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RAILWAY F o r S E N I OR R A I L M A N A G E M E N T

Issue 103 Early Edition

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New Desiro Class 350/4 delivered to First TransPennine Express See Page 25

Interview :

Network Railâ€™s director of rail freight Paul McMahon discusses how the sector has developed and talks about plans for the future

FOCUS ON

NEWS Network Rail announces half-year results ORR reports 8.9 per cent increase in freight usage HS2 Paving Bill published Network Railâ€™s 30-year view First Radical Train entrants win funding

Freight & Logistics

London Underground reveals vision for the future

Health and SafetyIf you don’t have the time to read it all, read what you need Health and Safety Monitor is the newsletter of choice for professionals across all industries because it is: Clear, succinct and brief: With case summaries, indexes and bullet points so you can easily pick out what’s relevant to you Practical, informative and comprehensive: Health and safety news reported and analysed, with full references supplied for your ease of use Unbiased, trusted and critical: Gives you the facts

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Chairman Andrew Schofield Managing Director Mike Tulloch Editor Martin Collier editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk Managing Editor Libbie Hammond

From the Editor

‘Tis the season to look back (and forward)

s 2013 drifts steadily into history, we can reflect upon the past twelve months before gazing into the crystal ball at 2014. News of the proposed route for the second phase of HS2 came early in the year; the entire project remained under the spotlight throughout 2013,

Art Editor Jon Mee

culminating in the publication of the hybrid paving Bill for phase 1 at the end

Advertisement Designer Jamie Elvin

Crossrail 2, the north-east – south-west complement to Crossrail 1, which is

Profile Editor Libbie Hammond

an increasing focus through the year, with the Enabling Innovation Team

Advertisement Sales Dave King Head of Research Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Keith Hope Karl Riseborough Gavin Watson Alex Merritt Administration Tracy Chynoweth

of November. Another major project surfaced at the beginning of the year – currently progressing inexorably through/under London. Innovation has provided promoting new thinking around the industry. Network Rail and the ORR engaged in the final round of negotiations for the CP5 programme, with emphasis on efficiency, reliability, asset management and level crossing safety. ERTMS, electrification, tram-trains and IEP also made the news, as did the franchising process which was given an overhaul. And what of 2014? Well we know that Network Rail will embark on its CP5 programme; that Crossrail will complete its major tunnelling drives by the year end; that HS2 faces a defining year; that there should be at least two franchise awards (Essex Thameside and Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern); that the Northern Hub, Borders Rail, Reading station, Birmingham

Siemens plc

New Street station, and Thameslink programmes will all move towards their conclusions in subsequent years; and that our railways will continue to attract more passengers and freight.

We would like to wish all our readers a very Happy Christmas and a safe and successful 2014

Issue 103 ISSN 1467-0399 Published by

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zzzzzzzzzzzzz Contents 14

Features Interview â€“ Paul McMahon 14 Libbie Hammond The right coating can make it better than new 26 Dan Macdonald Handle with care! 28 Malcolm Watson & Tony Synnott Excess Baggage 32 Kevin Price

26 48

Raising the Standard 34 Kevin Lacey

News

Industry News 4 Research 13 Freight 17 Rolling Stock 24 Conferences & Exhibitions 53 IMechE Training Courses 53

Profiles First Group 38 Taylor Woodrow 42 Zos Zvolen 46 MTR Nordic 48 Allied Insulators 50

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18 15 Focus on... Freight & Logistics Wagons roll 18 Lloydâ€™s Register & Drax A new concept for rail freight vehicles 20 Ross Jackson & Tom Zunder

Rail strategies for becoming a supply chain partner in Europe 23 Dewan Islam

Focus on... Stations Ensuring quality & value for station fit-outs 37 Andrew Jackson

NEWS I Industry

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Network Rail’s half-year results New platforms, new lifts, new information systems, new concourses, new footbridges, new track; all have featured as record investment has been ploughed into Britain’s railways over the past six months

Web: www.networkrail.co.uk il

Patrick Butcher

As well as these major milestones over 5000 projects have been completed over the last four-and-a-half years (since the start of the current CP4 funding period – 1st April 2009 to 31st March 2014). These are smaller, but just as important projects aimed at making incremental improvements to the railway for the benefit of passengers, and have seen: l Over 2000 miles of track renewed l Improvements at over 500 stations across the country l Almost 200 lifts installed at stations l Over 140 platforms lengthened across London and the South East

Network Ra

n 21st November Network Rail published its half-year results (for the period 1st April to 30th September 2013) which revealed that £2.74 billion, some £15 million per day, was invested in improving and building a bigger, better railway – 33 per cent up on the same period last year and 53 per cent higher than just four years ago. Patrick Butcher, group finance director, said: “The railway continues to experience tremendous growth and we are responding to that demand through the biggest sustained investment programme since Victorian times. “With a million more trains and half a billion more passengers than ten years ago our railways are all but full. We are squeezing all we can out of the existing network and new railway lines, such as HS2, must be built to deliver the step-change in capacity that Britain’s vital rail arteries need.”

The achievements

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North West Rail Proje ct

The Bord ers

electrificati

Network Ra

Over the past six months some significant investment milestones have been reached, including: l New, bigger, better facilities have been delivered at King’s Cross as its £550 million renovation and rebuilding nears completion providing a magnificent gateway to the north and sees a concourse three times the size of the old one l Opening of the new concourse at Reading station as part of the ongoing £850 million project to unblock one of Britain’s worst railway bottlenecks l The start of work to connect towns of the Scottish Borders to Edinburgh with the building of 30 miles of new railway – the £300 million Borders Railway project l A more reliable and affordable railway for the people of Manchester, Liverpool and the North West as we continue with the £400 million project to electrify the railway in the region l More reliable and faster services delivered with the successful completion of the £100 million resignalling and modernisation of Nottingham and its approaches l A major bottleneck on the East Coast Main Line has been removed with the completion of the £47 million Hitchin flyover l Faster journeys for passengers along the Midland Main Line connecting Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby and other towns and cities to London as a result of a £70 million improvement programme l Completion of the £10 million scheme to modernise the railway between Shrewsbury and Wrexham.

Reading

station

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NEWS I Industry

New MD National Infrastructure Plan l In a statement on 4th December, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, updated the Government’s National Infrastructure Plan. This includes £375 billion of investment in over 600 energy, transport, communications and water projects, many of which are already underway – and many which have already previously been detailed. Key announcements in the rail sector include: l A further £50 million for the redevelopment of the Gatwick Airport railway station l Confirmation of a UK guarantee for the £1 billion Northern Line extension to Battersea l A new study into southern rail access to Heathrow l A new investigation into access to Stansted on an existing study of the East Anglian mainline l The Government’s stake in Eurostar will be sold off as part of a new £10 billion privatisation programme.

l Abellio UK has selected Jamie Burles to succeed Ruud Haket as managing director of the Abellio Greater Anglia franchise. Jamie is currently a bid director at Abellio UK, where he is managing the company’s bid for the new Thameslink franchise. He will continue in that role until the decision on franchise award, and will take the reins at Abellio Greater Anglia on 1st April 2014. Adam Golton (currently finance director of Abellio Greater Anglia) will be interim managing director following Ruud’s departure at the end of January 2014.

Pendolinos for the ECML? l Plans have been revealed by open access operator GNER to introduce a high speed train service on the East Coast Main Line between London King’s Cross, Newcastle and Edinburgh in three years’ time. New nine-coach Pendolinos would operate the service, cutting the average London-Edinburgh time to 3 hours 43 minutes, with potential for even shorter times if 140mph running could be achieved after the route is resignalled in 2018.

Network Rail

New sleeper factory opened

Patrick McLoughlin at the opening of the Doncaster Sleeper factory

l Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport, has officially opened a new state-of-the-art factory in Doncaster which will supply of thousands of essential sleepers to keep Britain’s railways running. Doncaster Concrete Sleeper Factory, which will employ around 45 people, will supply around 400,000 concrete sleepers each year for Network Rail to use around the network. Between 700,000 and 1,000,000 sleepers are needed each year. Concrete sleepers are used on all the busier inter-urban and long-distance rail routes as well as those carrying heavy freight tonnages. The supply of sleepers has been limited to a reducing number of companies over recent years. Trackwork Moll is a new company which managed the design and build of the factory and is contracted to supply sleepers to Network Rail for the next ten years. It is jointly owned by Trackwork of Kirk Sandall, Doncaster and Leonhard Moll Betonwerke of Munich, Germany.

Network Rail

First phase of NW electrification delivered l Electric trains have started to operate over the railway between Newton Le Willows and Castlefield junction outside Manchester Piccadilly, marking the commissioning of the first phase of the £400 million North West electrification project on time and under budget. The next major improvements will arrive in December 2014, when electric trains will be able to run from Liverpool to Manchester via Newton le Willows and Wigan and from December 2016, when they will run between Preston and Blackpool, Manchester and Preston and Manchester and Stalybridge. This will be followed by the completion of trans-Pennine electrification from Stalybridge through Huddersfield on to Leeds, York and Selby by December 2018. First TransPennine Express will start running direct electric services using ten new Siemens-built Class 350/4 from Manchester Airport to Glasgow from the 30th December. These new trains will deliver an increase in capacity of more than 80 per cent on this route

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The

30-year view

Where will Britain’s railways be in 30 years time? The first steps on the way to finding the answers have been published in the form of four market studies. These form part of the industry’s long-term planning process.

ore people travel on the railway today than ever before and demand for passenger and freight services is high and is expected to rise significantly in the future. By assessing how demand is likely to change, these market studies will help form the basis of planning where rail travel will go in Control Period 6 (2019-24) and beyond. They also determine what kind of services will be needed to achieve three important outputs: enabling economic growth, reducing carbon and the transport sector’s impact on the environment, and finally improving the quality of life for communities and individuals. Network Rail’s group strategy director, Paul Plummer, said: “The investment decisions we make today will last for generations and it is vital that we base them on solid groundwork. These market studies have been developed in consultation with rail industry partners and wider stakeholders and they are the crucial first stage towards planning the future for the railway. “The next stage will be the creation of a series of route studies, which will develop choices to deliver the conditional outputs across the four markets in each of Network Rail’s devolved routes, and to test them against our funders’ appraisal criteria. I look forward to continuing to work with the rail industry on the next stage of the long term planning process.” Michael Roberts, director general of Rail Delivery Group, said: “It is a mark of the industry’s success that demand on Britain’s railway continues to rise, and all parts of the sector are focused on providing growing numbers of customers with the best possible

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services. If we are to meet that demand while ensuring we have a railway fit for the 21st century – one that delivers for passengers, businesses and taxpayers – it is crucial that the industry plans ahead. “These studies provide a solid foundation on which we can build a more detailed understanding of how and where passenger and freight demand will change in coming decades, helping us ensure that taxpayers’ and passengers’ money is invested as efficiently as possible.” While the market studies provide predicted demand figures and the kind of services needed to deal with that demand, they do not suggest infrastructure improvements. Those will form part of the next stage. Divided into four market sectors: London and south east, regional urban, long distance and freight; the documents are the first in a new style of research designed to look ten to 30 years into the future. Each market study prediction is set against potential growth or decline scenarios for the national economy. All market studies were drawn up to reflect HS2. Some highlights of the studies are: l London and south east: The rail market in London and the South East is dominated by demand for travel into central London, in which public transport predominates with a 90 per cent market share. Roughly half of the trips into central London involve use of National Rail, delivering 575,000 people into the centre each day. Historically, the market for central London commuting has grown at an average rate of 1.5 – 2 per cent annually but there is a prediction of 1.3 per cent in the peaks going

forward. Growth in the off peak – is steady at four per cent and predicted to continue at that level. l Long distance: At present around 150 million long-distance journeys are made by rail annually. This suggests a ten per cent rail mode share overall, although rail dominates the market for travel between many large cities (such as Leeds-London). In the case of those cities, demand is predicted to rise between 108 and 145 per cent by 2043 if the UK economy grows, or by 40-50 per cent if it struggles. l Regional urban: Unlike commuting into London, very few people are willing to commute into regional urban centres if the generalised journey time is greater than 60 minutes. Improvements to generalised journey times within this 20-60 minute range will have a large impact where both the number of people in the population catchment of the origin station and the number of jobs in the catchment of the destination station are high. The study predicts a growth of up to 114 per cent in the Manchester commuter market by 2043 if the economy booms, or between up to 67 per cent if not. l Freight: Total freight traffic, in terms of tonne kilometres moved, is forecast to increase at an average of 2.9 per cent per annum through to the year 2043, implying that the size of the market more than doubles over this period. This particularly reflects expected growth in the intermodal and biomass sectors.

To download the market studies please go to: www.networkrail.co.uk/Long-Term -Planning-Process/

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Network Rail

A tunnel being strengthened with concrete sprayed onto fabric. This process is soon to be applied to sections within Whiteball tunnel

l From 18th January, Network Rail will be carrying out works to repair Whiteball tunnel to prevent the aging structure from deteriorating. In addition, work will be carried out to expand the drainage system and to improve the embankment around the area as part of a wider programme to alleviate flood risks posed by extreme weather. Around three miles of track will be renewed and seven units of switches and crossings relaid separately at Taunton and Tiverton to enable trains to travel at a higher speed of 80mph. Whiteball tunnel is a 1000m long Victorian brick arch structure built in 1844 which has deteriorated over the years. To prevent potential brick fall the tunnel lining was previously relined with wire mesh; during this railway closure a new concrete lining will be applied to the worst areas of the brick arch to prevent future deterioration. The Tiverton end of the tunnel has also been identified as a potential flood site, as it was amongst the locations affected by the extreme weather condition in December 2012. The track was flooded owing to excess water spilling from the cess as well as blocking the culverts in the area.

Achilles renews partnership with Professor Sue Arrowsmith l Achilles – which manages Link-up, the rail industry supplier registration and pre-qualification community – has renewed its sponsorship of the Chair of world-renowned public procurement expert Sue Arrowsmith – Professor of Public Procurement Law and Policy at the University of Nottingham. Achilles has worked with Prof Arrowsmith since 1996 and is renewing its partnership ahead of the biggest change to EU Directives in almost a decade. Professor Arrowsmith and Achilles have worked together since 1996. As well as sponsoring her Chair at the University of Nottingham, Achilles also supports the series of conferences Public Procurement: Global Revolution, of which Prof Arrowsmith is Director. Professor Arrowsmith provides case notes for THEMiS – Achilles’ online ‘troubleshooting’ service for procurement professionals. She also shares insights at conferences organised in partnership with Achilles, and supports the EU Services team – who run practical training courses and workshops covering the full range of EU procurement topics. The renewal of Achilles and Prof Arrowsmith’s relationship comes ahead of the biggest modernisation of EU rules and regulations since 2004.

One of the first beams is ‘flown’ into Reading viaduct

Reading viaduct reached key milestone l The construction of a new 2km viaduct in Reading has reached a key milestone after the first pre-cast concrete beams, which will form the base that trains will run on, were lifted into place. Part of Network Rail’s £895 million redevelopment of the railway in Reading, the viaduct will cut delays caused by congestion on the tracks to the west of the station when it opens in 2015, creating more capacity for an additional four passenger trains per hour as well as more freight trains. This is achieved by allowing fast passengers services to and from places like Bristol and South Wales to fly over the lines to Newbury, Basingstoke and the south west of England. The work to install the beams was carried out by Network Rail’s principal contractor, Balfour Beatty. The beams were fabricated by Shay Murtagh in Ireland and shipped to Liverpool docks before being transported to Reading by road. The construction of the viaduct will also allow Network Rail to complete the widening of Cow Lane, a notorious bottleneck on Reading’s road network. Remodelling of the northern Cow Lane bridge will finish in 2015, as it cannot be completed until the tracks above it are moved on to the new viaduct. At this point, motorists as well as rail passengers will feel the full benefit of the project.

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Network Rail

Whiteball tunnel improvements

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New report: The UK Rail Market 2013 l From 2012-13 the number of passenger journeys on Britain’s rail network rose again to more than 1.5 billion. Freight volumes also increased, with tonnage up by 11 per cent. Providing the capacity to handle continuing predicted growth in use of the network is generating significant business opportunities for companies active in this key sector. ‘The UK Rail Market 2013’ from Brooks Market Intelligence Reports (www. brooksreports.com provides a concise overview of the structure of the rail sector in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, detailing its main participants and its future programmes to form an invaluable concise guide to the complexities of this busy market. The report covers the role of Government in leading development of the system and how it is regulated. It summarises details of Network Rail’s spending plans for the five years from 2014 to 2015, known as Control Period 5.

These include major electrification programmes, key projects like Thameslink and the Northern Hub and the development of new routes. Also covered is the planned HS2 high-speed rail system. An up-to-date overview of passenger rail franchises includes franchise-holding companies, contract periods and the latest traffic figures, as well as coverage of nonfranchised passenger operators and principal freight train operating companies. London’s Crossrail scheme is featured in a section on Transport for London, as well as coverage of the London Underground, London Overground and Docklands Light Railway systems. The report also includes the latest status of UK light rail and light metro systems. Current rolling stock procurement programmes are detailed, and the report is completed by a sector-by-sector guide to principal suppliers to the UK rail market,

including: l Rolling stock/components/subsystems l Vehicle maintenance equipment and services/refurbishment l Revenue collection, access control, passenger information systems and station equipment l Track products and maintenance/renewals equipment l Signalling & communications equipment l Traction power supply and electrification systems l Civil engineering and construction/ infrastructure maintenance The report also includes numerous links to organisation websites and to key documents, enabling users to research specialist topics more deeply.

The full report, which reflects the status of the market as at October 2013, may be obtained from Mack Brooks Publishing Ltd at www.brooksreports.com

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Crossrail reveals the first completed train tunnel in November 2013

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Colas Rail buys on-track tamping machines business from Amey

Crossrail

l Colas Rail has expanded its Rail Services operations by acquiring Amey’s on-track tamping machines business. The £5 million deal comes as Amey focuses on its core offerings of asset management, rail projects, metro services, track renewals, signalling and electrification to deliver ambitious growth plans.

Crossrail reveals first completed train tunnel

Crossra il

l Europe’s largest infrastructure project, Crossrail, has unveiled its first completed train tunnel 18 months after tunnelling machine, Phyllis, started her 6.8 kilometre journey from Royal Oak to Farringdon. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, Infrastructure Minister Lord Deighton and Deputy Mayor for Transport Isabel Dedring have become the first visitors to set foot inside the completed train tunnel, entering via what will be the future Crossrail Farringdon station. They gained a glimpse of how the most significant addition to London’s transport network in a generation will look when it opens in 2018, and enclosed a time capsule in the remaining section of Crossrail’s first tunnelling machine, Phyllis. The ministers met several of the workers including apprentices that have been constructing the new passenger tunnels underneath Farringdon station. Crossrail is on target to deliver over 400 apprenticeships with more than 260 apprentices already working on the project. l Among the items included in a Crossrail time capsule were a 2013 edition of the London A to Z donated by Phyllis Pearsall’s company who TBM Phyllis was named after, a Crossrail ‘Start of Tunnelling’ mining tally and a tunnel phone used to communicate without standard telephone signal. Crossrail’s seven giant tunnelling machines are approaching 25 kilometres out of 42 kilometres of new train tunnels that will link east and west London. Another 14 kilometres of new passenger, platform and service tunnels are being constructed below the new Crossrail stations. Phyllis is the first tunnelling machine to complete her tunnel construction with another three 1000 tonne, 150 metre long tunnelling machines due to complete tunnelling at Farringdon in the coming year. Selection of items included in the time capsule that will be left with TBM Phyllis

Overwhelming support for Crossrail 2 l Transport for London (TfL) and Network Rail have published the findings of the Crossrail 2 nonstatutory public consultation, which shows overwhelming support for the proposed new rail link between south west and north east London. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who believes this project is critical to boosting capacity on the suburban rail network and to galvanise economic growth in this part of the capital, has welcomed the results, which shows 95 per cent of almost 14,000 respondents ‘strongly supporting’ or ‘supporting’ the principle of the scheme. Even with the Tube upgrade works and the delivery of Crossrail 1, additional capacity on the transport network is needed to cope with London’s forecasted population growth. Crossrail 2 would create a new high frequency, high capacity rail line with shorter journey times between southwest and northeast London. TfL and Network Rail will together consider the Crossrail 2 consultation findings and will make recommendations on the next steps to the Mayor of London in spring 2014. If a decision is taken to progress, more detailed consultations would then take place.

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A vision for the future of the Tube

ondon Underground (LU) now carries more people, more safely and reliably than ever before, with customer satisfaction at record highs and crime at an all-time low. However, with London’s population set to grow from 8.4 million today to around ten million by 2030 – the equivalent of a Tube train full of people every week – the Mayor and TfL have set out how they will continue to invest billions of pounds to support jobs and growth and build a Tube network that meets the needs of customers in the 21st century.

Night Tube © Transport for London

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and the managing director of London Underground, Mike Brown have set out their vision for the future of the Tube, including a new 24-hour ‘Night Tube’ service at weekends and more staff visible and available at stations to help customers buy the right ticket, plan their journeys and keep them safe and secure

From 2015, Londoners and visitors to the capital will be able to take the Tube home at any hour of the night on Fridays and Saturdays, supporting London’s vibrant night-time economy and boosting businesses, jobs and leisure opportunities. Weekend services will run through the night on core parts of the system – initially comprised of the Piccadilly, Victoria, Central and Jubilee lines and key sections of the Northern line. This network, which will be expanded to include other lines in subsequent years, will dovetail with existing 24-hour and Night Bus services to give passengers an extensive and integrated service throughout the night.

Station staffing The trend of ticket sales away from ticket offices has surged over recent years and today less than

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three per cent of all Tube journeys involve a visit to a ticket office. In future therefore, rather than being remote from customers behind closed doors or glass windows, Tube station staff will not be based in ticket offices, but in ticket halls, on gate lines and on platforms, ready and available to give the best personal and face-to-face service to customers. As now, all Tube stations will continue to be staffed and controlled in future, with more staff visible and available than today in ticket halls and on gate lines and with the same number of staff on platforms. Staff equipped with the latest mobile technology, such as tablet computers, will be able to monitor and manage stations on the move.

Improvements The huge Tube improvement programme underway will continue, with billions of pounds of investment to deliver more frequent, reliable and accessible services and enhanced stations, providing greater capacity to tackle increasing numbers of customers. It also includes a continued rigorous focus on improving customer journeys and meeting the Mayor’s commitment of reducing delays by a further 30 per cent by 2015, when compared to 2011 reliability levels. Across the Tube network, delays to customers’ journeys have been reduced by 40 per cent since 2008/09 and 54 per cent since 2003. More frequent trains will be introduced across a wide range of lines, including a 20 per cent increase in capacity on the Northern line next year and further uplifts to the frequency of Jubilee and Victoria line services, to 33 and 36 trains per hour respectively at the busiest times. Metropolitan line customers are now travelling on a new fleet of air-conditioned trains with open, walkthrough carriages, and these are now being introduced on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines, with the District line to follow shortly.

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l The network will become more accessible. More raised platform sections and boarding ramps are being introduced, information and signage is being improved and, building on the 66 Tube stations which are already step-free, 27 additional Tube and Overground stations will be made step-free over the next eight years. The proposed staffing changes will ensure that the current turn-up-andgo service for disabled and visually impaired passengers continues and the disability training given to staff will be further enhanced l More and better ticket machines will be introduced as part of a strategy to make life easier for passengers. Improvements include providing quicker and easier refunds – by Tube staff, at ticket machines or online – automatically completing journeys when customers forget to swipe out and introducing personalised customer accounts on the TfL website to give increasingly tailored information and services. l Work is also underway to improve the Tube’s stations, with major redevelopments underway at Tottenham Court Road, Victoria and Bond Street. Improvements to retail and services at stations are planned, with more than 30 stations already identified where real improvements could be made over the next few years, including Canary Wharf and Embankment.

Future Tube stations LU staff are and will remain the operational heart of the station. In future, they will be equipped with the latest mobile technology which allows full control of the station, even while they are mobile. No longer will they have to be confined to station control rooms or ticket offices in order to serve customers, manage stations and ensure the highest standards of safety and security. A new, simplified staffing model will reflect the fact that customers have different needs at each of the different types of station across the network. Many busy Tube stations will have to deal with queries from less familiar customers, including tourists, so enhanced visitor centres will be provided at those stations. All Tube stations will continue to be staffed by LU employees across the whole day while services are operating, providing face-to-face customer service and information across the whole network. The changes to the operation of stations and improvements to customer service will be delivered while also reducing the overall cost of running stations, to provide better value for money for customers and tax payers. From 2015, LU proposes to operate stations in four different categories: Gateway stations The main visitor entry points to London, with a high proportion of people unfamiliar with the Tube network. These stations – Euston, Heathrow Terminals 123, King’s Cross St. Pancras, Liverpool Street, Paddington and Victoria – will all have enhanced and redeveloped Visitor Information Centres to ensure tourists and visitors are welcomed and offered the best possible service. Customers will be able to purchase Oyster cards, pick up maps and other information such as interchange information on other TfL transport modes, like bus services or Barclays Cycle Hire. There will be 30 per cent more staff in ticket halls than today, and an increase in overall ticket selling capacity of 33 per cent. Destination stations Busy stations in Central London that have high volumes of customers and include busy commuter and tourist destinations, such as Bank/Monument, Embankment, Leicester Square and Oxford Circus. These stations will have 30 per cent more staff in the ticket hall than today. Metro stations Serving predominantly inner London communities, with many regular users, such as Clapham South and Mile End. These stations will have dedicated customer service staff with the latest in mobile technology permanently located in ticket halls. Local stations Smaller stations, mostly in Outer London or beyond that have lower customer numbers and serve mainly regular customers, such as Rickmansworth and East Putney. These stations will have staff stationed in ticket halls providing help to customers who need it. zz

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Improvements to make journeys easier and more convenient for customers include: l Contactless bank card payment technology will be rolled-out on the Tube network from next year, providing customers with another convenient way to pay for their travel. Customers will no longer need to queue just to convert their currency (pounds and pence) into the Tube’s currency (Oyster and tickets) l Wi-Fi coverage will be rolled out to all remaining below-ground Tube stations by the end of 2014, with the exception of four stations that are currently undergoing major upgrade work, so that customers can more easily access web and other digital content on the move at stations across the entire network l Improved customer service training and technology will be provided to all station staff, and mobile devices with up-to-the-minute information on ticketing, train services and the local area will be provided to staff across the network so they can help customers on the spot

zz High Speed Rail zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Hybrid Bill for HS2 published HS2 took a major step forward at the end of November with publication of the Bill for phase one of the country’s new railway between London and Birmingham

he hybrid Bill, effectively the planning application for the scheme, will give the Government the powers to construct and operate the railway. It will also give those affected by the proposed line the opportunity to petition Parliament, both for and against the proposals, and have their case heard by a committee of MPs. The Government believes that the new line – the first to be built north of London for 120 years – is vital to meet the urgent rail capacity needs on the main rail routes into London. Parts of the West Coast Main Line

are full in terms of the number of trains they can carry, many of which are full to overflowing. There are similar issues facing the East Coast and Midland Mainline. The publication of legislation for phase one marks a significant milestone in the project. Once Royal Assent has been achieved, it is expected that construction of the line from London to Birmingham will begin in 2016/2017 allowing the line to open in 2026. The Government has also published the Environmental Statement for phase one of the scheme. The document sets out in detail the likely significant environmental effects of the scheme. It will allow those on or near the line of route to see exactly how they will be affected and give details of the ways in which the railway has been designed to reduce as far as practicable impacts on the landscape. These include: l Around 23 per cent of the line between

London and the West Midlands will be in tunnels and around 32 per cent lowered into the ground with cuttings l Landscaped earthworks and the planting of at least two million trees will further help to screen the railway, reduce the impacts of train noise and integrate the line into the landscape l Much of the earth removed during the construction will be used to create these earthworks, greatly reducing the amount of earth that would have to be otherwise transported, cutting lorry journeys and associated congestion, disruption and pollution l Drawing on Japanese technology, HS2 trains will be fitted with special features to help reduce noise. Considerations include the use of wheel fairings to cut the noise made by the wheels on rails – the biggest source of noise on any electrified railway; and eliminating the gaps between each train carriage to cut noise and boost aerodynamic efficiency. zz

Call toaction – join our research panel today!

l Railway Strategies and market research consultants Accent have joined forces to create an exclusive research panel for members of the rail industry to voice their opinions on the latest hot topics. Together the team will tackle the most pressing and urgent issues affecting rail, and we’d like you to get involved. We feel it’s imperative to listen to the voice of the industry when it comes to notable events and changes and we would like to hear from you. Every two months, we will issue a questionnaire on a hot topic, which will take no longer than five minutes to complete, and then feedback your views and opinions. Speaking about the panel, Rob Sheldon, MD at Accent said: “The research panel is a great way for industry professionals to express their opinions on the items topping the news agenda. What’s also really interesting is to have these viewpoints from across the industry and see the effects upon the sector as a whole.” Martin Collier, editor at Railway Strategies added: “We receive a lot of research-

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based news stories, but what’s great about the panel is the research findings come from our readers. We can set the agenda and look in more depth at some of the topics affecting the rail industry, both now and in the future.” Topics will vary depending on what’s making headlines and will cover any ongoing subjects such as HS2 and where best to spend budgets? What passengers are saying and how to improve customer service are just the tip of the iceberg. In addition, if you feel there is an important issue which needs the attention of the panel, simply let us know. Joining the panel couldn’t be simpler, all you need to do is email yasamin.mehraj@accent-mr.com with your details. Once you have signed up you will automatically be sent the bi-monthly questionnaire. All responses will be kept anonymous unless you express your consent to be quoted within Railway Strategies.

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NEWS I Research

Architects sought to consider aesthetics of overhead line electrification l How can the design of gantries and cantilever structures be made more aesthetically pleasing? The rail industry’s Enabling Innovation Team, which forms part of the FutureRailway programme, has teamed up with HS2 to promote a competition through the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The challenge – announced by RIBA Competitions in December, and funded by Department for Transport – is looking for ideas from around the world to improve the appearance of overhead line electrification. In addition to new-build dedicated high speed lines like HS2, the Rail Technical Strategy includes a vision for an extensively electrified network which has reduced reliance on fossil fuels and non-renewable resources. Rail industry proposals for CP5 and beyond include further electrification programmes. The competition is open internationally to architects, engineers and designers. Team and multidisciplinary entries are encouraged. Concept designs submitted digitally are required for the initial application stage with up to ten shortlisted. Shortlisted designers will then have up to £15,000 each available to fund the next stage of development of their scheme which will include producing a scale model of their design. The closing date for design submission is 29th January 2014

Innovators win funding to re-think the train l The first four of eight finalists have been awarded investment as a result of entering the Radical Train competition, run by the rail industry’s Enabling Innovation Team. The investments, which are the first substantial tranche of competition funding to be released from EIT, will be genuine enablers to the winning SMEs, organisations and consortia, who now have the opportunity to practically demonstrate the viability of their proposals. The ‘Radical Train’ challenge was set up to seek out proposals for new ideas which aim to make a marked difference in the performance of trains on Britain’s railways, encouraging ideas to re-think the fundamentals about rolling stock. A total of 56 high level entrants applied and eight were shortlisted in May to develop their proposals further to secure investment. The first four contracts have now been agreed supporting over £6 million worth of innovation projects in the UK. The EIT is investing approximately £2.5 million with the innovators contributing a similar sum. The first four successful applicants are: l Revolution VLR Consortium (Very Light Rail) consisting of TDI (Europe) Ltd (Transport Design International), Unipart Rail Ltd, Warwick Manufacturing Group centre HVM Catapult, Trelleborg PPL Ltd, Allectra Ltd and GKN Land Systems for their low carbon, very-lightweight whole passenger railcar demonstrator l Holdtrade Ltd, Transnet, Huddersfield University and HBA Ltd for their radical freight bogie concept l Thales and NewRail for their active adhesion monitoring project l A confidential investment in emissions reduction and fuel efficiency technology. Applications were assessed on their ability to realise significant improvements and create benefits for passengers, freight users, train operators, the environment and supply industry. The judges also considered the international market potential of the proposals.

Shaping the future of rail traffic management l RSSB is working with 100%Open to build an ambitious open innovation programme on the future of rail traffic management. The programme known as FuTRO (Future Traffic Regulation Optimisation) portrays a vision for a future of advanced traffic management where train position and speed management will deliver a high capacity, on-time railway. The launch of the first two challenges was announced on 5th November: l The Universal Data Challenge: – How do we manage the future railway through combining diverse data sources in a timely way? l The Supermap Challenge: – How do we create an accurate and versatile map of the rail network so that we can model ways to optimise the system? FuTRO is designed to support the broader vision in the Rail Technical Strategy where the 2040s railway is envisaged to combine flexible, real-time intelligent traffic management. Control centres will know the precise location, speed, braking and load of every train on the network to optimise operational performance and keep passengers informed. Workshops held in 2013 have helped pinpoint the focus of the challenges and the associated questions.

There are a number of challenges under the banner of the Future Railway initiative and you can find out more via the website: www.futurerailway.org/eit

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INTERVIEW I Paul McMAHON

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Moving freight forward Freight trains provide a vital service across Britain. Libbie Hammond talked to PAUL McMAHON, director of rail freight at Network Rail, about how the sector has developed and plans for the future

ail freight is vital to Britain’s economic success. It contributes £900 million to the economy and plays a big part in reducing congestion and carbon emissions. In fact, according to Richard Price, chief executive, ORR, ‘[Freight] is the most transformed sector in the rail industry since privatisation.’ Network Rail provides open access for freight operators on its network, and Network Rail’s freight team provides support to the industry to improve performance and freight growth. It is committed to working with customers and stakeholders to fulfill their business needs, as well as working with operators and developers to commission dozens of new rail-served freight sites, and help to grow freight on the network.

Challenging targets Paul McMahon, who became director of rail freight at Network Rail in June 2013, says that performance and capacity are the two main aims for his team. Over the past five-year Control

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Period (CP4) freight charges for using the network have reduced by a third as well as there being improvements in the performance of freight trains. However, despite their best efforts, Network Rail were finding it a challenge to meet the targets that had been set by the Regulator: “Our target was for 2.94 delay minutes per 100km, and yes, this has been identified as a rather abstract measurement! We are currently projected to finish the Control Period somewhere between three and 3.5 delay minutes per 100km, but in 2011 when it became apparent we weren’t going to meet the 2.94 delay minute target, the Regulator got involved and as a result the Freight Recovery Board (FRB) was set up.” The FRB’s purpose is to promote improvements to freight service performance (reducing delays to freight services) and protect the interests of freight customers. “At the FRB, now called the Freight Joint Board, we sit down together with the freight operators (FOCs) to keep a focus on current performance issues, and although we aren’t

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz We are working with the freight operators, and ports and terminal operators, to try and provide for a more modern way of running freight

going to hit the exit trajectory that we were initially targeted with, the engagement and the delivery is now vastly improved compared to where it was,” Paul noted. He was also pleased to add that the next Control Period (CP5, due to commence in April 2014) would herald the arrival of a new, simpler performance measure called the Freight Delivery Measure or FDM. “This calculates the number of freight trains that arrive on time, at their destination, and ‘on time’ includes 15 minutes of leeway. The regulator set us a floor of 92.5 per cent, but we are targeting 95 per cent FDM in the CP5, which is about the same level of where we should be exiting CP4. “Today we are seeing the best ever performance on record in terms of freight punctuality even though we are behind the 2.94 target, and in CP5 with the new measure – assuming we hit that target – then we will see a consistently high level of freight performance and that will be with a measure that is better and easier to understand for a person on the street, an operator or shipper.”

Strategic Freight Network When it comes to capacity enhancements, Network Rail delivers a range of schemes to support freight growth, including the Strategic Freight Network (SFN) programme. The SFN consists of a series of schemes that improve the performance, economic efficiency and capacity of freight on rail. “There has been a wide number of schemes that are being delivered through CP4, for example one to enhance the capacity from Felixstowe to Nuneaton, and another to improve the capacity out of Southampton, both of which are designed to enable us to carry more freight,” identified Paul. “This programme has gone broadly to plan and we are looking ahead to CP5 where we are going to invest a lot more money into freight enhancements.” The sort of schemes that Network Rail has earmarked an investment of £230 million towards in CP5 include Phase Two of the Felixstowe to Nuneaton works. “That is a major programme of work for freight capacity improvements, and will provide for greater capacity out of Felixstowe, allowing more trains to go across country rather than to London and along the North London Line,” explained Paul. “There are also more gauge enhancements on the Western route, and we are currently looking at possible investments to improve capacity out of Northern ports. This will look at all commodities, but there is a focus on biomass because Drax power station has taken the plunge and is converting some of its power generation to run on biomass. Other power stations may follow. The study has just started and will come to fruition over the next few months. It is an important piece of work for ports, power stations and other stakeholders.”

Optimising capacity Overall, taking a more strategic look at capacity and how it is used across the network as a whole is currently very high on the agenda for Paul and his team. “We are working with the freight operators, and ports and terminal operators, to try and provide for a more modern way of running freight, particularly in regard to on-time departure and on-time arrival for freight trains. This happens to a degree for container traffic, but historically we haven’t used capacity on the network as well or as optimally as we could do. We have an increasingly congested railway so we are looking at the amount of capacity that rail freight operators have in their hands through the access rights they hold to use the network. We are looking to modernise that and have a more efficient and optimal use of capacity by freight.”

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INTERVIEW I Paul McMAHON

The HS2 factor “There is also a very active debate with the freight sector on just how much capacity would be available for freight on the ‘classic’ railway if and when HS2 becomes a reality,” said Paul. “We are involved with that debate but there’s a long way to go in terms of how HS2 would ultimately be used. As high speed trains will need to use the classic network how do you fit in freight services alongside these?”

The Rail Freight Alliance Paul mentioned Network Rail’s desire for introducing new approaches to working with the rail freight industry and this is highlighted in its participation in the new Freight Alliance, formed as part of the Rail Delivery Group. The Alliance involves all the main FOCs and Network Rail. The members come together with a commitment to work more collaboratively, on a range of freight policy and strategy issues. “We have had a number of meetings, and we have already started to discuss the issues I’ve highlighted – capacity, access rights, increased efficiency and performance – as well as other areas such as future access charges. “When it comes to freight access charges, the Alliance is also giving us a platform to take a very early look at what will be coming in the Regulator’s 2018 Periodic Review. We want to tackle some of the big strategic questions now so we can have a thorough debate and identify the implications and work towards early decisions for the Periodic Review, rather than just looking at it a year before we need to.” Traditionally there may have been tensions between Network Rail and the FOCs over some issues, but as Paul noted, the Alliance means that everyone at the table is committed to working more collaboratively together. “This means everybody is thinking about how they might need to adapt their behaviour for the greater good of rail freight on key strategic issues, so that we can grow the sector, provide better services and perform at higher levels.” He continued: “I think particularly there is a challenge for

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FOCs as on the ground they are competing hard with one another to win and retain traffic and that reflects one of the successes of the rail freight sector since privatisation. But under the Alliance we are asking people to leave these motivations at the door and come to the table and sit down and think more collaboratively about the more strategic questions and challenges that are facing the sector, so that we can deliver greater capacity for freight and more sustainable growth for freight as a whole into the future.”

Dealing with delays It is clear that Paul and his team at Network Rail Freight have a full agenda already and big plans for CP5. He highlighted one more current issue that has been high profile of late – delays caused by freight trains on passenger trains. “Freight trains have always broken down or been in the wrong place at the wrong time and have delayed passenger trains, and equally this will happen the other way round,” he said, “but the issue of what we call FOC on TOC delay has increased over the past couple of years and we are working with the freight operators, again under the umbrella of the Freight Alliance, to develop a set of actions in order to better understand and manage FOC on TOC delay. “Going forwards on a railway which is increasingly busy and congested, every minute of delay counts and we have got tough targets to hit. Whether that’s for FOC or TOC performance, any cause of delay is going to get scrutiny, especially any category of delay that is showing an adverse trend. The FOCs and Network Rail want to get a grip on performance and we have put In place a range of initiatives to achieve this. “Running freight trains is important for Network Rail. The goods and commodities carried are vital for the economy with about 25-30 per cent of containers imported into the UK through the major ports of Southampton and Felixstowe continue their onward journey by rail. The more freight trains we can put on the network, and the more efficiently they run, the more traffic is removed from the country’s congested roads, which is without doubt a good thing,” Paul concluded. zz

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NEWS I Freight

l The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has published a new statistical release which highlights growth in Britain’s rail freight sector. The ‘Freight Rail Usage’ statistical release contains information on rail freight in Great Britain covering the period from 1999-2000 to 30th September 2013. Freight usage data provides a useful barometer of economic activity and is closely linked to other industries such as manufacturing and imports/exports. The data for 2013-14 Q2 (1st July 2013 to 30th Sep 2013), when compared to the same period last year, shows: l Britain’s rail network carried a greater amount of freight, with an 8.9 per cent rise in freight moved to a total of 5.7 billion net tonne kilometres. l The amount of coal moved increased by 15.6 per cent to 2 billion net tonne kilometres – accounting for 35.4 per cent of total freight moved on the network. l Oil and petroleum, international and metal moved increased by 11.8 per cent, 7.9 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively. To read the full report visit: www.railreg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.3016

First service from London Gateway

The first official rail freight service from London Gateway was loaded and transported by Freightliner Ltd at 7.50 a.m. on Thursday 7th November as part of the port’s official launch. Serving its customer Hillebrand Group, Freightliner Ltd is running the service to Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT)

Network Rail

Sustained growth in rail freight usage

Network Rail’s Doddle parcel service shop in Milton Keynes

Network Rail to trial parcel shops at main line stations l Network Rail is to test the concept of a parcel collection and delivery service at its mainline stations to capitalise on the booming online retail market. This is designed to generate additional revenue which can be reinvested in the railway and to provide a convenient and accessible service for those making 1.5 billion journeys by rail every year. Following over 12 months of researching and monitoring the sector, Network Rail has decided to initially test the concept at Milton Keynes Central station with its 3000 employees who are based nearby and which is close to a number of key delivery operations. This will be followed closely by trials at London Paddington and Woking stations with other stations to follow throughout 2014 once the concept is proven, creating up to 4000 new jobs. The new business initiative is called Doddle and is a joint venture with leading entrepreneur and philanthropist Lloyd Dorfman CBE. He is best known for creating the Travelex Group which is now the world’s largest non-bank foreign exchange business. The Doddle dedicated parcel shops would be open seven days a week, early until late, to fit with people’s busy lifestyles and enable them to choose exactly how, when and where they send and receive parcels. There will be an easy-to-use website and advanced touch point notifications through a mobile app, SMS and email. The service would be the only one of its kind that is available to every retailer, e-tailer, parcel carrier and shipper, creating a network of single points for the collection, return and sending of parcels. This open access approach will not only enable retailers and carriers to enhance and complement their existing delivery offering, but also allow the consumer to combine collections and returns from multiple retailers into one trip at a time that suits them or coincides with an already planned journey.

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

Freight & Logistics

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Biomass wagon

Wagons roll Having worked together successfully in the past, Lloyd’s Register was asked by Drax, owners of the UK’s largest power station, to help them develop a state-of-the art wagon for transporting biomass

his autumn has seen a revolutionary new freight wagon enter into the service on the UK rail network specifically designed for the movement of biomass. At 18.9 metres long and offering a capacity of 116 cubic metres, in terms of volume it is almost 30 per cent larger than any other freight wagon on the network and pushes the boundaries of rail vehicle engineering. Most importantly it will play a key role in transforming Drax into one of Europe’s largest renewable generators.

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Transformational design “Drax is a predominantly coal-fired power station that generates around seven to eight per cent of the UK’s electricity,” says Peter Emery, Drax’s Production Director. “But our ambition is to become a predominantly biomass-fuelled generator, with plans to convert three of our six generating units to burning sustainable biomass.”

Moving biomass Biomass is biological, plant-based material sourced from forestry products and residues, and agricultural by-products imported from as far away as North America. But unlike coal, biomass must be kept dry as it is transported from the ports to the power station in North Yorkshire. Since 2010 a fleet of modified coal wagons have been used, each retro-fitted with top-doors to protect the load from the elements. Even this was easier said than done. Freight wagons rank amongst the ‘dumbest’ kit on a railway, with no electricity supply, for example,

to power the open and closing of doors. The solution, designed by Lloyd’s Register, was based around lineside magnets. As the train approaches the hopper house it passes a magnet that triggers the top doors to open. A similar magnet then closes them upon leaving. To ensure the doors are not activated by magnetic activity along the route – risking damage to overhead wires, tunnels etc – the train driver turns a key to send a pressure signal along the rake, priming the wagons to open as they approach the hopper house. The same key is then used to disarm the wagons once the rake has passed through with the doors now closed ready for the onward journey. Also, interlocking the pneumatic system that powered the top doors with the brakes meant the train could not proceed unless all the wagons were securely closed.

Back to the drawing board Though an award-winning design in its own right, these converted wagons were not optimised for biomass. It is less dense than coal, for example,

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz meaning each wagon has to carry more material. This was something Drax decided to address. In early 2012 Lloyd’s Register’s rolling stock design teams began working with Drax to revisit their initial design. The design and engineering team, based in Derby, have worked on a range of freight and passenger vehicle projects, from full bodyshell design to interior refurbishments, as well as bespoke components and sub-systems such as bogies and under-frame equipment. “This is the sort of project that designers like ourselves relish”, says Richard Gibney professional head of traction and rolling stock. “It was an opportunity to re-imagine an entire concept, taking advantage of lessons learnt from an existing model and removing some of the inefficiencies. “For example, though biomass can take various physical forms – it is a less viscous product, so it doesn’t need the steep ‘tapering’ at each end of the wagon that helps the coal to pour out through the bottom doors during delivery. So we felt we could capture significant extra volume by ‘squaring off’ each end.” Further capacity gains were gained by pushing the width of the vehicle to the very limits of the tight UK loading gauge. This meant relocating the wagon’s pipework, structural

Drax wagon in loading bay

supports and control equipment by taking advantage of previously unused space. Extra bottom doors at each end of the vehicles, combined with a new patented product flow control system, ensured that spillage was reduced via unloading. Work on two prototypes, conformant with all the necessary standards for operation on the network, began in January 2013. WH Davis, an independent British freight wagon manufacturer, will fulfil the full order for 200 units. zz

Ed D

avey h For further information visit: elps unload tra

www.lr.org/rail, www.drax.com or www.whdavis.co.uk.

Tom Zunder

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Ross Jackson

Drax wagon in loading bay

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

Freight & Logistics

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A new concept for rail freight vehicles

The EU-funded SPECTRUM project has conducted research which suggests that a network of high-performance intermodal train services, using innovative wagons and horizontal transhipment technology could attract a significant proportion of the low-density high-value (LDHV) cargo which is currently transported by road in the European Union. ROSS JACKSON and TOM ZUNDER reveal all

he hope within the European Community is that given the right technology, the right distances and the right market conditions, up to 1.9 billion tonnes a year of LDHV freight could be switched from road to rail in the future. The FP7-supported SPECTRUM (Solutions and Processes to Enhance the Competitiveness of Transport by Rail in Unexploited Markets) project started in 2011, has 20 partners from a range of industries and is led by NewRail, the Newcastle Centre for Railway Research. The project has analysed the nature of the LDHV goods market and the technical and operational concepts which could facilitate a shift of time-sensitive traffic from road to rail.

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Time-sensitive goods In a competitive global market, shippers and consignees require a service that offers reliable, consistent and precise movement and storage of goods. These service requirements become even more crucial for time-sensitive LDHV goods. Today, this traffic is generally transported by non-rail modes â€“ either by road which is cost sensitive over shorter distances or by air which becomes effective when timecritical premium products justify the higher transport costs. In the European context, road is typically favoured for the transport of LDHV goods between origin and destination in densely populated areas. However, the major road networks are increasingly congested and, in many regions this has made road transport unreliable. A shift to rail would help to relieve the congestion and offer significant benefits in terms of reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The main European flows of LDHV goods were estimated using data from the ETSIplus project, (Ref. 1) and validated using Eurostat 2012 statistics. Medium and long-term forecasts were prepared for 2020 and 2030 using the Integrated Scenario developed by the iTREN-2030 project (Ref. 2). For a qualitative assessment, the team also interviewed ten potential rail freight customers about their expectations. Around 49 per cent of all LDHV goods transported by road are moved over distances of 200km or more, and five national and international corridors were identified which

The InnovaTrain concept has been developed from the RailXpress push-pull train used by the Swiss retailer Coop to move timesensitive goods for its own business as well as third parties such as Heineken, Lidl and the Post Office

have a substantial proportion of long-distance traffic, including routes in Greece, Spain and Sweden. However, from a business perspective, rail freight could only be expected to attract a proportion of this volume. An estimate for the volume of â€˜rail-accessibleâ€™ LDHV traffic moving over 200km is around 1.9 billion tonnes, which is around 12 per cent of the total tonnage currently being transported by road in the 27 EU member states and Switzerland. To meet customer expectations, the rail freight service would need to offer short, fast, reliable and flexible trains, working in hub-andspoke networks, on high-frequency corridors or serving multiple stops on longer routes. The network would have to accommodate temperature-controlled traffic, and link into urban feeder networks or serve strategicallylocated consolidation centres. Trains would predominantly run on mixed-traffic routes, requiring integration between freight and passenger train services. Given these conditions, the project team believes that a high-performance freight train running at passenger speeds would be able to capture a percentage of the LDHV goods currently being transported by road.

Capacity management The integration of freight and passenger operations is key, as the LDHV freight trains would need to run between passenger services, using passenger-quality train paths. Feedback from infrastructure managers including Trafikverket, TCDD and Network Rail

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz helped the project team to understand the principles of timetabling, service patterns and operational procedures, alongside capacity management policy and practice. A number of ‘service areas’ specific to the LDHV sector were identified. Infrastructure managers would have to schedule train paths that allow a freight operator to design a door-to-door supply chain that meets its customers’ needs. This would impact on the way in which they develop timetables, whilst still adhering to EU regulations about fair and non-discriminatory treatment of all operators. It is also important for terminals to be located close to pre- and end haulage points, with suitable, affordable transhipment equipment for the swift transfer of goods from trains to delivery vehicles. In the research the behaviour of a passenger-quality freight train was evaluated on four of the corridors identified as having significant demand for LDHV goods: l Switzerland (Daillens - Chur) l Sweden (Hallsberg - Malmo) - Denmark (Copenhagen) l Italy (Turin) - France (Lyon) l Bosporus - Bulgarian Border (Halkali Kapikule) Using simulation techniques it was demonstrated to be possible to add a number of LDHV trains within the current freight and passenger timetables on each of the routes.

Conceptualisation Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to identify the market requirements, the SPECTRUM team came up with seven concepts for further evaluation to result in an innovative freight vehicle to meet these requirements, and looked at opportunities to operate high-quality freight services on the most promising corridors. Nineteen participants, including railway

Trials with the InnovaTrain ContainerMover 3000 (transhipment technology) were conducted in Switzerland in September 2011 related academics, researchers, operators, manufacturers, suppliers and infrastructure managers, took part. Six characteristics were identified and used to define the logistics and vehicle design requirements: high performance, reliability, mixed running, flexibility, security and seamlessness. The types of goods and loading unit to be transported, governed the concepts. These concepts were reduced to three through a ranking methodology favouring Concept A, Concept C and Concept F. In a subsequent evaluation stage, Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and SWOT analyses were used with both methods identifying Concept C as the strongest. The analysis was extended to look specifically at the application of the concepts to the four corridors, where trip distances varied from 330km to 1900km. On the basis of the LCC evaluation, Concept C offered the cheapest cost per pallet-km.

Preferred option The favoured concept is a multi-purpose flat wagon to carry containers and swap bodies,

incorporating a horizontal transhipment technology. A key attribute is the ability to load and unload the loading units without the need for a costly dedicated terminal. Having identified the market opportunities and a suitable vehicle technology, the SPECTRUM team will now undertake further research to match the vehicle development with the ‘service areas’ defining the potential LDHV mix. A full economic assessment of the concept is planned. zz

References Ref. 1: ETISplus Project (2012). European Transport policy Information System: development and implementation of a data collection methodology for EU transport modelling. Retrieved 10th August 2012 from http://www.tmleuven.be/project/etisplus/ home.htm Ref. 2: iTREN Project (2012). iTREN – 2030 Integrated transport and energy baseline until 2030. Retrieved 10th August from http://www.tmleuven.be/project/ itren2030/home.htm

LDHV Rail Freight Concepts Concept

Description

Loading Unit

Technology

Multi-purpose intermodal

Containerised, refrigerated, palletised

MetroCargo

Liner train – Container

Containerised, refrigerated, palletised

MetroCargo

Multi-purpose – no semi-trailer

Containerised, refrigerated, palletised

Innovatrain

Semi-trailer

Refrigerated, palletised

Kockums Megaswing

Palletised

Palletised goods including roll cages

Forklift/pallet trucks

Self-Propelled (1)

Containerised, refrigerated, palletised

MetroCargo

Self-Propelled (2)

Containerised, refrigerated, palletised

MetroCargo

Tom Zunder

Ross Jackson

Tom Zunder is the rail freight and logistics group manager at NewRail, Newcastle University Ross Jackson is a research assistant at NewRail, Newcastle University For further information visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/newrail/research/project/3909 Tel: 0191 222 3974 Email: ross.jackson@ncl.ac.uk Web: www.newrail.org

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Freight & Logistics

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Ironing out the freight planning problems How an integrated planning tool helped SNCB Logistics improve quality, safety and performance

One solution – many benefits

NCB Logistics is an independent freight rail operator within the Belgian rail group SNCB. The freight activity was historically losing money, even before the economic crisis. To become a profitable and competitive private rail operator, it needed to restructure itself completely. The company was privatised on 1st Feb 2011. The firm had never invested in cutting-edge systems to improve the efficiency and quality of its services – that was of course until IRON. The implementation of an integrated planning tool, code-named ‘IRON’ gave the firm’s managers the ability to plan based on actual demand and get a precise and transparent view of required resources. IRON has improved profitability, efficiency, productivity, quality and safety. Thanks to major cost-cutting measures and the benefits of tools like IRON, break-even is near and productivity and quality have structurally improved.

The rail-freight planning challenge

“IRON is proving to increase our competitiveness and supports our mission to become the most reliable rail operator. This initiative is only one step in a line of measures that SNCB Logistics is undertaking to improve the safety, quality and productivity of its services.” Geert Pauwels, CEO of SNCB Logistics

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Rail-freight planning is a complex puzzle. It involves long- and short-term planning of locomotives, locomotive drivers and local personnel. Plus constraints such as maintenance rules, route knowledge, traction knowledge and different working time directives and regulations. Before SNCB Logistics introduced IRON, it used separate systems to handle locomotive and train driver management and planning. It used altogether different systems to plan local ground operators and rail paths. SNCB Logistics wanted a single planning system to control its complete production chain. It would cope with all production resources (yard staff, train drivers, locomotives and rail paths) and all planning horizons, from long-term to day-of-execution. After tendering the project, SNCB Logistics selected Quintiq and its implementation partner, Ab Ovo. Ab Ovo, a specialist in rail freight and in advanced planning and scheduling (APS) solutions, implemented the Quintiq software and modelled the solution to the customer’s demand – a collaborative project which was called IRON.

The solution allows SNCB Logistics planners to see the entire plan in one place. It integrates planning and scheduling of line locomotives, shunting machines, drivers and yard staff. It helps planners make the best decisions for scheduling and re-scheduling resources. The new system integrates existing planning methods with the new processes required for the operations of the new SNCB Logistics organization. It is easy to adjust and it improves communication between different planning teams. SNCB Logistics’ unique constraints such as traction knowledge or work environment are modelled in the system, leading to safer and more secure working. Because the system consolidates and controls a lot of data, it also makes it easier to align planning with key performance indicators (KPIs). This helps SNCB Logistics managers improve performance. The results of the project include improved employee satisfaction, flexibility, punctuality, higher safety levels, better operational performance and optimized decision making, leading to reduced costs and increased profitability. Quintiq and Ab Ovo plan further work to improve the business results even more. They have scheduled regular updates that they can put in place very quickly.

More growth planned Today 150 planners and 60 additional users are using the system every day. This will grow to 200 planners and 100 additional users. Working with Ab Ovo and Quintiq, SNCB Logistics has planned and organized training for all 300 users.

Partners in puzzle-solving The Quintiq platform for planning, scheduling and optimization beats traditional solutions by integrating all processes and resources into a cohesive, flexible plan. Quintiq uses today’s most sophisticated optimization engines and can be fully configured to fit the processes and constraints of the business. Covering multiple planning horizons and coordinating all planning parameters, Quintiq solves every planning puzzle. As a long time Quintiq implementation partner, Ab Ovo has broad experience in modelling customer solutions using the Quintiq platform. It has in-depth knowledge of rail-freight business processes and puts that knowledge to use in various rail-freight companies throughout Europe. The company delivers advanced planning and scheduling solutions as well as an extensive back-office application, the Rail Cargo System, which is tailored to individual rail-freight operations. zz

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Freight & Logistics

Rail strategies for becoming a supply chain partner in Europe According to figures produced by the European Commission, the volume of freight transported by rail within the EU has barely increased since 1995. DEWAN ISLAM explores the issues surrounding this situation and the means for bringing about improvements A mixed

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n 2010, the total goods transported within the EU-27 were estimated at 3831 billion tonnekilometres (btkm). Of this, road transport accounted for 45.8 per cent; intra-EU maritime transport for 36.9 per cent; rail for 10.2 per cent; Between 1995 and 2010, total freight volume increased by 25.2 per cent, with road freight increasing by 36.2 per cent. In contrast, rail freight transport has increased by a mere 0.1 per cent, from 386btkm to 390btkm, over the same period (European Commission, 2012).

The structure of international trade

Low-density high-value (LDHV) goods (e.g. plants and flowers)

One key reason for the stagnant position in rail freight volume is the structural change in European manufacturing industries. Many have moved gradually to the East, in search of cheaper labour and other inputs, and/or have changed their consumption pattern – consuming more imported products and producing a lower volume of exports. Such change in production and consumption patterns has resulted in a different set of transport service demands and a further reason for rail’s failure to grow has been its lack of response to this new freight transport requirement. For typical international trade, a transport chain consists of transport legs such as deep sea (e.g. Shanghai port in China to Rotterdam port in the Netherlands); feeder/short sea leg (e.g. Jiaxing International Feeder Port to Shanghai port); and inland transport (by road, rail or waterways) at both ends of the transport chain. Depending on the final destination, the inland leg may need a combination of transport e.g. road and rail, or road and waterways. The selection of the import/export (maritime) port depends on, among others, the strategies and abilities of the ports in the region, connectivity with the inland origins/ destinations and the inland transport operators’ ability and services.

The freight supply chain Generally, a shipper or consignee is interested in procuring a freight transport service from a single operator. It could be an international shipping line, or a multimodal operator, or a freight forwarder who can take responsibility for the entire transport haul, consisting of multiple legs, not just deep sea, feeder, or inland. To offer the door-to-door, integrated service that modern supply chain requirements demand, the shipping line may

subcontract the inland transport to a competent transport operator – a road haulier, or rail freight. A maritime shipping line may try to enhance the share of carrier haulage in Europe by, for example, establishing partnerships and alliances with shuttle train operations. In line with this approach, and to achieve a higher level of integrated door-to-door transport service, an extended gate terminal haulage concept may be developed, where some of the terminal activities, traditionally performed in a maritime port, can be moved to an inland terminal, or port/depot. Depending on who is in control of the transport chain, and considering factors such as distance, transit time, frequency, shipment size and cargo type (e.g. high or low value, time sensitive etc.), the inland as well as total freight transport service options may be determined by either shippers, consignees, shipping lines or a multimodal operator. In many cases, the international shipping lines face obstacles in expanding the integrated network by rail intermodal services. One reason for this is the fact that the European railway sector is lagging behind in responding to the needs of a reliable supply chain. Rail operators must co-operate with other transport and supply chain actors as a partner, not just as an operator between terminals. The reality that one supply chain competes with another and the fact that a successful supply chain shares the benefits among all its partners means that a lack of truly market-driven rail operators has largely left rail unable to respond to market demand. It is a fact that many rail operators (e.g. DB, SNCF) are not yet privatised, making the operational model and market responsiveness of these transport companies very different from that of typical trucking companies who offer door-to-door services, either alone, or in partnership with international transport operators (including rail, maritime and air). Theoretically it is claimed that rail freight operation becomes viable for the longer transport haul (nominally more than 500km). In practice, however, there are many European routes, or corridors, where trucking companies are the major operators over such distances. A recent example of the benefits of rail liberalisation can be noted here. In the liberalised environment, the share of rail traffic has increased from ten per cent in 2007, to 40 per cent in 2010, carried by some new entrant private operators and incumbent RENFE on the route between Valencia and Coslada in Spain.

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Change the service offering

co-ordinator for the transport chain partners.

The rail operators need to come out of their comfort zone of offering services to a limited number of large customers with low value, high volume, less time-sensitive cargoes. To increase market share they must compete with road transport in capturing low density, high value cargo. Many of these cargoes are also time-sensitive and require a more reliable and faster service. Here, rail operators will have to equip themselves with some of the customer-tailored attributes that road offers and/or join hands with freight forwarders, who can consolidate cargoes and offer pickup and delivery services. Such joint services can be useful on longer routes with higher cargo volume. In achieving a door-to-door integrated service, the decrease in satellite operation of feeder rail freight (i.e. the share of single wagon load or group of wagon load) is a particularly crucial issue. Rail operators must also modernise their information systems, to provide track-andtrace data and the ability to respond to customer queries, when needed. Some wagons will need to be fitted with a power supply system, plus the associated equipment to enable a temperature- and pressure-controlled environment for such cargo as flowers, or fish. A cargo monitoring system must also be put in place, allowing the driver/manager of the train to report, in real time, to a

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Freight & Logistics

Open borders – except for rail One further issue of note is that, despite an absence of physical border control in EU-27 for almost all other services, this function is very much alive – in a negative sense – in the case of rail freight operation. The UIRR (International Union for Road-Rail Combined Transport) reports that 88 per cent of road-rail combined transport consignments passed through at least one border in 2012. The RETRACK study, part-funded by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework Programme, reported border waiting times ranging from 2.5 hours (in Western European countries e.g. between the Netherlands and Germany) to seven hours (Eastern European countries e.g. between Hungary and Romania). This border-crossing issue is one that will need to be resolved, if rail is to grow as a truly viable and competitive European supply chain partner.

Acknowledgement NewRail wishes to acknowledge the support of the European Union Framework Programme 6 and 7 within which much of their research in freight and logistics is carried out. zz

NEWS I Rolling Stock

Dr. Dewan Islam is a research associate at NewRail, Newcastle University, UK Tel: 0191 222 3972 Email: dewan.islam@ newcastle.ac.uk Web: www.newrail.org

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l Eversholt Rail, in partnership with Abellio Greater Anglia and Wabtec, has launched the Class 321 Demonstrator at Liverpool Street station. The train has undergone a highspecification refurbishment and technology upgrades. It will now run in normal service on the Abellio Greater Anglia network for a year. During this period, Eversholt Rail and Abellio Greater Anglia will be seeking passenger views on the many new features showcased, all delivered at a fraction of the cost of a new train. Over the next year the four-car unit, modified by Wabtec in Doncaster, will operate on a number of lines, including those to Southend, Chelmsford, Braintree, Colchester, Clacton, Harwich and Ipswich. To fully understand passengers’ preferences and test out different options, the unit features two suburban style and two metro style carriages. Seats in the suburban carriage are configured 3+2, with existing seats refurbished and raised. The metro style, used on commuter lines, has a 2+2 seat configuration, with all

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Eversholt Rail Group

Class 321 Demonstrator launched

Refurbished seating in the suburban carriage new seating. The metro carriages also feature an extended entrance area to allow easier access and egress to and from the carriage. In addition to new and refurbished seating, the entire unit has new air-conditioning and heating systems; energy-efficient LED lighting; modern double-glazed fixed windows; better wheelchair areas; and a wheelchairaccessible toilet.

Eversholt Rail is also developing a new system to replace the Class 321 traction equipment to improve energy efficiency and increase reliability. This builds upon Eversholt Rail’s earlier success in replacing the traction system on the Classes 465/0 and 465/1 electric multiple units in operation with Southeastern on the Integrated Kent Franchise.

Siemens plc

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New arrival

On 28th November, First TransPennine Express and Siemens welcomed the delivery of the new Desiro Class 350/4. Unit 350 401 was delivered into the Ardwick traincare facility ready for its acceptance inspection.

l Network Rail and its industry partners – including the Enabling Innovation Team, Bombardier and Greater Anglia – are testing the case for an independently powered electric multiple unit to potentially run on short, unelectrified branch lines in otherwise electric parts of the railway. Lithium Iron Magnesium Phosphate battery technology from Valence is the first to meet the requirements of the project following testing at the Valence lab in Texas. Other battery technologies, including hot sodium nickel salt, continue to be reviewed. Data gathered during the experiment will be used to determine what form any future independently powered electric multiple unit will take, be it a straight battery unit or hybrid.

Re-engineered Class 317 unit unveiled

The engineering overhaul was carried out by Bombardier Transportation with a large proportion of the work carried out at the company’s Ilford depot. Travelling passengers on re-engineered Class 317 trains will have the opportunity to benefit from a number of new features, including: l Refurbished interior, new seating and additional grab poles l Increased capacity on each vehicle including larger vestibule areas l PRM compliant l CCTV cameras throughout the train to improve safety l Climate controlled environment l Plug sockets and Wi-Fi throughout the vehicle l Passenger information systems to provide journey details The pre-series unit unveiled at Ilford is currently going through its final testing after which it will enter passenger service with Abellio Greater Anglia in Q1 2014.

Angel Trains

l At the end of November 2013, Angel Trains unveiled its re-engineered Class 317 unit at an event held at Bombardier Transportation’s depot in Ilford, London. The pre-series vehicle has been the subject of a £7 million overhaul as part of a joint project between Angel Trains, Bombardier Transportation and Abellio Greater Anglia. The finished unit will provide the train operator with new train look, feel and performance at a fraction of the cost of building a unit from scratch. The project included a complete interior redesign to increase capacity and ensure PRM (Persons of Reduced Mobility) compliance, significant engineering work on the doors to increase the ease of maintenance. A major retractioning project was also undertaken to move the train from a DC to an AC power unit which now enables the train to make use of regenerative braking and benefit from faster acceleration, both of which will significantly reduce power consumption and operational costs. The retractioning work and inclusion of regenerative braking means that the re-engineered vehicle will be able to attain ‘new train’ performance with lower operational costs compared to the original Class 317 units, all without having to build a new train. The retractioned unit will benefit in five key ways: 1. Better performance – improved acceleration providing faster journey times 2. Reduced maintenance – AC traction motors mean that no more brush changes are required and the time between maintenance overhauls can be significantly increased 3. Greater reliability – replacement traction system will provide performance more akin to a new train 4. Reduced environmental impact – under optimal conditions Class 317 will use up to 40 per cent less power 5. Lower cost – significant reductions in maintenance and operating costs.

Angel Trai ns

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Corrosion & Painting

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Network Railâ€™s Autumn Seasonal Fleet of 17,000 litre water bowsers were rehabilitated by the authorâ€™s company ahead of this yearâ€™s leaves on the line campaign

The right coating can make it better than new When it comes to managing fluid containment vessels and associated infrastructure, DAN MACDONALD advocates the use of a coating or re-lining approach rather than complete replacement of supposedly life-expired plant

t is often said that we live in a throw-away age, where it is easier to buy a replacement than try to fix something. This may be alright for things like mobile phones and iPods, but it is another matter when you consider large pieces of capital equipment worth thousands, or even tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds. This is where industrial coatings come in. They can prevent equipment failing due to corrosion and erosion in the first place, or make it as good as, or even better than, new if a problem does occur.

Repairing a corroded vessel, before and after

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The cost of corrosion in the UK is around four per cent of GDP per annum, but these are costs that can be cut when it is realised that not everything that is corroded necessarily needs replacing. It is no-longer the case that a corroded tank, pipe, pump or other vessel, needs to be replaced; even ones with numerous holes. One way of achieving this is rebuilding corroded or damaged areas with appropriate material and lining the vessel to protect and extend its life. Anyone who has ever repaired a boat or a canoe will be familiar with the basic principle. You use some

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz suitable material and GRP to repair the hole and then use further GRP layers and other coatings, until the boat is not only watertight but also looks as good as new. While slightly different materials are used, and in industrial strength, the principle is the same. These lining methods are a very effective alternative solution to replacement in terms of costs, time and environmental impact. For example, there is no necessity to dispose of contaminated equipment, to dig anything up or knock anything down to deal with the problem. The same methodology can also be employed to extend the life of new plant and equipment and older equipment can be updated to comply with new legislation. Storage tanks in buildings are, in many instances, put in place and the building is constructed around them; some are even part of the structure. This means that to replace or renew them, when they corrode or start to leak, is difficult and in some instances impossible. The answer is to repair and, in some cases, even re-build the tank using a GRP laminate system, effectively making a tank within a tank. The same method can also be used on outside tanks, underground tanks and even rolling stock. For example, we recently completed the lining of 125 of Network Railâ€™s 17,000 litre water bowsers used in its Autumn Seasonal Fleet to remove the notorious leaves on the line. Work in progress on Network Railâ€™s fleet of 17,000 litre water bowsers

The effective use of coatings can be employed when a change of service conditions in a tank would be advantageous. For example, redundant diesel tanks can, through the use of coatings, be changed to water storage tanks. This effectively recycles the tank, reduces the carbon footprint and saves the costs of a new tank and removal of the old tank. Large fuel storage tanks can also have their life extended in a similar way. The bottom of the tank and walls, up to around 300mm above the floor, suffer from various forms of corrosion, mainly due to the water content in the fuel; the environmental fall-out along with the subsequent associated costs should a leak occur are immense. A cost effective and environmentally friendly solution is to line these areas with a suitable coating and if required this could be reinforced with a laminate system to strengthen the floor.

It is a wise precaution to implement a regular programme of inspections to monitor the condition of plant, tanks, pipework and equipment, so that damage and wear and tear can be identified early and rectified before it causes a major problem, costly down-time and either replacement or expensive repairs. An additional bonus is the fact that a longer warranty period can often be obtained for something that has been repaired and lined than the manufacturer will offer on brand-new equipment. A typical manufacturerâ€™s warranty will be two to three years at most, whereas coatings companies usually offer up to ten years, depending on the environment and proposed use. While the main thrust of this article is to encourage repair, rather than replacement, through the use of coatings, it would not be complete without looking briefly at some of the other cost-effective uses that are relevant to the rail industry. For example, operators can improve the environmental credentials of rail companies while protecting them from future costs by ensuring that fuel storage tanks do not leak and, if they do, that the lining of the secondary containment bunds that should surround static tanks are in fact leak-tight and comply with the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) Regulations 2001. A similar situation can occur at refuelling sites where, no matter how careful personnel are, spills will occassionally occur, and a properly coated containment apron will prevent these spills leaching into the ground and eventually leading to a long-term contamination problem. The safety aspects of coatings are now also being discovered by the rail industry. We have coating systems which will provide a non-slip safety surface to station platforms. The process we use is very quick to apply and the coating is very fast curing; a matter of hours, so the disruption to the station is kept to a minimum. zz

Dan Macdonald is managing director, Repair Protection & Maintenance Ltd Web:

www.rpmltd.co.uk

Anti-slip surfacing can be applied to steep walkways as well as flat platforms

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Engineering

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Handle with care!

MALCOLM WATSON and TONY SYNNOTT discuss best practice in mounting, handling and checking the operational functionality of newly mounted rolling bearings

hen mounting, checking or handling a bearing, the process needs due care and consideration in order to ensure the product’s longevity and effectiveness. If they are not handled correctly, bearings can be prone to failing quickly and unexpectedly, but some basic checks will help avoid some of the common problems associated with their handling and usage.

General tips on handling Since rolling bearings are high-precision machine parts, they must be handled carefully. Even high-quality bearings will not deliver the desired service life and performance quality if they are not handled used and maintained correctly. However, observing a few basic precautions will help negate the possibilities of premature failure. Firstly, the

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bearing and its surroundings must be kept clean. The presence of any dust and dirt – even particles not visible to the human eye – is one of the key causes of bearing failure. Bearings must also be protected from corrosion. Perspiration on the hands and a variety of other contaminants may cause corrosion, so hands should be clean and dry before handling bearings, with gloves worn if possible. Care should also be taken when handling the bearing itself. Heavy shocks may scratch or cause other damage to the bearing, while physical impact may result in brinelling, breaking or cracking. The proper tools should always be used for any work involving bearings – general purpose tools should be avoided. The manufacturer’s instructions are generally the best place to start for a guide on this.

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Mounting The mounting process is absolutely key to the bearing’s running accuracy, life and performance, therefore the manufacturer’s mounting instructions should be followed precisely. Failure to do so could result not just in premature failure but in damage to other components, unscheduled downtime and invalidation of the product warranty. In the first instance, the bearing and any surrounding components should be thoroughly cleaned and dried, with the dimensions and finish conditions of related parts then checked. The mounting procedure should then be followed. Since most bearings rotate with the shaft, the bearing mounting method is generally an interference (tight) fit for the inner ring and shaft, with a clearance (loose) fit for the outer ring and housing. The correct type and quantity of lubricant should be applied. After mounting the bearing, an operating test should be undertaken to verify that the mounting has been carried out correctly.

be turned on and operated at a low speed without a load, gradually increasing the speed and load till the typical rating is reached. Checks should be made at this stage for irregular noise, bearing temperature rise, lubricant leakage and lubricant discoloration. Several types of noise may be heard. A loud metallic sound can be caused by an abnormal load, incorrect mounting, insufficient or incorrect lubricant, or contact with rotating parts. A loud regular sound can be the result of brinelling or flaws, corrosion, scratches or flaking on the raceways. Meanwhile, an irregular sound will be heard in the event of excessive clearance, penetration of foreign particles, or flaws or flaking on balls. An abnormal temperature rise is frequently the result of lubrication issues – either too much or too little, or the wrong type. However, it can also be caused by an abnormal load, incorrect mounting, ‘creep’ on the fitted surface, or excessive seal friction. Brinelling, flaking, incorrect mounting and foreign particle penetration can all contribute to excessive vibration or axial runout. Lubricant leakage or discoloration is usually the result of overzealous application, or the ingress of foreign matter or abrasion chips. In the event of any of these occurring, the appropriate remedial action should be taken immediately. Failure to do so will almost inevitably result in failure of the bearing, with the likelihood of associated damage to other components. Once the bearing has passed all these checks and is fully operational, it is good practice to check the bearings on a regular basis with the aim of identifying any damaged or failing components as early as possible. zz

For further details visit www.brammeruk.com

Malcolm Watson has worked for Brammer for 39 years in roles including branch, regional and field sales management roles. For the last 16 years he has been working in product management covering both seals and bearings

Tony Synnott is currently working for NSK as engineering manager for the UK Sales department heading a team of application engineers providing service to both OEM and aftermarket engineering sales activity.

Checks & common faults On small machines operated manually, the bearing should be turned by hand. Checks should be made for stick-slip – these will be manifested in the form of debris, cracks and dents; uneven rotating torque, which generally indicates faulty mounting; and excessive torque, which again shows either a mounting error or insufficient radial internal clearance. Once these checks are complete, the machine should

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Business Improvement

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New TBM Management System guarantees business growth Using the proprietary four-step approach, businesses can expect to see three-fold increases in top-line sales and two-fold increases in EBITDA

BM Consulting Group, a global operations management consulting firm that maximises value and accelerates growth through improving business performance announces a new offering – the TBM Management System. After more than two decades working with clients across the globe to improve business performance, TBM has developed its own proprietary system of tools and processes that ensures sustainable business improvement. This TBM Management System, based on best practices and a lot of customer projects, creates visibility for strategic goals, ensures alignment, and empowers employees to get focused on the initiatives that matter most.

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The system connects the business strategy to everyday operations with a constant focus on results and measurement. The system recognises the differences between the company’s expected performance goals and the current performance situation, and prevents deviations from occurring or corrects them when they do. It helps employees at every level to make the correct decisions, which allows the management team to fully concentrate on business strategy and development. There are four phases within the TBM Management System: l TBM and the client work together to

develop the business strategy which includes all business divisions. The yearly strategic objectives in the operational units are then fed down in line with the Policy Deployment which drives the rating of key performance indicators (KPIs) throughout the entire business. l The KPIs are fixed in all departments. Performance management is separated into five main categories: S (Safety), Q (Quality), D (Delivery), C (Cost), and P (Performance). SQDCP boards are used so everyone can see at a glance what the current problems are, what needs to be done, and who’s responsible for making sure they are resolved. The boards also serve as focal points for daily walk-throughs by management team members.

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l TBM has been working with Eurostar at our Temple Mills depot for over three years now. Initially they were brought in to provide education on LEAN, and to start a programme of Kaizen events within the depot. The 48 Kaizen events that have taken place over the last three years have been interspersed with regular follow-up events, and the reconvening of the event teams has meant that over 100 gatherings have taken place in total. When we started the programme, we soon discovered that the biggest challenge would be to change the culture, which had been embedded in the depot for such a long time. It took two years to change – much longer than we had initially anticipated. This was partly due to the fact that the Kaizen and LEAN Production System was presented to us as the latest ‘initiative’. In the railway engineering environment we have seen many initiatives discussed over the last 30 years and so, rightly or wrongly, there is often scepticism around the term and how long the latest ‘initiative’ might be in place before the next one is introduced! However, after a slower start than we expected, I am pleased to say that the culture has well and truly changed. The Business Improvement Team works alongside the engineers and their input is well received by all as they help to turn good ideas into action. The change is permanent and here to stay. Another key learning we took from the first year of the programme is that it’s much harder to make changes unless the whole team – right from the shop floor to the management – is on board. Some of the best improvements and biggest savings that we have seen have come from some very surprising areas. It has been proved many times that, until you take the time to investigate and look into a process, you don’t know what you can find. My advice would be not to pre-judge a process – you don’t know until you try.

Example of business improvement: The introduction of calibrated digital torque wrenches As part of the business improvement team at Eurostar, Mick Watts uses the TBM management system to systematically investigate business processes to find out if there’s a better process to maximise efficiency. He says some of the biggest surprises have come from processes that they had thought were absolutely fine; one of which related to their process for tightening safety critical fastenings on the underside of a train. A simple task you might think but to tighten the nuts and bolts on just one component could take up to 20 minutes due to a six minute walk to reset a regular torque wrench. They would reset the wrench three times which could involve walking the full length of the train (394 metres) back to the manual settings station. The new digital torque wrenches are calibrated to deliver the exact force required and take only a few seconds to adjust. These will be rolled out across the relevant areas of the business and will be a lot more time-efficient for the teams on the shop floor. Today our aim is to systematically work through all our processes and not allow them to go too long without a review. We have three Kaizen Promotion Officers trained within the depot and plan to have two more in the next few months. Mick Watts, business improvement manager, Eurostar

l A team-based inter-divisional problem solving culture is introduced. The management team reviews the KPIs as needed – in general daily – and on a weekly / monthly basis the long-term strategic goals. Corrective measures such as fault prevention and troubleshooting must be implemented at this stage. Commitment is required from the total workforce for continuous and sustainable improvements. l TBM consultants coach business leaders on how to push through and guide cultural change within their organisations through appropriate leadership. The multi-level approach of the TBM Management System has proven successful in

its implementation with pilot customers. The connection between everyday operational execution and long-term strategic goals as well as the empowerment of employees at every level to proactively contribute to solving business problems has been proven to significantly enhance a company’s competitiveness and market growth. “We‘ve developed the TBM Management System based on our long-term experience with various management tools and hands-on customer projects. The TBM Management System consolidates this experience into a framework that we use for each and every customer project. Our approach is to implement sustainable process improvements

and establish a problem-solving culture within organisations which enables the individual employee to make quick decisions, thereby relieving the burden from management and, in turn, causing a substantial increase in efficiency,” explained Richard Holland, vice president TBM Europe. zz

Web: www.tbmcg.com

Richard

Holland

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Excess

baggage

KEVIN PRICE looks at how rail organisations across the world can tap into more than £40 trillion worth of savings using a new breed of industryspecialised EAM system

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ccording to a new report (Reference 1) from the International Energy Agency, policies which improve the energy efficiency of urban transport systems could help to save as much as $70 trillion (over £44 trillion) in spending on vehicles, fuel and infrastructure between now and 2050. With energy consumption for transport in cities expected to double by 2050, transport organisations face a seemingly impossible challenge – to continuously improve safety and service, while reducing costs from their complex infrastructure and asset networks.

Tracking assets Asset management in the rail industry is a hugely complex discipline as it encompasses high volumes of discrete and linked assets – all of which must be managed cohesively to ensure the core objectives of safety, service and efficiency are achieved. Effectively managing a programme which spans overhead lines, tracks, tunnels, ticket machines, barriers, escalators and signalling simply cannot be achieved through traditional Computerised Maintenance and Management Systems (CMMS) or generalist Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems. Many EAM systems were built primarily to serve industrial and manufacturing industries and while their core objectives – maximising the lifecycle of equipment; increasing operating capital; reducing downtime; improving safety and compliance; and enhancing customer service – might be similar, the specific needs, activities and types of assets of rail organisations are very different. A train company for example has a lot of linear assets such as rail tracks and overhead power lines, the condition of which can vary from section to section. Overhead power lines on railways typically sag over time, and as a result, the train simply won’t attach. If this situation is allowed to occur, it will not only cause major problems in terms of train punctuality, but the line is

difficult to inspect and would cause immense disruption. Through viewing the overhead lines as a linear asset, which is monitored not as a finite entity but as a series of segments, sagging can be tracked and addressed before it become a costly problem. Train companies have numerous types of vehicle within their organisations which have different engines and parts, and are subject to varying maintenance regimes and individual warranties. Highly detailed information is required on the entire fleet in order to make accurate predictions on engine wear and tear, fuel consumption and punctuality, all of which impact the cost and reliability of a service. However without a means of tracking this diverse data, cost savings and reliability cannot be optimised.

A micro-vertical approach The nuances of the rail industry, combined with the need for large scale efficiencies and service improvements, require highly sophisticated, industry-specific EAM capabilities. Such applications must be able to monitor a diverse range of assets, including point, linear, vertical, networked and componentised, in a live environment. These asset types have varying properties as the follow illustrates. Linear The ability to monitor linear assets in transportation is crucial as railway tracks, overhead power lines, bridges, tunnels and roads are technically classed as one asset, however their condition varies from section to section adding complexity to the process. Point The most straightforward type of asset, this refers to a single, discrete asset such as a shelter or bench. Networked Networked assets rely on each other in order to provide a service. Signalling equipment and information screens are good examples. Vertical This might be signage or signalling at a particular station

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz which runs off the rail organisation’s core infrastructure. Componentised Component-based assets might be anything from an escalator to an underground train – an asset which is composed of multiple parts. One of the problems for rail organisations is that, in the past, they have been forced to use multiple solutions to manage their assets as EAM providers typically have niche capabilities which support a specific area or type of asset. This inevitably presents complexities in terms of integration and maintenance, and quite often leaves gaps which must then be addressed through manual processes. However a new breed of applications not only provide both the breadth and depth to support every type of asset used in rail, but they feed live data into a central system which, using social, analytical, mobile and cloud capabilities, can present the information in a format which is tailored specifically to the preferences of the user. Crucially, these are ‘off-the-shelf’ applications designed specifically for the transit industry that require no costly customisation. These new capabilities are being enhanced further through a number of other areas which are gaining momentum in the transport industry. Technological

Asset Management

standards are evolving and helping to facilitate a shift from analogue to digital monitoring equipment, improving the speed and reliability of data capture. And the adoption of asset management industry standards and best practice such as ISO 50001 and PAS 55 is strong in this sector, driven in part by the transparency demanded by regulators following privatisation in the UK utilities and transport sectors. Uptake of PAS 55 is common amongst transport companies and in many cases they have led the charge over their industrial counterparts. In conjunction with the right software, standards such as ISO 50001, ISO 55000 (when available), and PAS 55 provide improved structure, stronger momentum and greater coherency. Adopting this kind of best practice combined with highly specialised capabilities for rail organisations will set the leaders from the laggards in this sector, and undoubtedly generate a proportion of the USD 70 trillion savings earmarked for the transport sector in the coming years. zz

Reference Reference 1: www.iea.org/publications/ freepublications/publication/name,39940,en.html

Kevin Price is product director, Infor EAM. Web: www.infor.com

MetroRail co-located with Light Rail, RailTel, Rail Power and Air Rail 1-2nd April 2014 Business Design Centre, London It’s all about urban transit l As cities and passenger numbers grow, urban transport is becoming increasingly connected. Building on ten years of MetroRail, the urban rail show is designed to help you cover every aspect of urban rail in just two days. No matter where your interest lies – light rail, heavy rail or infrastructure – we have content, networking and new partners for you.

The event incorporates: MetroRail – network management, operations and global projects Light Rail – planning, design and implementation RailTel – signalling, telecommunications and automation Rail Power – energy efficiency, storage and recovery Air Rail – integrating airports with urban transport networks

Key speakers include: Terry Morgan, Chairman, Crossrail Mike Brown, Managing Director, Transport for London Pierre Mongin, Chairman & CEO, RATP Andy Byford, CEO, TTC (Toronto) Peter Dijk, CEO, Amsterdam Metro

Ibrahim K. Kutubkhanah, CEO, Jeddah Metro Andrew Bata, CSO, New York City Transit Dan Grabauskas, CEO, HART (Honolulu) Ramon Canas, CEO, Metro De Santiago Didier Bense, Board Member, Société du Grand Paris Anne-Grethe Foss, Deputy Chief Executive, Metroselskabet (Copenhagen) Aurelio Rojo Garrido, Secretary General, Alamys Duncan Cross, Deputy Director Operations, London Overground & Crossrail Peter Cushing, Metrolink Director, Transport for Greater Manchester Geoff Inskip, CEO, Centro (Birmingham) David Potter, Chief Engineer, Eko Rail (Lagos) For more details, please download the event brochure here: http://www.terrapinn.com/RS-brochure

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Depots & Maintenance

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Raising the standard KEVIN LACEY considers the role of maintenance, repair and overhaul product standardisation in operational and commercial success

he process of purchasing and managing tools, maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO) and health & safety products for manufacturing and process facilities can be a complicated one, requiring hundreds or even thousands of stockkeeping units (SKUs) to be available whenever and wherever they are needed on-site. This means that significant amounts of cash can be tied up in slow-moving products, while there may be little thought given to whether these products are delivering optimal performance and value, with the same product simply reordered whenever stocks run low. In a bid to simplify the process and reduce working capital, many companies have in recent years been taking a long, hard look at the process to see how it can be improved. One of the areas where the greatest impact is consistently achieved is in ‘standardisation’ – minimising as far as possible the number of different brands and models of product used for the same task, while ensuring there is no compromise on performance, quality or safety. Typically undertaken as part of an overall improvement initiative, standardisation can rapidly deliver a measurable commercial return.

How it works – a simple example

Kevin Lacey is marketing & growth director at Buck & Hickman Web: www. buckandhickmanuk.com

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In one facility handling sensitive metals, glass is banned completely in one area of the factory because of its propensity to contaminate the products being manufactured. Because of the nature of the tasks being performed in this section, the risk of cuts to the hands had been assessed as the highest possible, meaning all operatives working there were required to wear safety gloves with the maximum Level 5 protection. After some searching, a glass-free glove offering the required protection was sourced, but this did not negate the contamination issue. Operatives working in other, less sensitive areas of the factory were still wearing around a dozen other types of gloves, many of them containing glass, but on occasion still had to enter the glass-free area, with the potential that they may forget to remove or

change their gloves when they did so. And as many of the different glove types looked very similar, there was a real risk that an operative could inadvertently choose the wrong type. The answer lay in standardising the gloves in use in the factory. An internal study revealed that the Level 5 glassfree gloves could be used throughout the factory without any impact on productivity while negating any risk of glass contamination. The estimated annual cost saving – based on zero waste due to glass contamination, reduced downtime, and fewer SKUs needing to be ordered and processed, exceeded £100,000.

The role of standardisation in optimising productivity and efficiency It is not only in the area of safety where standardisation can play a role. Production consumables can be standardised for both operational and commercial gain, too. In the area of abrasive discs and belts, for example, it is not uncommon for companies to source and stock multiple grades of product to cope with all stages of the process from weld and burr removal to finer cosmetic finishing. Yet innovation in recent years has created abrasive products that not only reduce the number of process stages required (and therefore the number of different belts or discs needed) but last longer too. While the initial purchase price of these new items may exceed that of the existing products, the true value they can offer will only be appreciated through a study of whole-life costs and, of course, trials under real operating conditions. Considered in these calculations must be factors such as a comparison of processing time, changeover time, and reject rates. Standardisation in this area will only work if the operatives using the new

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz consumables buy into the process and are fully trained in getting the best out of them. Incorrect product choice by the operative, poor technique, and disposal of consumable products which may still have useful life in them – simply because they have always been changed at those intervals – will all conspire to ensure that any potential cost savings identified at the outset are not fully realised. Hand in hand with the standardisation of products, therefore, must go a process to standardise procedures to ensure maximum value is extracted from the change.

A model for success How can the benefits of standardisation be delivered, in pressured production environments where the interests and motivators of different stakeholders in the process – financial directors, quality managers, purchasing teams, production managers, health & safety specifiers, and production operatives – may vary radically? The initial opportunity for standardisation can be identified internally or externally by a consultant or supplier. An initial feasibility study should set targets for the project which are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound objectives. Once these are agreed, with a documented projection of financial benefits, buy-in should be sought from key stakeholders such as

the head of production and financial decision-makers, before the procurement team are involved. The next stage is the establishment of an ‘integrated product team’ (IPT) who will agree timescales and location for the trial. The trial then takes place, with the IPT evaluating the results and then preparing a final evaluation against the original objectives and proposal for sign-off by all stakeholders. The full project is then implemented, with training and induction for those individuals involved in the changeover, measured and continuously monitored against the objectives set. While SKU numbers will almost inevitably fall, with a positive impact on cash flow, standardisation should not be considered solely as a means of reducing the costs of MRO purchases. In some instances initial purchase costs may increase as the value and compensation they offer will appear elsewhere on the balance sheet. Best value will be extracted through taking a holistic view with a scientific approach to assessing the return on investment at every stage of each project. Planned and managed effectively, in conjunction with a partner who can provide independent advice alongside a broad product range and ongoing technical support, a product standardisation programme has the potential to deliver significant operational and commercial benefits. zz

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zz Stations zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Three Bridges station concourse & retail facilities Rail Waiting Structures was awarded the contract to totally replace an existing dilapidated concourse with a high-quality, well-designed, functional and efficient building

t the outset of this complex project, Rail Waiting Structures (RWS) was commissioned to undertake only the design and specification project. However, following customer approvals, RWS was awarded the demolition, manufacture and build contract, as the result of a tender process.

Project overview Contract scope: l Specify l Design l Manufacture & supply l Demolish l Build Client: Southern Rail Duration: 30 weeks

Diverse material usage The scheme incorporates a 7m-wide walkway featuring stainless steel and structurally glazed walls, covered with an aluminium curtain-wall construction glazed roof, which also incorporated LED lighting. Three retail spaces were created using a structural steel frame and Kingspan cladding and roof system.

Managing complexity

For further information, please contact: Rail Waiting Structures (A member of the BSW Group of Companies) Tel: 01446 795 444 Email: sales@shelters.co.uk Web: www.shelters.co.uk

State-of-the-art 3D Computer Aided Design tools enabled the creation of early visualizations of the scheme to aid the approval process, as well as resolving the complex component manufacture and construction. The site was complex, incorporating challenging slopes, curves and services. Access was also very limited requiring careful logistics planning. The station was in use to the public throughout the construction programme. Rigorous site management ensured maximum passenger safety, while causing minimum disruption. The concourse was officially opened in October 2013

Customer satisfaction This is the best measure of success for any project and this handsome construction was no exception. zz

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About the BSW Group l Since November 1979, the BSW Group has been involved in the design and construction of a wide variety of projects from rail, tram, bus stations, covered walkways and canopies to just about every other covering you can imagine. The quality of workmanship has always been a priority and every aspect of a project from design to finished drawings and product are considered of paramount importance. BSW can provide a one-stop solution for the customerâ€™s requirements, from minor civil works right through to erection of the structure. BSW Group head office is located in the Vale of Glamorgan. This facility has 3100sq ft of office space with three 48,000sq ft manufacturing units on the 17 acre site. An additional 20,000sq ft of manufacturing and office space is available within the West Midlands. BSW has recently expanded its operations into the Middle East having opened an office and factory in Dubai, where work is currently taking place on the Dubai Metro System.

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SAS International

SAS Intern ational

Liverpool Central station

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Ensuring quality & value for station fit-outs ANDREW JACKSON discusses some of the factors to be considered when upgrading railway stations

Andrew Jackson is a director, SAS International

Web: www.sasintgroup.com

rojects are being driven by a need to think about long-term capabilities and flexibility for future change. This means the design and integration of the fit-out needs to be durable, maintainable and flexible. These elements are addressed from design stage; being involved at the earliest stage enables a manufacturer to ensure performance whilst taking responsibility for delivery. While balancing aesthetics with the performance qualities of materials is key, budgets and limited working hours in stations need to be factored in. Therefore prefabrication of solutions is an important consideration. The fit-out of any transport hub is a challenge. Considerations include design, material choice and durability, while the risk of issues on site during installation and programme slippage has huge repercussions for ensuring projects are delivered on time and to budget. To significantly reduce the risk for project teams some manufacturers are choosing the design, supply and install route to market. Transport hubs need to be designed and fitted out to tight programmes and value is generated by having one entity take ownership for the entire process. Working in live stations poses many complications including limited working hours in a fully operational environment. Prefabricating products and systems under factory-controlled conditions allows better quality-control. Compliance to tolerances and other performance criteria can also be achieved as well as a reduction in lead-times. Importantly site health and safety is improved; usually fewer operatives are required on site. Prefabrication of products and services also helps reduce site waste and limit the environmental impact.

In a station environment the demand for innovative and interesting interiors must be balanced with the use of high performance products. The durability of a material and ease of maintenance is essential to ensure they stay this way. Ease of access for maintenance and cleaning are crucial for longevity, security and safety and place special demands on material choice of interior fit-out solutions. Metal solutions provide a durable surface that is easy to clean and will allow ease of access for essential ongoing maintenance, without damage. They also provide for impact resistance in external or semi-external spaces such as public concourses. The ability to design in options from the outset for effective ongoing maintenance and ease of access, along with consideration for increasing number of passengers, provides for time and resource savings in the long term. With off-site assembly and prefabrication manufacturers, should have the ability to offer fixed production and delivery lead-times ultimately providing programme benefits. The complexity of carrying out construction and renovation work for such projects underlines the importance of partnering with manufacturing installers to enable this. Design expertise, flexibility and an innovative approach are critical in this relationship. On many of todayâ€™s major projects clients and main contractors want to guarantee design, to deliver project value, limit risk and have the comfort and benefits of all-encompassing warranties. Working directly with the manufacturer installer provides a single point of contact from start to finish and pre-fabricating products and systems ensures better quality control, reduction of lead times and safer working. zz

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FIRST GROUP

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Keep moving As the UK’s largest and most experienced rail operator, FirstGroup is looking forward to the upcoming franchise competitions and submitting further high quality bids that deliver value for passengers, taxpayers and shareholders

early a year and two independent reviews later, short-term contract extensions have been implemented and promises to improve the Government’s overall franchising policy made. In March 2013 Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin unveiled long-term plans designed to drive improvements to rail services, deliver on major infrastructure projects, and put passengers at the heart of a revitalised rail franchising system. Dealing with this period of uncertainty is undoubtedly an ongoing challenge, but as Vernon Barker, the managing director of FirstGroup’s UK Rail Division was keen to highlight, the most important thing has been to continue with ‘business as usual’ for passengers. “At

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FirstGroup we made sure that we remained focused on the day job – we still have to deliver for our customers and run the train services we have in existing franchises. We couldn’t afford for any interruption of the franchising programme to interfere with what we do on a daily basis for customers,” he began. “So we made sure that we maintained our standards and also continued with any planned improvements as usual across all our franchises, and that included First Great Western and First Capital Connect, which were two of the refranchising businesses at the time. We ensured that we focused on delivering and improving on our current levels of service.” He continued with some details about how the Great Western franchise specifically has been affected: “First

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Great Western and First Capital Connect were still very much at the front end of the refranchising programme,” he said. “With First Great Western we entered into negotiation with the Department for Transport and were awarded a 23 month deal in October, which means First Greater Western Ltd will operate trains between London Paddington, the Cotswolds, south Wales and the south west until September 2015. “This direct award was really encouraging for us, and was very much the right thing to do for passenger services. The Great Western franchise area is going to see some significant change over the coming years while it receives the benefit of massive investment in electrification, new rolling stock and the infrastructure

programmes that are already underway, such as the Reading station remodelling. This two-year singletender direct award will help to maintain stability for customers while going through a front-end period of transformation.” Vernon added: “I think there is a lot of really positive change coming for the Great Western franchise and customers, and we are working to remain there and see the delivery through. My colleagues on Great Western have been through some tough challenges, primarily the infrastructure projects, up to this point so it would be very nice to be there delivering on some of the very positive stuff.” The other FirstGroup franchise that is hoping to receive a short direct order is First Capital Connect and negotiations with the DfT are progressing well. Furthermore, as recently as 1st November, FirstGroup announced it had been shortlisted for the ScotRail franchise competition by the Scottish Government. The Group currently operates the franchise which provides passenger train services throughout Scotland. The new ten-year contract, with a potential break point after five years, will be awarded next year and is expected to start in April 2015. Vernon was delighted to have been shortlisted for the ScotRail franchise competition, and he is also pleased to see that the Government has set a detailed transparent timetable for the receipt of bids on the two recently issued invitations to tender (ITT) for the Essex Thameside and Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) rail franchises. “It is encouraging that these two franchises, which were paused this time last year, will be let and that bids have to be in before Christmas,” he said. “I think that is really important and I would encourage the DfT to stick to that strategy as there is quite a bit of work to be done over the next few years and these deadlines are essential, especially given all the work yet to complete on the Thameslink upgrade and the receipt of new trains.” Following the intense scrutiny that the franchising process has seen over the past 11 months, Vernon was glad to see that the conclusions drawn endorsed the Government’s overall franchising policy, and highlighted that the privatisation of the railways has been of crucial importance in creating what is today – an industry with record levels of investment, a doubling of traffic (from 750 million journeys a year to 1.5 billion) and the best recent safety record in Europe. “I echo many of the comments that have been made across the summer since the production of the industry’s Growth and Prosperity report, which does show that while it is has had challenges, the franchising model has actually delivered the greatest growth the industry has seen in living memory,” he added. He went on with more specifics about FirstGroup’s franchises: “I think that FirstGroup has been instrumental in delivering a good number of new train fleets into our

Vernon Barker, managing director of FirstGroup’s UK Rail Division

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FIRST GROUP

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franchises. In fact, since we have been operating our successive businesses as franchises we have introduced a new fleet of trains on every one of them in order to cope with increasing passenger demands. Overall, I think privatisation has been a success story.” An essential part of FirstGroup’s successful franchising operations has been its strong relationship with Network Rail. Vernon noted that this has been essential to the delivery of a variety of projects, including one north of the border in Scotland. “The alliance we formed with Network Rail and ScotRail was pivotal in delivering the

Unipart Over a number of years, FirstGroup and Unipart Rail have been clear and consistent in their intentions to work collaboratively in order to create joint value and support each other in delivering their growth objectives. Each organisation decided to seek accreditation for the recently established BS 11000 certification for ‘Collaborative Business Relationship Management’ in order to further develop and evidence their current and future collaborative practices with their respective suppliers and customers. Subsequently, both organisations were delighted to achieve certification. Commenting on behalf of Unipart Rail, Isabelle Lloyd, Sales and Customer Service Director stated that: “The key concept behind BS 11000 is that organisations that work together can achieve much more than they can achieve alone and this has long been recognised within both FirstGroup and Unipart Group. We are delighted to have supported FirstGroup in their journey to the certification to the new British Standard and grateful for their contribution to our own certification.”

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Paisley Canal Electrification, which otherwise would not have gone ahead based on the initial cost estimates,” he explained. “By adopting a more proactive alliance approach, the operator and Network Rail managed to get the costs significantly reduced. In addition the alliance’s strategy for possessions worked for both parties, as it gave Network Rail better access and got the job done in a shorter period of time.” Indeed, such was the success of the Paisley Canal Electrification project that ScotRail and its partner, Network Rail, scooped top prize in the ‘Transport Team / Partnership of the Year’ category at the National Transport Awards in October 2013. “The solutions they created were very, very clever, and it is a great example of how working together on a project means it can be completed at less cost, implemented on time and as a result delivered benefits for transport across Scotland,” noted Vernon. Back in England, Network Rail’s work with the operator on the redevelopment of Reading station has been crucial in the project’s evolution, as has First Capital Connect’s work with Network Rail on the Blackfriars scheme in 2012 and the London Bridge works due in 2015. Added Vernon: “I must also highlight First

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz TransPennine Express’s work with Network Rail on the electrification of the Chat Moss route and the wider Northern Hub developments. Our electric trains are being delivered over the next few months and these will allow First TransPennine Express to transform its offering from Manchester airport and add extra capacity and a strengthened timetable on other diesel routes when we cascade the diesel trains from the northwest to crossPennine services. “The Northern Hub is a programme of a number of different projects that include some spectacular engineering feats, such as putting extra platforms in at Manchester Piccadilly. In fact, through a strong relationship with Network Rail we have been quietly delivering a raft of significant improvements around the UK, including some in the core of London.” Since first getting involved in the UK rail industry, FirstGroup has introduced 740 additional vehicles and invested over £650 million into its franchises. As a result of its hard work and dedication, the four franchises have received more than 250 awards since 2005, including First TransPennine Express being crowned the 2012 Rail Business Awards Train Operator of the Year and First ScotRail currently holds the title of Scottish Public Transport Operator of the Year. Vernon concluded with

Wabtec

his views in why FirstGroup is good at what it does: “I am always impressed with the people I meet in our organisation, across all the franchises,” he said. “We have got a strong and committed management team and I think throughout the business we have staff that really have the interests of the customer at heart. “I do genuinely believe that our people come to work to deliver good service to our customers and they consistently try their hardest to deliver. Overall, we remain focused on getting things right first time and running an on-time railway, and after all – that is what our customers are looking for.” zz

www.firstgroup.com/uktrain

The Wabtec Group is one of the UK’s leading railway engineering companies, undertaking the maintenance, overhaul, refurbishment, life extension and repair of railway rolling stock and associated components. Through the combined resources of Wabtec Rail Limited, Wabtec Rail Scotland, Brush Traction and LH, we are able to provide rolling stock owners, passenger train and freight operators a range of services that cover all aspects of railway rolling stock maintenance, overhaul and refurbishment. For further information visit: www.wabtegroup.com

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TAYLOR WOODROW

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Realising potential Founded in 1922, Taylor Woodrow is involved in most sectors of UK civil engineering and construction and has enjoyed a continuous relationship with the rail transportation sector since the early 1990s

Tottenham Court Road

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aylor Woodrow has delivered a number of high profile projects during its history including the Jubilee line station at London Bridge, the development of new ticket halls at King’s Cross Underground Station, the DLR Three Car Capacity Enhancement project and the new Western Concourse at King’s Cross Mainline station. “We target complex, challenging schemes that look for strong planning and engineering skills, innovative ideas and confident, resilient people,” says Fred Garner, Sector Director for Transport Projects. “Taylor Woodrow has always been known for teamwork and we like nothing better than working with

our design team, our supply chain partners and our clients to deliver successful projects.” The company will achieve a turnover of £300 million on rail sector projects during 2013, which is an increase from £170 million in 2011. Taylor Woodrow currently has one of the most exciting and challenging portfolios within the rail sector and is undertaking major projects including the upgrades of Tottenham Court Road and Victoria station for LUL, works at Connaught Tunnel, Victoria Dock Portal, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel for Crossrail and projects for Network Rail at Nottingham Hub and the Crossrail West

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Nottingham Express Tramway Stations. In addition to these projects, Taylor Woodrow is also undertaking the expansion of Nottingham’s tram network, known as the NET Phase Two and the upgrade of Ealing Common and Upminster depots for the new S7 stock. Commenting on the company’s busy workload Fred elaborates: “My view of the industry in the last year is that it has

been a great place to be; infrastructure and rail transport in particular are high on the political and public agenda. There is a realisation that to maintain both our quality of life and our economic success there is a need for investment in the UK national and local rail networks. One of the most interesting developments is that as a nation we are reversing many

of the decisions that we made during the 1960s and 1970s, when rail was seen as outdated compared to the attraction of the motorcar. The pendulum has swung and we need to grab the opportunity now to create the integrated rail transport networks for the next 100 years.” With the nation’s requirement for dynamic rail solutions and the company’s reputation for undertaking complex projects, Taylor Woodrow has had no shortage of demand for its targeted engineering solutions. The challenge, as Fred observes has been to ensure that Taylor Woodrow is placed to meet its customer’s needs and retain the best engineering staff: “Our biggest challenge in the last two years has been managing our growth and principally ensuring that the project teams are fully resourced with the right people with the right skills and behaviors. We have done this in two ways: Firstly, our DLR 3 Car and King’s Cross projects created an opportunity to develop some very talented engineers

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TAYLOR WOODROW

Nottingham Express Tramway and project managers, many of whom are now prominent in the business, or in fact leading our current projects. Secondly, we have recruited some excellent people who are excited at the prospect of working on challenging, high profile projects and see the potential in our business.” The company has also taken steps to address what it sees as a noticeable skills gap within the railways sector as Fred further explains: “This year we are recruiting increased numbers of civil engineering graduates than in previous years, as well as continuing to sponsor undergraduates, where we are using QUEST scholarships to identify the best and brightest candidates. In recent years we have also offered work placements to second year foundation degree students and subsequently recruited them as technician engineers into the business, sponsoring them to move on to their BSc part time whilst working for us. Unfortunately, significant increases in tuition fees have caused us to review this policy this year but I hope we will be able to resume again next year. “We also recently held our first

Whitechapel - Durward Street Shaft

Inspiration Lecture at the ICE, where our guest speakers offered their thoughts on how the civil engineering profession can inspire young minds. The evening was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience, which was a mix of sixth form students, undergraduates, TW graduates and industry colleagues of all ages.” At present, the company is busy in Nottingham, where the NET Phase Two extension is at the peak of construction. During the past 12 months the project

has seen the installation of three major new bridges, including Nottingham’s Station Bridge, which was featured on the BBC’s One Show. The tramway project is expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2014. As it moves into the future, Taylor Woodrow already has major projects lined up and is currently mobilising a team for its Crossrail West Stations project. The £100 million project was awarded to the company by Network Rail in October 2013 and will allow it to combine the experience it has gained through its King’s Cross, DLR and Crossrail projects. It is with no small excitement that Taylor Woodrow approaches this latest project and the company is keen to show what it can do as Fred concludes: “This project will enable us to show how efficiently we can deliver upgrades to 13 stations in a very challenging environment on the western approaches from Maidenhead to Paddington.”zz

Web: www.taylorwoodrow.com

Whitechapel Cambridge Heath Shaft

Whitechapel - HCDL Worksite

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ZOS Zvolen

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A local partner Železnicné opravovne a strojárne Zvolen a.s., (ZOS Zvolen) has long history dating back 140 years and is today one of the Slovakia’s most significant rail company focused on the maintenance and modernisation of locomotives and railcars.

he company’s history begins in 1872 at the beginning of Slovakia’s rail industry, where it undertook the construction of the country’s first locomotive powered railway lines and depots. During this time it operated as part of The Rail Company of the Slovak Republic, however during 1994 ZOS Zvolen reached one of its most important milestones when it split from Slovakia’s state rail company to become a jointstock venture. The repair manufactory Zvolen owned the company until 2008 when Zvolen became part of the ZOS Trnava Group, which is when the ZOS Zvolen brand was born. The development of ZOS Zvolen is closely linked to the shifting political situation in the region and its impact

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on the railway sector throughout the early 1990s. After the end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia at the end of 1989 and the dissolution of the country into the two individual states of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic (Slovakia) in 1992, major reforms to how the rail industry was operated throughout Slovakia brought a significant shift in the market. Therefore, ZOS Zvolen adapted its services to best serve the new state’s rail needs as sales director, Vladimír Kaeuk explains: “Up until the beginning of the 1990s the main focus of the company was maintenance, mainly on locomotives and we were entirely focused on the market in Slovakia. At that time the state railway company ran the network and we provided services for all of the locomotives in the country. Then the beginning of the transformation process started and a lot of changes came to the market and therefore a lot of challenges for the market players. At that time we decided that the maintenance business would not be large enough to support the company and would not provide enough of a base to develop the company in the future. “We then began refurbishment and development services,” Vladimir continues. “Many of the operated locomotives were produced 30 to 40 years ago and the rail companies did not have enough finance to purchase brand new machines, so there was a compromise of modernization of the locomotives. In our region, ZOS Zvolen was able to totally rebuild locomotives. This means that the newly refurbished locomotive retains the original frame, but all of the other fittings and devices are totally new.” Today, ZOS Zvolen is focused on three main areas that form the basis of its wider market strategy. The company retains its traditional market in maintenance, which remains steady within the domestic market and continues to manage a series of modernization projects

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz for rail networks internationally. The company has two distinct divisions that offer targeted solutions based on the customer’s needs. LOKO focuses on repair and maintenance operations, while the MP (machinery production) division takes on production, welding and renovations. These divisions supply detailed services including the replacement of engines, regular V25regulated vehicle examinations, welded structures for railway vehicles and the supply of components to domestic and foreign customers in the field of production and repair of railway vehicles. The company’s third branch is focused on the supply of components to the main operators throughout the railways industry, including ALSTOM, STADLER, Bombardier and ŠKODA Transportation. Domestically, ZOS Zvolen is connected to the most dominant partners within Slovakia’s rail industry: ZSSK Cargo and ZSSK Slovakia. This local business remains a vital component within the company’s overall portfolio and provides the base from which it is able to expand into further markets within the EU and Asia. It maintains close relations to operators within nations close to Slovakia including the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine and Austria as well as former Balkan states including Serbia. Currently it is engaged in a major contract in the Ukraine where it will soon service up to 300 locomotives over the next five to six years and is in negotiation for a further large contract in Russia. The company is also active within Asian markets, which yield the potential for greater market presence in the future, as Vladimir elaborates: “We are beginning to enter wider markets throughout the world including Asia, which is a different market for us and can be challenging taking into account different engineering practices and language barriers. However, we have had some interesting work for clients in Asia in countries like Pakistan and India. These have been successful but we are still making a decision over whether we will fully enter the region.” Commenting on the company’s possible future strategy in Asia Vladimir continues: “I think the most acceptable business model will be to co-operate with local companies, with which we can provide technical engineering, design and technical support, training of staff and the main elements for the refurbishment & modernization of their locomotives. This could be very successful and is a model that has been proven in Eastern Europe. This gives us an advantage because very often, local customers do not like all-in-one solutions because they like some level of localization. This is something we can do that larger players cannot. We are able to understand the customer’s requirements and build them into the customer’s project.” The financial crisis has put a strain on rail operators and in turn weakened the maintenance market, but ZOS Zvolen is a dynamic company ready to meet the challenge as Vladimir concludes: “The financial crisis

has caused the value of transport services and the maintenance market to decrease year-on-year. On the other hand, the modernization market continues to grow and our third field of manufacturing new components in co-operation with other operators is also growing, so we are very optimistic.” zz

Knorr-Bremse The Knorr-Bremse Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles with more than 100 years of experience. For more than 100 years now the company has pioneered the development, production, marketing and servicing of state-of-the-art braking systems. With RailServices, Knorr-Bremse provides the ideal tailor made service package as maintenance, overhaul and repair of brake systems and on-board systems for every train operators´ requirement, whether for freight wagons, tramways, metros or for locomotives and high-speed trains. To achieve this, performance, quality and presence form the cornerstones of a service package which is unique in Europe.

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MTR Nordic

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Bold developments With 3000 employees and ambitious goals for ongoing improvements, MTR Nordic is working to create a world-class underground system

ith the overall responsibility for the running, planning and maintenance of the Stockholm underground system since 2009, for a time period of 13 years thereafter, MTR Nordic operates under a 300 million euro annual contract. This involves ambitious goals to continuously improve and develop the underground network for the 1.2 million passengers that use the metro every day. Since taking over the contract four years ago, MTR has seen exceptional improvements, with punctuality now at its highest ever levels in the metro’s 60 year history. Managing traffic, ticketing, cleaning systems and traffic information, while consistently striving for customers to have the best possible journey, MTR Nordic views the underground as an imperative part of the daily running of Stockholm and is determined to keep journeys flowing efficiently. By a joint venture with Norway’s leading train maintenance firm, Mantena, MTR Nordic handles the maintenance sector of the organisation. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the maintenance organisation manages, develops and maintains the complete fleet of vehicles and workshop equipment used and owned by the public transportation organisation, Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL), to ensure all travelers a safe, punctual and enjoyable journey. MTR Nordic, being a subsidiary of the London based MTR Europe, is part of MTR Europe’s wider growth strategy. In the UK, MTR already joint-owns and successfully operates the London Overground, and is

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bidding for the Crossrail, Essex Thameside, ScotRail and Thameslink operating contracts. In Sweden, strategically aiming to deliver a new, fast, premium-quality service to its Swedish intercity passengers, MTR Nordic announced it will be launching the MTR Express, a new express train that will connect Sweden’s two largest cities. “Running 110 weekly departures between Stockholm, located on the east coast, and Gothenburg in the west, we aim to attract existing rail passengers as well as other business and leisure travelers to choose rail over other modes of transport with our three hour ten minute service,” said Peter Viinapuu, chief executive officer of MTR Nordic. Calling at Flemingsberg, Sodertalje, Hallsberg, Herrljunga and Falkoping, MTR Express service was officially awarded nine Stockholm to Gothenburg train paths each way on weekdays and five train paths on weekends in September 2013; the majority of services are anticipated to start late 2014. Reaching top speeds of 200 kilometres per hour, MTR will invest 78 million euros to acquire six state-of-the-art train sets to operate on the route. Capable of dealing with the most harsh Nordic weather conditions, the fivecar, aluminium bodied EMU trains will be designed and constructed in Switzerland by Stadler to provide high quality travel for customers. Due for delivery in autumn 2014, the new train sets will be tested and commissioned before the launch of the MTR Express service. Focused on customer satisfaction, the company’s guiding principles are security, punctuality, cleanliness

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and customer service. To succeed in delivering these core values, the internal environment at MTR is open and transparent, with close dialogue between all staff levels encouraged. With more than one million journeys made daily, MTR Nordic is aware that constant improvements are vital to the ongoing success of the company and is keen for management to hold regular, informal meetings with staff to encourage conversations and ideas that will enhance the company’s day-to-day operations. Furthermore, it has developed a process-based system, which takes staff suggestions into consideration and enables the firm to provide an increasingly enhanced travel experience. The internal work with coaching leadership has made a significant footprint in employee satisfaction. The latest employee survey conducted in November 2013 marked an all-time-high score on Employee Satisfaction Index, namely 81 per cent. One way customer satisfaction will be improved is with the 19 kilometre expansion of the Stockholm metro. Following an agreement between the Government, Stockholm County Council, City of Stockholm, Solna Town Council and the municipalities of Jarfalla and Nacka, the expansion of the city’s metro network will involve 19 kilometres of new metro lines and nine new stations to be completed by 2025. With 78,000 new homes, the four planned projects within the expansion plan will help to meet the sharp rise in demand for housing in Stockholm. Included in the plan is a project to build a new metro line from Odenplan to Hagastaden, which is due to open in 2020, a southern extension of the Blue Line from Kungstradgarden to Sofia and an interchange at Gullmarsplan; an extension of the Blue Line Akalla branch to Barkaby station, due for completion in 2021 and a five-station extension of the Blue Line east from Kungstradgarden to Hammarby Canal, Sickla, Saltsjo-Jarla and Nacka Forum, which is scheduled for completion in 2025. “Hosting world-leading expertise and strong financial backing, MTR Nordic aims to develop our presence in the Nordic countries with rail activities and superior services that will complement the needs of many different categories of passengers. We also look forward to be an integrated business partner in the development of the metro system in Stockholm,” said Peter Viinapuu. With construction due to begin on the four projects in 2016, the expansion will be ready for the anticipated increase in Stockholm’s population from 2.1 million to 2.6 million by 2030. Meanwhile, over the coming few years, the company will continue to enjoy positive growth in passenger volume on the Stockholm underground as the city’s bustling population is annually increasing by double its predicted rate. zz

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Allied Insulators

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Jon Knapper with a selection of NEW 25kV Silicon Rubber OLE insulators and the latest Third Rail Insulators

History in the making... With over 150 years of insulator design and manufacture heritage to look back on, Allied Insulators has a deep pool of experience in serving the rail industry and other markets within the UK and around the world

A switchgear product manufactured for the UK electricity distribution companies â€“ an 11kV Air Break Switch Disconnector

he companyâ€™s journey began during the 19th century in 1842 when Captain J Buller and J Devett purchased the Folly Pottery situated in Bovey Tracy, Devon and founded the Bovey Tracy Pottery Company. The company then became one of the first manufacturers to explore the possibilities presented by the emerging market generated by communications and electrical power. Owing to the cost of transporting coal (used to fire the porcelain) between Staffordshire and Somerset the company transferred its operations to the heart of the potteries industry and by 1862 operating as W W Buller & Co, the business was trading out of Hanley, Staffordshire. The Allied Insulators brand first appeared in 1959 following an agreement between Bullers Ltd and Taylor Tunnicliff to share technical and marketing experience. The companies continued to trade under their own names until the closure of Taylor Tunnicliff Eastwood,

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Hanley caused an amalgamation of the two businesses to form Allied Insulators Ltd in 1972. Between 1985 and 2010 Allied Insulators continued to operate through various owners and acquisitions that saw it become part of the Fairey Group in 1997 and the Wade Allied Group in 1999. During 2011 a management buyout of Allied Insulators from the Wade Allied Group restored the company back to its true original form. The companyâ€™s long history can be still found in transmission, distribution and rail electrification today. Notably all of the original UK rail infrastructure both overhead and underground was built with insulators manufactured by Allied Insulators and its former associates, including the famous Doulton insulators so the company remains very proud to have that entire heritage to look back on. Whilst renowned for this porcelain legacy and capability the company is now well diversified into more modern insulators and

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz undertake the full range of mechanical testing along with standard routine or batch testing. Additionally Allied has a small HV laboratory and electromechanical facility for undertaking electrical testing as necessary. High technical standards and rigorous quality assurance and control are key to this business and evidenced by its many approvals, accreditations and esteemed customer base. The diverse nature of the products and business coupled with the short delivery demands also means that there is a need to carry quite high stocks for a wide range of products here in the UK - hence response times are equally swift. In addition to the UK rail sector Allied has a growing overseas business and is seeing demand for export - for example it recently completed a major third rail electrification project for the Ankara metro in Turkey though one of the main rail contractors. Whilst maintaining the supply of somewhat bespoke porcelain insulators for maintenance and refurbishments some of the more recent successes with Network Rail have been to develop insulators to solve known problems or issues. “We recently had our latest Third Rail Insulator approved, which introduced a very High Voltage laboratory A range of Porcelain Third Rail Insulators and Other Porcelain Insulators for Rolling Stock or OLE

materials, deploying the most advanced technologies and manufacturing methods. Today Allied Insulators is a highly respected manufacturer in its own right; it manufactures and supplies an extensive range of high specification insulators in Porcelain, Silicon Rubber, or advanced Thermoplastics, overhead line fittings and disconnector products to meet the rigorous demands of the electricity transmission, distribution and rail industry. “We are the major supplier of all insulators to the UK electricity industry and our aim is to re-develop our rail sector business to a similar degree,” said managing director Jonathan Knapper (Jon). Allied has an extensive design department and a portfolio of products to suit virtually any application. The UK based manufacturing and distribution facility combines an extensive manufacturing and assembly facility, large storage and warehousing space plus its own in-house laboratory where the company can

¤ Design ¤ Laser Cutting ¤ Punching ¤ Pressing ¤ Welding ¤ Assembly ¤ Machining ¤ Finishing ¤ Logistics Grenville Engineering (Stoke-on-Trent) Ltd Unit 3 Newfield Industrial Estate, High Street Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 5PD t 01782 577 929 | f 01782 575 672 e sales@grenville-engineering.co.uk

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Allied Insulators

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An image from a HV laboratory of a 275kV Insulator string during a Lightning Impulse test

A range of 132kV Silicon Rubber Insulators used in the UK

A range of traditional Porcelain OLE and Substation Insulators AMS60 mobile welding machine

advanced thermoplastic material that has distinct advantages over the existing insulators. Furthermore our 25kV polymer insulator was developed to overcome a known phenomena linked to potential premature insulator failures. We are now hoping to springboard our standard range of 25kV OLE Polymer insulators into Network Rail from these projects and are very keen to understand the opportunities to enable this. Our innovation and cost leadership strategy is where we see great advantages for Network Rail and its partners, especially during a period of major investment where product quality and value will be key for project success.”

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Early in 2012, Allied Insulators also re-joined the Rail Alliance and hopes to be able to further develop its relationship with other industry operators through its membership. Commenting on the strengths that the company is able to deliver to its clients Jon observes: “Some of the secrets to our small successes lie in what we ‘can do’ rather than what we were renowned for and it is this that pushes the performance and technology frontier for Allied Insulators today. We remain as one of the only British insulator companies in this industry and this is something we are very proud of.” Moving into 2014 and beyond Allied Insulators is keen to further develop and continue to achieve sustainable growth. When Jon and his business partner Oliver Scopes undertook their management buyout in 2011 they did so with a five-year business plan. Having achieved many of the plan’s aims in a short time the company will now focus on new growth and further integration with the UK rail industry. “Whilst we carry this heritage we have had to re-invent ourselves, we are not the major porcelain manufacturer we were but we are a highly responsive, lean and diverse business with ambition and agility to react in a vast and challenging landscape.” Network Rail’s planned National Electrification Programme for the next years represents an import opportunity for the company and one it is well placed to take advantage of. zz

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zzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Conferences & Exhibitions zz Forthcoming Conferences and Exhibitions This listing represents a selection of the events about which we have been notified. It is strongly recommended that direct contact should be made with the individual organiser responsible for each event before booking places or making travel and accommodation reservations. Cancellations and other last-minute alterations are liable to occur. The editor and publishers of RAILWAY STRATEGIES are not responsible for any loss or inconvenience suffered by readers in connection with this guide to events.

13 February 2014 – Gen Y Rail Newcastle Upon Tyne Organisers: The National Skills Academy Tel: 0161 833 6320 Web: www.nsare.org

20-22 May – Infrarail 2014 London Organisers: Mack Brooks Tel: 01727 814 400 Web: www.infrarail.com

12-14 March – Exporail South East Asia – Thailand 2014 Bangkok Organisers: Mack Brooks Exhibitions Tel: +44 (0)1727 814 400 Email: thailand@exporail-southeastasia.com Web: www.exporail-southeastasia.com/

20-22 May – Civil Infrastructure & Technology Exhibition (CITE) 2014 London Organisers: Mack Brooks Tel: 01727 814 400 Web: www.cite-uk.com

1-2 April – MetroRail co-located with Light Rail, RailTel, Rail Power and Air Rail London Organisers: Terrapinn Tel: +44 (0)20 7092 1000 Email: enquiry.uk@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/RS-brochure 1-3 April – Intermodal Asia 2014 Shanghai Organisers: Informa Exhibitions Tel: +44 (0)207 017 5112 Email: sophie.ahmed@informa.com Web: www.intermodal-asia.com

17-19 March 2015 – Rail-Tech 2015 Utrecht Organisers: Europoint Conferences & Exhibitions Tel: +31 (0)30 698 1800 Email: info@rail-tech.com Web: www.rail-tech.com

28-29 May – GEO Business 2014 London Organisers: Diversified Business Communications UK Tel: +44 (0)1453 836 363 Web: www.geobusinessshow.com 23-26 September – InnoTrans 2014 Berlin Organisers: Messe Berlin GmbH Tel: +49 (0)30 30 38 - 2376 Email: innotrans@messe-berlin.de Web: www.innotrans.com

Institute of Mechanical Engineers Training Courses Technical training for the railway industry A listing of courses currently available from the IMechE (Unless stated otherwise, all courses are in London) 4th March 2014 Introduction to rolling stock Key design principles affecting the performance of railway systems 5th March Traction & braking Principles of traction and braking for railway engineers

19th March Train communication and auxiliary systems New and existing systems in use on today’s rolling stock fleet 20th March Fleet maintenance Improve your processes and fleet maintenance processes

6th March Vehicle dynamics and vehicle track interaction Understand the dynamics of railway vehicles to improve safety, comfort and asset life

1st April Vehicle Acceptance and Approvals Introduction to acceptance procedures which apply across the rail network

18th March Train control and safety systems Learn of the systems used on UK fleets that provide safety and train operational contro

2nd April Optimising fleet maintenance efficiency Understand the issues affecting rail vehicle performance and cost of maintenance

3rd April Train structural integrity Structural integrity, fire and crashworthiness systems found on today’s rail fleets 12 -16th May Introduction to railway signalling technology An overview of railway control systems, subsystems and technologies used on UK main line and metro railways A downloadable brochure is available at: www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/learningand-professional-development-documents/ l_d_railway_training_web.pdf?sfvrsn=2 For more information, please contact Lucy O’Sullivan, learning and development co-ordinator: Tel: +44 (0)20 7304 6907 Email: training@imeche.org Web: www.imeche.org/learning/courses/railway

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RAILWAY FOR SENIOR RAIL MANAGEMENT

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Schofield Publishing 10 Cringleford Business Centre Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU

T: +44 (0) 1603 274130 F: +44 (0) 1603 274131 Editor Martin Collier

editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk Sales Manager Rob Wagner

rwagner@schofieldpublishing.co.uk