Listen to official advice and stay home wherever possible. And spare a thought for everyone in hospital today patients or staff. Send them a silent wish - and then act accordingly. You have the power to make a real difference going forward - step wisely.

Let’s say thank you to Rail Industry Key Workers for keeping the country moving.

Nominate today.

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FEATURE

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

A RICH AND RUGGED

CANVAS HEALTH WORKERS FROM ST THOMAS' HOSPITAL NO LONGER HAVE TO WALK PAST DRAB BRICKWORK AS THEY WALK UNDER THE RAILWAY ON THEIR WAY TO AND FROM WORK

A

rtist Lionel Stanhope has been speaking with RailStaff’s Rachel Groves about his commissions from Network Rail and community groups to brighten up railway infrastructure, and a few he has done on his own account.

As nurses and doctors in the NHS have emerged as the superheroes of the nation amid the Covid-19 crisis, a tribute to their work by street artist Lionel Stanhope, 52, has materialised on one of the Cornwall Road railway arches under Waterloo railway station in Southwark. The iconic image appeared on Friday 1 May, around the corner from St Thomas’ Hospital, depicting the NHS as the superheroes of our time.

There is no doubt that the image is powerful and the size and positioning of the work makes it more impactful, but there are some who do not consider a mural to be true art. Are murals graffiti and a blight on our fine railway heritage? Or does our railway infrastructure present a rich and rugged canvas for a more modern and expansive form of artistic expression?

As lockdown began back in March, the Brockley-based artist Lionel Stanhope, like many, found himself unable to continue his usual work.

He was expecting to be out and about painting three pieces for Network Rail, but instead he found himself twiddling his paintbrushes.

To avoid boredom creeping in, he got to work on some designs and came up with a small version of his NHS superman design on a board which he fixed up on a road in Hilly Fields, near where he lives.

“It got a great response. I was thinking I would love to tweak the design and make it a bit bigger, better, and stronger. So, I contacted Eddie Burton at Network Rail, to see if he had a suitable location.

“He suggested Waterloo, which gave me the opportunity to do a much bigger version near to St Thomas Hospital to say thank you to all our incredible NHS staff. I did it for the thousands of doctors and nurses who are doing incredible work saving lives.”

Eddie Burton, senior community engagement manager at Network Rail, has been instrumental in building the company’s relationship

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The original NHS superman design, on a board in Hilly Fields.

with Lionel over the past five years, as well as championing the use of murals on railway infrastructure. He was able to find a suitable location, which also meant Lionel could comply with the government’s social distancing guidelines.

He completed the piece in just five hours.

“I was able to do it quite quickly,” he commented. “Like any job when you’re doing it regularly, you learn how things work. I had the design ready and I have learnt over the years how to use certain little tricks to get the image scaled up quickly, so that I could complete the piece in a day.”

But, unlike some of the other pieces of his work on railway property, this was not a commissioned piece. Lionel funded the paint himself as a tribute to NHS staff for everything they are doing during the Covid-19 crisis.

He saw the NHS superman and his next painting, an eye-catching copy of Caravaggio’s ‘The Supper at Emmaus’, which depicts Jesus wearing disposable surgical gloves, as professional development and they are now his favourite pieces: “Until now I have been known mostly for my typography, my lettering and stuff. I’ve only really, in the last year, started pushing myself to paint figurative work and I’ve grown to love it.”

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EARLY YEARS Lionel grew up in south London in Kingston on Thames. He left school at 17 and started his career as a sign writer under one of Margaret Thatcher’s youth training schemes. As part of his training, he learned the art of painting lettering by brush - in the years before the industry moved to machine printed vinyl.

He moved from sign writing into painting theatre sets, which is where his work really began to take off, and he soon began to be in demand for sets for TV and films.

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Fifteen years ago, he moved to Lewisham, in south east London, but it was only five years ago, in his local neighbourhood in Brockley, that his talent and passion for murals and street art emerged. It all started at a small street art festival when Lionel was asked to paint a small shop shutter and it went down well.

From there he was asked by the community group at Herne Hill if he would do their signs, including his first one on Network Rail property.

Caravaggio’s ‘The Supper at Emmaus’ – with surgical gloves.

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FEATURE

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Lionel’s first painting on Network Rail infrastructure was at Herne Hill.

Now he spends around 50 per cent of his time working on film and TV and 50 per cent painting murals and street art around the country. It’s a balance he really enjoys.

STREET ART VS GRAFFITI The past five years has seen a change in the way those who manage the nation’s rail infrastructure perceive murals and much of this has been down to the vision of one man, Network Rail’s Eddie Burton. In line with the Southern region sustainability strategy, Eddie is part of the stakeholder and community team, working with communities across the southern region and is a big

exponent of using public art to improve railway arches, bridges, and other locations. He has been instrumental in shifting the company’s views on murals and has been successful in showing how they can be used to enhance as opposed to blight.

Through the years, the guardians of the railway have fought against trespassers who use its enticing architecture as an illicit playground and graffiti is rife. The current Network Rail policy is to leave graffiti unless it is offensive, as removal of all graffiti is cost prohibitive. Removing a single piece of graffiti can cost up to £1,000. But, given the role Network Rail plays in local communities, Eddie saw a better

way of combatting some of the graffiti on his patch.

“It’s partly about art and creating something which looks good for the community, but it’s also about protecting our structures,” he explained. “There’s a general rule that people don’t tag or graffiti over pieces of artwork, and any artwork we put on our walls is protected with an anti-graffiti coating. So, you end up with something which is potentially

iconic in the area and also brings the community together.”

In fact, the protective anti-graffiti coating, which is a sort of varnish, actually helps protect both the painting and the structure, as any tags can be easily washed off. And as the brickwork can still be seen through the murals, the structures can still be inspected in line with railway guidelines.

Network Rail now has 71 murals across the southern region and many of them were done in partnership with local schools, councils, and community groups.

Only four of the murals have ever been tagged and, because of the protective coating, these were able to be cleaned off easily.

Lionel hopes that young people who see his work will be inspired to stop tagging and be more creative: “Often when I’m painting, people say it’s a shame someone is going to paint over that or to tag it. But I say to them, that it’s possible, but that’s not a reason to not paint something nice.

Sign at Forest hill - in progress and finished – complete with walrus!

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In collaboration with Camberwell’s Sacred Heart School.

“I’d like to think that some young artists may look at my work and think - I like that piece of work, I’d like to aim to be doing that kind of work. So, I hope it does inspire some people.”

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Following Lionel’s first piece on Network Rail property, when he was working with a community group in Herne Hill, the relationship has gone from strength to strength. Eddie was instrumental in getting the community licence granted and funding agreed for this and a few other community funded signs over the next few months.

Eddie saw the benefits of these community-led projects and approached his bosses for funding to implement a regional strategy and get similar signs painted on some of Network Rail’s structures.

Lionel is currently responsible for over 30 signs and murals on

commissioned more pictorial images.

With four in Brixton, five in Lewisham, four in Borough Market, three in Hither Green, three in Brockley, two in Dulwich and pieces as far out as Brighton, Ashford and Pontypridd. It looks like the muralism will be brightening up old railway structures in more and more areas.

But Lionel in not the only artist Network Rail is working with.

James Cochran AKA. Jimmy C, has done a few pieces, including a mural following the Borough Market terror attack with eight hearts representing the eight people who died.

In addition, Artmongers painted a long mural on Brockley footbridge which depicts the NHS rainbow.

Eddie reports that the response from both the public and the executive team on the southern route has been positive and so he is hoping more money will be

the likes of Lionel have been doing, they begin to be won over.

I make them ask themselves what they want Network Rail to be remembered for, an iconic image or an old, leaky, mossy wall.”

And so, as the lockdown begins to ease, Lionel will be picking

up his paintbrushes once again and heading back to the railway where he will be painting murals, using his much celebrated typography, at both Eltham and Sutton and will be tackling something a little more funky in Dulwich.

Jimmy C’s mural remembering the Borough Market terror attack. railway structures across south east London, from Hither Green to Brockley and Forest Hill to his most recent sign in Charlton.

20 of these have followed the familiar ‘hotdog’ design signs on the route as well as 10 individually

made available to create more artworks which act as signage, art and protection for the structures.

As Eddie says: “Not everyone initially sees why you would encourage murals, but, once I show them the sort of work that FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK

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COMPANY FOCUS

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TRANSPORT BENEVOLENT FUND

IMPROVES ITS BENEFITS TO MEET TODAY’S NEEDS

MUCH HAS CHANGED IN THE 97 YEARS SINCE THE TBF WAS FOUNDED, SO ADJUSTMENTS IN BENEFITS COME AS NO SURPRISE.

F

ounded in 1923, the Transport Benevolent Fund CIO (TBF) has been providing help and support to those working in the public transport industry for 97 years. Many things have changed since then, and today’s 67,000 members have needs that are very different from when the charity was founded.

As a result, the transport industry charity has decided to make some significant changes to the range of benefits that it offers to its members.

TBF chief executive officer John Sheehy explained: “Even before we were all dealing with the devastating effect of Covid-19, it is a sad fact that, in modern Britain, there are cases of need, hardship, and distress amongst those working within the industry. This is best illustrated by the fact that, during the past 12 months, the Fund has paid more than £2.8 million in awards to its members.”

children will have access to two different types of therapies in a rolling 12 month period, as is the case now, but the amount for each will be raised to £300. Of course, the ability to access these therapies will be dependent on social distancing guidelines at the time.

“The trustees have also had to make the very difficult decision of no longer offering massage as a benefit. Sometime ago, officebased staff discovered a series of attempted fraudulent claims for massage; these are not always easy to detect. This has created a hugely increased workload as members of the claims staff have to double-check the validity of every single request and this situation is no longer workable.

“Our principal concern is to ensure that beneficiaries who are off sick and experiencing hardship receive their grants on time. Therefore, as from 1 September 2020, massage will no longer be offered as a benefit, although members with a massage benefit claim already open at that date will continue

to receive reimbursement until the full £250 allowance is exhausted.

“We will, of course, continue to offer chiropractic and osteopathy treatments and physiotherapy, so members will have other options for treatment if the need should arise.

“The budget allocated for the massage benefit will now be redistributed within the sickness hardship grant budget and other therapy treatments,” John explained.

KEEPING THE WHEELS TURNING Many TBF members have been working through the current crisis, helping to keep the wheels of the public transport industry turning to support the country’s key workers during these difficult times.

John said: “The TBF team works tirelessly to help members and their dependants who find themselves in situations of genuine need and to help improve members’ work-life balance and reduce staff turnover for the employer.”

CHANGES TO BENEFITS There is no doubt that, in the current challenging times, there are going to be even more instances of need, hardship and distress amongst those working within the industry. To try and ease this need, the TBF’s trustees have agreed to an increase in the amount of benefit payable for the wide range of complementary and alternative therapies available to Fund members.

John continued: “Later in the year, each TBF member, their partner and dependent

Transport Benevolent Fund CIO, known as TBF, is a registered charity in England and Wales, 1160901, and Scotland, SC047016.

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REMOTE CONDITION MONITORING OPTIMISES PERFORMANCE KNOWING HOW TRAINS ARE PERFORMING, AND WHAT MAY BE WRONG WITH THEM, IS CRUCIAL AS OPERATORS STRIVE TO IMPROVE FLEET RELIABILITY

T

he ability to monitor how locomotives and trains are performing, as well as how their drivers handle them, gives train and freight operators an important tool in increasing performance and ensuring that passengers and cargo get to their destinations on time - every time.

Despite all of the recent purchases of new train fleets, which are being introduced around the country, the average age of the national train fleet is still nearly 20 years old. There has therefore never been a better time for train operating companies to get a handle on reliability, to ensure passengers continue to arrive at their destinations on time.

Any breakdowns when in service could be costly in terms of time, reputation, money and experience of the engineering staff, who may be not as familiar with the nuances of older rolling stock, so ensuring trains remain fully functioning is critical.

This is where 3Squared’s retrofitted Remote Condition Monitoring (RCM) system - which is part of the firm’s Railsmart suite of tools - comes in perfectly, as, with streams of data being fed through older rolling stock, train operators can be proactive with maintenance, rather than being reactive once something has gone wrong.

RCM allows customers to monitor more than 100 data channels in real-time, enabling them to keep track of their trains even when they are in remote parts of the country.

Examples of how RCM has helped clients include: • Passenger and freight train operators (TOCs and FOCs) being able to set trigger alerts when certain data channel conditions are met in order to take proactive measures, such as warning when a locomotive is running low on fuel or coolant, helping to save time and money from reactive measures. Incidents can be analysed using a customisable graph and raw data can be exported for further analysis.

• RCM has been able to identify faulty sensors on older locomotives ahead of time, saving the amount of time a locomotive is out of action - and therefore not earning money - while another client has been able to identify instances of vehicle idling following data analysis, which helped to boost the case for introducing stop/start technology.

• In the case of an incident, time can be saved attributing root cause, as access to RCM has meant incidents can be investigated immediately, without the need to physically download data from the loco with the ability to search RCM at the point of an event/trigger, saving around three

hours of analysis on average during an investigation.

• A trigger can identify when a battery has been left on overnight, mitigating instances when an older vehicle cannot run a service the next day due to a flat battery.

The system captures data from older locomotives and units in real-time, however, fleet managers can also look over historical information in easy-to-understand graph and table formats, allowing managers to pinpoint exactly when and where incidents occurred.

In addition, alerts can be created - for instance, if the oil pressure is less than x then the relevant parties can be informed automatically, helping to save time when diagnosing faults and problems.

EMPLOYEES TOO But it isn’t just rolling stock that RCM helps stay on track, as 3Squared’s Employee Development System (EDS), also part of Railsmart, reduces the administrative burden of employee competency management, enabling rail companies to manage and optimise employee performance.

RCM integration into EDS provides the following benefits for customers: • managers can view driver irregularities for a given time, for example, 09;00-18;00, today, last week or last month, all in one place, to assist with competency management; • managers can keep track of driving irregularities including speeding, adherence to signal advisories, throttle notch usage and emergency brake usage; • managers can build reports on driver performance by depot and region; • RCM graph views can be used during assessments to show the events leading up to an incident, while GPS can be used to view where incidents occurred.

Having doubled its turnover year-on-year in the last few years, and now employing a record number of staff, 3Squared maintains the entrepreneurial spirit and capability of a start-up but has the experience and maturity to address the needs of the complex rail sector. It can develop bespoke solutions for its clients, meaning that no job is too big or too small for its dedicated team of experts.

RCM is an award-winning product too, having been crowned with the award of Digital Technology Excellence at the 2019 Rail Business Awards.

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COMPANY FOCUS

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O’NEILL & BRENNAN KEEPING THE

RAIL WORKFORCE

SAFE FROM COVID-19

A

s the world slowly returns to normal, and the lockdown eases, more and more people are returning to work.

Those who can, will still largely be working from home.

But those that can’t, which includes everyone working on rail construction projects ‘on the tracks’, have no option but to return to site, try to stay alert and stay safe.

However, it is only natural that, once engrossed in a task, people’s awareness of what’s around them tend to fade away. That’s why railway work sites have safety marshals – controllers of site safety and the like – to keep a lookout and make sure anyone who is drifting into an unsafe area is warned and returned to safety.

COVID-19 is no different from any other risk at work. Safety rules are in place, workers are trained and encouraged to abide by them, but safety marshals (in this case COVID-19 marshals) have to be on the lookout for anyone bending the rules and putting themselves and colleagues at risk.

The rules are complex. Distancing is the first requirement (currently two metres but that could change to one and a half or even one metre – different countries have different theories). If distancing is not possible, then face coverings are required. If interacting with a lot of people, then a face shield may be needed.

In the same way that safety marshals need to be trained, tested, certified and accredited, so too should Covid marshals. But what training do they need? And who will accredit the course and the certificate of competence?

SAFETY SOLUTIONS Established in 1990, O’Neill & Brennan is a dedicated recruitment solutions business. It has the industry knowledge and experience to deliver a full logistics and recruitment solution, for projects of significant size and scale as well as smaller projects in remote locations. Its industry accreditations, awards and certifications demonstrate the quality of its work.

In rail, O’Neill & Brennan is a RISQS Accredited supplier of Track Labour, PTS Civil Trades and Professional and Technical personnel.

With an experienced and dedicated team in place, it understands

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the complexities and demanding nature of the rail industry and how integral health and safety is, which is why it is proud of the many rail specific accreditations it has that reinforce the commitment it holds towards its staff, the quality of its work, safety management and the environment.

Due to its reputation for safety, O’Neill & Brennan has, over the last couple of months, been receiving numerous requests for assistance with social distancing protocols and procedures.

The company also operates in Ireland and the Construction Industry Federation there has mandated that every site must have a COVID-19 supervisor, with the back up of COVID-19 marshals where the numbers on site dictate.

This requirement provided the impetus to develop a training course to train suitable people to act as COVID-19 Marshals in the UK. O’Neill & Brennan’s experts pioneered and developed a new training course – the first of its kind to be accredited.

It should be of considerable assistance in managing your responsibilities in the prevention of a COVID-19 outbreak onsite.

RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER RIDDOR The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) has now ruled that, in some circumstances, exposure to COVID-19 is reportable under RIDDOR. In making such a report, the employer must decide whether there is reasonable evidence linking the nature of the person’s work with an increased risk of becoming exposed to coronavirus.

Factors to be taken into account when making this decision could include: • Whether or not the nature of the person’s work activities increased the risk of them becoming exposed to coronavirus;

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Whether or not there was any specific, identifiable incident that led to an increased risk of exposure; • Whether or not the person’s work directly brought them into contact with a known coronavirus hazard without effective control measures, as set out in the relevant PHE guidance, in place such as personal protective equipment (PPE) or social distancing.

Employers are therefore asking whether they should have all sites and projects fully COVID-19 compliant. O’Neill & Brennan’s COVID-19 Compliance Marshal Qualification course, which is accredited and certificated by the ETA (Engineering Training Awards – an awarding organisation for the certification of both regulated qualifications and accredited training), has been designed as a bespoke product to assist employers in ensuring that their projects are compliant with all new legislation and government guidelines associated with this challenge.

The position of COVID-19 compliance marshal, who will be present on site during all working hours, will cover numerous proactive

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•

and reactive duties designed to assist the site management team with COVID-19 spread prevention, management and the monitoring of all site procedures implemented to deal with this issue on an ongoing basis.

Proactive duties include working to prevent the spread of COVID-19, conducting regular audits, checking signage, site cleanliness and the availability of handwashing facilities, and, of course, monitoring all site activities to ensure social distancing and hygiene levels are maintained.

Reactive measures include dealing with any instances on site where an individual is displaying symptoms or has been confirmed with COVID-19, isolating an individual with symptoms, following site protocols and assisting in tracing contacts should there be a confirmed case.

All of the above duties and responsibilities are covered within the course and the individual would be an integral and valuable member of all project site teams, as the rail industry begins to re-open those sites where work was suspended and attempts to get people back to work in a safe and controlled environment.

O’Neill & Brennan has built up an exemplary HSQE record over 27 years of trading. Using this experience, and under the guidance of Colin Gears, head of QHSE, the company has developed its COVID-19 Compliance Marshal Qualification course, which it is making available to both its own staff and those of other civil engineering contractors throughout the rail industry. It’s hard to see why companies wouldn’t put their staff through the course.

COVID-19 COMPLIANCE MARSHAL QUALIFICATION Regulated by the > Digital learning, delivered by Colin Gears

> Certificate of achievement regulated by ETA > 1 on 1 remote examination > Digital workbook

For more information contact:

Warren Kingham, General Manager, Infrastructure T: 07384 548 595 | E: w.kingham@oandb.co.uk www.oneillandbrennan.com

O’Neill & Brennan are a dedicated recruitment solutions business that specialises in the Construction / Infrastructure sectors. We offer a long standing and trusted brand with significant industry expertise.

17

Offices

Established

1990

£100m+ Turnover

RISQS Accredited

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YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

S L A N IO S S E F O R P L YOUNG RAI NLINE A NEW O ITY CO M M U N

W

ith 14,000 members split between eight regions and participating in events, overseas visits, training courses and good old-fashioned ‘networking’, it was time to improve the public face of YRP. A new website was needed, but what form should it take?

Last year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Young Rail Professionals.

From our very beginnings, YRP has been seeking new ways to bring young people together, regardless of profession, to share experiences, collaborate and inspire each other to develop their careers in rail.

We’ve had phenomenal growth over the last 10 years and now boast over 14,000 members.

However, when it came to launching our new YRP Wales region in 2019, we realised we’d outgrown our humble website.

WHO IS THE WEBSITE FOR? Inspired by Putting Passengers First, we took a step back to think about who visits our website, why, and what we could do to give them a pleasant journey.

The key visitor groups we identified were: • Young professionals in rail who are considering joining YRP; • People in rail who want to discover what YRP is all about; • Students who don’t work in rail yet but want to learn more about rail careers; • Teachers and careers advisors who want to help their students learn more about working in rail.

The customer-first focus steered lots of the design for our new website, but, crucially, we also considered what our YRP members might need in future.

MAKING IT WORK FOR MEMBERS Events are the bread-and-butter of YRP. Whether face to face or online, our programme of networking and development events (delivered both at national level and through our eight regional committees) enables our members to meet, interact and learn.

But YRP also has its ‘Into Rail’ programme of Ambassadors, who promote rail in schools, colleges and universities, as well as a growing Heritage Engagement movement, working to help preserve the past whilst offering hands-on experience to young people.

And let’s not forget Young Rail Tours, focused on organising affordable international trips for young people to learn from different approaches overseas.

It dawned on us that YRP had become a community of communities - made up of local communities in the YRP regions, and national ‘interest group’ communities that anyone can get involved in anywhere.

YRP also has its internal communities of committees, who make sure YRP delivers a rich programme of events and initiatives throughout the year.

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The YRP Committee members themselves needed a website that would make it as easy as possible to manage YRP on-top of their busy day jobs.

SHOPPING FOR AN IPHONE… What we realised was that we needed an online community to help our members connect, whatever their interests, wherever they are - an online community that is integrated with our management systems, manages all our events and registrations, and supports anything else we might like to do in future.

The requirements list was endless. We wanted every feature of LinkedIn, Mailchimp, Eventbrite and Salesforce - all in one joined-up package.

Specifying and procuring such a complex solution would be monumental. We thought, to ourselves, surely YRP aren’t the only ones with this idea - maybe someone has solved this problem before…

They had - “Association Management Systems”. We found over a dozen suppliers that offer a complete solution, out-of-the-box, with everything we need to manage our organisation.

We breathed a sigh of relief and set about trying to pick the right one for all our future needs.

It was really hard to choose which supplier to go with; none were perfect, but all offered a step-change in how YRP engages its members.

With such a comprehensive list of needs, and comprehensive offerings from different suppliers, the decision came down to how we felt whilst using the platform and, importantly, how our members would feel.

In the end we chose what we term “the iPhone” of online platforms, one that did everything we needed: YourMembership.com.

We’re pleased to say that, after six months of work by a dedicated YRP team, we are now ready to launch a fantastic new website with online communities and lots of fun, interactive functionality.

NOW ONLINE! By the time this article goes to press, our new website will be online (it launched 4 June), including our new Social Link community.

Social Link is a fantastic space for YRP members to connect with other members, share updates with their community, discover what YRP is doing in their region, and find new communities to engage with across the UK. Social Link is a ‘safe’ space to ask stupid questions as you start your career and seek advice from your peers about your next steps in your career, filling the gap between Facebook and LinkedIn with a new social network.

THE START OF A NEW JOURNEY The new platform offers so many extra features that we haven’t yet had the time to explore.

George Chilcott, YRP chairman 2020/21, commented: “Over the coming months we’re going to be building on this new platform to offer exciting new possibilities for our members.

“This investment was only possible thanks to the generous support of our corporate members, enabling YRP to continue to innovate and provide the best opportunities to Promote, Inspire and Develop the next generation of railway talent.”

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TRAINING

RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020

INVESTING IN ESSENTIAL SKILLS

LOCKDOWN AND SOCIAL DISTANCING HAVE FORCED COMPANIES TO WORK IN NEW AND DIFFERENT WAYS, FAVOURING THOSE WITH SKILLED, VERSATILE AND ADAPTABLE WORKFORCES.

T

he current Coronavirus epidemic has challenged all businesses across the UK in a way that none can have expected or predicted.

Some have carried on trading, while others have almost completely shut down. How well they come out of this situation, how strong or weakened they will be, depends largely on management skill and how their workforces have adapted to life during and after Covid.

Rail is an interesting mix. Trains are still running and infrastructure work is still taking place, so front-line staff have continued to work, albeit with social distancing and other restrictions in place.

Those managing these operations are largely working from home, connected to both their own staff and suppliers/clients via telephone, email, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack and various other digital methods most had never even heard of before the lockdown started.

In addition, a number of people are furloughed - barred from the office and their emails until called back to work. This not only affects them, it also affects their colleagues who are still working, as they are not there to contribute ideas and knowledge.

This is when having a skilled workforce really counts. It’s those human skills, and the ability to be able to stay positive, focused and recognise and support others, that really makes the difference. Employers that have taken steps to make their staff as skilled as possible, able to react quickly to challenges and changing conditions, are now reaping the benefits of that forward planning.

A HIGH-SPEED EXAMPLE Despite the lockdown, major construction works are still taking place at over 80 per cent of HS2’s work sites between Birmingham and London, while office-based staff are supported in working from home as the company adapts the way it engages with external partners and the community to hold meetings and events virtually instead of in person.

HS2 launched its Skills, Employment and Education Strategy in 2018. It offers a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to upskill the nation and ensure that people who live local to the route, and those from disadvantaged and under-represented groups, are given the opportunity to play their part in delivering this huge feat in British engineering. The ambitions were high, but they are fast turning to reality.

The ‘Skills Builder’ model helped HS2 to embed an essential skills approach across its education and future talent programmes, believing that there are clear benefits to widening its use across the organisation.

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Focusing on the importance of essential skills can really help to build a resilient workforce and being better equipped to adapt to the ‘new normal’ will be increasingly important in the months ahead.

Major construction of the first phase of Britain’s new railway, between London and Birmingham, is happening and HS2’s drive to leave a lasting skills legacy is rapidly taking shape. At its peak, construction will support 30,000 jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships. But, with an ageing workforce in rail engineering and a significant underrepresentation of women and BAME workers in the UK’s construction sector, it takes a project the size and scale of HS2 to start redressing those balances.

START THEM OFF EARLY With so much ground to cover, and a project that is likely to continue for the next ten years or more, HS2’s commitment to the skills agenda has had to be long-term, so its work begins in primary and secondary schools. Over 15,000 pupils have already taken part in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) workshops, which are designed to inspire the next generation to think about what’s possible.

Through curriculum-based activities, which support the STEM agenda, pupils are encouraged to work together to succeed using essential skills like creativity, problem solving and teamwork. For primary students, each pupil’s use of essential skills is rewarded, as they collect badges and certificates for the engineering and construction-focused tasks they successfully complete using a different essential skill.

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Kate Myers, head of skills, education and employment at HS2, explained: “Harnessing the use of essential skills really helps to inspire young people and support their development.

We work with pupils at local schools along the HS2 route to understand the link between the essential skills they are developing and how this links to future careers they may not have thought about before on major projects like HS2.

“Continuing that engagement with young people, through our work experience programmes, mentoring schemes, apprenticeships and attendance at job fairs and careers events up and down the country, helps us to keep that inspiration alive and support young people into meaningful career pathways to work on HS2, where we continue to invest in their essential skills.”

APPRENTICES AND GRADUATES Recognised essential-skills models are embedded into all stages of learning, development and future talent programmes at HS2. This encompasses everything from twoyear apprenticeship and graduate programmes to working with recognised charities such as the Social Mobility Foundation, with HS2 employees actively supporting high-attaining pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop the essential skills needed for higher education and progression into professional careers.

Over 350 apprentices have already worked on the HS2 programme, and recruitment is underway for more apprentices and graduates to start later this year. The importance of investing in young people, bringing them into the business at an early stage of their career

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and continuing to invest in their essential skills, is both recognised and valued. And as young people will be amongst those most adversely impacted by Covid-19 across education and employment, the ability to continue creating new opportunities for years to come is really important.

Without doubt, due to the months that the economy, business and education will have been locked down due to Covid-19, delivering HS2 is now more important than ever. The drive to rebuild the UK economy and divert much needed investment and growth into towns and cities in the Midlands and the North will never be greater. And with construction works ramping up and our workforce demands increasing, HS2 stands to play a pivotal role in helping to secure Britain’s economic recovery after Covid-19.

The main works construction contracts, totalling £12 billion, have now been awarded and the ripple effects of that investment are starting to reach down to second and third tier contractors and companies across the UK. As HS2’s influence extends out to thousands of UK businesses through its supply chain, the ability to continue making a difference grows.

Contracts are worded so as to place skills, employment and education requirements on all successful contractors, not only helping to create and secure jobs, but to ensure the companies behind the contract awards invest in upskilling their workforce, embedding the essential skills framework and delivering community-focused education and employment initiatives to support others.

It’s this circle of activity which will ensure that HS2 leaves a lasting skills legacy and creates new opportunities for future generations.

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GRADUATES

IN LOCKDOWN TRAINEES NEED TO LEARN FROM THEIR SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS, SO HOW DOES THAT WORK DURING LOCKDOWN?

N

etwork Rail has a well-respected graduate training programme, during which trainees visit, work with and learn from different departments and projects around the railway.

Graham Coombs investigates how that can still happen while working from home.

Joanna Dobell (right) discusses Innovations in Safety with colleagues.

It is obviously an understatement to say that the coronavirus pandemic has had an enormous effect on our working lives. Whether continuing to provide key services in difficult situations, working from home, being furloughed or even self-isolated, everyone has been affected.

But one group that has faced particular challenges is made up of those just starting on their railway career in Network Rail’s graduate schemes, who would normally be in the middle of an intense and tightly scheduled programme of activity. RailStaff asked them how they are keeping on track.

OPERATIONS AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

Joanna Dobell.

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Joanna Dobell (22) has been on Network Rail’s operations and general management programme since September last year, after graduating from Loughborough University.

As part of the broad spread of experience provided by the programme, she has so far worked with safety, technical and engineering in the R&D team, and then out on location with the national stations team, a posting that was supposed to finish in early April. But unfortunately, those plans came to a halt when coronavirus hit.

Joanna takes up the story: “I am between placements at the moment - I should have moved to performance, but this has been put back to June at least. It was difficult adapting at first, but I am keeping busy with my apprenticeship coursework and have quickly become involved in several interesting projects. The Institute of Railway Operators is continuing to deliver the apprenticeship remotely and, thankfully, there’ll be no delay to the completion of my apprenticeship.

“I have been working with the R&D team on a thermal cameras trial, both at Network

Rail’s Quadrant HQ and at Three Bridges ROC (rail operating centre), trying to mitigate some of the risks of coronavirus for critical workers. This was really interesting and very quick-paced, with the challenge to get a trial under way as quickly as possible, which we achieved during the first week in May. After a successful trial, the thermal cameras will now be rolled out nationally, helping keep our workers safe.

“I have also been involved with the transport task force with Charlene Wallace (Network Rail’s director for national passenger & customer experience), who had been tasked by chief executive Andrew Haines to gather together ideas from staff on how we can support the NHS and other key areas. I and another graduate have put all these ideas down in a database and we are creating weekly reports on them. This has been really good experience and has been a useful resource to the project team.

“In addition, I have been providing additional support to strategic crisis meetings and providing general assistance where I can.

This gave me the opportunity to help assist the logistics support for the NHS Nightingale Hospital in Manchester.

“At first I was quite worried, as I was really looking forward to my performance

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Usman Ahmed. placement, but actually I have been able to get involved in different things that I wouldn’t have otherwise, and it has given me a good insight into crisis management and working under pressure - it has probably been the busiest I have been.”

So, what does the future hold for Joanna? “I will be continuing to support the deployment of thermal cameras across Network Rail locations and the work with the transport taskforce, then in June I will be starting my performance placement on the Anglia route.

“The graduate programme is supposed to be for 12 months, but the scheme manager has been really supportive and will extend this, if needed, to ensure I complete the scheme.

“A key part of the programme is going out and learning from others, which clearly hasn’t

been possible, so I would like to get more practical experience in before looking for a permanent position. The situation was quite daunting at first, but the people at Network Rail have been really supportive.”

ENGINEERING Those on the engineering graduate scheme perhaps face a slightly different challenge, having to adapt to the new circumstances while work continues. To find out more, RailStaff talked with Usman Ahmed (24), who joined the graduate programme in September 2018 with a degree in civil engineering from the University of Birmingham.

He started his Network Rail programme with business familiarisation, visiting different teams such as asset management, site FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK

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construction, track maintenance, timetable planning, security and asset protection.

Following that was a placement on route asset management with the structures team, then working on the Aberdeen - Inverness improvement project.

“Since early this year I have been on a commercial placement with the team in Peterborough, working on the Werrington grade separation project,” Usman continued.

“The aim is to get some commercial experience, with things like looking at how much suppliers are charging us, querying and challenging it where needed.

“Since Covid-19 hit, we’ve been doing a lot to support our supply chain as best we can, especially making sure the systems and payment processes are in place to support their cashflow.”

Like many ongoing projects, the works at Werrington are continuing, with appropriate safety measures on site. But staff like Usman, who don’t specifically need to be on site, were told to work from home.

“The change was quite sudden - one day we were told we might be going home and the next day that happened. Working from home was challenging at first as I was trying to figure out how to use all the digital tools that I needed. It has been a learning experience, but now everyone is in a routine and adapting to the situation.

“We are learning how to manage our own time better, how to focus and prioritise.

Working from home has its own issues and maintaining the same level of performance can be quite challenging, but things like daily conference calls help replace face-to-face contact. We are utilising digital technology a lot more, and a lot better, and people who were not familiar with remote technologies are now more confident in using them.”

Sonia Howard.

Usman Ahmed.

Usman appreciates that it has been challenging for suppliers too. “In general, the supply chain has coped fairly well, but there have been a few occasions where coronavirus disruption caused delayed deliveries or equipment shortages, so it has been interesting to learn how to adapt to changing circumstances.

“The key thing is that work on the project is ongoing and progressing well, even if it was at a reduced level of output for a while. It has been a useful experience seeing how the team is functioning during this pandemic, and quite uplifting to see how Network Rail and the wider rail community have adapted to the situation,” Usman concluded.

Usman’s next placement with an external design company has been deferred until the autumn, so, like Joanna, his first full appointment will also be delayed while he completes the programme.

MANAGEMENT VIEW Sonia Howard, Network Rail’s graduate and higher apprenticeship manager, gave her opinion on how graduate programmes have been affected. “I oversee the engineering and operations and general management schemes,” she told RailStaff.

“We have approximately 80 graduates doing the engineering scheme and 50 on the operations and general management scheme at present. They have remained on placement but are predominantly working from home, with a handful still on site providing critical support to key route operations, including contingent signaller training.

“With regards to delivery of the scheme, we have been working with the professional bodies and our learning providers to ensure scheduled training continues RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

to be delivered, but using different platforms, such as virtual classrooms.

Where graduates have been unable to get the direct experience they need, we will ensure that placements are extended, or alternatives found, so that all graduates complete their scheme.”

Despite the pandemic, Sonia tells us it is full steam ahead for the future. “The 2020 graduate intake is going ahead, with increased numbers, and we are working on delivering the welcome days and induction materials remotely. It is very important to us that the graduate experience is not negatively impacted due to the coronavirus, so we will be using platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Yammer to ensure that they still feel connected and supported during their graduate journey.

“I think there may be greater use of distance learning in our schemes in the future.

It has thrown up an opportunity for us to make more and better use of digital platforms.

There will always be the requirement for face-to-face training and practical experience, but let’s be more innovative and, just because something has always been delivered in a certain way, does not mean this is the right way to continue. That’s true across all industries.”

Sonia concludes by summing up the importance of the programme in delivering the next generation of railway managers. “It is key to Network Rail and the wider rail industry to ensure we have a skilled workforce and we will continue to take a long-term view on training and development.

“It has been good to see how the industry has adapted and responded, and it highlights the importance of developing good leadership for times of change.”

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