Railway Strategies Issue 116 April 2015

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

Issue 116 April

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Class 800 makes a dramatic entrance

NEWS

House of Lords committee casts doubt on HS2

FOCUS ON

Signalling

First integrated strategy for the north emerges

FOCUS ON

Stations

Archaeologists to excavate Liverpool Street skeletons

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Chairman Andrew Schofield Managing Director Mike Tulloch Editor Gay Sutton editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk Managing Editor Libbie Hammond Editorial Designer Jon Mee Advertisement Designer David Howard Profile Editor Libbie Hammond Advertisement Sales Dave King Head of Research Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Keith Hope Gavin Watson Tarj Kaur-D’Silva Mark Cowles Administration Tracy Chynoweth

From the Editor

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Thinking ahead

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y the time Railtex opens its doors on 12 May we will have a new Government.

After the rhetoric of the last few months the realities of managing the economy wisely will once again kick in. There will undoubtedly be some tough decisions to be made. Whatever blend of parties take power, the question will be: will the promises made during the heat of the election campaign be honoured in the cold light of day? The rail sector needs continuity if it is to help rebalance and boost the nation’s economy.

In this month’s magazine, we take a close look at signalling. Ofgem is warning that a shortfall in power generation is quite possible next winter when the spare capacity over peak demand could fall as low as two per cent. What are the implications for signalling, one of the critical elements of the railway system, and what contingency planning options are out there?

The human side of running a railway also comes under scrutiny.

Our Legal Signals article looks at the many pitfalls of allowing stress in the workplace to affect employees’ health and performance.

This is followed by an excellent example of a train driver from Tyne and Wear who, after experiencing the traumatic effect of a serious incident on the railway, gained the support of his employer to train as a counsellor. Since then he has been helping his colleagues recover after such experiences, and lending a listening ear to anyone who needs it.

Railway Strategies by email Issue 116 APRIL ISSN 1467-0395 Published by

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zzzzzzzzzzzzz Contents 11

Features A dangerous game 9 Work-related stress and why it’s so important to recognise and tackle it SIMON ROBINSON Someone to listen 11 Peer-to-peer counselling has become a valuable tool to help staff cope after incidents at DB Regio Tyne and Wear ALAN HUDSON

story r e v o C 2 1

Access all areas 25 Designing and installing new access equipment for rolling stock maintenance at the Hitachi Ashford depot SEMMCO

News Industry 4 Infrastructure 6,10 Rolling Stock 12 Stations 19 Appointments 24 Conferences & Exhibitions 49

Profiles

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Giffen Group 26 Touax Rail Ltd. 30 Stadler Rail 34 Bourne Steel 38 NedTrain 42 Nexus 45 Houghton International 50

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zzzzzzzzzzzzz www.railwaystrategies.co.uk Focus on Signalling The right direction 13 We have a long way to go before we can reap the benefits of a truly digitised railway, but step by step we’re heading in the right direction ARNAB DUTT When the lights go out 14 Can the power supply for the railway’s critical signalling and control systems be safeguarded, as the UK heads towards a power ‘generation gap’?

ANDY PARFITT

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Focus on Stations Planning for passengers 16 Using advanced pedestrian simulation and crowd analysis software to streamline rail projects PETER DEBNEY Finding your way 20 Thinking ahead is critical if rail users are to be guided safely and quickly to their destinations during major station redevelopment DAVID WATTS What lies beneath 22 Using a pipe jack option for a difficult under-track crossing in West Sussex PERCO

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NEWS I Industry

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Finalists are announced for Tomorrow’s Train Design Today l The search for innovative new design concepts for passenger rolling stock has reached a new milestone.

The RSSB and FutureRailway, in conjunction with the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), have announced the three finalists in the Tomorrow’s Train Design Today competition The competition was launched in March 2014 when architects, engineers and designers worldwide were invited to propose new design solutions that would improve passenger rolling stock across the UK rail network Of the 48 entries, a shortlist of ten were selected to further develop their schemes, and these were submitted in January this year.The three designs chosen to go through the final are: The Adaptable Carriage, from 42 Technology. This is a flexible-purpose carriage achieved through the automatic stowage and movement of seating. The key enabling technologies are a novel seat that enables flexibility of orientation as a seat and perch, forward and rearward facing, as well as in a stowage position, and a system for driving and controlling the movement in a safe and efficient manner.

Horizon, from Priestman Goode. The Horizon train increases capacity and improves the passenger experience.

The design includes a seating concept that can flex between peak and off peak periods to offer a standard seat during off peak to a commuter seat in peak hours, which allows firstly greater capacity but also offers an enhanced environment with table, power and connections for working whilst in commuter mode.

ology 42 Techn arriage – C le b ta p The Ada

Aeroliner 3000 from Andreas Vogler with the German Aerospace Center DLR. Aeroliner 3000 follows the consequent application of light weight thinking into the train world. The development of a combination of many singular elements concerning aerodynamics, locomotion, structure, interactive control systems and even passenger psychology will be orchestrated under the umbrella of a modern design and engineering culture informed by consequent lightweight thinking.

There will be £2.2 million in total available to fund the next stage development.

David Clarke, RSSB director of innovation, commented: “The Tomorrow’s Train Design Today Competition produced some very high quality proposals which are targeted at improving the rail sector and help to achieve the goals of the Rail Technology Strategy.”

New rail industry apprenticeship standards unveiled l A consortium of major rail engineering employers supported by the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE) has developed a set of new apprenticeship standards for rail engineering.

The new standards encompass track, telecommunications, signalling, electrification, overhead lines, traction & rolling stock and rail systems. Within each discipline, rail engineering covers maintenance, renewal and construction / installation.

The standards have been developed on a ‘core and options’ basis where apprentices will undertake core learning plus a specialism in order to complete their apprenticeship.

Rail Engineering Operative, Intermediate Level 2 and Rail Engineering Technician, Advanced Level 3 have been launched. Meanwhile Rail Engineering Advanced Technician, Higher Apprenticeship Level 4 is currently under development.

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Office of Rail Regulation to take on road regulation as well l From 1 April 2015, the Office of Rail Regulation is change its name to the Office of Rail and Road, to reflect new responsibilities for monitoring the efficiency and performance of England’s strategic road network.

The Highways Agency is to become a government-owned company, Highways England, with specific performance improvements and investment to deliver over the five year funding period. ORR will take on the responsibility for independently monitoring and enforcing the performance and efficiency of Highways England.

ORR’s role will include securing improved performance and efficiency, safety and sustainability from the strategic road network. It will focus on increasing transparency and providing robust advice to the Secretary of State on future performance requirements. Meanwhile ORR will forge synergies between its rail and roads functions, sharing experience between the two roles, and drawing on joint support functions for rail and roads.

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NEWS I Industry

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In FACT £1.6 billion

Rail freight now delivers £1.6bn benefits to Britain’s economy every year according to RDG report. There has been a 30% rise in the movement of containers by rail since 2006, and one in four containers entering the country is now moved by rail.

Aeroliner 3000 - Andreas Vogler, German Aerospace Center DLR

Another 200 TfL and its supply chain have created 200 new apprenticeship roles, including quantity surveying, London underground and highway engineering and web development.

This is in addition to almost 5,500 apprenticeships already created since 2009.

h 6.7% Rail passenger journeys between October and December 2014 set a new all time record of 429.8m according to the latest figures from the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) . This is a 6.7% Horizon – Priestman Goode

increase on the same quarter the previous year.

Operation Goliath flexes its muscle l Police took to trains, trams and buses across the West Midlands throughout March in a high-profile operation targeting anti-social behaviour.

The specially named Operation Goliath saw officers from the Safer Travel team mounting extra patrols in vulnerable areas, with a mixture of foot and mobile patrols, responding quickly to real time issues identified by drivers and passengers.

Meanwhile, the Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands has called for London-style banning orders for persistent criminal offenders, enabling Centro to be able to ban repeat offenders from its entire network.

Currently, transport authorities in the West Midlands have to apply for separate injunctions for each local authority.

Commissioner David Jamieson said: “The current Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act (2014) gives only Transport for London the ability to use Criminal Behaviour Orders to ban people, who persistently commit criminal acts on the region’s transport, from using it. It makes no sense that these powers are not available to the authorities here in the West Midlands. Frankly, if it’s good enough for London then it’s good enough for our region too.”

The Safer Travel Partnership consists of Centro, West Midlands Police, British Transport Police and transport operators.

125 years The iconic Forth rail bridge, the longest in the world when it opened in 1865, celebrated its 125th anniversary this March. It was the first bridge of its size to be made primarily of steel and its cantilever design extended further than any other of its day.

SWT scoops Youth employment award l South West Trains has been named Employer of the Year in the Young London Working Awards, part of a scheme that engages with employers to provide high-quality job roles that are suitable for 16-24 year olds. It was the only train company to be shortlisted, beating off stiff competition from Primark and London-based estate agents Hamptons for the award for Employer of the Year.

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NEWS I Infrastructure

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz The Government has yet to make a convincing case for HS2

One of the new walk through trains that are operating on the Hammersmith & City, Circle, District and Metropolitan lines

Next phase of London Underground improvements unveiled l Mayor and London Underground have released detailed plans, timescales and budgets for the next phase of improvements of the London Underground.

The next four lines scheduled for radical modernisation are Circle, Metropolitan, District and Hammersmith & City lines. Together these account for 40% of the network and include the oldest part of the network built in 1863.

An improved version of the Thales train control system now operating on the Jubilee and Northern lines, will be installed on all four lines. Once the system is in place the Circle line, for example, will be able to run trains every 4 minutes instead of 10. When the increased traffic from District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan line services is added, there will be trains every 2 minutes across much of this part of the network in Central London.

Up to £5.54 billion is earmarked for the modernisation. Other improvements include 191 new modern air-conditioned walk through trains, new track, lengthened platforms and rebuilt train depots with advanced technology to ensure the highest levels of train reliability.

Work is expected to begin later this year. Once completed, LU will turn its attention to modernising the Piccadilly, Central, Bakerloo, and Waterloo & City lines.

Mike Brown, managing director of London Underground, said: “Having modernised three of the most heavily used lines we now need to bring the next four lines in to the modern era. The scale and complexity of the work and the need to keep London moving as we do it means that it will take several years.”

l The House of Lords Economic Affairs Select Committee has cast doubt on HS2, concluding that the Government has not made a convincing case for the £50 billion investment. It must do so before Parliament passes the Bill to enable the construction of the first stage of the railway to begin.

The Government has specified two main objectives for HS2: increasing capacity on the railway and rebalancing the economy.

On capacity, the evidence shows that long distance trains arriving at and departing from Euston are, on average, just 43 per cent full and even during peak times are only between 50 and 60 per cent full.

Overcrowding is largely confined to Friday evenings and weekends on long-distance trains, and to London-bound commuter trains. The committee argues that there are less expensive options to remedy these problems but they have not been properly reviewed.

On rebalancing the economy, evidence from countries such as France shows that the capital city is the biggest beneficiary from high speed rail. The Committee says there is a strong case for improving the trans-Pennine links and building the northern legs of HS2 first, and both would be a better way of rebalancing the economy than the southern leg of HS2.

Then finally, the cost per mile of HS2 is estimated to be up to nine times higher than the cost of constructing high speed lines in France. One way to reduce costs could be to run trains at 200 mph, as in Europe, instead of 250 mph, or to terminate the line at Old Oak Common or learn lessons from France on reducing the construction costs.

It is expected that the enabling legislation for HS2 Phase 1 will come to the Lords in the next Parliament.

Crossrail 2 comes a step closer l Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, has granted the Safeguarding for Crossrail 2.

The decision protects the route of the proposed new line from potential redevelopment plans that could affect it being built.

Linking key growth areas in south-west and north east London, Crossrail 2 will run through a tunnelled section from Wimbledon in the south to New Southgate and Tottenham Hale in the north. It will serve stations in this section including Tooting Broadway, Clapham Junction, King’s Road Chelsea, Victoria, Tottenham Court Road, Euston St Pancras, Angel, Dalston Junction, Seven Sisters, Turnpike Lane and Alexandra Palace. Crossrail 2 will also serve some destinations in Surrey and Hertfordshire using the existing National Rail network.

Whilst the safeguarding will protect this route, the precise details will be subject to a further public consultation in the autumn.

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NEWS I Infrastructure

‘Jigsaw’ station pieced together in a year and a day l The structure of the new Crossrail Custom House station in the Royal Docks has been completed, using a technique that simplifies the construction process.

Large sections of the station were manufactured in a state of the art Laing O’Rourke facility in Steetley, near Sheffield and then transported more than 130 miles to east London and assembled on site. The 825 station components were installed using a purpose-built 35 tonne gantry crane. The last section was installed a year and a day after the first piece went in.

The process of manufacturing large sections of the station off site in pre-cast concrete significantly simplified the process of building the station, saving time, reducing disruption, improving quality and making the process safer.

Mujahid Khalid, Crossrail project manager at Custom House, said: “Piecing together the 825 sections that make up the station’s structure has been a bit like a giant jigsaw puzzle. It’s been impressive to see the building go up so quickly and efficiently and a lot of hard work has gone in from everyone on the project.

“Now the structure is complete, the focus will turn to fitting out the building with escalators, lifts and everything else to turn it into a fully operating station.”

When it opens in 2018, Custom House Crossrail station will be run by Transport for London as part of London’s integrated transport network. At peak time, 12 trains an hour will make it quicker and easier to get to a range of destinations across London.

Professor Simon Iwnicki

Custom House Crossrail station being assembled

New £50m investment for South West Trains l A new £50 million package of improvements is to be implemented on South West Trains, under an amendment to the current South West Trains franchise agreement between Stagecoach Group and the Department for Transport.

Between now and February 2017, more than 57,000 additional seats and 73 new evening and weekend services will be introduced on suburban and mainline routes, and 1,400 more parking spaces will be created at some of the busiest car parks.

Smart ticketing is to be introduced across the network and 170 new easy-to-use ticket machines, including 90 with a facility for customers to ask for help via a video link, will be installed. Other improvements include a new website, mobile app and booking system, and a greater focus on customer service, with more staff on station concourses.

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Ordsal Chord gets the go ahead l The Ordsall Chord, the proposed new line in Manchester that will link Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Victoria in the city, has been approved by Transport minister Patrick McLoughlin.

Part of the multi-million pound Northern Hub upgrade for rail services across the North of England, the line will be built across a new purpose built viaduct, easing the rail bottleneck south of Piccadilly and enabling more trains to travel through Manchester city centre.

The viaduct will enable an extra two fast trains per hour between Manchester Victoria and Liverpool and Leeds and Manchester, plus a direct service through Manchester city centre to Manchester Airport.

Research examines the potential for ERTMS Limited Supervision l Mott MacDonald has completed the first stage of technical research into the potential opportunities for implementing the new Limited Supervision functionality of the European Train Control System (ETCS) in the United Kingdom.

The deployment is part of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) which is currently being rolled out across Europe to standardise and simplify cross-border railway travel between European Union member states.

The UK plans to implement ETCS across the entire railway network.

Working on behalf of RSSB, Mott MacDonald investigated existing installations of the new Limited Supervision functionality on systems in Switzerland. This was followed by a detailed review of UK rail stakeholders including RSSB, Network Rail, passenger and freight train operators to determine the requirements and identify potential benefits of utilising Limited Supervision in the UK. The consultancy also provided high-level concept designs for potential UK application.

Robert Gray, Mott MacDonald’s project director, said: “Limited Supervision could be utilised as part of the national ETCS strategy to simplify deployment or as a more cost-effective alternative to radio token systems.”

The industry will take these findings into consideration when deciding on the potential role of Limited Supervision.

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Legal Signals

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A dangerous game SIMON ROBINSON highlights why rail industry companies need to stop work-related stress having a negative effect on their health

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Simon Robinson is partner in the employment team of Yorkshire law firm Gordons. He has extensive experience and expertise in the rail industry

Bhavisha Mistry

n the subject of stress in rail industry workplaces, hardly any expert now disagrees with two key propositions: it is a widespread feature and nobody benefits from it.

The first of these is indicated by research from the TUC, which indicates stress is the highest-ranked health hazard across the transport sector. This is part of a wider picture summarised by Health & Safety Executive (HSE) that estimates that 10.8 million working days are lost to work-related stress, depression or anxiety across the UK economy each year. The same body says stress accounts for over a third of all diagnosed cases of work-related ill health, with affected workers taking an average of 27 days off a year.

Where the main causes of work-related stress are concerned, the HSE has identified six factors, namely employees: being unable to cope with the demands of their jobs; having insufficient say about how they do their work; receiving inadequate information and support from colleagues, including superiors; suffering unacceptable behaviour, such as bullying; not understanding their role and responsibilities; and being subjected to organisational changes frequently without consultation.

As for nobody benefiting from work-induced stress, this is exemplified by the effects it has on employees, which can include mental ill health, physical problems, drug or alcohol abuse and poor diet. From rail companies’ perspectives, the types of legal pitfall they may face are many and varied, and the consequences of coming unstuck potentially serious, in respects such as financial and reputational damage.

Any employers taking the problem too lightly - and the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) says many industry companies still do not measure work-related stress at all – are therefore playing a dangerous game.

The legal position includes all employers having a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that workplaces are safe and healthy. They also have to carry out assessments to identify potential risks, and take measures to control any they discover. It will not necessarily be enough to provide a counselling service to correct a breached duty of care.

Rail companies can also be taken to employment tribunals to face constructive dismissal claims, if employees resign because they have been subject to unreasonable stress, which could include bullying.

In addition, the Equality Act treats stress as

potentially part of an underlying condition that might amount to a disability. The statute says employers have to make reasonable adjustments to workplaces, which can include reducing workloads or pressures on employees under stress.

Despite all these potential legal bear-traps, it is still possible to fairly dismiss an employee who is absent from work due to work-related stress, even if the employer has contributed to the problem. However, the courts have indicated that in those circumstances, employers must ‘go the extra mile’, which can mean waiting for longer before dismissing and making more effort to find alternative employment within their organisations than might generally be needed in unfair dismissal cases.

It is important to remember too that this limited comfort blanket for employers only covers unfair dismissal. A rail business causing an employee undue stress continues to risk other types of claim, including for personal injury. Experience also suggests that in the context of personal injury claims, an employer can often be more at risk of a successful claim by failing to deal effectively and/or efficiently with an employee under stress. It is therefore just as important to act swiftly and appropriately once any concerns are raised.

In response to this widespread and growing problem, the ORR last year published a position paper on work-related stress. This set out how the organisation will work with the industry to harness the health and business benefits of better stress management.

The ORR says it is looking for a comprehensive three-tier approach – preventative, proactive and reactive – which gives sufficient priority to preventing stress through organisational changes and job design, supported by good practice interventions to help individuals stay well and at work.

Rightly, the ORR is keen to see rail industry employers take this three-pronged approach, not only because work-induced stress can lead to costly compensation claims but because managing the problem well can save rail companies money in other ways and improve efficiency too.

The ORR certainly deserves to be wished well with its initiative. However – while acknowledging that this may sound like a double-glazing salesman pronouncing your windows too thin – there really is no substitute for rail companies concerned about their legal vulnerability on work-related stress consulting an employment lawyer. zz

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First integrated transport strategy for the north is launched l The role of rail in building the much vaunted ‘northern powerhouse’ and boosting the economy of the North of England has been set out in a newly published transport strategy for the region.

The report, The Northern Powerhouse: One Agenda, One Economy, One North was created by Transport for the North, set up by the Chancellor in October 2014 and bringing together the northern transport authorities. It sets out a vision for the North’s transport infrastructure, defining already committed initiatives and schemes, and identifying a host of new transformational priorities in roads and rail transport, freight, airports and smart ticketing.

Work will continue on the following existing rail initiatives: l Transform city to city rail connectivity East/West and North/South through both HS2 and a new TransNorth system, radically reducing travel times across an intercity network l Ensure there is the rail commuter capacity and frequency that a resurgent North will need l Deliver the full HS2 ‘Y’ network as soon as possible, including consideration of accelerating the construction of the Leeds – Sheffield line l Set out a clearly prioritised multimodal freight strategy for the North to support trade and freight movement in the North and to national/international markets l Develop integrated and smart ticket structures to support the vision of a single economy across the North.

From the rail perspective, the initiatives, schemes and priorities to be developed, include: l Achieving 20 minute journey times between Liverpool and Manchester on a new TransNorth rail network l Achieving 30 minute journey times between Manchester and Leeds and Manchester and Sheffield l Exploring the option to create a new rail line across the Pennines from Manchester linking with HS2 between Sheffield and Leeds, to create a high speed network between the three cities (HS3) l Exploring the option for a new rail line from Manchester to Sheffield along a similar route to the potential road tunnel which is also being explored l Achieving 45 minute journey times between Leeds and Hull and 50 minute journey times between Sheffield and Hull l 140 mph trains between Leeds and Newcastle potentially cutting journey times by up to 35 minutes l Taking immediate action to simplify rail fares across the North, eliminating the unfair price differences that exist at present l Drawing up proposals for fares structure areas for an integrated northern travel area connecting the North l Aligning the different tickets and approaches in northern cities.

A £12.5 million development budget has been set to progress the proposals.

Memorandums of understanding will be agreed with Network Rail, High Speed 2 Ltd and Highways England in spring 2015 and the strategy will be updated in spring 2016.

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First Great Western stays with FirstGroup for four more years l The Department for Transport has extended the FirstGroup’s franchise to operate the First Great Western until 1 April 2019, with the option to extend by a further year.

FirstGroup will oversee a major programme of infrastructure upgrades on the network during this time, including the largest fleet upgrade on the route in a generation, with new or updated trains for every area of the network. This will result in additional and more frequent services, using faster and more comfortable trains with improved amenities such as free Wi-Fi. Key commuter markets including Bristol, Exeter, Oxford and Gatwick Airport will benefit from increased capacity, and there will be 16% more peak time seats into and out of London Paddington station. Services between London and Bristol will increase by 70%. By December 2018 there will be 9,000 additional seats every day across the franchise.

Stations will be upgraded with investment in security, customer information, accessibility and more car parking and bike storage. During the new franchise period a £2.2 million community investment fund will enable station and train service improvements around lower income communities. There will also be programmes to address accessibility.

Commenting, Tim O’Toole, chief executive said: “We are already working closely with the DfT and Network Rail to deliver the initial phases of the £7.5 billion Great Western Mainline modernisation programme. This investment is the biggest on the route since Brunel, and will transform a key part of the country’s transport infrastructure.

TransPennine Express franchise extended to April 2016 lThe TransPennine Express (TPE) is set to continue in the hands of the First Group and Keolis joint venture following a Direct Award from the Department for Transport.

The joint venture has been operating the franchise since 2004, providing services that link Liverpool and Manchester with Leeds, York and the North East – in addition to Sheffield, Doncaster, through the Lake District and into Scotland, serving both Glasgow and Edinburgh. It carries a total of 25 million passengers every year.

Under the terms of new agreement the joint venture will continue to operate the service until at least April 2016, and DfT then has the option to extend the contract further until February 2017.

The Direct Award will also allow the public transport operator to support Network Rail in the delivery of major infrastructure and capacity improvements, including the electrification of key routes.

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Someone to listen

Metro train driver Alan Hudson talks about how a serious incident on the railway spurred him on to become a corporate counsellor for his colleagues at DB Regio Tyne and Wear

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Alan Hudson is corporate counsellor at Tyne and Wear Metro

Bhavisha Mistry

Newly refurbished train

uring his 14-year career with Tyne and Wear Metro, Alan Hudson has experienced a number of incidents. However, he was always able to emotionally move on from them. It wasn’t until he was involved in a fatality on the line that his life changed.

While today Alan is stronger, more resilient and able to talk about his experience, he knows he wouldn’t be where he is now without the support of his colleagues at DB Regio Tyne and Wear, which operates trains on behalf of Nexus.

After the accident, DB Regio initially provided Alan with counselling, but the real support began when the 52-yearold returned to work three months later.

He said: “When I returned to work, I was really nervous.

It was only during a conversation with another Metro driver who had experienced a similar incident that I began to open up. My colleague explained that my experience was a natural response to a traumatic event, as were the nightmares that plagued me. This gave me an idea that DB Regio could provide real benefits for staff through peerto-peer counselling.

“For me, it was more comfortable talking to an experienced colleague rather than a psychologist, and whilst I can’t understand someone’s inner feelings, I can empathise because I’ve been through it.”

Alan says one of the things that affected him badly about the accident was the feeling of powerlessness being forced to watch a fate unfold that he could not change.

He talked to his bosses at DB Regio about the possibility of him taking a counselling course in order to assist other staff going through similar traumatic experiences. The train operator paid for Alan to attend a three-month intensive counselling course at Gateshead College.

“I was a little intimidated because I had to stand up and explain why I was on the course. You could have heard a pin drop after I told the class what had happened. I found the course hard academically as I’d left school at 16 and this was the first time back in a classroom. Towards the end however, I ended up helping students because of my life experience.”

Alan completed his course work on rest days and DB Regio helped support him by changing his shifts when needed. “Doing the course really helped me, both professionally and personally,” added Alan.

Alan then joined Newcastle City Centre chaplaincy and became the chaplain for Eldon Square for a year, he also visited The Cyrenians charity during this time. “Eldon Square was good experience, I went around shops meeting staff. I was someone to talk to and confide in if anyone had problems. The Cyrenians took me to visit

the homeless people they work with. It was really sad, especially since many were ex-servicemen like myself.”

Back at DB, Alan is now qualified as a ‘corporate counsellor’ and provides a listening ear to any staff member who needs it, any time of the day or night. He said: “DB has been very supportive in promoting the counselling service, distributing my number to all those who have experienced incidents.”

Alan, who was previously in the Armed Forces for six years, added: “When there’s a lot of men working together, you find there’s often a macho culture in which they will carry their burden without tears. Men will often bottle their feelings up. I always say that you are better off crying than holding it in. If someone is involved in an incident, they are given my number and often call me. I then arrange to see them in their home, a café, or even at my own house.

“The incident was five years ago now, but it never goes away, you just learn to live with it. People sometimes forget, it’s not just those who die who are the victims, it’s people like me, the ambulance people and police who turn up too.”

Despite the tragic nature of the incident, the experience has changed Alan’s life for the better. He has attended and been involved in three trauma courses for The Samaritans, advised Chiltern Railways on developing a similar counselling service for staff and he’s even received a regional award for going the extra mile to help his colleagues.

The biggest reward for Alan, however, is seeing someone he’s helped back at work, smiling and laughing. He said: “When I won the ‘Individual who makes a Difference’ category at the Equality North East awards, I was beaming, a little embarrassed, but secretly delighted. I didn’t think I’d ever win an award.

“I’ll often be walking across the depot and someone will say to me, Alan I don’t need any counselling, but…and a 10-minute walk turns into 20 where they pour their heart out to me. Then I’ll follow it up and they’ll come back and say thanks so much for listening.

“It doesn’t matter where I am, if something happens, I will go and help. Five years ago, I would have offered help, but I would have been wary. Now I’m not afraid. I feel like I have to help now. The training I’ve had has made me more caring. I’m less judgmental.

“You have to be in the right frame of mind to be a counsellor. The hardest part is finding the best person.

When I retire I’d like to work for a homeless charity. My wife and I help Hospitality and Hope in South Shields by donating food and collecting for them, but I’d love to do more.” zz

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Ricardo to deliver flying train cars to Orlando

The Hitachi Class 800 arriving at Southampton

The first Hitachi Class 800 arrives in the UK for testing l The first of a new generation of high-tech passenger trains has arrived in the UK ahead of general production at the new Hitachi facility at Newton Aycliffe.

The Class 800 train, designed and built by Hitachi for the £5.7 billion InterCity Express Programme (IEP), was unloaded from a transporter ship at Southampton port and delivered by road to the Old Dalby test track near Melton Mowbray. Once those tests yield good results, the trains will be transferred to a wheels free zone on the East Coast Main Line for further testing.

Although this first IEP train was built in Hitachi’s Kasado works in Japan, the majority of the 866 carriage fleet will be manufactured in the UK at Hitachi’s new purpose-built £82m facility at Newton Aycliffe, when production commences in January 2016.

The train was built with the help of almost 30 UK-based suppliers and many more from the rest of Europe. Meanwhile, staff from the new UK factory have spent around 3,000 hours working alongside employees in Kasado building the first train. They will pass on their expertise to the rest of the UK workforce.

Travelling at a top speed of 125 mph, the new trains are capable of running at 140 mph and the government recently confirmed a study would be carried out on providing the infrastructure needed for IEP trains on East Coast to run at this speed – providing faster links with a potential HS3 scheme and therefore dramatically improving both north-south and east-west connectivity.

The trains are scheduled to go into service on the West Coast Mainline from 2017 and East Coast from 2018. All 122 will be in service by 2020.

Andy Barr, chief operating officer, Hitachi Rail Europe, said: “The arrival of the first train here in the UK is a major achievement for everybody involved in building this train – our colleagues in Japan, our UK suppliers and also the team from Newton Aycliffe, who worked on this train in Japan to hone their train-building skills. Today marks a new departure in the Intercity Express Programme for Hitachi Rail Europe, as we enter the test phase and build up to the opening of our Rail Vehicle Manufacturing Facility in the autumn of this year.”

Battery powered train trials completed l Network Rail and Bombardier Transportation have now completed testing Britain’s first battery-powered passenger train, and the results are being analysed.

For the trials, Bombardier Transportation retrofitted a four-carriage Abellio Greater Anglia Class 379 Electrostar with a set of batteries, and the prototype train was tested on the weekly timetabled passenger service between Harwich and Manningtree.

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l Ricardo has signed a long term agreement to supply American Maglev Technology (AMT) with magnetically levitated vehicles for a new rail system between the Orlando International Airport, the Orlando Convention Center and nearby hotels.

Headquartered in Marietta Georgia, AMT’s transit technology is based upon optimised magnetic levitation and linear induction propulsion that is entirely electric and much quieter than traditional rail systems. Their unique system design integrates the magnets and controls in a lightweight vehicle which allows a more simplified track than other systems currently in commercial operation, and delivers transit systems that serve the needs of the mega-regional transportation sector.

Ricardo will supply AMT with the rail cars, including design, engineering and integration of the magnetic levitation and propulsion system. The vehicle design and engineering team at Ricardo will immediately begin work on the lightweight rail car development, with a target to deliver the first two cars to AMT by summer of 2016.

Pendolino reaches 1 million kilometre milestone in Poland l Alstom’s high speed train the Pendolino has covered one million kilometres in Poland since going into operation in mid-December 2014. During this time the fleet has made around 2,000 journeys connecting the main cities of Warsaw, Gdansk, Gdynia, Krakow, Katowice and Wroclaw, with 100% availability.

The trains are maintained at Alstom’s Train Technical Service Centre, located in Olszynka Grochowska (Warsaw).

Electric trains typically use high voltage overhead cables as their energy source. Battery-powered trains could, however, run independently of the high-voltage overhead cables, allowing them to bridge gaps between electrical lines, or to operate non-electrified branch lines served by diesel trains. The results of this trial will indicate the potential of this mode of power.

If successful, such technology could ultimately replace diesel stock on branch lines where electrification works would not be cost-effective.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Signalling zz The right direction Arnab Dutt discusses making tracks in the digital world

I Arnab Dutt is a Public Member of Network Rail, and managing director of Texane

Bhavisha Mistry

t goes without saying that the world has moved into the digital age, a trend that only shows signs of accelerating, and the rail sector is following suit.

Almost under the media radar, drowned out by complaints about the price of fares and delays, work to digitise our railways has picked up pace.

Last year, Network Rail announced plans for a £38 billion investment to deliver a better railway for Britain, including introducing the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).

Currently, there are 20 different traffic management systems in operation across Europe, each with its own problems and complexities. To switch between these systems takes time and money – time and money that I’m sure could be better spent elsewhere.

The objective of ERTMS is to address this mishmash by introducing a standard for rail traffic management across the content, improving operations and signalling across borders. Developed by members of the Association of the European Rail Industry, the system promises more capacity and reliability, improved safety and stimulation for an open market and, as a result, more competition among suppliers and better value for networks, operators and passengers.

ERTMS forms part of Network Rail’s National Operating Strategy (NOS). Among the issues it addresses is the need to upgrade signalling. Britain has a long history of conventional signalling systems dating back to the middle of the 19th century, and many of ‘old school’ signalling boxes are still in operation today – hardly the sort of thing we want on a hard-pressed 21st century network.

With growing rail traffic and the network increasing in size in future, the benefits of digitising the signalling operations are in plain sight. Under NOS, Network Rail aims to create 14 regional Route Operating Centres (ROCs) to manage and control all signalling across our networks. Consolidating the operation from some 800 outposts to these regional centres will be a massive undertaking, but if it works, the improvements will not just be cathartic but contribute to the massive savings promised by ERTMS and NOS, calculated at £1.6 billion by 2029.

To state another obvious point, our networks rely on passengers, just as they rely on our networks but of course, and unsurprisingly, the majority are unaware

of the step change improvements to rail infrastructure, let alone the nuances of digitising signalling or other parts of the operation. Yet they will surely have benefited from digital improvements elsewhere.

Smart ticketing has proved its worth. London’s Oyster Card for example is a must have for many commuters, Londoners and frequent visitors to the capital, allowing travel on multiple networks.

But a wider rollout of smart ticketing has been slow. Slowly but surely, however, rail operators have grasped the potential benefits of the concept and are now announcing plans to make smart ticketing a priority. As a result, rail passengers may be able to benefit from reduced journey times and more flexible fares in years ahead.

Passengers, of course, always want more. The latest review of Rail Passengers’ Priorities for Improvements’ from Passenger Focus identified a need for increased access to Wi-Fi both on trains and in stations. One of the advantages of commuting and travelling by rail is that it gives passengers time to catch up on work and with friends via email and social networks or to browse the web. Ideally, passengers should be able to do this without worrying about dips in signal strength or lost connections.

In response, the Government is planning to spend £90 million across England and Wales to improve signal strength, speed and accessibility on the rail networks. Both on-train and trackside technologies are to be updated. Network Rail has one of the largest digital fibre networks in the UK. The rail sector, as with every area of business and industry, is developing new ways to do business in the digital age. Network Rail’s ORBIS programme, aimed at improving capture, sharing and use of information, involves creating a 3D digital model of the UK rail network. It will help engineers make better, more informed decisions about maintenance and operation, with the realistic hope that this will lead to increased service reliability.

What is clear to me, and many others I’m sure, is that our network needs to grow to reflect passenger needs and numbers, as well as meeting the expectations of passengers in a digital age.

With passenger numbers spiralling, plans for digitisation are overdue, but the rail sector is now moving in the right direction. It won’t happen overnight but the benefits are clearly immense. zz

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When the lights go out The UK may struggle to generate sufficient power over the next few years, and the railways will need to safeguard supply to its critical signalling and control systems. Andy Parfitt reviews the options

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Andy Parfitt is Sales Director at Harland Simon UPS

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ignalling is one of the most important parts of the many which constitute a railway system. Train movement safety depends on it, as does the control and management of trains. Over recent years, signalling and train control systems have evolved so that today a highly technical and complex infrastructure has developed, with reliance dependent on widely varied power sources, from mains supply to dated battery technology.

Yet despite the very real risk of power outages, a huge proportion of this critical UK infrastructure is vulnerable – leaving businesses and consumers alike at risk should major outages occur.

The fact is that in today’s joined up and internet enabled society, every aspect of the infrastructure is reliant upon clean, reliable power supply. And for those tasked with delivering these services, contingency planning is not just about safeguarding the infrastructure; it is increasingly about safeguarding revenue. In today’s target driven and highly regulated society, any significant failure in rail networks will result in fines, negative publicity and a drop in shareholder value.

The lights may not go out – yet. But can any business afford to take the risk?

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Lights out When the UK government takes out what is effectively a £1 billion insurance policy against the lights going out, it is clearly time for the rest of the country to take note. With Britain facing a severe power generation crunch for the next two winters and Ofgem warning that the margin — the spare capacity above peak demand — could fall to as low as two per cent next winter, contingency plans are becoming important.

In addition to the recent controversial announcement regarding the proposed payment of £990 million in subsidies to power plants to guarantee demand can be met from 2018, the government has also invested heavily in the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and the Securities and Emergencies Measures Directive (SEMD), designed to protect critical sites against terrorist attack.

So not only does the UK have to contend with a power generation network still in transition, a loss of power may not just come from grid overload: there is a significant risk of terrorist activity compromising the power network. And that means there is a pressing need to safeguard not only the most obvious aspects of the nation’s infrastructure – the banks, the petrochemical plants, the power stations,

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and the government – but to also ensure that the air, road and rail networks are able to manage in the event of power outage; that water supplies are not affected and that emergency services can still communicate effectively.

Fragile society The importance of such contingency planning is demonstrated on a nearly daily basis. When less than an hour’s downtime of the air traffic control system over London resulted in two days of chaos; or when a signalling failure can cause hours’ worth of delays to commuters, the fragility of the UK infrastructure becomes very clear.

In simple terms, should signalling problems arise, in the first instance there will be delays to trains causing problems to the public who uses them. More importantly though, the safety issue presents the biggest cause for concern - with signal failure comes the risk of crashes and the risk to life at level crossings.

Of course, these are not standard environments. In addition to being typically unmanned, these are harsh environments subject to extremes of temperature, vibration, water ingress, dust and dirt. They are certainly not suitable for the standard Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) that are deployed in clean, temperature controlled offices and data centres to provide clean, reliable power supplies. Place them in any environment subject to significant vibrations and failure will be rapid, while exposure to temperature extremes will result in battery life plummeting.

Fit for purpose Usually, signals and other equipment – such as track circuits and level crossing equipment – are powered from a low voltage supply, allowing easy operation from storage batteries. Indeed, in some parts of the UK, batteries remain the main power source as mains power is unavailable. In other locations, batteries provide critical backup should mains power fail.

Unfortunately, with the changes in infrastructure that have taken place in the last ten years, Network Rail specifications can be dated, as is the array of products that meet these. With newer technologies still to be proven, the fact is that the majority of equipment used to provide critical backup power is now often less reliable in coping with the increase in demand upon it.

These are critical locations that require protecting; but they are also often unmanned and organisations need equipment that is reliable and offers long-term protection.

While some manufacturers insist data centre and office UPS need to be regularly tested (including monthly discharge tests) this is simply not a practical option for an out of the way, unmanned location. Demanding monthly maintenance activity creates an unjustifiable whole life cost in these harsh environments. The key here is to put in place a device that is ultra reliable and

can both guarantee a long life and require minimal on-going maintenance.

The solution is to provide a rugged protected UPS that is designed specifically to work reliably and for a long life within a harsh environment, one that has been engineered, modified, ruggedised and tailored to fit within specific site and application space constraints: a ‘protected UPS’. The UPS needs to be the correct ‘Form-Fit-Function!’ With the right UPS in place, organisations can be assured that these critical aspects of the national infrastructure will keep running irrespective of power outages or glitches. Quite simply, put a UPS on a key intersection and the traffic continues flowing, and public health & safety can be guaranteed.

Of course, when it comes to national contingency there is also a financial consideration. Rail providers are subject to strict targets – failure to meet these targets will result in fines, damage to brand image, and an impact on shareholder value.

Safeguarding critical infrastructure is as much about protecting the smooth operation of the nation as it is about safeguarding the smooth flow of revenue – and power contingency is now a fundamental aspect of business planning. zz

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Planning for passengers Peter Debney describes how advanced pedestrian simulation and crowd analysis software is being used to streamline rail projects around the world

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Peter Debney is an Application Engineer at Oasys MassMotion

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apable of simulating vast numbers of pedestrians, into the millions if required, Oasys MassMotion communicates complex problems in a highly visual manner and saves time, money and manpower during the planning and design phases of major new build or renovation projects. Its speed and new licensing options are now making crowd simulation an everyday tool for any design or operations planning team, whether you are working on a new multi-modal hub or updating an older station.

Managing passengers is as important as managing assets as global rail traffic continues to grow, but it does present planners with the added challenge of catering for individual passengers who make individual choices. This is no small consideration when dealing with the paradigm shift towards intermodal mobility, with hubs of interconnected structures in the heart of busy cities catering for flows of tens of thousands of people in peak hours.

The good news is that passenger behaviour and choices can be predicted, and design ideas to ease their journey through the station can be tested and optimised

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in computer models before expensive construction or refurbishment work starts on site. Software tools for crowd analysis are generally based on Dr John J Fruin’s academic research in the 1970s, which looked at how individuals’ speeds vary and reduce with congestion, which is curiously enough, not a linear relationship.

Predicting when a crowd is likely to get into difficulty calls for engineers to use software tools with the power to look at different crowd densities, and to do so quickly and costeffectively.

MassMotion, which was originally developed to meet specific demands from engineers at Arup, uses the research by Fruin and those that came after to accurately simulate complex environments, analyse the findings, and then generate graphics and visualisations to communicate the results. This, coupled with the assurance of 3D BIM compatibility and the ability to realistically simulate crowds of potentially unlimited sizes, is establishing Oasys MassMotion as the global standard for simulation.

Before choosing MassMotion to support their work with Dutch railways, Royal HaskoningDHV diligently compared

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time. It enables engineers to check the safety of, say, partial walkway or escalator closures during construction, to test and prove different scenarios, and to secure authorisation of works without delay.

“MassMotion was really important in planning how we kept the station running smoothly during renovations. We needed to make sure that we understood the way passengers were moving around the station so we didn’t run into any crowd control issues,” said Steve Lewis, Network Rail’s station manager for New Street.

A similar challenge is being met in Toronto, where a major overhaul of the regional transport system is centred on Union Station. Here, Mike Wolczyk, Director, Union Station Infrastructure has said: “It’s like trying to do surgery on a patient while they’re running a marathon.”

At Union Station, forward-thinking engineers engaged with crowd analysis, and MassMotion, at the master planning stage of the project, and this sort of early engagement is surely going to be the norm for major projects in future.

Stakeholders need to weigh investment decisions and understand the implications and opportunities of different design options, and MassMotion makes this easy to do. its outputs with visual observation and concluded that: ‘MassMotion’s predictions are probably as near to real life as it is possible to get statistically, and give us a sound platform on which to propose and evaluate new ideas.’

Fit for the future Over the years, the capabilities of the MassMotion software have surged ever upwards, and the inspired development team, led by Toronto-based Erin Morrow, has continued to

Safety first Although it is increasingly winning a place at the master planning top table, crowd modelling has a rich history in emergency evacuation planning. Fire engineers have traditionally been active users of these software tools and licensing arrangements continue to ensure that, where ingress/egress planning remains the focus, then MassMotion is still the right and most economical choice.

A current example of ingress/egress planning is the staging of construction works for Network Rail at Birmingham New Street station to manage a major transformation without ever being able to shut platforms.

For projects like these, the ability to develop pedestrian environments quickly using either imported CAD/ BIM geometry or from scratch with MassMotion’s new modelling tools can be crucial to keeping the project on

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d Investigation

add to the intelligence and autonomy of the agents within their simulations, ensuring that they behave as real crowds would, which isn’t always what as a designer pre-supposes.

Cultural references can be added too, such as preference for giving way to the right or left, or physical restrictions such as relative reluctance to use stairs.

At the front end, Oasys developers continue to add to the quality of visual output with biped agents being the latest innovation and superb, stylised renderings giving an instant ‘window’ on what will happen, as well as making the software faster and easier to use.

Few would doubt that the future of mobility is multi-modal commuting, combining door-to-door solutions including intercity and regional trains, local buses, taxis, trams, cycles and walkways for first and last mile connectivity. Frost & Sullivan has predicted a whole new group of participants in

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the market and has coined the term Mobility Integrators.

Certainly automated people movers (APM) and personal rapid transit (PRT) systems are expected to show strong growth as feeders for high density lines in highly urbanised and densely populated areas and, of course, automated and i-ticketing and touch-only barriers is changing the changing the dynamics of passenger flow. Planners can use MassMotion to test how ideas such as touch only barriers or i-ticketing will work before decisions are made.

Naturally, working in real 3D is essential, not just to tick the box of BIM compatibility but also because it is the only way to represent crowd movement realistically. Most stations and interchanges operate on multiple levels, and modern open plan structures than can be 40m or more high. Software that only models in 2D and then adds a third dimension for ‘reporting purposes’ is not going to be fit for purpose for the coming generation of transport hubs.

Not surprisingly then, Oasys MassMotion has been chosen as the only crowd simulation software capable of dealing with analysis for a multi-modal, multi-level transport hubs around the world. The latest exciting project is challenging its designers is one in the Middle East catering for up to 200,000 people an hour and allowing for up to 45,000 to be in the building at any one time. As Sereca Fire’s senior engineer on the project, Andrew Coles said: “It’s one thing to try and explain the implications of having tens of thousands of people in a 3D space, quite another to be able to show it visually. With MassMotion we provide the architects with a coherent argument to take to their client, showing how design changes will create a better, safer and more cost-effective building at the end of the day.” zz

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Excavations at Liverpool Street to reveal London’s turbulent past l Work has begun on excavating over 3,000 skeletons that lie in the way of the eastern entrance of the new Liverpool Street Crossrail station. These long-dead Londoners were interred during the 16th and 17th centuries at the burial ground of the notorious Bedlam hospital. The burial ground was established in 1569 to help parishes cope with overcrowding during outbreaks of plague and other epidemics.

The current excavations are being informed by a database compiled last year, when Crossrail invited 16 volunteers to scour

parish records from across the capital to create the first extensive list of people buried at Bedlam. The project revealed the names and backgrounds of over 5,000 Londoners buried at the site.

Jay Carver, lead archaeologist at Crossrail said: “This research is a window into one of the most turbulent periods of London’s past. These people lived through civil wars, the Restoration, Shakespeare’s plays, the birth of modern industry, plague and the Great Fire. It is a real privilege to be able to use Europe’s largest construction project

to uncover more knowledge about this fascinating period of history.”

Crossrail’s archaeological efforts have been carefully programmed in advance to ensure delivery of the new east west railway on time and within budget, and constitute the UK’s largest archaeology project. To date more than 10,000 artefacts spanning 55 million years of London’s history, have been unearthed across over 40 construction sites.

The dig is being undertaken by MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) on behalf of Crossrail.

New public artwork commissioned for Garden City transport interchange l Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has commissioned a piece of artwork for Wythenshawe’s new train/tram interchange.

The artwork, a tree sculpture, features growth rings that detail the evolution of the Garden City, reflecting the experiences of people living in Wythenshawe from 1930s to the present day. Each ring represents one decade – a snapshot of people’s relationship with the town during each era.

The new interchange will be located off Poundswick Lane next to Wythenshawe Forum, and is being delivered by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). It is jointly funded by TfGM and Manchester City Council, and is due to open in summer 2015.

Stanstead Mountfitchet station to get a facelift l Abellio Greater Anglia is investing £470K to improve the facilities at Standsted Mountfitchet rail station, with a further £180K from the Department for Transport’s ‘Access for All’ fund.

The first stage, which commenced on Monday 16 February, will comprise complete refurbishment of the booking hall and improvements to the ticket office, including better access for those with mobility problems, accessible ticket office windows and the installation of a new, easily accessible toilet.

The second stage of the station refurbishment includes a complete electrical rewire and improved lighting to improve energy efficiency and create a better station ambience. New customer information screens are to be installed and CCTV coverage will be improved.

£1.7m improvements opened at Acocks Green station l A £1.7 million improvement scheme funded by Centro and the Department for Transport, to install lifts at Birmingham’s Acocks Green railway station, has been formally opened. The lifts now provide easy access between the station booking office and the car park and platforms more than 30 feet below, via a new footbridge spanning the tracks. Access had previously only been by stairs.

The Edwardian-era station had been the West Midlands’ busiest without step-free access, recording 415,420 passenger journeys in 2013/14.

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Finding your way David Watts is Managing Director of CCD Design and Ergonomics

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Jam tomorrow is no good if you’re travelling today says David Watts

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n our quest for continual service innovation and improvement, the passenger experience of rail travel now includes an increasing number of stations, platforms, concourses and other critical infrastructure, which are being repaired, renovated or totally redeveloped.

That is the good news – passengers can look forward to a new golden era of rail travel on modern rolling stock, with fewer delays and better stations leading to higher levels of customer satisfaction. But getting there is not without its pains – as recent press reports have demonstrated.

Particularly over the Christmas and New Year holidays, the work to improve the network has intruded on the travel plans of thousands. People do understand that services are never 100 per cent perfect and as such are always ripe for improvement and refinement, however when major redevelopments can take years to complete, the user experience is often lost long before the intended design is finished.

The challenge for rail companies is to provide the same level of service with the minimum of disruption even when major works are taking place. They have to cope with the same number of passengers flowing through confined spaces and changed pedestrian routes with the minimum of impact on the overall experience. However, although rail services are much more passenger-focused than ever before, when it comes to the process of re-development, often the needs of the passenger are forgotten. A planned approach to temporary wayfinding strategies would deliver significant benefits both for operational matters, and for passenger satisfaction too.

Wayfinding systems are now being developed as part of the master planning, and the same approach should be taken during the planning of redevelopment works. There are specific challenges that need to be overcome, but an investment early will make a significant difference as works progress. The first principle is that the service provider and its front line staff this must deliver increased levels of passenger information and generally staying one step ahead until works are complete.

Budget is always an issue, but it does need to be found to avoid local staff taking the initiative, but without the resources (or way finding expertise) necessary.

These signs are rarely readable and therefore have no purpose or value. They are put up ad hoc, often printed or hand-drawn on A4 paper, sometimes unnecessary and based on unqualified opinion, and can often in conflict with existing signage. Occasionally a local signmaker is used, and often the result is in a different format, different style. Stations are complex environments and wayfinding often requires complex solutions…more so in temporary situations where the wayfinding has to work much harder.

Passengers need to find their way through what is often a giant building site, without increased tension or worry that they may get lost or delayed. This means negotiating temporary and possibly counter-intuitive passenger flows, the close proximity of construction site workers and equipment, temporary facilities, signage and

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz hoardings all whilst carrying on our daily business. Regular passengers get used to their ‘normal’ route, so operators need to change the mental model of the temporary station layout for the passengers - something that is tricky when it changes frequently. This can be overcome with information in advance giving a clear indication of what will be changing and when – regular travellers, whose data is held by rail operators can be provided this by e-mail with regular updates, and for everyone there is usually plenty of space on hoardings for key information (although too often, this is given over to glossy images of the finished development).

Adopting the same passenger-centric principles for temporary signage, requires an understanding of how works will develop, and understanding how that will impact on passengers – hence the need to be part of the planning process. Operators should manage peoples’ expectations by providing information about timescales, and when there are likely to be changes they need to be aware of.

Consideration should be given to additional maps, Temp sign Cambridge or illustrations that can convey the information clearly.

Temporary signage does face some particular challenges – normal sightlines become disrupted help them – this was a lesson learnt from by building works, and the London Olympics, and it serves well. finding good sightlines when Consideration should also be given to there is scaffolding and what can be dispensed with – gatelines hoardings can be difficult. can take up a lot of room, and in the Too high and people miss the short-term it may be that they can be signs, too low and people stand removed during the works. t e ol Stre n Liverpo in front of them. It is standard A different approach has been taken Temp sig practice to have suspended at Abbey Wood, part of the Cross Rail signs for permanent wayfinding development, where an interim station is systems, but in temporary being used as the main station. It looks permanent, and situations, this is rarely practical, although the principal of builds confidence of the travelling public because of that. This understanding sightlines remains. means that the wayfinding has been developed to meet the Where works are long-term, temporary signage should specific needs of that station. mimic permanent signage, but where works are short-term Rail companies need to apply a different but related set of there is a real value in having signs that are clearly different design principles to these short-term experiences beginning – this can emphasise that this is a short-term solution, with taking a passenger-centred view when planning and communicates to travellers that they should be aware the project and its phases. Temporary but highly flexible of further changes. Using low cost but hard wearing wayfinding which can evolve with the scheme, alongside products such as Dibond, gives the wayfinding the look additional information provision across all passenger and feel of fixed signs, helps maintain the rail company’s touchpoints will reduce confusion and improve overall reputation and brand whilst inspiring confidence. An efficiencies. In other words, a toolkit of strategic and tactical alternative often used is Correx, but this is easily damaged solutions needs to be developed to help ensure that smooth and ages quickly in a heavy-duty environment. running of our systems is maintained and that the passenger Wayfinding embraces more than just signs, and at experience of the service provided during these works in certain times the planned deployment of extra front line progress is as good as it can be. staff can be highly effective. One example was during the And one final thought, perhaps they need to find better early days of the re-opening of the refurbished Kings Cross ways to really make people believe that making alternative when staff were deployed to interact with passengers and plans really is the best thing to do! zz

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What lies beneath A pipe jack option provided the right solution for a difficult under-track crossing in West Sussex

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erco ESL recently undertook a difficult and substantial under-track crossing (UTX) at the Three Bridges railway station site near Crawley for client Network Rail. The existing railway corridor operation at Three Bridges runs north south and carries the Victoria to Brighton main lines which form part of the major commuter network serving the Capital from the Sussex area, so services could not be interrupted for the crossing installation works.

Having been approached to undertake the UTX works and having fully investigated both the requirements of the client and establishing the site and potential operational constraints of such an installation, Perco ESL offered two construction options and techniques to complete the installation.

The first option was that of Guided Auger Boring.

However, after working with the client and taking into account the various risk factors associated with the site and the crossing route, this option was rejected. This was mainly due to historical evidence that previous Auger Boring attempts in similar circumstances had encountered unexpected buried obstructions that brought the advance to a standstill.

The second option was the utilisation of a 1200 mm diameter hand-excavated pipe jack installation. Close investigation of this option showed that the technique was more viable in that it had the greater capacity to cope with access to and removal of any unexpected obstructions.

It also offered the potential to install extra ducts within the 1200 mm diameter pipe at a later stage should they be required without the need for a new crossing installation.

Operational difficulties The plan for the UTX was to install a 1200 mm diameter pipe over a length of 55 m beneath the operating rail lines at the Three Bridges site. The operation would normally require a three-metre diameter reception shaft on the arrival side of

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the pipe jack run to recover the pipe jack shield used to excavate the ground ahead of the advancing pipe.

However, in this instance, due to site restrictions and the location of existing services and utilities in the ground Perco could not excavate this size of reception shaft for the recovery operation. The site would allow only a

The sacrificial steel pipe jacking shield The pipe jack launch shaft

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To overcome this problem Perco opted to make the steel pipe jacking shield sacrificial and not recover it at the end of the drive. To achieve this, the pipe jack was continued past the location of the initially proposed recovery shaft and the 1200 mm diameter steel shield was simply buried in the adjacent ground and enclosed using a sealing grout.

Perco ESL was awarded the works in May 2014 with a start date of 16 June 2014. However, the discovery of contaminated ground on the proposed route forced an early delay whilst analysis of the contaminant was established and the correct personal protective equipment was procured. However, once fully underway Perco completed the tunnelled UTX in just 12 days.

The launch shaft for the pipe jacking operation, sited to the northeast of the rail tracks, was a 6.5 m deep, 6.5 m x 3.5 m rectangular, steel sheet piled and internally supported construction. However, even here the construction of the shaft was tight. There was limited space to excavate steel sheeted shaft, as the only working area that could be utilised was a small P-Way compound with tight constraints.

The route of the 1200 mm diameter UTX ran under both Fast and Slow main rail lines at Three Bridges as well as two sidings lines. Monitoring of the tracks during the excavation was carried out by TPS, with automatic

The central access shaft installed for duct installation

readings being taken every three hours on a system of 228 points that monitored any vertical, horizontal and twist movements on each track. Targeted warnings were set to advise the construction crew of any movements at various set parameters.

During the excavation process the advancing pipe jack shield was kept on alignment using laser guidance with the jacking shield and the jacking pipes being advanced using a jacking frame already owned by Perco.

The jacking pipes used for the pipeline installation were supplied by FP McCann. The pipes had a jacking force capacity of 144 kN/m. In the event, however, jacking forces on the jacking pipes did not exceed 60 kN/m at any point during the advance.

On completion of the main tunnelling work a central access chamber was installed to a depth of four metres on to the 1200 mm diameter pipe jacked tunnel. The 1800 mm diameter shaft was constructed as an access shaft to aid installation of the 12 ducts that were ultimately to be installed inside the UTX pipeline. This shaft was completed as a vertical shaft of 1800 mm diameter using bolted ring segments.

A second chamber on the Western side, in the area of the original reception shaft site, was designed as a timber frame construction due to limited access and existing utilities as discussed earlier. This was also to allow access for the 12 service ducts to be installed.

With tunnelling completed Perco then went on to install the 12 x 150 mm diameter ducts in the tunnelled pipeline.

These ducts were then placed in holding frames, which were bespoke manufactured by Perco ESL for this scheme. Once this installation was completed the remaining annulus was grouted to secure the ducts in place.

Ultimately the project was completed in the targeted period and handed over to Network Rail on 1 September 2014.

For Network Rail Graham Davenport, Engineering Manager said: “Throughout the operation the crew Perco proved to be experienced and capable of overcoming any problems with tenacity, and with the client’s targeted date in mind when adapting the programme.� zz Ultimately 12 x 150 mm diameter ducts were installed in the tunnelled pipeline here shown prior to grouting

The chamber on the Western side was designed as a timber frame shaft construction due to limited surface access and existing utilities. This was to allow access for the 12 service ducts to be installed www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

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NEWS I Appointments

Julian Howes to oversee transport modelling at Mott MacDonald l Mott MacDonald has appointed Julian Howes as head of its UK transport modelling business. Julian will co-ordinate and manage modelling strategies and services as part of the consultancy’s integrated transport team and will strengthen the implementation of best practice in the use of transport modelling tools throughout the business.

Julian has over 25 years’ transport planning experience with a broad range of skills including technical expertise in the areas of modelling, appraisal, business and operational management, business development and stakeholder management. Previously Julian worked for Atkins where he led major modelling projects for HS2 Ltd and local authorities.

Tom van Vuren, divisional director for Mott MacDonald’s integrated transport business, said: “Julian will be based in London, where Mott MacDonald is experiencing substantial growth. With his track record in modelling and business management, Julian is a great addition to the company. He will manage our modelling offering on a national scale and further develop our technical excellence across the stream.”

Tensator Group appoints new CEO l Ben Gale, formerly vice president of payments, loyalty and insights provider at The Logic Group, is taking up the post of CEO at Tensator Group. He will guide the company through a transition as it aims to place greater emphasis on its technology-based solutions for retail, transport, finance, healthcare and the public sector.

The repositioning of the group, which is owned by The Riverside Company, comes as solutions such as the Tensator Virtual Assistant and suite of Virtual Queuing options continue to enjoy international sales success, contributing towards a predicted 20 per cent sales growth in 2015.

Ben brings with him considerable experience, having been Western European regional vice president of NCR Corporation, national sales director for Reed Business Information and spent over a decade at Xerox.

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New rail director to strengthen NG Bailey’s position l NG Bailey has appointed Lee Taylor, previously a project director within NG Bailey’s rail team, to the position of group director of rail, from where he will lead the group’s rail business.

Lee began as an electrical apprentice with NG Bailey and worked for the company for 21 years before leaving, and then returning to the business in 2011.

Mike Darlington, managing director of NG Bailey’s engineering and rail divisions, said: “Lee has a huge amount of experience in engineering, and rail specifically, that has been extremely valuable in the successful delivery of a number of key projects, including the re-development of Birmingham New Street station. I have no doubt that in his new role Lee will be an even bigger asset to our Rail business.”

David Hurcomb, chief executive of NG Bailey, added: “We have some ambitious growth targets over the coming years and with Lee at the helm we are confident we will achieve those targets.”

Alison Watson, customer experience director, Virgin Trains East Coast l Newly-launched train operator Virgin Trains East Coast has completed its senior management team with the appointment of Alison Watson as customer experience director.

Alison joins the train operator on 7th April 2015, following a successful career in the travel and aviation industries. The appointment completes the senior management team at Virgin Trains East Coast, which began operating train services and managing stations on the line between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley on Sunday 1 March.

Alison said: “I’m very excited about joining the Virgin Trains East Coast team, and am looking forward to making a positive difference to this new venture. My priorities will include formulating a long-term customer strategy, and to play an important role in delivering an improved customer experience, through innovation and investment in our people.”

Stuart Westgate joins HS2 as programme development director l Stuart Westgate has been appointed programme development director for HS2, where he will lead development of the new north-south rail line and provide an important link between HS2 and other transport bodies.

Stuart joins HS2 from KPMG where he spent four years as director of major projects advisory.

He brings with him extensive experience in providing programme and leadership services to major infrastructure clients in transport and finance. Prior to joining KPMG in 2011, he spent two years as director of Crossrail Surface, responsible for the mainline elements of the cross-London rail scheme.

Previous roles include principal sponsor in the Government’s UK Roads Programme; deputy director for London Underground’s Cooling the Tube Programme and programme manager for the Strategic Rail Authority for the integration of HS1 and Thameslink at St Pancras.

Stuart Westgate says: “HS2 represents an unrivalled opportunity for innovation and growth and I’m very much looking forward to playing a part.”

New CEO for NSARE l The NSARE Board has announced the appointment of Neil Robertson as the new chief executive. Neil will join NSARE in early June and take over as chief executive from 1st July.

Neil joins from Energy and Utilities Skills, where he has been CEO for the past three years, during which he has transformed it into one of the leading skills organisations with a focus on apprenticeships and employer leadership. Neil has extensive experience in government, working in the department for Business Innovation and Skills, and also in membership organisations.

Chris Fenton, Chairman of NSARE, said: “Neil’s experience of the skills challenges, which are common across industrial and infrastructure sectors, will help build upon the foundations of the past five years and ensure that NSARE supports the rail sector effectively, and in the wider context of UK plc.

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Health & Safety

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Access all areas When Hitachi needed new access equipment for its maintenance team, it turned to Semmco for help

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Bhavisha Mistry

ccess to trains for maintenance or repair work can be unsafe and pose a threat to the workforce; therefore, ensuring that it was using the correct equipment for maintenance staff to perform their duties at the Hitachi Ashford depot was essential.

Falls are the biggest cause of death in the workplace and according to the Health and Safety Executive there were 148 fatal injuries in the UK for the year 2012/2013.

While this is approximately a third lower than 20 years ago it is vital for companies to do all they can to avoid this happening at all. The Work at Heights Regulation 2005 put legal responsibilities on employers to ensure that equipment, used to facilitate working at any heights above ground level, minimises the risk of falling and offers protection for workers.

Hitachi found itself in a position where some of its existing maintenance equipment was failing with need for urgent attention but with no system in place for maintenance support. Equipment no longer in use required replacement rather than sitting redundant.

There was also the issue that its new Javelin train required access equipment of a different shape to that which they held, in order to accommodate the new front profile.

Solving the problem The first step was to ask Semmco to conduct a thorough survey of the existing 87 point boxes and all access equipment already held at the site. Semmco was asked to undertake this as a result of previously providing pit boards, which had resulted in creating safe crossings with handrails for maintenance on couplers.

A schedule was drawn up detailing existing equipment in need of attention and the order of priorities. This survey also highlighted what further installations were necessary to enable the maintenance team to complete their checks safely and efficiently.

The companies worked together to plan the fit out with

Semmco designing and engineering equipment where there was a gap in requirements. Semmco was tasked with manufacturing the required equipment, which was undertaken in its new, purpose built facility in Woking.

Types of new equipment produced were: l Front and roof access l Fall arrest system l Walkway crossings The design used bolting rather than welding for extra strength, multi-castor wheel for easy position change between roadways, lightweight aluminium with steel chassis for easier manoeuvrability and multifunctional platforms to the highest safety standards.

Some of the equipment - notably that for the Javelin train - was intricate enough to require Semmco to build it on the Hitachi site. Polyprop protective edge padding was used to ensure a tight fit to the train whilst ensuring no damage occurred to the vehicle.

To cover the need for maintenance and servicing, Hitachi introduced Semmco’s Service Package to provide regular inspections and re-certification of not only their equipment but that of Hitachi’s existing equipment.

The benefits The clear benefit of the equipment’s design was that the maintenance team could complete their checks and repairs safely and efficiently. It meant that Hitachi is always ahead of its tasks, able to schedule and budget with complete visibility of costs.

The design and quality of the new equipment along with its longevity and robustness ensured it was superior to other products on the market.

The Service Package meant that equipment that had been a capital outlay was not sitting idle and unusable so ensuring downtime is kept to a minimum, thus making for a more efficient business. Hitachi’s staff was able to be redeployed from the tasks being done by one supplier with one point of contact. The depot was now fully equipped with servicing being carried out as needed. zz

www.semmco.com

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Giffen Group

SSA

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Reading the signals Giffen Group Ltd is a railway electrical and signalling specialist and part of the SSA joint venture working with Network Rail

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lready a principal contractor for Network Rail and Transport for London, the company is also aligned to provide expert project management and delivery structure for the newly formed joint venture, Switchgear and Substation Alliance (SSA), designed to supply High Voltage Traction Power SubStations for Network Rails CP5 spending period. With the venture recognised for providing local employment and bringing in UK local expertise into a very important and large framework, there was ultimately a lot of political excitement generated at SSA’s launch, which saw the attendance of key political faces.

Seen as a very safe and reliable pair of hands, Giffen delivers challenging projects for clients across the breadth of the country in challenging circumstances, and often with tough time scales. Being able to regularly meet those programmes in both time and budget, it has been able to take hold of exciting opportunities as they appear. “We see that there is a shortage of SME’s able to offer experienced, and knowledgeable power and signalling expertise. For us, the situation is quite different, with a number of timeserved operatives, starting out life in British Rail, ultimately

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working as signalling engineers within Network Rail looking after infrastructure. It is that level of expertise that is an attractive part of our offer within CP5 and CP6 frameworks,” says Chairman John March.

At the turn of 2014 the long associated family interests in the business were replaced by private equity, providing a platform to take advantage of the potential growth in the rail sector. The investment coincided with the appointment of John, as he highlights: “It has been a year of change that has seen an influx of fresh ideas and additional investment into the business.” Working above and below the ground, the company has for many years, been a touchstone for quality, reliability and delivery.

“Having weathered the storms of the mid 2000’s that challenged the rail sector, we are now perfectly positioned to take advantage and work actively in the new round of investment into infrastructure,” he adds.

As a result of the Network Rail CP5 electrification programme there have been contracts awarded up and down the country. The framework focuses on providing high voltage traction power substations, delivering power and controls systems to the overhead line system. “It is an absolutely integral piece of equipment for that whole piece of infrastructure to work,” says John. Despite stiff competition from industry giants such as Siemens, Giffen decided to form the joint venture SSA, between itself and two other partners, Electren UK, and EPS UK Ltd, each one providing something different in terms of expertise.

“We are essentially SME’s breaking into a really big market. We were fortunate enough to win LOT2 of the National 25KV Substation supply contract, under the CP5

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz framework by Network Rail, covering all areas that were within the scope, except the Midland Mainline project, and Great Western,” says John. With an anticipated total of 50 units, and a combined framework figure of circa £50 million, the next five years is a very exciting time for the team.

“Giffen bring a skill to the industry, which is desperately short at this point in time, when numbers of railway experienced electrical and signalling technicians and engineers are at an all time low in the UK rail market,” points out John. Specialising in low-voltage electrical power and signalling, the business directly employs over 140 engineers that have amassed an average years service well over 30 years with the company, a statistic that reflects their experience and service background. “Electren UK, belonging to the world’s largest construction company Groupo ACS, are a fiercely independent, specialist high voltage electrification company, which has worked on just about every highspeed line in Europe. They bring to the venture 25 years of high-class experience and capability behind them, carrying hundreds of very experienced electrification engineers and technicians.

“With expertise in protection and controls (P&C)

Morgan MP ort and Nicky of the SSA sp an Tr r fo e etary of Stat at the launch ghlin MP Secr for Education Patrick McLou gh and Secretary of State ou for Loughbor

systems, they are providing a lot of the technology and the detail within the P&C system, as well as its manufacture and installation. Our other partner, EPS, is a market leader in switchgear innovation and it manufactures and designs specialist circuit breakers, producing niche technology in the containerised airinsulated switchgear (CIAS) that we are offering to

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Giffen Group

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Network Rail,” he adds. The technology offered by the group was not on offer from the other companies, even large European giants, and it is a positive success story to have UK manufacturing and engineering expertise at the forefront of this project. “I think that was a key decision in Network Rail’s selection process.

“The three companies really complement one another and we have got very clear areas of interest an expertise and we all respect each others expertise, which are key ingredients to successful joint ventures. Whereas a single organisation may be able to take on all aspects, they

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may have weaknesses in one or two areas, but we have strength in all three. We genuinely see this a very exciting and a reputation-enhancing project. The next ten years for the railway in the UK is going to be a tremendous place to be, with lots of infrastructure growth,” John continues.

Within Giffen, the transfer of knowledge is a key strategy as the business moves ahead, with an ongoing apprenticeship programme that today consists of over a dozen operatives. “Much of our workforce joined as apprentices, stayed with the company and subsequently became engineers, project managers and eventually contract managers. Organic growth, expertise and specialism in the business is high, and in high demand, resulting in work with Network Rail right across the

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz country as well as working as a ‘STAKE framework’ contractor with London Underground,” adds John.

Deemed to be one of TfL’s primary electrical installation contractors Giffen has undertaken significant landmark projects, including recently working at Paddington, and Embankment stations.

“In fact, there probably isn’t a piece of infrastructure that we haven’t worked on in the underground in the last 40 years,” jokes John. The STAKE contract will witness significant spend over the next five years and it is widely predicted that it will be extended beyond that period.

The importance of a strong supply chain in the market is well known, and has been the fuel to Giffen strengthening its commercial and procurement function, and consolidating relationships with suppliers and partners. “The trick to success is making sure that you have capable people in the organisation, which can meet clients’ requirements. People are excited about joining an SME in a time like this because they can see that there are tremendous opportunities for growth and an opportunity to expand their career experience.

“You can’t have too many quality, experienced individuals, particularly when the market is like this.

The way to retain them and to inspire them is to make them part of the future, not only showing them the way, but allowing them to lead the way as well. We want to grow, in a controlled way, not a rash way, and if our clients and our trusted partners in the industry ask us to respond to their challenges, then we have to step up and be able to deliver that,” concludes John. zz

www.giffengroup.co.uk www.ssa-uk.co.uk

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Touax Rail LTD

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A logistics showcase As one of Europe’s largest lessors of intermodal railcars, Touax Rail’s growing reputation is second to none

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Louis Pastré business development and marketing director, Touax Rail

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ounded in 1855, Touax has a rich history that can be traced back to when the company began life as Compagnie de Touage de la Basse Seine et de l’Oise, operating as a river transport service on the Seine and Oise rivers. Today the company has grown into a truly global enterprise with a diversified portfolio trading in four areas comprised of shipping containers (600,000 TEUs), modular buildings (three assembly plants), river barges and rail cars. The business ordered its first hopper cars in France during 1954 and over the years Touax Rail has grown its fleet to over 9000 owned and managed rail freight vehicles, serving 70 main clients across five continents. Within Europe Touax Rail works in co-operation with workshops and mobile teams and represents clients in the US through its partnership with Chicago Freight Car Leasing. Furthermore the company is keen to expand its fleet to as many as 10,000 rail cars and to maintain its momentum through a programme of continued diversification of its wagon types.

The company manages its wagons under Vereinigung der Privatgüterwagen-Interessenten (VPI), the German association of parties interested in private freight wagons, which allows it to deliver maintenance such as reprofiling

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and revisions closer to its clients’ operational areas. This greatly reduces transportation costs and downtime.

Furthermore Touax Rail gained ISO 9001 accreditation in 2010 and became one of the first companies to achieve Entity in Charge of Maintenance (ECM) certification during December 2011. As such the company’s technical know-how in the field of technical management and maintenance of railcars has seen it contracted to manage the ECM services of a large intermodal fleet of over 1100 wagons over the course of three years. Additionally it has undertaken further projects to supply a large number of coal wagons for traffic between the Benelux and Germany, and gained new clients in existing and new countries, including Poland and Turkey. It has also recently opened a central warehouse to deliver the main spare parts to its clients, in addition to secondary stocks spread over Europe, based on main clients’ routes.

Since it was last featured in Railway Strategies during July 2013, Touax Rail has continued to grow its fleet and won contracts that have enabled it to pursue its ambition of an expanded service portfolio. In October 2013 the company announced that it had won a prestigious contract from Volkswagen Logistics to deliver a fleet

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Touax Rail LTD

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ELH As a very experienced manufacturer, ELH has the capabilities and technology needed for the development and production of special and track friendly bogies for freight and passenger wagons.

The company creates a wide range of products in a variety of options, such as the RC25NT family, which includes the RC25NT-D (with brake discs), the RC25NT-C (with compact brake) and the RC25NT-K (composite brake blocks).

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of 300 high-capacity sliding-wall wagons. The twin-axle wagons were required to have minimum internal height of 3000 mm to enable the transport of mesh box pallets (CKD) and were constructed by Greenbrier Europe at its Świdnica plant in Poland. The manufacturer was able to prove its experience in sliding wall wagons and ensured a close and successful co-operation thanks to a strong commitment

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from the top management, sales and R&D departments.

The first prototype was received in March 2014 with a second following shortly thereafter. During InnoTrans 2014 Greenbrier symbolically presented a prototype Wagon to Touax Rail, where the company triumphantly showcased the prototypes.

Following successful trials of the prototypes, EBA certification and others, Touax has begun the process of delivering the new fleet to Volkswagen, with the first new cars set to arrive in November 2014. “The partnership with Volkswagen coincides with our marketing strategy to lease more wagons to industrial clients, who are interested in profitable and long term agreements,” said Louis Pastré, business development & marketing director.

“Touax is proud to be a partner for inbound logistics, as for many years we have been actively involved in the outbound logistics, transporting new cars on laaers wagons.” Touax Rail was already renting four axle Ha wagons on the market, but was looking for additional optimised sliding wall wagons. The company plans to continue to invest in his segment, offering new wagons for light or heavy cargo.

During July 2013 Louis commented that rail would continue to grow as a vital link in Europe’s supply chain: “Rail market share versus road will increase regularly in Europe. In addition, the European fleet is getting older and needs a strong replacement programme over the coming years. Whilst the market needs 10,000 to 20,000 new wagons per year, the last five has seen only 5000 to 7000 produced. Compared to a European fleet that numbers around 700,000 wagons this represents around only one per cent. This is a structural under-investment trend that should end soon. So far the market remains under full production capacity but is improving, helped by regular replacement of tank wagons as well.”

Indeed the continued success of the company in winning tenders for such significant contracts such as its recent success with Volkswagen would seem to suggest that the future could present a significant opportunity for Touax Rail. Certainly the conditions are right for freight lessors to supply significant added value to clients,

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as Louis elaborates: “These combined parameters will position leasing companies as key partners to accompany this development. Leasing ensures flexibility and low capital expenditure for our clients who need to optimise their organisation, traffic management, and costs. This enables them to focus on their core business of customer service and transportation. In addition, industrial companies are also leasing wagons in order to stay independent from the RUs (railway undertaking) – in the case of lower quality service they keep control of the wagons and simply have to find another solution for the traction.”

Presently Touax Rail is enjoying regular growth throughout Europe despite a challenging market, the US, and is starting in India. “We believe in a continuous recovery of rail business,” said Louis. The group’s wagons are leased on long-term contracts to railways, logistics and industrial clients in intermodal transport and the transport of palletised general cargo. Additionally Touax is the owner of a fleet of wagons transporting mining coal, steel coils and finished vehicles.

Over the next 12 months, Touax intends to offer pocket wagons for the transport of mega trailers and other additional open or covered wagons. Louis added: “Touax Rail offers other solutions like sale & leaseback where clients can prioritise cash allocation while they continue to use the wagons, protecting their market shares/positions.”

Looking further ahead, Louis concluded with Touax’s longer term strategic vision: “Touax Rail expects to

increase its development further in Europe and develop on other continents with internal or external growth, and continue to improve its service level. As such it maintains a wide service base that will support the company for many years to come.” zz

www.touax.com www.touaxrail.com

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Stadler Rail

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Freedom of movement Stadler Rail Group is a system supplier of customer-specific solutions for rail vehicle construction

High speed train for Swiss Federal Railway SBB

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he company has locations in Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, Belarus, Algeria, the Netherlands and in the US, and across these sites it employs around 6000 people, of which 3000 are based in Switzerland.

Since being established by Ernst Stadler in 1942, Stadler Rail has created an enviable reputation in the rail sector. In order to maintain its leading position, the Group has formulated a strategy that focuses on the regional, suburban and intercity service market segments, the light

Tram in Geneva

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regional express railway service, and streetcars, and it intends to remain the global number one in the rack railway vehicle market. In order to further cement a solid foundation Stadler Rail has positioned itself as a supplier that complements global rail vehicle builders such as Alstom, Bombardier, and Siemens, and its status as an independent company is an important basic strategic value that clients appreciate.

This business approach will also assist Stadler to operate in a railway vehicle industry that is in a dynamic, highly complex restructuring phase. Companies active in this industry are being acquired, merged or strategically repositioned, or even disappearing from the marketplace.

In such an economic environment, it is crucial for a medium-sized group of companies to ensure that its strategy matches its human and financial resources.

Over the past few years, Stadler has met this goal, even achieving exceptional development despite the negative trend prevailing in the industry.

By focusing on market needs, Stadler was able to foresee what investments in facilities would enable it to offer an expanded range of services. Over the past few years, the company has closed the last existing production gaps by selectively expanding into the areas of electrical engineering and bogie (truck) construction.

This means the business is now able to offer complete vehicle concepts, and it can offer customised solutions to railway companies on the basis of modular concepts, which are tailored to their specific needs.

The best-known vehicle series from Stadler Rail Group

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz are the articulated multiple-unit train GTW, the RegioShuttle RS1, the FLIRT and the double-decker multipleunit train KISS in the railway segment, and the Variobahn and the Tango in the tram segment. The Metro is another addition for the commuter rail market. Furthermore, Stadler Rail manufactures metre-gauge trains, passenger carriages and locomotives and is the world’s leading manufacturer of rack-and-pinion rail vehicles.

One of the company’s most recent contracts was for the KISS train variant – in November 2014, it successfully shipped to Moscow the first unit of the 25 doubledecker KISS trains ordered by Russian railway operator Aeroexpress. The contract includes the supply of 25 double-decker KISS trains consisting of 118 coaches, out of which 16 units will be four-car and nine will be six-car vehicles. The Stadler factory in Altenrhein, Switzerland, is producing the first four units, while the remaining 21 are being manufactured in a new Stadler factory, which has been recently constructed on the outskirts of Minsk in Belarus.

The trains are designed to cope with the specific Russian climate, which can range from -50 degrees Celsius to +40 degrees Celsius. The trains have a speed of 160 km/h and have comfortable, bright interiors in two

One of the FLIRT trains in Helsinki classes (business and economy). The carriages are made from lightweight aluminium, which makes the vehicles much lighter than the traditional steel carriages. The reduced weight means that the train operator can make significant energy savings on everyday services.

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Just a month before the KISS train was delivered to Moscow, Stadler had handed over another first – this time the first unit of a FLIRT intercity train, for Hong-Kong based private operator MTR Express for operation in Sweden. This contract was a particular highlight for the business as it managed to produce the train in record time, within only one year, which is exceptionally fast in the railway industry. The first FLIRT of the five-carriage fleet is expected to start commercial operation in March 2015 on the Gothenburg-Stockholm route. The top speed of these trains is 200 km/h, and they have been specifically designed to fulfil the strict requirements of extreme climatic conditions.

In fact, one particular FLIRT model does offer a range of benefits to operators that provide services in severe winter conditions. The pedigree of these trains can be traced back to a contract in 2006, with Finnish company Junakalusto Oy, when the model was developed to fulfil the requirements of severe winters. These were also the first broad-gauge vehicles manufactured by Stadler. All Stadler trains now intended for Moscow and Norway are essentially based on the innovations that were included on that first Helsinki FLIRT train.

Such was the success of the 2006 contract with Junakalusto Oy – the first 32 trains have been operating successfully for many years now – that in October 2014 the company ordered another 34 FLIRT trains in a contract worth EUR 200 million, exercising the second option of the contract. Delivery of the first option of nine further FLIRT trains was achieved in November 2014.

The new trains will include insulation that is increased by 50 per cent and windows that are triple-glazed. A

Knorr Bremse The long-standing close partnership between Stadler Rail and Knorr-Bremse is the result of the two companies’ similar backgrounds: Both are ownermanaged and have a corporate policy of long-term, steady development rather than rapid success and short term profit. It is from this shared approach, as well as many successful joint projects such as the FLIRT and KISS platforms, that the trusting business relationship between Stadler Rail and Knorr-Bremse has grown.

Their similar operational background also feeds and strengthens the partnership: Stadler Rail owes its growth not least to its strong customer orientation and its flexibility, as well as the outstanding quality of its products – and these also feature prominently in KnorrBremse’s corporate culture. This explains why in the Swiss company’s development from specialist niche provider to systems supplier, Knorr-Bremse has always been a reliable and supportive partner – and will remain so in future, from specialist applications to the highspeed segment.

Stadler Rail

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The first KISS for Aeroexpress

Intercity train for Austrian Westbahn Vienna- Salzburg

heat recovery system has been added to the tried and tested air-conditioning system used in many FLIRTs. The warm air extracted from the passenger compartment is used to preheat the cold, fresh air that is sucked in.

This results in a substantial energy saving. At the same time, heaters have been fitted in the door areas in order to keep the temperature inside as constant as possible when passengers embark and disembark. The train can achieve speeds of 160 kilometres per hour and will initially be operated using the Finnish EBICAB train control system, although an upgrade to the European Train Control System (ETCS) at a later date is possible.

Peter Spuhler, CEO and owner of Stadler Rail Group, was very proud of this specific vehicle order: “It gives me immense pleasure that the 1000th FLIRT train will travel in Helsinki, because from now on this customer will be operating 75 Stadler trains. The fact that this option has been exercised is evidence that the customer is very happy with the trains that have been in everyday use for five years now. We are proud of our broad-gauge FLIRT with its excellent resistance to severe winters.

This vehicle is a perfect example of how innovative Stadler can be.” zz

www.stadlerrail.com

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Bourne Steel

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Comprehensive capability

Formed in 1946, Bourne Steel sits amongst the top five fabrication companies in the UK

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mploying over 250 people, its engineering excellence drives forward the business, supported by both an exceptional management skill and an extremely accomplished, comprehensive workshop. The business holds a firm belief in the correlation between the quality of the relationship between its own project team, customers, and suppliers, and the quality of the service and products that it is able to deliver.

Highlighting its commitment to developing strong relationships, the business recently completed the renovation of Reading Station, on which it worked closely with a variety of partners. As part of the project, the work consisted of off-site production at the company’s

yard, promoting many benefits, as Nick Hatton, managing director explains: “Bourne took on the total design responsibility for the modular canopy solution, thus reducing design co-ordination risk to our client.”

The development of a fully integrated design saw collaborative working between Bourne Off-Site Solutions and Lakesmere, with integration of M&E containment, dramatically reducing the requirement of site input from its client. “By working together collaboratively we successfully carried out the off-site manufacture, and installation of some of the largest roof modules in the UK at the Farringdon Station Thameslink development, which was also instrumental in us winning the 2012, Construction News Specialist Award for steel.

“Through a combination of investment and detailed attention to design for manufacture, we established a production line process, which gives us certainty of output, and engineering excellence and quality,” says Nick Hatton. Having developed an off-site production line it was able to carry out the manufacturing of canopy cassettes at its assembly facility in Poole. The production line was designed to accommodate the various size modules, which ranged from 5m to 17m wide. Once the cladding was fitted to the units all joints between the modules were checked to ensure a right first time installation on site, before knitting together the ‘zip up’ components to reduce the installation time on site. Furthermore, this process provided opportunity to integrate M&E containment and possible plug and play electrical installation within the modules.

“Ultimately this minimised the degree of on-site coordination to be delivered by Costain/Hochtief between steel and cladding contractors,” says Nick, adding: “More importantly, it removed the dependence upon the civils activities, requiring only the column foundations to be installed to allow installation of the canopy support columns and subsequent canopy installation.” A substantial overall saving in the project programme and

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greater certainty of on-time project delivery, together with a snag free high quality product was achieved using this method. Constructing off-site also opens opportunity to provide a prototype unit for inspection and development by all parties. Brian Fisher, project director for the Reading area station redevelopment provides a valuable client perspective on the project: “When Bourne and Lakesmere came to us with a collaborative and innovative approach, we absolutely knew that this was the right thing for this project. There is no doubt that

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the pre-fabrication and the offsite manufacture of the roof modules at Bourne’s yard in Poole, improved the quality of the product and absolutely improved the installation.”

“Another benefit that comes from manufacturing the majority of the construction in-house is that it opens up an opportunity for the client to visit and inspect the canopy modules throughout the assembly process, heavily reducing programme risk with opportunity for advanced sign off,” highlights Nick. Evidence has proved that a reduced number of site operatives and installation man-hours leads to a reduced health and safety risk. “We are certified to BS 18001 for our Health and Safety Management Systems as well as holding green credentials in high regard, and as such we hold BS14001 certification for our environmental management,” he adds. As a result of this method of production and installation, the business successfully converted several hundred thousand possession hours into day time factory hours, providing higher rates of output, a better quality of work and a happier workforce. “Most importantly, this method reduces the risk to the travelling public,” adds Brian.

In February 2015 the business won the ‘Outstanding Project Award’ for medium sized projects between £3m and £20m for its work on the Reading Station canopies project. Recognition of the company’s innovative approach for its work on Farringdon Station also saw it shortlisted for the award in 2014 in the UK Rail Industry Awards. The scope of the improvement project saw the business install a train shed roof, comprising of fully clad modules 28m x 4m x 4m high, and an integrated ticket hall for the Thameslink Programme. The structural steel frame with elements encased in concrete off-site, and nine fully fitted out roof lights, assembled at its yard, were delivered and installed over three nights. A second feat of engineering on the project was seen with a 34m long fully fitted out over track crossing that was

delivered during a single-track possession.

Commenting on significant projects for the future, Nick recalls how the previous projects, such as its works at London Bridge Station have been responsible for its future path: “Temporary canopies were installed to existing above-ground platforms. The success of the work we undertook on the site has followed on to us securing a contract for the new staff accommodation block, some of which are in the London Bridge Arches, and east and west retail units located in the main concourse. We have also been awarded a contract with BFK (Bam Ferrovial Keir JV), for the next phase at Farringdon Station for Crossrail, developing the new east and west ticket halls.”

Having gained its principle contractor licence with Network Rail, Bourne is now able to tender directly with Network Rail on projects, further lining itself for a fast moving future. As rail integrates itself fully into the ‘digital’ age, Bourne Steel has been embracing the drive for fully integrated BIM models across all its projects. “This has seen us receive the 2009 Telka BIM Awards for Strata Tower, and later the 2013 Tekla BIM Award for Reading Station, by public vote,” says Nick. Utilising its broad and far-reaching expertise, the company looks ahead with ambition to meet the challenges of any project. zz

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A spirit of renewal With a history dating back over 175 years, NedTrain is a specialist in the maintenance of railcars as part of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) group.

NedTrain works 24 hours, seven days a week to commute passengers safely, comfortably and on time to their destination

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lthough the company operates as the locomotive and rolling stock maintenance, repair and upgrade arm of the Dutch Railways company Nederlandse Spoorwegen, NedTrain represents a unique entity within the rail industry in that remains an independent commercial venture in its own right instead of existing as a necessary non-profit part of the NS group. As such it is able to guarantee that the NS group’s 1.2 million daily passengers can rely on a modern fleet of clean and comfortable locomotives as well as providing the same service to clients throughout Europe.

Its unique position as NS group’s commercial maintenance arm allows NedTrain to respond rapidly in response to urgent situations and act with the sole interest of passengers in mind. The result is a very smooth and fluid response approach to the needs of the rail industry, where important work is undertaken as soon as it is

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needed and the financial and legal details are managed later on. Over the winter months for example, NedTrain is able to service trains for extreme weather conditions at short notice without the need to first settle contractual details. The synergy between NedTrain and NS is further emphasised by the fact that its CEO, Michiel van Roozendaal is part of the executive committee that is responsible for the running of the NS group. This coupled with 30 strategic locations across the Dutch railway network is the basis for the unique service offering that NedTrain is able to provide. The company’s flexibility and expertise has enabled NedTrain to develop a trusted and highly respected reputation that has seen it work with train operators throughout the Netherlands and beyond including Arriva, Syntus, Veolia and the Norwegian state rail company - Norges Statsbaner AS. In recent months NedTrain has been increasing its

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz capability through construction of four new technical centres, the first of which was opened during September 2014. The centre is located close to Utrecht Centraal station, where it is designed to undertake rolling stock repairs including pantograph, couplers and window replacement. The main building was designed and constructed by BAM Utiliteitsbouw and incorporates several water, energy and waste saving measures including roof-mounted solar panels and LED lighting.

The construction of the second centre, located in The Hague is underway and on schedule with the pouring of its concrete floor to be followed by anchor drilling, positioning of steel columns, the assembly of the steel structure and construction of the rails. BAM Utiliteitsbouw has again been commissioned for the construction of The Hague technical centre and NedTrain is currently consulting various agencies regarding the construction of the final two technical centres in Zwolle and Nijmegen.

NedTrain plans tailor-made maintenance packages for each individual train and employs dedicated fleet teams that work with a specified series of train and is managed by a rolling stock type manager. The team managers control and monitor assets, costs and the overall quality of the work and each team also includes personnel from

Ultimate Europe Transportation Equipment GmbH Ultimate Europe Transportation Equipment GmbH, located in Amstetten (Austria) develops solutions and products for the international rail and bus sector.

It has specific expertise in system solutions, such as complete interior solutions, gangways, articulations and door systems for coaches, starting with design and development through to complete delivery of the components including logistics services, assembly and operation. Efficient new total product solutions, optimised in terms of cost, weight and material, meet customers’ expectations from innovative suppliers.

This was achieved, for instance, on the DD-AR 240 carriage project with Nedtrain for total interiors. The high point is undoubtedly in the design of componentoptimised LED lights used throughout the train. Seven different types of light are used, with a total of around 375,000 LEDs being installed. LEDs have a very long service life and thus reduce operating and maintenance costs.

The successful working relationship will also continue on the new VIRMm1 order for 416 coaches.

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the engineering and production side of the business.

In all there are around ten teams covering specific train types as well crews covering specialist trains such as the Dutch Royal Train, Thalys and ICE trains which run in a joint pool with French SNCF and Belgian NMBS respectively as well as Deutsche Bahn from Germany.

Modernisation is an increasingly important market as enhanced train life is being encouraged and advocated throughout the European rail network. Presently NedTrain is undertaking a number of major fleet modernisation programmes for clients including Arriva, Veolia, Stadler and Syntus. Renovation is naturally cheaper than replacement of rolling stock and allows previously outdated trains to continue in operation for several years.

NedTrain offers clients full modernisation services from small adjustments to full overhauls covering electrical, mechanical, hydraulic engineering and airframe work.

Trains can also be upgraded to include further monitoring and communication systems, such as onboard internet that allow both safer trains through system monitoring and an enhanced service for passengers by providing real-time travel information.

NedTrain currently operates a dedicated modernisation

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facility in Haarlem where it again manages dedicated teams per project. However unlike other areas of the business where teams are organised into teams dedicated to certain train types, the teams in operation in Haarlem include engineering and production staff that contribute to multiple projects, allowing the facility to undertake several modernisation programmes at once.

During February 2015 NedTrain announced an initiative aimed at increasing the focus on environmentally friendly travel within the railway network. On February 23 2015 NedTrain Director Michiel van Roozendaal, Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment Wilma Mansfield and ProRail CEO Patrick Buck signed the Green Deal waste reduction and recycling at railway stations and on trains agreement. The aim of this is to reduce the amount of waste in stations and on trains and encourage waste separation and recycling. This will present an opportunity for the company to add to its modernisation activities by providing waste sorting solutions for trains and to help improve the market for operators and passengers alike. zz

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Nexus’ £389 million regeneration programme is designed to radically improve public transportation in the North East

Tobyn Hughes

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Cinderella story

exus is the trading name of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (PTE), a public body that plans and provides local public transport in and around the cities of Newcastle and Sunderland, along with the districts of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside. Unusually among the six PTEs in England, Nexus directly owns and manages the local light rail network, the Tyne and Wear Metro. Opened in stages from 1980, Metro is the busiest light rail system in the UK outside London, with 38 million passenger journeys a year. The network of 78km has 60 stations and is served by more than 450 train services a day.

Metro passengers make up just under a quarter of all public transport journeys in Tyne and Wear. Nexus sets the service specification and fares on behalf of the seven local councils which make up the new North East Combined Authority (formed in 2014). Trains services and station management is provided on behalf of Nexus by operating concessionaire DB Regio Tyne and Wear Ltd, who secured a seven to nine year contract to operate Metro in April 2010.

The last Director General (DG) of Nexus, Bernard Garner, retired in December 2014 and Tobyn Hughes took the position of Managing Director Transport Operations for the North East Combined Authority, which also incorporates the role of DG. He explained that as well as leading Nexus, the MD has a wider remit to forge greater integration in the delivery of transport services across the Combined Authority area. “This is an exciting time to take on such a role because, away from Metro, we are embarked on the creation of a Quality Contracts Scheme to transform the way bus services are provided,” he noted.

“The North East would be the first area to do this, bringing the benefits of integrated transport similar to that seen in London and many cities in other countries. We are also delivering the North East Smart Ticketing Initiative to rollout smart travel across a huge geographic area.”

The Smart Ticketing Initiative Tobyn referred to is part of phase one of the £389m ‘Metro: all change’ modernisation programme. Phase two, which complements and overlaps with phase one, is now underway and as Tobyn explained, the majority of the

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investment in this phase is in infrastructure including track and track beds, overhead line, structures, cabling, communications and train management systems.

“While Metro itself opened only 35 years ago, it uses infrastructure dating back to the birth of the railways – in fact our oldest alignment was surveyed by Robert Stephenson himself!” he highlighted. “Much of the track we are replacing is around 50 years old and the beds and drainage beneath it up to three times that age. The investment we’re making now will serve North East England for many decades to come.

“We have delivered 25km of new track and trackbeds and the same distance of renewed cable and ducting routes, and overhauled and strengthened more than 20 bridges and tunnels and several thousand metres of embankment. There is also scope to bring older stations up to modern standards of accessibility, including the installation of tactile surfaces, double-height handrails, bench seating and improved wayfinding and passenger information. In addition we will by Spring have replaced 19 escalators most of which were life-expired and almost impossible to source parts for, and six passenger lifts.”

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This programme also includes a refurbishment of the train fleet, delivered on behalf of Nexus by DB Regio Tyne and Wear Ltd through Wabtec in Doncaster, which will be complete in the summer of 2015. The £30m refurbishment brings the fleet up to modern RVAR standards – in fact the early Metrocars were the first rail vehicles in the country to attain this – and deals with serious corrosion. It extends the life of the original fleet into the 2020s, by which time they will be more than 40 years old, while Nexus plans for the procurement of a new fleet.

“Our big priority for the next few years is creating a business case for the new train fleet,” Tobyn added. “It’s clear from the work we’ve done that the heritage and future of Metro is as a sub-regional light rail system, most closely related to the continental ‘S-Bahn’ model, rather than as a tramway as seen in other British cities. This has important implications as we model the size and capacity of a future fleet but also its power source – could we, for example, introduce a fleet at the present 1,500v DC voltage but with the potential to run on 25,000v AC and so extend into new parts of the region’s Network Rail infrastructure? On a network as busy as Metro which is already offering a very high frequency we need to be very confident about the dimensions of the fleet we set out to procure for the four decades ahead, and there is detailed analysis and modelling going into that work now.”

All of these improvements are designed to not only create a better service for passengers but also have a wider effect on the community, as Tobyn highlighted: “Metro is fundamental to the local economy and social life of the region,” he said. “Metro keeps about 15 million car journeys a year off the region’s roads and contributes some 10,000 daily visits to Newcastle city centre which would otherwise not happen, whether that be for work, education or leisure. Our modernisation programme is

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worth £2.5bn to the region’s economy compared to the consequences of letting Metro decline and fail, when calculated as a benefit-cost ratio. This is fundamental to our business case for on-going investment in the network.

“We can quantify the benefits of modernisation in more direct ways, as the many projects that make up the whole programme have secured and created hundreds of jobs in rail engineering and construction. These are jobs with contractors and extend right through the supply chain but also within Nexus itself. We have set up an internal ‘capital delivery’ team of 60 staff which competes to deliver projects within the programme, and we have had the confidence to take on 30 apprentices over three years knowing they have good prospects of a career with us.

“It’s also important to demonstrate the benefits in terms of reliability – the last five years have seen us replace 25km of track and vastly increase the proportion of the network where rails are fully stressed and laid on modern concrete sleepers and good ballast; we have seen payback through a decrease in rail misalignments and cracks as a result.

“The ticketing and gating programme, substantially completed in 2013, has led to a decline in fraud and consequent increase in revenue, alongside overall passenger growth of around seven per cent in the last year. Metro has always been something of a Cinderella network surviving on a very low cost base among UK railways, but it is now in a healthy position to look to the future.”

The entire Metro: all change programme has of course featured innovation and new technology, not all of which will be obvious to passengers but will be quietly working behind the scenes to improve information flow and recovery from disruptions. For example, Kapsch is delivering a new digital radio communication system, which is moving to delivery through 2015. “This is a really important project for which Kapsch was chosen

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following an international procurement process,” noted Tobyn. “Because Metro is such a busy system we need the highest quality communications between trains and the Metro Control Centre or the IECC York centre, which covers movements on Network Rail infrastructure through Sunderland.”

Nexus has a local transport remit stretching much wider than rail, but with the Metro, Tobyn highlighted the key priorities for the coming year as the continued successful and efficient delivery of modernisation projects, and the development of a business case for the essential new Metro fleet. Nexus will also be leading on national rail issues for the new North East Combined Authority, which is among the partners in Rail North exploring the potential for devolution of the Northern Rail franchise with the Department for Transport. “We see significant benefits from devolution, an idea which has inspired and brought together local authorities from Northumberland through Tyne and Wear and the Tees Valley to North Yorkshire in forming a single rail strategy for this huge region,” said Tobyn. “The current structure of local passenger services invites the concept of a North East Business Unit at arms’ length from the wider franchise, which better serves the unique needs of this region, where people are making often much longer journeys by local trains on older and sometimes substandard trains, when compared to conurbations along the M62 corridor.”

He concluded: “The programmes Nexus is now embarked upon will shape local transport in North East England for many years to come – securing and improving bus routes by making better use of the profits they make to provide a genuine public service, completing the introduction of smart ticketing and moving forward into contactless payments, and modernising Metro. But of course Metro works best at the heart of an integrated transport environment and what we are seeking to do is integrate the way people buy travel as well as the modes they use.” 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.

31 March to 1 April AsiaPacificRail 2015 Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: (65) 6322 2720 Email: sophia.ku@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/ asia-pacific-rail 14-16 April World Travel Catering & Onboard Services EXPO Hamburg Messe, Germany Organiser: Reed Exhibitions Tel: 0208 910 7132 Email: daniel.kazimierczak@reedexpo.co.uk Web: www.worldtravelcateringexpo.co 21-22 April Counter Terror Expo Olympia, London Organiser: Clarion Events Tel: 020 7384 7776 Email: peter.orford@clarionevents.com Web: www.counterterrorexpo.com 12-14 May Railtex 2015 NEC, Birmingham Organiser: Mack Brooks Exhibitions Tel: 01727 814 400 Email: railtex@mackbrooks.co.uk Web: www.railtex.co.uk

3 June 23rd Annual Rail Freight Group Conference Stephenson Harwood, London Organiser: Waterfront Conference Company Tel: 0207 067 1597 Email: conference@thewaterfront.co.uk Web: www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com

30 June - 1 July AfricaRail 2015 Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: Brian Shabangu +27 11 516 4015 Email: brian.shabangu@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/africa-rail

8-10 June UITP World Congress & Exhibition: The transformational changes facing public transport Milan Organiser: UITP Web: www.uitpmilan2015.org

8 July UK Rail Station Regeneration and Development Dentons, London Organiser: Waterfront Conference Company Tel: 0207 067 1597 Email: conference@thewaterfront.co.uk Web: www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com/ conference-calendar

30 June Public Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement for Major Infrastructure Projects Master Class 2015 Burges Salmon, London Organiser: Waterfront Conference Company Tel: 0207 067 1597 Email: conference@thewaterfront.co.uk Web: www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com/ conference-calendar 30 June - 1 July Railway Engineering 2015, International Conference & Exhibition Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh Organiser: Railway Engineering Tel: 01314 470 447 Email: exhibition@railwayengineering.com Web: www.railwayengineering.com

15-17 July RailNewcastle Conference Newcastle upon Tyne Organiser: NewRail Tel: 01912 083 976 Email: www.newrail.org/education Web: conferences.ncl.ac.uk/ railnewcastleconference 28-30 September European Transport Conference 2015 Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany Organiser: Association for European Transport Email: sally.scarlett@aetransport.org Web: etcproceedings.org

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) 15 April Fleet maintenance - Advanced Understand the issues affecting rail vehicle performance and cost of maintenance

14 May Vehicle dynamics and vehicle track interaction Understand the dynamics of railway vehicles to improve safety, comfort and asset life

16 April Train structural integrity Structural integrity, fire and crashworthiness systems found on today’s rail fleets

18-22 May Introduction to railway signalling technologies An overview of railway control systems, subsystems and technologies used on UK main line and metro railways

12 May Train control and safety systems Learn of the systems used on UK fleets that provide safety and train operational control

6 October 2015 Introduction to rolling stock Provides a basic understanding of the role of traction and rolling stock within the context of railway systems as a whole

13 May Vehicle acceptance and approvals Introduction to acceptance procedures which apply across the rail network

7 October 2015 Traction and braking Principles of traction and braking for railway engineers

13 October 2015 Fleet Maintenance - Introduction Improve your processes and fleet maintenance processes 14 October 2015 Fleet maintenance - Advanced Understand the issues affecting rail vehicle performance and cost of maintenance Brochure is available at: www.imeche.org/docs/ default-source/learning-and-professional-development-documents/l-d-railway-training-brochure2015_web 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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Houghton International

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Motor Alternator repair

Driving success Pioneering specialist in electro mechanical innovation, Houghton International is leading the way in traction motor repair, maintenance and life extension

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(L-R) – Michael Mitten, CEO, Chris Robson, Rail Technical Account Manager and Jason McKeon, Quality, Safety and Environmental Manager from Houghton International celebrating achieving RISAS certification

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ver the last 30 years, Houghton International has grown to be one of the UK’s leading suppliers of traction motor service and repairs, having done so to over 5000 individual motors. Whilst leading this sector in the UK, the company has also established itself as a world-leading pioneer within the industry, taking it upon itself to approach problems and use its wealth of engineering expertise and experience to solve them in the best way. Innovation and investment in facilities and people is at the heart of Houghton’s operations.

A focused attention on these aspects combined with excellent customer service are all part of Houghton working towards its vision to be widely considered the best in the world at what it does. With a dedicated division serving its largest market in the rail industry, the company also serves oil and gas, offshore, subsea, industrial and energy sectors.

Houghton International prides itself on being a problem solver of issues facing the industries in which it works. As CEO, Michael Mitten explains: “The way that we always approach business is by solving problems – taking a problem that exists, engineering a solution and delivering it consistently. We work across multiple sectors and are therefore exposed to a range of challenges, because of this we can cross-pollinate from one industry sector to another. By understanding the differing challenges

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CEO Michael Mitten and HR Manager Jacqueline Mason with company apprentices in each we can take an existing solution in one, to be an innovation in the other.” Two examples of this are in the company’s innovative HiTrax insulation system, which provides life extension for traction motors, and the patented HiTrans testing solution for motor alternators.

HiTrans is a pioneering system that involves testing repaired and serviced machinery under full service load before it leaves the shop. “The problem was that these things were failing all the time in service and were massively affecting the passenger experience and costing our customers a lot of money,” Michael adds. “The system is pioneering, innovative and solves a massive problem in terms of reliability. It’s about providing real value all the way back to the passenger.”

Continuous innovation is key to Houghton’s growth strategy and a glimpse into the company’s near future serves to illustrate this. Over the next year the company is due to launch a range of innovative products, including one that will be patented, which, as Michael highlights: “Will be solving a problem that has never been solved before and causes a massive reliability problem on a whole range of vehicles.” Elsewhere, the company is proving that it has the capabilities to become a leader in the industry. In a recent job for the First Great Western HST fleet, Houghton was asked to repair an alternator that previously only one company in the UK has been able to do. “We have now successfully proven that there are two,” emphasises Michael. “That’s an important step forward for us but also the market, it brings greater capacity, flexibility and competition to the market and this will drive improvement too.”

Another dimension for Houghton’s continued success

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HiTrans patented transient dynamic MA set load testing process

is its focus on people. Michael is a strong HiTrax traction believer that if motor life the company extension insulating puts its time into system its employees, they, in turn, will put their time into customers.

“It’s because we have a commitment to living by a very strong set of values and that governs what we do. We have a really powerful and unique culture that we invest in,” explains Michael. Innovation is a factor in this as well, as the company employs an elite sports coach to encourage and improve this culture. As a result the attitude of Houghton is positive and the staff embody this. “That sets us apart from our competitors because it translates into better customer service, better solutions and better innovation.”

Apprenticeship schemes, and training and development are incredibly important to Houghton’s growth strategy. Currently around 20 per cent of the workforce is made up of apprentices, and a number of senior managers in the business, including Michael,

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started in the company this way. “It gives us a really deep technical core right the way through the organisation,” he adds. Part of improving relationships with customers and ingraining the company deep within the industry is the exchange programmes it operates with its customers. The programme involves hosting each other’s trainees for a period of time to share best practice and understand each other’s products. “This is something that is incredibly well received in across the industry,” expresses Michael. “It drives a huge amount of product improvement and trust between both parties.

The more we understand, the better level of service we can give.”

Houghton International has experienced a significant amount of growth over the past few years. An important milestone was reached last December when it received RISAS accreditation after only starting the process in August of the same year. “We were really delighted to get that significant tick in the box,” says Michael.

Crucially it proves that Houghton is on its way to become the best at what it does. Turning over £5 million last year, the company set out its five year ‘2020’ plan, which aims to hit £20 million by the year 2020. By investing heavily in new facilities, equipment, training and development, the company is going in the right direction. Yet, continuing its commitment to innovation whilst keeping people at the heart of what it does are held in equal regard. zz

www.houghton-international.com

RAILWAY FOR SENIOR RAIL MANAGEMENT

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Editor Gay Sutton

editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk Sales Manager Joe Woolsgrove

jwoolsgrove@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

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