Rail Engineer - Issue 158 - December 2017

Engineer

by rail engineers for rail engineers

DECEMBER 2017 - ISSUE 158

DIDN'T THEY DO WELL? Rail Engineers did well at this year’s RailStaff Awards, scooping eight of the 20 available categories.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

ELECTRIFICATION AS IT USED TO BE

A simple repair to the portal of Springs tunnel turned into a nine-day blockade to address major problems.

How the ECML was electrified in the 1980s, written by the project director who did it.

www.railengineer.uk

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RAIL ENGINEER MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

42

42 48 50 54 58 62 64

Feature ( with Lighting Special)

06 12 16 20 26 28 32

Electrification/Power Electrification as it Used to Be Donald Heath spent ten years as project director for the ECML electrification.

The Project Completion Certificate A handwritten note shows how £26,476,000 was spent in 1984.

Station Success Lowery Group upgraded the power at Reading and Euston stations.

ECML Power Supply Upgrade Peter Stanton on improvements at Essendine, Little Barford and Wymondley.

News Infrarail, C2E, Alternative Fuels, International Cooperation.

Keep Calm and Think Blue Stuart Marsh investigates Story’s new footbridge and discovers why it’s blue.

More Light for Less at Liverpool Street Goodlight has brightened the platforms at London’s thirdbusiest station.

Transport of Delight Keith Miller explains the intricacies of station lighting.

The Art of Smart Peli trackside lights now feature an ‘intelligent control’ panel.

London Underground – Keeping the Lights On Paul Darlington talks with London Underground about light levels and PRO-LITE.

Aberdeen to Inverness David Shirres has been to the north of Scotland to find out how things are changing.

Physical Resilience in a Digital Age Technocover is improving security at key infrastructure locations.

The View from Westminster What the Secretary of State said at RIA’s reception, and what he didn’t.

Introducing Surge Arrester Technology Gary Bromley explains how surge arrestors can reduce clearances.

20 Light Rail/Metro

38 78 84

Planning for Success D2 Rail helped with the planning for the Ordsall Chord, a triumph of collaboration.

72

72 74

Trams Without Rails When does a tram become a bus, or vice versa?

Moscow’s New Ring The Moscow Ring Railway is only 54km long – the outer Ring is 584km!

All’s Well That Ends Well Graeme Bickerdike gets to grips with lining problems in Springs tunnel.

Didn’t They Do Well?

How Rail Engineers fared at the 2017 RailStaff Awards.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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RAIL ENGINEER MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL

Getting it right The right decisions on future infrastructure and rolling stock policy require full consideration of all factors, which include the laws of physics.

Last month’s magazine showed that the power-to-weight ratio of a bi-mode train in diesel mode is essentially the same as the current diesel trains and much less than an electric-powered bi-mode. Yet the Government makes the misleading claim that bi-mode trains are the best available technology, which “means that we no longer need to electrify every line to achieve the same significant improvements to journeys”.

In reality, diesel-powered bi-mode trains will not reduce journey times. This requires other measures such as the DfT proposal to remove calling points south of Kettering on the Midland main line.

Bi-mode trains are a good way of getting to Inverness or Penzance, but they are no substitute for the electrification of core routes.

Notwithstanding their increasingly unacceptable environmental impact, such diesel trains have much greater maintenance and fuel costs than electric traction. When asked, the DfT was unable to advise whether these additional bi-mode train costs were considered when the decision to cancel planned electrification schemes was taken.

As we report this month, I had a discussion with Chris Grayling at the Railway Industry Association (RIA)’s Parliamentary reception during which it was clear that he considers Britain’s railways to be a success story and wishes to see significant sums of money invested, as shown by the £48 billion settlement for CP6. When our conversation turned to electrification, he made the point that the £500 million cost of electrifying to Swansea could be better spent elsewhere. Faced with increasing costs, his decision to reverse electrification plans is understandable, even if the DfT’s case for bi-mode trains is not.

The project to electrify the East Coast main line (ECML) got it right.

In this issue, Don Heath explains how, in the late 1980s, British Rail delivered this programme, and provided the rolling stock for it, for £344 million at 1983 prices, which was just three per cent over budget.

Adjusted for today’s prices, the ECML was electrified at 14 per cent of the per-mile cost of the Great Western electrification. Although, Don’s article acknowledges that his team didn’t face some of the problems that concern today’s electrification engineers, this doesn’t entirely explain a sevenfold cost increase. One factor must be the cost of the GW electrification’s heavy metalwork, which contrasts with the slender structures on the newly opened Sud Europe Atlantique highspeed line that carries 300km/h trains with twin pantographs.

Further electrification is likely to require the Government to be convinced that it can be delivered at a lower cost. In this respect, RIA’s electrification cost challenge is to be welcomed. The case for electrification also requires more clarity of its substantial long-term fuel and maintenance savings.

A good example of electrification work being delivered in a costeffective manner is the ECML power supply upgrade. Peter Stanton describes how millions of pounds were saved by value engineering.

We also feature innovative ideas in China and Cambridge on how mass transit systems don’t need rails, illustrating the point that the industry must innovate to compete. From Moscow, we report on its new ring railway, which has significantly increased the city’s metro capacity and is a showcase for Russia’s digital railway.

Capacity is also being increased on the single line between Inverness and Aberdeen. We describe how this first phase of this programme included a new station on a new alignment, signalling improvements and a level crossing closure. Stuart Marsh reports on another Scottish

crossing closure and its replacement by a footbridge lit by 278 blue LED lights.

Lighting is featured in various articles this month. We describe how measures to reduce London Underground’s lighting costs include an ongoing changeover to LED lighting and taking the lead in the European PRO-LITE initiative. We also report on how 3,500 lights have also been replaced by LED lighting at Liverpool Street station and have a comprehensive article by Keith Miller in which he explains the complexities of lighting design.

The idea of using a novel heavy-duty miller during the brickwork ring replacement at Springs Tunnel was a good idea. However, as Graeme Bickerdike reports, this didn’t go to plan for unforeseeable reasons, yet the ingenuity of all concerned ensured the tunnel was repaired and handed back on time.

The ingenuity, professionalism and technical ability of railway engineers was rewarded and celebrated at the Railstaff awards, as Nigel Wordsworth tells us in an article about the winners and their achievements. Looking to the future, Malcolm Dobell explains how the skills and knowledge required by the next generation of rail engineers was considered at a seminar organised by the younger engineers in the IMechE’s Railway Division.

As the festive season approaches, all of us at Rail Engineer wish our readers a splendid time over the Christmas period. Our thoughts are particularly with those who must defer their festivities until after their engineering work.

Do have a great, and safe, time.

RAIL ENGINEER EDITOR

DAVID SHIRRES

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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THE TEAM

NEWS

Editor David Shirres david.shirres@railengineer.uk

Production Editor Nigel Wordsworth nigel.wordsworth@railengineer.uk

Production and design Adam O’Connor adam@rail-media.com Matthew Stokes matt@rail-media.com

Engineering writers bob.wright@railengineer.uk chris.parker@railengineer.uk clive.kessell@railengineer.uk collin.carr@railengineer.uk david.bickell@railengineer.uk graeme.bickerdike@railengineer.uk grahame.taylor@railengineer.uk lesley.brown@railengineer.uk malcolm.dobell@railengineer.uk mark.phillips@railengineer.uk paul.darlington@railengineer.uk peter.stanton@railengineer.uk stuart.marsh@railengineer.uk

Advertising Asif Ahmed

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Rail Engineer Rail Media House,

Strong demand for Infrarail 2018 Following an overwhelmingly positive response to the 2016 event, Infrarail is set to return for 2018 with demand for exhibitor space higher than ever.

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Rail Engineer | Issue 156 | October 2017

Infrarail 2018 will take place during 1-3 May at the ExCeL London.

Exhibitors in attendance will include representatives from railway civil engineering and construction, track products, signalling and communications, electrification, stations and depots, infrastructure maintenance equipment and services, and many more.

Feedback from the 2016 event’s exhibitors was extremely positive, with many reporting that they had met key contacts and secured potentially valuable new business leads. With 65 per cent of visitors attending at managerial level or above, an impressive 97 per cent of exhibitors said they had achieved their pre-show participation goals and targets.

A total of 242 companies exhibited at both Infrarail and the Civil Infrastructure and Technology Exhibition CITE 2016.

Nearly 5,300 managers, engineers and rail industry and infrastructure specialists visited the combined shows, and with

some 1,300 additionally present on the exhibitor’s stands, 6,600 people attended the three-day event.

Infrarail exhibition manager Kirsten Whitehouse said: “Railway Infrastructure in the UK is a busy, exciting and challenging market. Following the recent announcements for HS2, and the latest news outlining the Government’s extensive investment aspirations for CP6, there is a real sense of optimism amongst the developers, operators and users of Britain’s railways.

“Next year’s Infrarail will be 2018’s definitive networking opportunity for visitors and exhibitors to meet, connect and inspire; sharing knowledge and making contacts. It is an event that is not to be missed and I urge businesses interested in exhibiting to make a reservation as soon as possible, as spaces are rapidly selling out.”

Entry to Infrarail 2018 is free for visitors who pre-register online, with registration opening in the weeks leading up to the show.

NEWS

coming soon...

C2E - Crossrail 1½?

With the main Crossrail project now mostly complete, and with tracks running right through the new tunnels, there has been much talk of Crossrail 2 as the next project, crossing under London from South West to North East and linking Wimbledon with the Leigh Valley.

Rather overlooked is a shorter-term proposal to extend the current Crossrail (or Elizabeth line as it will be called) from Abbey Wood to Ebbsfleet in Kent.

Two of Crossrail’s three ‘legs’ extend quite a way from London - in the West out to Reading and in Essex to Shenfield.

But in the South East the new railway emerges from the Plumstead portal and then stops at Abbey Wood station just a few hundred metres away. Passengers then cross the platform to pick up Southeastern services for onward travel.

But now an extension has been proposed to take the line on, calling at Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe and terminating at Ebbsfleet.

Known as C2E - Crossrail 2 Ebbsfleet - this proposal would connect several major brownfield development sites with central London, London City and Heathrow airports, and the West, while also connecting Crossrail passengers with Eurostar and the continent.

Speaking at the recent seminar on ‘Delivering Crossrail and next steps for Crossrail 2’, organised by the Policy Forum for London, Paul Moore, director of place, communities and infrastructure for the London Borough of Bexley, explained that, just in Bexley, there was 1,100 acres of developable space available.

Talking as a sub-region, Dartford, Ebbsfleet, and Gravesham borough councils, the potential is for 55,000 new homes and £50,000 jobs - “serious, serious growth potential,” as Paul put it.

“These are some of the lowest land values around the M25,” he added. “There are reasons why this land has not been developed, in part because of the poor transport infrastructure.

Both the frequency and the travel times for people in this part of the world are limited.

Dartford is currently getting about six trains an hour, and there’s huge demand in the area for better services. ” Which is what C2E is hoping to address. The plan is to have a fundable proposition ready for next summer.

NEXT MONTH...

STATIONS Rail Engineer reports on Stations, the passenger experience through a station, and key developments below: Accessibility, Architecture, BIM, Barriers, Buildings, CCTV, Car Parks, Catering, Cleaning, Escalators, Landlord Permissions, Lifts, Lighting, Maintenance, Passenger Information Systems, Planning Issues, Platform Screen Doors, Platforms, Records, Refurbishment, Reporting, Retail, Security, Software, Smart Ticketing, Wheel / Rail Interface.

FEBRUARY 2018 RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE Rail Engineer looks at what’s involved in maintaining and renewing the UK Rail Infrastructure and the latest technology and innovations making it faster, easier and more cost effective, especially in these areas: Asset Management, Cable Hangers, Construction, Drainage, Examinations, Lifting, Modular Systems, Painting, Plant & Equipment, Precast Sections, Refurbishment, Replacement, Rope Access, Scaffolding, Spray Concrete, Surveying Equipment, Surveying Techniques, Tunnel Boring, Ventilation, Waterproofing.

MARCH 2018 SIGNALLING & TELECOMS Three of Rail Engineer's writers specialise in this complex field that keeps the railway running and will provide the key to increased capacity and safer running in the future: Barriers, Broadband, CCTV, Displays, Driverless Systems, Equipment, ERTMS, GSM-R, Gantries, Hazard Warnings, IP Networks, Information Systems, Level Crossing Surfaces, Loudspeakers, Operating Systems, Protection Systems, Radio, Resignalling Schemes, Signalling Power, Software, Training, Warning Systems, WiFi

Want to learn how to win more business?

Join us at the Rail Procurement Roadshow to learn from leading procurement and tender teams and for rail-based workshops. www.railroadshow.com

London - March 2018 Birmingham - May 2018 Manchester - June 2018 London - November 2018

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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8

NEWS

Alternative fuels Alstom launched its hydrogen-powered Coradia iLint train at InnoTrans 2016 in Berlin, fitted with fuel cells that produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen to water.

Electrical energy is produced by exposing hydrogen, which is stored in a high-pressure fuel tank on the train’s roof, to oxygen. Energy that is not immediately used is then stored in lithium-ion batteries, meaning there is no need for overhead catenary.

This system is CO2-free, only emitting steam and condensed water, and has a low-level of noise.

The train has been extensively tested, reaching its design speed of 140km/h (87mph), and orders for 60 trains from German operators are expected shortly.

Bombardier has also tested a new type of propulsion.

The IPEMU (Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit), a specially adapted Class 379, ran in passenger service on the

Mayflower line in Essex early in 2015. On-board batteries allowed it to run off the main line on short, unelectrified branches.

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Now three more unconventionally powered trains have been announced. Siemens is also working on a hydrogen-powered train. It has partnered with Canadian manufacturer Ballard Power Systems on a new Mireo train that could be running by 2021.

Australian heritage railway Byron Bay Railroad Company has taken delivery of its newly restored two-car Class 600/700 DMU, which has undergone a conversion to run on solar power. Curved solar panels on the roof gather electrical energy that is stored in a battery bank on-board.

One of the train’s two diesel engines has been removed and the other remains on board for weight and balance and also to provide an emergency back up in case of electrical fault. The remaining diesel engine is not required for normal operation, even in cases of prolonged lack of sunshine.

During extended periods of poor weather, the train can also

be plugged into the grid and its batteries charged using green energy purchased from energy provider Enova Energy.

Testing is underway and a passenger service is expected before Christmas.

Meanwhile, Swiss manufacturer Stadler will supply 18 Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) hybrid diesel trains - described by the company as the first train in the world to combine regenerative technology with a HVO engine - to Arriva for use on its Northern Lines services in the Netherlands.

The first HVO trains will go into service in 2020. The Flirtino has been designed in such a way that it can be converted from diesel into a battery-powered multiple unit when partial electrification of the lines is completed in the mid-2020s.

Worries about the environment are certainly encouraging railway engineers to demonstrate their ingenuity.

NEWS

A Spark of international cooperation SNCF, the French national railway operator, has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with RSSB to share information on research and innovation through SPARK, the rail knowledge-sharing hub.

An interactive online library that pools railway innovation and research materials, SPARK (www.sparkrail.org) contains over 22,000 publications, a mix of project reports, presentations, theses and essays.

It helps users avoid duplication of effort and accelerates their research by building on work that has already been done.

SNCF joins several other international organisations, known for their high-quality research, which already make content available on SPARK. These include Japan’s RTRI, the International Union of Railways (UIC) and the World Congress of Rail Research (WCRR).

Its new partnership with RSSB will enable SNCF to tap into an international database, increasing the pace of its own research and innovation. In return, SNCF will make contributions to SPARK, including articles published in scientific journals, presentations at events and overviews of live projects with projected timelines. None of the shared

understand who is doing what, where. This type of partnership promotes research by sharing information and stepping up the pace of innovation.

content will be confidential or protected.

Christophe Chéron, who handles coordination and partnerships at Shift2Rail for SNCF, said: “Joining SPARK helps users

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Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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12

FEATURE

PERTH

EDINBURGH

STIRLING

Station

St Ninian’s Crossing

GLASGOW

J

ust over a mile south of Stirling station was what was once considered to be Scotland’s highest risk footpath crossing. St Ninian’s crossing was located on Millhall Road and, although it had been closed to road traffic for many years, it remained open for pedestrian use. Within just a two-minute walk from the town’s Braehead and Broombridge housing estates, this crossing was heavily used. Tragically, it had seen an atypical number of incidents, with one fatality and six near misses reported within the past six years.

Interestingly, calming blue lighting had been trialled at St Ninian’s crossing as part of an effort to reduce the increasing number of suicides on Scotland’s rail network. Network Rail experimented with this novel illumination after it proved successful in Japan, where it had been installed at stations on Tokyo’s Yamanote line.

With a reported four-fifths reduction in suicides there, trials were undertaken on the platforms at Gatwick station. This proved successful too, with reductions not only in the number of suicide attempts, but also in the level of antisocial behaviour.

At the time of its installation at St Ninian’s crossing in 2016, the number of suspected suicides in Scotland had doubled over the previous six months to fourteen, compared with seven in the same period in 2015. Network Rail said this had bucked the trend in the incidence of suicides that were falling across the rest of the UK.

Risk mitigation The railway through Stirling is set to be electrified in 2019. With the prospect of faster and quieter trains using the route, Network Rail took the decision to replace the level crossing by providing a fully accessible footbridge. St Ninian’s has become the first public crossing to close in Scotland since Inchyra in February 2012 and just the second to close this century.

As part of Network Rail’s commitment to improve this type of crossing, Story Contracting was engaged to construct a bridge structure that would allow safe, unimpeded access for pedestrians, as well as wheelchair users and pushchairs. Design of the bridge was subcontracted to Pell Frischmann Consulting Engineers. Its design also anticipates the installation of overhead line equipment as part of the forthcoming programme to electrify the Stirling, Alloa and Dunblane lines. The value of the bridge project to Story Contracting was £1.9 million.

The new fully accessible footbridge has ramps with resting points, as well as stairs. Its structure consists of a steel U-frame deck, ramps and staircases. As footbridges come, this one is large, with the access ramps stretching for some 80 metres along the line of the railway before doubling back, forming an intermediate landing, in order to gain the height required to clear the forthcoming overhead line equipment. This ensures that the ramp gradient is not greater than 1 in 20.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Blackpool

Burnley

Liverpool

WALES

Le Bradford Rochdale

Manchester She

Stoke-on-Trent

ENGL

FEATURE

KEEP CALM AND THINK BLUE STUART MARSH

PHOTOS: EDDIE ESDALE

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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14

FEATURE

28-week project Work on site began in January 2017 with the erection of fencing to delineate the railway boundaries, followed by soil-stripping a section of council-owned land to the east of the track. This facilitated the installation of a site compound, piling platforms and crane platforms.

The first stage of the permanent works construction was the installation of piled foundations - a phase of works that was completed five weeks ahead of programme. The piling work was sub-contracted by Story to Technik Ground Solutions, a specialist geotechnical company that provides micro-piling, mini-piling and ground engineering solutions.

The St Ninian’s footbridge is a substantial structure and the ground conditions were identified as being weak to a significant depth. Preliminary pile testing was therefore undertaken to ensure appropriate pile capacities were achievable within the weak ground conditions present.

Other challenges for TechnikGS included operations being conducted adjacent to active running lines and the imposition of vibration restrictions due to the proximity of the rail infrastructure.

The works involved the installation of eighty low-vibration bottomdriven piles to depths of up to 20 metres. Compression and tension loads were 350kN and 125kN respectively. In all, 130 cubic metres of concrete and 18 tonnes of reinforcement were used to form the in-situ piles and 26 pile caps.

With the work being carried out very close to the live railway, TechnikGS made use of short mast rigs. Full-depth pile reinforcement was also installed in sections no greater than three metres to conform to the live rail fall distance restrictions. Multiple rigs were employed in order to complete the works within the required timescale.

With completion of the sub-structure, Story’s steelwork subcontractor, M&S Engineering of Annan, was able to commence the installation of the superstructure elements. The steelwork was installed over four nightshifts using a 220-tonne crane.

In total, some 268.2 tonnes of structural steelwork have been incorporated into the design. To finish things off, a four-coat paint protection scheme was applied, involving 2,168 litres of two-pack epoxy paint.

Let there be light The final section of work involved the installation of cabling and the provision of a comprehensive lighting system, which perpetuates the previously used calming blue light idea. The bridge, stairs and ramp sections are illuminated by two different types of lighting. Blue LED luminaire light units from French company LEC Lyon have been fixed to each SHS section of the balustrades on the stairs and ramps, whereas, across the bridge deck, the design plan specified LED inset lighting units. This has been achieved by installing ten LED Plan Bridge Strip Lights to the underside of the steeple cope of the bridge parapet.

A total of 278 blue LED luminaire units was called for in the scheme.

To power these lights and comply with BS7671 (Requirements for Electrical Installations IEE Wiring Regulations - 17th Edition), it

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

was necessary to run 2,235 metres of cabling of various diameters, combined with the various LED driver units. Four steel equipment cases are located at the top of the stair and ramp sections.

On the bridge approaches, fourteen Holophane illuminated bollards and a further 350 metres of cabling have been deployed.

All of the bridge, ramp and bollard lighting is connected through the primary DNO cabinet and controlled via photocell.

During daylight hours, all of the lighting is inactive. Once daylight has gone, a photocell is enabled and the fourteen bollards, ten Design Plan lights and two PIR detectors switch on. The PIRs are programmed to keep the 278 blue luminaire lights working at 30 per cent of their capacity when no persons are detected. Once a person is detected, the blue luminaire light output is increased to 100 per cent in order to provide clearly lit walkways along the stairs and ramps.

Protection of the railway has been ensured by the installation of 170 metres of steel palisade security fencing, complete with maintenance access gates. Although the site is located near to housing developments, there are open areas on both sides of the line. This had the benefit of providing plenty of space for the project activities. However, Story’s management team made a concerted effort to liaise with all residents, providing weekly updates to the progress and programme of works. Through these conversations, both Story and Network Rail felt that positive relationships were established and the project was delivered in a harmonious manner.

Crossings abolished Network Rail opened the footbridge in July 2017. Simon Constable, head of route safety health and environment for the ScotRail Alliance, said: “The single most significant risk to public and passenger safety on the railway comes from level crossings. At Network Rail, we are committed to reducing this risk as much as possible by taking action at our highest risk crossings.”

By any standard, this footbridge is impressive. With its price tag of £1.9 million and with 6,800 man-hours of work involved on site, is it justified?

Simon Constable continued: “This closure of St Ninian’s level crossing in Stirling is important, as it has previously been identified as a high risk pedestrian crossing. With more, faster trains due to use this route in the near future, there was further justification to push for closure and to create a bridge in this location.”

Network Rail is working hard to improve safety at its highest risk level crossings. Where it is practical and affordable, it will close them or, where no closure can be agreed, it will seek to improve safety by introducing additional measures.

It’s impossible to place a value on a life, of course. Fortunately, we’ll never know what the statistics would have looked like at St Ninian’s had the level crossing been retained. If this bridge and its blue lighting saves just one family from the tragedy and heartache of a death, it will have been money well spent.

Hopefully, blue lights of a rather different nature will be a thing of the past at this location.

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16

FEATURE

More light for less L

at Liverpool Street station

ondon’s Liverpool Street station, the third busiest in the nation, was once known as the Dark Cathedral.

The station was first built in 1875 on the site of the original Bethlem Royal Hospital, Europe’s oldest psychiatric hospital that soon became known as “Bedlam”. It was a replacement for the earlier Bishopsgate station and became the Great Eastern Railway’s terminus in the City of London.

Eight new platforms and four new train-shed roofs followed in 1895. The station itself was extended eastwards by 230 feet (80 metres) and three new bridges carried roads over what was now the largest station in the UK. It was always a busy station, too. 1,000 trains and 200,000 passengers a day used the station - and that was in 1912!

“Old Liverpool St Station was both a labyrinth and the beast in the labyrinth too. There were so many tunnels twisting and turning that you felt you were entering the entrails of a monster and when you emerged onto the concourse it was as if you had arrived, like Jonah or Pinocchio, at the enormous ribbed belly.”

The station was extensively rebuilt and reopened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. It was lighter and airier with an extended version of the original 1875 train shed roof with 18 platforms feeding into a six-road exit throat.

Even with the remodelling, a large number of electric lights were needed to allow passengers and staff to find their way around the huge station. These used a lot of electricity, and needed regular maintenance, so, with the advances in technology, the decision was taken to change over to LED lighting.

Brighter future As a result, Network Rail has now fitted Goodlight™ LED lighting, supplied by UK manufacturer LED Eco Lights, into all 18 platforms and the concourse. Passengers and staff are benefitting from higher, better quality lighting and, at the same time, Network Rail is seeing a significant saving in electricity costs and a reduction in its carbon footprint.

Dark and convoluted But the way the station had grown brought its own issues. There were two concourses, numerous walkways, several booking halls and lots of nooks and crannies. As the blog Spitalfield Life recalls: “Liverpool St was quite a different place then, dark and sooty and diabolical - before it was rebuilt in 1990 to become the expansive glasshouse that we all know today.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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FEATURE

Adam Thackeray, works delivery manager for Network Rail, commented: “We decided to move to LED lighting to reduce our carbon output, reduce costs in terms of power consumption and to improve the lighting level and quality in public areas of the station. The opportunity to reduce costs for lamp replacement by moving from a two-year to a five-year cycle was also a significant consideration. LED lighting will also increase the efficiency of emergency lighting, reducing the load on the battery/generators and reduce the temperature signatures of lighting and heat related failures.”

LED Eco Lights was founded in 2006 and celebrates 11 years as an award-winning lighting manufacturer which has recently been awarded Carbon Trust Accreditation. Its Goodlight LED lamps and luminaires provide a comprehensive range of solutions for commercial, industrial and transport environments. The company also offers a team of technical experts, to guide customers through every stage of the upgrade process, including lighting design services, funding solutions and installation.

The specified Goodlight LED lamps could easily be retrofitted into the existing fittings, allowing the re-lamping to proceed with little disruption. In total, over 3,500 lights were replaced, over a six month period, by two teams of two operatives working from a pair of scissor lifts on a permanent night shift during the five hour window offered by station closing hours.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Some commuters shared Tweets about the improvement and many of the staff that work at the station expressed appreciation for the improved station environment.

Liverpool Street Station is seeing both an increase in light levels and a reduction in energy demand following the re-lamping with Goodlight LED. The station has measured an increase in Lux levels on the platforms and concourse, from approximately 75 Lux with the old lighting to 210 Lux with Goodlight. At the same time there has been a temperature drop of approximately 40 degrees centigrade at the exterior of the globe fixtures, which should improve reliability as well as efficiency.

During the replacement of the concourse lighting in particular, maintenance teams noticed that there was a lot of the discolouration around the lamps and reflectors caused by heat produced by the old fluorescent lamps and control gear. This illustrates both the amount of waste heat generated and the issues it was causing. The energy saving from the new lights is over 800,000kWh per year from the platform globe fixtures alone.

Adam Thackeray estimates that the new LED lighting uses about half the energy of the old lights, and will pay for itself in just 12-18 months.

Tomorrow’s railway today Our people create better journeys by increasing network capacity, improving reliability and making our railways more efficient and sustainable.

We are uniquely placed to offer practical solutions to industry challenges, combining a deep understanding of our customer’s objectives with a broad range of expertise.

Our services are underpinned by dedicated teams, delivering innovative engineering, advanced digital technology and industry‑leading safety.

For more information, contact us: 01737 854400 rail@balfourbeatty.com www.balfourbeatty.com/rail

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FEATURE

Transport

of Delight

KEITH MILLER

G

ood lighting design is essential to the functional operation and differentiation of spaces, within and around railway stations and transport interchanges. It can reveal and enhance the architecture, create legible spaces and promote passenger safety while ensuring ease of movement and equal access for all user groups.

Visible variations in illuminance (Lux).

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

PHOTO: BS EN 12464-1:2011

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

When considering how a station environment should be lit, it is important to first define the visual tasks and how the lighting should address them. Lighting should be layered and task-specific, rather than generic and undifferentiated, as it is widely accepted that visual information is processed using a brightness and contrast hierarchy within the visual field.

Horizontal illuminance and lighting uniformity should never be the sole consideration because the way in which the eye responds to light does not correspond with linear illuminance scales where a range of visual step changes should be applied.

To give a perceptual difference with ambient illuminance levels, recommended step changes in illuminance are illustrated below: In both interior and exterior environments, consideration should also be given to levels of illuminance of the immediate area surrounding the task area together with the background ambient illuminance. This is to avoid extreme variations in illuminance that may cause visual discomfort, particularly for the elderly and the visually impaired.

PHOTO: SOCIETY OF LIGHT AND LIGHTING

FEATURE

The illuminance of the immediate surrounding area shall be related to the illuminance of the task area and should provide a well-balanced luminance distribution in the visual field. The immediate surrounding area should be a band with a width of at least 0.5 metres around the task area within the visual field (See diagram above).

When standing or walking, the visual field includes more vertical surfaces than horizontal ones. In transport environments passengers are naturally drawn to brighter vertical backdrops rather than brighter floors or table surfaces, whilst either moving or standing. Indirect lighting and wall washing therefore place greater emphasis on the ceiling and vertical surfaces rather than the floor surface.

Design priorities A number of priorities and strategies will concern designers in their approach to lighting the public areas of stations.

Orientation and safe movement - passengers are often unfamiliar with the environment and wayfinding decisions will need to be made quickly to avoid congestion, particularly at transition points, thresholds and changes in direction.

Hazard identification obvious hazards include changes in level, junctions, changes in direction, platform edges and areas where there are moving vehicles or equipment. Local accent lighting should be used where necessary.

Wayfinding - this can be considered in four distinct stages: ‘orientation’, ‘route decision’, ‘route monitoring’ and ‘destination recognition’.

Signs, directory panels and maps should be adequately illuminated. Enhanced levels of illuminance provided in decision-making areas and at destination points will assist passengers’ decision-making process.

Safety and security appropriate illuminance levels with good levels of uniformity should be provided both internally and externally in transport environments. It is important that good facial recognition is achieved, particularly in the external environment.

Sufficient lighting also needs to be provided for CCTV cameras, so that staff can effectively monitor any activity taking place after dark.

Visual adaptation - light adaptation enables the visual system to operate throughout the enormous range of luminances that occur in nature.

There are many fast-moving transition spaces for both passengers and vehicles in transport buildings where visual acuity and hazard recognition are important. Both light and dark adaptation need to be considered by the lighting designer.

Once safe levels of task lighting have been provided, the lighting design should aim to create adaptation paths for the users. Lighting must be set at appropriate levels to allow the visual system to make a progressive transition from high to low-luminance situations, and vice versa.

Relationship between task, immediate surrounding area and background.

Concourses Any station will have several public areas where passengers’ needs and requirements are different, and so designers

The lighting design strategy should consider that spaces are usually occupied.

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FEATURE

PHOTO: CROSSRAIL/C100 DESIGN TEAM

Crossrail sub-surface station concourse.

offices, information desks and changes in level should be emphasised.

In large interior volumes, exaggerated devices such as large-scale signage elements will help passengers to quickly navigate their way through the space.

should adopt differing approaches when lighting these spaces.

For concourses, the use of natural light should be maximised and electric light integrated with the architectural design. Care should be taken to avoid glare and intense reflections from interior surfaces.

Counters and information desks

PHOTO: GIA EQUATION

Good facial recognition enables interaction between passengers and staff.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Escalators and moving walkways The most critical points are the landings and stepping on/ off positions at the newel end of the escalator. An average maintained illuminance of 100lux should be provided horizontally on the steps with higher values provided in the area immediately around the landings to enhance passenger safety.

Integral balustrade lighting is a good way of delivering the light to the task plane but it must be designed so that the lighting does not create excessively high luminance contrasts in the step cavity.

It is worth noting that although escalators are designed for standing, people may also be walking up or down.

PHOTO: GIA EQUATION

Colour coded skirting lighting to signify direction of passenger travel.

Levels of illuminance should be consistent in all areas occupied by passengers, both by day and night. There should be no extreme variations in illuminance level, and no areas should be excessively bright or dark. There should also be no areas of strong shadow.

Entrances, exits and ticket gates should be highlighted to facilitate safe movement.

Departure and arrival boards should be clear and legible and care should be taken to avoid veiling reflections on information displays and signage. Important elements such as ticket machines, ticket

These may broadly be divided into two categories - Open, if there is a counter top but no dividing screen between the customer and staff sides, and Protected, where a clear screen, often ballistic glass, divides staff and public.

The task lighting considerations for the two typologies vary, although the requirements are essentially the same. Good vertical illuminance is required each side of the counter to enable people to see each other’s faces. A horizontal illuminance of 400lux on each side of the counter top is a good target and this should be glare-free. Lamps should be shielded and the luminaires should also have good optical shielding.

For open counters, it may be possible to use a single lighting system to light both sides of the counter.

For protected counters, separate lighting elements will be needed to ensure that the staff and customers both have clear views of each other without the creation of veiling luminance on the glass partition. Because of the aural distortion created by these screens, and the audio systems associated with them, good visual cues are essential for successful communication and the creation of an appropriate lighting solution is paramount.

Display screen use on the staff side of protected counters should be considered. This will almost certainly require the provision of local lighting controls.

In all cases, task lighting, which enables clear and rapid identification of coin, bank notes, credit cards and printed material, should be provided.

PHOTO: CROSSRAIL/C100 DESIGN TEAM

FEATURE

PHOTO: GIA EQUATION

These are typically encountered at railway platform edges, and the task plane is the threshold between the vehicle and the platform, which must be clearly defined. A maintained average horizontal illuminance of 100lux is suggested at these transition points, although a lower value may be appropriate where there is a clear luminance contrast such as a white painted platform edge.

When designing for railway installations, a fundamental consideration is the passenger/ train interface (PTI), since moving trains present the greatest risk to passengers and staff in a station environment.

At an open platform edge, the PTI is a location where there is a significant risk of passengers falling onto the track and into the path of an oncoming train.

In stations where the platform edge is enclosed by a screen this risk is eliminated, but appropriate lighting at the transition point between the train carriage and the platform will need to be provided.

The contrast between lighting within the vehicle and its immediate surroundings should be addressed in the lighting design to avoid problems of visual adaptation for boarding or alighting passengers.

Platform layouts will vary considerably depending on the station environment but can be considered as two principal typologies - ‘open’ (uncovered) platforms, with some freestanding structures and enclosures, or ‘enclosed’, where most of the platform space is covered by a canopy.

It is essential to provide good levels of illuminance and uniformity across the entire platform area, particularly the platform edge. For this reason, the task area of an open platform should be considered to extend up to 0.5 metres trackside. This is to ensure that adequate levels of illuminance are achieved for passengers boarding and alighting from trains.

The platform lighting should not cause glare within the field of view of approaching

train drivers. The avoidance of glare and stroboscopic lighting effects is essential. Ideally, light sources should not be visible, and luminaires with a controlled downward light distribution should be specified.

Crossrail sub-surface platform environment.

Accessible design considerations

Well-illuminated platform edge assists passengers boarding and alighting.

PHOTO: GIA EQUATION

Boarding and alighting points

The UK Equality Act 2010 places a duty on transport service providers to make reasonable adjustments to remove potential barriers that passengers with disabilities may face when accessing both buildings and transportation services.

There are many degrees of disability experienced by a large percentage of transport users.

In terms of visual impairment, this will vary between simple spectacle-corrected impairments to total vision loss.

Paddington station concourse.

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PHOTO: GIA EQUATION

Simulation of reduced colour perception and depth of field due to age related loss of acuity.

Mobility impairments to be considered by designers will range from minor limb disability to those who use wheelchairs to access the facility.

Good lighting at points of hazards, for example, roadway edges and railway platform edges, will make the environment safer and easier and accessible for all passengers.

Spectacle wearers will experience veiling reflections if excessively bright light sources are positioned in the field of view, even at longer viewing distances. Glare should always be strictly controlled, whatever the type of visual impairment.

Light sources, particularly high brightness LEDs, should always be shielded from view.

Visually impaired people find it difficult to see effectively where there are high rates of change of luminance in the field of view. As this can result in confused visual cues and loss of detail perception, it is vital that luminance changes should be gradual. It is equally important that there is a difference in the luminance of adjacent horizontal and vertical areas at low level, for example step treads and risers, as the visually impaired often rely on shadow cues to determine the position of boundaries and obstacles.

Visually impaired passengers suffer from a loss of contrast sensitivity. Therefore, important signage and wayfinding information should be backlit, so that a constant luminance

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

across the surface of the sign is achieved together with optimal contrast ratios.

The lighting designer should also ensure that all visual information in the lit scene, both wayfinding and signage and environmental cues, can be easily interpreted from lower viewing positions for those who might be navigating a space in a wheelchair, rather than walking or standing.

Installation, access and maintenance Due to the scale and complexity of most transportation projects, access and maintenance strategies become crucial for describing how each component can be constructed, accessed and maintained during both design and operational stages of the project.

Access and maintenance becomes even more challenging in underground station environments and all other sub-surface spaces.

Each component of the lighting installation will require a carefully considered construction method, plus an access and maintenance strategy. A typical access and maintenance analysis will cover the following: »» Component overview with a summary of specific components, for example type, location and design life; »» Construction details which identify how each component can be installed on site

and replaced (if and when required); »» Access, cleaning and maintenance procedures to be adopted throughout each component’s life expectancy.

It is good practice to design lighting installations that use modular elements for simple removal and replacement, and use long-life luminaires to minimise maintenance.

Ease of access to the light source and other separate lighting equipment parts that require replacement should be provided and the necessity for overhead work minimised in high risk areas.

Specified lighting equipment should be cost effective to install and operate, as maintenance access periods in all transport buildings are restricted. Where mounting heights are over four metres, careful consideration should be given to how easily the lighting equipment can be maintained.

Cleaning is also a key part of the life cycle of the lighting installation and should be planned carefully to provide sufficient cleaning to each luminaire type whilst avoiding any damage due to inappropriate handling. The Ingress Protection (IP) rating of the luminaire should be carefully specified if strong, intrusive maintenance regimes including water splashing and/or water jets are anticipated.

All fixtures and fittings shall be designed to be durable and easy to clean and maintain over their service life, allowing for simple installation and replacement (if required) and good access to relevant switches, control gear and electrical connections.

Key considerations during the luminaire specification process should be durability, robustness and sleek design, which will minimise the risk of dirt and dust build up or damage.

The luminaire manufacturer should provide simple and environmentally resilient fixing systems, with an adequate IP rating, to meet the design requirements.

FEATURE In addition, the Cable Management System (CMS) strategy for the lighting installation should be designed to: »» Provide continuous access to primary CMS; »» Allow regular access panels for cables that require pullthrough installation; »» Minimise the necessity for overhead work; »» Allow for the use of mobileelevating work platforms or scaffold towers for safe access when working at height; »» Maximise low-level work; »» Allow for future installations.

Risk assessment and emergency lighting

systems should be confirmed with the operators and fire authority at the design stage.

With the need for emergency and standby lighting, lighting on escalators, stairs and platforms, and the illumination of concourse areas and ticket halls, designers need to consider a lot of detail when putting a station-wide plan together. Many of these are detailed in the Society of Light and Lighting’s new guide LG15: Transport Buildings.

However, the ability for dramatic lighting to create an immediate and lasting impression mustn’t be overlooked. As Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, architect of Waterloo International station and Cornwall’s Eden Project, said in his foreword to the new guide, “Transport buildings have the power to be modern day cathedrals; grand, inspiring and memorable at any scale. They are the gateways to our cities, towns and communities and can hold centre stage in the public realm.”

Keith Miller is a director of GIA Equation, an independent lighting design consultancy based in London that, as part of a design consortium together with Atkins, Grimshaw and Maynard, is responsible for generic sub-surface station design and the design of linewide architectural components for the Crossrail programme.

New Shard forecourt.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Transportation systems, by their very nature, involve large numbers of people who are mostly unfamiliar with the surroundings and therefore high-integrity emergency lighting systems will be required. Higher minimum levels of illuminance than those set out in British Standard BS 5266-1 (BSI, 2016a) are likely to be needed in many areas. Local fire authority requirements should also be ascertained before commencing the emergency lighting design.

In all instances, transport buildings will require a Fire Risk Assessment to be carried out. This assessment should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Detailed advice for the preparation of Fire Risk Assessments for transport buildings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is available in the Department for Communities and Local Government publication Fire Safety — Risk Assessment: Transport premises and facilities (DCLG, 2007).

A transport building or facility may also be or become subject to other relevant legislation, such as European Directives covering fire safety in transport premises, be it an air, land (road or rail) or sea facility. Where this is the case, additional advice should be sought from the relevant enforcing authority.

Lighting designers should carry out a thorough evaluation of the emergency lighting requirements in terms of illuminance, uniformity, number and positions of luminaires and required duration of the emergency lighting, as this will influence equipment specification.

Because of the large number of people using transport systems, it will frequently be necessary to provide emergency lighting in open and outdoor areas.

Central power supplies with slave luminaires may be more economic in larger installations, but these will offer a lower degree of integrity than selfcontained battery emergency lighting. There are specific requirements for emergency lighting in sub-surface railways, as defined by the Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations 2009 (TSO, 2009).

One aspect to be considered separately is that of standby lighting. In most transport situations, there are processes that have to continue during any evacuation and staff will need a working level of illuminance in public areas whilst safety procedures are carried out. This will require greater illuminance levels than for emergency escape lighting and for a longer duration. The exact performance requirements of standby lighting

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FEATURE

ART of SMART

The

R

emember just a few years ago how long work site lighting took to set up?

The generator that had to be parked some distance away to keep the noise and fumes down, the miles of spaghetti-like cabling, the lights on unstable tripods which fell over if you knocked them, breaking the bulb…

Then along came LEDs, and light weight, and batteries that lasted longer than half an hour. What an improvement!

But still, occasionally, the battery would go flat and the site wold be plunged into darkness, just as the work was nearly finished and the hand-back time was approaching.

Thankfully, things have moved on again.

Lights are now intelligent, and can be set to conserve battery power and still emit adequate illumination.

Intelligent control The Peli™ Trackside Area lighting range is portable and rechargeable; offering a safe, maintenance free lighting solution.

Ongoing product developments ensure each model utilises the latest LED technology and design innovations to meet and exceed the requirements of rail professionals.

Many Peli trackside lights now feature an ‘intelligent control’ panel. This adjusts the light output according to the length of light duration required and provides a real-time display. Using the simple keypad, setting the control panel to the number of hours and minutes (maximum is 24 hours - minimum 6 hours) of light required results in the unit calculating and adjusting the output. If the job is running late, the intelligent control can be altered for the longer duration; ensuring workers never get left in the dark.

The development of this unique feature was driven initially by rail maintenance companies using the Peli Area lighting systems - their feedback was the request for a longer light duration. This would enable the use of the unit for more than one shift without needing to recharge.

Advances in LED technology meant the design could be improved by making the output brighter and Peli devised the new intelligent control system to enable the user to manage the light effectively.

Product manager David Smith commented: “We have harnessed the new technology to develop a smarter product within the overall design of the existing unit. This real time display allows the user to plan their time and shifts accordingly.

“The importance of the intelligent control system shouldn’t be underestimated as it enhances user safety and ensures jobs can be completed every time without plunging sites into darkness.”

The intelligent control system can also be remotely activated via Bluetooth on a smartphone.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Model range Intelligent control is featured on the 9460, 9470 and the 9490 models. The 9490 (left) also has three pre-set light levels - high, medium and low or the user can select their preferred run time, up to 24 hours.

This model has a quick-release swappable battery design which allows for rapid replacement and extended light duration. With the extra battery, which is available as an accessory, the user can double the run time. There is also an easy to read permanent battery level indicator and low level flashing indicator.

The 9490 features a 10-LED head that outputs a powerful 6,000 lumens on high mode. The mast extends up to 1.8 metres to allow a wide area light. It can be rotated and the head angled to position the light where required. With the mast extended, the unit is set up with the body flat on the ground, giving extra stability. A padded nylon adjustable shoulder strap is also included, but can be removed if not required.

The 9440 rechargeable floodlight is designed to be easily portable, accessing and illuminating areas where there is no mains power, making it ideal for trackside locations.

In the fully-deployed position, the unit extends to over two metres in height, offering a high, wide area of illumination for the work site. The 9440 quickly retracts telescopically to less than a metre long in the closed position, allowing it to be carried easily.

FEATURE There are no trailing cables (to create a trip hazard), no emissions and no breakable glass components. There is no need for fuel or cumbersome expensive generators, thus reducing costs both financial and environmental.

Manual handling is significantly reduced and the larger models are wheeled to allow easy and safe manoeuvring.

This lightweight, portable unit weighs only 7.3kg and is supplied with a detachable shoulder strap. Using the latest LED technology, the 10 LEDs provide a powerful 5,300 lumens on the high power setting (1,400 in economy mode) and the beam spread is 120˚. Increased LED efficiency results in a runtime of up to eight hours from a single charge.

Safety first Peli recognise that safety is paramount and the area lighting range has been designed to offer key safety features. All the models in the range are silent running, the units can be fully operational in seconds and light is instant, at the touch of a button.

Peli professional torches This range of tough, high quality industrial torches includes hands-free head lights, compact torches and rechargeable LED hand lamps.

Peli headtorches carry a lifetime guarantee and are packed with innovative features, including ‘glow in the dark’ photo-luminescent bodies, multi-light modes, battery level indicators and rechargeable options.

The Peli 2780R Headlight is the most powerful headlamp in the Peli line. With 558 lumens of brilliant light and a USB lithium ion rechargeable battery, the 2780R also has a rear mounted red LED safety light. The easy grip dial provides selection of the lighting modes including high, medium and low settings.

The main LED illuminates everything in front with a beam distance of 127 metres while the downcast LED illuminates everything below in a wide, diffused pattern, providing safe pathways and allowing for non-blinding face-to-face conversation.

Other options include both beams combined, or flashing mode. Additional features are a rear mounted battery pack that provides full time battery level indication and charging levels.

Peli torches are built to be tough, for durability and reliability in extreme conditions, and are highly resistant to chemicals, drops and shock.

Through the product development programme, Peli aims to improve working conditions for trackside operatives through the advances in lighting technology.

This ongoing strategy harnesses the innovations in LEDs, turning these into practical solutions for powerful, portable trackside lighting in the future.

D O E S N ’ T C O S T. . . I T PAYS

9490 AREA LIGHT

Rugged, Rechargeable

and Portable Easy and quick to set up

Battery can be swapped

to extend light duration Intelligent control to

programme light up to 24 hours

2780

LED HEADLIGHT

Red rear light (constant or flashing)

Downcast LED technology

Battery status indication

SILENT LIGHTING ON DEMAND

Pivoting head for directional beam

R E L Y

O N

P E L I

T: 01457 869999 Rail Eng advert half page 190 x 130.indd 1

09/11/2017 14:05:23 Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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FEATURE

PAUL DARLINGTON

London Underground Keeping the lights on

L

ondon Underground (LU) is one of the oldest and busiest metro systems in the world. The system opened in 1863 and today carries

1.37 billion passengers a year as its trains travel 83.6 million kilometres.

There are 270 stations - the busiest is Waterloo, which handles 100.3 million passengers per year and it has 23 of the system’s 423 escalators to help it cope.

The network is 402km long and, while many consider it as ‘the underground’, 55 per cent of the network runs above ground. The longest continuous tunnel is between East Finchley and Morden (via Bank) at 27.8km.

Often taken for granted, though, is that the 45 per cent of the network which is underground requires a reliable and efficient lighting system, both in stations and in running tunnels for maintenance and for use in emergencies. The surface stations also require lighting as, when maintenance is taken into account, the network is in use 24 hours a day.

Rail Engineer recently met up with Ademola Owoeye, London Underground’s principal building services

engineer, to find out more about these lighting arrangements.

The underground has always been at the forefront of innovation, using the latest cutting-edge lighting technology.

Over the years, this has included fluorescent lighting (with semi-resonant control gear for greater reliability), ceramic metal halide lighting, visiblespectrum light emitting diodes (LED), compact fluorescent energy-saving lamps, electronic energy saving lamps, high-frequency T8 Fluorescent fittings, T5 cool-tip fluorescent lamps and, more recently, white LED light fittings. LEDs are now the preferred lighting technology in most industries.

Modern lighting systems also consist of electronic lighting controls with detectors and sensors to deliver optimum energy efficiency and user requirements, whilst meeting legislation for new and existing buildings. Ademola explained that the LU objective is to roll out standard and consistent lighting control system products to maximise energy efficiency and whole life costs across the network.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Light Emitting Diodes Unlike ordinary incandescent bulbs, LEDs do not have a filament that burns out, so they don’t get especially hot. They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material, and they last just as long as a transistor. An LED is simply a diode that is designed to give off light.

A diode is like an electronic ‘valve’, which only allows electric current to flow in one direction. It consists of two types of semiconductor material, fused together. One part is n-type semiconductor, which has a larger concentration of electrons than ‘holes’ (the lack of an electron at a position where one could exist in the atomic lattice). The other is p-type semiconductor material, which has more holes than electrons.

When an LED is forward-biased, so that electrons and holes are travelling back and forth across a silicon junction, they are constantly combining and wiping one another out. As an electron moves from n-type into the p-type silicon, it will combine with a hole and disappear. This makes an atom complete and stable, and it gives off a little burst of energy in the form of a tiny photon of light.

Compared to an incandescent bulb, LEDs don’t get as hot, consume less electric current and last a lot longer, with the lifespan of an LED surpassing the short life of an incandescent bulb by thousands of hours. The adoption of LED lighting on the London Underground, though, is not simply about reduced carbon or heat emission, nor the saving on energy bills - although these are important welcome benefits. The main whole-life cost advantage is maintenance savings, and the high cost of changing light fittings on the underground driving the shift towards ‘fit for purpose’ LED products.

FEATURE

Replacing fluorescent lights

Replacing existing LU lighting with LEDs can deliver energy savings in the region of 20 to 40 per cent, but these savings are still lower than those that can be made on maintenance, estimated to be up to 50 per cent of the whole-life cost of the asset. Most LED lighting products come with a warranty of five years or more, so, while an LED fitting might sound initially more expensive, the maintenance savings over the (typically) five-year design life can be quite significant when compared with existing fluorescent lighting which has a design life of only around 18 months.

Changing light fittings above busy underground escalators, for example, is a particularly challenging and costly activity, which can cost thousands for just one lamp, albeit planned re-lamping activities would normally be implemented in large areas/zones to save cost. However, ensuring that a safe level of light is provided at all times means it can be unsafe to wait for several lamps to fail before an intervention has to take place.

The upfront cost of lighting equipment, and the ongoing cost of energy, pales into insignificance next to the labour costs associated with maintenance. So, there is no point in upgrading to another technology if there is no saving on the labour cost, one reason why backwards compatibility of the light fittings is important.

To address this issue, London Underground has introduced ‘category management’, with the intent to standardise on products demonstrating the best whole lifecycle cost within stations. This approach has initially been implemented for lighting products, with no more than three contracted framework suppliers for each of the 13 categories of lighting currently allowed. The categories include, for example, linear, square, downlight, bulkhead and column lighting of different sizes.

The contract arrangements require the provision of lighting units to be backwards compatible with supplied fittings, together with technical support through the course of the contract, innovation, and for changes to technology and equipment to be implemented in a controlled fashion.

Eight more categories are to be created to account for all the variations of equipment types that have been identified.

As well as lasting longer, LED tubes have the advantage that they can be cleaned more easily. Fluorescent tubes, on the other hand, are difficult to clean safely, and are simply thrown away and replaced when they get dirty.

LEDs have been used on the underground, in varying degrees, for about eight years, with around 10 to 15 per cent of the network already changed. However, such is the size of the task that, due to access, budget and resource constraints, it will take several years to reap the benefits of LEDs fully.

While delivering the benefits of reduced maintenance bills and energy costs, the change to LED lights also brings an improvement in light quality and contributes to customer satisfaction and improved safety. Customers at stations include those who may be carrying lots of luggage, or they may be older people, or people with young children. So improved lighting delivers a safety benefit, helping to stop people tripping over or having accidents because they didn’t see something.

Keeping the lights on Each underground station has two independent power supplies, one from the local domestic network operator and another derived from the Underground’s own secure power distribution system.

Categories One thing that has not helped maintenance over the years is the sheer number of different types and sizes of light fittings, supplied by multiple manufacturers. This may have made short term sense to the procurement teams of the individual lighting renewal projects, but it is a long-term asset management problem, requiring a large inventory of spares. Also, the knowledge of which fittings were used often resides with the electrical engineer who supported the installation and/or the local maintenance technician who has just retired!

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Where required, this is supplemented with emergency power supplies in the form of offline battery invertors (OLBI), uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) or self-contained battery fittings to provide emergency lighting.

The design of the lighting distribution cabling and protection arrangements is such that, in the event of a failure of one of the systems, there will still be sufficient light for the underground to operate safely.

Emergency lighting provided by the OLBI/ UPS will be held off until both systems fail, at which point the emergency lighting will operate to support safe evacuation.

The platforms are lit to 150 lux, and all other areas to 100 lux, with no additional lighting required for CCTV as modern systems are sensitive enough to operate at these levels.

The running tunnels between underground stations are not normally lit. However, in the event of the traction current supply being turned off, or tripped in a failure mode, the tunnel lighting will automatically be turned on by relay control circuitry. Tunnel lighting is fed from adjacent stations along with interleaved cabling to provide further resilience against total failure.

In staff areas, savings are possible if the lights are turned off or the illumination level reduced when no one is present.

Sensors or movement detectors that simply switch off lights could be used for this purpose. However, this could present a safety hazard in equipment rooms if someone was plunged into total darkness, especially if they were working on electrical apparatus at the time.

This is where modern lighting control systems come in, as these are able to reduce the light level in a controlled manner, taking into account the occupancy, the type of room and its usage. Occupants can then take action, if they are not in range of a sensor, to restore the lighting level before it is reduced to zero.

Reducing lighting levels in quiet public areas could alarm passengers, and so are not used.

On surface stations, the lighting arrangements are similar to those on the mainline rail network. In some stations, resilience to failure is mitigated with either self-contained fittings or centralised emergency battery arrangements. When these are renewed, whether to provide either local or centralised batteries, is decided on a case by case basis, taking into account the overall asset condition of the cabling, cable containment systems and light fittings.

PRO-LITE With its wealth of experience in lighting dark and underground spaces, Transport for London is taking the lead in a panEuropean initiative known as PRO-LITE (Procurement of Lighting Innovation and Technology in Europe). Co-funded by the European Commission, specifically under the ‘Supporting Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions: Networking and financing Procurement’ framework, it involves commercial, engineering and maintenance teams collaborating to

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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Light levels

find lighting products that will cost substantially less over the product’s entire life (whole-life costs).

It is hoped that this approach will inspire manufacturers to design products that will create optimal whole-life costs and deliver high performance across the TfL network.

Together, the PRO-LITE partners will collectively spend over €1.5 billion for both lighting products and associated services. In addition to TfL, which is naturally focussing on lighting for transport networks, the other partners are: »» Free Hanseatic City of Bremen

(Germany): Focus on Building Lighting »» Municipality of Torino (Italy): Focus on School Buildings’ Lighting »» Consip (Italy): Focus on Procurement Frameworks »» Basque Energy Agency (Spain): Focus on Street Lighting »» PIANOo (Netherlands): Focus on Procurement Process Design.

So next time you travel through the underground, look up (when it is safe to do so) and consider all the technology, careful design, international cooperation and resource that is used to keep the lights on.

The international unit of measurement of light level is the lux, which is equivalent to lumens per square metre. The lux is used to measure the intensity of light hitting a surface, typically a wall or floor in a lighting design TheGreenAge, the UK’s premier energy saving advice portal, suggests the following light levels based on recommendations by the Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers: 100 lux - Sufficient for lifts, corridors, stairs and areas that are transitory for occupants and don’t require any detailed work. Also warehouse areas and bulk stores. Not bright enough to read a book, but good enough for people to get around without injuring themselves and see where they are going.

150 lux - Restrooms and plant rooms. This is the level used by London Underground for platforms and which provides an adequate level of light for people to join and alight safely from trains.

200 lux - Entrance areas and lobbies require this level of light, and it is also the minimum for a restaurant dining area.

300 lux - Assembly areas, such as village halls, require at least 300 lux.

500 lux - Retail spaces should have this as a minimum light level, as should general office spaces. This level should be suitable for prolonged work on computers, machinery and reading.

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ABERDEEN TO INVERNESS PHASE ONE DELIVERED

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he railway station at Forres is now at its third site. The original station was built at the passing loop next to the signal box when the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction railway, between Nairn and Keith, was opened in 1858. This completed the line between Aberdeen and Inverness - the Great North of Scotland Railway between Keith and Aberdeen had opened in 1854 and the Inverness and Nairn Railway in 1855.

The Inverness and Perth Junction Railway opened in 1863 to give Inverness a route to the South. Due to the difficult terrain immediately South of Inverness it joined the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction railway at Forres, necessitating the construction of a triangular junction station a few hundred yards West of the signal box and its passing loop.

The opening in 1898 of a direct line between Inverness and Aviemore significantly reduced traffic through Forres, although its line to Aviemore stayed open until 1968. The remaining platform was sharply curved, with a 20-mph speed restriction some distance from the signal box and passing loop. As will be seen, these operational constraints were removed with the opening of the third station at Forres on 17 October this year.

Manual token exchange at Elgin signalbox before it was demolished.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

DAVID SHIRRES

A signalling mix The line between Aberdeen and Inverness is 108 miles long and entirely single track except for 5 ½ miles of double track between Insch and Kennethmont. Its maximum line speed is 75mph.

It has a mix of signalling technologies, with electro-mechanical signal boxes (SBs) unless otherwise stated. Aberdeen SB has a push-button panel with a Scottish Region geographical interlocking which controls the track circuit block working to Dyce SB (6 ¼ miles) which has a control panel. From here there is tokenless block working to Inverurie SB (17 miles) and Insch SB (27 ½ miles) from where the double line to Kennethmont SB (33 ¼ miles) is absolute block. There is then tokenless block working to Huntly SB (41 miles) and Keith SB (53 ½ miles).

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WICK AND THURSO

ALNESS

33

TAIN FEARN

BURGHEAD

INVERGORDON

ELGIN FORRES DINGWALL

RELCOATED STATION

PLATFORM EXTENSION

RAFFORD

NAIRN

KEITH

DALCROSS PASSIVE PROVISION FOR NEW STATION

MUIR OF ORD

KEITH TOWN

BEAULY DUNPHAIL

INVERNESS

ROUTE OF INVERNESS AND PERTH JUNCTION RAILWAY (CLOSED 1965)

DAVA

DUFFTOWN KEITH AND DUFFTOWN RAILWAY (PRESERVED)

CASTLE GRANT

PROJECT WORKS

DRUM MUIR HUNTLY

DOUBLE TRACKED INSCH

GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY

PLATFORM EXTENSION BROOMHILL

CARRBRDIGE

INVERURIE

BOAT OF GARTEN

AVIEMORE

STRATHSPEY RAILWAY (PRESERVED)

KINTORE

ALFORD VALLEY RAILWAY (NARROW GAUGE)

DYCEBlackpool

TO BE DOUBLE TRACKED

ABERDEEN

THE ROYAL DESSIDE RAILWAY (HERITAGE) MILTON OF BANOCHRY CRATHES

KINCRAIG

PERTH

Until October, signalling between Keith SB and Elgin SB (71 ¾ miles) was tokenless block with single line token working from there to Forres SB (84 miles) and Nairn SB (93 ¾ miles), which has a Siemens WestCad control system with West Race interlocking. When this was installed in 2000, signallers no longer had to ride their officially provided cycle to operate the block instruments in the stationmaster’s office and points from the East and West signal boxes at each end of the 350-yard platform.

From Nairn, there is train circuit block signalling to the Inverness signalling centre (109 miles) which has an NX panel with solid state interlocking.

A transport priority The Scottish Government published its Strategic Transport Projects Review in 2009.

This prioritised 136 possible investments in accordance with the requirements of the Scottish National Transport Strategy and identified 29 transportation schemes that best served Scotland’s needs. The top four priorities were: »» The new Forth road bridge; »» Edinburgh to Glasgow rail improvements programme (EGIP); »» Highland main line improvements; »» Aberdeen to Inverness rail improvements.

The line between Inverness and Aberdeen is predominantly a single line with an irregular service of around two hours between trains.

Journey time varies between 2 hours 9 minutes and 2 hours 26 minutes. Between Aberdeen and Inverurie, there are additional trains to give a roughly hourly service. Over the past ten years, there has been an average 87 per cent increase in passengers using stations between Inverness and Aberdeen. However, most of this increase is at the two stations closest to Aberdeen, Inverurie and Dyce, where the increases were 247 and 146 per cent respectively.

To improve the service, Transport Scotland required infrastructure enhancements that would: »» Enable stations to be built at Kintore and Dalcross with no detriment to current journey times; »» Allow for some additional peak services between Inverness and Elgin; »» Provide a half hourly service between Aberdeen and Inverurie; »» Maintain freight access on the route; »» Support the longer term objectives of an hourly service with a two-hour journey time.

When Abellio was appointed to run the current ScotRail franchise in October 2014, its plans to run refurbished four and five-coach High Speed Trains (HSTs) on all ScotRail intercity services from December 2018 were revealed (issue 150, April 2017). Infrastructure enhancements on the Aberdeen to Inverness route would thus need to take account of these “new” trains, which offer significant passenger benefits.

WALES

PORTLETHEN

Burnley

Liverpool

Leeds Bradford

York

Rochdale

Manchester Sheffield

Stoke-on-Trent

DUNDEE

Nottingha

ENGLAND

Delivering A2I In October 2015, the Scottish Government announced that BAM Nuttall had been appointed as principal contractor for the first phase of the Aberdeen to Inverness improvement project (A2I). At the time, BAM announced that it would be delivering the work together with partners AECOM, CH2M, Stobart Rail and Siemens.

This award was the first major item of work in a nil-value eight-year Highlands Enhancement Programme framework contract that Network Rail had awarded to BAM with the intention of promoting early contractor involvement.

The original plan was to commence by redoubling the track between Inverurie and Aberdeen. However, it was decided to focus on works at the western end of the line (phase one) whilst detailed design work was undertaken for the eastern end redoubling (phase two). The phase one work consisted of platform extensions at Insch, a new station at Forres on a new straight loop, platform extensions at Elgin, where the loop was to be extended and a turnback capability provided, and passive provision for a new station at Dalcross. Signalling, telecommunications and level crossing improvements between Inverness and Keith were also included.

Network Rail’s programme manager, Colin MacDonald, advised Rail Engineer that the total value of the A2I programme is around

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FEATURE £330 million. He explained that, although the phase one work would result in some time savings through the abolition of the manual token exchange and straightened track at Forres, the intention was that this would ensure that the two new stations would not reduce current journey times. The phase two work will offer further time savings.

Hotel BAM Colin gave Rail Engineer a tour of the work at Forres at the end of September, starting with an initial briefing in the BAM site office there. This is more than a site office as it provides temporary accommodation for around thirty complete with a fully equipped gym. With a shortage of hotels in the immediate vicinity, this is a cost-effective way of accommodating the workforce.

BAM site facilities are at the former goods yard, which is leased by Network Rail off Moray Council. These also include a disused timber workshop that has proved useful for off-site work and is to be retained for the phase two works.

The site office also includes a mission room with one wall full of differentcoloured sticky notes pasted on a date/ zone grid as part of the planning process.

As Colin explained, these showed that the phase one works required a significant

For example, A J Engineering at Forres amount of disruptive access, culminating in designed, fabricated and installed both the a ten-day blockade between Inverness and new station and its footbridge while Leiths Keith from the 6 to 17 October. had provided much of the material for the Earlier in the year, between February and new station from its New Forres Quarry.

May, there had been four 53-hour weekend disruptive possessions between Inverness and Elgin and a 77-hour blockade between The third Forres station Forres and Keith over the late-May Work to build the new loop and station bank holiday weekend. The disruptive at Forres started in October last year. The possessions were used for all the required loop replaces the line through the old preparatory work, as well as laying the station with its 20mph speed restriction. It points and as much track as possible so it is 1.25 kilometres long of which 600 metres could be tied in during the blockade, when is new track on the closed goods line with the new signalling was commissioned. the formation made up and drainage Rail Engineer’s visit coincided with a provided as required for the double track briefing session for key stakeholders from loop. This required the widening of one the Moray and Highland areas, who were underbridge and parapet works at another, also given a tour of the almost-completed as well as alterations to a user worked station. This event was run by Stacey crossing. With the new alignment, there Macdonald, Network Rail’s communication was also a requirement to move a GSM-R manager for the project. She explained mast to a location beside the new loop. her work engaging with the local Installation of points at Elgin on 29th April. communities including arranging numerous drop-in events.

Stacey also explained that the project had engaged local contractors where possible.

Forres new station in September.

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Train at the old Forres station in September by part completed new road which now crosses the site of the old station at this point.

Forres in September from Waterford level crossing showing old signalbox and loop with new loop and station under construction. On the right is the new wall by lorry park.

The new station at Forres is on the new loop alignment, so it was built in a high street environment. It has two 160-metrelong platforms, to accommodate a fivecoach HST, linked by a footbridge with lifts.

Both lines have bi-directional signalling, which will enable most trains to stop at the southern platform, where the station entrance, ticket office and waiting room are located.

The station has a 58-space car park, double that of the old station, and has ticket machines, long line PA, customer information screens (CIS) and help points, for which multiple new power supplies and telecommunications links were required.

Kirsty Watson is ScotRail’s project manager. During Rail Engineer’s visit she was checking that the facilities at the new Forres station were suitable. This is part of her role to confirm that all aspects of the A2I project meet ScotRail’s infrastructure, operations, communications and customer experience requirements. Kirsty has been involved with previous projects, such as the Borders Railway and the Airdrie Bathgate project. Her role requires her to collate the train operator’s requirements in sufficient time for these to be incorporated in the project design. She considers that, whilst standards specify many station requirements, there are many other aspects that need to be considered if a new station is to function effectively.

The work at Forres includes the closure of the remotely controlled manual level crossing at Waterford, just east of the site of the former Forres signal box, where the

line speed has now been increased from 20 to 75 mph.

A new half-kilometre link road, featuring a bridge over the new loop, has replaced the level crossing. It is located immediately to the west of the new station, passing through the site of the old station and connecting with the A96 road. A critical path item during the blockade was the completion of this road through the old station platform and trackbed to join an already-built junction with the A96.

Colin pointed out a not-so-obvious consequence of this increase in line speed. Next to the old level crossing is a removal company’s lorry park. As the risk of one of these lorries being driven onto the new 75mph line is now substantially greater than with the previous 20mph line, a substantial reinforced-concrete wall, with footings under the company’s yard, was built next to the railway.

Work at Elgin At Elgin, the 650-metre loop was extended at both ends to 1.5 kilometres long and the ground frame at the entrance to the freight yard immediately east of the station was replaced by motorised points, providing a potential turnback capability.

The extended loop required the formation to be made up and drainage provided. It also passes through the level crossing at Wards Road and through the site of Elgin signal box, which controlled the crossing and so had to be demolished. Wards Road crossing was closed throughout the blockade when it was converted to manual control from Inverness SC with CCTV supervision and its surface relaid to accommodate the additional track. This presented a logistical challenge due to the road congestion that was anticipated from the closure of this busy crossing. Hence much material was stockpiled prior to the blockade.

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FEATURE

The blockade works also included the extension of Elgin’s 125-metre platforms to 160 metres and associated platform resurfacing with associated additional lighting and service alterations.

Signalling and telecoms During the blockade a new “Highland Workstation” was commissioned at the Inverness signalling centre. With the closure of Elgin and Forres signal boxes and transfer of control from Nairn, this workstation now controls the line between Inverness and the fringe with Keith SB, over which there is now tokenless block working. Train detection is by axle counters, which the project had to install between Keith and Nairn but which were already in use between Nairn and Inverness.

This transfer of control included the telephones for 20 user-worked crossings and the operation of Wards Road crossing in Elgin, as well as new

staff protection lockouts at Forres and Elgin. Significant quantities of redundant signalling equipment had to be recovered, including all signals previously controlled by Forres and Elgin signal boxes.

To support existing and new operational and station systems across the route, the project has provided a new multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) transmission network. This required further network upgrade works between Aberdeen and Dundee and between Inverness and Perth to ensure diverse routing.

Further telecommunications work included the provision of an internet protocol telephone concentrator at Inverness, for the user-worked crossing phones previously controlled by the closed signal boxes, and the alteration of GSM-R call routing as required by the transfer of control of Inverness.

Elgin Signalbox about to be demolished.

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New stations The new stations at Dalcross and Kintore are subject to separate funding arrangements and so, while they are not currently part of the A2I programme, passive provision is still being provided. Dalcross is eight miles from Inverness. It will provide improved access to the city’s airport, one mile away, and will serve the airport’s business park that owns the land on which the station will be built.

With a 150-space car park, it will also provide a park-and-ride service to Inverness and serve nearby planned housing developments. Although it will have a single line platform, its design will give passive provision for a future double track.

The Scottish Government has given the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) a £3.34 million contribution, which is expected to cover 60 per cent of its costs. The

FEATURE

remainder will be met by HITRANS and other scheme partners, including Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The new station at Kintore, 13 miles from Aberdeen, will have a 166-space car park and is to be built immediately north of the town off the main A96 dual carriageway road on land which is now subject to a compulsory purchase order. Its cost is estimated at £12 million.

The Scottish Government is to provide sixty per cent of this cost with the remainder to be provided by the station’s promoters, Aberdeenshire Council and the North East Regional Transport Partnership (NESTRANS).

To the east After the completion of the blockade works on 17 October, the first train to arrive at the new Forres station was welcomed by an orange guard of honour. Three days later, the station was officially opened by Moray’s MSP Richard Lochhead, who

was joined by ScotRail managing director Alex Hynes to celebrate what Stacey Macdonald described as “the biggest investment in the north-east’s railways in living memory”.

All that now remains of phase one of the project is tidying up, recoveries and demobilisation, after which BAM Nuttall will move to the east for a seamless transition into the phase two works, which are due to start in January.

These will reinstate 24 kilometres of double track between Kittybrewster, just outside Aberdeen, and Inverurie, with passive provision for the new Kintore station. Double-tracking straight to Aberdeen through the Schoolhill and Hutcheon Street tunnels in the one-mile section between Aberdeen station and Kittybrewster is not part of the current A2I programme.

Colin explained that many control cabinets will have to be moved, which will require complex functional staging arrangements. The work must also take account of Waterloo Goods and Raiths Farm freight traffic at

Kittybrewster and Dyce respectively.

On completion, Dyce and Inverurie signal boxes will be closed and control passed to Inverness signalling centre, which will then control both ends of the line with its central section remaining under the control of manual signal boxes.

The A2I East works, and thus the current A2I programme, is expected to be complete by December 2019. Before then, planning needs to start on the next stage of the Highlands Enhancement Programme. An interesting question is which of the options in Network Rail’s long-term Scotland route study this will be. These include some double tracking and signalling improvements on the Highland main line between Perth and Inverness and, for the Far North lines, a loop between Inverness and Dingwall and a chord at Georgemass Junction to provide a service to Thurso without reversing.

Whatever comes next, it is good to see serious railway investment taking place in Britain’s far north.

The first train arriving at the new Forres station.

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D2 Rail

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS

T

he Ordsall Chord is a neartextbook example of Network Rail getting a project right. This means, of course, serving the public: putting their interests first by planning how the creation of a new piece of infrastructure affects every part of their lives, from the journeys they take daily - and how these will be impacted by disruptive blockades - to the urban landscape in which they live and work.

Arguably the most important rail project in the north for decades, the Ordsall Chord is a triumph of different disciplines working together as one collaborative unit.

The Alliance consists of Network Rail as the client working in an equal, open and three-dimensional relationship with track partner Amey Sersa, signalling, power and telecoms partner Siemens and civil engineer partner Skanska BAM. Also working with the Alliance were engineering consultants AECOM and Mott MacDonald, steelwork subcontractor Severfield and D2 Rail - the Manchesterbased company that produces bespoke programme-management solutions for mainline and mass transit rail.

Now just a few weeks from completion, the Ordsall Chord’s success lies in the meticulous planning that began years before construction. Simon Blair, planning director at D2 Rail, joined the Alliance team in 2011, eventually becoming planning and controls lead. This was four years before the construction of the Ordsall Chord began in 2015, which illustrates the extent of the advanced planning undertaken by Simon and the

Alliance team to minimise the impact of works on the city - the environment, the train and freight operators, the wide and varied number of stakeholders and the travelling public.

Early involvement When they first got involved in the project, Simon Blair and his team from D2 Rail started on a construction planning and assessment report. Integral to this work was the production of a robust possession strategy, fully bought into by the train and freight operating companies. Quite simply, the project wouldn’t have been able to get off the drawing board without this.

Working at this stage with Parsons Brinckerhoff, D2 Rail and the Alliance team had to overcome stakeholder concerns.

These were that, although they supported the principle of the Ordsall Chord, they didn’t want its construction to be at the expense of the historic line into Liverpool Road station.

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In the end, the serving Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, took the view that the benefits of the Ordsall Chord were too great for it to be disrupted or delayed, but such was the wealth of experience and expertise within the Alliance that sufficient care could be taken to minimise the impact on heritage buildings.

Overcoming this challenge, and the vast amount of planning and preparation this required, strengthened the resolve of the team and set the tone for the unity and confidence of the Alliance, enabling the team to overcome all subsequent challenges with relative ease.

Four-dimensional planning - factoring time into the conventional visual plan - is another reason cited by the team at D2 Rail for the success of the project, and one it believes makes the Ordsall Chord quite unique. Key to this is having a well-developed process for overseeing and documenting any changes to the operation firmly in place. The moment a

FEATURE

change takes place on a project is when it is most at risk of losing contingency or project profitability if the risks aren’t carefully considered. Change and risk management are two areas that dovetailed effectively on the Ordsall Chord.

Rail planning and scheduling is another important part of D2 Rail’s role, and one to which Simon Blair gives special mention. Project planner Alesha Hancock worked alongside Simon and was notable for her management of weekend possessions on the Ordsall Chord, particularly as she came to the project to gain experience. After working on a number of projects in the Sydney area back in her homeland, Alesha moved to the UK to learn more about railway construction techniques and, with a

supportive sponsor in D2 Rail, she did just that while developing her live site experience at the same time.

She agreed to be plunged into this area of significant responsibility and her confidence and ability grew exponentially as a result. By the end, Simon regarded her as one of his most valuable team members.

Integrated BIM Another aspect of the Ordsall Chord project, one that made it unique, was the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM). This saw the highly unusual arrangement of embedding steelwork technicians within the engineering team of the Alliance, with the design model and other deliverables prepared collaboratively - the reverse of the usual process.Â

Network Rail established clear BS 1192-compliant Level 2 BIM requirements from the outset, hosting a common data environment (CDE) to allow all suppliers to work together in an integrated BIM environment throughout the project.

The shared information model simplified an unusually complex rail infrastructure scheme, enabled early release of information for construction and helped promote a shared responsibility for getting things right. The D2 Rail information management team provided training and support services to the Alliance in the use of this CDE, aiding collaborative working and ensuring the smooth day-to-day use of the system.

Almost without exception, the entire project was modelled under BIM guidelines. The federated BIM model was used in weekly interdisciplinary design coordination workshops and was the basis for construction planning, allowing design issues to be resolved and construction issues to be anticipated.

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FEATURE On the River Irwell footbridge, by adopting the fabricator’s technology platform, it became possible to deliver a true ready-to-fabricate BIM model.

Four weeks were cut from the design programme, with associated cost savings.

The number of drawings was reduced on four other structures by maximising the use of the BIM model, again saving time and money. This is believed to be a first in the UK bridge engineering industry.

The Alliance won the Tekla Global BIM Award in 2016 (Infrastructure category), as well as the Tekla UK BIM Award Public Vote category, for its work on the Ordsall Chord.

By introducing BIM practices at the development stages of a project, D2 Rail structures its clients’ processes and ensures that all designs are compliant throughout the project lifecycle. crucial in working on a viaduct with limited operational space. Animations were provided showing an array of different plant movements, from crane lifts to the PEM-LEMs used for track laying. Utilising new techniques within the visualisation world, the team was able to adapt to changes quickly and work closely with the client under constrictive delivery constraints.

Collaborative to the core

4D and visualisation The use of visualisation played a key role in the delivery of the Ordsall Chord Project. Initially, it was utilised within the consents submission, providing a multitude of different material. For public consultations, it was key to inform what the project was aiming to deliver, and this was successfully portrayed with the use of static visuals, photomontages and fly-through animations. It was also imperative at the GRIP 3 stage (option selection) that the project provided its options to the client supported by visual imagery.

As the project moved on to the planning and delivery stages, the use of 4D came to the forefront. D2 Rail took the lead by dynamically linking the programme to the GRIP 5 designs, providing a 4D construction sequence for key stages of the project. Using a dynamic link, any update would also be applied to the 4D animation, removing time/cost factors to replicate new sequencing.

When more detailed sequencing was required, D2 Rail’s visualisation team played a key role in, for example, showing plant movements on site. This proved

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Managing Director David Diesbergen launched D2 Rail in 2011, with the award of the contract with the Alliance coming the following year. The company established a base in Central Manchester in 2014, and in 2016 commenced a rebrand to coincide with its growth and pledge to offer trusted and innovative programme management solutions collaboratively.

It is this collaboration that has been at the very core of the Alliance, with all parties working together to fully understand the project and its challenges from every single angle, combining design with constructability reviews, information management techniques and considerate stakeholder planning throughout, alongside leading-edge 3D and 4D visualisations, in order to explore creative and innovative solutions in a seamless manner.

It’s an approach that has been instrumental to the success of the Ordsall Chord, and now that this small section of crucial northwestern infrastructure is nearing completion, the Alliance participants look set to be in demand going forwards.

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

Our track record of delivering holistic management of project information is second to none. Understanding the challenges and complexities, allows us to setup and maintain an appropriate system.

By introducing the use of BIM practices at the development stages of a project, we are able to structure our client’s processes and ensure that all designs are compliant throughout the project lifecycle.

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Our constructability review services allow us to continually evaluate railway solutions to determine impacts on project cost, schedule, function, and suitability.

We have demonstrable capabilities in stakeholder engagement from early construction development through to successful project handback on both small and large rail projects.

Offering a vast range of visualisation techniques, from supporting client design phases, to consent and tender submissions, D2 Rail believe in the real added value of visualisation and its multiple features and benefits.

Planning your vision, delivering your promise www.d2rail.co.uk 1 Ridgefield, 16 – 18 King Street, Manchester, M2 6AG t: 0161 258 7534 e: info@d2rail.co.uk

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ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

DONALD HEATH

Electrification as it used to be

A

s the extension of the West Coast main line electrification to Glasgow was in sight of completion in 1974, British Railways (BR) wanted to continue with a programme of electrifying, in turn, all of the other main lines.

However, the government of the day was not in the least interested and the expertise that had been built up over the past 20 years was to be allowed to dissipate.

The fact that the St Pancras to Bedford scheme, which was completed in 1982, happened at all was entirely due to Anthony Barber, the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, wanting to give a big boost to the economy quickly. BR was told to play its part and, in addition to ordering diesel locomotives, not withstanding the long lead time for any electrification proposal, that project was chosen.

In an attempt to generate some interest within the Department for Transport, and after much lobbying by the then chairman of BR, it was agreed that a joint Department/Railway working party would be set up to examine the possibilities for further electrification.

This group met over a period of some three years, even across the

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change of Government in 1979, and its final report produced a total of five scenarios in which electrification could be extended by, firstly, the minimum amount and, through the subsequent stages, to almost the complete network.

Scenario 1, which was the minimum, indicated that by far and away the best project to be taken forward immediately would be the electrification of the East Coast main line from London through to Leeds and Edinburgh. (Note that the route had already been electrified for a distance of 30 miles from London to Hitchin as part of the Great Northern Suburban Project.)

In the light of these findings, the Board set up a small headquarters project team to build the case for the authorisation of this project. It took a total of just over three years, including a change of Secretary of State for Transport, before the Government showed any interest in such a scheme. With the reforms that Nicholas Ridley introduced within the Department, and thanks to the very able advocacy of the then Minister for Railways David Mitchell, the programme finally received Government approval at the end of July 1984.

It consisted of the following major projects: the electrification of the route including clearance and immunisation works; the resignalling of the northern part of the route from Temple Hirst

Aquaduct at Abbot's Ripton before (above) and after reconstruction

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junction, near Selby, to the Scottish border at Marshalls Meadows, including new signalling centres at York and Newcastle (Tyneside) and new signal panels at Morpeth, Alnmouth and Tweedmouth; a new signalling centre at Niddrie; the construction of 31 new IC225 InterCity trains including locomotives; four Class 317 EMUs and 51 Class 90 locomotives, of which 21 were destined for the East Coast and 30 for the West Coast.

Dealing with bridges The project included electrifying some 1,400 single-track miles and the provision of electrification clearances beneath a total of 127 overbridges. Wherever possible, track lowering was avoided and, in general, the approach was to reconstruct any bridges that were lacking clearance in such a manner as to provide the additional headroom.

Because reconstructing a bridge cannot be done overnight, in many cases it was necessary to make alternative arrangements for the road traffic over those bridges. Occasionally, this was achieved by local road diversions but, in general, a Bailey bridge was constructed adjacent to the bridge to be rebuilt and traffic diverted over it whilst the reconstruction took place.

Where masonry and concrete structures had to be demolished, wooden mats were laid on the track beneath and, during a standard 12/16-hour possession, the structure was demolished by the use of explosives.

The replacement bridges were designed in-house and, making use of local knowledge, the appearance of the bridges was carefully chosen so as to fit in with the local environment and to reflect the structures that they were replacing where this was possible.

10-year plan The electrification of the ECML was a 10-year project. It took three years to make the business case, a process that involved all of the five business sectors within BR, and a further seven to implement.

In addition to the forecast increase in InterCity and NSE passenger carryings together with the concomitant increase in revenues - electrification resulted in a major reduction in energy and maintenance costs.

Deciding the best routes onto which to redeploy the displaced sets produced a big surprise. It was found that by far and away the most profitable place to put them was on the Midland main line (MML), which is the reason that the sets displaced by the introduction of electric working to Leeds were transferred over there, completely transforming journey times as well as the quality of the offer to the travelling public.

All of the financial impacts were worked out in house. In doing the overall financial evaluation, a total of over a quarter of a million calculations were made - and this was in the days before computers were available.

In addition to the surprise of finding that the first tranche of displaced HST sets should be sent to the MML, the calculation of the maintenance costs of the new electric locomotives and the associated passenger vehicles was made using the then relatively new bathtub curve. This was a first, but it helped to convince the Department that evaluation was even-handed and that the benefits that were being claimed had been properly calculated.

Bridge 325 at Doncaster before (above) and after.

The cascade of the High Speed Trains (HSTs) that were going to be displaced by the ECML electrification generated significant financial benefits from the services onto which they were transferred, and further major savings from the withdrawal of the older diesel locomotives and locomotive hauled coaching stock.

Infrastructure upgrades In carrying out the infrastructure works, it was going to be necessary to have access to the running lines for both clearance activities (bridge raising, track lowering, adjusting station platforms and awnings and cutting back vegetation) and installing the fixed electrification equipment itself.

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ELECTRIFICATION/POWER Of course, compared with today, the situation in the mid/late 1980s was somewhat easier as far as access was concerned because the overall intensity of service was less. On the other hand, there were many more trains at night including postal and news as well as, on certain sections of the route, a considerable flow of freight. So, being able to work with the adjacent line open to traffic was a very important win, even though the trains on the adjacent line had to pass the worksite at a maximum of 20mph.

The erection of headspans on the three and four-track sections midweek during the day was possible through the use of T2 protection - a facility which, sadly, is no longer available.

Albeit not part of the ECML programme, the route was completely resignalled from Colton Junction to just beyond the Scottish border. These resignalling works had the advantage of providing new immunised signalling and telecommunication networks, but they did result in major additional possessions being required to carry out the works.

South of Colton Junction and north of Berwick, works were necessary to protect the existing telecoms and signalling circuits, but these were all carried out under the normal rules of the route access arrangements.

Similarly, the signal engineer decided that, with the exception of the recently built Selby diversion which had TI 21 track circuits, all of the existing faster track circuits had to be replaced with

Class 317 EMU.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Class 90 locomotive with a test train.

single-rail DC track circuits. This required the insertion of over 1,300 insulated joints in the running line, work which was also carried out within the normal standard access arrangements.

The scheme involved the construction of 10 new power supply points along the length of the route. Apart from the section of route north of Alnmouth, the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) had adequate capacity to provide the railway’s traction demand and supply points were located where there were convenient take off points from the National Grid.

North of Alnmouth there is, electrically speaking, in terms of heavy current demand, an electrical desert. This required the CEGB to provide a lengthy new tower line just north of Berwick upon Tweed so that there was a feeder station between Alnmouth and the nuclear power station at Torness.

One of the benefits of the then existing BR/CEGB agreement for traction power supplies meant that BR did not have to bear the capital cost of this new power line.

New trains A total of 31 new IC225 trains were purchased. These comprised 31 Class 91 electric locomotives, eight (later increased to nine) Mk IV coaches and a driving van trailer. In addition, four 4-car Class 317 EMUs were built for the extension of the GN outer suburban services to Peterborough.

In the first two years of electric working, traffic increased at the five stations by 30 per cent per annum, with one station recording a 58 per cent increase. In addition, 21 Class 90 locos were ordered for the parcels and freight business.

The 31 new electric trains for the project were procured by competitive tender.

The specification for the locomotives made wide use of the experience gained on the APT project which, amongst other items, resulted in the traction motors being mounted on the main frame of the locomotives with cardan shafts driving the powered axles in the bogies. This greatly reduced track forces, which was highly beneficial in terms of ongoing track maintenance costs.

The trains were procured by open tendering and GEC was judged to be the winner although ASEA/BrownBoveri submitted a very attractive offer.

Once the first three locomotives had been delivered, it was found that they had a fault in the damping system which meant that, when running, there was an intense and very loud vibration transmitted from the bogies into the cab. The source of this fault was soon identified, but it took a little time to find an acceptable solution to the problem.

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER Sawing a bridge in half There were a number of innovative solutions carried out in the execution of the project. Examples of these include getting the requisite electrical clearances under the aqueduct at Abbots Ripton and the reconstruction of bridge 325 just south of Doncaster station.

In the former case, the original proposals envisaged lowering the track by over 12 inches below the aqueduct so as to provide the necessary electrical clearance. Because the line speed is 125mph at this point, this would have involved a very long dig in Oxford clay and resulted in permanent drainage problems.

However, it turned out that the aqueduct was supported on cast iron girders that were about 15 inches thick. So, if the structure could be replaced with a trough which was self-supporting, thus ensuring that the water levels were not disturbed, it would be possible to gain the necessary clearance without lowering the track underneath.

In this way, a damaging temporary speed restriction (both in length and duration) was avoided and a stable formation was left undisturbed.

At Doncaster, the Nine Arch bridge required increased clearance beneath the arches that carried five running lines to the south. Alongside these tracks, there was space in the adjacent arches which enabled concrete buttresses to be built so that structurally the bridge was split into three sections. The buttresses enabled the central section to be demolished without impacting upon the other two sections.

By dint of sawing the bridge into two halves longitudinally, it proved possible to keep the bridge open to road traffic while the central section was reconstructed. This feature was much appreciated by the local authority, which had intimated that there was no way they could agree more than a long weekend closure of such an important road within their city centre.

Structural solutions Immediately to the east of Edinburgh Waverley station are the twin bores of the Calton tunnels, each containing two tracks.

The Scottish Region agreed that the tracks through each tunnel could be singled, creating the space for electrification without the need for track lowering or reconstruction. In the case of the south bore, it also provided room for the insertion of a new lining over most of the length to replace the original lining which was showing extensive signs of decay.

At St Margarets, which is approximately one mile to the east of Waverley station, there is a skew road overbridge which is a very heavily used traffic artery and is packed full of services. To reconstruct this would have been a very difficult task and would have involved extensive disruption for all traffic travelling to and from the eastern and south-eastern suburbs of Edinburgh into the City Centre. Fortunately, the Abbey Hill loop, which provided

Preparing to install tubular foundations.

Adjusting the headspan using ladders.

a bypass to this structure, although out of use, was still in situ.

This was reopened to traffic which enabled trains to be diverted whilst the direct line was closed for several weeks and the track was lowered over a foot beneath the bridge.

With the exception of a footbridge just to the north of Peterborough, the route to Leeds was free of any listed structures. However, from York northwards right through to Edinburgh Waverley, there were a large number of listed structures and, before any alteration could be made to any of them, consent had to be obtained from the local authority to carry out these works.

This project was the first one to have any big involvement in the then-recent listed building legislation, as a result of which BR had come to an agreement with the Royal Fine Art Commission that it would present all its proposals for Grade 1 listed structures to the Commission. Approval would be taken as conferring listed building consent as the Commission’s processes involved consultation with the local authorities concerned.

The project director made a total of 10 presentations to the Commission. The first was totally refused and, in the light of the Commission’s observations, a new design of mast and foundation was developed for use on very sensitive listed structures. Incorporating overbraced portals supported on tubular uprights, this new design was installed on the Royal Border bridge at Berwick, Croxdale viaduct and Durham City viaduct. (A similar approach has also been used on the Great Western scheme at Goring Gap.) Financial control of the project was based on a system agreed with the Department shortly before the start of work. This required that every item of expenditure, using inflation indices provided by HM Treasury, was indexed back to the price level at which the authorised estimates were prepared. This ensured that expenditure was being controlled against what had originally been estimated, even though the actual outturn figures were greater than the estimated figures, being at current price levels.

Sustainability and governance Although great care was taken to minimise the impact of the project on the local environment, there was no requirement to carry out environmental surveys, which avoided the frequent lengthy delays that now occur when environmental surveys discover protected species.

Similarly, there was no need to consider the sustainability of the materials and construction methods that were adopted as that was an area that was yet to come into vogue.

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Not having to comply with these current items made the forward planning of the work very much simpler and very less dependent upon external bodies with conservation interests.

Each of the individual projects had its own project manager, who reported to the project director. In the case of the actual infrastructure works, there was a project manager located in York for the works within the Eastern Region and a separate individual located in Glasgow for the works within the Scottish Region.

The IC225 project was considered to be sufficiently important to have its own project director who, although free standing, was part of the overall project team.

In addition to the works described above, the British Transport Police was involved, with a special crime prevention team which both advised on security measures and actually pursued cable theft.

There was a carefully planned education team for the neighbours of the railway and every school within a five-milewide corridor of the route was visited and all of the classes were given a talk by a specially trained BTP team. The success of this approach was very notable as there was only one incident of trespass where an individual was injured by the electrification system.

The general public was kept informed of the works being carried out by means of a project newspaper that was published a total of 12 times over the seven-year project.

Finally, in addition to receiving the regular reports from all of the project managers involved in the overall programme, the project director personally travelled over part of the route in the cab on a weekly basis so as to observe what was and what was not going on. This had the added advantage of receiving direct feedback from the drivers who, in general, are a very observant group of individuals.

Overall, the safety record of the project was superb with only one major incident occurring and, it is very pleasing to report, there were no fatalities during the programme works.

Legacy issues The Mark 3b design of OLE was easy to erect and, properly maintained, has given trouble-free service. The use of cylindrical steel tube foundations where ground conditions permitted, sped up the installation rate and reduced costs as well as the number of possessions required. It is capable of supporting operation at 140mph, as the 3hr 29mins non-stop run between London and Edinburgh on 26 September 1991 demonstrated.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

The fact that no formal risk assessment processes were used does question the value of today’s procedures, where every activity is risk assessed to the nth degree. However, processes were based on precedent and, where a new methodology or piece of equipment was to be adopted, there were extensive off line tests/trials to make sure that everybody involved fully understood the issues associated with the change and that it was safe.

The people who were going to inherit and maintain the newly electrified route were very actively involved in the design and installation of the equipment. This was particularly the case for the remodelling and resignalling elements, thus ensuring full ownership of the completed works.

The comprehensive management of all of the activities by one project team ensured that there were no inter-departmental clashes of requirements - the priorities were jointly agreed. This included the special issue of access beyond the standard rules of the route.

Over the seven-year life of the project, exceptional additional access was only required on a small number of occasions.

Weekend closures of the route section concerned were taken for the removal of Leeds Gelderd Road junction, the commissioning of York signalling centre, the waterproofing of Durham viaduct (nine-day diversion using the Leamside line), the commissioning of Morpeth, Alnmouth and Tweedmouth signalling panels (diversions via Carlisle) and the south and Darlington work stations of the Tyneside signalling centre (diversions via the coast line).

In the case of the Tyneside North workstation, at a very late moment, the signal engineer requested a complete cessation of traffic for 56 hours in the Newcastle area. That was when the benefit of a unified railway came in to its own. The project director was able to make four phone calls - one to each of the business sector directors concerned - and obtain their agreement to a revised train diversion plan in less than 15 minutes without any hassle, financial or legal.

That wouldn’t be possible today!

Donald Heath was appointed project director of ECML electrification in 1981, at the very inception of the development of the scheme and was still in post when it was completed 10 years later - which is believed to have been unique in the history of BR.

Royal Border Bridge.

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The Project Completion Certificate

DAVID SHIRRES

Other items of interest in these documents are the key facts and key dates shown below, together with commentaries on key issues and lessons learnt. One lesson, that the ECML project documented in 1991, was: “The importance of obtained Listed Building Consent and other planning requirements was not fully appreciated at the start of the project. There is no doubt that any scheme must incorporate these requirements in the planning stage to avoid delay.”

This indicates that there is much in the ECML completion certificate that is still relevant today.

Key Facts (prices adjusted to 2017 levels) »» 127 bridges required clearance work - £70 million »» 350 route kilometres immunised - £66 million »» 28,537 foundations, 27,667 masts, 1,697 tension lengths (electrification fixed equipment) - £290 million »» 19 feeder stations, 31 track sectioning cabins (supply points) £43 million

F

urther information about the ECML electrification scheme is available by googling “ECML electrification project completion certificate”. The railway archive webpage for this certificate also gives a link to the 14th project progress report. These documents, so obviously produced before the computer age, offer a wealth of information about the project.

Most importantly, it shows how this project was delivered only 3.8 per cent over budget and to within eight weeks on a sevenyear programme.

The final cost of the scheme was, at 1983 prices, £344.4 million against a total authorised expenditure of £331.9 million. Of this, forty per cent was for the traction and rolling stock and sixty per cent for the electrification.

At today’s prices, the cost of the rolling stock was £447 million.

This bought 31 Class 91 locomotives, 21 Class 90 locomotives, 31 driving van trailing coaches, 283 Mark 4 coaches and four Class 317 four-car EMUs. The cost of the electrification infrastructure works at today’s prices was £671 million for 1,400 single track miles, or £0.48 million per track mile. This compares with the £2.8 billion cost of the Great Western electrification of 790 track miles at £3.54 million per track mile.

Much has happened in the 25 years between the ECML and GW schemes. This includes a significant increase in traffic, the possession charging regime and the fact that new feeder stations from the grid are no longer free of charge. Hence it is not reasonable to make a direct cost comparison. However, it is unlikely that such factors explain the 740 per cent- increase in costs between the two schemes.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Key Dates »» July 1984 - Project approved by the Secretary of State »» Feb 1985 - First mast planted at Peterborough »» Nov 1986 - First electric services to Huntingdon, six months ahead of schedule »» Feb 1988 - First Class 91 locomotive delivered »» May 1988 - Class 91 sets new UK rail speed record of 168 mph on Stoke bank. This uses a special 22-mile test section using a flashing green as a fifth signal aspect. »» Aug 1988 - First electric train to Leeds »» Sept 1989 - First electric train to York »» June 1991 - First electric trains run between London and Edinburgh »» 8 July 1991 - Full ECML services commences, eight weeks later than originally planned at the start of the project »» 16 Sep 1991 Special non-stop demonstration run between London and Edinburgh in 3 hours 29 minutes at an average speed of 113 mph »» 28 Sep 1991 - Project close out

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Station success The Lowery Group tackles

Reading and Euston

C

apacity enhancements are the name of the game these days. Rail Engineer has recently been full of articles on longer trains, platform extensions to accommodate them, new signalling to let them run closer together and even infrastructure improvements so they can run more quickly for longer lengths of the route.

But all this comes at a cost. Longer trains mean more powerful trains while increasing the number of trains on a route also requires more power to run them.

If the line is electrified, all of that extra power has to come out of the overhead wire or the third rail. And it won’t be long before the existing substations can’t cope. That’s why most capacity upgrade projects on electrified routes have a power supply upgrade running alongside them.

Reading station has also been much in the news recently, completely redeveloped as part of both the Crossrail and Great Western Electrification programmes. Indeed, some of the earliest Great Western overhead electrification structures were installed at Reading while it was being rebuilt.

But that’s a new electrification project, so new power supplies will be installed to energise it. No need for any upgrade here.

DC to Reading Actually, that’s not correct. Alongside the shiny new Class 802 IEP trains to Bristol, South Wales and the West Country, South Western Railway uses Platforms 4,5 and 6 for services to Waterloo. This service was run using Class 458 four-car units, coupled together in pairs to give eight-car trains.

However, those Class 458 units are now being lengthened to five-car, with the addition of a car from former Gatwick Express Class 460 trains. Two new Class 458/5 units will form ten car trains, and the intermediate stations are having platforms extended to accommodate them.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

So, once again, more trains, and longer trains, need more power.

The majority of the resulting Reading 10-Car Power Upgrade works, which consisted of the installation and commissioning of three new substations and the enhancement of the DC traction system at two existing ones, was awarded to Lowery.

Since the Lowery management buyout in 2015, the company had been looking to grow the business in a sustainable and natural manner. With experience in high-voltage (HV) feeder renewals, DC-cabling enhancements and civil works supporting power companies in the delivery of electrification projects, the senior management team decided to enhance the existing expertise within Lowery by bringing in industry-known and respected engineers, project managers and construction managers. This new team was in place ready for the start of the Reading project.

Challenging timescales Lowery was awarded the contract in January 2017. Timescales were tight, as Network Rail had to achieve an Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) milestone by the end of May. The first task was to identify the possessions and sequencing of works. This involved the Lowery team working closely with both its client, Osborne, and with Network Rail to establish a common goal.

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER These discussions identified that the existing designs were lacking in detail, so Lowery was asked to utilise its in-house design team to update the designs and ensure that the programme was met.

Two of the new substations, at Sunningdale and Emmbrook, required all of the civil enabling works and civil bases including troughing to be undertaken, prior to the equipment modules being delivered using cranes over weekend possessions.

Another new substation, at Whitmoor, was nearly completed by a previous supplier. However, Lowery had to take responsibility for completing the installation of interconnecting wiring, as well as HV and DC cabling, within three weeks of contract award to ensure the first stage of the energisation was successful.

With a large power upgrade project such as this, particularly one being undertaken to such a tight timetable, sequencing the works is essential for successful delivery. Once set, this sequencing could not be altered as, otherwise, all the designs, as well as the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) implementation, would have had to be changed and then the milestone would not have been met.

It quickly became apparent that, in order to complete this asset upgrade on time, specialist turnkey power contractor Lowery was faced with re-engineering and sequencing its complete scope of works. Meticulous pre-planning allowed Lowery to take the lead throughout the project, calling upon its significant in-house resource pool to successfully deliver the works.

Access issues and possession availability proved to be difficult.

Some possessions had already been booked for significant DC cabling works, DC traction section proving and signal works testing, all of which required wheels-free access. Negotiations took place to utilise other contractor’s possessions, although Lowery’s work required the track to be energised and de-energised, which didn’t always fit in with the possession owner’s plans.

Signal testing took place over three weekends, with one weekend covering three sites (Whitmoor, Sunningdale and Emmbrook) which both challenged the Lowery testing resource and its S&T supplier’s testing resources.

Once Whitmoor had been commissioned, Emmbrook and Sunningdale soon followed. The major achievement for these was that both sites were completely installed and commissioned, including all civil works, within 12 weeks of starting on site. Both sites were completed by the same installation and commissioning teams.

The other substations, at Winnersh and Ash Vale, received transformer-rectifier upgrades and ten track-isolating switches were installed.

The successful delivery of this project was down to the collaboration between all three parties - contractor Lowery, client Osborne and Network Rail. Having both civils and power teams in-house, Lowery was able to design, install and commission, not only the actual power upgrades, but the civils, power, telecoms and signalling elements as well.

Success breeds success Following the Reading 10 Car project, Lowery was awarded a contract in May 2017 as part of the early works at Euston station which will later enable HS2 to make modifications to the London terminus. This called for the diversion of two HV feeders and the installation and commissioning of a new 11kV/433V auxiliary transformer with a mounted ring-main unit.

In detail, the works consisted of relocating the 11kV ring, which supplies Euston station and the Euston Power Box. These 11kV feeders are critical supplies to the station and, as a result, were programmed to be commissioned on the August Bank Holiday weekend during a complete shutdown of the Euston main line station. Lowery worked in collaboration with both principal contractor Skanska and Network Rail to ensure the works were delivered on time and safely.

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A four-track UTX (under-track crossing) was installed, along with over 1km of troughing, both of the concrete and GRP types.

Points-heating supplies were relocated and a new low-voltage (LV) cubicle installed to supply critical installations, including a GSM-R repeater.

The new three-core 150mm2 HV cable had to be jointed to the existing ring-main cable. This had a history of failing and had been repaired at multiple locations. Its condition was a risk to the project should it fail under test or while re-energising the HV ring. With this in mind, the Lowery engineering team developed the commissioning sequence to ensure that the HV ring was maintained throughout the works and that power to the station was not interrupted during the works.

Due to the re-engineering of the proposed design to minimise the disruption and to improve the sequencing of the works, the project was completed 12 hours ahead of schedule. As the works affected signalling, telecoms and both HV and LV disciplines, the Lowery group had the in-house resources to ensure each discipline was covered with the correct competences and cover over the weekend.

Clever solutions Prior to the major ring-main works commencing, an unrelated major electrical trackside fire occurred at South Hampstead in April 2017, damaging four HV feeder cables and closing Euston station for an evening. Lowery, in collaboration with Network Rail, undertook the repair works which included a new cable route, new cable insertions being installed and jointed and the four HV feeders commissioned back into service within 24 hours.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Lowery was highly commended by Network Rail for its speedy repair works to the fire-damaged cables. This collaborative team effort has now further been recognised by Network Rail IP in the form of the Aspire Awards.

With over six decades of providing engineering solutions in the rail sector, Lowery’s in-house civils and power capability has enabled the company to provide innovative solutions and to complete a large number of successful projects as a power and civil engineering contractor.

The company has a long and enviable track record of delivering projects on time, on budget, safely and to customer requirements.

It is able to quickly integrate its expertise into each client’s structure, working collaboratively with excellent results. A sustainable approach is fundamental to its success and allows the business to align with its client’s requirements.

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Offering a full turnkey capability from Feasibility, Design, Installation, Testing and Commissioning.

Lowery currently hold a Network Rail Principal Contractors Licence for Electrification, Signalling and Civil Engineering Works.

Contact us for more information

www.lowery.co.uk

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ECML Power Supply Upgrade

A

relatively straight and high-speed route, the East Coast main line from London to Edinburgh has been a target for electrification several times over the years. The UK Government’s Weir report in the 1930s had considered it and, in the 1950s, British Railways ranked it in parallel with the West Coast main line electrification intention.

Politics seemed to dog the aspiration with the cessation of development progress in the early 1960s while the West Coast moved forward, albeit not without “pauses”.

Instead, the East Coast moved forward with fairly adventurous diesel schemes - the legendary English Electric Deltic locomotives moving in to displace steam and then the arrival of the world beating High Speed Train in the 1970s.

By the mid-1970s the line had been electrified, under the “Great Northern” banner, as far as Hitchin - the wires then heading east to Royston. Although the fast lines were wired to Hitchin, no further progress was made.

In 1979, the British Railways Board launched a comprehensive proposal for the electrification of the bulk of the British railway system and an obvious target to start was the East Coast main line (ECML).

The Board duly produced a submission for electrification to Edinburgh that was passed to the Department of Transport, but this was returned with a simple reaction: NO! British Rail could see the advantage of retaining the expertise that existed in the design and construction organisations at the time and, in fact, financed the installation of OLE foundations north from Hitchin while it tried to convince the politicians that continuation was in the country’s best interest. Sadly, this fell on deaf ears and the line continued for some time as a diesel railway, albeit with the High Speed Train as its core product.

Happily, however, after much effort by BR, electrification was finally authorised in the 1980s, after much value engineering and sharp concentration on content and specification, producing the electrified East Coast main line we see today, with push-pull Class 91 and Mark 4 carriages as the core passenger product. Donald Heath describes how the electrification work was carried out in his excellent companion article in this issue.

PETER STANTON

IEP is coming The Intercity Express Programme (IEP), and the introduction of Virgin Trains’ Azuma-branded fleet of Hitachi-built Class 800 and 801 trains, will be the next stage of development on the ECML. The new trains will be introduced from December 2018, bringing faster services and additional capacity to major UK cities, helping address overcrowding issues, making services more comfortable and continuing to meet the ever-growing demand for rail travel.

Testing the new system at Corey's Mill.

This will mean improved services between London, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh, with 12,200 more seats across the fleet.

The new rolling stock will have significantly improved legroom, while the nought-tosixty time for the Azuma, in electric mode, is also quicker than the baseline of the High Speed Train and the existing core fleet of electric InterCity 225 trains.

In Scotland, gauging works in support of IEP are underway, with platform lengthening works also taking place both north and south of the border.

Freight will also feel the benefit with new loops north of Northallerton, increasing the route flexibility and operability.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

New structuremounted outdoor switchgear at Langley.

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

Assembling ASG switchgear.

The upgrade project Whilst there had been a great focus on the West Coast main line upgrade from the 1990s, thoughts were given to the East Coast and, with the development in this century of the Thameslink and Intercity Express Programme, a need to commit to delivering an enhanced power supply to the line became essential. Thus plans for the ECML Power Supply Upgrade (PSU) project began to develop a dedicated scheme to enhance the power supply to the overhead contact line equipment on the route.

Originally, the ECML PSU project was proposed as an Autotransformer (AT)-based system upgrade including an increase of the fault level to 12kA. However, a revised scheme is now being developed which retains some elements of the existing system in a solution incorporating AT and classic rail-return distribution schemes, but with a reduced and conventional fault level of 6kA. This mixed-electrification scheme has not previously been implemented on the ECML. To accommodate the change to the electrification systems, there will also be signalling, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and telecommunication works associated with the upgrade.

There will be two new timetable rollouts with the major changes occurring in May 2021. An early challenge is to remove more than thirty booster-transformer overlaps at an early date, to avoid the problems with the twin pantograph arrangements on the new trains.

Rail Engineer was invited to the construction depot at Sandy, in Bedfordshire, to meet with the team undertaking phase one of the programme; enhancements from Wood Green in London to Bawtry near Doncaster.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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ELECTRIFICATION/POWER Responsibility for delivery lies with the Rail Electrification Alliance (REAL), which comprises Network Rail (client), Siemens (traction power design, supply, installation and SCADA), J Murphy and Sons (civil works and structures, cable and cable routes), VolkerRail (overhead line equipment works and signalling works), TSP Projects and Jacobs (both professional consultancy and design support).

The scheme was described by Network Rail’s principal programme sponsor Aidan Talbott and Alliance director Rod Moorcroft. It became clear that, rather than an electrification project, this was a power upgrade scheme and the scope therefore did not encompass much work related to the contact system.

Work on Phase 1 officially began in 2014 and is scheduled to run until early 2019.

A point to note was how the project had been successfully value engineered, with the full involvement of the Alliance partners bringing some real optimisation and savings to the final content, while still delivering the benefits required by the original project requirements specification.

The project is subject to regulated milestones (being a DfT led scheme).

By August 2017, all the critical works to provide enhanced traction power supply had been completed, on time and within budget. Seven million pounds of cost savings have been delivered through value engineering.

The power upgrade will enable Virgin’s Azuma fleet to start operations in late 2018.

Overall project completion is scheduled for spring 2019, with all substations commissioned by the end of 2018.

Project scope The ECML PSU project includes the application of new and novel technologies and methodology. In summary, the project will deliver seven new substations - four containerised (using air-insulated switchgear) at Hitchin, Essendine, Little Barford and Potters Bar and three external (using structure mounted outdoor switchgear - SMOS) at Langley, Corey’s Mill and Welwyn.

In addition, there will be 11 replacement substations on existing sites - all similarly containerised - while the existing substation at Tallington will be removed.

On the route itself, the Alliance will install over 600km of new cabling - including telecommunications fibre cable and power assets - 110 foundations and 55 new structures in support of overhead line and telecommunications equipment.

Boom installation at Essendine.

External to the core railway, National Grid will also contribute with a new 400kV connection to the main supply point at Ryhall, Essendine and modifications to the existing National Grid supply point at Wymondley (Corey’s Mill).

Beyond the above, there will appear a novel replacement for the exiting SCADA system. This will involve the commissioning of the latest IEC61850 enhanced electrical protection and control system, using fibre cabling to York electrical control room to replace the traditional copper-wired system.

Originally, there had been an intention to install an autotransformer system over large parts of the route. In the autotransformer cabled system used on the ECML, the traction power is distributed via a 2x25kV system, using an autotransformer feeding cable. The autotransformer itself has a centre tap connected to the traction return rails via duplicate red bonds. The system’s other feature is the return feeding line, known as the ‘Autotransformer Feeder’.

The voltages between the autotransformer feeder and the rails and between the overhead line equipment (OLE) and the rails are both 25kV. However, a potential difference of 50kV exists between the autotransformer feeder and the OLE, so the power is transmitted at 50kV between the substation and the autotransformer preceding the section in which the traction unit is drawing power. This has the advantage of increasing the required feeding distance.

Value engineering revealed that this level of provision was not necessary to meet the requirements of the new traction and thus the ATF was to be installed to cover only the southern section of the project, where power supply demand was greatest. The balance of the route would be converted to a classic rail-return system with removal of the booster transformers and conversion of the existing return conductor to an aerial earth wire. This solution was shown to be suitable and sufficient for the balance of the route.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Milestones Much has been achieved in terms of key milestones with firm service capacity for electrical supplies at Ferme Park, Little Barford, Nene and Welwyn (the first one completed), together with completion of the intake at Corey’s Mill. Other distribution sites provide the foundation of power supply distribution with the containerised substation at Hitchin being a high profile achievement.

Significantly, the new 400kV National Grid substation at Ryhall, Essendine, was commissioned in August this year.

The Alliance is particularly pleased with the achievement of a dedicated OLE fabrication facility at Doncaster. This has led to a major growth in productivity and also parallels a robust training programme for resources to complete phase one and the anticipated phase two (Doncaster to Edinburgh) of the programme.

Another key milestone was that early removal of critical booster transformers, also part of a regulatory milestone. The criticality of this part of the undertaking is related to the multiple-pantograph concept of the Hitachi trains, which cannot be allowed to bridge the insulation at booster-transformer sites.

All of this work took place largely ‘behind the scenes’ and unnoticed by the general public. However, it actually vastly improved the performance of the traction power system.

Overall, this project will be the basis for the next transformation of one of the United Kingdom’s major routes, bringing on new rolling stock with upgraded use of an already-electrified railway.

The job will be completed by the separate significant scheme at King’s Cross and the northerly works of Phase 2 and the Scottish scope. Truly the “Route of the Flying Scotsman” will continue to justify the description bestowed upon it by history.

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER AF Electren_anuncio rail engineer UK_190x130.pdf

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Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

MICHAEL MILES

Physical resilience in a digital age

T

he prospect of a digital railway in the UK promises quicker journey times, greater capacity, slicker timetabling, better cost efficiency and improved operational safety, all enabled and controlled using seamlessly integrated digital technology.

Overarching this, however, is the need for operational resilience. This depends more critically on the engineering of the rail network’s ‘hardware’ - that is, its track, train and railside assets.

Especially as it prepares for HS2 and high-speed trains, the rail environment requires engineering at the upper extremes of modern performance to provide the strength and longevity to minimise the need for maintenance or replacement.

Network reliability Network reliability is a function of the physical integrity of all assets. This goes from trains and carriages, through tunnel, track, gantry and crossing construction, to cabinets, location apparatus cases (LOCs) and relocatable equipment buildings (REBs) protecting electrical instrumentation, telecoms, data and power services. Any weak link will undermine the whole. To highlight, vandalism of unmanned relay rooms or LOCs housing vital cables or power can be as disruptive to passenger services as a train breakdown.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

So what should be the considerations when selecting LOCs, REBs, access covers and signal centre doors that measure up to the needs of a resilient rail network?

In addition to PADS certification, third-party-tested and certified security products will provide long-term benefits.

Approval to a robust security marque like LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board) provides an all-important assurance of physical performance. Products are tested to the rigorous LPS 1175 security standard and classed according to their physical resistance to different levels of assault tools and duration of attack. LPCB provides a hierarchy of security ratings allowing specifiers to select solutions appropriate for the assessed risk of vandalism, theft, sabotage or criminal attack.

Adding value But LPCB is not just a reassuring marque of security for standard products, like doors and LOCs. It also offers vital scope for differentiation and adding value, depending on the material used and its design flexibility within LPCB’s performance parameters.

LPCB manufacturers using highspecification structural steel offer the greatest potential for specialisation, together with long-term physical integrity against criminal attack and the increasing wear and tear of the rail corridor.

As a leader in LPCB certified steel products, Technocover continues to push the performance envelope for cabinets, modular buildings, doors, access covers, cages, louvre vents and window bars.

A significant degree of equipment customisation can be met by steel manufacturers, like Technocover, that have developed a wide choice of LPCB options, accessories and size permutations. These allow ready adaptation to improve operational efficiency and health and safety, such as easy lift access cover lids, sloped cabinet roofs to shed water, or security inspection vision panes in doors.

The high-security door Increasingly, the upgrading of access security to station buildings, plant rooms and material stores, new-build or retrofit, is demanding greater functionality and flexibility from the high security door.

Exploiting the structural versatility of steel, Technocover’s Sentinel doors can be comprehensively adapted using standard options to meet detailed needs,

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TechnoRail, incorporated within Technocover, supply PADS approved and Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) accredited UltraSecure products to the rail sector including access covers, doors, loc’s, REB’s, switch clamp cases and steel staging platforms.

LPCB tested and approved to LPS 1175 security ratings Level 3 and Level 4, UltraSecure galvanised steel PADS approved (PA05/03986), full and half location apparatus cases provide secure asset protection solutions for the rail sector against the problems of malicious damage, sabotage and theft. Cases can be placed on standard network concrete base units or on staging platforms.

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ELECTRIFICATION/POWER Mesh cage around GRP enclosure.

while maintaining the appropriate LPCB Security Rating (SR) - typically SR 2, 3 or 4 for rail.

Doors can provide specific functionality, according to the interior activities of a building. For example, a plant room may need a double door unit for routine access, but incorporate removable header bars and blanking plates to maximise access for equipment removal.

Other applications might need a vision panel to allow a quick visual check by personnel, or louvre vents to help disperse heat build-up from equipment.

Also critical, Technocover doors will accept the client’s specific LPCB-certified entry and exit control locking and access technology (padlock, key, fob, swipe), and any link required with the alarm system.

Specialised Where larger, more specialised security installations are concerned, the manufacturer’s expertise and product scope within LPCB certification will come into play.

In its 25 years, Technocover has developed a detailed understanding of how cabinets, doors and enclosures can be engineered for out-of-the-ordinary applications while remaining within the parameters of LPCB performance.

Special solutions are often required to ‘harden’ existing assets, demanding unusual shapes or aesthetic features to blend with heritage architecture. They can range from security doors with an arched head and special colour finish to harmonise with a historic building, to a large, irregular-shaped LPCB-approved mesh enclosure to reinforce the security of an installation.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Durability

Increasingly, rail assets outside of CCTV catchment and remote from the rail track will require hardening, often for the purposes of ensuring public health and safety - such as an LPCB security access hatch for a tunnel ventilation shaft. The rail project may also need to borrow a solution specialised from another infrastructure sector. For example, Technocover has supplied LPCB-approved upstand covers, as used in the utility industries, to secure observation boreholes for water table level monitoring connected with preconstruction work for HS2.

Steel offers important advantages when it comes to system durability. An all-steel solution will perform consistently in terms of system longevity. With the benefit of a higher grade of structural steel and heavier weight of post-galvanised zinc finish, Technocover can demonstrate a service life of over 20 years for its TechnoRail product range.

This extra margin of engineering resilience becomes ever more important as trackside structures bear the brunt of aggravated weathering from storm events and atmospheric corrosivity, as well as increased turbulence from greater traffic volumes and high speed trains.

The metallurgically bonded protection of zinc galvanising on steel provides the most predictable and efficient of corrosion-proofing systems. Additionally, consistent protection can be achieved however complex the steel fabrication becomes. This underpins a maintenancefree product and extends the time to replacement, for better cost forecasting and, of course, cost savings.

Early consultation Early consultation is crucial if wholelife functionality, long term cost-savings and right-first-time installation are to be guaranteed.

Detailed discussion by supply partners of logistics, work programming and on-going operational considerations will benefit short and longer-term outcomes.

This applies whether planning the upgrading of security gates within a storage zone, or a complex staging with LOCs and REBs on an embankment.

Early collaboration provides total project visibility as the basis to value engineer, ‘design out’ potential installation issues, and ‘design in’ functionality for best return on investment.

Technocover is adding value to the delivery of security equipment by offering offsite construction and cranein solutions, especially for REBs and modular buildings. Where site access is constrained and/or possession limited, these can be assembled and even fully fitted with M&E services for quick and simple lifting into position.

Twin Sentinel door with vision panel and blanking plate.

For an industry in a state of technological flux as it fully embraces digital, LPCB specialists offer the potential to quickly adapt security solutions within the envelope of an already-trusted performance standard.

With rail’s current focus on infrastructure efficiency and reliability, LPCB solutions in post-galvanised steel can provide an all-important edge in adaptability and longer service life.

Michael Miles is a director of infrastructure protection specialist Technocover.

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ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

The view

from Westminster

Secretary of State Chris Grayling speaking to the industry at RIA’s Parliamentary reception

DAVID SHIRRES

A

reception at the Houses of Parliament on 24 October, arranged by the Railway Industry Association (RIA), proved an informal opportunity to hear Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling’s views on the rail industry.

Opening the evening, RIA CEO Darren Caplan (below) referred to the need for Government to support the Rail Supply Group’s industrial sector strategy.

Being at Westminster, he felt he also had to mention Brexit, which he considered had its challenges, such as labour supply and standards, as well as opportunities.

On the subject of electrification, he asked that the issue be kept open, as it can be the most costeffective solution. In this respect, he mentioned RIA’s electrification cost challenge, which was working on how to reduce electrification costs. Rail Engineer writer Peter Stanton is part of this initiative, so no doubt readers will hear more in the coming months.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

and acknowledged that the real challenge would be to deliver it without disruption, necessitating a close working relationship between infrastructure contractors and train operators.

A success story In response Chris Grayling (pictured right) stressed that it gave him great pleasure to be able to praise the industry as its increasing passenger numbers are a huge success story compared with 20 years ago when there was an expectation of managed decline.

Grayling specifically mentioned the Ordsall Chord, Liverpool Lime Street enhancement and the Waterloo blockade as examples of particularly successful projects and looked forward to seeing the introduction of the full Crossrail service next year.

Recognising that increased traffic brings enormous pressures, the Secretary of State was obviously concerned that poor customer satisfaction on an overcrowded railway could allow a negative narrative to build up which could threaten investment, so he stressed that everyone has a part to play to sell the railway success story.

Now that the £48 billion control period settlement for CP6 has been announced, he stated that he was pleased with the industry’s positive reaction and advised that his department was working hard to avoid any hiatus from the current CP5 shortfall.

He stressed that, during CP6, the focus would be on renewals to ensure reliability of the network,

Getting the best value Returning to the subject of CP6, the Secretary of State advised that the settlement money would not necessarily all go to Network Rail as the Government was open to ideas from industry on alternative ways of delivering projects - for example projects could be financed by the supply industry. In his view, finding the best way of delivering the best value was essential. For this reason, the intention is that the East West Rail project will promote competition.

Referring to his recent electrification announcement, he stated that he had had to take difficult decisions and, for example, couldn’t justify spending £500 million for electrification between Cardiff and Swansea for electric trains which, he considered, would run at the same speed as diesel trains.

However, he stressed that this didn’t mean that the Government did not support electrification and referred to the large amount of electrification recently completed and in progress, for example in the North West. He also mentioned proposals from Network Rail to take electrification forward which included the Trans-Pennine electrification. He felt that “what

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER matters first and foremost is the outcome for the customers” and priority had to be given to those projects that deliver the greatest benefits, with many having nothing to do with overhead wires. As examples, he highlighted projects at Ordsall Chord and Liverpool Lime Street.

Speaking to the minister The event provided a rare opportunity to speak to the Secretary of State. Whilst he had many positive things to say about the industry, the Government’s approach to electrification would seem to be ill informed. As an example, Chris Grayling believes that, between Cardiff and Swansea, electric trains will be no faster than diesel trains. Yet this statement is contradicted by a 2009 Department for Transport (DfT) paper, which shows that electrification will reduce the running time between the two cities by four minutes.

Intuitively, this four-minute figure would seem realistic as express trains between Cardiff and Swansea stop at three stations and so must accelerate to line speed typically on four occasions.

With an electric-powered bi-mode having fifty per cent more traction power than one under diesel power, a saving of a minute on each occasion seems possible despite much of the route having a maximum line speed of 75 mph.

Another benefit of electrification is its significant long-term cost savings. An indication of the additional maintenance cost of a diesel-powered fleet is given by the differing procurement costs of the Great Western and East Coasts IEP fleets, which include a 27-year maintenance contract. The mainly electric East Coast IEP fleet costs £4 million per coach less than the Great Western one, which operates more miles in diesel bi-mode. Although there are other reasons for this cost difference, the additional maintenance cost of the GW IEP fleet is likely to be in the order of a billion pounds over the 27-year maintenance period.

Diesel fuel is also significantly more expensive than electric traction. This is shown by a recent ORR report, which revealed that diesel fuel accounts for 40 per cent of Virgin West Coast’s traction cost, yet only 15 per cent of its fleet is diesel powered. Furthermore, with an increasing proportion of the national grid fed by renewables, diesel carries a heavy carbon cost as well as its harmful nitrogen oxide emissions.

Lack of knowledge These points were discussed with the Secretary of State, who advised that the decision not to electrify the Midland main line and the line to Swansea was based on excellent advice. When I asked for a copy of this advice, I was referred to the DfT press office.

However, the press team was unable to supply any explanation of why more powerful electric traction is not quicker between Cardiff and Swansea or how long-term traction and maintenance cost-savings were considered before electrification projects were cancelled.

One can sympathise with the Secretary of State, who felt he had to do something when faced with ever-increasing electrification costs. In our conversation, Chris Grayling made the reasonable point that, with only so much money available, it could be better spent on other projects.

Nevertheless, this was not an informed decision.

The Government’s statement that bi-mode technology “means that we can improve journey times without the need to put up wires and masts” cannot be true as the diesel-powered IEP bi-mode has only the same power to weight ratio as existing trains, and an IEP bi-mode actually produces around fifty per cent more traction power in electric mode than in diesel mode. Furthermore, no account seems to have been taken of the substantial long-term traction and maintenance savings associated with electric traction.

RIA's reception was certainly a worthwhile event that highlighted the strong government support for the rail industry. Unfortunately, it also confirmed that the government department responsible does not properly understand the full benefits of electrification and the limitations of bi-mode trains.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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GARY BROMLEY

Introducing Surge Arrester Technology

T

he electrification of existing railway lines is often associated with high costs, due to the inevitable proximity between live overhead line conductors and trackside structures.

As the overhead line system is energised at 25 thousand volts, sufficient electrical clearance must be allowed for, at the design and installation stages, to ensure the electrification infrastructure doesn’t suffer unnecessary flashovers between live conductors and the structure.

The required electrical clearances are defined within legislation and standards which control the design and installation requirements, and allow for a number of ‘worst case’ conditions, including, for example, ice and pantograph uplift.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

These clearances are an essential factor in the planning phase of overhead line system design. If a conflict of electrical clearances occurs, then considerations have to be made to either modify the relevant structure (bridge, tunnel or building), or lower the tracks - both of which require complicated, extensive and expensive design and construction works to achieve the required electrical clearance.

Alternative solution To address this issue, and so to reduce or eliminate the costs of either having to make modifications to the structure or to lower the track, Siemens has developed an alternative solution that uses a surge arrester in circuit with the overhead line system. This offers significant benefits both in terms of the cost and speed of electrification works, particularly compared to any requirement for reconstructing or modifying buildings, bridges or tunnels, or for lowering existing tracks.

By introducing a surge arrester in this way, if over-voltages do occur (potentially as a result of lightning strikes), then these are

limited by the surge arrester to a magnitude of voltage which complies with the available electrical clearance values between the overhead line and structure.

To establish the possible minimum electrical clearance requirement, and to improve understanding of how the electrification system behaves in situations with restricted electrical clearance, a series of tests was commissioned and supervised by Network Rail and carried out, under controlled conditions, at Southampton University.

During the tests, three different mitigation measures were applied in direct circuit with the overhead line equipment. These measures were a Siemens’ surge arrester, contact wire covers and an electrical insulating coating (onto an earthing plate). It is hoped that such mitigation measures will significantly reduce electrical clearances in both wet and dry conditions.

The objective of the tests was to compare the performance of the traditional stress-graded underbridge arm (which was commonly used by British Rail) with the insulated under-bridge arm currently used by Network Rail.

The tests were carried out by applying a full lightning impulse of wave shape 1,2/50 µs to BS

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

On-Board Energy Metering EM4T II

EN 60060-1. The impulse test voltages were of an amplitude of 193kV (in accordance with BS EN 50124-1:2017 Clause 7.3 and BS EN 60060-1), both with and without mitigation measures, and with a solution having been applied to both sets of arms to imitate polluted conditions.

Reduced clearances The initial setup for both types of under-bridge arm started with an electrical clearance of 70mm between the bridge arm and earth plate. The contact wire was connected directly to the output of the impulse generator and the earth plate connected to the building earth. Without any mitigation measure, a spark-over occurred at this initial distance.

When applying mitigation measures, the clearance between the arm and earthed plate was decreased by 10mm after each full set of three positive and three negative polarity impulses which withstood a flashover across the air gap.

This continued until a failure, indicated by a collapse in voltage on the measurement system. The process was repeated with each added mitigation (surge arrestor, contact wire cover and insulated coated earth plate of 1500mm x 1500mm), with each test of additional mitigation beginning at the last failed distance. A confirmation test was also completed at that distance, to show there was no decrease in performance following the addition of the new component.

Under dry test conditions, the Siemens surge arrestor, without any other mitigation measures, successfully achieved a minimum clearance of 40mm against the British Rail type underbridge arm. Using the same test conditions for the Network Rail insulated type under-bridge arm, a minimum distance of 30mm was successfully achieved.

When all three of the mitigations were applied to the Network Rail arm in dry conditions, a distance of 0mm was achieved, with the arm physically touching the insulated coated surface without any collapse of voltage or detriment to performance.

Depending on the required protection level, surge arresters can be applied to the overhead line equipment on both sides of the structure; with each contact system running through the structure requiring a reduced electrical clearance.

Surge arresters are currently being installed by Siemens on nine routes across the Danish railway network, covering a total of 1,300 kilometres of new electrified line. To date, a total of 28 surge arrestors have been installed at locations where their application has enabled successful energisation to be achieved without remedial works having to be undertaken to either the structure or trackwork.

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www.lem.com At the heart of power electronics.

Gary Bromley is an overhead line electrification manager, Siemens Rail Electrification.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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FEATURE

MALCOM DOBELL

The Future of

Railway Engineering

E

ach year, the younger members of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers organise a seminar. The recent 2017 event, titled “Skills and Knowledge for the Future of Rail Engineering”, was attended by nearly 60 delegates. It was organised by Aoife Considine and David Lawes from London Underground, together with Timothy Van Ellemeet from Tailor Airey Limited and Gary Cooke from Eversholt Rail Group. They had lined up a broad range of speakers, which Rail Engineer summed up as “Inclusion, Innovation and Integration”.

Inclusion Julianna Moats (above) from WSP kicked off with an extremely thought-provoking presentation about the lack of diversity in engineering, and particularly in rail engineering. It is generally the case that good employers see the benefit of a workforce that represents the diversity of the community it serves.

She was particularly concerned that the UK is the worst in the world in terms of gender diversity, with females numbering just eight per cent of UK engineers - in rail it’s just four per cent. The situation gets even worse at more senior levels.

Research has suggested that companies which employ roughly equal numbers of women at board level are typically at least 20 per cent more profitable and create nearly 70 per cent more value than companies that are male-dominated.

Julianna suggested a number of approaches that companies might take to overcome the issue, and the whole engineering community needs to encourage girls to be interested in the creativity of engineering. She said that it is even necessary to emphasise that engineers wear business attire most of the time, not PPE! That said, she complemented companies such as Crossrail that had illustrated women in engineering roles in publicity material. Her closing comment was to say that we should all “show, target, recruit, hire, mentor and promote diversity”.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Innovative Delivery Of Capacity George Clark, TfL’s director of engineering, talked about the importance of innovation to delivering TfL’s mission to Keep London Moving. He reminded everyone that TfL carries 1.7 billion rail journeys per year and that road traffic has, over the last 25 years, increased by 23 per cent with only three per cent more road capacity.

Rail journeys are forecast to increase to 2.2 billion by 2021/22, following the completion of the Elizabeth line. London is also forecasting that its population will increase to 10 million by 2030, an increase bigger than the current population of Birmingham.

George’s role in TfL is to form a multimode, multi-disciplinary engineering team that can deliver innovative solutions to enable the increase in traffic that this increase in population will bring. He described examples of projects which typify the Underground’s challenge in accommodating more passengers. The Northern Line Extension to Battersea Power Station demonstrates the benefits of providing tube stations in an area of London poorly served by rail, and highlights some significant engineering challenges in designing a station that will have a tall building on top of it.

The planned Bakerloo line extension to Lewisham will unlock development along the Old Kent Road and enable a significant capacity increase on the existing line. The modernisation of the sub-surface lines on

FEATURE

the Underground (District, Hammersmith & City, Circle and Metropolitan lines) is intended to deliver up to 33 per cent more capacity to satisfy demand.

The Bank-Monument station upgrade illustrates that it is just as important to get passengers to and from the trains as it is to move them from station to station; Bank is a notorious passenger interchange bottleneck.

George emphasised that innovation is required from engineers to deliver these upgrades more economically than ever, given that TfL’s central government grant is ending and income is further restricted by the Mayor’s fares freeze. He concluded by talking about the work of the National Skills Academy for Rail (he is a director) in developing a “virtual entity” of 34 training establishments together with TfL’s and Network Rail’s facilities to offer skills training, the cost of which can often be drawn down from the fund created by the Apprenticeship Levy.

Integration - Not Just Leaves “Wheel/Rail Adhesion: Not Just Leaves on The Line” was the title of Neil Ovenden’s talk. Neil is engineering supply chain lead for the Rail Delivery Group and also chairman of the industry’s Adhesion Research Group (ARG), which comprises representatives from all areas of the railway industry.

Three safety-related issues tend to occur if adhesion is poor and/or if rails are contaminated; wrong-side trackcircuit failures (WSTCF), signals passed at danger (SPAD) and station over-runs.

He showed the statistics for autumn performance covering the period since 2000. The number of SPADs remains generally in single figures, there has been a clear improvement in the number of station overruns, whilst the WSTCF statistic remains peaky with no clear trend. In autumn 2016, there were five WSTCFs, 63 SPADs and 100 station overruns.

The cost of autumn leaf fall (incidents, precautions, clearing up, repairs to wheel flats) is in the region of £250 to £300 million each year. Moving on to the theory; on clean, dry rail, the coefficient of friction (μ) between wheel and rail is typically 0.2 or better. For wet rails, the coefficient of friction might be in the range 0.1<μ<0.15. However, with contaminated rails, the value might fall to 0.05<μ<0.09 and, if heavily contaminated, μ might be <0.05 (less than 25 per cent of the nominal dry rail value).

Neil also stated that adhesion problems are not confined to autumn. Grease, oil, diesel fuel, moisture and substances deliberately applied to the wheels or rails can affect adhesion. Dry rails and thoroughly wet rails provide enough adhesion to deliver the required performance, but damp/moist rails can have really poor adhesion. A value of μ<0.15 can harm a modern multiple unit’s ability to keep to timetable in motoring and μ<0.06 can harm a multiple unit’s ability to keep to timetable in braking.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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FEATURE

All this led ARG to ask the question: “What could be done to reasonably guarantee μ>0.06?” Neil described some of the research carried out to answer this question. First was T1077 - The Effect of Water on the Transmission of Forces Between Wheels and Rails - carried out for RSSB by Sheffield University. The output of this work will be fed into the industry braking model, Labrador, developed by Huddersfield University.

Magnetic track brakes have the potential to improve braking in poor conditions. Project T1099 explored the barriers to using these devices on National Rail since they are used on some main line railways elsewhere and virtually all tramways. As a result, a Railway Industry Standard - RIS/2710/RST, Design and Use of Magnetic Track Brakes - has been drafted and should be issued in early 2018.

Finally, project T1107 is exploring whether more sanders and more sand can deliver consistently good braking performance on poor adhesion (issue 157, November 2017).

Another speaker from TfL, London Underground’s head of innovation Rakesh Gaur, talked about the challenges of innovation, highlighting how some innovations can be quite unusual, such as an early means of insulating dwellings with cow dung!

Rakesh introduced the Gartner Hype Cycle for emerging technologies, illustrating that expectations from new technology can be over-hyped and there is

a risk that good solutions might fail unless people manage them through the socalled Trough of Disillusionment.

He then discussed two of TfL’s successes.

The first was to fit a monitoring system to approximately 300 track circuits on the Victoria line with minimal intrusion. As a result, service-affecting failures have been eliminated. The system has since been successfully extended to Central line track circuits, which were never designed for such monitoring.

Secondly, Rakesh mentioned how customers are much better informed about TfL services through the development of the smart phone, roll out of 4G services/ WiFi and TfL making its data available to app developers. Citymapper, Bus Countdown and London Tube Status are just three of the apps that make London’s travellers’ lives just a little easier.

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Crossrail “Innovation at Crossrail: Pushing the Envelope” was given by Phil Hinde, Crossrail’s rolling stock and depots engineer.

Phil emphasised that Crossrail had worked hard on innovation, notwithstanding a sponsor requirement to use only “tried and proven materials, techniques, technologies and systems”.

He illustrated a number of innovations: using tiny video projectors to improve the quality of on-site presentations/tool box talks, using thermal imaging to monitor progress of concrete curing, taking the opportunity to provide some ground heat pipes whilst piling was taking place, re-purposing grout shafts for the same application and the safe use of drones underground.

Crossrail operated an innovation programme with all its major suppliers and over 1000 ideas were submitted; both new and “pinched with pride”. Over 300

Rakesh Gaur chats with Alex Bennett.

FEATURE were implemented, and this has led to the creation of a Learning Legacy for other construction projects to access freely.

Moving on to the new trains, these nine-car, 205-metre EMUs (temporarily running as seven-car trains) have met the weight objective set at only 319 tonnes, an improvement of 20 per cent or better over previous modern EMUs. Reduced mass, combined with carefully tuned regenerative braking, delivers an energy effective train.

All materials used were conventional, but deployed sensibly through aircraft-style weight management techniques.

Each car has three sets of doors per side, a National Rail first. They have wide, open gangways throughout the train, and the train has a capacity of at least 1500 people - staff have observed how these trains can “hoover” customers off the platforms.

They are smart trains - set up for conditionbased maintenance while two of them will also monitor the infrastructure. They are fitted with several signalling systems - TPWS, AWS, CBTC with ATO and ETCS. The outer axle at each cab end is unbraked to provide reliable reference speeds for the CBTC, ETCS and wheelslide control systems. They are able to shut down most of the ‘hotel’ load (lights and HVAC) automatically when stabled. Finally, they are the first new trains without a yellow front, relying on powerful LED headlights to warn of their approach.

The mass saving has been achieved by the use of inside-frame bogies, longer cars together with good traction package design to control EMC without relying on heavyweight inductors. They have real time reporting to give load weighing and energy metering, and have the ability to update passenger information whilst in service and report wheel slide protection activity to inform low adhesion management.

Phil reminded delegates that all this requires good integration of sub-systems, good communications and good shore-based IT infrastructure. This needs to be backed by processes including configuration control, database discipline and cyber security. Phil concluded that the train has performed well since entering service, with a few issues needing to be fixed but the core mechanical and electrical design is looking very good.

New seats and floor for Bakerloo line.

Alex reminded delegates that the Underground was built in a time when society’s attitude to disability was very different from today. It was only in the 1980s that it began to be recognised that people with disabilities had the same mobility rights as everyone else.

London’s DLR provided for people in wheelchairs from the beginning and the Jubilee line extension also had these facilities. Legislation in the form of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 set the overall requirements for society and buildings, whereas special regulations were put in place for vehicles - the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (RVAR) 1998, revised in 2010 for metros/light rail/ trams, and the Technical Specification for Interoperability for People of Reduced Mobility for National Rail.

For the Underground, there are two work strands; access from street to platforms and access to/from and within trains (their main topic). Alex and Zoë emphasised that access is not just about step-free routes and it is also necessary to remind people that RVAR is a legal requirement, with compliance required by 2020, and not a matter for business cases.

RVAR is generally goal-oriented legislation (such as colour contrast) but with some fixed requirements such as text height and the size of the step/gap between train and platform if a boarding aid is not to be provided.

Zoë outlined LU’s approach, which is to “do it right” and not merely to comply with the letter of the law. As an example, she illustrated the improvements made inbuild or by modification to LU’s trains built since 1995, which now represents almost two thirds of the fleet.

Currently, Zoë is working on implementing modifications to the Bakerloo and Central line fleets to comply with the RVAR. Several changes are required - delivering colour contrast between the saloon and door areas inside the trains, providing spaces for wheel chairs, improved signage, and a new audio-visual passenger information system. Accompanying these changes is a CCTV security system and new LED lighting.

The most challenging modification is the removal of seats to provide the wheelchair spaces as LU trains have equipment under the seats that needs to be relocated. Zoë emphasised the importance of working

Alex Bennett and Zoë Dobell.

Inclusion for passengers with disabilities London Underground’s approach to “Accessibility: A Systematic Approach for Equal Access To Transport” was described

by Alex Bennett, operational development manager and project engineer Zoë Dobell (yes, your writer’s daughter).

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FEATURE

with representatives of users during the design process, as mere compliance with the regulations might not deliver the best result; a better solution found at the design stage might not cost any more to implement.

Network Rail - Britain’s Biggest Builder Matthew Steele, commercial and development director with Network Rail Infrastructure Projects, talked about “Engineering the Future of Network Rail”.

He introduced his talk with some statistics: »» £6 billion enhancements and major renewals in 2016/17; »» 46 per cent reduction in operating costs since 2003/04; »» 400km track renewed in 2016/17; »» 22 per cent of all UK infrastructure being delivered by Network Rail; »» 15,500 live projects; »» £l2,000 being spent every minute; »» Everyone home safe every day.

Apropos safety, Matthew described a personal experience during the Great Western (GW) modernisation projects.

He was in the site office on 28 December 2014 when a report came in that “at the Stockley Flyover construction site, on the Heathrow Airport branch line, a train had collided with a small trolley which was being placed on the line by track workers”.

At the time, those receiving the report did not know whether the track workers were safe but fortunately they were.

Matthew said that, in the interests of getting the work done with minimum inconvenience to passengers, they had set up a complicated series of possessions which were changed frequently. With hindsight, this proved to be too complex.

He also described aspects of the GW electrification programme as far as Maidenhead for which he had been responsible. Some activities might not be recognised as part of “electrification”, such as replacing 183 point ends, resignalling, raising bridges, lowering track, cutting back canopies, and getting cable out of the ground.

One notable task was to divert a 132kV DNO (distribution network operator) supply at Iver. This involved the design and construction of a 1.5km subsurface cable diversion tunnel, 27 metres underneath a golf course and adjacent to the M25, along with two new overhead power cable towers. The cable diversion was completed without interruption to the power supply or train services, cost circa £5.5 million and was in the charge of a 27 year old project engineer.

Matthew concluded with some examples of technology helping to manage catastrophic structural asset failure;

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Network Rail’s biggest risk. These included LiDAR used from the air to identify trees at risk of collapse, underwater structure monitoring using sonar, and advances in photographic survey techniques using equipment packages in a single box that can be fitted to the front of a train.

Back to diversity The President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Carolyn Griffiths, delivered the closing keynote address and returned to the issue of diversity.

There are not enough engineers to satisfy today’s demand, let alone the forecast requirement, so the industry needs to work to attract more young people. An obvious solution is to increase the diversity of the engineering workforce and encourage girls to study STEM subjects.

With only four per cent of current railway engineers being female, just increasing that percentage will have a marked effect on overall numbers.

Matthew Steele.

FEATURE

ACRE FOR SALE

+

PURLEY, FAIRBAIRN CLOSE STREET

+

OFF BEAUMONT ROAD, PURLEY, CR8 2EJ

The site extends to circa 4.2 acres (1.7 hectares).

The site houses a variety of outbuildings of different sizes.

LOCATION

The site is located in Purley, a suburb of South London within the London Borough of Croydon. The subject site is approximately 12 miles south of Central London.

The site is within immediate proximity to Purley Station and is bordered by train tracks on the East and West perimeters.

A secure pedestrian access gate is located on the platform at Purley Station with access to the site via a footbridge over the tracks. Towards the south of the site is a vehicular access bridge connecting to Fairbairn Close which is located just off Beaumont Road. The A22 is located towards the east of the site providing access from London to the Sussex coast. The A23 is located towards the west of the site providing access between London and Brighton.

PURCHASE PRICE / Price on application.

TENUE / Long leasehold interest, 125 years from 01 April 1994.

VIEWING / Strictly by appointment with the sole agents.

For more information

CONTACT US Joseph Skinner

James Hargreaves

t: 020 3257 6187 e: Joseph.Skinner@cbre.com

t: 020 7182 2155 e: James.Hargreaves@cbre.com

Edinburgh Tram

Proposed Edgbaston Terminus, Midland Metro

Part of the Midland Metro Alliance MTRC Light Railway Viaducts, Hong Kong

Wishbone Bridge Midland Metro Line 1

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LIGHT RAIL/METRO

Trams without rails

DAVID SHIRRES

T

he world’s cities are getting bigger. Between 2016 and 2030, the planet’s urban population is forecast to grow from 54 to 60 per cent of the world’s total. Over these years, the number of cities with one million inhabitants is expected to increase from 512 to 662.

As a result, there is an increasing demand for urban metro systems, particularly in the Middle East, India and China where, in 2015, and at an estimated total cost of £15 billion, around forty metro systems opened or were under construction.

Although this would seem to be good news for the rail supply industry, developments in autonomous vehicle technology indicate that urban transit systems without rails may be more cost effective.

Zhuzhou’s ART In October, Zhuzhou in central China’s Hunan province saw the first test run of an Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system developed by the CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Company. The ART has been described as a cross between a bus, tram and train.

It is an autonomous vehicle that runs on rubber tyres on the road network with a dual redundant multi-axle steering system. Its route is marked by double-

dashed white lines that are followed by sensors which also detect any obstructions.

However, at its early prototype stage, the ART has a driver who is given warnings if it deviates from its route.

The ART is a modular unit of three, four or five cars. The three-car unit is 32 metres long, has a maximum speed of 70km/h and can carry up to 300 passengers. It is powered by lithium-titanate batteries that can run for 25 kilometres on a 10-minute charge and 40 kilometres on a full charge.

It has successfully undertaken 24 hours of non-stop tests and is to start passenger service next year on a three-kilometre route with four stations. A further ninekilometre route is planned. CRRC claims that the system costs a fifth of a traditional tram system and so will save 120 million yuan (£14 million) per route-kilometre.

The ART has been nominated for an award in the “Beazley designs of the year”, which is the subject of an exhibition at London’s Design Museum.

Cambridge’s AVRT

CRRC’s ART 'Tram'.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

In Cambridge, a university study has developed the concept of an affordable very rapid transit (AVRT) system for the city.

Current metro systems cost around £20 million per kilometre, or around a billion pounds for a 50-kilometre network. Only large cities can generate the 5-10,000 passengers per hour needed to justify such schemes. Moreover, such projects are highly disruptive and may be unacceptable in a city such as Cambridge, with its multitude of ancient buildings.

LIGHT RAIL/METRO The study considers that a 55-km Cambridge mass transit network would generate around 2,500 passengers per hour and so, to be viable, would need to be provided at half the cost of a conventional metro. To do so, the AVRT proposal reduces infrastructure costs by eliminating overhead power supplies and rails, decreasing vehicle cross-section to minimise tunnelling costs and replacing conventional signalling with a simplified concept of operations.

The proposed AVRT vehicle would operate in both directions at 120km/h, weigh 16 tonnes and have eight 150kW electric motors powered by a 200kWh hour battery. With 2+1 seating, it would seat 40 passengers and be 16 metres long, 2.2 metres wide and 2.5 metres high. In a 3.7-metre diameter tunnel, this is 43 per cent of the cross section, which enables the vehicle to achieve the required running speed.

The operational concept is for each leg of the system to have a shuttle service on its single trackway. To provide a service frequency of three to four minutes, each leg would require four vehicles, one running on the trackway, one waiting to depart with the other two charging their batteries whilst loading or unloading.

This arrangement gives each vehicle 12 minutes to charge its batteries whilst stopped at the interchange. An electric

Proposed Cambridge AVRT network. token system would ensure that only one vehicle was on the trackway at any one time.

Each leg of the system would be a simple tarmac-surfaced trackway without any intermediate stations. The outer extraurban legs would be around ten kilometres long and, as far as possible, be at surface level. Urban legs of around five kilometres would run in 3.7-metre diameter tunnels.

Interchanges would be up to four-way, with a footprint designed for optimum footfall to ensure passengers could move easily between each legâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s docking area. Except for the city centre station, interchanges would be built on the surface.

One disadvantage of this concept is that it does not provide through journeys.

However, the experience of systems such as London Transport is that passengers are willing to change if there is a frequent service and easy interchange.

For such a system to be viable, it must attract a substantial percentage of the estimated 40,000 drivers, who commute into Cambridge by car, to the park and ride stations at the end of its outer-urban legs for the last ten kilometres or so of their journey. To do so, the system has to offer a substantial reduction in journey time over this distance and a service frequency that does not require drivers to worry about a timetable.

The AVRT concept both satisfies this requirement and, with its use of autonomous vehicles, is likely to cover its running costs without public subsidy.

Will it catch on?

Whether the ART or AVRT concepts will be widely adopted remains to be seen.

However, it is certainly true that they offer urban mobility at substantially less cost than conventional metros.

The United Nations predicts that, between now and 2030, the number of medium size cities (500,000 to one million) will increase from 551 to 731. It is these cities that need the affordable public transport systems offered by new and future technologies.

AVRT vehicle.

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LIGHT RAIL/METRO MCC City station by Moscow’s International Business Centre.

DAVID SHIRRES

M sc w’s new ring T he metros in Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Guangzhou and Seoul are the only ones that carry more passengers than Moscow’s Metro which, with a daily ridership of 6.7 million, is the busiest mass transit system in Europe. This is more than twice the number carried by London Underground, which has 270 stations compared with the Moscow metro’s 163.

Muscovites and Londoners both need more trains. In London these will soon be provided by Crossrail. Moscow got its extra capacity in September last year, although in its case, these were from a line more akin to London Overground than the Elizabeth line.

The little ring The 54-kilometre Moscow Ring Railway was opened in 1908 and operated as a mixed traffic railway. It became known as the ‘little ring’ of the Moscow Railway when a 584-kilometre outer ring was built during the Second World War. Up to 1960, it served as the city’s boundary.

In its early days, freight proved to be the only viable traffic on the line, which provided a by-pass around the city, and passenger traffic was disappointingly low. These poor passenger numbers were further reduced by the developing

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

city tram network and, as a result, its passenger service was withdrawn in 1934.

By the 1950s, the city’s population had increased to five million, prompting calls to re-open the line to passenger traffic.

These were rejected due to the high cost and the circular Metro Line 5 being opened around the same time.

By the start of this century, there were ten million in the city, and a proposal to re-open the little ring was the subject of a memorandum of understanding between Russian Railways (RZD) and the Moscow city authorities. The project was formally approved by Vladimir Putin in June 2011, following which RZD and the city government set up a joint-venture company to deliver the project and operate the line which would become the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) railway.

The new ring

The design and management of the 71 billion roubles (£0.9 bn) MCC project was undertaken by JSC Roszheldorproject, which was formally part of Russian Railways. It required the construction of 31 new stations, the renewal of 183 new track kilometres and the removal of some of its connections with the radial railways.

This included the provision of a third track over 31 kilometres of the circle’s length for the line’s 23 freight movements a day. It would have been prohibitively expensive to provide a third track throughout the circle due to its bridges over the Moscow River, adjacent roads and a road underpass tunnel. As a result, freight trains only operate at night.

It also required the rebuilding of 74 overbridges and the construction of 28 ramps, bridges, overpasses and underpasses. 4,000 kilometres of utilities were diverted, and 14 kilometres of noise barriers provided. 86 of its early twentieth-century buildings were listed as historic monuments and had to be preserved.

LIGHT RAIL/METRO The MCC has been electrified at the normal Moscow suburban network’s voltage of 3kV DC. This required 4,945 masts and 178 kilometres of wiring and included reversible substations that, with other energy saving measures, are expected to give 33 per cent energy savings compared with other 3kV Russian lines.

To ensure a high-frequency operation, the MCC has been signalled for automatic train operation (ATO) using Bombardier’s EBI Lock interlockings. The system has been designed to operate at a three-minute frequency if required and uses GLONASS, the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System, to monitor operation of its trains.

Trains will operate at Grade of Operation (GoA) 2, in which starting and stopping is automated with the driver operating the doors and driving the train if required, with the intention of moving to GoA3 driverless train operation - when it is safe to do so.

At this year’s Strategic Partnership 1520 forum, Russian Railways President Oleg Belozyorov announced that: “The Moscow Central Ring is ready to operate without human participation. However, there is a very large passenger traffic, so the question of reliability arises... Hence, we need some period of time, maybe several years, to clearly state that such technology allows us to work without a human participation and at the same time provide full reliability.”

MCC construction work at Andronovka station.

Operating the circle When Vladimir Putin opened the MCC on 10 September last year, it had 26 open stations. A further five stations were opened in the next two months. Wherever possible, these stations have been made into interchange hubs. As a result, 105 bus, 40 trolleybus and 31 tram routes were altered. 22 of the stations have rail interchanges, five of these are with the suburban rail network, thirteen of these are with the Metro and four are with both.

However, many of these interchanges require commuters to leave the paid area.

When the line opened, Muscovites were offered a month’s free travel on it to encourage them to try alternative travel routes and, to an extent, dissuade them from contributing to Moscow’s traffic jams.

Station signs are in both the Russian Cyrillic alphabet and English. Until recently there were few English signs on the

Moscow Metro. They are now becoming increasingly commonplace as Russia prepares for the 2018 World Cup. As its line 14, the MCC is fully integrated with the Moscow Metro with common ticketing and passenger services.

However, Russian Railways is responsible for the operation of its 130 trains each weekday day, which take 84 minutes to complete the 54-kilometre circle. During weekdays trains run every six minutes in peak hours, and every 12 minutes in the off-peak.

The contract to remove snow and ice from the MCC platforms requires at least 260 workers to work around the clock, with an increased workforce during heavy snowfalls. In sub-zero temperatures, air curtains at station entrances will be turned on to block out cold air.

Circling swallows The MCC is operated by ES2G units, which are a high-density version of the Siemens Desiro EMU variant known as the Lastochka (Swallow). The MCC has a fleet of 36 of these units, of which 33 are required to operate the service.

The contract for these units specifies localisation of their construction. They are produced by the Ural Locomotive Works in Yekaterinburg using mainly Russian components, which currently account for eighty per cent of the train’s value. In two years’ time, it is expected that every part of the train will be produced in Russia.

The ES2G units have 2+2 seating across a vehicle width of 3.48 metres and a power rating of 2·9 MW compared with 2·5 MW for the ES1 Lastochkas. Although they are capable of 160 km/h, the maximum speed on the MCC will be 80 km/h due to its large number of stations.

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(Above) Inside Podmoskovnaya depot.

(Inset) The Russian loading gauge gives the Lastochka ES2G unit its extra wide aisles.

Each five-car unit has 368 seats and space for 1,000 standing passengers.

They are the only Metro trains that offer toilets, climate control, Wi-Fi, and electrical outlets, with access for mobility-impaired passengers and spaces for 12 bikes and prams.

The fleet is stabled and maintained at Podmoskovnaya depot, which also maintains other trains and so has an allocation of 77 units. The depot was reopened in July 2015 after substantial rebuilding and is run by Siemens under a 40-year maintenance contract. The units currently receive a basic examination every 22,000 kilometres with a major overall at 600,000 kilometres.

The intention is to move towards condition-based maintenance, as all the units have remote-condition diagnostics.

Two units are also fitted with equipment to monitor track geometry and provide video surveillance. Significant defects are automatically transmitted to the depot, other information is recorded on hard disc.

The information from the units is analysed by a data-processing centre at the depot, which was opened in February.

This uses the Siemens Railigent platform to manage the vast amount of data received from the trains to improve train and infrastructure reliability and to move away from fixed examination periods to condition-based train maintenance.

A step change In its first nine months, the MCC carried 70 million passengers, 61 per cent were from the Metro, 26 per cent from Suburban trains and 13 per cent from other modes of transport. There has been a five to twenty percent reduction in traffic on five Metro lines and nearly four million people a day have had their journey time reduced by nine to sixteen minutes. It is predicted that the MCC will be carrying 300 million passengers a year by 2025.

Although the MCC passes through 26 districts of Moscow, with a total population of 1.9 million people, most of its catchment is abandoned industrial zones for which the new railway ring is expected to be a catalyst for development.

It is expected that up to 10 million square metres of real estate will be rebuilt close to the new ring.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Mohamed Mezghani, secretary general of UITP, the International Association of Public Transport, commented: “The MCC is more than just transport infrastructure, it is an urban development project which will certainly attract the new development of housing, employment and services around its stations.”

The use of ATO, with its potential for driverless operation, and the advanced asset management provided by Podmoskovnaya’s data processing centre, means that the MCC also showcases Russia’s digital railway developments.

Once the Elizabeth line opens in a year or so, London will experience its own stepchange in transport provision. It will be interesting to see how Crossrail’s impact compares with the MCC and whether there is anything to be learnt from Moscow’s experience. For example, free travel for a month to encourage Londoners to abandon their cars doesn’t seem to be a bad idea!

“Excellence in Engineering”

Lundy Projects Limited 195 Chestergate Stockport SK3 0BQ Tel: 0161 476 2996 Email: mail@lundy-projects.co.uk Website: www.lundy-projects.co.uk

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FEATURE

ALL’S I WELL THAT ENDS WELL

t’s fair to presume that Thursday 9 June 1892 started much like any other for Archibald McLay, a ‘servant’ of the Midland Railway with 24 years driving experience.

Well rested, his 10½-hour turn began in Bradford and thereafter followed an uneventful course until he departed Leeds with the 3:07pm service to Ilkley, his fourth trip of the day. Alongside him on the footplate was Walter Bolton, his regular fireman.

Approaching Apperley Junction, the Home signal cleared, allowing him to cross onto the Ilkley branch. As he passed the box, the signalman took off the Starting signal and displayed a green flag indicating that the section ahead was clear but Esholt Junction, two miles and 18 chains away, was blocked.

McLay acknowledged by raising his hand.

Tackling the stiff 1:60 rising gradient towards Esholt demanded some effort, speed being only slightly slackened as the next Distant signal came into view. As expected, it was at Caution. The train then entered Springs Tunnel; half way through it, McLay caught first sight of the junction’s two Home signals.

The one controlling the converging line from Bradford was off for a train that had just passed through the junction; his own signal - still at Danger - then disappeared behind a bush.

When he looked up again, all he saw was a Clear signal and proceeded accordingly.

By the time McLay had realised his error and applied the brake, a Bradford-bound service was crossing the line ahead of him. Still travelling at 15mph, his engine struck the third coach from the rear which was pushed over and disintegrated.

Bolton was jettisoned from the locomotive as it too turned onto its side. Four passengers lost their lives, 26 were injured.

McLay told Major General Hutchinson, chairman of the inquiry, that “the only reason I can assign for my mistake was my being dazzled by the bright light after leaving the tunnel.”

Time travel

Gunform applied the sprayed concrete in two 125mm-thick layers.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Springs Tunnel is a modest one, driven through shale and extending on a slight curve for just 77 yards. It would have been a cutting had it not proved necessary to appease William Stanfield, a local landowner. Partly covered way, it was constructed in the early 1860s for the Otley & Ilkley Extension Line, a joint enterprise by the Midland and North Eastern railways. John Crossley acted as engineer for both companies, whilst Rennie & Co successfully tendered to build it.

Work on the tunnel was noteworthy only for the death of 30-year-old James Rolls who was grafting in a wagon when, for reasons unknown, one end of it was violently forced upwards, causing his head to smash against the brickwork above. He survived for less than an hour.

Fast forward 150 years and we find ourselves in Control Period 5. Under its civils framework contract, a minor works team from AMCO was dispatched to carry out routine stitching close to the north portal, responding to an examination report which identified hollow and spalled brickwork, ring separation and open joints. The work didn’t happen as, once on site, it was felt that such an intervention might make matters worse. Instead, Network Rail asked AMCO to develop plans for a partial reconstruction encompassing the northernmost 12 metres of arch. A nineday blockade would be arranged in which to deliver it.

FEATURE Gently does it Site investigations and historical drawings suggested the arch was formed of at least seven rings of brickwork, sufficient for COWI - the project designer - to propose the replacement of the inner three rings with 250mm of sprayed concrete reinforced with Ram-Arch, a system of interlocking steel mesh panels. This brought with it the welcome side effect of a 50mm improvement in structure gauge.

It was recognised at an early stage that using conventional peckers to break out the affected brickwork would almost certainly prompt a collapse, being too brutal and intrusive.

Milling offered better prospects, with much greater control over the rate and depth of cut. Network Rail’s project team bought into this approach. However, the methodology is largely untested on the railway, not least because of the lack of appropriate machinery.

PHOTOS: FOUR BY THREE

GRAEME BICKERDIKE

Done to a turn To overcome this issue, AMCO went to its longstanding ally Chris Scott at Foulstone Forge. who fabricates solutions to problems in the ‘too difficult’ pile, using steel and ingenuity. Rail Engineer readers have met him before - in the Severn Tunnel (issue 146, December 2016), where his drilling rigs punched 7,000 holes into the high haunch to mount electrification equipment, and on Derbyshire’s Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (issue 149, March 2017) during a demonstration of a ‘tunnel screen’, developed in partnership with AMCO to enable a train service to be maintained over one line whilst work takes place safely on the other. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it.

On this occasion, Chris had to manage expectations of what could realistically be achieved, in part because timescales were tight. He used an existing machine as a base - developed for an upcoming debris removal scheme - and mounted on it a newly-designed milling head, giving a 300mm wide cut, 125mm deep.

The system was put through its paces in Kirton Tunnel and a disused bore at Alfreton, the latter presenting the challenge of extremely durable bricks. Each trial resulted in refinements to improve performance. By the time of the blockade, all parties had confidence that the machine would do what was required of it.

Weighing 7.5 tonnes, it sits on a T8 trailer and can turn through 360º, with 250º of rotation around the horizontal axis. Powering the milling head are two Hydroma bent-axis hydraulic piston motors, collectively generating 150HP. These turn 40 diamond-tipped blades at 1,700 revolutions per minute, set in a cassette which also comprises a shaft and two bearings. When eventually worn out or damaged, the cassette can be changed in half-an-hour.

Provided for dust extraction is a fan pulling 4.2cubic metres of air over the blades every second. This has a significant cooling effect, bringing the added benefit of increasing the blades’ longevity. As each cassette costs around £25,000, this is obviously good news commercially.

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to ILKLEY

FEATURE

Station

GUISELEY Blackpool

Burnley

Liverpool

WALES

Leeds Bradford

Greenbottom Tunnel

Esholt Junction

Rochdale

Manchester Sheffield

Stoke-on-Trent

LEEDS BRADFORD Airport

York

Esholt Tunnel

Nottingham

Springs Tunnel

ENGLAND Baildon No2 Tunnel

BAILDON

Station

Baildon No1 Tunnel

Thackley Tunnel Apperley Lane Tunnel LaneTunnel Apperley Bridge Station

SHIPLEY

to BRADFORD

Be prepared

Lion’s den

AMCO arrived on site in September six weeks out - setting up a compound in a field adjacent to the railway, half-amile south of the tunnel. The immediate priority was to create a ramp up the east side of the embankment to gain vehicular access onto the track, with a scaffold staircase installed alongside it. Thereafter, manpower could be shuttled to and fro using a gator from Total Rail Solutions.

A series of midweek and Saturday night possessions were booked in which to progress general remedial works, improving the condition of the tunnel lining. This entailed the injection of resinbased products from Minova, specifically Geoflex to strengthen the brickwork, Wilkit into the sidewalls and CarboStop E filling the voids above the arch.

The blockade got underway at 00:01 on Saturday 21 October. Planned to coincide with half-term week, disruption was further limited by the ability to run Leeds-Ilkley trains via Shipley - using the single line from Esholt Junction to Dockfield Junction although the suspension of Bradford-Ilkley services meant some passengers faced a change of trains.

The first requirement was to remove the overhead line equipment, a task subcontracted to SPL Rail Resourcing and lasting six hours. Once complete, a mobilisation of manpower and plant into the tunnel was followed by the laying of boards to protect the ballast and trackwork.

Then the fun began.

It was early afternoon by the time the machine had been prepared for milling, initially positioned on the Up line from where it could reach across to the Down side. The intention was to take out metrewide channels around the arch - starting from the low haunch - into which one setting of Ram-Arch would be inserted; then the cycle would repeat. However…

“I’ve never known brickwork as hard,” recalls AMCO’s contracts manager Dave Thomas. “The diamond disks were glowing red and there were sparks coming off. It was like that for eight hours.”

Periodically, the blades were checked for damage. There was nothing; not much heat either. On they went. The experience clearly tested the machine operators as they refined their technique in real-time, an inescapable reality whenever you introduce something new. But it worked, cleanly and effectively, until...

Later that evening, a problem was reported. The four outermost blades in the cassette had sustained damage.

The head was removed and returned to Foulstone Forge for investigation. The conclusion: not all the blades had been sitting in the cut due to an operational maladjustment. Lesson learned, you move on. But then…

Overnight it was decided to open a window in the brickwork to confirm its condition. What was found changed the complexion of the project. Although the inner ring was good, the next two were

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

Apperley Junction

to LEEDS

poor, with cracked bricks and soft mortar; the fourth had disintegrated. And that was it: four rings - not the seven or more that were expected. Whatever had been seen during the investigations was an aberration, much like the one which misled Archibald McLay when he passed through the tunnel.

If three rings of brickwork had been taken out as planned, there would have been practically nothing left.

Drawing board On the Sunday morning, engineers from Network Rail and AMCO assembled in the tunnel to consider the problem. They found every brick in the window was loose enough to be moved by hand. It was clear therefore that milling was no longer a viable option.

Working with COWI, a revised plan was formulated to break out longitudinal channels of brickwork, immediately above the stone sidewalls, 1.5 metres in height.

On the Down side, just the inner ring was removed but, on the Up, two rings had to go due to gauging constraints. These channels created sufficient space from which to spring the Ram-Arch, with the panels pinned back using 400mm masonry pins in resin. 250mm of sprayed concrete would still be applied.

COWI staff worked through the night to complete the calculations and produce drawings, confirming there would be no interference with gauge in the critical zone below 4.2 metres. In the meantime, a start was made on the physical works.

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The milling head with 30 of its diamond-tipped cutting blades.

Strips of milled brickwork behind the Ram-Arch mesh.

Spray that again Whilst not so aesthetically pleasing, the new design fulfilled the remit and involved less work. This meant that, by Wednesday, the programme was a day ahead despite a day-and-a-half having been lost.

Thursday lunchtime brought the first consignment of concrete from Cemex - a C40/50 mix including microsilica, a superplasticiser and stabiliser. Waiting at the top of the ramp was a remixer - sitting on another T8 trailer - into which the material was pumped. It was then propelled up the line to the tunnel for discharge into the main delivery pump. Gunform, the sprayed concrete contractor, applied two layers 125mm in thickness, a BASF SA160 accelerator being added to speed up the curing process. The work was finished later that evening.

Changing times The measure of a contractor is not how it performs when all is running smoothly; more critical is its response to fate inserting a spanner, as it does from time to time. Springs Tunnel’s brickwork revelation was beyond AMCO’s control, yet the job was completed safely and successfully - albeit involving a hasty and pragmatic redesign - and commuters found their train service restored on Monday morning. Those are three key variables: tick - tick - tick.

Despite this not being the encouraging demonstration of milling that AMCO had hoped for, the firm remains convinced that it’s a method with great potential, increasing efficiency and producing cleaner repairs. It might even prove useful for calcite removal.

Combine it with the aforementioned tunnel screen and milling could offer a means of programming extensive tunnel repairs without the need for a blockade.

On a strained network with increasingly high passenger expectations, that’s a prospect we’d be foolish to ignore.

The remixer and main delivery pump.

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

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DIDN'T THEY DO WELL? RAIL ENGINEERS CELEBRATED AT THE RAILSTAFF AWARDS

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Railway engineers, and people involved in engineering projects, did well at this year’s eleventh annual RailStaff Awards, scooping eight of the 20 available categories.

Apprentice

Compared with other industry awards, the RailStaff Awards is unique in that they only recognise people, not companies. They are recognised for their achievements as individuals, or as teams, and not purely because they work for a particular company.

Of course, companies get involved, and they also represent a complete crosssection of the industry. This year, employees of 18 companies received awards - two consultants, three infrastructure contractors, eight train operators, one freight operator, one infrastructure owner (with three awards), two police/security and one recruitment agency.

So, the RailStaff Awards, held this year in Coventry, seeks out people from all around the industry, at all levels, and rewards those who go the extra mile.

Rebecca Munro, a rail engineer with Mott MacDonald in York, won the Apprentice of the Year category, sponsored by AECOM. A permanent way technician, Rebecca was described as a “star of the future” in her nomination and a “superb ambassador for the industry”.

One of only two girls in a class of 80 students, Rebecca completed her Advanced Technical Apprenticeship last year, achieving the highest possible grade.

She is now working towards a Higher Level Apprenticeship.

It is Rebecca’s third award of the year, she also took home Apprentice of the Year at the National BTEC Awards 2017 and ‘Best Apprentice Under 25’ at the Women in Construction Awards, which she hopes will encourage other women who are looking to join the sector.

Rebecca, who studied at Norton College prior to joining Mott MacDonald in 2014 as an apprentice civil engineer, explained why she chose to pursue a career in engineering: “It’s such an achievement to say I designed this and there’s thousands of people using it every day.”

Commenting on her award, Mott MacDonald railways director Neil Henderson said: “Having managed Becky since she joined us, I have seen her go from strength to strength in her professionalism and technical ability.

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Additionally, her personal commitment to helping others through various corporate social responsibility activities and mentoring schemes is admirable.

“It is clear from this dedication that Becky is a deserved winner of the 2017 Apprentice of the Year award as she is a great role model for other apprentices.”

AECOM’s Christopher Brazier and Marisa Bajerski of Network Rail were classified as ‘Highly Commended’ by the judges in this category.

Graduate The other young-persons award was won

by Conor Maton, a graduate engineer at Telent, who joined the Warwick-based telecommunications company in 2015.

He was described by a colleague in his nomination as a “highly capable engineer” and as having an “enormous amount of potential”.

The 26-year-old from Coventry was credited with helping the company to win an important contract to supply an IP WAN comms network for the Crossrail project in London and now represents the company as a STEM ambassador.

Conor, who studied electronic engineering at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “I feel absolutely incredible. It was just nice to be nominated, let alone to win. I’ve got to thank the guys at Telent for supporting me through the graduate development programme and a thanks to everyone that nominated me.

“From here, I want to finish the graduate scheme, push on to some more major projects for Telent and Network Rail and

FEATURE

Staff Awards

NIGEL WORDSWORTH

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hopefully win the next award.”

Graduate of the Year was sponsored by train operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). Chief executive Charles Horton commented: “The Graduate of the Year category is so important as it demonstrates GTR's commitment and interest in the next generation of talent for the rail industry.”

Highly commended were Fiona Power, Costain, and Ruth Shevelan of Mott MacDonald.

Signalling This rather-obviously engineering category was won by Network Rail’s IP Signalling Northern LNE Construction team. Based out of George Stephenson House in York, the team, working with the Works Delivery Special Projects team, has delivered several major resignalling schemes over the last few years, including North Lincs, Ferriby to Gilberdyke, Brigg, South Kirkby and Huddersfield to Bradford.

In each case, IP Signalling Northern LNE has acted as the principal designer and Works Delivery Special Projects as

the principal contractor.

The partnership has enabled the Works Delivery Special Projects team to trial new technology and ways of working that are now being employed in other areas of the business.

Senior construction manager Ian Short said he was “really proud” to find out his team had won the Westermo-sponsored category. “I think mainly because teams like mine who work days, nights and weekends on the front line make things happen without being that visible.”

Works Delivery, Signalling, Scotland Route and Siemens Rail Automation Test Team - Manchester were the two teams highly commended in this category.

Depots The Depot Staff of the Year award, sponsored by security service provider Land Sheriffs, was presented to Southern’s Kai Gohegan.

Kai, who has worked for Southern for just under 13 years, has been credited with revolutionising the way the train operator plans fleet maintenance. In

Rail Engineer | Issue 158 | December 2017

his role as fleet control manager, Kai developed a web-based software programme - known as Rail Tech Software (RTS) - to replace the existing paper-based system. This has since been adopted across the entire GTR network, which includes four different maintenance depots and around 500 trains.

“To be honest it was just nice to come, have the pat on the back and even be included,” said Kai, who began his career at Southern working in the ticket office and now works at the Three Bridges control centre in Crawley. “I’m massively proud of what I’ve managed to achieve over the few years but more so because of the feedback I get; genuinely it makes people’s lives easier which is always a good thing.”

Scott Wild of CrossCountry Trains, and S&C North Alliance’s Doncaster Depot, got the nod for Highly Commended in this one.

Infrastructure The infrastructure award went to a team at Doncaster’s VolkerRail which was behind a campaign to reduce the risk of railway workers developing a life-

FEATURE

threatening lung condition.

VolkerRail’s ‘Positive Intervention to Control Exposure to Ballast Dust’ initiative has taken steps to address the risk posed by silica dust and protect the health of the company’s workforce.

Long-term exposure to ballast dust, also known as silica dust, can cause the lung disease silicosis. Silica dust, specifically exposure while working around tampers, was chosen as the topic for an internal training programme by VolkerRail’s Supervisors Forum.

Jack Pendle, engineering director for VolkerRail, said: “As for the guys who actually did all the work for this, we’re absolutely thrilled for

them. It was an absolutely quality thing they did. It’s a real issue for the industry and the work they’ve done is a real step forward.”

He believes the award will help to further highlight the risk posed by silica dust to track workers.

“This is the new asbestosis as far as I’m concerned,” Jack Pendle continued.

“This is an absolutely positive step forward. We’ve got a massive health and wellbeing programme in VolkerRail and this was one of the major issues we’ve got.”

Paul Murphy of Keltbray Rail and Network Rail’s Dover Sea Wall project team were highly commended by the judges.

Marketing Although not obviously an engineering award, Merseyrail’s marketing and customer relations teams were recognised at the RailStaff Awards for keeping customers on the move during a major upgrade project earlier this year.

The teams received positive feedback for their campaign which informed passengers about the disruption around the network as a result of the six-month

Wirral loop line track renewal project.

Carried out between January and June this year, it involved replacing the concrete base in the rail tunnels beneath the River Mersey and renewing the tracks.

Merseyrail’s customer relations, social media and marketing teams worked together to ensure passengers knew how services would be affected and where to find alternative transport information.

The campaign included customer giveaways, which saw the operator handing out bacon sandwiches and sweets to passengers.

To illustrate the success of the campaign, Merseyrail said the number of complaints actually fell during the works.

“It’s the biggest project that Merseyrail’s ever undertaken,” said Tracey Upton, Merseyrail’s area station manager at Liverpool South Parkway station.

Tracey said the campaign required Merseyrail to work closely with local

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authorities and community groups. She added: “This affected a number of my stations. It was a number of my staff that were there delivering on the ground… I’m made up to receive this on behalf of the team. From behind the scenes and out there on the ground, because it was a big joint effort.”

Paul Murphy, operations director (Wales and Western) for award sponsor Keltbray Rail, said: “We were pleased to support this very well-attended event with rail professionals from across our industry.

It’s an evening that provides recognition and appreciation for the people who deliver great work on our railways, and was very well organised and an enjoyable evening overall.”

John Kennils of Freyssinet, and Joanna Hemmings of Network Certification Body, were highly commended for their work over the last year.

Rail engineer This, the most obvious engineering award of the evening, went to AECOM’s Ana Walpole, who is helping to deliver a major upgrade to London Waterloo station.

Days after her chartership interview with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Ana was acknowledged for her rail engineering prowess in the hotly contested category.

Despite being in the early stages of her career, the structural engineer was identified because of her work on the Wessex Capacity Programme. In particular,

Ana is supporting major packages of work for the structural design and assessment of the former Waterloo International Terminal to allow it to be brought back into use for domestic services.

In addition, Ana delivered the winning presentation for a £1.5 million ‘Access for All’ project. She has already received an ICE award for civil engineering, the regional Charted Institute of Highways and Transportation papers competition presenting on rail bridge assessments, and she also featured in the Women in Rail’s Top 20 Rising Stars of Rail.

Category sponsors Primat Recruitment said that the talent and dedication of people in the sector has been the real driving force behind change over the decades and that, as a proud peoplecompany, it was delighted to sponsor the award.

James Gatley, Linbrooke Services, and Richard Errington of Stobart Rail, were classified ‘Highly Commended’ for their engineering work.

Lifetime achievement Perhaps the most surprised winner of the evening was Scott Harrison, commercial director at Dagenham-based SPX Flow, who said he was “speechless” after coming off stage.

Starting his career with Amey Seco in the late 1990s, Scott went on to work for Torrent Trackside and Network Rail before joining SPX Flow in 2015. He’s currently the company’s commercial director for hydraulic technologies and global rail systems.

Scott said he had only planned to work within the industry for six months but stayed because of the people around him.

“It’s been great - the rail industry’s an amazing place,” he exclaimed. “I'm so

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overwhelmed to be honoured in this way - it was a complete shock but I am hugely grateful!

“During my career in the rail industry, I have been really lucky to have worked with some outstanding individuals and wonderful teams, without whom I wouldn't have had the opportunities that I have had. This award should honour those people's contribution as much as mine, without them I would still be fresh off the starting blocks!”

Stephen Freeman with Stanway Consulting and Karl Watts of the Rail Operations Group were highly commended for their work over their lifetimes.

And there’s more…

The other twelve categories had equally strong winners, and are certainly worth mentioning here.

Station control assistant Arron Raimbault of Network Rail was on duty at London Bridge station during the terrorist attack around Borough Market in June. He put passenger welfare at the top of the agenda, providing unparalleled support to a relatively new shift station manager and the wider station team. (Rail Person of the Year, sponsored by Balfour Beatty) Meanwhile, Network Rail shift station manager Adrian Suter and the London Bridge station team did a magnificent job through the night of the tragic events on London Bridge and Borough Market.

A decision was made to lock down the station, cancel trains, undertake a full security sweep and provide drinks. Once all the terrorists had been apprehended, the team arranged for a train to let as many as possible continue their journey home. (Station Staff of the Year, sponsored

by Transport Benevolent Fund)

FEATURE The British Transport Police Disaster Victim Identification Team is called upon when there are multiple individuals who have died as a result of a single incident. They recover the bodies in a dignified manner whilst preserving the forensic aspects of the investigation. In recent months, BTP’s DVI team has been deployed to the Croydon tram crash, the Manchester Arena and London Bridge terrorist incidents and the Grenfell Tower fire. (Rail Team of the Year, sponsored by Total Rail Solutions) Land Sheriffs Tek Mella and Purna Gurung were called out to a situation at West Worthing station where their professional and sensitive approach helped to save a life. After calling the police, the pair engaged with a distressed male and placed themselves between him and danger in the process until help arrived. (Samaritans Lifesaver Award) Northern train driver Colin Newton dealt with an emergency incident earlier this year when a passenger was taken seriously ill on his train. After stopping the train, Colin went to assess the situation and found that the man was having a heart attack. Colin went on to administer CPR. (Train Driver of the Year, sponsored by London Midland) Conductor Nikki has worked at TransPennine Express for four years.

She has received praise for the way she has helped several customers, including

helping return a shoe that fell under a train to a young passenger. (Outstanding Customer Service Award, sponsored by Telent) Amritpal Brom has, since joining CrossCountry Trains, shown great determination and commitment to all projects that he is involved in, driving the project team and ensuring that every member of the team is recognised once the project has been successfully completed. (Project Manager of the Year, sponsored by Network Certification Body) Nick Chadwick of Virgin Trains is an “unsung hero” who was nominated for developing and managing the very first Train Driver Apprenticeship programme in the UK and for implementing cutting-edge post-incident diagnostic, investigation and support for train drivers. (Rail Manager of the Year, sponsored by Advanced Resource Managers) Birmingham-based operations manager Adrian Pattison and multi-skilled operative Mark Neal took up the challenge set by Freightliner’s new owners, Genesee & Wyoming (G&W), to take safety to the next level - ‘Zero Injuries’. (Rail Safety Person of the Year, sponsored by RSSB) Employee engagement manager Paula Hilliard co-ordinates GTR’s Prince’s Trust programme and was also a driving force for raising funds for the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. In less than a week she took up the challenge of organising collections at large stations and thanks to her efforts more than 60 people from GTR helped to raise over £12,000. (RBF “Heart of Gold” Award for Charity)

Danielle Peach has been a revelation since joining Ford & Stanley just over a year ago.

Within that short time, she has progressed from trainee to one of the company’s most valuable employees. Dani is the first person that many clients think of when they need a contractor and she never fails to deliver.

(Recruiter/HR Person of the Year, sponsored

by RailSport) Greater Anglia’s Learning and Development Team took on a number of development coordination tasks and activities for a new talent programme. As a result, learning and development was recorded as one of the top three most improved areas in the most recent Greater Anglia annual opinion survey results.

(Training Team of the Year Award, sponsored

by Seaton Rail)

Celebrating success So twenty worthy winners went home with an award, a bottle of champagne (unless they drank it straight away) and a shed-load of memories.

The eleventh RailStaff Awards lived up to its reputation of being the rail industry’s biggest party, as well as its only awards evening specifically for people. With a disco and a funfair in the hall, and a casino next door, some celebrations went on until the early hours.

Now everyone can have a couple of months to relax before nominations for the 2018 RailStaff Awards open on 1 January. It will doubtless be another great year!

Thanks to Marc Johnson and Stewart Thorpe who supplied much of the individual category information.

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