Railway Strategies Issue 121 September 2015

Issue 121 September 2015

Crossrail gears up for track laying Giant concreting train arrives for 300m/day marathon

NEWS

Night Tube service postponed New fleet for London to Penzance Second city station for Cambridge FOCUS ON

Engineering Electrification Facilities management

FEATURE

S

ETCS _ A hacker’s paradise? The inside story

Disruptive technology _ opportunity or threat?

Get ready for changes to non-EU migrant workers law

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From the Editor

Chairman Andrew Schofield Editor Gay Sutton editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk Managing Editor Libbie Hammond Art Editor Gerard Roadley-Battin Advertisement Designer David Howard Profile Editor Libbie Hammond Staff Writers Jo Cooper Ben Clark Andrew Dann Advertisement Sales Dave King Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove Operations Director Philip Monument Business Development Director Dave Garner Editorial Researchers Keith Hope Gavin Watson Tarj Kaur-D’Silva Mark Cowles

A moment to reflect

W

elcome to our bumper summer edition of Railway Strategies. I’m pleased to report there is some encouraging news for the rail sector this month. Against a worrying backdrop of media rumours about possible cost cutting by the Treasury, it appears that for the fifth year in succession the train operating companies have paid more money to the Treasury than they have received in Government subsidies. That speaks volumes about the improving health and vigour of an industry that is attracting more and more customers.

There will always be more that can be done to improve the performance, efficiency and levels of customer service of the railways. And we report on these initiatives and changes in our news pages every month. But continuous improvement is exactly that _ it has no end point.

This month, Martin Howell takes a look at what he terms disruptive technologies _ technologies that have the power to bring about a paradigm shift in how people, cities and industries function (p18). Should that be a frightening concept, or an exciting one? Already, our cities are transforming and there are enormous changes ahead. The question is how to harness these transformations and turn them into opportunities.

It’s all too easy to fear change. And many concerns have been raised about the risks associated with running a digital railway. On page 18, Mike Hewitt takes a clear view on the subject, and how it should be approached.

We would love to hear your thoughts on these or any topics to do with the railways.

Please email: editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk

Administration Tracy Chynoweth

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Features LEGAL _ Exacerbating the skills shortage? 9 Preparing for next April’s change in the law for non EU migrant workers TIJEN AHMET, SA LAW LEGAL _ Living with the new national wage 10 Things to consider and decide, before the new National Living Wage comes into operation BEN DANIEL

Minimising damage below ground 20 Predicting ground movement and structural damage during underground rail projects OASYS Fast and furious 22 The oil and gas sector shows us how improving safety need not jeopardise productivity IAIN MACKAY

LEGAL _ Can HS2 fast track payment? 11 Examining the issue of late payment to subcontractors. Is relief at hand?

TOM COLLINS, WEIGHTMANS

Britain’s silver bullet? 35 Underground maglev trains _ could this be the future of city freight?

GEMMA JAMES

ETCS _ A hacker’s paradise? 12 Looking beyond the media hype _ the vulnerability of the new digital signalling systems MIKE HEWITT

Steeling the show 36 How gleaming steel is helping Birmingham New Street station meet strict environmental standards SAS INTERNATIONAL

Curve Appeal _ CASE STUDY 17 Producing the curved ribs for the beautiful new roof at Manchester Victoria station BARNSHAWS

Looking for a revolution 40 Why data collection has to be improved before we can truly harness big data REBECCA EVANS

Disruptive technology _ opportunity or threat? 18 Rail technologies that are driving disruptive change for our cities and transportation systems MARTIN HOWELL

Profiles PMA AG/PMA UK BCL Power Furrer + Frey Spencer Group Southeastern SSE Enterprise Contracting Damar International FirstGroup Laborex Millers Oils TBM Rail Morris Line Engineering

45 48 50 54 57 60 63 66 72 75 78 81

Greatest assets 41 Southeastern pays tribute to the dedication and hard work of its employees Patent of the month 43 The merits and significance of a revolutionary new axle counter from Thales ROSIE HARDY, WITHERS & ROGERS LLP

50 66

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News

Industry Infrastructure Rolling Stock Stations Rail Alliance Appointments Conferences & Exhibitions

4 6 15 16 29 42 80

7Cover story

Focus on Engineering Gaining true tunnel vision _ CASE STUDY 26 Bond Street station upgrade _ 3D modelling and simulation solves tunnelling issues DASSAULT SYSTĂˆMES Water management 30 How the industry is solving some of the current trackside drainage issues ROD GREEN

Focus on Electrification An electrifying conclusion 32 With some electrification projects on pause, we look at ways to make the remaining ones more efficient KONAIN A KHAN

Focus on Facilities Management

26 30

Fire safety 38 Applying the latest EN45545 standard on the London Underground ADAPTAFLEX

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32

IN BRIEF

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin speaking at NTAR

First homes completed above Crossrail station l The first 121 of over 1000 homes to be constructed over the new Crossrail station in Woolwich, have been completed by Berkeley Homes. The Cannon Square scheme is one of two developments at Royal Arsenal Riverside.

Located over the eastern end of the station, it is part of the regeneration of the former munitions factory.

Level crossings to be made safer l 54 Level Crossing Enforcement Smart Poles from Crown International have been successfully piloted on the UK railways as part of Network Rail’s £130m level crossing safety improvement programme. Used to mount digital safety-camera equipment to dissuade jumping of the lights, the technology is to be rolled out across the network over the next three years.

Sex offences on trains are on the rise l According to the BTP, crime on the trains and tubes of England, Scotland and Wales has fallen by more than 8% compared with the previous year making this the 11th year in a row that crime has fallen.

Violent crime, however, rose by 8.6% and sexual offences increased by 25.2%.

Government’s rail profits continue to rise l For the 5th successive year, government has received more money from train operating companies as part of their franchise agreements than it has paid in subsidies. In 2014-15, ORR figures show that the government received £802m, up from £40m in 2013-14. The majority of government support went in grant payment to Network Rail.

Apprentice to poster boy? l Four Network Rail employees are to star in an advertising campaign informing passengers about engineering work at bank holidays. The idea is to present the human side of the information through someone who will be working over the bank holiday to deliver the railway upgrade plan.

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Terry Morgan to develop the new national transport and infrastructure strategy l Speaking at the newly-constructed National Training Academy for Rail (NTAR) located at the Siemens’ Northampton rail depot, the Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, has pledged to create more than 30,000 apprenticeship places across the road and rail industry during the lifetime of this Parliament.

To support this ambition and ensure a continuous pipeline of skilled workers into the industry, he also announced the appointment of Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan to develop a transport and infrastructure skills strategy.

Patrick McLoughlin said: “As the chairman of Crossrail, and the forthcoming National College for High Speed Rail, Terry has a track record of building skills in the transport sector.

He is ideally positioned to work with industry to deliver a transport and infrastructure skills strategy.”

The skills strategy will set out how government and industry will: • deliver on 30,000 new apprenticeships in roads and rail over the 5 years to 2020, working together with supply chain partners • ensure the right mix of apprenticeships, including many at higher levels, with training in new technologies • explore upskilling the existing workforce to meet new challenges • encourage greater workforce diversity, including attracting more women into engineering • develop a co-ordinated national network of transport infrastructure skills colleges.

Commenting on the appointment, Terry Morgan said: “I’m really pleased to be leading this work. It’s vital that we develop the workforce of the future, ensuring the transport industry has the right people in the right place at the right time, and crucially with the right skills, to deliver this unprecedented programme of infrastructure work. I’m very much looking forward to working with colleagues across the road and rail industry, and to leaving a legacy of skills for the future.”

ORR fines Network Rail £2m for breach of licence l The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has concluded that Network Rail breached its licence in respect to Southern, Govia Thameslink (GTR) and in Scotland in 2014-15, and has imposed a fine of £2m. Network Rail may, however, offer compensation to affected passengers instead of paying the fine.

The ORR investigation into Network Rail’s performance revealed that passenger services on these lines fell below expectations and missed punctuality targets, and that the organisation had not done everything reasonably practicable to deliver reliability and punctuality. No systemic weaknesses, however, were found within Network Rail.

ORR’s analysis showed that for Southern and GTR: • There were serious weaknesses in the data which informed new timetables.

• Network Rail was overly optimistic in estimating and assessing the impact of new

timetables on performance.

• These issues resulted in very severe disruptions and frustrations for passengers using London Bridge station. The company failed to engage adequately with the train operators to understand what impact the new timetables would have on their passengers and services. However, passenger safety was not compromised.

In Scotland, there were numerous errors in the December 2014 timetable, caused partly by a lack of quality assurance and detailed planning.

ORR chief executive Richard Price said: “These serious issues have caused severe disruption and frustration for passengers, most notably affecting services at and around London Bridge. ORR is therefore imposing a £2m fine on Network Rail – a decision we did not take lightly. The scale of the delays suffered by passengers was central to our decision to fine.”

NEWS I Industry Monitoring discrete pile stabilisation

Preparing lab sample for soil event

IN FACT 175 years making rail safer

EPSRC rail consortium shows how to cut costs and reduce delays l Railway Track for the 21st Century, a £3.1m 5 year research programme funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), has identified a range of improvements to the way railway track is designed, built and maintained. These could help the UK rail industry achieve multi-millionpound savings.

The key outcomes include: • Seasonal track movement on clay embankments can be addressed by using vegetation to manage water content and reduce shrink-swell problems in the clay, as well as improving track stability during wet periods. £500,000 a year is already being saved through more effective management of lineside vegetation.

• Better risk assessment of earthworks has improved adverse weather management, delivering an estimated 14% reduction in the risk of trains running into landslides during

high-rainfall periods.

• The risk of landslips can be further reduced by piles driven into the earth to stabilise slopes forming part of cuttings and embankments.

Annual savings estimated at between £13m and £20m are expected from improved design arising from the research, as well as big reductions in the time taken for the works.

• Maintenance requirements can also be reduced by including a wider range of grain size in the ballast supporting the track, by inserting flexible pads under sleepers, or by reducing the ballast shoulder slope, all of which can reduce the stresses that the track system experiences.

Several of the programme’s most promising ideas are now being taken further by the £8.2m, 5 year follow-on initiative Track to the Future.

The research consortium includes the Universities of Southampton, Birmingham, and Nottingham

LU defers launch of the Night Tube to conclude talks with unions l London Underground (LU) has announced it is deferring the launch of the Night Tube to enable talks with the trade unions to reach a successful conclusion. The decision follows 2 weeks of constructive talks which led to the suspension of the latest round of planned strikes.

Practical arrangements for the introduction of the Night Tube are in place but discussions continue over rosters. At this stage it

would not be possible to agree these and communicate them to staff in time for the original launch date of 12 September.

LU managing director, Nick Brown, said: “We believe we are not far from an agreement that protects the work-life balance of our employees and is affordable, sustainable and fair. Our objective is to reach an agreement that ends this dispute and delivers the Night Tube for Londoners this Autumn.”

The hunt is on to find the UK’s best young rail researcher l Rail Research UK Association (RRUKA) and The Railway Division of the IMechE have joined forces to find the UK’s best young railway researcher, in a nationwide competition that closes on 11 September.

The competition is part of an industry wide attempt to encourage and nurture research talent. The winner will receive a cash prize of £1,000, a commemorative trophy and an opportunity to present to key industry

professionals at the RRUKA Annual Conference in London on 5 November.

The competition is open to young rail professionals and early career researchers who are members of a professional engineering institution with fewer than 10 years chartered engineering experience.

l August 2015 marked 175 years of the Railway Inspectorate, which has driven huge improvements in health and safety in the sector. The first railway inspector was appointed in 1840 to monitor railway construction and equipment.

From 1871 inspectors gained powers to review accidents and recommend ways to avoid them. It is now part of the ORR.

£6m funding  £70m benefits l The three winning projects from RSSB’s £6m Train Operator Competition 2015 could deliver over £70m of benefits to passengers and the industry, according to RSSB. The winners were announced in July. Arriva UK Trains, Govia Thameslink and First Group, are now working to submit detailed plans for their innovation projects.

4.5m journeys a day l According to ORR, rail journeys cross Britain increased by 4.5% in the first six months of 2015 compared to the same period last year. Passenger revenue also rose by more than 7% to £4.1bn over the same period. Total rail passenger journeys for the year reached a record high of 1.65bn _ more than 4.5m a day.

95% contracts to UK companies l Crossrail’s latest sustainability report shows that 4,115 of the people working on the project are either from the boroughs of London and/ or were previously unemployed. Meanwhile, 95% of Crossrail contracts went to UK companies and 61% of suppliers are based outside London, spreading the benefit countrywide.

Rail fares  25% since 2010 l Rail fares have risen nearly 3 times faster than wages over the last 5 years, according to new figures published by the TUC and the Action for Rail campaign. The analysis shows that between 2010 and 2015 fares increased by 25% while average pay went up by just 9%.

Entries must be submitted online at www. rruka.org.uk by 11 September.

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IN BRIEF

Work in progress on the Nottingham tram extension

Ayacucho tramline successfully tested l NTL and Alstom have successfully tested braking and power supply on the first tram on the new Ayacucho tramway in Medellin, Colombia. The 4.3 km line comprises nine stations connecting metro lines A and B with two new metrocable lines. Scheduled to be partially open in October it will eventually carry 85,000 passengers per day.

Plague pit found at Liverpool Street l A mass burial site suspected of containing 30 victims of the 1665 Great Plague has been unearthed at Crossrail’s Liverpool Street site. The discovery was found during excavation of the Bedlam burial ground above what will become the eastern entrance of the new station. It is very different to the other burials found in the cemetery.

Algeria’s Constantine tramway to be extended l The Constantine Tramway in Algeria is to be extended by 10km, from the existing Zouaghi tram terminal to the new city of Ali Mendjeli and to the Mohamed Boudiaf airport. Alstom is to supply the integrated system, tracks, catenaries, telecommunications and signalling, substations and ticketing equipment.

Interactive constituency rail map l The RDG has launched an interactive constituency rail map on its website. Users can search by address or postcode for the MP and length of track in kilometres within the constituency, the rail investment being made in the area and the Network Rail contact. www.raildeliverygroup.com/aboutus/constituency-rail-map.html

More London Bridge work this Bank Holiday l Network Rail is to use the August Bank Holiday to complete another major package of improvements at London Bridge station.

The work, which will necessitate the 3 day closure of Charing Cross, Waterloo East, Cannon Street and part of London Bridge station, will prepare the way for bigger changes next year.

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The Nottingham tram network

Nottingham’s tram network extension to boost city’s economy l The £570m extension of the Nottingham Express Transit (NET), which comprises two new tramlines to Chilwell and Clifton, has been completed. Part-funded by the UK’s only workplace parking levy, it doubles the size of the city’s tram network which now has the capacity to serve up to 20 million passengers a year.

Constructed by the Taylor Woodrow Alstom joint venture on behalf of Tramlink Nottingham, the extension includes 17.5km of new track and 28 new stops. These link directly with NET Line One at Nottingham station.

The tram network now extends for 32km, serving seven park and ride sites, Nottingham station and the Queen’s Medical Centre hospital, 20 of the 30 largest employers in Greater Nottingham as well as key

regeneration sites. Coming within 800m of nearly 30% of the Greater Nottingham population, it makes Nottingham one of the best-integrated public transport networks in the country.

Councillor Jane Urquhart, with lead responsibility for NET at Nottingham City Council, said: “The extended tram network represents a fantastic investment in our city and we will now start seeing its benefit, not only in terms of affordable, reliable travel, but also in economic growth. The project has already provided jobs for local people and contracts for local businesses and we now expect to see long-term employment growth and a further boost to the local economy because of the tram.”

Thales wins the new modernisation contract for 40% of London Underground l Transport for London (TfL) has awarded Thales a contract worth £760m to replace the signalling and train control system on the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines. Together, the four lines comprise nearly 40% of the underground network, including the oldest parts which were built in 1863.

Some of the current signalling system has been operating here since the early years of the last century and is not capable of running trains close enough together to give London the high-frequency service it needs.

Work is expected to begin later this year and by 2022 trains will run every 2 minutes during peak periods across much of Central London.

Nick Brown, managing director of London Underground, said: “Having successfully

modernised three of the most heavily used lines on our network, we are ready to begin work to bring the next four lines into the modern era. This will transform the journeys of millions of our customers, significantly increasing service reliability and frequency.”

A total budget of £5.41bn is earmarked for modernising these four lines. Other improvements will include introducing a further 191 modern air-conditioned walk through trains, replacing track, lengthening platforms and rebuilding train depots with advanced technology.

Once these four lines have been completed, LU will then move on to introducing new trains and control systems for the Piccadilly, Central, Bakerloo, and Waterloo & City lines.

NEWS I Infrastructure

Hitachi traffic management is to run Thameslink’s central core

The yellow concreting train

Track preparation work on the south east side of Connaught tunnel

Crossrail gears up for track laying at a rate of 300m per day l Now that Crossrail’s 26 mile tunnelling marathon beneath the streets of London has been completed, preparations are underway for the next phase of Europe’s largest infrastructure project. A bright yellow 465 metre long concreting train has arrived from France.

The train is now ready for action at the Plumstead depot in southeast London having been refurbished and brought to the UK via the Channel Tunnel. As long as four football pitches when fully assembled, it is a selfcontained concrete batching factory on wheels which will be used to fit-out the standard track slab along the route.

The train will begin laying the first permanent track and rails from the Plumstead

railhead in September, moving into the tunnels working progressively across London.

The Connaught tunnel, a disused rail tunnel in Docklands, was fitted with temporary rails in January to provide services into that section of tunnel. These will be replaced by permanent track.

Simon Wright, Crossrail programme director said: “The arrival of the concreting train at Plumstead _ the logistical nerve centre for this phase of Crossrail’s delivery _ will bring us another step towards the completion of this major new railway for London and the South East. The train will lay 300m a day, which is the rate we need in order to get the job finished on time and to begin services through London at the end of 2018.”

Public consultation for Tameside’s new transport interchange l Transport for Greater Manchester has launched a public consultation for the proposed new transport interchange at Tameside.

The new interchange is designed to make it easier for people to change between trams, buses, bicycles and taxis. New improved pedestrian routes from the interchange to the town centre and train station will improve

connectivity throughout the region.

The new facility, which will be located next to the existing Ashton bus station site, will feature an attractive concourse, modern waiting areas, cycle parking, improved security and easier access to travel information and tickets.

Visit www.tfgm.com/tamesideinterchange to view details and submit views.

l Hitachi has been awarded a £24m contract to supply its Tranista traffic management system to Network Rail for the most time critical section of the £6.5bn Thameslink project. The contract includes options to expand the scope of the system to cover the whole of the Brighton Main Line and part of the East Coast Main Line.

While ETCS for this essential north-south London link is to be supplied by Siemens, the Tranista traffic management system will perform a crucial role managing and controlling the running of the service through London’s central core. Working with in-cab signalling and automatic train operations it will ensure that 24 trains run per hour in each direction between St Pancras International and Blackfriars stations, revolutionising travel in the capital. It will also enable services to recover more rapidly following a delay or disruption.

Hitachi traffic management systems have been used on Japan’s busy commuter networks for over 40 years, including the iconic Shinkansen high speed line.

Blackburn to Bolton railway reopens after £14m upgrade l Train services between Bolton and Blackburn have resumed following the completion of a £14m package of improvement work on the Clitheroe to Manchester route.

The work, which took place over five weeks, was funded by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. Additional track has been laid either side of Darwen station, to provide extra capacity and enable a half hourly daytime service between Manchester and Blackburn in the future.

Edwin Booth, chairman of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, said: “Improving rail links within Lancashire and with the surrounding region is a vital element in boosting economic growth and creating jobs for the people of Lancashire, as part of broader investment in our transport infrastructure. This work will provide greater capacity on this key railway line and should bring benefits for individuals and businesses across East Lancashire.”

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8

Legal

Exacerbating the skills shortage?

From April next year, only non EU migrants earning in excess of £35,000 will be allowed to remain in the UK for longer than six years.

How will the rail sector cope?

Immigration solicitor TIJEN AHMET discusses the options

T

Tijen Ahmet, is immigration solicitor at SA Law

he government is continuing to follow through with its aim of reducing the demand for migrant labour, and a new salary threshold for all tier 2 (general) skilled migrants seeking settlement first announced in 2011 will take effect in April next year. The change will have far reaching consequences for the rail industry, depriving the sector of the huge contribution migrants make across a number of roles.

Prior to 2011, the main eligibility requirement to make an application for settlement depended on the amount of time the individual had been resident in the UK. However, the new measures have introduced a salary stipulation to the process: skilled migrants who fall under the tier 2 category earning at least £35,000 gross per annum can apply (subject to certain other requirements) for indefinite leave to remain in the UK after five years’ continuous residence. The tier 2 category comprises skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area who are sponsored by UK businesses and organisations, large and small, across the UK for their continuing employment.

Workforce development charity People 1st has separately estimated that migrants account for 14 per cent of the labour force in the rail sector. Whilst the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has grabbed headlines recently by pointing to the chaos that could result for the NHS from the introduction of a threshold, these figures suggest it could be equally devastating for a transport sector already hampered by employment and industrial action concerns.

Ministers accept that skilled migrants are needed to work in roles fetching below £35,000 per year but it is a considerable chasm between that figure and the £26,500 at which the national average wage currently stands.

Employers in the rail sector will invest in training for their employees, hoping that they will in turn adapt to life in the UK and stay compliant with the rules, but then see their workforce will have no choice but to depart after six years subject to their contract of employment. They may even face issues with international recruitment further into the future, as foreign workers, with one eye on their longer-term prospects, may not consider the UK a viable destination.

Major concerns for employers

The options

It follows that if the salary of the applicant doesn’t quite reach the £35,000 figure, which is a strong likelihood in the rail sector, they will not be permitted to stay in the UK. Similarly, if they do not actually apply for settlement they will be obliged to leave before or upon completion of their sixth year in the country.

The thresholds will evolve over time. It will initially be held in place for two years from April 2016, increasing to £35,800 in April 2019 and £36,200 the following April. Although this cuts across a number of sectors, some occupations will be excluded. Jobs appearing (or jobs that have appeared) on the published shortage occupation list produced by the Migration Advisory Committee – which ranges from engineers to orchestral musicians – as well as PhD-level occupation codes, will not face the threshold restrictions.

The rail industry is highly dependent on migrant labour.

According to the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, the proportion of foreign-born workers has grown fastest among process operatives, including transport drivers, since the early 2000s. Indeed, foreignborn workers represented 29.3 per cent of process operatives in 2013 compared to 8.5 per cent in 2002.

Employers should be aware that there are some options available to them to mitigate or combat the impact of the threshold. The new regime, however, only applies to workers arriving from outside the European Economic Area so senior rail management will still have a choice of labour from inside the region. We anticipate that management in all sectors will to an extent turn their focus to workers from the European Economic Area.

Alternatively, workers can seek out other categories of visa, two examples being a partner visa – remaining in the UK with family – or a student visa if they go on to pursue an accepted course to study. If there are administrative errors in the Home Office’s calculation of a worker’s earnings, they may be able to challenge the decision.

Individuals can even take the decision to judicial review which brings its legality into question.

The Home Secretary and Prime Minister have thus far remained silent in the face of criticism from a number of different sectors in the last month, and the full force of the regulations is therefore set to be felt next year. Employers in the rail industry will need to consider their employment strategies in light of the changes with a view to ensuring their operations continue smoothly.

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Legal

Living with the new national wage Forward planning is crucial for new legislation, and the new National Living Wage is no exception.

Ben Daniel discusses the considerations

A

Ben Daniel is employment partner at Weightmans

ll those operating in the rail industry need to take careful note of the incoming living wage, which was announced in the July budget. From April 2016 a national living wage will replace the existing minimum wage for all workers aged over 25. The current minimum wage of £6.50 an hour will be replaced with a new rate of £7.20 and this is expected to rise further to more than £9 an hour by 2020.

The concept of a ‘living wage’ already exists (as recommended by the Living Wage Foundation), and has been voluntarily adopted by more than 1,000 employers across the UK who have been given the living wage employer status. Transport for London, for example is an accredited living wage employer. This wage is set at a higher rate and is not to be confused with the new national living wage which will be mandatory and the respective rates of pay will be set by government.

Some questions to consider It is vital that employers across the sector start to plan for this change now, as the national living wage could fuel a significant jump in payroll costs. Employers will need to consider carefully how they implement this change within their organisation, including assessing the knock-on effect it is likely to have in terms of their existing pay scales, pension costs and other employee benefit schemes.

There is significant uncertainty around the impact the new living wage will have. Certainly, it is anticipated that it will rise by much more than inflation. Employers are also losing a significant element of control over what they pay some of their staff, therefore they may have to make difficult organisational decisions which may result in contractual changes; for example, reducing or stopping bonus payments and cutting back on other employee benefits.

There will be questions around whether to retain existing pay scales and use a supplement, or whether to implement new ones and what knock on impact this will have on administration and payroll in the business. There might also be issues around pay scales if the new living wage means an employee’s pay is inflated to a level where they are being paid as much as their supervisor. Inevitably this might mean the employer’s whole pay structure is overhauled. As a part of this overhaul it is important that pay adequately reflects the value of the different roles _ a job evaluation study might be appropriate.

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Minimising the risks Some key considerations to bear in mind are: • There is likely to be unpredictability of payroll costs and subsequent issues with budgeting and forecasting.

• E mployers will have to assess the day-to-day administration and payroll implications.

• E mployers should also consider any employee relations issues that might arise, for example, where an employee’s wages have been inflated to a level where they are being paid as much as their supervisor.

• E mployers should also ensure that there are pay structures in place which reflect the value of jobs within the organisation. They should therefore consider whether a job evaluation study might be appropriate. Such studies have been an important tool for setting pay rates among public sector employers, particularly to ensure equality between male and female employees.

• A ny contractual changes to employee terms and conditions will need to be handled carefully and consultation requirements will need to be adhered to and dealt with in good time to avoid expensive tribunal claims. Therefore, employers need to be sure that they are carrying out modelling exercises at an early stage so that they are clear on how they will implement the change in a way which minimises the risk of employee relations issues and/or any associated claims.

Within a heavily unionised sector, it is important to anticipate the union view. In this context, RMT has previously campaigned for a living wage, which they believe should rise to at least £10 per hour at today’s prices for rail cleaning staff. Strike action has also been threatened in the past where the concept of a living wage has been refused. It is very likely that the anticipated union stance will be to use any mandatory living wage level as a mechanism to drive up the levels of pay for all employees. This will inevitably figure heavily in future pay talks across the sector. Certainly, employers across the rail industry must evaluate and review existing business/financial models and start thinking about how to implement the living wage.

Legal

Can HS2 fast track payment?

As SME subcontractors continue to suffer from late payment, TOM COLLINS reviews plans from the Government and HS2 to see whether relief is at hand

L

ate payment of invoices was identified as a major problem in the Latham Review in the 1990s, which led to the creation of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act (Construction Act) in 1996. However, the issue continues to blight the construction industry with subcontractors particularly affected. With the new Conservative government having recently re-affirmed its commitment to HS2, how will subcontractors fare when the many contracts for HS2 works are let?

Tom Collins is an Associate at national law firm Weightmans

Progress so far Steps have been taken to address late payment issues for those contracting with public authorities. For some time the government has had in place best practice measures for public authorities to pay private businesses within 30 days. This has been enshrined in law following EU Directive 2011/7/EU with the government reaffirming its commitment through the Late Payments of Commercial Debts Regulations 2013 amending the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

For any late payment by a public authority interest can be claimed from 30 days of the date of the invoice such that effectively payment should be made within 30 days.

Since 2010 the government has also looked to achieve more stringent targets such as that Whitehall Government Departments pay 80 per cent of undisputed invoices within five days.

That is fine if you are contracting with a public authority _ but what about being subcontracted to a Tier One contractor? Subcontractors on HS2 projects won’t be able to directly benefit from the 30 day payment protections in place when contracting with public authorities. As the government’s intention is to protect and promote the growth of SMEs, shouldn’t subcontractors expect the same safeguards to apply to them?

The present position is that under the Late Payment Regulations invoices between commercial businesses should be paid within 60 days before interest starts to run unless a longer period is agreed so long as that longer period is not ‘grossly unfair’. In practice longer periods may be agreed but there is little guidance on what is a grossly unfair payment term.

Are changes afoot for SMEs? The government looked to address this in February this year by launching its Late Payment: Challenging Grossly

Unfair Terms and Practices consultation (which closed on 9 March). It sought views on how better to define terms and practices which could be considered to be grossly unfair and what could be done about it.

One potential option was for representative trade bodies to challenge grossly unfair terms on behalf of its members to address subcontractor concerns about speaking out. Whilst potentially encouraging, any resolution is likely to be some way off if it can be achieved at all. This is particularly so with the government acknowledging that terms which may be considered grossly unfair in the retail industry may not be so in the construction industry. The government has also looked to ensure that all Whitehall Departments include provisions in contracts with prime contractors that they pay their suppliers within 30 days, or by the use of project bank accounts, but this may not go far enough.

How HS2 is responding HS2 Limited now appears to be prepared to go a step further. At the HS2 Supply Chain Conferences, HS2 Limited’s commercial director Beth West made the point that it wanted to implement fair payment principles in all its contracts, noting that more than 90 per cent of specialist contractors still had to wait more than 30 days to get paid on public sector contracts. She therefore sought to reassure subcontractors that every effort will be made to pay them within a designated time frame.

To achieve this HS2 Limited has said that it is considering the possibility of making direct payment to subcontractors should Tier One contractors fail to do so in the timescales HS2 Limited requires. It remains, of course, to be seen if this will be implemented. But it is a bold and encouraging move which should be of some relief to subcontractors.

If the proposal is not implemented then subcontractors will have to await the outcome of the recent government consultation or continue to rely on the Late Payment Act; but the unfortunate reality is that many cannot afford to incur further costs by challenging late or non payment through litigation. A recent survey by the National Specialists Contractors Council has revealed that £200 million of late payments were written off by subcontractors as bad debts over the past year. However it will be hoped that there is light at the end of the tunnel with HS2 Limited saying that it is exploring ways to ensure ‘prompt payment requirements filtered through the supply chain’.

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SIGNALLING

ETCS – A hacker’s paradise?

Mike Hewitt burrows beneath the media hype to examine the security issues and explain why ETCS is vital to the industry’s future growth

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he UK’s new digital signalling system made headlines recently for all the wrong reasons. It was claimed in the media that the transition to ETCS (European Train Control System) could leave the UK exposed to significant hacking risk and even terrorist attacks. So do we really need it?

The digitisation of the UK’s rail network relies on the crucial signalling infrastructure upgrade to ETCS. The move will increase the rail network’s safety, reliability and capacity to meet increasing consumer demand. It’s the only way in which we will ensure the rail industry will deliver the estimated three billion annual journeys that will be taken by 2035.

On a network that is already at capacity, the only way to meet demand is to implement technologies that will enable more trains to run on existing tracks. Indeed, Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne has suggested there could be 40 per cent more trains on the busiest lines after the transition to the new system is complete.

Examining the risks In April, professor David Stupples, an expert in networked electronic and radio systems at London’s City University, told the BBC the switch to ETCS could leave trains

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vulnerable to security breaches and potentially deadly cyber attacks. He warned that hackers could infiltrate the system to cause disruptions and derailments.

However, we believe this implied risk of terrorist attack needs to be approached with care. Indeed, these are risks faced by critical infrastructure the world over that can be managed, and which must be weighed up against the significant benefits that network digitisation will deliver.

If asked whether a transition to a digital system carries a risk, the only answer we can give is: absolutely. But the failure to innovate and progress on a digital front poses an even greater risk – and not just to future industry growth.

Firstly, the risk of system failures from poor levels of maintenance or ageing infrastructure is significant. Much of the UK’s current railway signalling is bolted onto older technology. In some areas, sophisticated computer software automatically controls train paths. But other areas are still controlled manually by signallers from signal boxes, who pull levers connected to semaphore arms.

Secondly, one of the largest and most misunderstood sources of risk is human error and human intervention.

Addressing the health and safety implications of these elements, which must also include the growing issue of mental health, in order to optimise performance and

reduce failure must remain an ongoing focus for the rail industry. Indeed, you only have to cast your mind back a few months to March’s deeply tragic Lufthansa crash for a high profile transport example of this risk factor in action.

You may have all the correct systems and processes in place to mitigate all the risks you can possibly imagine, but the risk of human error will still be prevalent.

Developing a robust and safe infrastructure The drive to innovate will see our rail infrastructure evolve and develop. But there are still challenges ahead which must be met to allow Network Rail and its contractors to deliver a robust and safe digital communications infrastructure.

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SIGNALLING

ETCS – the solution

As the network becomes more sophisticated, with more connected devices and access points present across remote locations, so does the opportunity to gain access to sensitive systems, information and critical controls. The introduction of M2M (machine to machine) working, or IoT (Internet of Things), increases the points of access over the network significantly, especially where trackside sensors are installed in remote locations with limited physical security and protection. A new set of security procedures to safeguard the network is crucial along with an understanding of the technologies involved.

Improving security Infrastructural security will come from a number of areas, including physical security. This will allow authorised personnel access to devices, firewall devices that prevent unauthorised access, the locking of ports to approved devices and the creation of virtual private networks (VPN) to segregate traffic. The correct provision of authentication and user level access for maintenance access and encryption will also prove important.

Building encryption into an end device can be challenging if it is a low power device with limited computing capacity. But feeding the data into a secure gateway within the physical location and encrypting all data within the location onto a VPN provides a secure data transmission path, thus minimising the risks involved.

Detection and response processes are crucial, as guaranteeing that a system is 100 per cent secure is not possible. This is where it becomes key to implement security information and event management (SIEM) software on site. This provides real-time analysis of security alerts generated by hardware and applications, and will monitor and block unauthorised activity on the network.

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The UK rail industry is currently transitioning to an FTNx system (Fixed Telecoms Network) network. This optical and internet protocol (IP) upgrade began in 2014.

To benefit from the capacity and resilience this new system offers, there are considerations and lessons that need to be taken into account. There will be a requirement for engineers to learn new skills from best practices in other industries where similar transformations have already taken place. Aviation and nuclear come to mind.

The benefits of this upgrade for the industry are yet to be fully realised. This includes the delivery of data that will be used to analyse conditions, predict events and be able to generate information remotely. This will prevent the deployment of engineers in a dangerous trackside environment. However, the technology must be protected to ensure it is effective.

At ADComms, we are working with leading suppliers to develop solutions to manage the risk the upgrade poses.

We’re also planning ahead to ensure we have the skills within our organisations to secure the networks we help to deliver.

This includes working with the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), OEM vendors and industry leading solution providers to bring the lessons learnt from other critical infrastructure industries to the rail environment, to make sure we have robust solutions in place to pre-empt and solve the security issues of the future.

In another side of our business we’re already developing solutions for the protection of power networks to secure infrastructure within the connected cities of the future.

As an industry, we must ensure we have the right skills to deliver world-class solutions into the environment that we work in. Whether that is delivering a SCADA protection system in a track side environment or deploying advanced CCTV solutions airside, a skilled workforce is essential to the delivery of scalable, resilient secure infrastructure in challenging environments.

There is no single answer to the question of how to best ensure network security provision. However, we believe a layering approach is key to implementing best practice policy on this issue. Moving to ETCS is a huge change for the rail industry that will enable a much needed capacity increase. Granted, any move to a new system brings with it potential risk. But the UK’s new breed of IT infrastructural engineers is more than qualified to mitigate this.

Mike Hewitt is head of next generation networks at ADComms

NEWS I Rolling stock Alstom to build 8 additional Regiolis trains for the Midi-Pyrénées region

The Alstom Regiolis, from the Coradia range

Hitachi AT300 trains will run primarily from London Paddington to Plymouth and Penzance

New £361m high speed fleet confirmed for the South West l Government has given the go-ahead for a £361m deal that will see 29 new Hitachi built high speed trains running on the First Great Western franchise.

The fleet of 173 AT300 vehicles, procured and financed by Eversholt Rail, will run primarily from London Paddington to Plymouth and Penzance replacing the 40 year old trains currently serving the intercity route. Made up of 7 nine-car and 22 five-car bi-mode trains, the mixed fleet will allow for flexible use, including 10-car formations for through services to and from the capital.

Mark Hopwood, managing director of First Great Western said: “We know how important the railway is to the economies and communities of the South West, and this agreement is fantastic news for the region and the rail industry as a whole. These trains will help us deliver faster, more frequent services into the South West, each providing a 14% increase in seats across the routes once they are all in service. We have now formally finalised the agreement with Hitachi Rail Europe and Eversholt Rail, which will see the first trains in service in the summer of 2018.”

UGL Unipart Rail to upgrade Sydney’s Tangara railcar fleet l Transport for NSW has awarded a AUS $131m contract to UGL Unipart Rail Services for a technology upgrade on Sydney’s fleet of 446 Tangara passenger railcars. The work, which includes management, design, supply, integration, testing and commissioning of the upgrade to train operation systems, door systems and other customer experience enhancements, will extend the life of the fleet and align the railcars with the latest generation of trains on the Sydney network.

UGL Unipart Rail is partnering with Mitsubishi Electric who will be responsible for the train operation system and associated design and other technology or traction related systems.

Mobilisation has commenced with an expected completion date of July 2018.

UGL Unipart Rail is a joint venture between UGL and Unipart Rail delivering Level 3 maintenance for Sydney’s metropolitan fleet of 1,050 passenger cars.

l Alstom has received an order worth approximately €46m to supply 8 additional Régiolis trains to the Midi-Pyrénées region. These are in addition to an original order for 25 Régiolis that was made in 2009.

The Midi-Pyrénées runs the suburban version of the Régiolis, which is made up of four cars with 50% more doors than their regional counterparts, facilitating passenger flow. The trains have been specially fitted with equipment such as passenger counting systems, dedicated storage space for bicycles and luggage, and front-panel displays showing the destinations.

The first Régiolis for the Midi-Pyrénées region entered commercial service in July 2014 on the lines that link Toulouse with Latour-de-Carol and Mazamet.

“This new order is excellent news for the French rail industry and for Alstom Transport’s sites in France,” said Ana Giros, managing director Alstom Transport France.

Régiolis is part of Alstom’s Coradia range. With modular architecture, it can be adapted to various types of use: suburban, regional and intercity.

MTR places the largest ever order for new rolling stock l MTR Corporation, which holds the Crossrail concession and is joint operator of London Overground, has placed its largest ever order of new rolling stock for three of its major Hong Kong services.

The 93 new eight-car trains ordered from CSR Sifang feature state-of-the-art operating systems and equipment, and will replace first-generation rolling stock currently operating on the Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Island and Tseung Kwan O lines.

MTR engineers will work closely with the manufacturer during the building and testing of the trains. The order will be delivered between 2018 and 2023, and is part of a long-term strategy to sustain highquality services in Hong Kong.

The order comes as more new rolling stock, commissioned by MTR for the Shatin to Central Link railway expansion in Hong Kong, is set to be delivered. The 37 new train sets, manufactured by the Hyundai Rotem Company in South Korea, will arrive in batches from September 2015.

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NEWS I Stations

Innovative new chiller makes St Paul’s station a cool place to be

Artist’s impression of the refurbished Ealing Broadway station

The overhaul of Ealing Broadway station to begin in September l Ealing Broadway station, which is be an interchange between Crossrail and the District and Circle lines on the London Underground, is to get a facelift as part of the £14.8bn Crossrail programme.

The plan is to transform the station with a new façade, to double the size of the ticket hall and add a distinctive curved canopy along the length of the forecourt.

Additional improvements include four new lifts to provide step free access to every platform, and platform extensions to accommodate the new 200m long Crossrail trains.

The initial preparation is scheduled to start in September when Network Rail will take possession of the retail units at the front of station and set up a temporary worksite on a section of Haven Green. The first task will then be to lay the foundations for a new emergency exit bridge at the far end of the platforms. The main station upgrades are slated to begin in summer 2016.

When Crossrail fully opens in 2019, up to ten Crossrail trains an hour will serve Ealing Broadway station in each direction.

Rail boost for Cambridge as new city station gets the go ahead l The proposed £44m station at Chesterton, close to the internationally-renowned Cambridge Science Park on the north eastern side of Cambridge, has been granted planning permission by Cambridge City council. Building work will commence this autumn and the new station should be open by December 2016.

The station, which has not yet been named, will improve access to the Science Park and provide a convenient connection point for commuters in north-east Cambridge. Some 3,000 journeys are expected to be made every day from the station, which will have three platforms, a footbridge and lifts to each platform, retail facilities, a 1000-space cycle park and 450-space car park.

Helen Warnock, Network Rail area director, said: “Cambridge is one of the fastest growing cities in the UK and this new station will not only help to meet existing demand but also unlock future growth. It will provide fantastic facilities for passengers and help take pressure off the main station, reducing congestion in the city.”

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l St Paul’s underground station is being cooled this summer by an innovative new fan chiller system, an initiative that forms part of London Underground’s (LU’s) search for new methods to cool the tube. LU plans to invest £300m in cooling infrastructure over the next 10 years.

Designed and built by the LU cooling team, the system uses a ventilation fan to pull fresh air in from the street. The air is then cooled by a water chiller which circulates 16 litres of cold water every second around pipes in the ventilation shaft. The air can be cooled by up to seven degrees and is then blown onto the eastbound Central line platform.

The huge fan at the heart of the system is capable of moving the equivalent of 15 doubledecker buses full of air every minute, and will be replicated elsewhere on the tube. The same technology on a larger scale is being installed on the Victoria line between Walthamstow Central and Blackhorse Road stations, and will be ready for next summer.

Lowering the temperature on the Central line has always been a challenge as traditional cooling systems have proved prohibitively expensive and difficult to install in the 115 year old tunnels and stations.

David Waboso, LU’s capital programmes director, said: “We know travelling around London during the summer months can be uncomfortable which is why we are always looking for innovative ways to tackle the temperature. Cooling the Tube is a big engineering challenge, but we’re making significant steps forward.”

Northern introduces life saving equipment to north west stations l Working in partnership with North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Northern Rail has introduced public access defibrillators (PADs) at 22 stations across the region, and they are already saving lives.

David McNally, NWAS community resuscitation manager, commented: “If a PAD is available within the first four minutes of a cardiac arrest occurring, there can be up to an 80% chance of survival, this along with the associated awareness training of staff has and will save lives.”

Highly visible at each station, the PADs are simple and safe to use. The machine itself gives clear spoken instructions, and no training is required.

STATIONS - case study

Curve appeal Manchester Victoria station Right The ribs were made in sections up to 20 meters in length, and transported to the site for final assembly and installation

Expert tube and metal profile bending company Barnshaws explains the challenges of producing the curved ribs for the unique and beautiful new roof at Manchester Victoria station

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he £44 million redevelopment and transformation of Manchester Victoria station includes a state-ofthe-art roof constructed around 15 curved steel ribs, each unique in size and curvature. The new roof alone, priced at £16 million, will provide a modern and bright feeling to the new concourse, which has been designed to be sympathetic with the original Grade II listed building and also to provide sufficient capacity for future expansion. For the main contractor tasked with delivering the project, precision and timing were key to the overall success of the refurbishment.

Preparation From the start, the design of the new roof posed some tough challenges for the fabricator, Severfield (UK). Each rib was unique in design, not only in length but also in width, depth and curvature. So the actual manufacturing of the ribs required a high level of precision. In addition, the ribs had to be made in sections up to 20 meters in length and then transported to the site for final assembly and installation.

Engineers from Severfield (UK) consulted with expert tube and metal profile bending company Barnshaws to discuss the best way of creating and manufacturing the design so that it could be installed in the most efficient manner. Ultimately, this would require two of the largest cranes in the country and some millimetre-perfect construction as well as precise timing.

Greg North, commercial director for Barnshaws, commented: “We have worked with Severfield on a large number of projects in the past and we understand each other’s capabilities and strengths. For one particular part of the project we were able to provide 350mm square hollow section (SHS) steel that was curved to a 7000mm radius at certain points with no distortion to the section, thanks to our specialised methods of bending.”

In fact, all of the SHS steel required three or four

different radii within each length. The second part of the project required steel plate measuring up to 550mm wide by 50mm thick to be curved to various radii in order to make the larger sections of each rib.

The installation process Each plate section was curved to a specific set of dimensions to allow it to be assembled into a curved boxsection by Severfield (UK). These were then transported to the station site where they were welded together to create the complete rib which was then carefully positioned and installed. Each of these unique ribs required considerable precision and tight tolerances to ensure the installation process went smoothly.

Most of the curved beams were installed using the UK’s largest telescopic crane, a 1,200 tonne behemoth, while rib nine, the largest of the ribs measuring 96 meters in length and weighing nearly 86 tonnes, was installed using a 750 tonne crawler crane, which is one of the largest of its type in Europe.

This in itself created complications due to the live tracks that ran beneath the new roof structure and the whole installation process required close cooperation with Network Rail. In this way, the short periods during which the tracks would be made safe were utilised as efficiently as possible, ensuring the roof structure was installed on schedule.

With the main ribs installed, the smaller subsections could be fitted that would support almost 400 ETFE (Ethylene Tetraflouroethylene) panels, similar to those used in the Eden Project and Manchester Piccadilly station. As with the steel sections, each one of the polymer roof panels had a unique shape and relied on the precision of the steelwork to ensure a perfect fit.

Greg North concluded: “The design of this project has posed some challenges to all of those involved in making it a reality, but together we have succeeded in delivering a fantastic structure that will greet everyone visiting Manchester Victoria.”

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STRATEGY

Disruptive technology – opportunity or threat?

The rail industry is entering a period of challenge and opportunity. But one thing we do know, says MARTIN HOWELL, is that change will be constant and is already having an impact on cities and transportation

W Below: Martin Howell is worldwide marketing communications director at Cubic Transportation Systems

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hen the first commercially successful steam engine was developed in the 1700s, no one could have predicted this invention would end up completely transforming London a century later. Initially designed to pump water based on a linear motion, it wasn’t until people realised the same principle could be used to create rotary motion that it emerged steam engines could be used for manufacturing or to power locomotives for railroads.

With the coming of London’s first railway between 1836 and 1838, whole buildings and neighbourhoods were demolished to pave the way for tracks and stations.

This new source of power brought to London by steam engines completely disrupted the entire economic structure – leading to the creation of new markets for businesses which could now reach a national audience thanks to rail, and the emergence of new industries dedicated to running and building the industry.

Fast forward to today and we are presented with the next wave of technologies set to disrupt our cities. It has been predicted that by the year 2050, three quarters of the world’s population will live in urban areas creating problems for city planners who will need to find new ways to keep people moving freely. With limited real estate to build new infrastructure to cope with additional peak demand, we need to find new ways to make cities more sustainable. While this presents some obvious challenges, it is also an opportunity for rail and tram industries to reinvigorate themselves.

Disruptive technology is big business. As a McKinsey Global Institute report from 2013 points out, a dozen potentially disruptive technologies could deliver as much as (US) $33 trillion in economic value around the globe by 2025. Innovations driving this paradigm shift include autonomous vehicles, 3D printing and mobile internet, which in some instances have already transformed the way people live their lives. As these become fixtures of everyday life, the opportunity exists for industries to embrace them _ however there will be challenges.

A sharing economy In recent years we have seen a rise in a sharing economy.

The world’s largest taxi company, Uber, and popular long distance ridesharing service, BlaBlaCar, credit a large sum of their success to business models shaped around sharing. These services will again be transformed with the autonomous wave, as driverless vehicles become a prominent fixture on our roads over the next decade. But with this move towards shared and autonomous vehicles, where does rail fit in the wider transport market?

While the growth of a sharing economy will allow us to maximise existing infrastructure further, a shifting practice of goods and services distributed through commercial vehicles will mean a much more complicated job of managing shared road-space. Rather than relying on one transport mode as the solution, city planners will need to find integrated and sustainable ways to redistribute traffic.

The need to embrace sustainable methods of travel and

As commuters become more reliant on mobile phones or tablets, the way people interact with transport will also change. Commuters will go from interfacing with equipment such as vending machines and kiosks, to

mobile payments and location-based services, and then ultimately to digitised ‘personal assistants’ that will provide predictive services based on a very rich understanding of individual habits and preferences. the need for all people to have access to transport at all times suggests rail will become an even more important part of the global transport mix. We are already witnessing huge investment in rail from countries like South Africa, Qatar and China, which have begun developing highspeed rail infrastructure to prepare for rapid urbanisation.

The customer is key Due to huge advancements over the past two decades, our expectation of customer service is quite rightly being elevated by technology. From the production and spread of smartphones and easily accessible mobile internet, we have seen the creation of mainstream social media.

Information about poor service or quality can now be broadcast to a wide audience instantly, making criticism visible to anyone who has a mobile phone and an internet connection.

Big opportunities exist with disruptive technology and enhancing customer experience. Earlier this year technology specialists Amadeus commented the rail industry has an opportunity to explore new ways to help people enjoy their journeys while getting them from one point to the other. Amadeus says it is important to put customer service at the core of the industry, and rail operators can do this by learning more about their customers than simply age and gender. They can now learn why people are travelling and what they want to get out of that experience. This is where mobile technology can play an influential and constructive part in the future of rail.

The challenges – what can we expect?

As with the steam engine, emerging technology takes time to fully reach its potential and be integrated into everyday life. This is why it’s likely we will see the traditional transport model change gradually over time rather than in one big burst. By encouraging innovation and a willingness to evolve with technology, the rail industry has the potential to increase its market share and attract new audiences.

Yet if change is the new constant and disruptive technology will help solve problems, what are the challenges? There is a risk these developments, which individually address various parts of rapid urbanisation concerns, do not evolve in a coordinated way. Service providers are beginning to compete on making the convenience of their service obvious, but this is leading to disconnect of information and choices.

We need to enable disruption to occur within a coordinated framework in a way that will benefit everyone.

Cubic Transportation Systems developed our NextCity strategy to provide a roadmap for this coordinated framework, centred on three core principles of integrated customer experience, one account and integrated operations and analytics. Transport industries will continue to face many disruptions in the future but the opportunities can far outweigh the challenges. It is up to industries to harness these innovations as a solution to become better than previously imagined.

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Minimising damage below ground How a new way of thinking is transforming the prediction of ground movement and structural damage during underground rail construction projects Above: Crossrail construction in progress at Canary Wharf

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ith the increasing complexity of today’s large underground construction projects, efficient ways of modelling ground movements and assessing the impacts on the surrounding assets are becoming more important.

The delay in the construction of Spain’s AVE highspeed rail link to France resulting from the Sagrada Familia’s lobbying against the tunnel that passes within metres of the massive church’s foundations is well documented. It was a wakeup call to an industry that is increasingly called on to create and upgrade subterranean rail networks running under densely populated areas and iconic buildings. Geotechnical engineers are no longer seen as the back room boys (and girls!) doing routine work but as key enablers of a project and potentially a significant cost centre.

Predicting _ and mitigating _ the effects of underground tunnelling or excavation work on surrounding structures and utility services infrastructure, involves complex ground movement and structural damage assessments.

But producing them for every structure and service with different analysis programs and spreadsheets can be time consuming and the sheer volume of data adds to the risk because so many calculations are difficult to check.

Current thinking, developed by Oasys and used by its parent company Arup, along with Atkins, on the Crossrail project automates the process and displays the data in clear 3-D graphics.

The revolution in thinking The Xdisp methodology generates huge time and cost savings by facilitating the transfer of data between CAD (computer aided design) and GIS (geographical information system) tools. It can predict the effects on structures of ground movements due to all kinds of excavations, including tunnels, basements, mines and embedded walls. It assesses the probability of building damage. 3-D graphics make it easy to check and interpret this generic building damage assessment data, as well as helping to make things clear for designers,

contractors and clients. By automating predictions, the software both saves time and helps to eliminate errors.

Generic building damage assessment avoids the need for detailed assessment of large numbers of buildings which will experience damage within acceptable limits.

The same detailed assumptions and calculation methods which would be used for individual specific buildings are used, but they are applied to representative sections along a route and, of course, to known sensitive structures. Along each section a number of different building geometries are analysed and buildings are classed into damage categories based on the strains they will experience. Worst cases are assessed against standard criteria.

Utilities The approach to utility damage assessment is similar to damage assessment of generic buildings. Generic utilities are assessed by applying the specific utility damage approach to representative sections along a route using

different utility properties and diameters.

Xdisp uses the analysis data to model the effects of ground movement at joints and report on whether the rotations, pullouts and strains calculated at joints exceed limitations.

Crossrail Crossrail’s 21km of twin bored tunnels run below more than 3,500 buildings and structures. Several hundred listed buildings were affected, including the offices of news magazine Private Eye in Carlisle Street and the Grade 1 listed Brunel Shed at Paddington station.

From the start it was clear that careful analysis of the impact of the tunnelling work on overlying structures was essential, and that need drove investment in the development Xdisp, which will now benefit underground projects across the globe.

www.oasys-software.com/products/ engineering/xdisp.html 21

SAFETY

Fast and furious Safety versus productivity is a constant battle in the rail industry, but one that the oil and gas sector has started to resolve. Iain Mackay examines both industries and argues that the rule book might be one root of the problem.Taking a holistic view is improving safety and productivity in the North Sea and could do the same for rail

W Iain MacKay is executive vice president at Petrotechnics

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hen the Golden Age of rail is mentioned, it conjures up images of a pre-Beeching era, of puffing steam trains and classic fiction such as The Railway Children. In reality, the Golden Age of rail is now. More passenger journeys are undertaken today than at any point in history. Passenger density is greater than at any point too. The amount of freight carried by train is growing steadily all the time.

There is another side to this reality: the assets on which these journeys are made are aging. Although clouds of steam and sooty faces are no longer a feature of rail travel, there are still oil lamps and Victorian signal

Productivity under pressure

boxes on remote parts of the network. While these are being replaced and earlier underinvestment is rectified, modern infrastructure requires regular maintenance and upkeep. As the assets are used more heavily and the demands placed on them increase, the rate of wear and tear accelerates.

The rail industry therefore finds itself in something of a vicious circle: as rail use goes up, so do maintenance requirements. Available capacity is temporarily restricted, adding pressures to an already stretched network. The demand for rapid repairs becomes ever greater, while the window in which to perform them gets smaller.

There is a constant tug of war between doing things quickly and doing them safely – called the ‘safetyproductivity dynamic’. The managers responsible for infrastructure availability and position planning are not necessarily the same people appointed to manage the safe delivery of work. The inevitable consequence is that operational decision-making, and with it overall productivity, will eventually be compromised.

However, ‘safety versus productivity’ is the everpresent conundrum in hazardous industries where heavy machinery, extreme temperatures and explosive amounts of energy meet vulnerable humanity. Failures, whether of safety procedures or delivery schedules, are often high profile and have a very high cost.

The oil and gas industry is one such example.

Extremely hazardous when operated with poorly maintained assets, the downtime needed for upkeep and repairs can nonetheless be costly. The pressure is always on to keep a rig or refinery productive but there is an equal pressure to keep people safe.

There are important differences of course. In international oil companies, everybody from the frontline worker to the CEO appreciates that there are risks involved at every stage of the process. These may remain unobserved or simply hidden, and the bigger picture can remain obscure, but it is an accepted fact that this is intrinsically a hazardous environment and therefore the health, safety and environmental factors that come with it are very widely understood, acknowledged and respected.

In contrast, when we look at rail, with potentially equal levels of hazard, understanding of risk is less complete.

The ever-present threat posed by thousands of tonnes of metal coming down the track at 60 mph is well understood by railway engineers – and safety records in this area are strong. But the deadly silence of a third rail, or the less obvious threats posed by lopping branches from trackside trees are more troubling.

The other important difference is that an offshore oil platform, for example, is a highly controlled environment _ no one is there who is not supposed to be. In contrast, railways are public services in public spaces, which introduces many more variables into the mix. Oil industry accidents are rarer but can be catastrophic. Safety failures on railways tend be smaller, but more frequent.

As Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail pointed out, a worker is ten times more likely to be killed in the rail industry than in the oil and gas sector.

So what, if anything, can rail learn from the oil and gas industry?

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SAFETY

A common cause If these industries differ in the nature of the risks they present, they are remarkably similar in the way that the pace of work and the safety of workers can be managed.

Both sectors are highly regulated. Both see risk arise from the point where assets or infrastructure, policies and people start to interact. And both tend to have safety rule books that can be measured in metres rather than page numbers. These rule books are a detailed history of every incident or issue that has arisen in previous decades. As a potential problem becomes apparent, or an accident occurs, mitigating procedures are developed and the remedial response added to the list.

However, what certain players in the oil and gas industry have understood for some time, and rail operators are coming to recognise, is that these incredibly detailed safety procedures may actually be part of the problem and not the solution.

First of all, the more complex the rule book, the more certain it is that a compliant decision in one area will be non-compliant in another. A rig or a railway is rather like a huge machine, in which every asset, every worker and every job is a carefully calibrated cog. Adding a fix to an individual asset or a new procedure for a specific work crew will, over time, cause those cogs to skip, jam or misalign. Fixing a broken cog here could lead to a new

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problem over there – until eventually the whole machine grinds to a halt.

Second of all, the good intentions of an extensive rule book often don’t survive interaction with high-stress work environments. Take late-night, trackside maintenance with a diverse crew. When caught between an unwieldy set of procedures, a pressure to deliver to tight timetables, and work colleagues who want to get home to their families, any number of possible wrong decisions can be made.

The law of unintended consequences is never far away, and the best of intentions can lead to the most perverse of outcomes. Workers carry on as they always have. They do what their colleagues do. The cog grinds down... work takes longer or costs more than is necessary.

The challenge is to create processes that deliver coherent and consistent practice across a diverse range of assets, people, tasks, locations, and supply chains.

Rigs, railways and risks Since the Piper Alpha tragedy in the North Sea, the oil and gas industry has had its safety procedures under constant review. Even chefs on oil rigs have specific directives for handling hot food. Lord Cullen’s recommendations for industry spoke of a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for every task.

Over the years, the industry has written a mountain of rule books in reaction to ad hoc incidents. In recent

times, however, companies have reassessed this approach, instead taking a more holistic view based upon a comprehensible series of core principles and essential criteria. Processes have then been adopted that provide a complete picture of operations, and parameters set within which people can make good decisions. The resulting decision-making capability has then been supported with the appropriate technology.

This results in a far more manageable set of procedures that take into account the interrelated nature of the hazards, risks, and future plans for the business.

By adopting this risk-centric approach, smarter oil companies take a step back and consider how an entire program of work can be planned and delivered, or an entire operation managed safely, rather than simply asking how a specific task should be performed.

To make information sharing easier and more meaningful, details about the asset, the policies, the people, is translated into a common language of risk. So instead of defining a task then adding a risk assessment to it, risk is the prism through which every activity is viewed. With this common language of risk, consistent channels are more easily created to share information. Everyone from the ground up has access to the bigger picture.

In this model, front-line engineers know why they are carrying out a given task. They might implement a

much-needed short-term fix, for example, but highlight the longer-term remedy that is needed to support future business plans. Managers can see and respond to their staff’s daily interaction with the assets they run and the policies they implement. Smarter decisions can be made about staffing, scheduling and safety.

Planning and delivering safe work It is easy to underestimate what a radical shift in thinking this represents. But the opportunity is there for rail companies to do the same thing. The parallels are clear: the only difference is the timescales. Oil and gas companies have had 20 years to change their thinking; and rail companies can benefit from this experience in their own mission to plan and deliver safe work.

In the face of technology advances that have transformed our world, it’s also easy to overstate the importance of digital support. The reality is that it’s all about getting the right procedures, empowering the right people, and seeing safety as an inherent enabler of productivity.

Ultimately, what oil and gas firms have found is that once the initial changes have bedded in, and the connections between people, processes and assets are opened up, the age-old dynamic between safety and productivity becomes a complementary, rather than a contradictory force.

25

ENGINEERING - case study

Gaining true tunnel vision During the Bond Street station upgrade, 3D modelling and simulation of the main tunnelling works ahead of construction gave engineers valuable insight into the effects of the work at each stage of the project Above Vertical ground movement around the southern tunnels

PRODUCT: Dassault Systèmes’ SIMULIA, Abaqus/CAE (Computer Aided Engineering), FEA (Finite Element Analysis)

26

A

s population pressures in metropolitan areas rise, major world cities often respond by expanding networks of trains to promote more efficient travel. The London Underground is no exception: it now serves Greater London and surrounding counties with 270 stations and 250 miles of track. Some 1.23 billion passengers were carried in and out of the region in 2012/2013.

At the geographic heart of this system are the world’s first underground railway tunnels, opened in 1863 and built just below the surface of metropolitan London using the cut and cover method. Later, circular tunnels _ giving rise to the nickname the Tube _ were dug through the London clay at a deeper level.

Complexity Solved Now celebrating 150 years of operations, the Underground is still growing: The current Bond Street station upgrade (BSSU) project, slated for completion in 2018, has been dubbed ‘one of the most complex tunnelling projects in the UK’. As London’s future Crossrail line intersects with the Bond Street station, passenger numbers in the expanded interchange are expected to rise from 155,000 to 225,000 daily.

Much of what makes the BSSU so complex is all the construction that is already there. The station is located in London’s busiest shopping district, the West End, and

Achieving optimum design

comprises a complex web of train tunnels, pedestrian walkways and escalators that include connections to the Jubilee and Central lines.

“The new tunnels are located in close proximity to so many existing ones,” explained Dr Ali Nasekhian, senior tunnel/geotechnical engineer with Dr Sauer and Partners, London, the firm providing tunnelling expertise to the project. “As a result, the design challenges we faced included complex tunnel geometry and alignment, limited clearance to existing building foundation, restricted worksite and strict settlement criteria.”

Dr Sauer and Partners have been designing railway and road tunnels for over 30 years. In 2010 the company was subcontracted to a joint venture of Halcrow and Atkins (the main contractor is a Costain Laing O’Rourke JV), and has responsibility for preliminary-to-detailed design and construction on all BSSU sprayed concrete lined (SCL) tunnels.

These include two access shafts, one lift shaft, four construction adits (entrance passages), two binocular cross passage tunnels, four large concourse and connection chambers, three underpass tunnels, two overbridge tunnels cutting through existing platform tunnels, two niches for electrical and mechanical equipment and four inclined tunnels for escalator barrels. The total length of tunnels, at widths varying between four and 10 metres, amounts to some 450 metres.

Dr Nasekhian came on board at Dr Sauer in 2011 after finishing his PhD in geotechnics at Graz University of Technology, Austria, and his eight years’ experience with computer-aided design was immediately put to work. “In such projects as the London Underground, where large tube systems are already in place and the impact of new structures on existing ones has to be carefully considered, comprehensive 3D analysis benefits both client and designer,” he said. “In addition to 2D analyses, where time and budgets allow, 3D models can greatly assist in identifying the optimum design.”

The Dr Sauer design team of eight engineers used Dassault Systèmes’ SIMULIA, Abaqus finite element analysis (FEA) software to perform all 3D numerical analyses ahead of the main tunnelling works. Dr Sauer & Partners have employed Abaqus since the 1990s.

“We find SIMULIA’s Abaqus solver to be very powerful, stable and speedy for plastic analysis of models with large numbers of elements,” said Dr Nasekhian, who led the FEA modelling effort. “It is well recognised that the quality of FE models is largely dependent on the quality of the mesh. Of course, finer meshes require a larger number of elements. I myself had not used Abaqus before joining the Dr Sauer team, and I found that pre- and postprocessing, and creating and manipulating large, complex geometries, is amazing with this software.

“If any changes need to be made in the geometry, which often happens when you are creating the most efficient design, Abaqus lets you modify them fairly rapidly. Such handy tools available in Abaqus/CAE reduce the risk of delay in delivering large 3D FE models.”

Geometry modification For the geometric foundation of their FEA models, the team first considered importing existing CAD models of the station complex from another type of software.

But conversion and meshing issues would have added extra work. “We preferred to create our own working geometries right within Abaqus/CAE,” Dr Nasekhian continued. “This enabled us to modify the geometries easily if we had meshing issues.”

In the preliminary design stage, the team conducted a series of 2D analyses to establish the varying dimensions of tunnels required along the different structures. Once the tunnel geometries were ‘frozen’ in final form, the creation of the 3D models could begin.

For a realistic assessment of the stresses and strains imposed by the surrounding soil layers, the ground through which the tunnels are being dug was simulated alongside the tunnel structures. Including the subsurface geology of the London basin _ layers of chalk, Thanet sand, London clay, river terrace deposits and ‘made ground’ from hundreds of years of human occupation _

Above The overall scheme of the Bond Street station upgrade. Existing tunnels are in dark green. New construction is in light green

27

ENGINEERING - case study

Above SIMULIA Abaqus FE model meshes created by Dr Sauer and Partners for the London Underground tunnel project

provided for soil-structure interaction analysis. The majority of the new BSSU tunnels are located within the London clay stratum, which has a very low permeability. The conventional method of tunnelling known internationally as NATM (the new Austrian tunnelling method), is being used. In the US this is called SEM (sequential excavation method) and, in the UK, the aforementioned SCL (sprayed concrete lining) method.

In the SCL method, the tunnel is divided into several excavation sequences; after each sequence, sprayed steel-fibre-reinforced concrete (primary lining) is applied to the exposed ground with robotic sprayers, rapidly stabilising it. When excavation of the whole tunnel is completed and deformations of the primary lining become stable, sprayed waterproofing membrane is applied.

This is followed by a final secondary lining of steel-fibrereinforced concrete for a fully watertight tunnel. At tunnel junctions, steel rebar reinforcement is employed as needed to further support areas under severe flexure and tensile stresses.

Realistic values The major construction sequences (ie step-by-step excavation and lining installation) were incorporated into the Abaqus FEA models to provide the engineers with insights into the influence of each construction stage on the new tunnel linings and the adjacent assets. To improve their computational efficiency, the team divided the labyrinth of existing and proposed BSSU structures into three separate models that varied in number of elements from about 450,000 up to one million.

“We selected the limit between two adjacent models

28

in places where the distance between the closest two tunnels on either side of the models is more than three times the diameter of the larger tunnel,” said Dr Nasekhian. “In very congested tunnelling areas where this condition couldn’t be met, we modelled a couple of tunnels by overlapping two of the models.”

Dr Sauer and Partner’s Abaqus analyses provided them with: • A good estimate of ground movement and volume loss during tunnel construction, including identifying trigger values beyond which a ground-movement management plan would be implemented. “In this kind of project,” said Dr Nasekhian, “it’s important to have realistic values in hand so tunnels aren’t constructed in an overly conservative manner, which can be cost-ineffective.”

• An evaluation of the stress being induced in the adjacent existing structures while tunnelling was taking place. Deformations in the FE model were initially set at zero and then propagated with on-going excavation steps.

• Dimensioning the new SCL tunnels and a basis for calculation of necessary reinforcements, especially at locations of stress concentration. “The results of our 3D simulations were particularly helpful for optimising SCL design at tunnel junctions, which helped avoid a great deal of rebar installation,” Dr Nasekhian continued.

• Assurance of face stability during excavation.

The Sauer design team found that realistic simulation with 3D modelling gave them a deeper understanding of the many BSSU tunnelling challenges and helped them reach the best design and construction solutions.

“In this very complex project, our Abaqus models helped improve our preliminary design, which was based on series of 2D analyses and the design team’s experience, and led us to an extremely well-detailed final design,” Dr Nasekhian explained. “The ease of working with Abaqus allowed us to develop a number of techniques that improved simulation fidelity and saved time when running such large models. The confidence we have gained from our analyses has helped us push forward the approval process more vigorously and is providing the highest quality of robust design to our clients.”

For further information:

www.3ds.com/products-services/ simulia/overview/

Rail Alliance

Recent new members of the Rail Alliance Amfax Ltd

MGF Ltd

Schaltbau-ME

Test and measurement solutions, monitoring and data gathering equipment.

Tel: 01258 480 777 Email: sales@amfax.co.uk Web: www.amfax.co.uk

Provision of a comprehensive excavation safety solutions service. Market leaders in design, manufacture and provision of modular and bespoke excavation support systems.

Tel: 08454 857 678 Email: enquiries@mgf.ltd.uk Web: www.mgf.ltd.uk

Design, development, manufacture, repair and test of electro-mechanical and electronic components. Also produce a wide range of heavy-duty AFS solenoid switches and cam contactors plus specifies, stocks, distributes and supports the complete range pf Schaltbau global products.

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BTRoS UK Ltd One stop shop for interiors and cabling build to print for any new build, refurbishment and upgrade programmes.

Tel: 01332 257 500 Email: bdm@btros.co.uk Web: www.btros.co.uk

Humaware Technology company at the forefront of condition monitoring prognostics technology for predictive maintenance.

Tel: 01730 269 725 Email: info@humaware.com Web: www.humaware.com

HYDRO Systems UK Design and manufacture of ground support equipment and innovative solutions for build/ strip, maintenance and repair of aero engines.

Utilising this knowledge across other industries such as rail, automotive and power generation.

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Impreglon UK Ltd Applicator of all fluoropolymers (eg Teflon, Xylan, PTFE etc.), arc spray, flame spray, antigraffiti and anti-microbial coatings onto metallic components. Application of abrasion resistant, non-glare, anti-fog and anti-microbial coatings onto plastics. Coating services for where low friction, corrosion resistance, dry lubrication, traction and abrasion resistance are required.

Tel: 01827 871 400 Email: info@impreglon.co.uk Web: www.impreglon.co.uk

Linbrooke Services Ltd Delivering mission critical solutions in telecoms, power and signalling.

Tel: 6 regional offices. Check website Web: www.linbrooke.co.uk

Omnicom Engineering Ltd Award-winning surveying and inspection systems including high-resolution image and LiDAR surveillance, cutting-edge pattern recognition software, accurate survey data capture and mapping, real time accurate positioning and monitoring systems and a range of services and multiplatform mobile apps.

Tel: 01904 778 100 Email: info@omnicomengineering.co.uk Web: www.omnicomengineering.co.uk

Paul Kirk Forming Ltd UK agent for Schuler Group, FRIMO Group, WF and JG Automotive.

Tel: 07834 739 899 Email: paul@pkforming.com Web: www.pkforming.com

Prysmian Group World leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry providing a full range of products that incorporate railway-specific technologies including medium and low voltage power cables, communication cables, accessories, pre connectorised systems, control and signalling cables.

Tel: 02380 295 555 Email: cables.marketing.uk@ prysmiangroup.com Web: www.prysmiangroup.co.uk and www.biconcomponents.co.uk

Rescroft Ltd Design and manufacture of public transport seating solutions accredited to ISO 90001:2008.

Tel: 01527 521 300 Email: enquiries@rescroft.com Web: www.rescroft.com

SPX Rail Systems Design and manufacture of point operation equipment SPX Clamplock, level crossing barriers and supply of portable hydraulic track maintenance equipment.

Tel: +31 (45) 5678 877 Web: www.spxhydraulictech.com

Train Bits and More Ltd Passenger comfort specialists. Supplying vacuum and gravity toilets to the rail industry and overhauling them at our facility in Crewe.

Interior refurbishment products and passenger seating refurbishments including dry cleaning of seat covers. Washroom and water management systems for rail.

Tel: 08448 008 577 Email: enquiries@tbmrail.com Web: www.tbmrail.com

Truflame (Welding Equipment) Ltd Manufacture and supply of gas welding and cutting equipment with an up to date accredited repair and calibration workshop.

Tel: 01142 433 020 Email: sales@truflame.co.uk Web: www.truflame.co.uk

Vandalism Control Association Information hub for all issues concerning avoiding, managing and repairing vandalism including repair and restoration, graffiti control and removal, chemicals and paint, materials, glass and glazing services, surveillance and security services.

Tel: 07768 819 497 Email: info@vandalismcontrol.co.uk Web: www.vandalismcontrol.co.uk

For further information, please contact: The Rail Alliance Tel: 01789 720 026 Email: info@railalliance.co.uk Web: www.railalliance.co.uk

29

ENGINEERING

Water management New challenges are facing Britain’s rail infrastructure engineers. ROD GREEN looks at some of the current trackside drainage issues, and how the industry is solving them

I

n the nineteenth century Britain led the rest of the world in the development of the modern railway, notable engineers such as Trevithick, Stephenson and Brunel designed and constructed a network of railway systems across the country, many of which are still in use today.

The scale of the problem

Top: A new crest drainage system in rural Scotland, designed and implemented by Polypipe and Network Rail Above: Ridgitreat, designed for surface water treatment

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In order to fully appreciate the magnitude of the task of maintaining Britain’s rail infrastructure today, one must first understand and assess the age and state of the network.

Many of the existing assets were constructed well over a century ago using very early engineering principles, with steep rock and earth slopes formed from a mix of materials of varying suitability and quality. Tracks were also often constructed along unstable, rural ground and across flood plains with inadequate drainage.

Britain’s temperate climate means that we have rainfall events throughout the year with heavy storms during all seasons. Along with the obvious risks associated with

flooding, ground water and saturated ground cause long term softening of materials. This, in turn, can create a number of geological issues including localised slipping of cutting banks and have a destabilising effect on track infrastructure and embankments.

These problems are compounded with the use of improved rolling stock. Modern trains are quicker and heavier than the trains those original areas of the network was designed for. Additionally the dynamic loads imposed on the track bed have significantly increased, which in turn can deteriorate the track sub-base geometry.

Disruption then and now This deterioration, along with prolonged rainfall and heavy storms, can mean that landslides and ground movement are possible, causing severe disruption when main line rail routes are blocked or unsafe for travel.

During the summer of 2012, prolonged heavy rainfall caused flooding and landslides which cut off main line services between England and Scotland, along with severe disruption on the West Coast Main Line in Cumbria and the East Coast Main Line in Northumberland.

These occurrences are not only disruptive for rail passengers but also have a significant impact on surrounding transport modes, none more so than local road networks forced to deal with increased traffic and journey times.

Managing water Even in rail track areas where land movement is not an issue, engineers still need to be aware of the volumes of water that need to be managed at trackside. While the majority of water at trackside is rainwater that can be drained through infiltration into permeable ground, other sources of flooding such as groundwater, perched water, urban development, leaking water mains, irrigation systems and run off from adjacent areas beyond the Network Rail boundaries also need to be managed.

Rail track drainage engineers challenged with addressing the stability of the track structure and surrounding environment are responding by assessing and identifying deficiencies in the current drainage system, and are designing and implementing new networks of crest, down slope, cess and embankment toe drainage.

As the majority of rail track infrastructure is located in the countryside access to areas of rail track can be difficult, making installation and ongoing maintenance a prolonged and difficult process. Manufacturers like Polypipe have responded to this with the creation of high quality plastic pipework, fittings and chambers that are lightweight and easy to handle – beneficial when developing installation risk assessments, and for installation works in remote rural locations.

A key product within Polypipe’s rail track drainage offering is Ridgidrain, a structured twinwall SN6 High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) drainage pipework system, suitable for a variety of rail track infrastructure drainage applications. The speed of installation works is a vital consideration, as any track closures needed to allow work to take place need to be kept to a minimum to limit disruptions. Lightweight plastic pipe systems are manufactured in 6m lengths reducing the number of joints required in large pipe runs. Ring seal jointing enables quick and easy connections and allow for some differential settlement and ground movement.

Water treatment Beyond ground conditions, unpredictable rainfall levels and the challenges of the installation process, designers of new trackbed and remedial stormwater drainage systems must also consider water treatment, particularly if the drainage system is discharging directly into a natural watercourse.

When discharging to a natural water course, prior consent is required from the Local Planning Authority (LPA) and Environment Agency (EA). The stormwater discharge typically requires pre-treatment, usually through filtration treatment and/or hydrocarbon treatment through separation.

A recent development from Polypipe is Ridgitreat, which comprises of Ridgidrain plain ended pipework wrapped in a non woven, dimpled, needle punched geotextile. Ridgitreat has been designed specifically for use in French drains where storm water runoff is susceptible to infiltration by pollutants The geotextile consists of a proprietary blend of polyester fibres that incorporate hydrophilic (water attracting and oil repellent) and hydrophobic (oil attracting and water repellent) properties, providing a habitat for entrapped hydrocarbons which are biodegraded by naturally occurring microorganisms providing a self cleansing mechanism.

Ridgitreat is manufactured as a fully perforated drainage pipe, in pipe sizes 100mm-300mm complete with the Ridgidrain extensive range of fittings and catchpit chambers.

Conclusion Whatever drainage system design is deemed appropriate, the outcome must always be that the performance of the track structure is not compromised. Working with manufacturers at the earliest possible stage can often bring about the best results and ensure that proposed track infrastructure drainage installations consider the immediate surrounding area, installation and maintenance teams and ultimately rail passengers.

Rod Green is principle engineer at Polypipe www.polypipe.com

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Electrification

An electrifying conclusion

Now that the Government has announced the postponement of some of Network Rail’s electrification programmes, KONAIN A KHAN considers the steps that could improve progress in electrification

Konain A Khan is senior consultant, Rolling Stock & Rail Transportation, Cyient

32

D

espite beginning in the late 19th century, the electrification of Britain’s railway is still not complete. Progress over the last 130 years has been slowed down by numerous obstacles _ including two world wars, various electrification systems becoming obsolete, and a long hiatus following the Government’s decision to shift the focus to running diesel trains on biodiesel.

Things seemed to have been getting back on track. Back in 2009, the Government made railway electrification a cornerstone of its rail strategy with a renewed focus on improving energy efficiency, making operations cheaper to maintain and minimising the environmental impact. As part of this, the Network Rail Control Period 5 (CP5) Delivery Plan, announced in April 2014, committed a £4 billion investment to completing

are over a third cheaper to operate than their diesel counterparts (DMUs). Not only are fuel costs cut but so too are maintenance issues, as EMUs are lighter and so cause less wear and tear to the track.

Additionally, energy efficiency is also a factor: emitting up to a third less carbon per passenger than DMUs, EMUs fit closely with the Government’s green agenda to halve carbon emissions by 2025. Add to this the fact that EMUs are able to carry more seats – and therefore more passengers – than DMUs as diesel engines are often incorporated into more than one carriage. Or that EMUs offer faster and more reliable services, quieter trains (boosting the value of nearby homes), and will create new engineering jobs. It quickly becomes clear that electrification of our railway network is an obvious decision.

Staying on track

the proposed electrification – significantly up from the CP4 plans of £200 million. The plan was to have over three quarters of all passenger miles electrified by 2020.

History has already taught us, though, that when it comes to rail electrification, plans so rarely run smoothly.

Concerns over delays, spiralling costs and skill shortages, among many other factors have led to the postponement of some schemes. Stakeholders are now asking a number of pertinent questions – specifically, what is needed to finally complete the electrification process?

An essential journey Firstly, it is worth reminding ourselves why the electrification process is taking place. For a start, it is extremely cost effective – electric-powered trains (commonly referred to as EMUs or Electric Multiple Units)

With electrification plans as they stood, Network Rail was working to very tight timelines – with the majority of work set to be complete within five years. Unsurprisingly, fitting new technology to existing lines with minimal impact on current services proved to be something of a challenge.

Network Rail was trapped between a rock and a hard place: receiving criticism for the disruptions caused by line upgrades while at the same time coming under attack for falling behind against its targets.

There were also worries over the project’s timeline, with further investment often being dependent on hitting several difficult deadlines.

Clearly delays are a major issue: so if Network Rail is to get back on track and prevent further slippage, what has to be done? Firstly, solving the skills shortage is crucial. In the long-term the UK rail network’s investment in the Network Rail Electrification Training Academy will help ensure that future generations have the expertise and resources required to successfully maintain the electric rail network. Unfortunately however, this doesn’t solve the short-term need to actually build it!

Outsourcing is the most obvious solution – bringing in a trusted partner who can provide trained and experienced professionals to ensure that the job is completed on time, to the highest quality.

Outsourcing should also help improve timeline planning: providing a fresh perspective on where efficiencies can be made, and where further resources need to be invested. Any potential partner must be able to on-board new workers quickly, while guaranteeing their skill.

Any measures to avoid disruption must also extend beyond outsourcing. Setting firm but realistic deadlines should be a priority for Network Rail. As is often said, planning is all about hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, so any timelines must be carefully considered

33

Electrification

and allow some wiggle room for potential delays.

All specifications and tender requirements should be kept constant from an early stage. This will enable Network Rail to avoid making small changes that could have serious ramifications in terms of costs, resource demands or time factors.

Full steam ahead for innovation Network Rail is also investing in advanced technologies, pioneered in markets outside the UK, as a way to speed up the building process. Germany’s ‘factory train’ allows much of the required work to be completed on weekday nights, with little to no impact on commuters – while also avoiding disruption to weekend services. Overall the factory train is expected to help halve the time taken to complete the work.

The innovation does not end there, with a number of new techniques and processes being used in the electrification programme. One such example is the use of a digital terrain mapping using point cloud data, 3D alignment and 3D OLE design. Using this technology in an intelligent and strategic way can help provide a visual audit of the design plans before anything is physically

34

committed at the work site. This means that any design issues can be sorted quickly – and cheaply – so there are no unwelcome surprises during the execution phase. This is especially useful in critical locations, the typically difficult areas of any brownfield rail electrification project.

Digital terrain mapping and 3D design can also help with generating and optimising the Bill of Quantities (BOQ), ensuring that procurement costs are kept low.

The system can also provide a complete appreciation of lifecycle costs – taking into account any future changes in track alignment or geometry. Overall, we are not only looking at a reduction in the possibility of disruptions but we can also expect lower implementation times and a further drop in material costs.

With the CP6 Delivery Plan set to launch in just two years, it is imperative that those responsible for electrification should make good use of the current levels of investment. If they don’t, the project will be at risk of being pushed to the back of the shelf yet again. Electrification gives the UK rail industry the chance to improve the speed, reliability and cost effectiveness of the UK’s transport infrastructure, a project that will have a tangible effect on the lives and wellbeing of millions of citizens.

Freight

Britain’s silver Bullet?

What is the likelihood of rail freight

T

Gemma James is a Partner at Mundays LLP www.mundays.co.uk

moving underground in the future, asks GEMMA JAMES

he Government has given approval for Cambridge company Mole Solutions to perform a nine month feasibility study, based in the logistics hub of Northampton, to assess the viability of using driverless steel carts powered by maglev technology to transport freight through underground tubes from the edge of town to inner town nodal points.

The idea doesn’t seem all that unfamiliar. Services such as oil, gas, water and electricity are already delivered by underground media, and the Post Office has a history of employing underground delivery methods in London.

The technology could revolutionise the logistics industry, and is appealing given its promised reduction in traffic congestion and air pollution. Not having to worry about potential delays on the lines or traffic jams on the roads, goods could be transported at high speeds and to accurate timetables 24 hours a day. Another added benefit is the likelihood of this new system boosting employment in both the construction and engineering sectors, ultimately creating work for the operators and facilitators of the service.

Network rail already claims that one train can take as many as 60 HGVs off the road, demonstrating that rail freight is helping the fight against climate change as it produces less carbon emissions. So underground freight could arguably be the next development in the rail industry. These steel carts could transport goods quickly under city centres and minimise the amount of noise pollution for those living near existing over ground train lines.

Factors to consider Logistics companies will need to think carefully about whether or not to ‘get on board’ the underground route immediately – should the study be successful – as early investment could lead to a dominating position in the market. The rail industry also needs to be thoroughly aware of any developments from the study, to ensure it can plan for any potential losses.

Should enough funding be pulled together to cover the development and operation of such a system, it will still be difficult to predict its reliability and safety. It could potentially be harder to control and maintain than

rail freight and other overground transport methods.

Moreover, a great number of legal contracts would be necessary for the initial purchasing/leasing of land, for the grant of rights to create and use tunnels, and for the general construction work. Contracts will also be required for using the tube, and between carriers and their clients for the transmission of goods from and to the drop off and pick up points at either end of the tunnels. In the event of having to use additional forms of transport and carriers, the likelihood of goods getting damaged goes up and therefore so does the risk of litigation. Where the tubes surface, depots and storage premises will be needed, and this could result in more construction and property transactions as the industry’s focus turns more to transport methods and the prime locations for business.

Understanding the risks Whilst there are reports that companies such as DHL, who already use rail freight, are getting involved at this early stage, many operators may be less willing to take the financial risk. Developing technology of this nature can be a slow and expensive process, and there is no guarantee that it will ever be put into practice. Neighbours are likely to protest when proposals are made for the tunnels and also when the digging starts, even if scientists have been able to identify routes that minimise disruption and safeguard existing infrastructure. This happened with the London Underground, where residents were concerned about vibrations and noise from the tubes below. A prime example of how a community’s strength of feeling can disrupt proposed developments can be seen in the recent fracking-related protests in the UK. Should the tunnelling companies not be able to buy all the land they need, will the landowners be prepared to grant them tunnelling rights under their properties or will the Government have to pass legislation to give them rights, bearing in mind some form of compensation may need to be given to the landowners? These potential implications could hamper the widespread development of underground freight trains.

Logistics companies will no doubt be keeping a close eye on the developments, and the ultimate effect on the rail freight industry could be significant.

35

ENVIRONMENT - Sustainability

Steeling the show

How material choice and forward planning has enabled Birmingham New Street station fit-out to meet exacting environmental demands

B

irmingham New Street station is the busiest station outside of London and was originally built to accommodate 650 trains and 60,000 passengers per day. Yet, even before the start of the refurbishment project in 2010, it handled 1,350 trains and over 140,000 commuters, operating well over its capacity. And since the first half of the refurbishment was completed in 2013, the station has been able to accommodate a yearly 8.3 per cent rise in passenger numbers.

The team are now working towards achieving BREEAM excellent as the 1960s station is transformed into a modern, bright 21st century transport hub for Birmingham and the West Midlands. Recently awarded the Chamber of Commerce Award for Excellence in Sustainability, the station refurbishment aims to continue to push the boundaries in low carbon technology and sustainability until completion in September 2015.

In order to meet modern day environmental requirements while providing a functional space, factors such as material choice, durability, acoustics and safety of the final design had to be considered.

Material choice With the growing number of passengers at Birmingham New Street station, the demand for innovative and interesting interiors had to be balanced with the use of high performance products.

Building materials such as steel are being supplied for

36

transportation projects for their durability, withstanding significant stresses in high traffic areas. Metal is a longterm investment, and although it incurs higher costs initially, unlike cheaper materials it will not struggle under conditions that require high performance characteristics, both in terms of robustness and aesthetics.

The properties of steel enable it to suit a variety of product applications for which there are no energy and cost-effective substitutes. In transport environments steel is being used for applications such as cladding, wall panels and ceilings, providing long-term value whilst meeting environmental credentials and offering greater design flexibility.

Early involvement Early involvement in the design and manufacturing process is necessary to avoid having to fix problems further down the line. Furthermore, installation time, cost and waste can be kept to a minimum when specifiers and manufacturers are working together from the get-go.

A good example of the benefits of early involvement are the platforms at Birmingham New Street. Bespoke ceilings comprising of fixed angled bulkheads were placed in line with the platform edges, many of which are curved, and installed on the platforms. The bulkheads, typically trapezoidal in shape, were bolted end to end in order to form a faceted layout to follow the platform curves.

This posed a significant challenge, as the geometry of the project’s BIM model revealed that the platform curves were all non-uniform, which called for the data to be analysed. Eventually, the number of unique panel types had to be rationalised to keep within budget, whilst ensuring the aesthetic result was not compromised.

Electronic total station setting-out techniques were then used to set out the panels along the curve.

Maintenance Difficulties in maintenance or accessing areas can affect the sustainability of a transportation hub; the upkeep of the interior can dictate how a building will last and function. Options for maintenance and access need to be designed in from the beginning, including the considerations for growing traffic. Metal solutions provide a durable, easy to clean surface with quick access for essential ongoing maintenance, without damage, reducing maintenance costs as well as commuter inconvenience.

Birmingham New Street station specified a variety of architectural metalwork for exactly these reasons.

Installations across the platforms, the Grand Central and the concourse included a range of metal ceilings, from bespoke, to racetrack and linear systems, designed to allow easy access to the services behind for essential ongoing maintenance. The sturdiness of the material offers resistance to wear and tear, expanding the life-span of the product significantly.

Coatings used on products such as ceilings or wall panels are another very important aspect to consider as transportation environments have some of the highest demanding foot fall areas for interior finishes. The bespoke ceilings installed on the platforms at Birmingham New Street were made of galvanised steel panels which were coated in a polyester powder on both sides for easy cleaning. The absence of a liquid carrier allows powder coatings to produce a thicker, more protective coat than conventional liquid paintings. Furthermore, since no carrier fluid can evaporate, the coating process emits few volatile organic compounds (VOC), making powder coating a more environmental friendly option.

Acoustics The station concourse is a naturally noisy area, requiring acoustic treatment solutions which are suitable for open, exposed interiors, and do not impede smoke extraction or air ventilation systems.

The ceilings on the platforms had to provide acoustic performance for sound absorption. However, working with main principal contractor, Mace, to minimise the trapping of airborne dirt and particulates found in station environments, SAS International proposed to make the ceiling substantially plain, leaving it unperforated and without acoustic inlay.

Acoustic performance was achieved by using small areas of discrete black perforated panels recessed into the ceiling. The large open area of these panels allows sound to enter the ceiling void, reducing reverberation on the platforms which is essential for the speech intelligibility of PA systems for train announcements. These panels also provide the ‘change of direction’ detail to allow the radial layout to follow the curved platform geometry.

Safety and security All systems are subject to rigorous Network Rail standard approvals for structural integrity and fitness for purpose, which guarantees the safety of the final design. Metal solutions also provide for significantly improved impact resistance in external or semi-external spaces such as public concourses.

When 1,800mm diameter aluminium discs were supplied for the main concourse during the third and last phase of the station refurbishment project, special attention needed to be given to the effect external forces such as wind would have on the structure.

SAS International’s design director Richard White explained: “The discs being installed in a semi external environment was a first for SAS International, as previously, they were only installed internally. Therefore, we had to factor the wind load in when designing the discs to guarantee stability.”

Furthermore, the ceiling panels on the platforms are all locked in place for added security and wind loadings, and can only be accessed by using special keys.

The safety of any members of staff is also high on the priority list. SAS International material was brought to site by a special train from the Bordesley rail depot where it was stored, making the delivery more sustainable as no lorries were used. This helped to provide a safe working environment for staff when working on the platforms adjacent to the tracks.

Waste management and recycling The ever increasing burden on landfill is an issue which must be considered for any development. With the use of metal products lasting for a minimum of 25 years, a sustainable option can be provided for building projects with the 100 per cent recyclability that metal offers.

To reduce storage and material losses, the materials delivered by train were supplied unassembled, implementing the ‘just in time’ delivery approach. Using the train as a mode of transport, an immediate clean up at the end of each shift was possible by reloading the containers with any waste and removing them from site.

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FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Fire safety

Adaptaflex looks at the latest EN 45545 standard, and shows how it is being applied to provide comprehensive fire safety protection on the underground

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here is an on-going challenge facing the management of all underground transport systems; namely the requirement for constant vigilance of fire safety. So let’s take a look at the fire safety standards and solutions that protect the underground rail infrastructure used by over 1.2 billion people every year.

Originally created in the 19th century, the London Underground (LU) is one of the world’s oldest and most famous transportation networks _ even its map is held as a design icon. Thousands of people use the transport network every day and cover its 249 miles of track, including 113 miles of tunnels and 260 stations, 118 of which are sub-surface.

Both old and new rail infrastructure environments, especially underground networks, are unique in design and therefore demand specialist safety measures. After all, fire safety in this challenging environment is as much about preventing the creation of smoke and the provision of an escape route, as it is about combatting flames.

This means that a high-quality, flexible conduit system which ensures the safety and reliability of critical cable and wiring, is essential. This protection extends to a variety

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of external influences, be they mechanical, electrical, or environmental. In many sectors, and particularly across rail infrastructure and in relation to fire, compliance with strict standards and regulations is mandatory.

The evolution of today’s regulations The requirement for constant vigilance and improvement of fire protection standards is reinforced by the history of the London Underground. In November 1984, 14 people (four passengers, one police officer, and nine staff) were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation at Oxford Circus.

In November 1987, 31 people were killed at King’s Cross with many more injured. The fire burnt out the top level of the station which mainly consisted of entrances and ticket halls. This tragedy led to the introduction of new fire safety legislation and fortunately, is still the last major loss of life due to a fire in the UK. A key measure for controlling fire risks continues to be through the safety properties of all the materials used in the stations themselves. The Fire Precautions England Regulations 2009 and the G-085 Code of Practice specifically relate to the fire safety of materials used in the Underground, whilst rolling stock

Setting the new standard

requirements are covered by 1-085 A3 – Fire Safety Performance of Materials.

Brigitte Beck, global product manager for Flexible Cable Systems, commented: “The demands in the rail industry for a single European ‘cross border’ safety standard in terms of fire safety has, over the last decade, culminated in the creation of the EN45545 standard.

EN45545 is considered to be the most comprehensive set of fire safety standards ever developed, defining the categorisation of products in terms of their reaction to fire, according to the level of environmental risk imposed.

“Products meeting the EN45545 standard allow engineers and designers to plan ‘interoperability’ across systems,” he continued, “ensuring compliance to stringent local and European fire safety requirements from the design stage.”

There are seven parts to the standard but only Parts 1 and 2 are applicable to conduit systems. Part 1 covers general definitions, operation, and design categories, in addition to fire safety objectives. Meanwhile, Part 2 recognises the reaction to fire performance, harmonising the requirements for fire safety on railway vehicles that operate within Europe.

The highest risk applications naturally apply to sleeper cars, where passengers would have to be woken before being evacuated and when in operation as side evacuation is made impossible. The material requirements for these advanced risk HL3 applications cover the highest levels of flammability, smoke emissions, and toxicity. Not only do these stringent requirements need to be met, but all rail products need to be type-tested to the fire tests specified for their application in the future EN45545-2. This is where the new SPL-EF conduit systems and SPB fittings from Adaptaflex play a crucial role.

The new system, meets the EN45545-2 standard achieving the highest HL3 fire performance rating for both interior and exterior locations. The system provides higher performance levels of flexibility, impact and abrasion resistance, combined with enhanced chemical resistances especially to oils and greases, with a much higher and lower temperature rating (-40°C to +105°C), than any other metallic conduit system with a EN45545-2 HL3 rating.

The SPL-EF system can be installed both interior and exterior locations requiring the highest level of fire protection such as, sub surface line stations and tunnels.

The system can also be used to protect data cables connected to wider rail infrastructure, such as escalators and lifts, HVAC, passenger information systems and CCTV applications.

Ultimately, the threat of fire is always going to be a potential risk to the rail sector. The good news is that the forthcoming introduction of EN45545-2 will bring even greater protection and there are innovative products readily available to have a positive impact on the 1.2 billion people using the underground infrastructure annually.

www. adaptaflex.com

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CRM

Looking for a revolution Train companies can use data in so many innovative ways to keep customer relationships on track, but it might take a revolution in data collection to make it happen, says REBECCA EVANS

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Rebecca Evans is client services director, Amaze One

ig data experts often claim that the deluge of personal information will be the driver of delightful customer experiences across most, if not all, industries. It’s fair to say, however, that despite millions of people using public transport every day, many operators are still stuck in the slow lane when it comes to harnessing customer information to increase the value of marketing campaigns.

Despite the fact that UK consumers spend more on commuting than their European counterparts, a low proportion use digital touch points to pay for their journeys. As little as 18 per cent of customers currently book their train tickets online in the UK meaning the train operator doesn’t have the customer insight to feed into an on-going CRM programme.

Passengers might always buy their ticket at the booking office and even if they do buy online it could be they are just one of the ticketholders – other people’s details would then remain uncaptured. This makes it extremely difficult for companies to understand the daily commuter, or indeed any of their customers, in an age when people are rightly expecting more targeted communications.

The challenges ahead Give a commuter a good experience and they are more likely to use public transport outside of their daily journey. We need a transport data revolution, in my view. Aside from online bookings, mobile is also likely to play a much bigger part within travel this year. Currently, 60 per cent of Northern Rail customers use their phones to check messages and communications. Tickets can be booked via apps and mobile ticketing is becoming more prevalent, aping the Passbook for airplane boarding passes. The problem is these technological advances aren’t being matched with the roll-out of infrastructure at train stations which would make the whole process slicker and more satisfying.

The ultimate goal for train companies would be to perfect the end to end customer journey _ from receiving an email about an offer, booking online, logging on to Wi-Fi at a station, and finally receiving an online survey about their experience. This could then be tracked and logged in the database to make the future experience even better.

Stations have started introducing Wi-Fi hotspots in the hope of capturing people’s information. This is currently the most effective way to capture details about a business traveller as they have the greatest need to log in to the service. However this may only capture travellers who have time to wait at stations rather than those who leave travel to the last minute. Increased mobile connectivity by travellers will increase the availability of geo-location data,

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allowing the train company to identify the route taken and frequency of travel, even among passengers who don’t book online. Predictive analytics will enable key routes to be mapped, driving marketing around offers such as day out promotions – creating a true value exchange for each individual journey-maker.

So many possibilities Train companies are set to become more than a means of travel, bringing the latest offers direct to their customers and becoming an information hub. Similar to how thetrainline.co.uk has started to develop its offering, train operators can send personalised information to customers depending on their interests and previous travel habits _ for example, targeting students with a 2 for 1 offer on travel tickets to a concert in a major city, or a family of four receiving discounted tickets to an attraction in London. In the future mapping a customer’s travel habits and interests could make the train companies more money than all their overpriced refreshments combined.

Meanwhile, season ticket holders could receive a reminder email when they are due for a renewal and direct communications can be sent if there is a delay on their usual route with suggested alternatives.

A perfect example of this is Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport partnership with Dutch rail operator NS to trial the Schiphol Warranty Service. Priced at 5 euros, the service ensures that registered customers are monitored throughout their journey to the airport so that they catch their flight – regardless of any delays or problems occurring en route. Journeys are constantly tracked via a mobile app which updates passengers as they progress towards the airport and check-in. If anything goes wrong, the app notifies customers, and NS will organise alternative travel – via bus or taxi – or even book a hotel or new flight in a worst-case scenario.

Statistics show why data is an important part of delivering a decent travelling experience. When questioned on their biggest commuting bugbears, 30 per cent cited delays, 17 per cent said overcrowding, 13 per cent stated other people’s personal music and 12 per cent said poor commuter etiquette such as hogging two seats. This demonstrates that apart from the more obvious monetary cost of commuting, there are intangible costs to a commute which could be improved by a train company for example, sending text alerts when a train is delayed.

Big data as a whole will improve the journey, but having access to customer data is key. The opportunity to glean passenger information needs to be matched by the right level of investment in IT and station infrastructure. Spend wisely and it could just be the case that the Age of the Train, heralded in the famous ad campaign more than four decades ago, has yet to dawn.

Southeastern

Greatest assets

R Barbara Thomas, Passenger Services Director, Southeastern Top left The latest NRPS figures commend the attitude and helpfulness of Southeastern employees Top right Charismatic gatekeeper Orin Pile-Gray stars in Southeastern’s #AmazingJourneys

Southeastern’s Barbara Thomas, Passenger Services Director, thanks the hard work of employees as the company rises through the ranks of delivering customer satisfaction

ailway Strategies last featured Southeastern back in June when Managing Director David Statham discussed the company’s efforts to improve customer satisfaction ratings on one of the UK’s busiest rail networks. Since then the latest National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) has been released, which identifies Southeastern as having increased its customer satisfaction rating by three per cent to 75 per cent. Adding to this in July, the Institute for Customer Services, which rates companies from all sectors on a national level, placed Southeastern as the second most improved company in the year in their Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI).

“We have a very simple mission to look after our current passengers better and to attract new customers to our services,” says Barbara Thomas, Passenger Services Director. “Our employees across the business are fundamental to achieving this, they are vital in turning a good journey into a great one for our passengers.”

The Southeastern network is currently undergoing a number of large improvement projects including the extensive upgrade of London Bridge station as part of the Government-funded £6.5 billion Thameslink Programme. Yet despite this, in the NRPS the company clocked an impressive eight per cent increase on its customer satisfaction with the attitude and helpfulness of Southeastern employees.

“The results are testament to all of the hard work our employees have put in and we are extremely proud of them,” continues Barbara. “The most important thing for me is that the passengers are starting to recognise the efforts that have been put in to improve their experience despite the works.” This has been made possible through a programme of additional recruitment, employee training and development, as well as investments into making information more available through station and frontline technology, and an improved 24/7 Twitter service.

The UKCSI result, which particularly singled out the helpfulness, friendliness and competence of its staff, also goes some way to illustrating the improvements that have been implemented. “Our passengers are often praising our employees for the work they do and it is because of this that we have been singled out,” expresses Barbara.

“It is really significant for us to be ranked above wellknown brands such as Love Film, EDF Energy, and Volvo by

such an influential organisation. It’s an excellent result and we’re very pleased.”

Despite this recent wave of success, however, the company remains aware that it still has a long way to go.

“We still know there is more work to do to further improve the service as the passengers rightly expect, so we will continue to invest in our people right across the business to achieve this,” Barbara continues.

One ongoing effort to engage with its passengers is a short video series, #AmazingJourneys, which follows the inspiring stories behind some of the stations and employees at Southeastern. The latest film highlights Orin Pile-Gray, a charismatic gatekeeper at London Victoria station who is becoming famous for his ‘golden touch’ and ‘golden smile’.

“Orin is just one of many Southeastern employees making a difference to passengers every day,” Barbara adds. “Orin says that the best thing about his working day is helping passengers get from A to B, and this perfectly sums up the attitude and helpfulness of all our employees.”

In the short film on Southeastern’s YouTube channel, Orin recalls his first day, two years ago in December, saying: “I just thought, ‘this is going to be exciting because I love helping passengers’.” He has been making them smile ever since, drawing inspiration from his mum.

Barbara explains: “She’d done a lot of care work in her past and that rubbed off on Orin. He’ll tell you he always gets a good feeling inside to know he can help someone.

You can see he means it when he talks about going home feeling he’s always done his best and has been there for people when they’ve needed help.”

Through regular focus groups, Southeastern is keen to involve its entire workforce in business decisions, and it holds an annual awards ceremony to recognise the excellence in service and hard work of its employees from frontline to head office.

As Barbara concludes: “The big thing for me is that without the tremendous efforts of all our employees, with their enthusiasm and professionalism, we wouldn’t be able to improve our performance, get everyone home safe every day, improve the passenger experience and ultimately build a better business. So it is important that we recognise them and show them how much we value their efforts.”

www.southeasternrailway.co.uk 41

NEWS I Appointments Unipart Rail strengthens board with three promotions l Unipart Rail has announced the appointment of three new board members for its Traction and Rolling Stock (T&RS) sector.

Kevin Orton will assume the role of sales director, UK and Ireland. Kevin has been with Unipart Rail for over eight years and moves from his previous role as head of business development Europe.

He will focus on increasing the levels of collaboration between Unipart Rail and customers to support their business in the challenging times ahead.

Balazs Berki, who has been in the rail industry for over five years is promoted to international business development director from his role as head of business development international. Balazs will concentrate on international markets outside the Asia Pacific region which is managed from the company’s Australian office.

Karen Beardsley, who has been with Unipart Rail for over 17 years and most recently as director of Unipart Expert Practices’ consultancy division, becomes supply chain director.

In her new role she will be responsible for development and implementation of supply chain solutions and lean transformation programmes in all markets.

George Tillier, managing director of Unipart Rail T&RS commented: “We are now providing a broader range of services to both our existing customers and prospective partners and it is important that we support these developments with strong governance and leadership at board level. The new appointments are all people who have been in the rail industry and the company for several years and I am sure that they will bring their considerable expertise, experience and enthusiasm into their new roles.”

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Keyline strengthens rail division

Bernadette Kelly moves to DfT l Bernadette Kelly is to become director general of the Department for Transport’s Rail Executive from late September when she takes over from interim director general, Brian Etheridge.

Until the move she will remain at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) as director general for business and local growth. Her career includes many years working with business.

Once in post she will go through a period of induction, spending time out and about with the rail industry. Bernadette said: “There are clearly big challenges ahead for the rail industry in the UK and I’m looking forward to working with the sector and my team to deliver a great train service for the public and help grow the economy.”

Gensler adds to global rail expertise l Global design firm Gensler has appointed Hiro Aso to a newly created role as regional head of transport and infrastructure.

Based in London, Hiro will spearhead the firm’s railway and infrastructure projects.

With over 20 years of industry experience, Hiro is a highly-skilled specialist in the architectural design and delivery of regenerative transport hubs. He joins Gensler from John McAslan + Partners, where he was board director in charge of transport and infrastructure and led the award-winning transformation of London’s King’s Cross station. He is a panel member of the Strategic Railway Advisory Group, an expert panel member for the Greater London Authority and senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham’s College of Engineering.

Hiro said: “I look forward to combining my railway and infrastructure experience with Gensler’s planning, urban design and mixeduse capabilities, to build a hub of design excellence here in London.”

l Supplier of heavy building materials, rail materials, civils and drainage solutions, Keyline, has appointed Samantha Sprules as rail manager for Wales, the Midlands and South West.

The appointment follows the sustained growth and expansion of the division as well as the onset of Network Rail’s Control Period 5 (CP5) project.

Samantha brings several years of experience in construction and the commercial environment.

Commenting on her appointment, she said: “Keyline is a leader in the UK civils merchants sector and with continued growth of the UK’s rail industry, this presents a great career opportunity for me. I’m excited to be joining such an accomplished team and contributing to the company’s future success over the coming years.”

Other appointments include Graeme Corbett to the Keyline Glasgow office and Lauren Linehan to the Northfleet team in Kent.

Steve Allen to lead HS2 finance l HS2 Ltd has appointed Steve Allen as chief financial officer. He takes up the post in October. Steve will be joining from Transport for London where, as managing director of finance he has been responsible for business planning and financial control across £11bn worth of annual transport spending and £21bn of capital investment.

He also led a major operating costs reduction programme, corporate finance activity and IM strategy, and was responsible for maximising TfL’s revenues from commercial sources such as property and advertising.

Steve started his career at the DfT and worked for Citigroup and Abbey National before joining TfL in 2003.

Commenting on the appointment, HS2 Ltd chief executive Simon Kirby said: “On a project as large and complex as HS2, rigorous financial control is essential. That’s why I am delighted to welcome Steve to the team.

His experience of delivering multi-billion pound investment programmes will be invaluable as we move towards the start of construction in 2017.”

Innovation

Patent of the Month

In this first in a new series of articles by patent attorneys Withers & Rogers LLP, ROSIE HARDY discusses the merits and significance of a recent patent application in the name of Thales Deutschland GMBH

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Rosie Hardy is a patent attorney at leading UK patent and trade mark attorney firm, Withers & Rogers LLP

hales Group has an enviable reputation in the field of axle counters. The AzLM Thales system is the axle counter system of choice along many rail networks and the company relies on a portfolio of patents to protect this technology. Yet, the AzLM Thales system is only able to work for vehicles with ferromagnetic wheels.

With this limitation in mind, the company has developed a new type of axle counter system that is not dependent on the material of the wheels. This system can be used with a variety of different vehicles, including monorails. This will undoubtedly open up new market opportunities and income streams for Thales.

As might be expected, Thales is also taking strategic steps to try and obtain patent protection for the new axle counter system. We know this because international patent application WO2014/EP69826 was published in March 2015.

An axle counter is able to determine whether a track section is occupied by a vehicle or not. It is essential for maintaining safety and helps to avoid collisions. From the international patent application document we find that the new type of axle counter includes a first transponder tag (1) mounted at the front of the vehicle (3) and a second transponder tag (2) mounted at the rear of the vehicle (4).

A first tag counter unit (8) and second tag counter unit (9) are mounted at either ends of the track section. The axle counter system also includes an axle counter evaluator (ACE) for evaluating whether the track section is free or occupied according to the counter values of the counter units. To reduce development time and costs, the axle

counter evaluator can be the same axle counter evaluator from the existing AzLM Thales system.

It will be some time before we know the outcome of the international patent application but its progress can be monitored on patent databases.

If Thales successfully obtains a UK patent from the International Patent Application, then it will have control over the new axle counter system in the UK for up to 20 years. Thales could use this patent monopoly to build dominance in the market and restrict its competitors.

However, if Thales is unsuccessful and doesn’t get UK patent protection then (providing no other intellectual property rights apply) any competitor will have the freedom to copy the new axle counter system in the UK. As the drive for innovation in the rail industry gathers pace, commercially-minded innovators are increasingly using patent protection as both a weapon and a shield.

In this case, Thales is seeking patent protection to boost its profits and prevent rivals from counting axles in the same way.

Searching and monitoring new patent applications and patents is a useful way of keeping an eye on the business activities of competitors. However, it is often overlooked.

With a few clicks of a mouse, patent searching can identify relevant patent applications and patents. These documents can provide significant information about an invention and avoid duplication of effort. They can also help avoid infringement traps and highlight any patent applications or patents that could be challenged.

www.withersrogers.com IM

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PMA AG / PMA UK

Data

protection

As a global leader in cable protection systems, PMA AG products are used by clients around the world operating within the rail industry and beyond

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ince the company was founded four decades ago during 1975, PMA AG has developed a strong reputation as a market leader in the provision of reliable cable protection systems that are tailored to meet the particular needs of its clients. These products are predominantly produced at its headquarters in Zurich, from where it delivers Swiss workmanship that is globally recognised for its outstanding quality. Its Zurich facility also encompasses intensive research and development activities, which allow PMA to ensure that it remains at the forefront in developing cable protection systems to safeguard critical assets. Additionally the company maintains a strong global presence with distribution centres and sales offices within Germany, the UK, France, Spain, Austria, Italy and the US, that employ some 170 people across the business. As such, PMA is always on-hand and ready to respond rapidly to the requirements of its clients.

The global footprint of PMA is bolstered by its membership within the ABB Group, as part of the organisation’s low-voltage division. PMA joined the ABB family during May 2012, allowing it to move forward as part of one of the world’s largest power and automation technology companies. Presently ABB employs around

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140,000 people across approximately 100 countries, with shares traded on the Zurich, Stockholm and New York stock exchanges. ABB has a long history of providing reliable, innovative and energy-efficient technologies to the rail sector; manufacturing and servicing all the systems, subsystems and components used in modern urban, conventional and high-speed rail networks. This includes rail infrastructure and components for rolling stock, as well as signalling and telecommunication systems. The co-operation between PMA and ABB has resulted in a shared focus on sustainability and continues to create enormous opportunities for the continued growth and development of PMA and its parent.

The position of PMA as a market leader is built on the company’s extensive range of more than 6500 products, which give its customers reliable cable protection in railway, mechanical engineering and shipbuilding applications worldwide. Furthermore, PMA products take pride of place as the solution of choice in automation, building installation and other projects where power and data cables require reliable and robust protection. Within the rail industry PMA offers protection solutions for both rolling stock and rail infrastructure, allowing it to serve the rail sector across several applications. When it comes to rolling stock the company supplies efficient, custommade cable protection systems that have been developed to provide practical, cost-effective solutions that adhere to the most stringent requirements throughout their long service life. Similarly PMA also provides products that offer enhanced security for track-related installations and its products help to ensure safe, reliable function of signal installations; power supplies to high-voltage rails; train protection and control systems and monitoring/ information systems.

A common challenge for operators within the rail industry is the threat posed to cable infrastructure by vermin. During 2010 for example, millions of pounds had to be spent on

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the repair and replacement of as much as 20,000 miles of rail track, across the UK solely due to rats gnawing and damaging cables. The damage to this cabling brings with it serious implications to trains and commuters, including severe delays, break-downs and in the most tragic instances even crashes. It is therefore critical that rail cabling is protected, as it holds within it vital data that is responsible for controlling the signalling infrastructure of the network. Should these cables be damaged or removed it is simply not possible for trains to run safely on their tracks as electrical short circuits, incorrect signals, miscommunications and fires can easily occur.

In understanding the threat posed by rats and other vermin to rail infrastructure and establishing how to best counter the problem, PMA understands why it is that rats gnaw through and damage cabling in the first place.

Rats have open-rooted incisors and molars meaning that their teeth never stop growing. As a result they need to incessantly gnaw hard materials to keep their teeth ground down. Rats are also natural foragers that use anything they can find – including electrical cabling – as nesting material. However the most common reason for rats to damage cabling is that they are fiercely territorial.

Wild rats use their urine as a means to mark their territory and if and when they smell the urine of another rat on their marked territory, they gnaw the affected material away and thus remove the offending rat’s scent.

To combat these issues PMA has developed a line of products using polyamide, which is polymer based around an amide linkage. More commonly known as ‘nylon’, the term refers to a range of materials, which share similar properties in that they are incredibly tough with great thermal and chemical resistance. As such, polyamide materials are physically resistant to the strength of rats’ teeth and are also resistant to the scent of their urine – removing the need for territorial gnawing to remove competing scents. With polyamide, the risk of

PMA AG / PMA UK

rodent damage is significantly reduced because the rat’s urine and other marking substances do not adhere to its smooth, shiny surface. Furthermore polyamide helps to prevent rats from using cabling as a nesting material.

This is due to the fact that polyamide is considered an unattractive building material for rats, due to the amount of effort required to bite into it. With the material’s hard and elastic properties rat’s teeth are inclined to slip from the surface of polyamide and therefore, they quickly lose interest in trying to remove and use it in their nests.

This also means that the larger the conduit, the more difficult it is for animals to bite into its surface. PMA’s testing process ensures that polyamide materials help in the prevention of rodent damage to rail cabling, with all of the company’s products being tested beyond industry standards to destruction. With so many tracks, deep underground in locations such as the London Underground and Glasgow Subway for example and also near vast expanses of water, rats will always be a regular pest on railway networks. However with polyamide cable protection, the threat of damage from any type of rodent can be greatly reduced.

Included in the polyamide range for the protection of cabling from rats and other vermin PMA offers a retrofit divisible system. A one-piece divisible system, it is an ideal solution for repairs, retrofit and pre-loomed applications. This means work can be carried out to existing installations without disconnecting cables.

Additional products for applications within the rail industry include Ty-Rap cable ties and its innovative range of fire barrier solutions. Ty-Rap represents the UVresistant and flame retardant cable tie solution that meets the increasing requirements of modern rail vehicles. Tight installation requirements, demanding environmental conditions and increasing safety standards all require the highest performance. Through Ty-Rap rail, ABB and PMA offers specially developed cable ties that meet the

challenges of operation within the rail industry. The new Ty-Rap for rail is available in lengths of 92 mm to 360 mm and in widths of 2.4 mm to 7.0 mm for cable diameters up to 100mm. Both types of cable ties can resist temperatures from -40 °C up to +85 °C and are made of polyamide 6.6. The material is silicone and halogen free.

A special tool has been designed to enable ergonomic and efficient processing of cable ties.

Additionally PMA offers a number of different solutions that allow cables and wires within a cable protection system to be fed through a firewall without a loss of integrity. Available as either single sided or doublesided solutions, PMA fire barrier adapters employ an intumescent material fixed within the adapter to block the transport of fire, heat and fumes through the expansion of material to fill the cavities between the cables and the adapter. Double-sided solutions that include cable protection fitted on both sides of the fire barrier were developed in co-operation with Roxtec, the Swedish manufacturer of sealing systems. As such, PMA conduits, fittings and specially designed wall transit adapters are combined with a Roxtec sealing module to provide a system offering protection against the spread of fire from one compartment or room to the next.

The products provided by PMA offer a persuasive solution to cable protection when compared to competing alternatives. Plastic does not corrode, is quick and easy to install and has no sharp edges that can damage the very cables it is installed to protect. Furthermore, it is light and flexible, meaning that it can be bent around corners with ease. With so many advantages over existing metal alternatives, PMA is keen to continue to take advantage of the opportunity to deliver its highly innovative and effective cable protection systems to clients old and new across the globe.

www.pma.ch / www.pma-uk.com 47

BCL Power

A reliable

backup

As the rail industry looks to integrate its data management systems to improve reliability, standby battery solutions provider BCL Power thinks it can help

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rett Communications Ltd (BCL Power) was established in 1994 as a telecoms battery service company. Today the company offers complete end-to-end solutions for UPS (uninterruptable power supply) batteries and critical standby power equipment, including battery testing and maintenance services. The core of BCL’s customer base comes from telecoms divisions of a number of sectors including banking, education, government authorities and NHS trusts. However, with significant success as a supplier of Midtronics Stationary Power battery management solutions, BCL is now looking towards the rail industry as a potential opportunity for future growth.

James Abbey, Director at BCL, explains that there is a lack of awareness towards the importance of ensuring regular testing and maintenance of batteries. “We have seen a real problem where people have had services on their UPS’s but not an actual service or test on the batteries,” he says. “The importance of regular battery maintenance is really simple because it is the key component within a battery back-up system. If you don’t have them tested regularly, then you don’t know the condition of them. And if you don’t know the condition of

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them, you don’t know if they’re going to work when they are needed. Therefore, it is important that the client can get accurate and efficient information about the systems, so they can be preventative rather than reactive, and that’s where we come in.”

In delivering these solutions, BCL Power excels within the industry with its supplier relationships. “We are a UK distributor for Midtronics Stationary Power equipment,” explains James. “This really gives us an edge over our competitors because we not only provide the battery management service, but also the tools themselves.” One of the problems across all sectors is that there is currently a lack of integration between the way companies test with one device and monitor with another, resulting in multiple streams of data, which then have to be analysed separately. “All Midtronics Stationary Power equipment reports into one system. This means that it is possible to get the data back to the clients quickly and efficiently,” adds James. Often replacing a battery system can set a company back between £500 and £10,000: “With this management system in place it allows company’s to predict failure and therefore budget effectively for new battery systems.”

It is with this solution that BCL Power proposes its services to the rail industry. “Currently, the rail industry will have a monitoring system from one company that focuses on remote batteries at switching sites and telephone exchanges. In addition to this the guys who

stations and signalling applications are relying on standby battery power in case of a power cut, how do they know they will work every time.”

As far as BCL’s own future is concerned, the company is very much focused on expanding its product offering as its target markets become increasingly aware of the importance of battery management. “Over the next 12 months, we are looking at having a hosted service. So if clients haven’t got the employees to manage the data, we can provide a secure management service where we collect the information remotely and can highlight problems for them. We can then inform them of the best way to proceed. Beyond that we are looking to expand into providing cyber power security as well – this will make us even more unique within the market,” James concludes. With a unique position in the market and a strong product and service offering, BCL Power is well placed in an economy where future power sources are uncertain. With power such a critical part of maintaining reliability within the rail industry and across all sectors, the company proposes a sensible solution to making sure this reliability is maintained.

www.bclpower.co.uk

go out to the field will likely be testing batteries with a different system. Then all this data is extracted and analysed by someone else who can then make a decision on whether the batteries need changing or if they are okay. With the Midtronics Stationary Power equipment, there is a central server, which can collate all information from all sites, whether it be from engineer tests or from monitoring remote sites, which can cut down on service visits. This will then allow management teams in the rail industry to predict when the batteries will need changing more accurately, rather than waiting for a test to say that they’ve already failed. So again in the rail industry it allows them to be proactive rather than reactive.”

Focusing on the rail industry is a smart and reactive move by the BCL Power team considering a current push within the industry to integrate data management with operations in order to improve reliability and therefore customer satisfaction. Having recently sold Midtronics testers to Network Rail through a third party, BCL sees the potential for its management systems to also be put in place to help drive maintenance efficiencies throughout the rail network.

“As a nation we are putting more pressure on the power grid and this brings its challenges. So people are becoming more reliant on back-up battery solutions,” comments James who sees big opportunity in the future.

“Going forward it is worth companies investing in a good battery management programme. For instance, if

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Furrer+Frey

New dawn for Great Western

electrification

To celebrate the end of Series 1 OLE system design phase of the Great Western electrification, we talked to the engineers involved at electrification specialist Furrer+Frey, plus the project management team at Network Rail about the scheme’s strategies, objectives, and outcomes

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he background

The completion of the design phase of Series 1 electrification is an important milestone in Network Rail’s multi-billion pound modernisation of the Great Western Main Line and its South Wales branch.

The modernisation includes resignalling, new rolling stock, station upgrades and electrification. When the modernisation was announced in 2009, the only electrified portion of the Great Western was between London Paddington and Airport Junction west of Hayes and Harlington.

During a series of reviews between 2009 and 2012 it was announced that the whole GW network from London in the east to Cardiff and Swansea in the west would be electrified. In March 2012 Amey plc was awarded the contract to undertake the electrification works using Network Rail’s High Output Plant (HOPS). For the electrification part of the upgrade, new Series 1 overhead

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line equipment, designed by Furrer+Frey has been specified by Network Rail. It was devised to 125mph operation with a possible 140mph future capability and will be installed using HOPS. The HOPS has five sections, each of which handles a different aspect of the installation - these can be coupled together to work as one unit, or separated to work independently. The train will be maintained at the High Output Operations Base (HOOB) in Swindon, on the site of former sidings.

Unlike the Series 2 used on North West Electrification, which has been described as ‘Mark 3D with sunglasses’, Series 1 was a complete redesign and replacement operation to take the GW network strides forward in terms of speed and reliability. Revolution not evolution.

“Previously we tended to choose lower initial capital cost options over whole life costs so, with the massive increase in trains on the network, reliability can suffer”, says Network Rail’s Glenn Wiles, Principal Design Engineer (Contact Systems).

The electrification brief “The brief for Series 1 was very clear,” says Glenn Wiles. “The system had to be reliable, even with less maintenance, it had to be fully compatible with existing legacy rolling stock and, crucially, be fully TSI compliant at line speed up to 140mph.” Network Rail looked at existing electrification systems with the potential to be used on Great Western but the European systems would not plug into the UK network (with its narrower gauge, higher platforms and features such as bridges and level crossings) and no UK-ready system was TSI compliant. In addition, because of the geography of the GW system with its limited access points, the system had to work with Network Rail’s High Output Plant System (HOPS). Where using HOPS was not practical – at stations for example - the electrification system needed to work with more traditional output methods. This need for reliability, versatility and TSI compliance meant that a completely new approach was needed and the design was put out to tender.

The remit was a tough one. “Even with very limited access points we needed to electrify more quickly than had ever been achieved before in the UK”, continues Glenn Wiles. “We needed the system to be versatile and to address some of the reliability issues of the existing system.” In fact, Network Rail raised 97 reliability issues of the old system, which had arisen largely as a result of too much concentration on initial capital costs without consideration of whole life costs including installation, maintenance and repair.

Network Rail and Furrer+Frey were already working together on Great Eastern, were co-housing at Paddington, and had established a good working relationship. “Furrer+Frey had a good understanding of UK systems and were prepared to undertake a full root and branch redesign without a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude.” Out of a shortlist of five, Furrer+Frey won the contract in 2011 leading to the establishment of a fully operational Furrer+Frey UK operation.

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Photo - Crossrail West Outer - Paul Roszkowski

Furrer+Frey

“As an engineering challenge, this was as tough as it gets,” says Furrer+Frey’s Noel Dolphin. “The inputs are getting harder – the operators want to run trains with more pantographs, it is no longer just one now it is two or three and they want to run these at higher speeds. But the infrastructure remains the same: the tunnels are still too small, there are still level crossings - there are even still level crossings next to low bridges!” These challenges are all in the context of shorter possessions, increasingly tough standards and the need for TSI compliance.

“Network Rail also gave us four additional technical restraints,” says Noel Dolphin. “No tail wires routed across adjacent tracks to anchor, Mechanically Independent Registration, Constructability and independent tensioned conductors.”

The Solution Furrer+Frey’s Telescopic Single Insulator Cantilever was the answer for typical two track areas. With its single insulator telescopic cantilever, the SIC has been designed for the shortest possible installation time. This is achieved by an unprecedented level of off-site factory pre-assembly. The mast brackets are pre-installed at the depot and the SIC is then assembled and adjusted before delivery trackside and simply mounted on two pins on site.

Fewer components mean easier procurement, less maintenance, greater reliability and easier adjustment on site.

In a dewirement scenario there is a controlled dispersion of forces through the rotation of the SIC. Win win.

“The system has been designed for what we call a ‘land and leave’ process,” says Furrer+Frey’s Principal Engineer Rob Daffern. “The idea is that you can build it in the depot in controlled conditions, set it to the right dimensions, rack it up on the HOPS train and just drop it onto place with the minimum amount of fixings. In fact, in test conditions at our yard, we have installed Twin Track Cantilevers in less than three minutes – a process that has traditionally taken 40 minutes to an hour.” With limited access times, these time savings on installation make a massive contribution to the Series 1 system’s reduced

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life time costs. Even in the early days of installation roll out, HOPS teams are achieving more than twice as many mast installations per night than using traditional systems.

Historic Challenge Certain parts of the GW network offered a particular challenge to Furrer+Frey team. For instance the Sydney Gardens section of the GW network running through historic Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and needs the very highest levels of aesthetic attention. Furrer+Frey is a subcontractor to the Lead Design Organisation for Great Western, Atkins/Parsons Brinkerhoff on this section and the two companies have collaborated closely on this complex and sensitive project. Anesh Ramkhelawon the senior designer for Furrer+Frey on the Bath section takes up the story. “There are a number of aesthetic considerations here,” he says. “We need to avoid large beams and tuck them out of public view, placing the overlaps where the public can’t see them. We have been urged to invoke the ‘spirit of Brunel’ in our design work by various interested parties but whether that means rigidly sticking to his original bold design vision and flair or embrace a more sympathetic solution is unclear! What is obvious is that many people are passionate about Bath and its architecture.”

The legacy infrastructure here also offers a particular challenge. “Many of the bridges here are very low so getting the wire at a safe height for the public whilst keeping the line open has been a test,” continues Anesh.

“There will be a whole programme of track lowering and bridge raising to accommodate this. All of this against the backdrop of the tight timescales we are faced with across the network and it certainly adds up to a really interesting engineering challenge.”

Innovation The scheme is not all Bath stone and heritage sites however. Series 1 has offered up the opportunity for innovative collaboration between Furrer+Frey and Network Rail. Nowhere is this more apparent than at Old Dalby test track. “The test track hadn’t been used at high

speeds since the late 1990s,” says Network Rail’s Charles Lateu Smith. “That meant a lot of work to get the track ready and fit for purpose and this required an excellent level of collaboration from everyone involved. Amey began construction on the piling in October 2013 and we were ready to start testing in March 2014 – and that included realigning the track for high speed testing, hiring a train and adapting its pantograph configuration and restoring the power. The testing was so successful we chose Old Dalby as the test facility for the Furrer+Frey Rigid Overhead Catenary System (ROCS) in Stanton Tunnel in early 2015.”

The refurbishment of the 1.2km long Stanton Tunnel part of the line with Furrer+Frey’s is the first time that the ROCS system has been used at high speeds in the UK - although it has been installed on more than 1900 track km worldwide and tested up to 302kmph line speeds. It is based on a rigid bar design, not the traditional tensioned overhead line, so there is a significantly reduced likelihood of a de-wirement or snapping of overhead contact line.

This absence of mechanical tension also means space provision for bulky tensioning devices is not required within the tunnel and much reduced loads on the

support structures, making it particularly suited to tunnel installation.

The End of the Beginning The end of the system design phase marks an important landmark in the whole electrification programme. Work is already well underway on installation and collaboration between Furrer+Frey and Network Rail continues apace. “We have been working together very closely for 18 months and it’s been a very collaborative working arrangement,” says Charles Lateu Smith. “The contract has really been left in the drawer while we get on with working towards our common goals.”

www.furrerfrey.ch

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Spencer Group

Pushing the

envelope With such a diverse and experienced multi-disciplinary group behind it, Spencer Group’s rail division is playing a leading role as the UK develops its network

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ver the last 25 years, privately owned UK company Spencer Group has developed from delivering demanding marine engineering projects to be one of the UK’s largest multidisciplinary design and construct engineering companies.

Based in Hull and supported by regional branches in Glasgow and London, the company serves the energy, transport, infrastructure, industrial, manufacturing and nuclear sectors with a focus on delivering technically challenging and innovative solutions to its clients. With infrastructure developments a major part of the economic focus in the UK at the moment, Spencer Group’s rail division has a number of successful projects under its belt

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that demonstrate the all-round abilities it has to offer.

Spencer Group stands out in the market as being a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial business with a strong team of industry leading experts. John Kendall, Spencer Project Manager explains: “As an engineering led business we are able to offer value to our clients by providing unrivalled engineering solutions. We employ very experienced practical engineers across a range of disciplines who are able to undertake the complete design of Civil/Structural, Mechanical, Electrical and Materials Handling. This ability is pretty unique and enables us to have a huge control over the engineering approach, programme and risk management.”

As part of the DfT’s Intercity Express Programme (IEP), a five billion pound investment into new trains has been made with Hitachi Europe to replace the existing rolling fleet on the East Coast and Great Western Main lines. To facilitate this development Spencer Group has been awarded a contract to upgrade Light Maintenance Depots for the East Coast line. “At each depot, facilities will be required for interior and exterior cleaning, fuelling, toilet emptying and water tank replenishment,” outlines John. “A fuel system additive (Adblue) also has to be supplied at each fuel point and stabling is required for the trains, as set out in the maintenance and servicing strategy. Spencer has been awarded the Grip 5 to 8 works that will be carried out at eight depots within the UK. As with most projects within an operational depot, the construction of new attenuation slabs and associated works with the Adblue system need to be carried out whilst keeping the operational requirements of the TOC at an optimum level. This is only possible with close cooperation and understanding with all parties involved.”

The contract represents a significant amount of work and deployment of Spencer’s extensive experience and knowledge within the rail sector to successfully and safely deliver. “This is a very important contract for Spencer,” expresses John. “Not only does it allow us to use our knowledge of depot works to value engineer and deliver a

With such exposure to and experience in a breadth of different industries, Spencer Group has a diverse offering that allows it to transfer skills and technological solutions between industries. Innovation driven in one sector may have positive implications within another, and the collaborative approach the company takes allows this cross-pollination to occur making the group a competitive prospect for its clients. John highlights that this is a deliberate part of the Spencer Group’s strategy: “We are constantly challenging and stretching ourselves to create designs, for instance, for diverse projects such as power station main stop valves, mobile radar, biomass material handling and industrial energy recovery projects,” he says.

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Spencer Group

best-option solution, but also gives us the opportunity to prove ourselves to a new client, Hitachi.” The successful engagement of this contract has since lead to another major depot project to extend and upgrade First Great Western’s flagship Train Care Depot in Reading. Keeping the facility fully operational throughout whilst having little impact on the neighbouring Reading Festival site will pose significant challenges for Spencer, but the experience gained from East Coast Main Line projects should help it achieve its goals effectively.

In addition to this, Spencer Group has also been appointed to work on improvements to the Finsbury Park Underground Station to help it achieve stepfree access by 2018. The station, which welcomes 176 million passengers a year, will remain open during the works. This will include the construction of a new western entrance, the building of two lift shafts and the extension of an existing passageway to link up to the new entrance, existing platforms and new residential and commercial developments. James Renwick, Project Director at Spencer comments: “We are delighted to have been given this opportunity by London Underground. We successfully delivered the enabling works for this project to go ahead and we were keen to see the project right through to the end.”

Testaments to Spencer Group’s ability to deliver and perform highly are a number of awards. “We have recently won the ICE South East England Engineering Innovation Award for the pedestrian subway slide carried out during Easter 2014,” points out John especially. “The 850 tonne concrete subway was slid into position on a

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cushion of compressed nitrogen and was the first time in the UK that this method was used.” It is no surprise that with such a breadth of knowledge and commitment to innovation behind it, plus with safety as its top priority, Spencer Group’s rail division is achieving success in a number of nationally important and prestigious contracts.

By continuing to maintain theses standards the company looks set to achieve further success as it moves forward.

www.thespencergroup.co.uk

Southeastern

Back on I track Despite a number of big challenges facing Southeastern, the company knows what it needs to do to manage a successful network

David Statham, Managing Director of Southeastern

Southeastern operates one of the busiest networks in the country and also runs the UK’s first domestic high speed service

n September 2014 Southeastern was awarded the contract to continue running one of the most challenging commuter rail networks in the UK for the franchise period to June 2018. The franchise begins at a time when major works to London Bridge station and Thameslink pose incredible challenges for the company. However, despite challenges, managing director David Statham remains positive in reporting the company’s best performance ever over the past two years and lays out the company’s plan to effectively manage a challenging rail network while improving the public’s perception of its service.

“When the London Bridge works started in January this year, two of the busiest platforms in Europe and three of the seven approach lines to the station were closed,” he begins. “The impact changed the journey pattern of nearly 95,000 people who use London Bridge everyday on Southeastern. So there were some massive challenges to face as a business at that time. Through a combination of good, strong timetabling, investment in the rolling stock and working with Network Rail to make the infrastructure as reliable as possible, we have managed to both support the redevelopment of London

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Southeastern

Bridge and improve our performance.” The timetable changes have involved a number of initiatives including eliminating carriage splitting and joining at Ashford and Faversham and making sure there are enough drivers in place to cope with unexpected events.

“The timetable itself has really helped us cope with the works, and offer a more reliable service,” says David.

In addition to this, there is a more efficient maintenance programme, which means that there are currently more trains in use than ever before. An £800,000 investment into fault-finding and identification equipment to improve reliability and reduce the effect on passengers has also been put in place. As well as this the company has been working collaboratively with Network Rail to reduce the number of speed-restricted sections of the network.

“This gives us a much better chance of delivering the timetable promise,” David highlights.

Looking at the next franchise period, Southeastern places the customer at the centre of its focus. David continues: “It is a challenging network and our customers rightly have high expectations of us, but this gives us a big opportunity to make a difference for passengers.”

With the £6.5 billion Thameslink programme in place Southeastern is responsible for supporting transport from the southeast around the continuing works.

“It’s hugely important to us that we keep the network moving and that we communicate with passengers throughout these immense works,” he adds.

To do this since the start of the works Southeastern had issued around a million leaflets, employed an extra 170 temporary staff and sent more than 100,000 emails and letters to make sure passengers were aware of the changes to timetables and how to get around them.

Trains will receive a new exterior livery of deep blue and light blue doors, replacing the usual white cab and yellow doors

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“The other big challenge for us is around capacity and our ability to cope within an increasingly successful industry that is seeing passenger numbers grow year on year,” expresses David.

The Southeastern network has seen 30 per cent growth since 2009, which has led to the company running more than 200 additional services a day.

“We are putting more trains in use than ever before and we are trying to make sure that our timetable is as responsive as possible to passengers,” he says.

“We have been carefully monitoring passenger loadings, feedback and Twitter, and we have been moving around our existing stock to make sure it’s where customers need it most.”

With rail user numbers only expected to grow further, the company is currently in talks to expand its rolling stock fleet to provide the best service for the future network.

Above and below One third of Southeastern’s entire train fleet is undergoing a major midlife refresh to make its carriages lighter, brighter and more comfortable for passengers.

Southeastern has created 142 more spaces at Orpington car park and an extra 172 spaces at Tonbridge Discussing what Southeastern is specifically doing to realise its commitment to passengers, David emphasises: “We know we have more work to do to ensure all our passengers are more satisfied with the service we provide. That’s why it’s really important that we focus the business and our efforts on what customers tell us is important to them. The new franchise brings an investment package of £70 million, directly focused on what’s important to passengers. Over and above that, we have invested several million pounds extra to cover the top four to five things customers have pointed out.”

With passengers placing importance on value for money, the company has put a freeze on its super-off-peak fares, and is currently investing over £5 million into a deep-clean and subsequent cosmetic upgrades of its rolling stock and stations. To help give passengers correct, real-time information and the best advice it has also started to distribute 1600 iPads to its staff, install 20 operational information screens

Southeastern has given all its 339 trains a heavy-duty spring clean in a project involving more than 2,000 man hours to set new standards for cleanliness

in key locations and make upgrades to customer information screens at stations.

“We have also made a huge change to our Twitter service, which is followed by about 80,000 passengers,” explains David. “That now operates 24/7, we’ve brought it in-house, and it’s in our integrated control centre so it can work in conjunction with station management.”

In an effort to improve the network in the longer term, Southeastern is currently working with Network Rail on an innovative and revolutionary concept called Perpetuum.

“It’s a really innovative and clever piece of kit that monitors the health of the bearings on a train’s wheel set through the vibrations created,” David indicates. “By monitoring the health of the bearings it allows us to identify and repair or replace faults a lot quicker without causing disruption and delay to the rail service.” In addition to monitoring bearings, the technology can also monitor track condition for Network Rail meaning less inspection on track and better track maintenance, providing safety and reliability benefits for the network.

It is clear that Southeastern is heavily committed to listening to its customers and making sure that their demands are met, while managing the network throughout very challenging times. Its investment programme includes a number of initiatives to ensure the network delivers on customer satisfaction and is well prepared to run an enhanced network once Thameslink is completed. David sums up the future strategy for the company very simply: “It’s about the customers. Looking after our passengers, improving passenger satisfaction and increasing the use of our trains during off-peak times.”

Despite some very challenging times for the company, Southeastern knows what it needs to do to improve its service and effectively cope with the growing demand for its network. As such, the future looks to be positive as the company moves forward.

www.southeasternrailway.co.uk 59

SSE Enterprise Contracting

Extensive With a depth of experience and breadth of offerings, SSE Enterprise Contracting delivers quality contracting services to all sectors including railway

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s the name suggests, SSE plc has taken an enterprising step towards not only providing energy to the UK market, but also its expertise in energy solutions and engineering to better serve it. Consequently, SSE is the only one of the six top UK energy companies to offer end-to-end solutions to help its clients deal with fundamental energy challenges. Across its portfolio of services SSE Enterprise offers a complete solution to the energy, telecoms, utilities, contracting, lighting and metering sectors. Within its contracting division, the company is one of the UK’s largest mechanical and electrical contractors operating nationally through a network of 50 regional hubs.

With such a large and successful organisation and therefore a wealth of resources behind it, SSE Contracting is able to offer extensive services from high voltage engineering, LED lighting and electrical safety to heating, ventilation, energy management and facilities management on any scale or complexity. Operating on a national scale supported by the advantages of regional knowledge, the company is able to offer these services to SME’s, large companies and public sector organisations with an unrivalled level of efficiency.

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Activity in the rail sector represents a significant part of SSE Contracting’s operations, as the company is the principle M&E contractor for Network Rail with full Link-up approval. Enabled by its extensive expertise the rail team at SSE is able to offer design, installation, commissioning, refurbishments and maintenance in a seamless and integrated solution to adhere to any project requirements.

With its experience in the rail sectors, SSE’s railway services division is able to apply its knowledge of regulations and legal obligations to ensure that work is carried out in the safest way possible and the end result is fully compliant. For instance, it is able to offer a full Disability Discrimination Act compliance service with lift installations services, suitable call systems and station refurbishments to ensure requirements are met.

Additionally, it can apply its knowledge to preventative maintenance to reduce the risks of equipment or system failures. This encompasses maintenance of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, gas and water systems.

Examples of additional services provided by SSE Railway Services are infrastructure re-wiring, ticket halls and automated systems, vending machines, ticket barrier installations, lighting call systems and hearing loop, lift works, fire alarms and plumbing. Car park lighting, CCTV and security, gas services, ductwork, pipefitting and fume extraction also fall into the portfolio. Fuel/oil/ air/lube installation, pit lighting, control, operation and maintenance of existing high voltage (HV) systems, design

best performing electrical contractors across the UK. Managing Director of SSE Enterprise Contracting, Daron Mullineaux responded to the result saying: “We are delighted to have been ranked second in this industryrelated report. SSE Enterprise Contracting focuses on delivering the very best of service by highly trained staff no matter the project’s size and scale. This includes everything from simple remedial works for an independent business through to a major multi-site mechanical and electrical installation project. We have grown to be a truly national contractor providing local mechanical and electrical services to all sectors.”

Aside from the skills and competencies it can deliver to its clients, the company places considerable emphasis on the service it provides and the approach it takes to business. Its aim is to work strategically with every partner to understand the objectives and demands to deliver the best solution every time. With such a strong and high profile portfolio behind it, SSE’s Railway Services division is currently looking to increase its exposure and experience within the UK rail and transport industry to further cement its position as a leading contractor.

www.sseenterprise.co.uk

and build of new HV systems, shore supplies complete the offer. All applications are then fully supported by a 24hour emergency call-out service.

Such is the prominence and broad expertise of SSE Contracting within the UK industry that the company has been involved in many high profile projects across the country. One such example of this is the contracting division’s short notice management of the Westfield shopping centre group’s £1.2 billion development in London. Spanning five years, the project called upon SSE to replace another contractor at short notice and demanded an 8000 strong workforce spread over a project the size of 30 football pitches. The company was able to call upon its utilities service to provide 15km of cabling to deliver 11kV across 24 sub-stations plus a local gas network in around 12 months. On top of this SSE was able to deliver a fibre network, HV infrastructure, civil works all within safety, legal and compliance constraints.

Ultimately, it was able to complete the work on schedule, on budget and with zero safety incidents, thus exemplifying the level of professionalism and competence it is able to offer to any sector.

Other major contracts for SSE Enterprise include the Riverside Museum in Glasgow, the Millennium stadium and SSE Arena, the Met Office, SSE Hydro, the Bullring shopping centre and the London Aquatics Centre. In 2013, SSE Contracting was ranked second in the year’s top 50 electrical contractor report, which measures the

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DAMAR INTERNATIONAL

Supply and

demand Since its foundation in 1985, Damar International has developed its product portfolio and expertise to become a leading distributor of tooling solutions

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elebrating 30 years in operation, Damar International has grown from its humble beginnings as a supplier to the wire industries to become a renowned specialist supplier of quality hand tools, machinery and equipment for a diverse range of sectors. In fact, the company currently imports from over 30 countries and exports the products of more than 300 manufacturers to over 50 countries to ensure customer satisfaction to those in markets ranging from the wire and cable industry, construction, fencing, railway, sheet metal working, the automotive industry, woodwork, accident rescue services and the nuclear industry.

Keen to remain competitive, the company has significantly increased its product portfolio over the last decade, which has resulted in strong customer demand, as Brian Martin, Founder and Managing Director of Damar International states: “The last ten years have shown an ever increasing range of product additions and even more companies wanting to link with Damar International. We now number 300 suppliers and continue to expand with more innovative and advanced technological contacts all the time. “We operate as suppliers of tools, equipment and machinery to all sectors of industry; we are also known

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as a sourcing company for specialised and bespoke requirements. In more generalised terms, we act as a one-stop-shop to help customers in obtaining various products from one supplier. Because we supply into all of the industrial sectors, our client base covers all major companies in areas as diverse as construction, engineering, automotive, military, oil and gas, petrochemical, marine, power and energy. In addition, we also supply to traditional markets of wire and cable, fencing, gardening, woodworking and specialised products for health and safety,” he continues.

Based in Leicester, Damar International has earned a strong reputation thanks to its purpose built warehouse facility on its Clipper Road premises, where the company brings together its enviable product portfolio under one roof. It is here that the firm offers demonstrations of its bespoke machinery and workshop equipment, should this be required. Furthermore, 95 per cent of orders for main range tool kits are despatched the same day, which has boosted Damar International’s reputation for efficiency, reliability and service. “Our strength lies not only in the fact that we offer the best quality products, but also in the way we believe in the old fashioned approach of giving a personal service to the customers, which

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ensures they return to us again and again while also recommending us to others. Many of our contacts are coming from new companies who have been told to approach us for help,” says Brian.

Moreover, the company has gained recognition as the world’s leading supplier of hand tools and tool kits by stocking this equipment from all of the major global manufacturers and exporting these items to more than 50 countries. Elaborating further on the strong partnerships that Damar International has created over the years, Brian says: “With so many partners it is difficult to generalise as to the reasons we offer their particular products, other than to say it is because these items are the best solutions available when you are looking for quality and reliability. The width in ranges and capability of supply is what makes us unique, which is why so many manufacturers across the globe benefit from our extensive portfolio.”

DAMAR INTERNATIONAL Just a few of the key partners of Damar International include: Albatros, Allround, Arm Sangyo, Baudat, Berma, Betasonic, Carltsoe, Cemastir, Cincinnativr, Diamond, Draper, Egamaster, Felco, Femi, Flott, Gorilla, Greenlee, Halder, Hazet, H. K. Porter, Klann, Klauke, Knipex, Kongcrete, Krenn, Kukko, Leitenberger, Maun, Morse, Starrett MST, NES, O’Keefee’s-Royaltek, Orbis-Will, Pentosin, Petig, Prebana, Rhino Tool, Royaltek, Sam, Slide Sledge, Stahlwille, Stubai, Vale, Vigor, Vogel, Walter, Weber, Worx, Wright Tools.

By working only with leading players in each of their chosen markets, Damar International can deliver to the most stringent of industries, such as railway or oil and gas, in confidence. “The railway industry has particular needs that require a professional supply of many products, whether that may be maintenance tools, safety tools, a Hazet fold down trolley for under train pit servicing, Kukko bearing pullers or even Berma engraving equipment for marking the bogies. Not forgetting Rhino post drivers, Damar wire tools and Gripple fencing products for beside the track solutions,” highlights Brian. “Meanwhile, Slide Sledge, an award winning sledge hammer concept, offers special cotton pin removal tools and C Walter has a history of supplying Deutsche Bahn with special torque multipliers; this is just an indication as to the extent of Damar International’s capability to the railways.”

Although the company enjoys incredible demand on a global scale, it has chosen not to rest on its laurels and instead has embraced the opportunity to further expand its customer base with an even stronger web presence. Indeed, Damar International, under the twitter name @Damarint, offers returning and potential customers updates on products available on its eBay site, as well as breaking news within the company. To further reach its customers, Damar International also has a Facebook page.

Alongside its progression into social media, the company celebrated its 30 year anniversary with the launch of a brand new multi-website (www.damar.biz), a five-in-one site, which features an extensive package of information from the majority of its specialist supply

partners, as Brian notes: “Our new multi section website is the first phase of an ongoing development to expand the site; this will further help customers identify and find their requirements from the one source.”

With a new website in place and a major milestone passed, Damar International can look to the future with confidence as it continues to deliver top notch equipment to its diverse customer base, as Brian concludes: “Over the 30 years of trading we have been at the top end of the quality market as this ensures customer satisfaction. Meeting such demands is more difficult than selling cheap volume items as our target market is a professional and more discerning customer base; however, this also means our customers are the biggest and strongest companies around and those who value our long-term expertise.”

KUKKOWerkzeugfabrik KUKKO-Werkzeugfabrik is one of the world‘s leading producers of extractor tools, clamping and marking tools, made in Germany. From the very beginning, since 1919, KUKKO has specialised in developing and manufacturing extractor tools for the non-destructive dismounting of gears, bearings, ball bearings and similar components in all areas of technology.

This specialisation made KUKKO an esteemed partner of the retail trade and one of the top European system suppliers in the workshop area of the automotive and engineering industry.

www.damar.biz 65

FirstGroup

Industry first

As FirstGroup’s rail division focuses on delivering ambitious improvements for passengers, it looks to technology innovations to provide a better service to its customers

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ith 18 years history in the UK rail industry, FirstGroup plc is one of the UK’s largest and most experienced operators, carrying more than 280m passengers last year. Currently operators of the First Great Western and First TransPenine Express franchises, as well as successful open access operator First Hull Trains the company has its sights set on expanding its network even further, recently being shortlisted for the East Anglia franchise, due to start in October 2016 and with an application to the ORR for rights to offer a low fares, open access operation on the East Coast Mainline. “The rail franchising market is very competitive and the industry is going through a period

of change as expiring franchises come up for tender,” explains Head of Rail Information Systems at FirstGroup, Duncan Waugh. “Our aim within FirstGroup’s rail division is to deliver ambitious improvements for passengers on the franchises we operate, and in our bids for new franchises as well. To do this we need to not only do the basics very well but also be innovative to reduce costs and drive more value from our investment in technology.

We need to adapt to ensure we meet our staff and customer expectations that are continually evolving with the introduction of new technology.”

Technology plays a major role in FirstGroup’s continued drive to improve its customer experience through

innovation. This means managing the data collected from the railways in the most efficient way possible in order to provide the most up-to-date information to staff and customers, and developing effective response systems to provide an improved service. “The rail industry has a wealth of data available,” notes Duncan. “Traditionally this is held in different systems and is used for a specific purpose defined when that system was introduced, often limiting the usefulness of the data to the relevant process. With the advent of new data sources such as train location systems, technology deployed on new trains and digital channels such as the web for customers to connect with us, the amount of data available to the

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FirstGroup

MTU MTU is a core brand of Rolls Royce Power Systems and is a world-leading provider of high-speed diesel engines to the rail industry. MTU has a 90-year history in rail, and has been providing diesel traction solutions into UK rail for over 60 years.

First Great Western (FGW) operates 120 MTU powered Class 43 HST Power Cars maintained by MTU under a maintenance contract, which achieves engine availability in excess of 99.5 per cent. MTU has now commenced delivery of 130 700kW PowerPacks to Hitachi to power IEP bi-mode super express trains that will be put into service by FGW in 2018, with further PowerPacks to be delivered for the East Coast Mainline where service commences in 2019.

industry is growing exponentially.”

By collecting and merging this data together, analysts are able to develop a more detailed understanding of the market. “We have access to a rich resource of information, enabling navigation from summarised information down to transactional details, providing insight into exceptions and trends within the industry,” expresses Duncan. “Some examples of this are using detailed GPS train movement data gathered from our Driver Advisory Systems

alongside timetable data to analyse train headways at key junctions and using on-train passenger counts to assist with capacity planning. All aspects of data allow the relevant analysts and managers to make decisions that have a direct impact on improving either our customers experience or train performance.” To accompany this is a concerted effort to develop a more real-time data integration capability to provide front-line staff and customers with more meaningful and relevant information.

To ensure this innovation is developed in the best way possible, FirstGroup has partnered with systems integrators and information specialists IPL, with a five-year framework. “The rail industry generates a huge amount of

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FirstGroup

data and this is growing all the time,” highlights Duncan. “Therefore, the design and deployment of a platform that is robust and scalable is key if we are to adapt quickly. The aim of our collaboration with IPL is to develop our technology so we have a more consistent and accurate set of data and information available to us.

Our work to date has demonstrated how this platform helps us to understand our customers and their travel requirements better and to provide information that is more personalised to them via the channel that they want to receive it. For instance, it can provide information to staff and customers that relate to any disruption that may be taking place or assisting them when they are about to change their journey at an interchange.”

Commenting on the partnership, Andy Cox, Innovation and Solutions Director at IPL says: “We’re very excited to be working with FirstGroup on this opportunity to improve customer experience, before, during and after their rail journeys. In the partnership we’ll be looking to use technology in innovative ways that make best use of the wealth of information FirstGroup holds about its customers and operations. We’ll also be combining it with other sources, to provide insights that improve operational efficiency

and customer engagement.

Moreover, we’ll be drawing on our experience in other sectors where customer care is as important as it is in rail, to bring best practice from areas such as aviation and financial services to benefit FirstGroup, its staff and its customers.”

This focus on providing more accurate information to its staff and customers very much defines the near future for FirstGroup’s rail division, as it looks to develop staff mobile apps and free Wi-Fi in trains and stations for customers. Aside from this Duncan explains: “We will be concentrating on our commitments under the First Great Western extension that includes preparing for the arrival of the new Super Express Train (SET). For the SET arrival we are working with Hitachi to identify and improve the data sharing between the train and back office systems to enable more accurate information on the train be made available in real-time to engineers.

“Our vision is to continually improve the customer experience and we will exploit technology to achieve this.

We will develop the platforms we have already built to take data, in real-time and from a multitude of sources, that includes from our staff and customers, and then turn this into useful information that can be made relevant to the end user. Ultimately, our strategy is to continually improve the quality of data we have and turn ourselves into a more information rich organisation.”

Below Andy Cox, Innovation and Solutions Director at IPL

www.firstgroupplc.com 71

Laborex

A complete With a major contract behind it in its home market, Laborex is riding a wave of success, as it looks further afield for future opportunities

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ounded in 1960, Laborex has established itself as a strong player in Western Europe for industrial cleaning solutions. The company is part of the LW Group, a trio of complementary companies that also includes Ctec, a water-based, cleaning chemicals producer, and FE+, a sheet metal manufacturer. “FE+ was set up to supply the sheet metal needed by Laborex to produce the cleaning machines, now 85 per cent of all FE+’s sales come from other companies,” explains

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Owner, Luc Kuysters. “Likewise, Ctec was set up to produce cleaning detergents so that we could offer a machine, a detergent and a complete process that works for the customer.”

As for Laborex’s products, the company manufactures into three streams: industrial cleaning equipment for an unlimited range of new components; maintenance equipment, which has particular importance for the rail industry; and sandblasting cabinets. Major established

What sets Laborex apart from the market is its ability to serve customers in a complete and tailored fashion.

“We do everything in house,” highlights Luc. “We do our own mechanical and electrical engineering, and even write our own programmes for the machines. This makes us very flexible to meet the special demands we get from customers, and we can manufacture almost everything we need on-site. Enhancing this, as a cleaning equipment manufacturer, is the fact that we have created this marriage between machinery and cleaning chemicals, which is really important to deliver to the customers.”

Highlighting Laborex’s competence at producing bespoke and specialist solutions to meet customer demands is a wastewater system it has developed over the last decade. Having delivered a number of cleaning machines to Belgian Railways across its history, the operator approached Laborex in 2002 to tender for a new wastewater system. “At this point we didn’t have the experience or knowledge to do this, but because Belgian Railways knew what we were capable of, they worked closely with us to help develop a particular solution. We then tendered for and won a number of small projects over the following years,” says Luc. “Normally, a typical wastewater system will only take the wastewater away and sometimes rinse the reservoir.

However, our system, which has a number of patented aspects to it, not only does this but also provides vacuum facilities for internal maintenance, soap water for cleaning, compressed air for small maintenance repairs,

markets for Laborex exist in Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, France and Germany, but its major focus at present is on the developing markets in the Middle East where infrastructure investments represent significant opportunities for the company’s products. Commenting generally on the current market conditions, Luc is positive: “So far 2015 is our best year since the beginning of the economic crisis, and there are signs in Belgium that suggest we may be emerging from the challenging period.”

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Laborex

Pneuvano The component company with added value Added value stands for a series of top brands with an impressive assortment of industrial automation components for all your pneumatics, fluid control, vacuum technology and robot applications. Thanks to our 38 years of in-depth experience, we have made the most optimal selection of standard components for you, directly available from our warehouse stock and instantly delivered to you at competitive prices. Customised solutions and fast made-to-order cylinder service at our own workshop complete Pneuvano’s service offering.

and an electrical point. This means that general, regular maintenance processes can be carried out in one stop, as opposed to the train having to move to new sites for different applications. To deliver this system we have developed both a fixed and mobile solution.”

The company’s big break came in 2012, when it won a major eight-year contract with Belgian Railways to equip 35 stations around the country with these maintenance platforms. Worth 50 million euros, the contract means a 50 per cent increase in turnover and an additional 30 staff have been brought onboard to cope with the demand. Even more significant is that the contract has provided Laborex with an opportunity to expand its footprint out into developing markets. “The project allows us to improve the system continuously by developing and testing new prototypes,” expresses Luc. “Now that we have 10-12 systems already in place, it means we can go to markets like the Middle East with references and demonstrations.”

At the end of 2014, Laborex began its campaign to market and promote itself in the Middle East. Earlier this year the company participated in exhibitions in Istanbul and Dubai to introduce the wastewater systems to the emerging markets and establish distribution partners.

“These have been very positive and we have already set up some partnerships in Turkey, Oman and Saudi Arabia, as well as in Russia, Kazakhstan, Romania and Italy,” notes Luc. “We will also be attending a fair in Abu Dhabi in October.

“What makes these markets so significant at the moment is the amount of investment that is currently going on into infrastructure. A lot of projects are still yet to start into developing high-speed train networks for example, this means we are entering the markets just in time and things are looking positive,” he continues.

Elsewhere Luc sees opportunities further afield in India, where recent announcements could indicate a renewed investment programme into infrastructure. “Metro also interests us,” he points out. “So with everything in place in terms of in-house equipment and capabilities, this will be our focus for the next 12 months.” As for the longerterm future Laborex is looking to take full advantage of

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its current success. “We are going to be really pushing to make our partner network stronger throughout the world,” concludes Luc. With a strong product offering behind it and a well-regarded reputation in its current markets, the company is well placed to begin entering new markets where opportunities appear to be in abundance.

www.laborex.be

Millers Oils

Driving

With a long history behind it, Millers Oils is leading the way in developing low friction and highly efficient lubricants, and can offer some significant savings to the locomotive industry

Martyn Mann, Technical Director at Millers Oils

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illers Oils started out life in 1887 as a Yorkshire-based producer of lubricants for the growing local textile industry. As the textile mills developed throughout the industrial revolution and moved to steam power, so too did Millers, which began to provide lubricants for the steam engines. Today, the company is still owned by the Miller family and the company manufactures lubricants for most engineering sectors across the globe. “Our product groups are split into three sectors: industrial, commercial vehicle and automotive,� explains Martyn Mann, Technical Director at Millers Oils. Industrial, which includes everything from food grade to fire resistant oils counts

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for about half of the business whilst commercial vehicles, such as trucks and off-road vehicles, and automotive: passenger, motorsport and classic, both count for a quarter each.

“One of our key strengths is that we are independent,” highlights Martyn. “We are therefore free to buy refined base oil stock from wherever we want, whilst many competitors are often subsidiaries of larger oil companies. This is the same for the chemical additives.

Therefore, we can source the best packages for what we want to achieve and we have a great deal of flexibility in this respect.”

Where Millers Oils is really setting itself apart from its competitors is in its absolute focus on delivering improved efficiency to the market with its research into low friction lubricants. “All the big auto manufacturers are chasing lower levels of CO2 and better MPG, and everybody is becoming more and more conscious of operating costs,” outlines Martyn. “For example, for a commercial vehicle fleet about 30 per cent of the operating costs are fuel, whereas the lubricants may only be one or two per cent. So if you can make even a two per cent saving on fuel it has a big impact. Therefore we are developing additive technology from research and development investment to make lower friction lubricants, which are much more energy efficient. If you

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can improve the combustion process with an additive this will also contribute to better economy.”

As with most engine technologies in the automotive sector the developments began in motorsport where the company’s products were providing a three to six per cent improvement in power, and it has since fed down into other sectors with new developments. “Innovation is absolutely critical,” expresses Martyn. “If you’re not innovating then you’re moving backwards.” With two recent innovation awards under its belt from the motorsport sectors, Millers Oils has become known as the ‘masters of low friction’. “This is a key differentiator for us as it appears that our competitors aren’t addressing it to the same level as we are,” he continues. “Instead they’re looking at thinner oils to achieve similar things, but

Millers Oils

this can have an impact on long-term durability.”

For the rail industry, Millers Oils is currently in the process of trialling a recent development to suit the locomotive diesel engine systems. Evolving from early diesel engine applications in the automotive market, Millers’ additive uses innovative chemistry to deliver a two-pronged advantage package to the engine. “Many large diesel commercial and rail engines include a certain amount of biofuel which can affect the fuel injectors, so we have developed the additive to have an element of detergency to keep them clean. The other problem with biofuel is that it attracts a lot of moisture, which can cause bacteria infestations and blockages in the fuel systems. Therefore, we have incorporated a fuel biocide that can be added and keeps the fuel systems sterile,” explains Martyn.

In addition to this, the additive also provides cetane to the fuel, which allows the engine to run quieter, start easier and is more refined. Martyn adds: “This also adds energy to the fuel, so you can expect to see an improvement in consumption. We generally see around two to 2.25 per cent improvement in economy. This was recently applied to a commercial fleet of 22 engines and the operator cut about 43 tonnes of carbon from his footprint just from fuel reduction. The advantages engineered into the additive are purely for better economy and efficiency. If people don’t see a saving then they don’t buy it, but if you can save two per cent it will more than cover the cost of the additive. As a 1000:1 dilution it is very economical to use.”

Whilst the locomotive trial is in its early days with a rolling stock maintenance company, evidence from other sectors suggests that the additive will provide a saving. “I’m not a betting man, but I am confident that we will see improvements upwards of two per cent,” notes Martyn. This focus on efficiency is central to Millers Oils forward outlook and the company has a number of key developments ongoing to serve all its markets. For example, the company is currently working on a zinc free lubricant specifically designed for a locomotive crankcase, and Martyn is confident that future developments in other drive train oils will help deliver more efficiencies.

It is this unrivalled drive to deliver improved fuel

economy and engine efficiency into the market that really sets Millers Oils apart and that will secure its future.

“Over the next 12 months we will be focusing on more of the same in the UK with a big push on exports,” he concludes. “Currently we export about 13 per cent of our production to all four corners of the earth, and this is set to increase significantly.”

www.millersoils.co.uk

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TBM Rail

A neat

presentation As train operators look to improve their NPS scores, interior train conditions pose a constant issue to customer dissatisfaction but TBM Rail is here to help

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BM Rail was established in 2009 and over the few years since has begun to prove its worth within the UK rail industry. With years of experience and knowledge in the industry behind them, owners Neil Smith and Andrew Hawker are focused on delivering a complete solutions package to help optimise and improve the interior conditions of the UK rail fleet.

Split into two sections the company offers a toilet and tank maintenance service, as well as a focus on general interior and technology. With a number of contracts under its belt, the company now looks to spread the word and demonstrate to UK train operators how it can

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help them enhance their service and positively impact their NPS scores.

“It became very apparent that there was a distinct lack of support for the toilet side of rail,” begins Neil. “This gap that we saw was that companies were letting toilets fail and nobody was offering to fix it. So spotting this opportunity in 2010 we moved to a new 3500 square foot site in Crewe set up as a toilet and tank overhaul and seat refurbishment facility.” For TBM the biggest growth in the business has been in the toilet tank segment, which they found in many cases were never being serviced, causing waste to solidify and hinder the performance of the toilets thus creating more and more issues. “Our first major contract was on the Virgin Pendolino fleet for Alstom,” outlines Neil. “We sent a team every Sunday to remove all the toilet tanks, we overhauled them in five days and returned them. This has really picked up as we are

currently working on a number of fleet tanks for Alstom, Wabtech, KB Rail, Bombardier and Arriva TrainCare.

“When we showed at this year’s Railtec the MD of CrossCountry trains came to the stand and expressed his delight that they have never had any toilet issues since we have been doing their tanks. So we are starting to prove how effective our service is. When you look at the NPS scores, one of the biggest issues is with the amount of toilets being out of service on the trains and the NPS is a big part of companies winning new franchises. Passenger comfort is our bag and we want to help TOCs to improve the interior conditions of the trains to meet customer expectations. With the NPS being so important to franchise bids, if companies build this into their bid then it will be in their budget going forward.”

The other side of the business is concerned with the general interiors, particularly around the cleaning of seat covers. “Last year I won a seat refurbishment job from Arriva TrainCare, so invested in an industrial dry cleaning machine,” highlights Neil, who goes onto explain that nobody was cleaning the seats regularly and current methods of steam cleaning did not eradicate dirt. “This contract is running until 2017 and involves us bringing the seats back to the site, stripping them down, inspecting and replacing the foam or parts if necessary, dry cleaning the covers and refitting them.” TBM has also recently secured a contract with Bombardier for a similar service.

Alongside this, TBM Rail is also focused on improving the conditions of washrooms in rolling stock and is currently in the process of replacing every single washbasin on the Virgin Pendolino fleet with one-piece sinks. As well as this, it has also introduced to market the first rail approved hand dryer, in partnership with manufacturer Franke Sissons. On the technology side, Neil is keen to display a new USB charging point that has been developed to fit rail applications and is currently being trialled on a single carriage for Hull trains.

“We are a solutions provider,” outlines Neil. “We look at an issue and ask why it occurred and figure out how to prevent it from occurring again, as opposed to just fixing it. We are also keen to use our knowledge of the UK rail industry’s regulation and operations to bring new technologies into the market. For any company in the UK and Europe without this knowledge it can be incredibly difficult to know who operates what and what

approvals are needed, so we offer this service.” Over the coming months Neil also hopes to be trialling a new LED mood lighting product in a first class carriage for a South African supplier.

The next year for TBM Rail is going to be very much focused on continuing its growth and to increase industry awareness of its services. “I would love to get a TOC on board as well to establish a team of people to go through the trains every few months and replace the covers on a regular basis. This will ensure constantly clean seats, with improved hygiene and overall presentation,” says Neil.

“Ultimately, we want to become the first choice for people who have any issues.”

With a growing team and an apprenticeship scheme on board, the future for TBM Rail looks positive as it begins to fill a void in the UK rail industry. “We’re here to help and offer a good service,” concludes Neil. “We just need to make people aware of what we are doing and what we can do. We have the determination to make the passengers’ travelling experience a lot better, and we can guarantee that we can achieve this by working closely with the TOCs.”

www.tbmrail.com

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NEWS I Conferences & Exhibitions

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.

17 September UK Rail Industry Forum 2015 Where: Stephenson Harwood, London Organiser: Waterfront Tel: 0207 067 159 Email: conference@thewaterfront.co.uk Web: www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com/ conferences/rail/events

12-13 November Rail Review, Rail Ticketing, Rail Customer and Rail IT Where: Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel, Brussels Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: 0207 092 1210 Email: tayyab.abbasi@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com

8-9 March 2016 Middle East Rail Where: Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: +971 4440 2501 Email: jamie.hosie@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/merail

22-23 September Control Command and Railway Communication Conference 2015 Where: Lille Grand Palais, France Organiser: European Railway Agency Email: CCRCC@era.europa.eu Web: www.era.europa.eu/conferences/ CCRCC-2015

17-19 November RailTech Conference Enhancing capacity by removing bottlenecks in rail Where: UIC HQ, Paris Organiser: Europoint Email: christie.de.vrij@railtech.com Web: www.railtech.com/en/conferences/paris-conference

22-23 March 2016 Asia Pacific Rail Where: Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: +65 6322 2702 Email: kym.chua@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/ asia-pacific-rail

28-30 September European Transport Conference 2015 Where: Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany Organiser: Association for European Transport Email: sally.scarlett@aetransport.org Web: etcproceedings.org 20-21 October Commercial UAV Show How UAVs are saving money and time in the rail industry Where: ExCeL, London Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: 02070 921 245 Email: paul.gilbertson@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/the-commercialuav-show

19-20 November Annual Polis Conference 2015 Innovation in transport for sustainable cities and regions Where: The Egg, Brussels Organiser: Polis Tel: +32 2 500 56 70 Email: polis@polisnetwork.eu Web: www.polisnetwork.eu/2015conference 1-3 March 2016 IT-TRANS: IT Solutions for Public Transport Where: Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre, Germany Organiser: UITP and KMK Email: jochen.georg@messe-karlsruhe.de Web: www.it-trans.org/

12-14 April 2016 Infrarail 2016 Where: ExCeL, London Organiser: Mack Brooks Exhibitions Tel: 01727 814 400 Email: kirsten.whitehouse@mackbrooks.co.uk Web: www.infrarail.com 19-20 April 2016 MetroRail Where: Business Design Centre, London Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: 0207 092 1257 Email: issa.mauthoor@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/conference/metrorail

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) 6 October 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

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14 October Fleet maintenance - Advanced Understand the issues affecting rail vehicle performance and cost of maintenance

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

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

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

23-27 November Introduction to railway signalling technologies An overview of railway control systems, subsystems and technologies used on UK main line and metro railways

8 October Train communication and auxiliary systems New and existing systems in use on today’s rolling stock flee

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

Brochure is available at: www.imeche.org/docs/ default-source/learning-and-professionaldevelopment-documents/l-d-railway-trainingbrochure-2015_web

13 October Fleet Maintenance - Introduction Improve your processes and fleet maintenance processes

21 October Vehicle acceptance and approvals Introduction to acceptance procedures which apply across the rail network

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

Morris Line Engineering

Down to

earth

Electrical switchgear manufacturer Morris Line Engineering continues to deliver quality products and services to a demanding market both at home and abroad

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ith nearly 40 years experience manufacturing and supplying high voltage disconnectors and switches to the rail and electric industry, Morris Line Engineering (MLE) has carved a leading position for itself within the market. Last featured in Railway Strategies back in August 2014, Sales Director Nigel Jones talked about the considerable growth in demand and manufacturing capacity within the market and the expansion into the Middle East.

Approaching a year later and the story is much the same: growth has continued to rise, new products have been developed in response to demands and the company’s facilities have expanded in a clear sign that it is confident about the future.

MLE is very committed to its roots as a UK manufacturer based in the UK and Nigel expresses that this is central

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to the way the company does business. “If there is any requirement for something then we can be easily reached by the client,” he highlights. “We can design quickly with our in-house team and if something needs testing we can take it to Europe and back to do so in time. The fact that the product is manufactured in the UK also means that the customer gets a lot of support from us if something needs changing or if it needs to be serviced, and we can respond to these demands very quickly. Sometimes contractors have issues with installation, for example, so we have people that can get straight out to site and advise on that. We have also completed training with a few of our contractors and Network Rail on the maintenance and installation of our products.”

Most significantly of note over the last 12 months is the new development of the 1250 amp switch into a full load break switch. “This is currently available to supply to Network Rail who gave us a specification at the end of last year asking us to develop a load break option,” explains Nigel. “We have now fully developed the product and it has completed testing to meet their specifications and demands.”

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Commenting on the market conditions Nigel reflects positively: “Currently, the market is very good for us,” he says. “Ongoing electrification programmes mean that we are still supplying into some major projects. However, we are also trying to cut lead times as much as we can as Network Rail and the NSC (National Supply Chain) are implementing just-in-time. This is our main challenge at the moment. With the business growing as it is we have to implement procedures internally to meet these needs. Of course, we could manufacture more stock, but it would then cost us to hold it, meaning that we would have to increase our prices to our customers, so we have had to introduce new methods to improve our lead times for Network Rail.”

Morris Line Engineering

At present MLE is involved in a number of projects around the country such as the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), the Cumbernauld Electrification Project where the company installed its first Fixed Earthing Devices (FED) and the First Great Western

improvements. However, Nigel points out that as the company supplies directly to contractors, MLE products are being used in a number of contracts that they don’t know the specifics of. Business in the Middle East has also continued to prove to be a positive move by MLE to

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Morris Line Engineering

supply the growing infrastructure projects throughout the region. “We have been awarded a three-year contract by one of the largest electricity supply companies in the Middle East to supply equipment from 13.8kV to 36kV from three different ranges of our equipment. This is quite significant for us as it is a high value contract that allows us to collaboratively develop their safety equipment for their existing lines.”

The company’s UAE assembly plant, based not far from Dubai, is also proving to be a good investment by the company as it allows MLE to effectively manage its costs when doing business in the region. “We manufacture all the equipment in the UK in kit form to be sent out to the UAE in large loads, which can then assembled locally,” explains Nigel. “To get a UK assembled unit out to customers in the region is much more expensive so this strategy has helped us develop our customer base in the Gulf area.”

Innovation remains a key part of MLE’s operations as the rail industry in the UK continues to demand everchanging safety and power applications. The FED, a safety switch for earthing overhead lines at fixed points along the line to replace the use of portable earthing devices, and full load break vacuum bottle disconnector have been major developments of recent years. The company has also been asked by Network Rail to develop a smaller footprint for its 1250 amp three-position switch. “This involves using the same product accepted and approved components to create a vertical break switch that takes up a smaller footprint but that can be developed quickly,” comments Nigel.

It is clear that MLE is experiencing considerable growth as it continues to serve a busy and demanding market.

Since the last feature it has extended its facilities by a third to accommodate the production and storage of new products. As well as this, it has added a new dedicated mechanism department to serve the motor mechanism needs of Network Rail, and acquired additional space to allow for further growth in the future. Strategically, the future for MLE is all about continuing to do what

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has made it so successful so far: working closely with Network Rail and other customers to meet their demands in the development, manufacture and supply of leading edge products.

www.morrisline.co.uk

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

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Editor Gay Sutton

editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk Sales Manager Joe Woolsgrove

jwoolsgrove@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

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