Rail Engineer - Issue 130 - August 2015

Engineerby rail engineers for rail engineers

www.railengineer.uk

AUGUST 2015 - ISSUE 130

WINCHBURGH BLOCKADEPart of EGIP Electrification, track lowering up to 200 mm and the installation of slab track.

EASING THE FLOWStafford Area Improvement Programme, removing the last major bottleneck on the WCML at Norton Bridge.

BIGGEST EVER CHALLENGEDavid Shirres reports on the 4th annual IMechE Railway Challenge as Universities compete with Industry.

What you seeis NOT necessarily what you get

@StobartRailLtd

Craig Jones Project Manager e. [email protected]

Andrew Sumner Business Development and Stakeholder Managere. [email protected]

Dave Richardson Plant Managere. [email protected]

Gary Newton Contracts and Estimating Managere. [email protected]

StobartRailHeadOfficet. 01228 882 300

Douglas Craig Project Managere. [email protected]

stobartrail.com

MEADOW BANK, EDINBURGH

This project was known as the Powderhall Branch Re-ballasting Scheme. Utilising the Ballast Under Cutter, Stobart Rail reballasted over 460 metres of the single line to a depth of 300mm beneath the sleeper bottom. In addition, and running concurrently with the under cutter, our team completed a 1 in 3 sleeper change.

Stobart Rails Ballast Under Cutters, and the processes in which they are used, have been developed and improved so that spent ballast can be removed to give a level formation or with cross fall, if required and then replenished, without the need to break the track.

The machines, their operators and a team of highly qualifiedoperatorscanefficientlyremoveballastfromunderneath plain line, single line, switches and/or crossings. This includes those with third and fourth rails.

TheBallastUnderCutteralsooffersopportunitiesfortracklowering, wet beds, removal of contaminated ballast and applying cross fail to the formation to improve drainage.

Project overviewNetwork Rail selected Stobart Rail as the contractor to deliver the re-ballasting scheme at four sites; MarionvilleRoad,LochendPark,ButterflyWayandAlbion Road.

The project delivery strategy was developed utilising in-house expertise, including resources and innovative plant such as the Ballast Under Cutter and Liebherr, ensuring value engineering delivery throughout each site.

The work was completed during midweek day possessions, over a three week period.

This project was successfully completed, with its objectives delivered safely, within budget and exceeding the expectations of Network Rail.

Douglas Craig, Network Rail Project Manager:

I was impressed with Stobart Rails commitment to this project, including attendance at initial site meetings to review our requirements and to talk through potential solutions. The site preparation was fantastic, establishing a site compound including welfare facilities and storing materials/small plant securelylineside.Allstaffonsitewerededicatedto the job. Craig Jones was excellent to deal with throughouttheproject.Wearelookingatotherpotential sites to use the Ballast Under Cutter.

Our Key Project Achievements:

466 metres of re-ballasting

Project delivered within budget

No reportable safety incidents occurred throughout the entire project

In excess of 2,000 tonnes of new ballast installed.

News 6Rochdale, Wallasea, LOTRAIN.

What You See Is NOT Necessarily What You Get 12Grahame Taylor finds hidden chambers inside Moulsford Viaduct.

Lichfields Ancient Industrial Access Road 18Rebuilding the bridge that takes Ryknild Street over the WCML.

Winchburghs 44-day Blockade 32David Shirres on a complete closure of the Edinburgh-Glasgow line.

Asset Manager: Developing A Data Driven Railway 38Collin Carr defines ORBIS, PLPR, SCADA and LADS.

Easing The Flow 42Stuart Marsh visits the Stafford Area Improvements Programme.

Applying Logic To Level Crossings 50Paul Darlington investigates Obstacle Detection.

Red Light Cameras 56Catching offenders who misuse level crossings on camera.

Lengthy Barrier Repairs 60Lifting a 9.1 metre long level-crossing barrier can be wearing.

Innovation: Opening The Gates 66Unlocking Innovation with Clive Kessell.

Repairing RCF 72Chris Parker attended the IoRWs 2015 Technical Seminar.

Photo Competition Up and Running 78A look at some of the early entries attempting to win a Smartphone.

KAZAM Tornado 350 80Susie ONeill reviews the photo competition prize.

See more at www.railengineer.uk

Contents

Were looking to highlight the latest projects and innovations in

Track & Drainage Rolling Stock / Depots in the October issue of Rail Engineer.

Got a fantastic innovation? Working on a great project? Call Nigel on 01530 816 445 NOW!

22

26

46

Access All AreasNormal inspection techniques cannot be used in many cases on the network's bridges and tunnels.

Biggest ever challengeThe annual Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Railway Challenge at Stapleford Miniature Railway.

Developments in Auckland

Fine upstanding member

62

Rail Engineer August 2015 3

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0077 Edrich Rail Sector Ad.indd 1 17/02/2015 09:21

We feature bridges and tunnels along with level crossings this month - coincidentally, all ways of crossing a railway. Just to the south of Lichfield there is a bridge under construction that will serve a new industrial estate. It replaces a narrow structure on a minor road that petered out in a field. But many centuries ago this had been a major highway.

Our piece on the Moulsford viaduct, a structure built by Brunel and widened and imitated by the late Victorians, illustrates to non-structural engineers that its never wise to assume anything about how a brick or masonry structure is constructed. Many of these structures were built using techniques learnt over the centuries that were intended to reduce weight, materials and, of course, cost. Moulsford is not solid. Its full of voids and inspecting them properly is the sort of work detailed by Graeme Bickerdike in his review of inspection techniques. From the ordinary to the exotic, all railway structures have to be inspected and maintained. Graeme has been to see how its done.

Collin Carr has looked in depth at developments in Network Rails management of all their assets. And its the all that is most significant. Pulling together information, much of it in real time, gives engineers the ability to make both strategic and current decisions based on accurate and remote information sources. This is bold systems integration.

OK, weve looked at the Norton bridge diversion works before, but more in the planning and the setting out stages. Stuart Marsh went to see the project with the major works really underway. Bridges, road diversions, cut, fill and even track being laid. Well soon be reporting on its completion and commissioning - a major landmark in the upgrading of the WCML.

As electrification spreads, it encounters the obstacles that have always got in the way - the tunnels. In Scotland, David Shirres tells us what has been necessary to electrify through Winchburgh tunnel, just east of Linlithgow on the route out of Edinburgh Waverley. The works are, in a word, extensive. And this means the closure of the route for some 44 days while the whole structure has been excavated and a new slab track installed.

Chris Parker takes a look at the near-antipodean equivalent to Thameslink which is under way on Auckland. There arent many people in New Zealand and most of them seem to be in the capital, which is bursting at the seams. Thameslink doesnt have to worry about many level crossings. Fancy being a motorist being held for forty minutes out of an hour behind barriers?

Paul Darlington has been looking at how PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) are changing the way that level crossings operate. And its not just PLCs.

OD (obstacle detection), a form of RADAR, can bring additional safety to crossings that would otherwise need human surveillance. Equipment tests have been intriguing, involving an off-site level crossing. No railway, no trains, just the crossing equipment.

This was exactly the approach adopted by Howells Railway Products in their joint investigation with Network Rail into level crossing power pack performance. Its all part of a realisation that railway equipment doesnt always have to be installed on a railway for it to undergo, at least, initial testing. Setting up in a car park can rattle out plenty of bugs before any need to go near an expensive and hazardous railway. Its called innovation.

In the sometimes staid environment of the railway industry it must come as a shock to be told to present your new idea to an audience in just two minutes. Its known as an Elevator Pitch. Clive Kessell went to the Railway Industry Associations 15th Innovation workshop and saw 17 poor souls go through this modern form of torture. But, with so many entries it does show that innovation on the railway is alive and well. As always though, having the ideas is the easy bit...

The aim of the IoRWs (Institute of Rail Welding) 2015 Technical Seminar was to keep the industry informed of all the latest welding developments. Chris Parker went along to this, the 24th annual session. After so many years, what developments are left to be discovered? Quite a few, by all accounts. There are new methods of detecting cracks, head wash repairs, better ways of igniting portions, and many more.

Make no mistake, the competitors in the annual Institution of Mechanical Engineers Railway Challenge have to work very hard. They dont just have to build a working 10 gauge locomotive. They have to build something that satisfies some pretty strict rules and something that survives unforgiving test conditions. David Shirres has been off to see them perform and to witness the triumphs and the catastrophes. But all strength to them. Testing and commissioning prototypes is never a picnic!

And dont forget theres still time to send in your photos to our photography competition. The prize is a Tornado 350 smartphone that our own Susie ONeill reviews for us this month in her debut article for Rail Engineer. Welcome Susie!

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GRAHAME TAYLOR

Lichfield.


NEWS

New station gateway opens

been fenced off and reclaimed by nature.

Its reopening complements both the Northern Hub scheme, which involves an additional platform being constructed at Rochdale, and the local councils masterplan for the station gateway area, enhancing accessibility for rail and Metrolink users with wider physical improvements.

Many heritage features of the

original underpass have been retained and restored, notably the iron bridge spans, stonework and tiling. The railings and lamp fittings have been chosen to fit sympathetically with their surroundings. A York stone floor has also been installed, together with a new drainage system.

The renovation has been funded by Transport for Greater Manchester, Rochdale Borough Council and Network Rail.

A glaze-tiled underpass that runs beneath a disused part of Rochdale Station has been returned to service after a 36-year descent into dilapidation. It provides users of the new park and ride facility on Hare Street, on the stations south side, with an easy access route either to the main-line platforms or nearby Metrolink tram stop.

The 40-yard passageway welcomed its first passengers in April 1889 when the towns station was moved to its existing site and enlarged, enabling the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway to deal with increasing passenger

numbers. King George V and Queen Mary visited in 1913. But traffic began to dwindle in the Sixties and its six platforms were reduced to three in 1979, prompting closure of the underpass. Since then it has

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these areas with new sea-walls. The first phase of the project was completed recently when the new sea walls of Cell 1 were successfully breached to allow for tidal flow into the marshland.

Four hundred years ago there were 30,000 hectares of intertidal saltmarsh along the Essex coast. Now there are just 2,500 hectares. Intertidal saltmarsh is a crucial wildlife habitat for a wide variety of

plants, invertebrates and birds, and acts as an effective sea defence for local communities.

By 2025, the RSPBs Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project plans to have created 148 hectares of mudflats, 192 hectares of saltmarsh, and 76 acres of shallow saline lagoons. Around eight miles of coastal walks and cycle routes will allow people to get closer to the islands spectacular wildlife.

Crossrails island becoming marshland

As the tunnelling phase of Crossrail draws to an end, a novel construction project using the tunnel spoil is also reaching fruition.The Wallasea Island Wild Coast

project, located eight miles north of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, aims to transform 670 hectares of farmland, an area about 2.5 times the size of the City of London, back into the coastal marshland it once

was some 400 years ago.Over three million tonnes of

excavated material from Crossrail, has been used to raise part of the island by an average of 1.5 metres, creating lagoons and other wildlife-friendly features and protecting

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NEWS

Transport for London has placed a contract for 45 new four-car trains for London Overground.

The LOTRAIN project aims to increase passenger capacity and reduce travel times on key Overground routes.

The new trains represent the first order for Bombardiers new

Aventra platform other than the 65 nine-car sets already on order for Crossrail. However, the new London Overground trains are not only shorter but also differ in detail from those for Crossrail. Each car will

be 20 metres long as opposed to Crossrails 22-23, and the interiors will be arranged differently. Once again maintenance is part of the package.

31 of the four-car trains will go into operation on West Anglia routes from London Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford, and between

Romford and Upminster. The remaining 14 four-car trains will enter service on current London Overground routes which include Gospel Oak to Barking, due to be electrified by 2017, and Euston to Watford. The new trains are expected to enter into passenger service between December 2017 and October 2018.

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GRAHAME TAYLOR


What you seeis NOT necessarily what you get


It must have been a fairly straightforward remit. Nothing to trouble late-Victorian engineers. A river crossing. Not that wide. Not too high above the water either. What would be the natural solution for the 1890s? Drop a couple of cast iron caissons near the bank sides and lift in a whacking great warren truss girder bridge. Sounds like a simple job. Just like so many others being built all over the world at that time.

But there was a snag. This was a widening scheme. And the new bridge was to be built parallel to an existing structure. Again, this should not have been a problem. Widenings around this period were common. The railways were expanding. Extra tracks were needed.

Spot the differenceBut there really was a snag - at

least in some quarters of opinion. The existing bridge had been built by Brunel. And even as the nineteenth century was closing there were those who were still in awe of the great engineer and the traditions that had been built around him. Despite much grinding of teeth, the directors of the Great Western Railway chose to build a replica brick and masonry structure alongside in homage to the great man. The second Moulsford viaduct over the Thames near Maidenhead was to be built as a carbon copy of the original structure.

Except that it wasnt. Well, not an exact copy but enough to keep everyone happy.

The general configuration was the same. The materials were similar except that there wasnt the same use of fancy stonework. When the bridge was opened in 1892, the engineers had kept their part of the bargain and life went on regardless.

But there were several other significant differences hidden away that would only come to light well over a century later.

For those who are unfamiliar with the building techniques of brick or masonry structures it may come as a surprise that what you see is not necessarily what you get. There is a similarity to the acronym wysiwyg (what you see is what you get) which surfaced in the early days

of computers. But it doesnt apply here! What you see with a structure like Moulsford is an apparently solid structure.

There are no obvious holes anywhere. But, just as in the tradition of medieval cathedral building techniques, many bridges and viaducts are not solid. They are, in fact, full of holes. Not holes exactly, but voids and vaults, intentionally constructed with the primary purpose of saving materials, weight.. and money.

In abutments, for example, some of the voids were backfilled with loose rubble or have gradually filled up over the generations with stuff that has washed down from above.

Isambard, are you in there?

Hidden voids are accessed from the spandrels.



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Getting insideIn Moulsford viaduct, the chambers

were generally full of fresh(ish) air, were known about, were accessible and were examined as part of the formal inspection regime.

But up to now there has been a problem. Access to the chambers has been via small manholes that are located in the six foot. So, to carry out an inspection, either planned or for an emergency, both tracks on the viaduct have had to be blocked.

With increasing traffic, this has become untenable.

Whilst emergency inspections are rare, it is the nature of a structure that is over 150 years old that bits can fall off or become dislodged. This applies to internal parts of the structure just as it does to the facework. The tracks are supported on thick stone slabs that in turn are supported by diaphragm walls. If there is a problem with the track, then there is a need to check whether the fault has a link with any deterioration below.

So, there was a need to access the voids another way - a way that did not involve taking possession of the tracks.

An obvious way would be to knock a hole (form an opening) in a spandrel and link up all the voids. That would be reasonably straightforward, but at this point Network Rail had the same dilemma that their Victorian forebears faced. How can you possibly deface a Brunel structure? Well, there was a way, subject to all sorts of planning hoops, and it involved getting into the structure from the side generally hidden from view - the elevation that was between the old and new structures.

Network Rail working with their designer Arup started work on the

project and, as Andy Crowley, Amcos senior contracts manager, described: An opening was formed into the chambers from the outside and we were able to move between the honeycomb of voids through pre-existing arched openings.

There wasnt a great deal of room, but at least the whole structure could be examined without any interference to rail traffic above.

Access to the openings is now via purpose-made gantries hidden from view, designed and supplied by Dura Composites.

Similar, but differentThe project also involved a similar

exercise with the parallel new structure. It too had voids and these too were accessed via manholes between the tracks.

Apart from the generally cosmetic differences between the structures it was assumed that they were otherwise structurally similar.

But, came the time to knock the hole (form an opening) in the spandrel into a void, what was discovered? Brickwork! And more brickwork. Void there was none.

And so this was living proof that those later Victorian builders were given a free hand with what they could do inside the new structure. Make it look the part, but just get the structure up as quickly and as cheaply as possible and, if it means having a chamber configuration that differs from Brunels system of voids linked

by elegantly formed stone arches, then so be it.

And that was the nature of the beast throughout the second structure. Narrow chambers and no stone arches.

Apart from dealing with a site prone to flooding, just working in the narrow confines of each structure prompted the need to take unusual precautions.

The voids were, of course, confined spaces within the meaning of the legislation and the Fire Brigade was brought in to assist with site training. Some of the voids were so restrictive that rescue issues needed input from mountain rescue experts - although Maidenhead isnt renowned for its mountainous terrain. They were brought in from somewhere far more hilly.

The project started in October 2014 and is due to be finished in the latter part of 2015 depending on emerging issues in the 1890 structure. In addition to general repairs and the provision of a new waterproofing and drainage system, those voids particularly inaccessible will be stabilised with foam concrete.

All this is out of sight and, whilst it has been carried out on a specific historic piece of infrastructure, many of the techniques are applicable throughout the railway network.

Apart from detailing an intriguing project on a pair of Victorian structures, perhaps this article will prompt engineers to look at brick or masonry structures in a different way. They are not always as solid as they first appear. What you see really is not necessarily what you get.

To the interior.


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Here at Rail Engineer we reckon to have our fingers on the pulse, our ears to the ground, our eyes on the ball, feet firmly on the floor, noses to the grindstone, backs to the wall... and so on and so on.

But, despite all these contortions there are the odd occasions when a press release takes us by surprise - an image of somewhere blindingly obvious that has slipped under our radar, and all the other parts of our collective anatomy.

Industrial developmentSo it was with some bonny photographs that

arrived showing some 40 tonne bridge beams being lifted over the WCML near Lichfield. Now, Lichfield isnt somewhere in the back of beyond, a remote wayside station visited only by the occasional nodding donkey (aka Class 142). No, this is a city in its own right with a Cathedral that had a pretty rough time during the Civil War and which has the distinctive three spires. (Thats the way it was built. This isnt an example of a medieval investment pause. There never were four. The third one is in the middle with the other two at one end.)

Perhaps in mitigation we should state that these beams were being lifted as part of a bridge that isnt going to belong to Network Rail. Its all down to Staffordshire County Council (SCC) which is about to develop a nearly land-locked triangular portion of land between the WCML, the BJW line (thats the line that crosses over the WCML and which heads off to Burton on Trent) and the A38 dual carriageway. This is the Liberty Park development to the east of the city. As well see later, its a bridge with a very ancient history.

Haul roadUp until Christmas 2014 it was possible to reach

the land via a narrow jack-arched overbridge, but it was decided very early on in the project that this just didnt have the capacity to take the heavy flow of full-sized articulated lorries that will inevitably serve an industrial development. It was too narrow and had weight limitations.

So SCC let a contract to Galliford Try under a highways framework contract, called the Midlands Highway Alliance, to carry out the removal of the old bridge and the construction of a new, wider structure on the same alignment over the WCML along with associated earthworks and access roads. Sunil Karra, Galliford Trys project manager, was soon immersed in the complex, but positive, negotiations with Network Rail.

The old bridge was duly demolished in a 52 hour-possession over the Christmas period. Once the bridge was gone, there was an access problem. The site of the Liberty Park could only be reached either over Hollands level crossing, an accommodation crossing on the BJW line, or via a bridge that passes under the A38 - a bridge that just goes to a farm and a field.

Negotiations to secure access over the level crossing proved complicated. Not wishing to increase risk at any level crossing, let alone a farm crossing, Network Rail resisted the application.

Thus it was that Galliford Try went the long way round and put in a 2 km haul road from a country lane about 1km away to the east. The haul road skirted the WCML and the A38, tucking under the dual carriageway at the north end of the site and finally following the A38 back to the WCML. It was a long and dusty road, but served a purpose.

A cautionary taleDemolishing the bridge appeared to be a

straightforward task. The bridge was relatively small and an easy target for the modern machinery supplied by S Evans and Sons, the demolition contractor. There were no significant services embedded in the structure. But, nevertheless, it did pass over a four track electrified railway - and the railway wasnt on the straight.

The technique of protecting the OLE without having to cut it used the tried and tested method of lowering and concealing the wires

GRAHAME TAYLOR

Lichfields ancient industrial access road

18 Rail Engineer August 2015

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under a demolition crash deck. On straight track this is relatively simple. On a curve there are precautions needed to stop the wiring landing up in the Coventry Canal.

Mike Lightwing, construction manager for Network Rail, tells a cautionary tale of not making quick assumptions at site meetings! What appeared to be a normal earth return conductor fixed to the structure turned out, in fact, to be an auto-transformer feeder cable. This required some careful management with Network Rails E&P design group coming up with a scheme that was installed by Colas Rail - which also carried out all the OLE works on the possession.

Solid rockOver the Christmas 52-hour possession - one

of many on the WCML, but one which had had little or no press coverage because it went well - the old bridge was removed with the OLE being lowered and raised during eight-hour periods at the start and end of the possession.

With the bridge out of the way and the abutments taken down to cess level, footings for the new bridge were excavated behind the old abutments. Despite the proximity of rivers and a relatively flat area of terrain, bedrock is encountered at fairly shallow levels and thus the new bridge is founded on solid sandstone.

Short possessions were used for the erection of the abutment falsework, scaffolding and high-street environment fencing. The main erection possessions were seven hours each on 28/29 June and 4/5 July. Twelve precast concrete beams manufactured by ABM Precast from Nottingham were lifted in with a 800 tonne crane supplied by Baldwins Crane Hire Ltd. Sunil recalls, On each possession we had them all parked up by 10pm, counted them and made sure they were the right ones.

Over the next few weeks there will be short possessions to seal the gaps between the beams which will allow concreting work and surfacing to be carried out without disturbing rail traffic.

And what of the new Liberty Park industrial complex? Well, its not there yet, but at least it can be reached via a bridge that is fit for purpose.

A link with the pastBefore we close, its worth looking at the

arrangement of the roads at this site. The old bridge carried Burton Old Road and yet, looking at the Ordnance Survey map, its obvious that the route passes well to the south of the city.

The answer to this apparent conundrum is that it wasnt part of the present day road system. It harks back to a much earlier period. In fact, it was Ryknild Street (or Icknield Street), a Roman road that served the major settlement of Letocetum. This site, looked after by The National Trust, is in the nearby parish of Wall to the South West. From Letocetum, the road

lies beneath (was demolished by) the BJW railway and follows a near perfectly straight alignment over (originally under!) the WCML before it is covered (was demolished again) by the BJW railway to the East of Lichfield Trent Valley station. It then carries on straight for the breweries of Burton on Trent and away via Derby to Templeborough near Rotherham.

Just every so often, our current perceptions of what is a static transport layout are disturbed in the most unlikely of locations. Now Burton Old Road will see a new flow of traffic having echoed to the tramp of Roman soldiers many centuries ago. So its ironic that we didnt see this one coming.


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Britains national railway network has evolved over the last 150 years plus. The network has over 40,000 bridges and tunnels that have to be inspected and maintained. Many of the structures are as diverse in size and complexity as they are almost inaccessible in the British countryside. Normal inspection techniques cannot be used in many cases and this is where the Bridgeway Consulting Infrastructure Services team has provided innovative techniques to gain access.

Specialist access inspectionsThe specialist access inspections

team of Bridgeway Consulting presents its examiners and engineering staff new challenges to face every day, by carrying out the very important job of establishing the current condition of each of these structures.

All bridges, tunnels, retaining walls, culverts and sea defences require at least a visual examination every year, and then at different intervals, a full detailed (tactile) examination which requires access to every part of the structure.

The use of specialist access techniques for the examination of these structures requires an in-depth knowledge of roped access, diving and confined spaces to ensure that all examiners can safely gain access to parts of the structure. All examiners

and engineers carrying out these works are multi-skilled so that they not only have the competency to carry work out as trained structural examiners but, in addition, are HSE qualified divers, IRATA roped access trained and/or confined spaces trained.

Bridgeway has successfully examined some of the difficult access structures around Britain including Dinting, Mottram, Arnside and Leven Viaducts. To add to this, the company has examined a raft of famous structures on the River Thames (both above and below water) including the Hungerford, Richmond, Barnes and Kew bridges.

Hungerford Bridge, LondonAfter a previous successful

inspection of the Hungerford Bridge, Bridgeway has again been appointed to carry out a detailed examination both above and below the River Thames.

In the interests of offering a value engineering solution to Network Rail, they suggested that a combined detailed and underwater examination would provide the client with better value for money.

ACCESS ALL AREAS


This meant a realignment of the anniversary dates for examinations but provided substantial reductions in the mobilisation costs for Port of London Authority permits, installation of span closure signs to the River Thames, dive platforms and safety boats in attendance for works.

The works involved the use of a self-propelled working platform vessel with a Spudpole that can anchor the vessel in effectively any location within the river to allow the greatest flexibility in access to the extensive bridge deck and superstructure.

In addition, this platform had a cherry picker (MEWP) mounted to the deck to allow the examining engineers access to as much of the bridge deck as possible and could also be used as a dive platform for the underwater examination team.

Much consultation and detailed planning with the Port of London Authority was required, to establish span closures for the bridge, in one of the busiest navigable rivers in Europe.

Dinting and Mottram Viaducts, Derbyshire

The task of tackling the detailed examination of these structures was formidable, from planning stages to the delivery of physical works on site, and in converting all the information into a single condition report.

Due to the complex nature of the bridge, the project and roped access managers were tasked with the problem of gaining safe access to the structures to maximise daylight working during the early stages of the summer months and longer days.

Following a site visit, the responsible managers established safe access both from above and below the deck providing a number of options for the site teams. Works commenced in May 2015 for both structures and involved the use of experienced IRATA Level 3, Level 2 and a number of Level 1 STE4 examiners.

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HUNGERFORD BRIDGE(Charing Cross Rail Bridge)

The first Hungerford Bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1845 as a suspension footbridge. Its name originated from the Hungerford Market.In 1859, the original bridge was bought by South Eastern Railway and extended into the newly-opened Charing Cross station. The suspension bridge was replaced by a nine span wrought iron lattice girder structure designed by Sir John Hawkshaw.The chains from Brunels bridge were re-used on Bristols Clifton Suspension Bridge. The brick pile buttresses of Brunels footbridge are still in use.In 2002, the existing footbridges were removed and replaced with the current four-metre wide footbridges. They have been named the Golden Jubilee footbridges in honour of the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth IIs accession.

Total Length 300 metresHeight 10 metres above water levelNo. of spans 7

DINTING AND MOTTRAM VIADUCTS Both the Dinting and Mottram Viaducts were originally opened in 1844, and form the modern day Glossop Branch Line (then known as the Woodhead line) which opened in December 1845, linking Sheffield to Manchester. The original construction of the bridges used timber laminated arches, however, by 1856, the level of rail traffic and weight of traffic increased to the point that, in 1859, wrought iron girders were installed to replace the timber arches. In 1918, a further seven piers were added to Dinting as further strengthening was required following the increased use of coal trains and sheer volumes of traffic. A further three piers were added to Mottram, and the route was electrified in the 1950s.In more recent times, Network Rail embarked on a major refurbishment of the bridge that included strengthening to the main girders, installation of new bearings, steelwork repairs and new paint to all metallic elements.

DINTINGTotal Length 370 metresHeight 36 metresNo. of spans 11 masonry arches plus five main spans (plus seven additional strengthening piers)

MOTTRAMTotal Length 155 metresHeight 42 metresNo. of spans 3 (plus three additional strengthening piers)

techniques and implement a safe system of work for all roped access works. The Level 1 operatives have carried out extensive training that qualifies them to work at height, however, under strict supervision of the Level 3 Supervisor.

Bridgeways team was prepared for the challenges on both structures, not only the obvious physical demands but also the entry to the confined spaces within the two outer main external girders.

The team held numerous competencies including confined spaces training that allowed them to gain access to the part of the structures that may otherwise remain unseen, or at the very least not have had a tactile examination carried out. All these hazards and risks were identified at the site visit stage and the project team were able to implement the appropriate control measures and ensure that the correct staff were available when necessary.

Both structures span a watercourse, and Bridgeway was able to use its internal diving and underwater department to mitigate with the risks of working at height and working over water! A safety boat and qualified HSE III diver/RYA Level II boat operative were on standby at all times below the roped access team to enable a rescue.

Dinting Viaduct, the larger of the two, posed additional challenges that required road closures with access to the deck via a MEWP, and some of the masonry spans examined with the assistance of a mobile aluminium scaffold tower.

INTE

REST

ING

FACT

SRail Engineer August 201524

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Have you ever pressed pause on your daily routine to consider how wonderfully rich the network is in terms of civil engineering? The scale is mindboggling. Yes, were all familiar with those attention-grabbing bridges across the Tamar, Tay and Forth, but they only occupy a few pixels in a vast, varied and vibrant picture. Take a step back to enjoy a broader view.

Our railways are carried by more than 42,400 individual spans, including a handful of timber-built survivors. Rarely given a second glance are 24,000 culverts. Embankments stretch collectively for almost 4,900 miles

whilst another 3,900 miles of line are in cuttings; 17,000 retaining walls help to keep both supported. And we also look after enough tunnels to form an underground railway from Kings Cross to Thirsk, 20 miles north of York.

Whats even more remarkable is that, typically, those structures are visually examined annually and subjected to a physical examination once every six years. As we learned in February, that latter activity can involve roped access adventurers defying gravity and humanitys natural instincts to bring insight from the most inhospitable of places, exposed on a high beam or within a confined space.

And beyond that baseline recording of condition, there is then a need to determine any impact on loading capacity, predict how that might change and the need for intervention. Helping to inform that process is a small army of structural engineers who combine on-site observation and measurement with professional judgement and calculation. But how do they go about that? Seeking an overview, I sat down with Network Rails Mark Norman, alongside John Longthorne, Steve Browne and Ana Walpole from AECOM, a company holding Civils Assessment Framework Agreements across four routes. It was not a short meeting.

GRAEME BICKERDIKE

upstandingmember

fine

Its not just iconic structures like the Tay Bridge that bring asset management challenges.

Photography: Four by Three


History lessonNotwithstanding the considerable sum

invested over recent years, Network Rails civils asset base remains quite aged. Railway building reached its peak - albeit an unsustainable one - in the late 1840s, meaning many structures are now approaching 170 years old; the Skerne bridge in Darlington is 190. So it is clearly vital to have knowledge of their history, right back to the moment when shovels were first put in the ground, in order to establish a comprehensive management strategy.

The materials used in construction, the available finances, ground conditions, the experience of the workforce and how closely they were supervised all have a bearing on a structures ability to safely fulfil its role today. Those built during periods of war bring issues with them for all the above reasons. At a more granular level, if a crack in an arch barrel is known to be stable and longstanding, the associated risk is clearly less than with one that has just appeared. The past can therefore offer valuable context for what the eye now sees.

Where are we?Asset management is influenced by a host

of different factors, but the two fundamentals are condition and capacity. Understanding the former relies on a regime of examinations.

Detailed exams are undertaken at a frequency arrived at through risk assessment, typically every six years. Each one resets Network Rails understanding of a structures condition. Involved is a full tactile survey, recording every defect and assigning them a rating by type and severity. From this, two measures are obtained: an overall SCMI (Structure Condition Marking

Index) score, in a range from 0 to 100, indicating the structures sustainability (effectively, how close it is to end of life)

a risk score, based on a 5x5 matrix, quantifying the structures resilience in terms of the likelihood and impact of a failure.

Both measures are used to inform decisions around the need for, nature and urgency of an intervention. Simplistically, a risk score exceeding 12 or an SCMI below 40 could be regarded as tipping points, although these are far from hard and fast.

Annual visual examinations - generally carried out from ground level - serve the critical purpose of confirming that a structure remains in a safe condition. This is a relative test, comparing whats currently seen against the absolute position recorded during the detailed exam. It enables the rate and extent of degradation to be tracked.

Number crunchingCapacity reflects the ability of a structure to

support both its own load and that of the traffic passing over it. This is established through an assessment, usually carried out every 18 years in accordance with the requirements of more than two dozen railway and highway standards.

There are three types: Level 0 requires the engineer to input

parameters into a pre-designed spreadsheet which outputs the structures Route Availability (RA) rating. The parameters - describing dimensions, materials, condition etc - are used by macros, automated tasks within the spreadsheet, to perform a simple analysis of the structure. This level is used for common construction types and proves sufficient for most structures across the network.

Level 1 requires the engineer to carry out a bespoke set of calculations by hand, perhaps because the structure is unusual in form or a more detailed analysis would be beneficial to achieve greater accuracy.

Level 2 generally entails complex analysis to model the structures behaviour and requires a high degree of engineering competence. This can prove time consuming - sometimes taking many months - but has the potential to unlock latent capacity.

Its worth making the point that technologys encroachment into this area only goes so far. Todays engineer might be able to do on a laptop what their predecessor did at great cost 30 years ago by logging into a university computer with

PHOT

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Brickwork repairs now recognise the need for consistency, rather than using over-strong materials.

Detailed examinations reset Network Rails understanding of a structures condition.

27Rail Engineer August 2015

punch cards, but that in no way lessens the skills needed to provide the right initial properties and accurately interpret the emerging results. A software tool is only as good as the person using it; there is no substitute for an intuitive understanding of load paths.

Negative influenceGetting on for half of our

underbridges are brick in construction. This is good news as the Victorians excelled at building arches. Generally they bring few problems, being immensely strong; where issues do arise, inappropriate repairs can be the cause. It might come as a surprise but we are still learning about arches. Until relatively recently, our instinct was to intervene with modern techniques and materials, however this often resulted in the formation of hard spots which create tension around their edges when a load is applied.

We know now that consistency is key, allowing an arch to work as a homogenous structure in compression; its ability to move is fundamental in order to redistribute the thrust of a moving vehicle and deal with temperature fluctuation.

At almost 9,400 in number, our inventory of metallic underbridges (cast/wrought iron and steel) imposes far stiffer challenges from an assessment perspective, due to their complexity and material deficiencies. Every structural member has to be assessed, with the intention of confirming that each is capable of resisting the load

applied to it. Thats the basic equation. Where there are multiple members fulfilling the same function - cross girders, for example - the convention is only to assess the worst case as this will serve to limit the structures RA rating.

What shouldnt be underestimated is the volume of data that has to be mined for assessments. The engineer will inspect the structure with different eyes to the examiner, looking for such things as torsional buckling, distortion, twist and distress. They will also record and measure areas of corrosion, recognising that section loss has a critical impact on load distribution.

Quality control was far from rigorous 150 years ago. Whilst there was a host of practical reasons for this, it has left the railway with an unwelcome legacy: yield strengths (the point at which a material begins to deform plastically) are quite variable.

To address this, a prescribed yield strength is adopted for each material type, arrived at through years of analysis. For railway purposes, the figure is lower-bound but, if necessary, can be revised upwards through sampling. With wrought iron, such were the shortcomings of the manufacturing process that a conservative approach is always taken. There can never be any confidence about its make-up.

What shouldnt be underestimated is the volume of data that has to be mined for assessments.

Cloud burst surveys can show the deflection caused by a train as it moves across a brick structure.

Water has to be carefully managed to ensure it doesnt cause brickwork damage or corrosion.


But whatever the material, one commonality with all structures is their susceptibility to the overarching power of water: brickwork to freeze-thaw action, steel to corrosion, piers to scour, tunnel linings to mortar loss, foundations to settlement, slopes to instability. Asset management is water management in a great many respects.

Looking harderIt is possible to find latent

strength within a structure by gaining a deeper understanding of how it works. The method of achieving this, as part of a Level 2 assessment, is through a computational tool known as Finite Element Analysis. A mesh is generated based on the physical characteristics of the structure, potentially comprising many thousands of linked cells; each one of these is then assigned a set of properties and an algorithm applied which calculates how they interact on loading. Results can

be output as a coloured model showing the movement of that load through the structure, with the associated stresses, strains and displacements.

The process is highly sophisticated and, despite modern computing power, can often take many hours

to run for larger models. But the benefits can be considerable, perhaps demonstrating that a structural member has more capacity than previously determined because its behaviour was not fully understood, or revealing the source of stress concentrations that were

causing a beam to buckle. Such insight - including the ability to model imperfections, deformations and damaged members - leads to more informed judgements, allowing a targeted repair to be designed or precluding the need for one altogether.

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The Victorians excelled at building arches and, generally, they bring few problems.


Now what?Based on the

findings of the assessment and examinations, the engineer will recommend a preferred form of intervention for each structure, if needed. Providing a framework for this are the criteria set out within Network Rails Structures Policy, encompassing: the criticality of the route and likely future usage the ease of access, both in terms of traffic

volumes and physical constraints structure type, capacity, overall condition and

risk score the nature, location and severity of the defects capital and whole-life costs.

All these factors influence the respective benefits of renewal against recurrent strengthening or repair, and the associated timescales.

The word intervention has the potential to mislead, as it does not necessarily involve physical works. The recommendation might be to invoke a higher level of assessment, increase examination frequency or carry out on-site testing, installing strain gauges and deflection poles to measure a structures real behaviour under traffic loading.

For the most part, remote monitoring has limited value with a structure built many decades ago as you cant see long-term trends. As a result, theres not a lot of it about. There is though a case for deployment where degradation rates are significant or the operational use of an end-of-life asset needs to be extended for a short period. There has also been a move to fit monitoring on swing bridges following major refurbishments, due in part to temperature change causing cyclic expansion/contraction.

Technological capability in this area is evolving all the time to the extent that, with a cloud burst survey, it is possible to see the progressive deflection of a brick-arched structure as a train passes over, right down to individual bogies. This can help in gaining a better understanding of

whether a structures movement is within the range expected through assessment, and take action on that basis.

Making your mind upBeyond the evidence now collected, the

engineers recommendation will still rely heavily on their expertise and judgement; the Structures Policy is not prescriptive. The investment decision itself remains with Network Rails asset management team. Often its clear cut; sometimes a whole-life cost model is run to

seek the optimum solution. Either way, the approach has to be sustainable, ensuring the structure is able to withstand its anticipated future loading.

However broad-brush this article has been, you begin to wonder how our asset management regime can possibly function without almost unlimited resources, given the number of structures out there and the challenges that come with them. The majority, of course, are very simple, in perfectly serviceable condition and dont demand much attention. But they all get some attention. So when youre next on a platform, stop and appreciate the mundane overbridge just beyond the ramp. It might look like a constant, but its appearance belies the wealth of variables being tested behind the scenes.

The choice between renewal or recurrent strengthening/repair is influenced by many factors.


A legacy of the rapid early growth of Britains railway network is that the UK has one of the worlds most restrictive loading gauges. As a result, typically half of the cost of British electrification projects is the civil engineering work to adapt structures to provide clearance for wires and pantographs.The 742 million Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement

Project (EGIP) will electrify the Edinburgh to Glasgow main line that carries around 20,000 passengers each day and is Britain's busiest inter-urban route (one that does not go to London). The line opened in 1842 and its electrification requires work at almost all of its original structures. Inevitably, the scale of this work brings disruption to both rail passengers and road users.

With clever construction techniques, the railway closures associated with bridge replacements can be limited to long weekends. However, increasing clearances in tunnels is a different matter as the logistics of such work may require a rail closure of a matter of weeks or longer. For example, the tunnel at Farnworth, near Bolton, is closed for five months whilst the tunnel-boring machine increases its diameter (issue 127, May 2015).

As part of EGIP electrification, Winchburgh tunnel, just east of Linlithgow on the route out of Edinburgh Waverley, required track lowering up to 200 mm and the installation of slab track at a cost of 17 million. This is an essential element of the Edinburgh to Glasgow electrification, which will transform train services across Scotlands central belt.

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DAY BLOCKADE44Winchburghs(Right) Track and formation removed to reveal the tunnel invert.


DAVID SHIRRES

DALMENYJUNCTION

LINLITHGOW

EDINBURGH PARK

HAYMARKET

EDINBURGHWAVERLEY

WINCHBURGHTUNNEL

DUNBLANE-EDINBURGH

SERVICE

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MORE/LONGER TRAINS TOGLASGOW QUEEN ST LL

ALTERNATIVE ROUTESTO GLASGOW CENTRAL

MAIN EDINBURGH-GLASGOWSERVICE TERMINUS

TO FIFERail Engineer August 2015 33

Unavoidable severe disruptionAs a result, Scotlands busiest line

was blocked for 44 days between Linlithgow and Edinburgh where there was no straightforward diversionary route. This entailed severe disruption that was partly mitigated by starting the diversion on 13 June to take advantage of the holiday season and ensuring the line was open in time for the Edinburgh Festival.

During the tunnel closure, through passengers were encouraged to use other routes between Edinburgh and Glasgow on which there were some extra trains. Dunblane to Edinburgh trains continued to run via Linlithgow and the Fife lines after reversing at Dalmeny. As these trains did not provide sufficient capacity for commuters to Edinburgh at the

eastern end of the line, replacement buses were provided between Linlithgow and Edinburgh - increasing the journey time from 22 minutes to over an hour. In the event, the buses ran empty as commuters turned to their cars.

Unfortunately, there was no way of avoiding this significant disruption. Critics pointed out that it would not have occurred had the Dalmeny chord in the original EGIP plan been provided (issue 104, June 2013). Yet, with two grade separated-junctions, this chord would have cost 175 million and could only have carried a small proportion of Edinburgh to Glasgow traffic as the Fife lines are heavily trafficked.

What was done before the Winchburgh blockade was to complete a signaling upgrade on the route between Edinburgh and Fife for which a 16 million contract had been

(Above) Over half way Up line slab track complete base slabs

cast on Down line.


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awarded to Siemens in January. This included replacing 3-aspect with 4-aspect signals between Dalmeny and Edinburgh and the installation of six new signals on the Forth Bridge. As a result, diverted trains could reverse at Dalmeny without disruption to the train service.

Winchburghs problemsWinchburgh tunnel lies at the eastern end of a five-

kilometre long cutting. It is 338 metres long and was opened in 1842, having taken two years to complete. When digging the cuttings and tunnel, the contractor, Gibb and Sons, removed 200,000 tons more rock than expected and consequently made a loss.

The tunnel was cut through dolerite rock, mudstone and shale. In the middle on the nineteenth century, these oil shale deposits once made West Lothian one of the worlds biggest oil producers. This shale was also a factor in an unfortunate accident during tunnel construction in 1839 when a man was severely burnt by firedamp.

The cutting is crossed by two streams, west of the tunnel. A twin four-foot diameter cast-iron inverted syphon was provided to carry Myers Burn under the railway. Swine Burn crosses the cutting on an aqueduct that had to be re-decked as part of the EGIP electrification works. Downstream of the aqueduct is a pumping station, which drains the cutting west of the tunnel. This is an area with significant drainage issues, some of which are addressed by the tunnel works.

The tunnel has a pointed roof profile and had a narrow six foot (1571 mm) which the tunnel works marginally increased to 1605 mm. Lowering the track by up to

200 mm, together with the use of a Furrer+Frey Rigid Overhead Conductor Rail System (ROCS), was just sufficient to provide the required electrification clearance. To ensure this clearance is maintained the track has to be fixed in position requiring the installation of slab track. This will significantly reduce track maintenance in the tunnel and increase speed through the tunnel from 80 to 90 mph.

The Austrian SolutionThe principal contractor Morgan Sindall chose the BB-

PORR Austrian slab track system for the Winchburgh project. This is its first use on the UK rail network although it had been trialled on the Old Dalby test track in Asfordby tunnel (Rail Engineer June 2014). The system was jointly developed by Austrian Railways (BB) and Allgemeine

Slab track system BB-PORR - cross

section and top view.


Baugesellschaft - A. Porr. It was first used in 1992 and since 1995 has been Austrias standard slab track system. Since 2001, it has also been widely used in Germany where the Erfurt to Leipzig high speed line used 180 km of the slab track. There is now around 580 km of the BB-PORR Austrian slab track in use.

The principal element of the system is a 160 mm thick concrete base plate that has eight pairs of track fastenings. There are three different plates for straight track and different curves. The base plates are secured on a suitable flat base by self-compacting concrete (SCC) that is poured through 640 mm square tapered openings in the base plate after it has been accurately positioned. The SCC reinforcement and 80 mm thick support blocks are first placed on the flat base, which is sufficiently flexible to be positioned using the five jacking screws in the base plate.

The base plate incorporates an elastic rubber coating which absorbs vibration. This coating also serves as a barrier between the base plate and the SCC. This enables the SCC to be easily broken out and the base plate removed in the event of derailment damage. This can be done in a matter of hours once rails are removed.

44-day track transformationThe main contractor for the Winchburgh

tunnel works was Morgan Sindall who secured a 113 million position on the 250 million alliancing contracts for EGIP infrastructure works that Network Rail awarded in November. The work started with the establishment of a large compound at the eastern end of the tunnel, which took five weeks. After the compound was established, two weeks were spent installing new track drainage either side of the tunnel during disruptive possessions. Then it was time to install the slab track during the 44-day blockade.

Other tunnel work during the blockade included a new drainage system, installed at invert level next to the base slabs, and the installation of fixings for the conductor rail system that is to be fitted later as part of the electrification works. About 10 square metres of brickwork needed repairs, but otherwise the tunnel lining was generally in good condition.

Although the project required no work on signals, tunnel wall mounted cable supports were provided to lift cables from the trackbed.

Tunnel logistics required that one track be available at all times for the supply and removal of the large amount of material. Thus, it was not possible to work simultaneously on both lines. The plant movements for handling this volume of material, adjacent to work undertaken in such a confined area, required a detailed work plan to prevent conflicts and delays.

A robust site-specific safety regime was implemented which included special rules for plant movements, health screening for Weils disease and extractor fans. These were provided by Factair who also undertook air quality monitoring.

The first track to be lifted was the Up line. The track, ballast and formation was typically 1.2 metres deep and removal of this material revealed the tunnel invert for probably the first time since the tunnel was built. The invert

itself had then to be treated to remove loose mudstone and high dolerite rock outcrops. Steel dowels were then fixed into the base rock to secure the concrete base slabs.

On the fifth day of the blockade, the first base slab was poured. It took five more days to pour all the base slabs which varied in depth from the minimum allowable 150 mm to 600 mm where a large amount of mudstone had been removed.

By day nine, the first base plates had been positioned outside the tunnel mouth. To provide a transition to ballasted track there is 70 metres of slab track outside the tunnel. The usually problematic ballast to slab interface was overcome by installing the Rhomberg Sersa V-TRAS Module, also first trialled by Network Rail on the Old Dalby test track in Asfordby Tunnel (Rail Engineer June 2014) which offers a long term maintenance free transition solution, giving each line a total of 470 metres of slab track.

Drainage and permanent way works were undertaken by sub-alliance partner Babcock which also cast the base slabs and procured the services of Rhomberg Sersa, the licensed installers of the BB-PORR Austrian slab track. It took two days to accurately position all the slabs on one line. When there were sufficient slabs in place, 110-metre length rails were fitted on them to ensure accurate positioning.

Watertight formwork was needed as the self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is very fluid. After the SCC pour, it took 24 hours before the track could carry traffic. The slab track was then complete and the process was ready to be repeated for the down line. A press release on 4 July, and visit from the Scottish Transport Minister, confirmed that the work was on target at this halfway point.

The Winchburgh improvements almost eliminate maintenance in the tunnel, increase the speed through it and significantly reduce the


VTRAS - slab to ballast transition module

Prefabricated, precision made, floating support provides even distribution of diffe-rent settlement of sub and superstructures.Simple, integrated and sustainable structure acts like a cushioning pontoon bridge between slab track and ballast roadbeds.Universal usage irrespective of whatever types of track construction involved.

Bringing engineering excellence to slab track installations

Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group I Unit 2 Sarah Court Yorkshire Way I DN3 3FD, DoncasterT +44 300 3030230 I [email protected] I www.rhomberg-sersa.com

flood risk. The work required the removal of 2,000 cubic metres of spoil, casting of 1,200 cubic metres of concrete, removal of 200 tonnes of rock, reworking 825 metres of drainage and the installation of 188 five - metre slab base plates. All this work required a total of 80,000 man-hours of work.

More to comeDoing all this work in 44 days is a worthy achievement.

However, it was not likely to impress most commuters affected by the six-week Winchburgh blockade work who were more concerned with their journey to work. Communicating why this work was necessary and what it entailed was a significant challenge. It involved a big campaign by both Network Rail and ScotRail that included use of social media to engage with those affected and give good detailed information about the work.

A similar campaign will be required next year when the lines commuters face another blockade when the tunnel into Queen Street Station will be closed for 20 weeks as its 40-year-old slab track is deteriorating. The BB-PORR Austrian slab track system is also to be installed in this 1.9km long tunnel.

While this is not strictly part of the electrification works, as the tunnel already has the required clearances, it forms a precursor to the extensive remodelling of Queen Street high-level station. This cramped terminus is to be extended with longer platforms that are an essential part of the electrification scheme. Phil Verster, managing director of the ScotRail/Network Rail alliance, considers that the new station will be stunning and on a par with St Pancras or Kings Cross.

Electric trains will start running between Edinburgh and Glasgow in December 2016. The forthcoming electrification is evident from the masts starting to appear along the line along with extended platforms. Most of this work is being done at night with no disruption to passengers.

Unfortunately, the routes tunnels are another matter, so its commuters face unfortunate disruption before they see their electric trains. Then they will have a more resilient network with the faster, longer trains needed to accommodate growing passenger numbers. So the few weeks disruption at Winchburgh was an unavoidable part of transforming central Scotlands train services.

Delivering track base plates to the tunnel.


Rail Engineers understand that, to manage, maintain and renew a cost-effective, efficient and modern railway system, it is imperative to identify all infrastructure assets, where they are located and most importantly, what condition they are in.That sounds quite straight forward, doesnt it?

Its certainly reasonable to assume that all this information is available, otherwise the industry would not have been able to cope with the growth and development that it has experienced over the last decade or so.

Now, here comes the inevitable buthow is this data gathered and is it easily accessible and efficiently produced using the benefits of modern technology?

The answer is, of course, no it isnt - at least not yet. There must be hundreds of different databases, each with its own acronym, that exist up and down the network. The majority exist in their own technical silos, focusing on specific aspects of the infrastructure with limited ability to align with other aspects. For the maintainer, this means that planning is often convoluted and unnecessarily complex. Different priorities are often generated by the different systems, so it is not always clear what the true priority is for the whole system.

Working toward a data-driven railwayThe good news is that Network Rail

understands that this is both a problem and a great opportunity. The infrastructure owner is embarking on an enterprising and radical journey to move from the position described above to one where these huge banks of data are absorbed and captured into a national intelligence model, one that can serve a data-driven railway in a cohesive, safe and cost effective manner.

Well, that sounds like a quite straightforward task, doesnt it? Again the answer, of course, is no, otherwise it would have been done already, but Network Rail has certainly grasped the nettle and is beginning to make significant inroads and progress.

To start with, Network Rail already has a whole host of asset management systems, both under development and in use, which call on cutting-edge technology. One example is the Plain Line Pattern Recognition (PLPR) high-speed trains

that have been introduced recently. Two of these trains recently covered and inspected 6,000 miles of continuously welded rail (CWR) track in four weeks and there are plans to extend coverage to four trains and 15,000 miles next year.

Asset ManagementDeveloping a data driven Railway

COLLIN CARR

38 Rail Engineer August 2015

The trains are fully equipped with modern technology, lasers, infrared cameras and powerful computers that capture images every 0.8mm. These images are analysed using powerful computers to produce condition reports, including loose bolts, track geometry, rail, sleepers and ballast condition. The information is available to the maintenance teams which are able to identify exactly where the fault is and to use skilled resources, that would have previously been involved in the patrolling of the track, to carry out the necessary repairs.

New systems for new assetsIn preparation for the electrification of the

Great Western main line (GWML), Network Rail has invested in the latest Supervisory, Control and Data System (SCADA) for the overhead line equipment. In addition, the new signalling control centres are now able to collate and coordinate real-time, intelligent traffic management systems throughout the network.

These systems, plus many others, not only provide better information about the condition of the assets but they are slowly being brought together to work alongside an initiative called ORBIS (Offering Rail Better Information Services). This can best be described as an asset intelligence programme, a transformation programme designed to improve the way Network Rail acquires its asset information, how this information is captured and stored and, most importantly, how it is then used. Work started in 2011 with an anticipated completion date of 2018.

Workforce involvementRecognising that front line staff are key to

the success of this initiative, 200 workshops, which also included external stakeholders, were held throughout the country. More than 13,000 tablets and smart phones were issued to staff and Wi-Fi was installed in 50 depots. There was no constraint put on the use of this equipment and everyone involved was encouraged to get to know and use it and, most importantly, to think

of and suggest ideas for work related Apps that would help them and others to do their job more safely and more efficiently.

One of the apps introduced, My Work, digitised the work order process, removing paperwork and enabling frontline teams to view and complete work orders before uploading directly to Network Rails central system (issue 127, May 2015). More than 2.5 million work orders have been closed using the app. As staff confidence grows, there is the opportunity to develop and introduce more sophisticated and powerful applications leading to full asset data collection using this technology. These initiatives can also be aligned to broader business improvement objectives and aspirations.

DeclutteringThroughout the network, maintenance

engineers are now able to declutter their work banks and replace old data with more accurate information about location and exact mileage complemented by trackside pictures displaying the fault identified. This information can be analysed using Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) techniques, another initiative that is underway, to enable appropriate safety and business priorities to be established.

The ORBIS programme, working to the principles of capturing, storing and exploiting accurate data, enables the work bank data to be coupled with other initiatives such

(Left) PLPR train interior showing workstations and (right) PLPR train at rest.

39Rail Engineer August 2015


as the Linear Asset Decision Support tool (LADS), integrating 14 asset datasets allowing engineers to make decisions on whether to maintain, refurbish or renew assets, and the Geo-RINM (Rail Infrastructure Network Model) Viewer which allows users to see the UKs rail network through a single integrated tool for the first time.

The Viewer will include high-quality images and LiDAR data captured during an aerial survey carried out last year of the UKs 16,000 route kilometres of track and the surrounding rail environment.

Accurate and safe planningAs a consequence, engineers and planners are

now able to visually display the area associated with a fault identified within a safe environment, such as an office or a briefing vehicle equipped with 360 media systems. It means that work can be planned accurately without risk. In addition, the work carried out can then be accurately recorded and downloaded onto the asset data base ensuring that asset history is kept up to date; an activity that has not always been well managed in the past.

Following on from this preliminary work, the next stage of ORBIS will look to join up all of the individual assets into a complete system model and achieve a far greater understanding of how these interact together. Some of this work is already underway, carrying out preliminary system mapping and understanding the criticality of different assets to aid the maintenance teams to maximise the reliability of these vital elements that have a direct benefit on performance.

This work becomes more critical as Network Rail continues to demand more capacity and capability out of the existing network while

recognising that it needs to understand how the system works to a far greater level of detail. It is one of the outcomes that ORBIS will deliver about asset information.

Meeting future demandsWith demand for rail services already

stretching much of the UKs infrastructure to its limit, and major expansions such as HS2 still some years off, the potential for ORBIS to assist in growing capacity is an important consideration. One option for achieving this is to move away from fixed signalling blocks on the rail network towards in-cab signalling, which will enable Network Rail to put a higher density of traffic on certain sections of the rail network. This, in turn, will increase the maintenance workload as the degradation of the network will be accelerated. The other early aspects of ORBIS, such as asset condition, will therefore be crucial in delivering this.

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Rail Engineer - Issue 130 - August 2015

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