Railway Strategies 101 early

RAILWAYS T R A T E G I E Szzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Issue 101 Early Edition

Neasden updated Revamped LU depot

to provide S Stock fleet maintenance

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

New chief executive for Network Rail

ORR: rail

travel reaches record levels

Capacity increase for Waterloo

revealed

Electrification factory train

unveiled

Rail delivers business boost

Rail crime continues to fall

Lakes line to be electrified

Watford improvements

scheduled

NEWS

Returning to Lloyd’s Register as transportation director, PaUL SeLLeR talks about his plans for the organisation

Interview

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When it comes to helping to get the country moving,

in every sense, the investment in Britain’s railways is

playing a vital role. Figures released recently by Network

Rail suggest that the rail supply chain has benefited by

over £17 billion over the last four years, and that over £6 billion of

this investment has been with small and medium-sized businesses.

In the last year alone, over £3 billion of work was generated for

UK businesses with over a third going to SMEs. It is estimated that

over 90,000 full-time jobs have been sustained by this investment.

Looking ahead to the next Control Period, it is suggested that about

99 per cent of the approximately £25 billion expenditure on planned

enhancements and renewals – on projects such as Crossrail,

Thameslink, the Northern Hub, Electrification and the Borders

railway – will be undertaken by UK companies. In a separate report

Network Rail examines the potential benefits that HS2 might bring,

once it reaches Leeds and Manchester, and explores ways in which

HS2 could be integrated with the conventional rail network and how

to allocate the released capacity.

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From the Editorzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzHave your details changed? Are you reading someone else’s copy of Railway Strategies?Please email: [email protected] to amend your details or request a regular copy

Issue 101 ISSN 1467-0399

Railway Strategies by emailRailway Strategies is also now available by email as a digital magazine. This exciting development is intended to complement the printed magazine, which we will continue to publish and distribute to qualifying individuals, whilst also giving added value to our advertisers through a more widespread circulation. To secure your continued supply of Railway Strategies in either digital or hard copy format, please contact our subscriptions manager Iain Kidd ([email protected]).

Rail benefits

56

36

Features

18 Interview

IntervIew – returning to make a difference 18Kirsty Birkett-Stubbs

rail franchising in the UK – a model for the future 23Vivek Madan

Seeing clearly 36David Thomasson

Driving a change in culture from ‘Find and Fix’ to ‘Predict and Prevent’ 38Network Rail and Thales

Sense of purpose 40Robin Butler

An expanding network 42 Colin Flack

Opportunities for higher education in rail freight and logistics 48 Marin Marinov

How to build a younger workforce 50Sharon Glancy

Profiles

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzContentsISSUE 101 Early Edition

econocom 9Spence Ltd 24 rosehill rail 52UK Power networks Services 56Foundation Piling Ltd 62Civil rail Solutions 64 Haslerrail 66 Saudi railways Organization 69Dresdner verkehrsbetriebe AG 73Crown International 76 volante verkleidungssysteme 78 Centro 82 tube Lines 85 Fourway Communication 91Iarnród Éireann 94

73

News

14

5

Focus on... Rolling Stock

Big hitters 30Alistair Dormer

Focus on... Revenue Management

NFC needs an open standard rather than a ‘killer app’

to make it fly 32 Jörg Suchy

All aboard: how airline-style pricing is putting

the passenger rail industry back

on track 34 Peter Shearer

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzContentsIndustry News 4

High Speed Rail 16

Research 21

Stations 26

Rolling Stock 29

Security 35

Rail Alliance 41

Conferences & Exhibitions 96 11

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

00Event review 44

44

4 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

More than a third – around

£1.2 billion – of the money spent

by Network Rail on enhancements

to the UK’s rail network in 2012/13

went to small and medium-sized businesses.

This expenditure helped to support economic

growth and jobs across a range of industries

from telecoms suppliers and glazers to solar

energy engineers and security providers.

This investment has sustained over 90,000

full-time jobs nationwide in addition to the

34,000 people directly employed by Network

Rail, generating significant financial returns to

central government through tax revenue and

savings on benefits as well as boosting local

economies.

The enhancement schemes carried out by

Network Rail’s major projects division included

the redevelopments of King’s Cross, Reading

and Birmingham New Street stations, Crossrail,

the Thameslink Programme upgrade plus

dozens of other schemes to improve stations,

lengthen platforms and build new railway.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny

Alexander, said: “Investing in infrastructure has

a direct effect on the economy, creating jobs,

and giving Britain the infrastructure we need to

build a stronger economy and fairer society.

“This report is excellent in highlighting the

opportunities for small and medium sized

businesses that come with infrastructure

investment. That is why we have set out

£100 billion of investment in infrastructure

over the next Parliament, including supporting

the largest programme of investment in rail

since the Victorian era. I’m very glad to see

that Network Rail are doing their bit to drive

sustainable and balanced economic growth

across the UK.”

Simon Kirby, managing director of Network

Rail Infrastructure Projects, said: “The rail

industry is increasingly recognised as a key

contributor to our national, economic and

social well-being. Across Britain, investment in

a bigger, better railway has provided a massive

boost to hundreds of businesses of all shapes

and sizes, supporting sustainable economic

growth and jobs.”

Rail investment delivers business boostInvestment in a bigger, better rail network generated more than £3.2 billion of work for businesses across Britain over the last year, according to new figures

released at the beginning of August by Network Rail

The rail industry’s supply chain is both

extended and varied, ranging from professional

services to the construction industry. Rail

investment is therefore an important driver

of growth across many of the UK’s industrial

sectors.

In the last four years, Network Rail has

generated £17.3 billion of work for its supply

chain, of which £6.2 billion has been with small

and medium-sized businesses – a 22 per cent

increase on the previous four years. Planned

enhancements and renewals expenditure

between 2014 and 2019 is approximately

£25 billion, with 99 per cent of this work to be

undertaken by UK-based companies.

Capital investment in rail also pays back

over the longer term through wider socio-

economic benefits. A good example of this is

the Northern Hub project, designed to boost

the economic growth of the north of England

through value for money improvements to rail

services. The project delivers wider

economic benefits valued at over £4 for every

£1 invested, and it has been estimated that this

project alone will deliver an annual contribution

to the northern economy of £2 billion.

Simon Kirby continued: “Every day, more

than three million rail journeys are made in

Britain and the railway transports millions

of tonnes of goods between ports and

shops. But railways don’t just move people

and freight. Railways connect homes and

workplaces, businesses with markets, create

jobs, stimulate trade and support the growth of

a balanced economy.

“Network Rail will have a pivotal role to play

in driving sustainable economic growth over

the next five years, with plans to add 700 more

trains each day between the key cities of the

north, increase London’s rail capacity by

20 per cent, build new lines to increase

capacity in Scotland and electrify hundreds

of miles of railway so cleaner, faster trains

can run. By continuing to invest in rail, we are

investing in the future of Britain.” zz

Network RailWeb: www.networkrail.co.uk

Overnight work on the recently opened Hitchin flyover

The redevelopment of Reading station is well advanced

Birmingham New Street station is a major redevelopment project

All photographs courtesy of Network Rail

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Industry

Rail travel in Britain reaches record levelsl New statistics published at the beginning of August by the Office of Rail Regulation

show that rail use is on the rise as Britain’s railways clocked up 1.23 billion journeys in

2011-12. This accounts for a six per cent increase in rail passenger journeys

compared with the previous year – the highest since records began in 1995-96.

The data highlights passenger journeys within Great Britain, looking at travel within

and between 11 regions – East of England, East Midlands, London, North East,

North West, Scotland, South East, South West, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire

and Humber.

The data also shows that:

l The total number of rail journeys within England was 1.11 billion – 749.8 million of

those started or ended in London, accounting for about 67.3 per cent

l Rail journeys within individual regions increased by 6.8 per cent compared with

2010-11 and rail journeys between the 11 regions were up 4.3 per cent from 2010-11.

l The total number of rail journeys for Scotland was 87.1 million – up 4.7 per cent

on 2010-11. Over 90 per cent of journeys were within Scotland. Areas that saw the

largest growth were West Lothian and East Ayrshire, which grew by 17.0 per cent and

11.8 per cent respectively.

l The total number of rail journeys for Wales rose to 28.1 million – up 2.9 per cent

from 2010-11. Journeys between Wales and other regions went up by 5.2 per cent

compared to 2010-11 – exceeding nine million journeys for the first time.

l London had more rail journeys than any other region – 754 million. London was the

origin or destination for 61.3 per cent of all rail journeys in Great Britain. The number of

journeys within London grew by 9.0 per cent compared to 2010-11.

To view the statistics and a summary of the methodology, see:

http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/

Neasden updatedl Neasden is one of the largest depots on the London Underground network. Rebuilt in the

early 1930s, there has been no major refurbishment until now. The introduction of the new air-

conditioned S Stock trains meant that a major upgrade of Neasden Depot was required. It is one

of the most complex depots and upgrade works took place while supporting the maintenance

of the Metropolitan line fleet, plus stabling for 20 Jubilee line trains. Works to complete the new

maintenance facilities were completed earlier this year and included the installation of a train lifting

machine – one of the very few in the UK, a training school, a wheel lathe and a cleaning shed. As

part of the SSR upgrade programme, Neasden Depot will provide light maintenance facilities for

the Metropolitan line fleet and heavy maintenance for the entire S Stock fleet of 191 trains.

A new strategic partnership is forgedl Leading academic experts and industry

decision-makers have joined forces to set up a

new partnership for rail research. The University

of Huddersfield and RSSB have signed a

Memorandum of Understanding, sealing a deal to

pool resources and talent for research into system

and engineering risk modelling to support informed

decision making and future risk prediction. Each

organisation is putting in funding of £0.5 million

per year to fuel a £5 million five-year programme.

Research will be carried out and new techniques

developed to fill the gaps that are identified in

system and engineering risk modelling, as well as

issues around human capital, and educating the

next generation of railway professionals.

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Anson Jack (right) and Simon Iwnicki sign the MoU on 24th July 2013 at RSSB’s offices in Angel, London



Knorr-Bremse acquires Railcare businessl Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems (UK) Limited

has acquired the rail vehicle component and

overhaul business of Railcare. The acquisition

sees the UK Company of the global Knorr-

Bremse Group taking over the Railcare

operational sites at both Springburn in Glasgow

and at Wolverton near Milton Keynes.

Following the acquisition Knorr-Bremse has

formed a new company called Knorr-Bremse

RailServices (UK) Limited. This company

now joins the three other established Knorr-

Bremse Rail Group operations in the UK.

Located at Melksham in Wiltshire is the UK

engineering and manufacturing headquarters,

at nearby Corsham is a satellite precision

machining operation and at Burton-upon-Trent

in Staffordshire, Knorr-Bremse operates a

specialist HVAC facility.

Knorr-Bremse RailServices (UK) Limited will

be fully supported by Knorr-Bremse UK but will

operate as a specialist company with its own

identity. The company will continue to offer

customers its previous portfolio of services

and remain fully focused on train maintenance

and repair.

Air-conditioned trains on the Circle linel New fully walk-through Tube trains, which allow

better access for customers, are being rolled out on

the Circle line from the beginning of September as

part of the introduction of 53 new trains on both the

Hammersmith & City and Circle lines. In addition to air-

conditioning, the new trains will have automated visual

displays and station announcements, as well as CCTV,

dedicated wheelchair areas, wider doors and walkways

and lower level, easier to reach passenger alarms.

With seven carriages the new trains are longer than

previous rolling stock on the Hammersmith & City and

Circle lines, providing 17 per cent extra capacity and

helping to relieve pressure on busy parts of the Tube

network.

By the end of 2016 there will be a total of

191 walk-through, air-conditioned trains on 40 per cent

of the Tube network – running on the Circle, District,

Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines.

Wind turbines at Bathgate depot l ScotRail has installed two

wind turbines at a West Lothian

railway depot. The 5kW Evance

turbines are now up and running

at Bathgate depot. It is the first

time that wind turbines have ever

been installed at a ScotRail depot.

The project will save almost

eight tonnes of CO2 per year, as

well as producing approximately

14,000kWh of electricity – enough

to power a small railway station

like Greenfaulds. It is estimated

that they will save the rail operator

around £4500 in energy bills

every year. This money will be

reinvested in more renewable

energy schemes on Scotland’s

railways. The 17.75-metre-high

turbines are sensitively sited away

from homes on the south side of

the depot, in the car park area.

Shining a light on Britain’s rail industryl The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has published the first in a series of new statistical

releases to help build understanding of how Britain’s railway is performing. These

comprehensive publications will form a series of quarterly national statistics offering

context and commentary on latest data trends as well as detailed explanations of the

methodology used in collecting the data.

The report (www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.3016) examines rail

performance and punctuality in the passenger and freight sectors in Great Britain from

1996-97 to June 2013.

Quarterly statistical releases in the series are:

l Passenger Rail Usage – 19th September 2013

l Freight Rail Usage – 3rd October 2013

l Passenger Rail Service Satisfaction – 17th October 2013

Transparency for the railways is about ensuring passengers are able to make the right

travel decisions, and helping Governments and rail customers really understand what

they are getting for their money. The industry has made strides forward in improving

transparency over recent years – using latest technology and publishing more data on

train performance to communicate more effectively with passengers, and sharing more

information than ever before on the costs and funding of the railways.

New chief executive for Network Raill Network Rail has announced that Mark

Carne, formerly executive vice president for

the Middle East and North Africa for Royal

Dutch Shell, is to be its next chief executive.

Mark will join the organisation on 6th January

2014 before formally taking over as chief

executive from David Higgins on 1st April 2014.

Mr Carne, 54, studied engineering at Exeter

University and is a Fellow of the Institute of

Mechanical Engineers.

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Image courtesy

Evance Wind

Turbines Ltd



Watford improvements l Major improvement work on the West Coast Main Line at Watford will get

underway in 2014 to improve the punctuality of train services on Britain’s busiest

mixed-use railway line. The £81 million improvement scheme begins in May

2014 and continues over 16 days between 9-25 August 2014. Further work is

also scheduled to take place over Christmas 2014 and in early 2015.

During the project, passenger trains will be unable to use a 12-mile section

of the West Coast Main Line around Watford Junction station. The signalling at

Watford will be upgraded alongside new junctions and track to provide more

flexibility for train services and better reliability. Alongside this project, Network

Rail intends to increase the line speed of the fast lines through Watford to

125mph, from the current 80mph, and is investigating the feasibility of this.

The work in detail:

l Three junctions will be renewed to the north, south and in Watford Junction

station itself to improve the track layout and make it more reliable.

l Over nine miles (15km) of track to renew

l Upgrades to the overhead line equipment in the area to make it more reliable.

l Renewing crossovers to facilitate future maintenance of the main line while

keeping train services running.

l The signalling along 12 miles of railway between Kings Langley – Watford

Junction and Bushey will be completely renewed to improve reliability and

provide more flexibility. This work includes 11 new gantries, 39 signal posts and

approximately 120km of cabling.

l The signalling power supply system will also be upgraded.

Senior management changes at ORRl The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has announced that

Tom Taylor is to join as director of corporate operations and

organisation development. It also announced that Cathryn

Ross, currently director of rail markets and economics, is to

leave the organisation in October to take up the role of chief

executive of Ofwat. Tom joins ORR from the Department

of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), where he

is currently finance director. Cathryn Ross originally joined

ORR from Ofwat in August 2011 and has led the periodic

review of Network Rail, working closely with programme

director John Larkinson, the draft determination of which

was published on 12th June.

Transport Systems Catapult centrel Milton Keynes has been chosen to be the location for the

Transport Systems Catapult – one of the first of its kind in

the world – based on a variety of criteria. The centre will be a

national hub for transport modelling and monitoring, enabling UK

businesses to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to

today’s transport needs.

TfL ticketing bidders shortlistl Following the issue of the OJEU in March for the contract

to take the capital’s transport ticketing systems into the

next decade, Transport for London (TfL) has announced the

shortlisted bidders:

l Cubic Transportation Systems Ltd

l LG CNS Co CNF

l Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH.

The shortlisted bidders will be invited to submit detailed

bids with the contract awarded by October 2014. The new

contract will commence from August 2015 upon the expiry

of TfL’s current contract for ticketing systems. The Electra

contract term is for seven years with an early exit option at

five years and extension options of up to three years.

750th Crossrail trainloadl GB Railfreight (GBRf) has celebrated moving its 750th

trainload of excavated material from Crossrail’s tunnels

in west London to Northfleet in Kent. This marks the

movement of over 850,000 tonnes of muck from the

Crossrail site. The Class 66 loco left Northfleet on 23rd

July at 19.27, arriving at Westbourne Park at 23.00.

Its return journey was on Wednesday 24th, departing

Westbourne Park at 04.02 and arriving at Northfleet at

07.02. This represented a significant milestone in the

excavation of material created by Crossrail Tunnel Boring

Machines, Phyllis and Ada.

GBRf

Electric route for the Lake Districtl Electric trains could soon be serving destinations in the heart of

the Lake District as Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin unveiled

his plans to electrify the Windermere branch line in Cumbria. The

Government is keen for the ten miles of track, which runs between

Oxenholme Lake District station on the West Coast Main Line and

Windermere station in the National Park, to be converted to allow

electric trains to run on the route. Once the proposed £16 million

scheme is agreed faster, greener more reliable electric trains could link

Kendal, Burneside and Staveley directly to Manchester by 2016.


Safer environment at Willesdenl Through the joint investment of more than £750,000, a collaborative

multi-party improvement scheme at Willesden Junction has created a

much-needed safer and more secure station approach for passengers

and the local community.

The refurbishment project, which was completed seven days

ahead of schedule, re-opened in July. The works have created a

safer environment for passengers, staff and the local community with

improved road conditions, new lighting and an increased number of

CCTV cameras. Transport links have also been improved with new

bus stops, shelters, cycle racks and short-term parking bays.

Glass for Class 800/801l Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd. has announced that it has signed a

preferred contractor agreement with specialist glass manufacturer

Romag, based in County Durham, to supply glass for the

Class 800/801 trains for the Intercity Express Programme. Both

companies aim to reach close of the long-term build and support

contract shortly, enabling Romag to immediately launch the

necessary design and development work. Delivery of the windows

will start in spring 2014, securing high quality jobs in the region with

a potential to create additional capacity when supplying

at full volume.

LORO

L

Improvements to the station approach road with widened footpaths and new bus stops

New head of rail systemsl WSP has appointed Chris Lawrence as head

of rail systems, overseeing the growth and wider

development of WSP’s multi-disciplinary rail

business. Chris joins WSP from Arup where he

was rail engineering practice leader for the UK

MEA Region, and global rail skills leader. He

previously ran the Arup office in Singapore and

has over 30 years’ experience in the industry.

Chris Lawrence



Econocom is the European leader in Technology Finance

For over 40 years, Econocom has been providing strategic finance solutions to the railway industry, ensuring that train operating companies provide the best travel experience to their passengers.

Econocom can finance a wide range of assets, such as:

Hardware: PCs, laptops, servers, tablets. ❑

Software projects ❑

Kiosk information systems ❑

Driver advisory systems ❑

Ticket machines ❑

Hand held devices: PDAs ❑

Epos terminals ❑

Catering logistics ❑

CCTV ❑

Multimedia and digital displays ❑

Econocom is active in 18 countries and, every day, 3,700 employees assist more than 20,000 clients across Europe. In 2012, Econocom reported €1.54 billion revenue.

ECONOCOM PLCT: +44 (0)208 940 2199E: [email protected]

W: www.econocom.com/ukTwitter: @Econocom_UK

Technology made easy.

www.econocom.com/uk


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzEconocom

A helping hand

Founded 40 years ago, Econocom is

Europe’s largest independent provider

of technology finance and associated

services. The company is present in

18 countries with nearly 4000 staff and achieved

revenues of just over €1.5 billion in 2012.

With expertise in distribution, leasing,

services and telecoms, and an innovative range

of enterprise solutions, Econocom assists

businesses in transforming their IT systems and

management of digital projects. As such it has

a presence in all industries with a number of

vertical markets, one of which is rail.

“The main service we provide to rail is

technology finance, especially for train operating

companies (TOCs),” elaborates Chris Labrey,

country manager UK and Ireland. “The biggest

challenge is accommodating the franchise

nature of the rail industry but we can help TOCs

Econocom’s financing expertise is helping many customers enhance their business

with digital solutions

moment, passengers are constantly becoming

more technology demanding. I can see the

customer experience being improved with digital

solutions.

“Contactless payment on-board trains is

coming and TOCs might want to evaluate the

tablet devices into seats similar to the airlines

for longer journeys. Both of these are income

generators and differentiators.”

It doesn’t stop with the customer experience

though. Chris also believes that Econocom can

play a role in technical developments such as

ERTMS and ETCS: “This technology is more

than likely to be upgraded in the future and

technology finance can assist here to smooth

the investment spikes of the initial purchase

and subsequent upgrades. In addition, being

independent of any manufacturer means that

Econocom is able to finance the eventual choice

from the four ERTMS systems being evaluated

at the moment on the Hertford Loop.”

With a client list that includes First Rail,

the BBC and Capita, Econocom is keen to

dispel the myth that only clients with low

cash reserves look to finance to fund their

technology investments. “As you can see from

our customers above, they choose Econocom

because they want their business to stay agile

whilst they invest in new technology. Market

conditions for standard technology are static

with some companies being forced to invest in

technology because their existing set-up can’t

cope. The digital solutions market, on the other

hand, is growing fast because people can see

the competitive edge it gives them.”

The next five years see Econocom looking

to double its revenues to €3 billion through a

combination of organic growth and acquisitions.

Within this includes the recently announced

plans to acquire Osiatis, a large European player

in the IT services market. At the same time the

company’s strategic plan is to further embrace

what it deems the ‘Digital World’.

“We see embedded technology growing

everywhere,” clarifies Chris. “Interactive

kiosks, multimedia information and advertising

screens, mobile technology, intelligent trains

and buildings – all of this equipment should

communicate with each other making it truly

smart technology. We are set up to help

companies acquire this technology and by

financing it intelligently, the cost can be mapped

with the productivity.” zz

Econocom PLCTel: +44 (0) 208 940 2199Web: www.econocom.com/uk

with financing towards the end of these

terms. The main strength of the business is

our experience as we are able to build our

solution to fit the customer, not some product

set we might have.”

For example Econocom is working

with one TOC to redesign the food and

beverage part of its business. This includes

delivery of food to the factory gate, inventory

management, and all the way through to the

passenger’s plate. The entire project is then

financed over a term to suit the client.

Another significant project was the

financing of all the desktops, servers and

laptops at the London Olympics. Econocom

is not purely concerned with financing of

products though, but more a complete digital

solution. As to the future of such things in

rail Chris says: “Leaving the trains aside for a

Chris Labrey – country

manager for UK and Ireland

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk10

http://www.b-hepworth.com

http://www.completedrainclearance.co.uk

http://www.hwilliams.co.uk

Netw

ork

Rail



Securing the West Coast Main Line to improve performancel Network Rail has confirmed that it is installing over 100 miles of new lineside fencing

along the West Coast Main Line to secure the line and improve performance on the

route. The new fencing between Rugby and London Euston is part of a package of

projects worth nearly £40 million, aimed at improving the reliability of the infrastructure

and punctuality of train services on Britain’s busiest mixed-use railway line.

Key lifting role for overhead crane at Edinburgh tram depotl The Gogar depot, serving the new Edinburgh tram network, is using

a double girder 6.3 tonne travelling crane, installed by Street Crane

Company, to maintain the fleet of 27 trams and support the Unimog track

maintenance vehicle. The 19 metre crane, with a 5.5 metre height of lift,

spans three tracks within the depot and runs almost the full length of the

building to give maximum flexibility in transporting materials. Elevated

access platforms at the eastern end of the building allow engineers

easy access to the vehicle roof and covered pits permit access to the

undercarriage. Jacks, located in the floor in the western end of the building,

enable carriage bodies to be lifted from the tram bogies.

RSSB research

Recent research reports from the RSSB include:

Published research

T848 AeroTRAIN (a TrioTRAIN project) –

Aerodynamics: Total Regulatory Acceptance for the

Interoperable Network

T997 Managing occupational road risk associated

with road vehicle driver fatigue

Projects recently started

T952 Future Traffic Regulation Optimisation (FuTRO)

T1003 Standardisation of coupling arrangements

T1019 Reliability modelling of the Brighton mainline

T1029 Designing a tool to support duty holders in

the assessment of train dispatch risk

For further information please visit:

www.rssb.co.uk

Brakes for Hitachi Class 800 trainsl Hitachi Rail Europe has signed a contract with Knorr-Bremse which will see

Knorr-Bremse supplying the braking system for the new Hitachi Class 800

series trains destined for UK operations. Knorr-Bremse will be supplying the

entire braking system for the new trains including the brake control, bogie

equipment and the air supply system.

New chief executive for Freightliner Groupl Freightliner Group

has announced that

Russell Mears will be

appointed as group

chief executive

from Monday 30th

September 2013.

He will succeed Peter Maybury, who will retire

from the position of chief executive but remain with the

company as chairman. Russell is currently chief financial

officer for the Group and has worked with Freightliner since

privatisation in 1996.

Russell Mears

New fencing along the West Coast Main Line

Management buyout at Quattrol The Quattro Group

has been bought by its

management team, led

by finance director David

Callé, who assumes the

role of CEO. Previous

owner John Murphy has

retained a significant

stake in the business

and has taken over as

executive chairman. Quattro Group was founded

by John Murphy in 1989 and has since grown into a

£40 million business.

David Callé


Network Rail welcomes the recognition

in the determination of the significant

progress the industry as a whole

has made in the last decade on train

performance, value for money, affordability,

and, above all, safety as the company

continues to meet unprecedented increases

in passenger and freight demand at the same

time as renewing our Victorian network.

During CP4 Network Rail has identified and

begun to address the major challenges that

those two goals confront us with, particularly

in our approach to sustainable asset

management and optimising the inevitable

trade-offs between performance and capacity

constraints.

Network Rail is determined to keep working

with the rest of the industry to maintain, and

build on, that progress, which is why we

have used the time since the determination

to analyse, in detail, the ORR’s proposals,

particularly given its assessment that the

chances of us reaching the targets it has set

are less than fifty percent.

The strategic business plan Network Rail

published in January set out the fundamental

changes we are committed to carrying

out in our culture, working practices, use

of technology and collaboration with our

customers and partners. The ORR’s draft

determination requires us to go beyond these

ambitions and deliver even higher levels of

performance and cost savings with less

investment, and less money to operate and

manage the railway, and with less funding for

enhancements.

As a result, Network Rail believes that the

cumulative impact of the scale and pace of

change that the ORR has proposed across

a range of activities makes the package as a

whole unbalanced.

David Higgins, Network Rail chief executive,

said: “The regulator’s determination provides

the opportunity for Network Rail and the

Network Rail’s response to the ORR draft determination for CP5

At the beginning of September Network Rail published its response to the Office of Rail Regulation’s draft determination for the period 2014 to 2019, CP5

industry to build on the progress and success

of the last decade, but whilst there are many

aspects of the draft which we welcome, taken

as a whole we believe it is unbalanced and,

therefore, unrealistic.”

Amongst the issues Network Rail is

concerned about are:

l The proposal to cut our renewals budget by

a further £594 million on top of the £2.2 billion

of savings we had already identified in our

plan. This does not reflect the additional costs

involved in focusing track renewals on critical

routes which are more complex, and therefore

expensive, because of their higher rates of use

and difficulties of access.

l The expectation that we should deliver an

additional £800 million of property income and

enhancements on top of the £1.8 billion we

had already aimed for. We, and independent

property consultants, consider this to be

unrealistic.

l Our plan to update antiquated industry

IT systems has been cut from £614 million to

£338 million and our plan for a special budget

for research and development to stimulate

much-needed technological innovation to drive

efficiencies has been reduced from

£300 million to £50 million.

l A significant increase in the level and degree

of regulatory oversight which will result in

Network Rail having to report on a total of

3700 measures.

l An assumed cost of financing which is too

low because it does not reflect current market

conditions.

As a result of these, and other real concerns,

Network Rail is asking the ORR to restore

£1.4 billion of the £2.4 billion it cut from our

original plans (contained in the strategic

business plan published in January).

Network Rail is also asking the ORR to review

the regulatory regime it is proposing for CP5

since it believes the current proposal will:

l Add additional cost through duplication

of effort

l Deny the company the flexibility it needs to

manage the risks inherent in a highly complex

industry

l Deny the industry as a whole the flexibility

it will need to manage jointly the trade-offs

between capacity and performance in a period

when demand will continue to grow and there

will be inevitable disruption as we continue to

deliver the biggest rail investment programme

since the Victorian era.

Mr Higgins concluded: “We had already set

ourselves tough, challenging targets for the

next five years in terms of further improving

performance, safety and continuing high levels

of investment to grow and expand our railway.

The ORR’s response to our plans calls us to

deliver too much, too quickly and is, overall,

simply unrealistic. It would be irresponsible for

us not to be open and honest about the scale

of the challenge that would pose for us as an

organisation.” zz

More information on Network Rail’s strategic

business plans can be found here:

www.networkrail.co.uk/publications/

strategic-business-plan-for-cp5/

An interactive timeline of the periodic

review process can be found here:

www.rail-reg.gov.uk/pr13/

about/key-dates.php

Network Rail faces unprecedented increases in passenger and freight demand

David Higgins,

Network Rail’s

chief executive

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Crossrail’s ‘race against the clock’ to

complete a key part of its work to the

Victorian Connaught Tunnel in east

London has been completed ahead of

schedule.

Earlier in the year, dam walls were installed

in a section of the Royal Docks that runs above

the tunnel to allow Crossrail workers to access

the tunnel from above. However, the dam had

to be removed by the first week of September

to allow ships to pass through the dock ahead

of a trade exhibition at ExCeL London.

Following three months of work around the

clock, the work has now been completed, the

dam walls have been removed and the dock

has been re-opened.

A cofferdam the size of a football pitch was

installed and 13 million litres of water were

drained from the Royal Docks. This allowed

workers to deepen, widen and strengthen the

Connaught Tunnel refurbishment completed

ahead of schedule

central section of the

tunnel so that it can

accommodate new

Crossrail trains.

Sections of the

tunnel were in a poor

condition and parts

of it were narrowed

during the 1930s so that the

dock could be deepened to accommodate

larger ships with brickwork removed and steel

segments installed. This material has now been

removed and a larger, stronger structure has

been put in place in preparation for the start of

Crossrail services in 2018.

The tunnel was built in 1878 and has not

been in passenger use since December 2006.

It is the only existing tunnel that will be re-used

for Crossrail.

Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail chief

executive said: “In refurbishing this Victorian

rail tunnel, the team at Connaught has had to

think on its feet and overcome some unique

challenges. It is a source of great pride that

our engineers and everyone on the project

continue to deliver, often in difficult and

complex circumstances.”

Linda Miller, Connaught Tunnel project

manager said: “It was a race against the clock

to get the work completed and the dock

re-flooded, so it’s great news that we’ve got it

finished ahead of schedule. It’s been a fantastic

effort by the whole team to get the job done

safely, quickly and effectively.”

When the southeast section of Crossrail

opens, up to 12 trains an hour in each direction

will run through the Connaught Tunnel,

reducing journey times and supporting the

wider regeneration of the Royal Docks. As well

as widening and deepening the central section

of the tunnel, the work at the site will include

laying new tracks, waterproofing, installing

water pumps and cleaning the 135 years of

coal and soot from the bricks. zz

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The Royal Docks being re-flooded

Connaught Tunnel in July 2013

Working in the cofferdam

earlier this year


Electrification factory on railsA factory on rails – the first of its kind to be used on Britain’s railways – will slash years off

the time it will take to electrify the Great Western main line

W ith 235 route miles to electrify from

Maidenhead in the East to Swansea

in the West – and many thousands of

trains to keep running while the work

is done – Network Rail is working with German

manufacturer Windhoff to build the High Output

Plant system (HOPS) train to do the job.

This 23-vehicle train, in effect several trains in

one, will work its way west, building the railway

electrical infrastructure as it goes.

Project director for Network Rail, Western

and Wales, Robbie Burns, said: “Electrifying the

Great Western is a big challenge but the benefits

for passengers and the wider economy will be

equally huge. Electric trains are more reliable,

cleaner, accelerate faster and use less energy.

Their fuel cost is 45 per cent lower than diesel

trains, and they are also cheaper to maintain.

“But electrifying such a long stretch of line

in such a short timeframe, while also making

sure passengers can still take trains to where

they want to go, is a challenge we need new

technology to meet.

“The factory train will allow us to work

overnight, when the network is less busy, and

will also mean we can keep trains running. It’s a

step change in the way we work in the UK and we

are looking forward to starting next year.”

Operating six nights a week, the £40 million

HOPS will do its work after dark, with adjacent

lines open for business at speed – if not maximum

speed – aiming to sink up to 30 piles per shift.

This equates to the usual length of one stretch of

conductor wire – between 1200 and 1500m. And

there are 17,000 piles to be sunk before Swansea.

Electrifying the Great Western using the HOPS

will be a much more efficient process than

methods used in this country in the past, with

work able to be carried out while trains are still

running.

Without it, the work would need to be

undertaken at weekends, with disruptive line

closures. It is intended to have electric trains

running to Swansea by 2018.

How it worksWith several consists in one train, the HOPS will

leave the purpose-built depot in Swindon and

split up to head to different parts of the line at its

60mph top speed. It carries enough supplies and

equipment to avoid having to bring anything to the

trackside on lorries and staff can be picked up at

Regional director Robbie Burns with the piling rig on

the HOPS

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The piling rig on the HOPS


stations en-route.

The different consists are:

l A piling rig, with two MPVs with Movax vibro

piling heads, which literally vibrate the steel piles

into the soil, two pile carrying wagons, and finally

a Fambo hydraulic percussion hammer MPV for

tougher ground

l An excavation and concrete batching

consist. This will feature an Hitachi excavator

plus a Kniele concrete unit which will mix concrete

from onboard aggregate, cement and water tanks

l A structures consist, which will erect the

Series One masts, portal booms and twin track

cantilevers. It is intended to carry 30 masts for

erection, per night

l Ancillary conductor consist, which will install

the earthing wires, return wires and small parts

such as registration arms and other equipment

l The contact and catenary consist, which

will string up the remaining wires, under tension.

Another unit will install other articles such as

catenary wires under low bridges, neutral sections

and record information such as height and

stagger.

Each consist will include two MPVs with full

driving cabs, powered by MTU power packs,

which can be driven at 60mph off-site. On-site

driving cabs will allow the train to be driven very

slowly in possessions, such as when installing

contact wire.

Where it will beThe HOPS will be maintained and restocked at

the High Output Operating Base (HOOB) near

Swindon. A further distribution site in the town

will act as a stockpile for materials, which will be

delivered to the HOOB when needed.

Around 200 people will work on the HOPS

project overall, employed by operator Amey, and

recruited from along the route of the line.

It is intended that many will train on the

equipment they are installing, before being ‘left

behind’ to work as maintenance staff on the

overhead, leaving the railway a legacy of highly-

skilled railway electrical engineers.

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Proposed electrification schemesOn Tuesday 8th January 2013, Network Rail set out its plans to build a bigger, better railway for Britain over the 2014-19 funding period. These plans included the following electrification schemes:l Great Western Main Line (Maidenhead to Oxford, Newbury, Bristol and Cardiff) and Thames Valley branchesl Cardiff to Swansea and Welsh Valley linesl Midland Main Line (Bedford to Corby, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield)l North-West Electrification Scheme (Liverpool to Manchester, Manchester to Preston and Blackpool)l Transpennine Electrification Scheme (Manchester to Leeds and York)l Electric spine (Southampton to Nuneaton and Bedford via Oxford)

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The piling rig gets to work on the HOPS

The concrete batching section of the HOPS


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HS2 benefits to extend across the rail network – Network Rail study

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Over 100 towns and cities on Britain’s existing railway lines could benefit from quicker, more frequent journeys and better

connections when HS2 phase two is complete, according to a new report published by Network Rail

The report on released capacity, ‘Better

connections: options for the integration of

High Speed 2’, sets out initial proposals for

how HS2 could be integrated into the national

rail network once the second phase connecting

Birmingham with Leeds and Manchester is complete.

It considers three broad approaches to how the

capacity released by HS2 could be used in advance of

more detailed assessments of the benefits:

(i) ‘Do minimum’ approach – this would keep

train services on existing lines broadly the same but

offer reduced crowding and increased choice for

passengers between high-speed and conventional

long-distance services at certain locations.

(ii) ‘Incremental’ approach – this seeks to replace

long-distance services on the existing network which

are replicated by those provided by HS2, allowing

the capacity to be used for improved inter-urban

connectivity and/or additional commuting capacity.

This approach could free up freight paths and provide

new journey opportunities on all north-south routes.

The capacity released on the West Coast Main Line

when Phase 2 completes could mean an additional

service for places like Crewe, Stafford, Winsford,

Hartford, Acton Bridge and Warrington. It could also

improve connectivity between Northampton and

Manchester or between Birmingham and North Wales.

For the East Coast Main Line, it could mean

additional journey opportunities between Manchester

and Newcastle and between Newcastle and

Edinburgh.

On the Midland Main Line the released capacity

could be used to provide more seats and improved

connectivity between Sheffield/Nottingham and Leeds.

(iii) ‘Integrated connectivity’ approach – a

more radical concept which would see all future

rail services planned in a ‘hub and spoke’ model to

complement and work in conjunction with HS2 which

would provide ‘hub to hub’ services.

This approach would see the high-speed lines

become the principal means of long-distance travel

with services on the existing network set up in a feeder

pattern to improve connectivity to the HS2 hub and the

surrounding area.

For example, most people travelling through Crewe

are on direct services to Manchester, Liverpool,

Birmingham, Preston, Glasgow and London. This

constrains capacity for improvements to other services.

The integrated connectivity approach would see

as many long-distance services as possible transfer

on to the high-speed lines, freeing up space for local

connectivity. This could mean that the towns and

cities surrounding Crewe could see improved services,

for example Stoke could see the number of services

increase from two to four with a potentially faster and

more reliable journey.

High Speed Rail

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initial study published by Network Rail and Passenger

Focus in January 2012 which looked at how capacity

released from HS2 Phase One, between London and

Birmingham, could be best used to meet passengers’

priorities.

This study found that one of the biggest groups

to benefit would be commuters travelling between

Northampton, Milton Keynes, Watford Junction and

London Euston, where the worst overcrowding on the

West Coast Main Line is forecast in the coming years

as demand for rail continues to grow. zz

‘Better connections’ can be downloaded from

www.networkrail.co.uk/highspeedrail

and Network Rail is seeking feedback on its contents to

inform more detailed assessments of how to maximise

the benefits of HS2. This work will inform Network Rail’s

long-term planning process, which is also subject

to consultation.

Example of ‘Hub and Spoke’ approach . Crew N

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Paul Plummer, Network Rail group strategy director,

said: “HS2 provides an opportunity to fundamentally

reshape our railway in a way that incremental

improvements simply cannot deliver. It is a chance

to stop playing catch-up on capacity and instead

look at how the rail network could deliver a step-

change improvement towards key national goals –

economic growth, reduced carbon emissions and an

improved quality of life for communities and individual

passengers.

“This study is part of a wider programme that looks

at how the high speed and existing lines might work

together as a single network. We will continue to

work with local authorities and other stakeholders to

understand how we can make best use of HS2 and

welcome feedback on this initial study in advance of

more detailed assessments of the benefits.”

Network Rail held a series of workshops with

stakeholders to make sure that the report took into

account local aspirations for connectivity and journey

opportunities as well as plans for local and regional

development. The workshops were attended by

representatives of local authorities, passenger transport

executives and chambers of commerce and were

extremely valuable in determining priorities for future rail

services.

The approach found to offer the greatest potential

benefits was the integrated connectivity, or ‘hub

and spoke’, option. This would see long distance

services principally provided by HS2, with services

on the existing network set up in a feeder pattern to

provide frequent and reliable connectivity between

surrounding areas and the ‘hub’ stations. It was felt by

all stakeholders that this approach could create new

opportunities to improve inter-regional, commuter and

freight services and promote a shift in journeys from

road to rail.

An incremental approach was also found to deliver

significant improvements for passengers on the East

Coast, Midland and West Coast main lines, with up to

100 stations on routes between London, the Midlands,

the north west and the north east and Scotland

potentially benefitting from faster and more frequent

services offering new and better connections.

The ‘Better connections’ report complements an


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Returning to Lloyd’s Register as transportation director, PauL SeLLeR tells Kirsty Birkett-Stubbs about his

plans for the organisation

Paul Seller – transportation director at Lloyd’s Register

INTERVIEW I Paul Seller

Returning to make a difference

There is a difference to Lloyd’s Register,” says Paul Seller

when asked about his reasons for coming back to the

organisation to take up the reins of its rail and metro

business.

“Firstly we’ve got longevity: Lloyd’s Register has been

around for over 250 years and can trace its roots to an

18th century coffee shop in London. Few bodies last that long, let alone

remain as consistently successful or reputable over such a time span.

Much of this can be attributed to our independence from shareholder

dividends, meaning we are free to be absolutely impartial in our work.

“Secondly, we are an organisation with strong interests in promoting

education and research into engineering. We invest in programmes that

help develop skills and attract quality engineers into the various sectors

we serve.”

“This means there is an ethos throughout the organisation which is

‘do something that matters’ which is important to all our staff. We’re

a home for people who want to see things done properly. And it is a

genuine privilege to be returning to lead such a high quality group of

people,” he enthuses.

Making a differenceWhich all stacks up. For at the heart of the organisation is a charity, the

Lloyd’s Register Foundation, with a mission to protect life and property,

and advance transport and engineering education and research. The

charity is funded by an operating arm – the Lloyd’s Register Group

Limited which provides independent assurance and expert advice

services.

Having recently assumed the role of transportation director, it now

falls to Paul to oversee the growth of its consultancy and assurance

services within the rail industry. “The Lloyd’s Register Group is keen to

extend its presence in the rail and metro sector,” he notes.

“My task is to use this backing to support that growth. We already

have a work portfolio that extends across Europe, the Middle East

and Asia, and the past 18 months have seen us secure roles on major

projects such as Crossrail, Etihad Rail and the Taiwan High Speed

network. Now is the right time to capitalise on that progress.”

Serving stronglyPaul previously spent ten years with the organisation between 2001

and 2011. During this time he managed the UK services team and

became global business development director. This was followed by

two-and-a-half years working for Bombardier Transportation where his

most recent responsibility was ensuring that the mainline and metro

division possessed effective safety, homologation and qualification

testing processes.

Reflecting on what he brings back from this time away, Paul says:

“It has given me an excellent ‘client-side’ perspective, which has

reaffirmed my belief that at Lloyd’s Register we already serve our clients


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There is an ethos throughout the organisation which is ‘do something that matters’ which is important to all our staff

Lloyd’s Register’s London headquarters is steeped in the organisation’s 250 year history

“

Chris

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well with some very talented engineers

amongst our ranks, including specialists

who are amongst the best in the world

in their field. My number one priority is to

develop the business without losing that

technical edge or our client focus.

“Take our assurance and certification work

as an example: there’s no getting away from the

fact that sometimes all a client project manager

is primarily focused on is getting from A to B – to

achieve acceptance, or equivalent, as efficiently

as possible. They want people to come in and

lift the burden, not add to it. And our approach

has always understood that. Our assessors are

not ‘clipboard holders’ standing on the sidelines

dutifully ticking things off – we won’t just turn

around and say “that’s not acceptable”. We’ll see it as part of our

responsibility to get ahead of the project, anticipate its requirements,

flag up problems in advance and carefully explain the issues, thus vastly

reducing duplication and overall paperwork. As a project manager this

is highly valuable,” he continues.

Future directionThe first step towards formulating the future of Lloyd’s Register’s rail

activity is for Paul to reacquaint himself with each of the offices around

the world, and from that put together a formal growth strategy. “We

are all agreed on the ‘big picture’,” he notes. “We know what sort

of business we want to be in, say, five years time, and the areas we

need to look at in order to achieve our ambitions. For example, we

are widely known for our independent assurance, but we also offer

support through technical advice and intend to extend that area of the

business.”

One area that has progressed strongly is its Transportation Academy,

which has grown to now offer over a 100 different courses across rail

safety, performance and management disciplines. Courses such as the

Common Safety Method for Risk Assessment have proved particularly

popular in the UK. Meanwhile projects like the design of a new biomass

freight wagon for Drax Power demonstrate how Lloyd’s Register can

also provide specialist expertise away from the assurance roles it is

traditionally known for.

“I think there is an increased understanding about rail’s overall

importance in our rapidly urbanising society. It is also an industry that

has rediscovered its appetite for new ideas and methods to improve

efficiency. That means increased demand for innovations ranging from

advanced traction technologies and in-cab train control to procedural

improvements such as predictive maintenance, asset management and

energy monitoring. These are technical areas in which Lloyd’s Register

has a lot of specialist expertise to offer,” concludes Paul. zz

Lloyd’s RegisterTel: +44 (0) 20 7423 2949Email: [email protected]: www.lr.org/rail

INTERVIEW I Paul Seller

Left: Lloyd’s Register has a growing rail business in China and Asia

Below: Lloyd’s Register’s teams conduct stringent safety assessments on all forms of rolling stock

Lloyd’s Register’s

UK rail team moved to

Derby’s Pride Park in

April 2012

Lloyd’s Register specialists perform trackside

and on-board management services for a range

of purposes

•


A project that could enable manufacturers of rail

vehicles to use virtual testing of trains in order

to ensure safety standards throughout Europe

while making huge savings on development

costs has relied on a key contribution from a research

team based at the University of Huddersfield.

Named DynoTRAIN, with a total budget over

€5.5 million euros, the four-year project, now nearing

completion, has received funding from the European

Commission under the 7th Framework Programme

(Grant Agreement number 234079) and among

the partners – alongside manufacturers and rail

infrastructure bodies in seven European nations –

is the Institute for Railway Research (IRR), which

occupies a purpose-built suite of labs at the University

of Huddersfield.

The IRR’s head of research is Dr Yann Bezin, who

explained that an overall aim of DynoTRAIN was to

speed up the process of certifying rail vehicles so that

they can run safely on tracks throughout Europe.

“Before you are allowed to run a vehicle in a

country you need to make sure it is safe and that

implies a lot of physical testing,” said Dr Bezin.

“So you build a prototype of the train and it is tested

through an intensive and long programme of

physical testing.”

This is costly as well as time-consuming.

“If you build a fleet of vehicles to sell, the cost of a

full train would be spent on certification. That is quite

a large proportion, because you don’t sell hundreds

of trains,” said Dr Bezin.

A speciality of the IRR is in the development of

modelling software that can simulate the dynamic

zzResearch News

DynoTRAIN project nears completionbehaviour of railway vehicles, leading to estimate the

safe operation of a train in differing conditions.

“One of our tasks as part of DynoTRAIN has been

to build mathematical tools that take data collected

from different countries about the track and synthesise

that data into a representative track that you would

use in a virtual test environment,” explained Dr Bezin.

Manufacturers would be able to use virtual test

tracks to make adjustments to vehicles according

to the conditions in which they would be used. It is

hoped that the findings of DynoTRAIN, including the

IRR’s contribution, will help to establish virtual testing

as a valid route to certification.

But it relies on a massive database of information

about real tracks and real railway systems and this

was gathered as part of DynoTRAIN by assembling a

special train – locomotives, passenger carriages and

freight wagons – fitted out with a battery of testing

equipment, such as a laser system that captured

the shape of the rail every 25cm over thousands of

kilometres.

This train ran in Germany, France, Italy and

Switzerland, capturing the characteristics of different

tracks in different countries, including high speed lines

and slower, local services.

This furnished a huge amount of information that

could be used in order to help validate vehicle models

and build virtual test tracks.

“DynoTRAIN has been a very useful project,

involving all the key players in the industry,” said

Dr Bezin. The Institute had developed a tool that was

of interest to railway manufacturers and could be used

to build a database of virtual tracks to aid the safety

certification process. zz

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The Institute of Railway Research’s

head of research, Dr Yann Bezin, (front

row, second right) along with the rest of

the IRR team

For further information, please contact Dr Yann Bezin at:University of Huddersfield Institute for Railway ResearchEmail: [email protected]: 01484 473 732Web: www.hud.ac.uk

Achilles runs Link-up, the supplier registration

and pre-qualification scheme for the industry.

The company commissioned an independent

survey of 130 procurement professionals

working in a wide range of sectors – including rail

and transport – to ascertain their key supply chain

challenges. (Research was conducted on behalf of

Achilles by IFF Research in March 2013 amongst 131

directors, procurement managers and buyers of large

UK businesses with over 250 employees.)

Results showed that;

l 40 per cent of companies procuring only in the

UK, including the rail and transport sector, had no

information about their Tier 2 suppliers

l 18 per cent of all companies – including those in the

rail and transport sector – had no information about

Tier 2 suppliers.

Annette Gevaert, director of rail and transport

at Achilles, said: “Like most businesses, the rail

sector is now dependent on increasingly complex

and globalised supply chains. Rail is a safety critical

industry, with people at its heart, and we must take

proactive steps to address potential risks in supply

chains before they affect People, Planet and Profit.

“The horse meat scandal unfolded in a different

sector but the same issues – caused by a lack of

supplier visibility – could easily affect the rail industry.

“Our research suggests that businesses do not know

who their Tier 2 suppliers are and yet they remain

‘confident’ in their risk management processes –

without the benefit of a complete picture of information.

This suggests that procurement professionals are

either unaware of the risk posed by Tier 2 suppliers, or

overly complacent in their existing systems. By creating

maps of supply chains across all tiers the rail industry

could gain visibility and traceability of potential risks

and act as a role model to other sectors.”

The situation is also reflected among SMEs. A third

(30 per cent) of companies with a turnover below

£25 million have no information on their suppliers’

suppliers, compared to only 13 per cent of companies

with a turnover of over £1 billion.

Edward Funnell, rail policy spokesperson for The

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, said:

“This study should come as a wake-up call to rail

companies and the Institute welcomes the fact that

this research has been undertaken.

“While many companies take good care to ensure

their suppliers comply with high standards of care to

ensure that products are safe, how many are checking

the levels of compliance with quality and safety

standards of their suppliers’ suppliers?

“Many ‘Tier 2’ suppliers may well be excellent

providers, but as recent events have shown, when it

comes to the manufacture of safety-critical products,

companies who procure products from their suppliers

need to ask questions of their suppliers’ suppliers

too. Dented reputations, safety scares, unwanted

media attention and additional financial and legal costs

are much costlier than taking a little time to carry out

checks on those who supply your suppliers.”

Achilles provides supply chain management and

supply chain mapping services. This allows companies

to maintain accurate data and ‘map’ their extended

supply chains, to view supply information beyond

Tier 1 suppliers. An automated ‘cascading invitation’

from buyer to supplier to supplier’s supplier ad infinitum

gathers comprehensive information about the supply

chain, protecting buyers from global events and

allowing best practice in the mitigation of risk. zz

Why supply chain maps could prevent the rail industry

from having its own ‘horse meat’ scandal


Contact details for the Achilles Link-up team are:

Tel: 01235 838 193 Email: [email protected]

Web: www.rail.achilles.com

Annette Gevaert is director of rail and transport at Achilles,

the leading provider of supplier information management

services

Supply Chainzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Rail companies should create maps of their supply chains to prevent an ‘industry version’ of the horse meat scandal. That’s according to supply chain management company Achilles, after research showed that 40 per cent of businesses procuring only in the UK have no information about their suppliers’ suppliers. Despite this lack of information, 92 per cent felt ‘confident’ in their ability to manage potential issues.


T he Government’s announcement in

June that it would invest

£16 billion into Britain’s rail

infrastructure is undoubtedly a step

in the right direction. However, recent failures

have once again highlighted that a cash

injection on its own is not the answer to

improve our rail network. The West Coast

mainline fiasco, for instance, brought to the

fore the limitations of the Government’s current

franchising model, emphasising a broader

malaise in Government’s relationship with the

private sector. As a result, the Government

is taking stock and spending time getting its

house in order, recently publishing a revised

strategy for managing franchise bidding and

delaying many of its scheduled tenders.

The issues surrounding the franchising

process have reignited the debate around

‘which is better’ for our railways – franchising

or public sector management? However, this

structural and politicised way of looking at the

issue will not lead us to the right answers. We

need to begin by asking more fundamental

questions – focusing on what investment and

management expertise are required to create

a world-class transport infrastructure for

consumers and how this can be provided.

Looking more closely at the West Coast bid,

the blame for its failure was laid at the door of

the overstretched civil servants, who lacked the

technical skills to correctly assess the bids, as

well as an overarching lack of leadership. West

Coast isn’t the only example of long-term deals

between the public and private sectors in rail to

have collapsed – the failure of the East Coast

mainline, which is still under direct Government

control after the franchise collapsed in 2009, is

another well-known example of a similar type

of mismanagement.

However, the real issues at the heart of the

franchising process are more deep-seated

than this. We would argue that, regardless of

execution, the current process is designed for

failure: the parameters under which contracts

come to market are flawed, the operational

risks transferred onto bidders have been

zzFranchises

Rail franchising in the UK – a model for the future

VIVEK MADAN considers some alternatives to the current franchising process

ill thought through, and wider social goals are

not addressed at all.

Although ensuring that the public purse

gets a good deal is important, there is far

too great a focus on trying to squeeze every

last pip out of companies at the bidding

stage – in essence, trying to get as high

a guaranteed revenue stream as possible

rather than thinking more strategically about

what the public needs from a railway. The

long-term economic objectives of building a

world-class infrastructure for consumers and

creating better connectivity to drive economic

growth are not set as specific aims for bidding

companies, meaning that the whole process is

defined by financial requirements.

Similarly, social aspects such as ridership

and economic development should be set as

a key indicator of success. Encouraging more

people to use rail should be one of the ultimate

aims of any contract. The public sector has

had some successes in this, particularly with

Merseyrail and NI Railways, which have seen a

spike in numbers in recent years.

Although there is no one template for public

sector contracting that we would urge the

Government to follow, there are a number

of lessons that can be learned from similar

processes in the UK and from other countries

in creating successful partnerships between

the public and private sectors.

The ‘Alliance’ approach used in rail public

private partnerships in Australia, such as the

one currently being tendered for Sydney’s

North West Rail project, offers an example of

how risk and reward can be more sensibly

shared. Rather than tendering on unknowns, a

procurement process lasting over a year where

shortlisted bidders and the state government

develop bids based on an ‘open book’

approach to costs, means that more innovative

solutions can be designed. This approach also

means that both the public and the private

sectors can focus on what they’re really good

at – the public sector keeping its role managing

the ongoing policy of the railway including

fare-setting, while leaving the private sector to

operate complex assets efficiently.

Rewarding bids on a specific set of success

criteria that goes beyond financial goals into

more societal goals is also becoming more

widespread in other parts of the UK’s public

sector. Although these sorts of contracts have

grown more rapidly in sectors where goals can

be more easily measured, like in the reform of

the prison service for instance, there are similar

measurable goals that could be applied to rail

franchise operators. Increasing the number

of low-income riders, growing the number

of tourists that visit regional destinations and

reducing anti-social behaviour on trains are just

three potential goals that could be accounted

for by a franchising agreement.

It is absurd that a strategic asset so vital

to the nation’s economic wellbeing as the rail

network is being managed entirely for yield.

Our rail fares are among the highest in Europe

– and still, franchise-owners are going bust.

While it is clear that the franchising model we

have today is not perfect, root-and-branch

change without an adjustment in underlying

attitudes will not deliver the changes we need.

There are examples out there of successful

and sustainable public private partnerships

in the rail sector that work to the benefit of

customers, business and government alike.

It’s our responsibility to find a solution that will

ensure we create a world-class rail system that

will serve the economy and is fit for purpose for

future generations.zz

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Vivek Madan is a Partner at OC&C Strategy

Consultants, leading its Business and

Government Services practice. OC&C has

widespread expertise in advising the public

sector to maximise its tendering processes.


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz SPENCE ltd

Building upFurther significant

contract wins see Spence Ltd building

further on the foundations laid in

the rail industry

OHSAS 18001. Spence also holds a Network

Rail Principal Contractor Licence and Link-

up Approval, which is testament to its work

in the rail sector. Furthermore the company

was delighted with the news in February that

it had ranked 7th out of 36 key suppliers

and contractors in Network Rail’s PRISM

performance table.

This set something of a tone for the year as

shortly after Spence was awarded two three-

year frameworks by Network Rail, anticipated to

be worth £8 million per annum. The contracts

cover building, civil engineering and associated

works to all operational buildings along the Kent

and Sussex routes for services operating out of

major London terminal stations. This includes

335 franchised stations, depots, line-side

building, and four major terminals.

Specific services performed by Spence

will include emergency reactive works as well

as delivery of bespoke projects. The award

follows on from Spence’s earlier success in

gaining a commercial property framework

for non-operational property throughout the

Midlands, South and West England, and

Wales. It also further underlines the company’s

Founded by Robert Spence in 1973,

Spence is still family owned and

independently run today. Alongside

the continuing traditions and ethos,

the company is also a growing business

delivering a range of outstanding projects in rail

and commercial property with its skills in civil

engineering and construction.

An open and honest approach to business,

and determination to always give the highest

quality and craftsmanship of work, has

enabled Spence to build many long-term

relationships with its clients. At the core of

this is first understanding the client’s needs

through implementing previous experience and

knowledge, listening to issues, and providing

detailed cost-benefits analysis. This then allows

Spence to create the best possible solution,

which can be delivered by its own in-house

engineering, architectural, mechanical and

electrical capabilities and skilled workforce. A

trusted team of sub-contractors and suppliers

are also available for specialist requirements.

These high standards are maintained

through a management system that

incorporates ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and

Ensuring the highest quality development whilst keeping the wheels turning for Network Rail

Hendon Retail Park, design and build Maryland redevelopment

Victoria station façade: clean, repair and roof refurbishment


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzgrowing reputation for delivering maintenance

framework agreements.

Especially recognised has been Spence’s

work with Greater Anglia on station upgrades

and refurbishment projects. This includes the

flagship regeneration of Maryland station within

a 92-hour possession ahead of the London

2012 Olympics. With the Greater Anglia

franchise having been extended by two years,

Spence will continue to support the operator in

these programmes.

This year has also seen Spence sign

its largest ever single project contract to

date for Network Rail commercial property

at a value of £8.5 million. Specifically this

means the refurbishment of Victoria Place

shopping centre, which sits above Victoria

station in London, and is part of the overall

site redevelopment. The work includes

structural changes, mechanical and electrical

installations, complete refurbishment of

common areas and shell core preparation for

new retail areas.

As demonstrated by these contracts

Spence’s main activities include design,

refurbishment and upgrades, new build and

fit-outs, civil engineering, station works,

and mechanical and electrical installations.

However, the company also has a history of

assisting in more innovative concepts.

This includes the replacement of the lighting

system of the Peak Hour Subway at Waterloo

station with a new LED installation. Working

closely with Network Rail, Spence created the

system from scratch, and then implemented it

with minimal disruption. The new lighting has

not only approved conditions for passengers,

but also delivers significant running and

maintenance cost savings, and a reduction in

the station’s carbon footprint.

Elsewhere Spence assisted with a prototype

trial for a new system designed to deliver a

de-icing solution to the third rail using the trains

themselves. As part of the scheme, 1000-litre

storage tanks and specially designed pump

and pipe systems were installed on the trains,

with the test successfully taking place on live

track with very positive feedback.

With Control Period 5 now beckoning,

Spence is keen to see the different types of

work that will be briefed by Network Rail.

The company then intends to align itself with

these where possible through its specialism

in construction and civil engineering. Having

already become even more deeply involved

with the industry over the course of the year

through significant contract awards, it seems

Spence remains a name of choice for the future

as well. zz

Web: www.spenceltd.co.uk

ScorposScorpos is a family-owned company that subscribes

to the same values as Spence – quality, safety and

value for money.

Started in March 2006 by Helen Forbes, Scorpos

Recruitment Ltd was a traditional permanent

recruitment agency with a focus on white-collar

placements. In June 2010 Scorpos began supplying

temporary labour, skilled crafts and operatives to

businesses in the civils and construction industry.

The Scorpos Construction division was formed and is

headed by George Cruciuc, a civil engineer with over

ten years’ experience of labour supply on large and

small projects e.g. Leicester Square, M25 widening.

In December 2011 Scorpos became a Link-up

Qualified Supplier for contingent labour (track,

building works, civil and electrification), on-track

safety and warning services, and machine/crane

controllers. The Scorpos Rail division was established

and is headed by Sam O’Reilly, a working COSS. Sam

works closely with Spence on various projects, the

first of which was at Maryland station and required

supply of labour for an initial 92 hours possession

over Easter, and three further 24-hour week-end

possessions.

Scorpos appreciates and values the relationship with

Spence and looks forward to supplying Spence on

many future projects.

Tottenham Hale toilet refurbishment


After five weeks of around-the-clock

effort, six miles of new track, 143 new

signals, a new platform, the work of

2000 people and over 30,000 bus

movements, a full train service has begun

again at Nottingham station.

Network Rail’s £100 million investment in the

railway through the city has seen its 1960s-era

signalling and track pulled up and replaced

with modern equivalents to a new, more

efficient and flexible design. This will improve

the reliability of the train service in the East

Midlands and complement the work going on

to improve the station.

A revised bank holiday train service started

again at 0531 on the morning of Monday

26th August and Tuesday 27th August marked

the start of the first full working day timetable

for the new systems and infrastructure.

The new track and signalling layout at

Nottingham allows for greater flexibility,

uncorking the bottleneck on the approach to

the station which has for many years resulted

in trains at a stand waiting for platforms to

become available. With the number of trains

and passengers using Nottingham station

predicted to grow, this flexibility will enable

Network Rail and East Midlands Trains to run a

more reliable service.

During the work East Midlands Trains kept

passengers moving with a service of more than

700 bus movements a day linking Nottingham

with East Midlands Parkway, Derby, Beeston,

Alfreton, Grantham and Newark.

The project in detail:l One new platform created in the station and

‘passive provision’ left for a future platform 8

l Platforms resurfaced and canopy built on

Green light for Nottingham

platform 7 (formerly platform 6)

l 143 new signals

l Six miles of new track

l Three signal boxes and Trent power

signalbox closed and replaced with two new

workstations at Derby signalling centre

l Two level crossings renewed (Carlton

and Colwick)

l Two level crossings closed and replaced

with footbridges (Sneinton and Trent Lane)

l Three major junctions redesigned at

Mansfield Junction, Nottingham East and

Nottingham West

l All signalling designed with electrification in

mind so disruption will be reduced when the

wires come to Nottingham (in five years).

Funding for the scheme comes from

Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation.

The resignalling is part of the wider

Nottingham Hub scheme, which will see the

station’s historic porte cochere turned into a

new entrance hall, and a southern entrance

constructed. This will link to the Nottingham

tram station, being built on a bridge over

the railway.

Network Rail is working in partnership

with Nottingham City Council and East

Midlands Trains on the Hub station project

itself. Construction will conclude in 2014.

Nottingham’s tram project is due for completion

later that year. zz

Netw

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New platform 4 •at Nottingham, with an East

Midlands Norwich service and Cross Country train

stabled in platform 5

The first train out of Nottingham to the West in five weeks

Cab view of the new layout to the West of Nottingham station

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Stations


The blueprint to deliver capacity for

almost 10,000 extra peak-time

passengers on the route in and out of

London Waterloo by 2019 could involve

a staged programme of additional, longer

trains, platform extensions and re-openings,

as well as signalling, track and power supply

improvements.

The vision has been spearheaded by the

management team at the South West Trains-

Network Rail Alliance working in response to

the Department for Transport’s rail investment

strategy to future-proof one of the country’s

key commuter networks. It includes key

improvements around London Waterloo as well

as bringing the remaining four platforms of the

Waterloo International Terminal back into use.

Work is already underway to bring Platform 20

of the former International Terminal back into

service from spring 2014.

However under proposals developed by

the Alliance, Platforms 21 to 24 could also be

brought back into passenger service providing

extra capacity from Waterloo, the UK’s busiest

railway station. Plans are being developed to

extend platforms 1-4 to accommodate longer

trains and to carry out track and signalling

improvements to maximise the benefits of the

platform developments.

The first phase of the plan will see the

procurement of more than 135 additional

Capacity boost for WaterlooPlans are being developed to deliver a transformational capacity

increase on one of Europe’s busiest rail networks

carriages which will run in ten-car formation

on the suburban routes of the network. This

procurement process has now started and

depending on the proposal selected, the

first additional trains could be delivered as

early as 2016.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin

said: “Britain needs a strong economy if

it wants to compete globally and effective

transport links are absolutely key to that.

This is why the Government has embarked

on one of the biggest programmes of rail

modernisation ever.

“It’s also vital to cost effectively create

additional capacity at Waterloo – the capital’s

busiest railway station – making the proposals

from South West Trains and Network Rail

doubly important.”

Tim Shoveller, managing director of the

South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance,

said: “Our network is currently one of the

busiest in Europe carrying almost 210 million

passengers a year.

“We already have confirmed plans in place

to deliver improvements in capacity over the

next two years. However, the huge success

of the railway in the UK means it will get

significantly busier in the next two decades

and beyond. There is also a need to invest in

the infrastructure to improve the daily reliability

for today’s customers.

“The Alliance between South West Trains

and Network Rail means we are working more

closely together, thinking big and creating

plans for the long-term to deliver significant

improvements for passengers.

“The blueprint we are developing in

partnership with the Department for Transport

is a massive programme of work and requires

significant investment. These plans will greatly

improve what is a key part of the country’s

transport infrastructure and ensure our rail

network continues to support economic

growth.”

Plans are already in place to deliver

capacity for an additional 23,000 extra peak-

time passengers per day through the roll-out

of an additional 108 carriages by the end of

2014. These carriages, secured through the

Government’s High Level Output Specification

programme, will provide longer trains on key

peak-time services. Work has already taken

place on the lengthening of platforms at over

60 stations to enable ten-car trains to operate

on key routes.

The South West Trains-Network Rail

Alliance currently runs around 1700 trains a

day in and out of London Waterloo, carrying

nearly 210 million passengers a year.

However, with the huge growth in rail travel in

the UK, this is forecast to increase to nearly

380 million a year by 2030. zz

Waterloo station, with the former Waterloo International platforms beneath the curved roof in the background

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ilimag

es.c

o.uk

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Stations


Passengers using Manchester’s Victoria

station are only one year away from

enjoying a newly revitalised, lighter and

brighter station as part of a

£44 million investment programme being

delivered by Network Rail. The project to

rebuild the station includes replacing four

sections of the old, leaky steel roof which will

be recycled and replaced with a new roof

which will flood the station with natural light.

Demolition teams are working throughout

the summer to remove the old roof and will

shortly be installing new steel beams up to

120 metres long which will support the new

roof structure. The roof is due for completion

in summer 2014 with the station refurbishment

scheduled for completion early in 2015.

The redevelopment of the station includes:

l Improvements to the footbridge spanning

platforms 3-6 allowing for future growth in

passenger numbers

l The old leaky roof will be replaced with a

new structure made from ETFE, the same

Raising the roof at Manchester Victoria

material used at the Eden Project and the roof at

Manchester Piccadilly station

l Sympathetic refurbishment to Grade II listed

parts of the Victoria Buildings, (including the war

memorial, glass dome, Soldiers Gate and the

wall map) restoring them to their former glory

l Refurbishment of the external glass canopy,

new lighting and glazed entrances to revitalise

the Victoria Buildings

l Revamp of existing retail spaces and

provision of new retail facilities for a better

shopping experience

l Improvements to the ticket hall and

external improvements to the paving on

station approach

l Electrified rail lines to the station.

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An impression of the completed station at Manchester Victoria

Demolition in progress

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http://www.nord-lock.com

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Rolling Stock


Network Rail and its partners have

begun work to create a prototype

battery-powered train, part of an

industry study into the feasibility of

using electric trains on parts of the network

which have not been electrified. This could

see Independently Powered Electric Multiple

Unit (IPEMU) trains running on battery power

over non-electrified lines, before charging at

terminal stations, or using their batteries to run

over diesel lines in otherwise electrified parts of

the railway.

Electric trains are quicker, quieter, and more

efficient – making them better for passengers

and the environment. The potential to spread

those benefits while not having to put up

miles of wiring would be cost-effective and

sustainable.

Network Rail’s director of network strategy

and planning, Richard Eccles, said: “We see

this project as an important element of our

strategy of increasing the electrification of the

rail network, delivering improved sustainability

whilst reducing the burden on the taxpayer.

If we can create an energy storage capability

for trains, electric traction can be introduced

to more parts of the network without the

Batteries to be included?

Battery-powered trains could run over non-electrified lines

need to necessarily extend the electrification

infrastructure.

“As the principal funder and delivery

manager, we have done a great deal of

feasibility work before reaching this stage, both

to define the outputs we seek from the trial and

to build confidence in the project across the

industry. We are working with our partners to

drive this innovation forward.”

Funding is coming from Network Rail, the

Enabling Innovation Team (hosted by the

Rail Safety and Standards Board) and the

Department for Transport.

David Clarke, director, Enabling Innovation

Team at RSSB said, “Energy storage on trains

is a typical example of a development that’s

good for passengers, taxpayers and the long

term future of the railway but where it is difficult

for individual businesses to make the business

case to invest in the technology. To help prove

the business case we are funding up to 30 per

cent of the technology demonstration.

“We see the IPEMU project as a good

example of something that will work

according to the R&D but no one will invest in

without seeing a full scale demonstrator. By

supporting this programme we are helping to

take innovation out of the lab and de-risk its

potential introduction onto the railway.”

Working closely with Derby-based train

manufacturer Bombardier and operator Greater

Anglia, the project will use one of the operator’s

Class 379s as a test-bed to determine future

battery requirements and what kind of train

might be needed.

This train will be adapted by Bombardier

and fitted with two different forms of batteries:

lithium (iron magnesium) phosphate and hot

sodium nickel salt. The batteries will undergo

many lab tests before being fitted to the train.

Bombardier said: “We are very enthusiastic

to be collaborating in this groundbreaking

project with Network Rail. This project

is an innovative development to provide

an integrated battery system as a power

source for the well-proven Electrostar train.

Bombardier recognises the potential benefits

that this technology could bring to the rail

industry and the travelling public.”

The modified 379 will then undergo a variety

of tests ‘off network’, including the facility at

Old Dalby. Should those tests prove successful,

the train will then run on an electrified branch

line on the Anglia route, yet to be chosen, with

its pantograph down. This is so that if there is a

problem, it can raise its pantograph, and collect

power again. This running will be both in – and

out of – passenger service.

Once the programme is complete, by the

end of 2014, the unit will be returned to its

former state and will run as a normal unit again

in service.

Data gathered during the experiment will

be used to determine what form any future

Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit

(IPEMU) will take, be it a straight battery unit or

hybrid. Any future IPEMU would most likely be

designed as a new train and not an adapted

unit, to minimise energy consumption.

FootnoteA study carried out for the Department for

Transport in 2010 by Lloyd’s Register Rail, TRL

and Birmingham University examined battery

powering of trains. The report concluded that

the approach was certainly feasible but that the

operating costs of battery powering would be

greater than for an equivalent DMU at that time.

The authors suggested that R&D into cheaper

or longer-life batteries could eventually result in

operating cost parity with existing DMU rolling

stock. The full report may be found at www.trl.

co.uk/downloads/bc/20110302_Battery_

Powered_Trains_Report_PPR551.pdf

“I think that has a bearing on our ability to

support customers. The rolling stock on the

East Coast Mainline has been in service a long

time, so this is about making a step change in

terms of the product that we can provide, but

also gives the operator the ability to provide

a modern comfortable train in order to grow

their revenue. The great thing about the new

trains is it shows that investment is going into

the East Coast and the passengers will be

travelling on brand new state-of-the-art trains,”

he continues.

When it comes to the design of those

assets, Hitachi Rail Europe has been listening

closely to what passengers want. At the

top of this list is more reliable journeys, but

comfortable seats, more leg room, more

space for luggage, catering, air conditioning,

and the ability to store bikes close to seating

are also key concerns.

Of the design Alistair says: “It aligns with

everything that the operator wants to do,

it’s just giving them the technology in order

to deliver it. The design is progressing very

well and we aim to have that finished by the

end of the year. Clearly the trains are going

to be longer at 26-metres rather than the

current 23 with a lot more seats. They’re also

considerably lighter and therefore more energy

efficient with a 12 per cent saving in electricity

compared to the existing stock.

“Most important is really the customer

environment and experience, so we are

working very hard to make sure that it is fit for

purpose in the 21st Century. As we’ve seen

As part of the Agility Trains consortium,

in 2012 Hitachi Rail Europe was

delighted to sign a new £4.5 billion

contract with the Department for

Transport (DfT) for the Intercity Express

Programme (IEP). This will see the delivery of

92 new electric and bi-mode trains to replace

the ageing fleets of the West and East Coast

Mainline, as well as other benefits. Just a

year on and the company has further cause

to celebrate having secured the option for an

additional 30 nine-car Class 801 electric trains

for the East Coast Mainline.

“This is a firm endorsement of the train and

service offering that we provide, which will

give us continuous manufacturing in County

Durham up to 2020, and means we will be the

major partners for East Coast Trains in their

delivery of the service,” states Alistair Dormer.

As executive chairman and CEO of Hitachi Rail

Europe, as well as having helped secure the

IEP transaction for Agility, it is Alistair’s aim to

grow the company’s business further and

these additional trains are the first step towards

doing that.

Reflecting on these considerable successes,

Alistair outlines what he believes made Hitachi

stand out in the contract selection process:

“If you look back in history we delivered the

Javelin trains to Southeastern six months

early. Those trains worked straight out of the

box, saw a very successful Olympics, and we

continue to support Southeastern with a very

high quality train, which is reliable on a daily

basis.

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Rolling Stock

After Hitachi Rail Europe’s success in the Intercity Express Programme, AlIstAIr DormEr

outlines the latest addition to that contract

Big hitters

on the West Coast Mainline new trains do

attract more customers so I think putting this

new fleet in will be a big boost to East Coast

Mainline, but also the north-east of England

and Scotland by improving the rail service on

that important corridor.”

Whilst the current infrastructure imposes

a 125mph speed limit, the new trains will be

capable of 140mph enabling them to adapt

with changes implemented during their 30 year

lifespan. Likewise the interior design will be very

flexible so that it can be changed, modified

and upgraded in the future in line with shifts in

customer demands.

Like those trains announced last year,

the new fleet will be constructed in Hitachi

Rail Europe’s new state-of-the-art factory in

County Durham. This £82 million investment

in manufacturing in the north-east of England

is expected to generate around 730 new jobs,

and significant opportunities for the UK and

European supply chain.

“So far we have signed a contract with the

main developer, and have just completed a

series of archaeological surveys at the site,”

explains Alistair. “We are now looking to

appoint the actual builder with an eye to the

factory opening in the middle of 2015. We’ve

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already started recruiting in the area, hiring a

plant manager and HR manager, and more of

that will come next year. We’re also engaged

in the task of working through the many and

varied suppliers we wish to work with. We had

a fantastic response locally with more than

1000 interested parties approaching us, and

will be progressively letting contracts over the

next few years.”

He continues: “This is a very significant

investment by Hitachi and we intend the facility

to be there for many years, so now is the

opportunity to find the right partners that we

can work with on a long-term basis. What this

latest contract gives us is a stable workload

up until 2020, but we still have the capacity for

more so are actively looking at other business.

We are one of the shortlisted builders for

Crossrail and are very interested in other

contracts in the UK and Europe.”

Although probably best known in the

UK for its rolling stock, Hitachi is also

working in other areas such as signalling

and traffic management. The company’s

ETCS equipment is in operation on the

Cambrian line in Wales, which is the first

time a supplier has fitted equipment on a

locomotive communicating with another

supplier’s trackside equipment. Hitachi Rail

UK has also developed a traffic management

system which helps signallers and controllers

manage disruption on the network and gives

Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe plant

Wardell Armstrong Archaeology have been on site since April, conducting an archaeological dig where the Hitachi Rail Europe train factory will be built. Construction will start at the end of 2013 with completion of the work scheduled for 2015.From left: Frank Giecco - archaeologist, Darren Cumner - manufacturing plant manager for Hitachi Rail Europe, Bill Grafton - Merchant Place Developments, Mark Bickle - partner at Michael Eyres partnership, and Martin Railton - project manager at Wardell Armstrong Archaeology

optimum decision support in the case of failures

in normal day-to-day service. This is up and

running in its London office, and the company

is now training with Network Rail in the use of

that system.

“All of these things – new trains, ETCS, and

traffic management contribute hugely in terms

of improving efficiency, delivering extra capacity

and reducing the overall lifecycle costs of the

railway. I think a company such as Hitachi with

our strong background in electronics and IT as

well as engineering, is uniquely placed to blend

experience from other markets into the railway

and bring some exciting solutions to bear,”

concludes Alistair. zz

HitachiTel: +44 (0) 20 7970 2700Email: [email protected]: www.hitachirail-eu.com

First class


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NFC needs an open standard rather than a ‘killer app’ to make it fly


JöRG SUCHY highlights why an open standard is in fact the real key to bring NFC technology to the mass market, with transport and retail the first sectors to benefit

In the NFC (Near Field Communications) market

there has been plenty of talk about the ‘killer app’,

the one application or use case that will instantly

drive adoption of NFC in the mass market.

Suggestions so far have ranged from payment and

ticketing to accessing exclusive content and tracking

car keys. But what if the ‘killer app’ we’re all looking

for isn’t an application or a use case at all, but an open

standard?

What’s holding back a number of the applications

for NFC, many of which are already very successful,

is the fact that you’re restricted to one particular

application – sometimes in one particular place. Is that

really making life easier or just adding technology for

the sake of it?

Consumers are looking for a convenient ‘one size

fits all’ solution that allows them to take the train, do

their shopping or redeem coupons within a single,

unified application. Just as the majority of us don’t

like the idea of carrying the umpteenth loyalty card in

our physical wallet, the idea of having to deal with a

plethora of incompatible ticketing, payment and loyalty

apps on the phone will scare potential users away.

An open standard, driven by new retail and transport

applications – that often intersect – could turn out to

be the supposed ‘killer app’ NFC has been waiting for.

We’re already seeing some innovative use cases for

NFC in the transport sector, supplementing contactless

ticketing with loyalty schemes and crossing into the

retail space by supporting businesses located in and

around stations. For people using the train or bus

every day they may have multiple loyalty cards for

coffee, newspapers, restaurants and maybe even other

retailers they regularly visit while waiting on a platform.

Combining multiple loyalty schemes into a single

application on a smartphone makes life easier for the

consumer – but if they’ve only got one of their regular

shops signed up then they’re still having to carry other

cards around and NFC becomes a hassle not a help.

In the transport sector contactless technology has

already taken off – from the traveller’s perspective,

NFC-enabled phones have huge benefits over

paper tickets. The use of NFC technology in mobile

phones and contactless cards enables quick and

easy ticketing, immediate access control as well as

providing essential travel information such as journey-

related details and updates.

Aside from the environmentally friendly aspect of

reducing paper waste, they are much more convenient

than plastic cards with no fumbling around in a

handbag or wallet at the barrier. And since

NFC-enabled phones can hold multiple applications,

they allow the consumer to choose which type

of ticket to use.

People are quick to adapt to technological change

if it makes their lives easier. The pace at which

commuters swapped from using traditional ticket to the

Open Loop payment system in London proves just that

as the numbers of contactless transport fare payments

is increasing at a steady pace.

The next question is how other cities and towns in

the UK can benefit, is it worth a small town spending

money to roll out its own contactless technology for

Revenue management

Jörg Suchy is associate director, smart card and NFC business

development at Samsung Semiconductor Europe

Near field communication (NFC) is a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching them together or bringing them into close proximity, usually no more than a few inches. Present and anticipated applications include contactless transactions, data exchange, and simplified setup of more complex communications such as Wi-Fi. Communication is also possible between an NFC device and an unpowered NFC chip, called a ‘tag’.

NFC standards cover communications protocols and data exchange formats, and are based on existing radio-frequency identification (RFID) standards including ISO/IEC 14443 and FeliCa. The standards include ISO/IEC 18092 and those defined by the NFC Forum, which was founded in 2004 by Nokia, Philips and Sony, and now has more than 160 members. The Forum also promotes NFC and certifies device compliance. It fits the criteria for being considered a personal area network.[Source: Wikipedia]

Open loop vs closed loopIn a closed loop system, a contactless card is effectively used as a prepaid credit card but the transactions may only take place with a single organisation/card issuer (e.g. Oyster)

In an open loop system, a contactless credit or debit card, or an NFC-enabled smartphone, may be used to effect the transaction.



the few routes it operates? Probably not. But it would

be worth it if the cards can be used up and down

the country or potentially around the world where the

system costs are reduced.

With ticketing, there’s a clear consumer benefit in

contactless ticketing working across multiple towns,

cities and even countries. Yet we are still a long way off

using your phone’s ticketing app to get from your local

train station to London St. Pancras, take the Eurostar

to Paris and then hop on to the Metro, purchase a

ticket with the app for the local fare collecting service

and travel to your hotel.

So what is really needed is the implementation of

interoperable standards across platforms and across

borders within the transit fare market. We are seeing

some promising co-operation on a European level

taking a step in the right direction. Yet in order to

make the cross-border open standard for ticketing

applications a reality, it is absolutely crucial that

transport stakeholders act now.

NFC provides the ideal interface that allows for

convenient, secure and quick ticketing, payment, as

well as for value added services such as loyalty point

collection and coupon redemption. However, an open

standards-based solution remains the missing success

factor for customer acceptance. There have been a

variety of research studies analysing the reasons for

sluggish NFC adoption and most of them point at one

clear problem, the lack of interoperability between

existing implementations.

This is where CIPURSE, the standard developed

by the OSPT Alliance, can really offer something,

delivering multiple applications alongside tickets.

From the beginning, the OSPT Alliance has made

a tremendous effort to educate the market on the

importance of an open standard for transportation

and Samsung is committed to work towards the same

goal, for that reason it was only ever going to be a

question of time until the momentum started to build.

This isn’t something just promoted by technology

vendors either. The Greater London Authority included

an interesting statement in its 2011 report ‘The Future

of Ticketing’, stating that “Any new ticketing system

should, as far as possible, be compatible with those

provided by other transport operators”. Such a

statement directly supports the call to implement a

standard transportation scheme and not a selection of

proprietary solutions.

It is vital for any organisation to demonstrate they

understand the market trends and provide flexible

products, giving users the best solution in order to

achieve their aims, whilst introducing new features

within a short period of time. When it comes to

transportation, the industry is already in a position to

use existing solutions to implement the OSPT scheme.

Proprietary software and hardware, favouring limited

vendors, can only create limited consumer benefits.

Consumers need to know they can use their NFC

device across applications and geographies without

issue and this means a need for communication,

and more importantly, action. This, from key

players throughout the value chain, is crucial to the

technology’s success. zz

The OSPT Alliance The Open Standards for Public Transport (OSPT) Alliance is helping the transit community move towards the next generation of secure, cost-effective, and flexible fare collection solutions through a global, multi-provider community.

The OSPT’s charter is to define a new open standard for secure transit fare collection solutions, while providing industry education, creating workgroup opportunities, and catalyzing the development and adoption of innovative fare collection technologies, applications, and services. The Alliance is also building a global ecosystem of transit operators, transit consultants and integrators, technology solution providers, and government agencies to stimulate development and delivery of next-generation fare collection solutions. Web: www.osptalliance.org


All aboard: how airline-style pricing is putting the passenger rail industry back on track

PETER SHEARER notes the success of agile airline-style pricing in the rail industry and says that further innovation can be expected in order to smooth demand and leverage customer data

T he rail industry continues to face financial

challenges, with Network Rail being told by

regulators that it needs to find cost savings of

around £2 billion. Despite this, recent figures

from The Association of Train Operating Companies

(ATOC) have shown that it isn’t all doom and gloom for

the UK rail industry. Passenger journeys were shown

to have risen by 52 per cent between 2006 and 2012,

stealing market-share from airlines on domestic routes.

Indeed the development of airline pricing strategies

has been widely touted as the reason behind this

growth as increased demand needs to be managed

smartly: recently released figures from ATOC reveal

that sales of cheap advance fares have grown even

faster, rising by 103 per cent (see reference). Advance

fares are now used by around four out of every seven

rail passengers on these routes. The only way to

successfully sell so many discount tickets confidently,

knowing that margins are not being diluted, is to apply

airline-style pricing techniques to determine the best

mix of tickets sold in order to maximise revenues.

Taking a leaf from the airlines bookDeregulation of the passenger rail industry –

liberalisation, splitting network management from

train operation, and particularly allowing international

competition in home markets – have all meant that

rail transportation companies have been facing

increasingly steep competition. Moreover, the rise

of the Internet, and the emergence of low-cost

airline carriers who offer reduced price flights across

domestic routes, has given rise to a new normal:

consumers are now driving the market, making travel

choices, comparing prices and companies in real time,

based on pricing models and incentives. This suggests

that consumer decisions are being made based on

price, and not necessarily on brand. As a result, rail

companies have had to develop strategies around

offering simple, attractive pricing to attract today’s

customer; in much the same way as consumers

compare prices online, rail companies are starting to

use this market information to make better pricing

decisions.

Today, rail operators have moved away from the

distance-based pricing models to a more flexible

structure. There has been a marked shift from a

system where prices are regulated to a single ceiling

price, to one where TOCs are free to determine prices

fluidly. This gives rail operators the flexibility and agility

to respond to the market and remain competitive.

As a result, railway companies are becoming

cleverer about how they price year round, not only

during peak periods.

What do we expect in the future?The industry will have to keep innovating with pricing if

it means to stay ahead. To do this, it is likely that we will

be seeing greater price differentials across the peak/

off-peak periods, identifying different time bands within

the peak with variable pricing across those time bands

to try to smooth demand and avoid some of the severe

overcrowding problems that the industry currently

experiences. Supporting this, the movement to other

forms of fulfilment – paper tickets giving way to smart

cards or m-tickets on mobile phones – will accelerate,

allowing customers to buy a bundle of journey

opportunities effectively, rather than a single one-size-

fits-all travel pass.

The other big trend we expect to see great

development in is leveraging customer data to drive

promotions and brand loyalty by linking the customer

to revenue management. For instance, an operator

could share information with the CRM system to look

at opportunities to run a promotion, or to look at other

chances to push travel opportunities that are not likely

to sell out. Operators could push out a promotion to

customers who might be interested in a particular

market. Linked to this, rail operators are going to be

learning more about their customers’ purchasing

behaviour from their interaction with the operator

through websites or other channels.

In the passenger rail industry, there is now more than

ever a general understanding that the pricing paradigm

has shifted. Train companies need to know that to be

successful they must meet the needs of passengers and

deliver high levels of satisfaction and value for money.

The good news currently seems to be that passengers

are voting with their feet, and taking more journeys than

at any time since the 1920s. Now it is up to the train

operators to innovate and sustain these interest levels

and build on them. zz

Referencehttp://www.atoc.org/media-centre/latest-press-

releases/2013/04/29/airline-style-discounting-by-rail-

cuts-aviations-market-share-100822/

Peter Shearer

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzRevenue Management

Peter Shearer is industry head of passenger travel at JDA Software


This is the ninth successive

year that crime has fallen

and comes against a

background of a vibrant

and healthy industry, with rapidly

growing passenger numbers and

infrastructure.

Whilst the headline rate of crime

declines, the targeting of easily

saleable high-tech devices, such

as smartphones and tablets, and

organised pickpocketing activity,

has created a rise in theft offences. Since

June, the British Transport Police (BTP) has

been rolling out Operation Magnum, aimed at

combating thefts of personal items, luggage

and pickpocketing. “2012/13 has been an

exceptional year in our history, with the Force

playing a crucial role in the success of the

2012 Olympic and Paralympic games,” said

Chief Constable Andy Trotter.

“At the same time, we have taken care of

business as usual and reduced crime for the

ninth year in a row. I think that is a very good

performance and represents great value for

money, particularly in the context of a budget

reduction in real terms of 14 per cent since

2008.

“Increases in theft of passenger property,

particularly those targeting smartphones

and tablets, reflect the growing problem

throughout London and the UK.

“We have made great inroads into the

problem of cable theft, which has been a

major disruption factor on the rail network.

This year cable crime was down 47 per cent,

building on a 13 per cent reduction last year.”

Violent crime showed a small increase in

2012/13, with an additional 201 crimes across

the network.

“This is the first increase in violent crime for

six years,” says Andy Trotter.

“Serious assaults are down almost eight

per cent, but there has been an increase

of over three per cent in common assault.

Crime on railways falls again

Racially-aggravated harassment is a significant

contribution to the increase in violent crime,

which I think reflects a growing intolerance

amongst the public of this sort of incident.”

Within the violent crime category, assaults on

rail staff are down five per cent.

Michael Roberts, chief executive of the

Association of Train Operating

Companies, said: “It’s good news that

the overall crime rate on the railway

continues to fall, but the rise in some

crimes will be a cause for concern

for passengers which is why we will

continue to work closely with the

police in cracking down on offenders.

“Train companies take the safety

and security of their passengers and

staff extremely seriously and spend

millions of pounds on dedicated

security staff, providing funding for the British

Transport Police and improving CCTV. We will

continue to do all we can to keep customers

safe.”

Of BTP’s 12 crime groups, eight show

reductions and four increases. zz

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Security

CRIME 2011/12 2012/13 No +/- % +/-

TOTAL CRIME: 54, 972 53,885 -1087 -2.0

Violence against the person 7922 8123 +201 +2.5

Sexual offences 1009 925 -84 -8.3

Criminal damage 3934 3452 -482 -12.3

Line of route offences 1395 1200 -195 14.0

Theft of passenger property 14,909 17,292 +2383 +16.0

Motor vehicle/cycle offences 8732 7430 1302 -14.9

Robbery 623 530 -93 -14.9

Theft of railway property 5962 4834 -1128 -18.9

Public disorder offences 5054 4765 -289 -5.7

Fraud Offences 880 920 +40 +4.5

Drugs 3679 3460 -219 -6.0

Other crimes 873 954 +81 +9.3

BTP Chief Constable Andy Trotter

Crime on Britain’s railways continued its long-term downward trend with a two per cent fall in notifiable offences in 2012/13. However, this year has seen a significant rise

in theft of passenger property, up 16 per cent, largely driven by rises in and around London

Seeing clearlyWhen it comes to transport surveillance, DAVID THOMASSON tells

Railway Strategies that the benefits of digital video technology are plain to see

Having perhaps long been associated with the

grainy images of analogue cameras, a shift

towards digital video technologies continues

to widen the scope of surveillance. More and

more operators are realising the benefits that digital IP

or network video cameras offer, particularly in terms of

monitoring an expansive network such as rail.

“The transport environment is fairly unique in its

complexity,” begins David. “Security incidents can

occur anywhere – onboard trains at stations, depots,

and along the infrastructure itself. The dilemma is to

be able to cover all of these parts, and it’s important

to appreciate that the larger transport systems handle

hundreds of incidents every day.”

Since developing the world’s first network video

camera in 1996, Axis Communications has been

the global leader in this technology. In fact when

you take into account all security cameras whether

network video or analogue, the company is still the

market leader in terms of sales – despite having never

manufactured an analogue camera itself.

Driving change“One of the main drivers in the shift from analogue to

network video is image quality or resolution,” explains

David. “As with the demand in the consumer market,

so a similar trend towards HD can already be seen in

the video surveillance market. Another main advantage

with network cameras is that they are not a closed

system like analogue.

“By transmitting data over a standard Ethernet

cable, these cameras are essentially an open network-

based system – whether that is a local network or

the internet. This enables real-time viewing at any

authorised location in the world, simultaneously, giving

station security, management and operation centres,

the authorities and emergency services access to the

images – even on the move.”

This helps at every stage of an incident from

detection and evaluation to response and investigation.

However David believes that network cameras

shouldn’t purely be limited to security applications,

but considered more in terms of surveillance: “Using

proven video analytics, the same camera can be used

for many things such as facial recognition, crowd

management through people counting and flows,

intelligent perimeter protection, smoke detection, and

even audio analytics in conjunction with microphones.”

No limitsThe rapid progression of technology means that

many of the limiting factors initially associated with

network cameras are no longer in effect. This includes

bandwidth and storage requirements through the use

of image compression, which has little or no effect

on quality but reduces the amount of data to be

transmitted. “Advances in compression technology

mean that the bandwidth and storage requirements are

about 20 per cent of what was required a few years

ago. At Axis we have developed our own powerful

David Thomasson is business development

manager for transportation at Axis

Communications

Network Surveillance zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


processing chip, which offers one of the most efficient

implementation of this in the industry, thereby reducing

bandwidth even more than comparable cameras,”

notes David.

“Low light levels have also historically been

problematic for network video cameras,” he continues.

“But not now, as we have developed a new technology

called Lightfinder, which enables the camera to see in

near complete darkness, without any additional light

source, and in colour. Another development from our

R&D department is Corridor Format, which delivers a

vertically orientated 9:16 portrait shaped video stream

from the cameras. This is particularly appropriate

for the transport sector as in many surveillance

situations the area being monitored is more vertical

than horizontal in shape. This includes passageways,

platforms, onboard vehicles, track and tunnels.”

As this technology improves so does its application

from monitoring stretches of track for maintenance

purposes to the wider use of video analytics. At the

same time uptake by the transport industry appears to

be growing, and with Axis the first company to have

network video cameras approved by Network Rail, the

benefits are clearly being seen at all levels. zz

Web: www.axis.com

Mission & solutionThe ‘Betuweroute’ is a 160km railway that runs

from Rotterdam in The Netherlands to Zevenaar

on the border with Germany. Construction on the

line began in 1995 and was completed in 2007 at

a cost of €4.7bn.

One aspect of the 600 different tests being

conducted was to determine whether the signals

and subsystems functioned properly. In an ideal

situation the entire test team would be located

at the front of the locomotive because the data

collected there is essential to the tests. However,

due to a lack of space, the team had to search for

an alternative solution; this was found in Axis’

network cameras. The cameras are mounted in

and around the test train and record images of

the railway and the surroundings. This makes it

possible to view the images at any time or from

any place.

ResultStreamed over the internet, the images were

instantly available in the moving test centre. The

test team could view the images from one of the

carriages, providing an excellent overview of the

surrounding area. Another benefit this provides

is the ability to save the images so they can be

reviewed later.

Network cameras provide convenienceA total of six network cameras were installed in the

test centre for the Betuweroute. Four of these were

placed in the locomotive itself, and two others were

linked to the front and rear of the test train to monitor

the sections of track.

These cameras can be used both indoors and

outdoors and offer the great advantage of a fixed

focal distance and a fixed zoom lens. As a result,

oscillations and vibrations have little influence on the

image quality.

Everard van Rees, test manager for the

Betuweroute commented:

“We opted for network cameras because they

provide convenience due to the simplicity of the

cabling. In total, our test train is 100 metres long

and consists of five separate carriages. If we were

to use cables, various signal amplifiers would be

necessary. With IP cameras, just a single Ethernet

cable is required that makes the images available via

a network. The images can then be accessed via each

camera’s individual IP address.

“Thanks to the Axis network cameras, the tests are

proceeding very smoothly. We have a good view of the

Betuweroute and can therefore determine whether the

Betuweroute is ready for completion or not.”


Betuweroute case study : Network camera images show whether route is ready for completion

Betuweroute train showing network camera on the front of the locomotive


John Smith, programme manager for

Intelligent Infrastructure at Network Rail

said: “Intelligent Infrastructure is delivering a

significant improvement in the performance

of our network and is the catalyst for

changing the way we maintain key railway

assets. The combination of technology and

business transformation enables us to make

informed asset management decisions

and interventions, improving availability and

reducing whole life cycle costs in the future.”

Alistair McPhee, vice president of Ground

Transportation Systems at Thales UK said:

“Intelligent Infrastructure Management

programmes can transform railway operations,

increasing network availability, reducing

delays and making the customer experience

smoother and more reliable. At Thales we

worked closely with our customer Network

Rail on a daily basis, reinforcing our role in the

provision of efficient and sustainable solutions

for railways of the future.”

Developing an innovative solution to degrading performanceNetwork Rail sees technology as a key enabler

to managing the UK railway infrastructure.

Traditional maintenance regimes are based on

T he award of ‘Project of the Year’ in

the Real IT Awards 2013 for Network

Rail’s Intelligent Infrastructure

Programme incorporates an Intelligent

Infrastructure Management (IIM) system for

Remote Conditioning Monitoring (RCM)

from Thales UK and marks the recognition

of a remarkable story of technical and

management innovation. It is a corporate

business IT success story that combines

skills, disciplines and teams involved

in railway maintenance working together to

deliver an end-to-end solution. This has directly

resulted in an estimated reduction of around

418,000 delay minutes for Network Rail,

delivering an improved service for the travelling

public and freight operators

Described as a ‘game changer’ in IT, the

programme was also selected as winner of the

Innovation in Technology award. The judging

panel, made up of senior IT professionals in

leading global, European and UK organisations,

concluded: “This was a great project full of

innovations in the use of technology and

management processes, leading to significant

savings for both Network Rail and their

passengers.”

The Intelligent Infrastructure Programme

is a partnership between Network Rail and

Thales that started with establishing a joint

steering group to manage the design and

implementation of a solution that could

monitor more assets than ever before without

taking them out of service. Bringing core

competencies to the programme Network

Rail transferred additional responsibility to

Thales during implementation. The adoption

of a national, centralised, condition monitoring

solution is a major step forward in the rail sector

and the UK approach is significantly in advance

of European rail infrastructure systems.

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Asset Management

Network Rail, winner of ‘Project of the Year’ at the 2013 Real IT Awards, and its partner Thales see growing

industry recognition for how Intelligent Infrastructure Management can lead to a better service for train

operators and passengers

Driving a change in culture from ‘Find and Fix’ to ‘Predict and Prevent’

a cyclical schedule of site visits that relies on

maintenance staff spotting potential problems.

This ‘Find and Fix’ approach can lead to over-

maintenance in which assets are replaced

according to schedule rather than requirement.

The challenge was to develop a system

to complement and refine the prevailing

maintenance processes coupled with the vast

amount of information available to maintenance

engineers. There had been previous experience

in several RCM systems, which were

proprietary, asset-specific and proved to be

somewhat inflexible and costly to purchase

and maintain.

As a private enterprise operating a public

utility, Network Rail is a regulated company.

The investment panel requested that a pilot

was carried out before the funding for a

national system was approved. Network Rail

selected Thales UK to carry out a pilot in 2009

to monitor different aspects of asset types

on a section of track between Edinburgh

and Glasgow. The potential benefits, when

extrapolated across the entire network, were

greater than originally estimated.

On completion of the pilot, approval was

given to proceed with the first phase of national

rollout for two asset types, Points and Earth

The Real IT Awards



Leakage Detection for Signalling Power

Supplies. Further phases have subsequently

been approved taking the total number

of assets monitored to about 30,000 and

extending the scope to Track Circuits, Points

Heating and Rail Temperature Monitoring.

The Intelligent Infrastructure Programme

takes a radical three-pronged approach:

l Technology: To support the heterogeneous

asset base including future installations the

MIMOSA data standard was adopted and

refined for use with rail infrastructure, providing

a standardised way of exchanging asset

condition information. Assets report their

condition in a common language enabling the

creation of a single monitoring system. The

constantly enhanced WonderWare software,

a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) package,

from Invensys was selected. Mandating

a technology standard allows the use of

cost-effective COTS solutions to develop an

enterprise-wide asset monitoring system.

Network Rail is currently able to monitor

30,000 installations across five different asset

types using one system, with the capability to

extend this even further in future.

l People: A team of dedicated monitoring

technicians was created, and are located in

ten incident control centres where they analyse

data and make decisions based on real-time

information. They liaise with Maintenance Fault

teams and Operations Control to agree the

least disruptive course of action for potential

failures. Additionally over 1000 maintenance

staff have received training to ensure use of the

system is embedded across the organisation.

l Process: A change in culture and

maintenance processes were moved to

a single nationwide ‘Predict and Prevent’

process using the Intelligent Infrastructure

system as opposed to a ‘Find and Fix’ asset-

specific, localised approach.

Cost savings advantageThe introduction of a common platform allows

for the removal of silo-specific, proprietary,

expensive, dedicated solutions. The roll-out

of monitoring using Intelligent Infrastructure

is significantly more cost-effective on a

‘per asset’ basis, allowing for better use of

maintenance budgets and a wider range of

critical assets to be monitored. The solution

is unique in its flexibility in that new, advanced

asset model behaviour algorithms can be

developed by Network Rail or Thales using

commonly available analysis tools

(e.g. MATLAB).

Intelligent Infrastructure and future proofingFrom the outset the programme adopted a

rigorous approach with a focus on return on

investment. The programme team identified

the highest priority assets by undertaking a

detailed analysis to identify assets representing

the largest potential cause of disruption. This

approach yielded results with reduction in delay

minutes and increased maintenance efficiency.

The programme continues to identify ‘high

return’ assets bringing them into the system.

For Network Rail there has also been

a cultural change on a national scale.

Maintenance teams are better prepared than

ever before when maintaining the railway

infrastructure. Network Rail is providing a

better quality service for train operators and

passengers with the reduction in the frequency

of faults and failures of trackside assets.

The service is highly scalable. A further

five new types of asset are to be added

during CP5, including level crossings and

HPSS point machines. Network Rail closely

monitors success on a per route basis to

ensure that lessons learnt by one route are

transferred nationwide. The programme is

looking to enhance performance through

the use of sophisticated analysis techniques

such as fuzzy logic, weather data to correlate

temperature and precipitation information, and

data exchange with rolling stock operators

to enhance its communication with trackside

teams through the use of mobile technology.

David Taylor, business development director

for Ground Transportation Systems and the

IIM programme leader for Thales UK says:

“The continued success of the IIM programme

and the innovative approach it provides to

condition monitoring is delivering a real benefit

for our customer Network Rail. We believe it is

the largest rail infrastructure remote condition

monitoring solution globally. The IIM solution is

now being recognised not just in the rail sector

but in the wider IT services sector.”

Thales has applied the same technology

to provide predictive monitoring capability on

rolling stock, having applied the solution to

Class 66 freight locomotives. The system has

also been piloted in a metro environment and is

being considered by rail infrastructure providers

in other countries, including Germany. zz

The Intelligent Infrastructure Programme in numbersl Over 400,000 delay minutes saved l Up to 30 per cent reduction in service-affecting failures on assets fittedl Eliminated over c. 15,000 site visitsl c. 1000 staff trained on the systeml c. 30,000 assets currently funded for monitoring (current status c. 20,000)l c. 183,000 point swings per dayl c. 11,000 data loggers distributed across the railway l Dedicated monitoring staff located in ten incident control centres across the UK


Sense of purpose Robin butleR explores some of the applications for sensors within the rail industry

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Instrumentation

used to judge whether the train was accelerating or

braking too quickly or if the emergency brakes were

applied, amongst other things,” he continues.

Another key application for sensors is track

maintenance and monitoring. This includes the use

of single and dual-axis inclinometers to ensure the

track is aligned correctly and in a good state of

repair. “When it comes to monitoring the rail network,

sensors are often used as part of a proactive system

to identify issues before they become safety critical

such as general wear and tear or the effects of

subsidence. This may be as part of a wheeled vehicle,

which travels on the network and uses sensors to

record data such as rail gauge, inclination and offset.

These figures can then be compared with previous

logged data to ensure that any changes quickly

become apparent,” explains Robin.

Specialist requirementsAlthough a vast array of standard sensor products

are already available, certain applications can require

a customised solution. This can be anything from a

simple modification such as a change in connector

system or integration of a special filter network to

give a particular output, to the complete design and

development of a new product to meet a customer’s

specific application requirements. “In essence this

type of sensor would work better in the application

as it is designed specifically for it,” highlights Robin.

“As such you don’t have to compromise on the

performance by using a standard product and the

unit can be designed to be installed directly into the

application without the need for new connectors or

other modifications.”

As new developments such as high-speed, new

signalling technologies, and driverless trains all come

into effect more, sensors will have an even greater role

to play in tomorrow’s railway. “The more technology

advances in the general design of railway stock and

related items within the industry, the more diverse

the range of sensors will need to be to support these

applications,” describes Robin. “If you think about high

speed alone, the faster a train travels the more control

is required for accelerating and decelerating and the

better condition the track needs to be in to ensure

safety, and sensors can assist with that.” zz

Robin Butler is sales and marketing director at

Sherborne Sensors

Web: www.sherbornesensors.com

Although perhaps

not the most

conspicuous pieces

of equipment

on the railway, sensors

play a vital role in the

performance of the

network. Accelerometers,

inclinometers and force

transducers are some of the

broad sensor groups employed by the industry,

working across a wide range of applications.

Day-to-day usesTypically this includes the acceleration and brake

control of trains, predominately for passenger safety

and comfort by preventing too rapid acceleration or

deceleration, but also to ensure that the train doors

align to the correct parts of the platform. Sensors

are also used to achieve the correct angle on tilting

trains for travelling around bends, and feed back into

the train’s monitoring system to ensure that speed is

controlled on such curves.

“The sensors that are used in the rail industry are

operating in very harsh environments and therefore

need to be extremely robust,” notes Robin Butler.

“This includes extremes in temperature, shock, and

vibration amongst other factors. It is vital that the

sensors are able to withstand this over many years of

operation whilst delivering precision measurements

for often critical functions. Rail is a very regulated and

safety focused industry, and as such like all other

technologies used in the sector sensors have to be

proven to be effective in this environment.”

“In the event of a serious incident with the train, the

information gathered by the sensors could also be

Date Location Event Organiser/Contact

20 September W Midlands ERDF HiTech Rail Project Launch Rail Alliance(tbc) Chamber of Breakfast Event Commerce Details tbc

25 or 26 September TBA Members’ Meeting & Networking Event Rail Alliance(tbc) Details tbc

24-27 September Poland TRAKO 2013 www.trakofair.com

3 October TBA RVE 2013 Onyxrail Ltd

4 October W Midlands ERDF HiTech Rail Project Launch Rail Alliance(tbc) Chamber of Breakfast Event Commerce Details tbc

5 October ICC, B’ham Rail Staff Awards 2013 www.railstaffawards.com

8-10 October Sweden Elmia Nordic Rail 2013 www.elmia.se/en/nordicrail

24/25 October Coventry Moving People – the Inside Story Rail Alliance Railway Interiors Convention In partnership with Coventry University Enterprises & Rail Media Group Details tbc

12-14 November Cologne Railway Interiors Expo 2013 www.railwayinteriorsexpo.com

Alan Dick CommunicationsAlan Dick Communications is a key supplier to the UK

rail signalling and synergy upgrade programme working

with major Tier One suppliers. Having worked with

Network Rail for over ten years, they have an unrivalled

understanding of the FTN and GSM-R network. The

business has delivered major integration, upgrade,

spares management and first line maintenance

programmes for Network Rail as well as for major

operators such as Vodaphone, Airwave and T-Mobile.

Tel: 07721 632 617


Web: www.alandickcomms.com

AquaAqua is a manufacturer of rail track drainage systems

and signalling ancillary products.

Tel: 01695 51933


Web: www.aquafab.co.uk

Ballast Tools (UK) LtdBallast Tools (UK) Ltd has been a major supplier of tools

and equipment for the maintenance of rail track and

permanent way since 1990.

Tel: 01793 697 800


Web: www.btukltd.com

Hydrapower Dynamics LtdHydrapower leads the field in hose and tube

manipulation/pipe assembly manufacture up to 90mm

diameter covering a wide range of materials, supplied

throughout the world to many train builders, operators

and suppliers. The company also supplies and maintains

a wide range of Finnpower end crimping and hose

cutting machinery.

Tel: 0121 456 5656


Web: www.hydrapower-dynamics.com

Recent new members of the Rail Alliance


www.railalliance.co.uk

For further information, please contact: The Rail Alliance Tel: 01789 720 026 Email: [email protected] Web: www.railalliance.co.uk

Outline Events Programme – 2013

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzRail Alliance

PurcellPurcell is a leading architect and historic

building consultancy.

Tel: 01206 244 844


Web: www.purcelluk.com

Rail Order LtdRail Order Ltd specialises in the supply of traction and

rolling stock, spares, in-house repair and assembly,

train presentation materials and equipment to the

UK rail industry. Clients include train operators,

maintainers and infrastructure companies. Recently

acquired by Alan Dick Communications, they now

benefit from 56,000sq.ft. of advanced facilities.

Tel: 01724 292 860


Web: www.rail-order.co.uk

If you are interested in attending one of the Rail Alliance’s events or would like to find out more about becoming a member of the Rail Alliance, contact Rhona Clarke on [email protected]

•

total, with the active membership currently

numbering between 250 and 300. At the

same time this is continuing to broaden with

more of the larger companies now, as well

as the smaller ones, really engaging with us. I

think we’re seen to add value at both ends of

the supply chain from the company that wants

to get into the rail sector to the larger players

looking to consolidate their supplier base.”

The Rail Alliance is also working to

strengthen its own offering to this end,

particularly around its ability to help people

Over the last four years, the Rail Alliance

has become the foremost business-

to-business networking organisation

of its type within the rail sector.

Spanning all aspects of the industry, as well

as those supporting it, the Rail Alliance helps

enable companies to network, collaborate and

innovate with other suppliers and customers in

order to grow their business.

Chief executive Colin Flack describes the

current reach of the organisation: “We’ve

recently signed our 400th paid member in


As well as business-to-business networking, the Rail Alliance is increasingly assisting its members

in other ways as well

An expanding network

network. “We enable companies to meet each

other, further their knowledge and understanding

and therefore target themselves better. That’s

the area we’re really concentrating on, but as a

follow on to that we are also working much more

closely with Network Rail in the field of product

acceptance,” reveals Colin.

“The real challenge for any company is always

going to be the route to market,” he continues.

“Companies will always innovate with new

products and services, and improvements to

old ones, but it all amounts to naught if you

can’t actually get someone to buy them. That

final bit of the process is what’s so desperately

important, and if we can help companies

with that then that’s a really valuable role.

Product acceptance and business-to-business

networking are the two areas going forward that

we feel we need to be doing in order to make

people’s businesses better.”

Recently the Rail Alliance’s facility at Long

Marston was the site of Network Rail’s Plant

show, which saw 250 exhibitors and 3500

visitors over two days. “This introduced

the world to what we have here at Long

Marston, and certainly for our members we

see this as an important move forward. We

just announced a new joint testing voucher

scheme with the Enabling Innovation Team (EIT)

(www.futurerailway.org/eit) that will enable

companies to come to Long Marston and use

our facilities at a subsidised rate,”

enthuses Colin.

“In this way we can ensure that our services

are made as widely available to the small and

medium enterprise (SME) base, universities,

and academic bodies as possible. It’s also

intrinsic for that product to market piece as

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Rail Alliance

Colin Flack – chief executive of the Rail Alliance

Rail Alliance Hub

•


the ability to demonstrate developments at a

very early stage, almost pre-prototype, is very

beneficial. The disaggregated nature of the

railway means it’s often quite hard to work out

who your customer actually is. It’s therefore

easy to end up with a product that any group

of people would recognise as being valuable to

the railway, but the cost of which falls into one

area and the value derived into another. That’s

an area where the Rail Alliance can help bring

people together and work through some of

those issues,” he continues.

The Rail Alliance has also started a European

Regional Development Fund project with

strategic partner the University of Birmingham.

This £2 million project will extend over the next

three years helping local companies develop

and demonstrate new concepts. “There is a

huge amount of money being spent on the

railway at the moment, and will continue going

forward, so that gives investors confidence

that this a sector worth being in. For many

companies working in rail is a complete

no-brainer at present because there’s just so

much opportunity at so many different levels,”

notes Colin.

“Another one of the areas we’re working

in is looking at companies’ supply chains,”

he elaborates. “Global sourcing has become

commonplace, but I think the procurement

world is waking up to the idea of whole life

costs rather than just purchase price. As

such UK companies can bring real value

to the sector, and it’s a shift that we need

to encourage and stimulate. Because rail is

a traditional sector, it has a lot of received

wisdoms which I think are there to be

challenged, such as ‘we don’t make that in

the UK’.

“The West Midlands for instance has a

phenomenal manufacturing heartland, but we

don’t seem to recognise it. Likewise we have

companies manufacturing and supplying rail

overseas, but not in this country. It’s a unique

view that we have as an organisation within

the railway, because we recognise that a lot of

companies that supply into rail aren’t ‘railway’

companies per se and identifying those is an

important piece of groundwork.”

As well as his role at the Rail Alliance, Colin

has also been appointed to the UK Trade

and Investment Rail Sector Advisory Group,

a senior industry group that assists UKTI in

developing its policy. “I think the reason for this

goes back again to that unique perspective

and the fact we have this reach across a

broad range of companies so I can bring that

experience to the table. It enables the other

players to perhaps understand the SME world

better, which is vital as some of these are very

pivotal and important businesses, yet the rail

sector is dominated by a very small number of

multinational corporate companies,”

he describes.

In the past the Rail Alliance has found

that the relationships between the two have

often been too adversarial and as such one

of the things Colin hopes to do in his new

role is reduce that friction, increase levels of

understanding and get people collaborating

better. In particular it is often a lack of

understanding of implications that leads to

one party unwittingly making life more difficult

for the other, so bringing those different

perspectives together could help alleviate such

challenges.

“I think in some ways it’s more of the same,”

concludes Colin when thinking about the future

of the Rail Alliance. “We’re driven by what our

members want and we can change direction

very easily as the situation dictates, but at the

moment we’re looking to continue to extend

our reach, help members network together and

to develop that route to market. It’s really about

keeping ourselves at the heart of the supply

chain of the railway.” zz

Rail AllianceTel: +44 (0) 1789 720 026Email: [email protected]: www.railalliance.co.uk

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Network Rail plant show at the Rail Alliance’s headquarters in Long Marston

Rail Alliance Hub

Robert Hopkin, executive director of the Rail Alliance, Andrew Skidmore, Network Rail scheme

sponsor of Birmingham Gateway and Colin Flack, chief executive of the Rail Alliance

than a lobbying trade association and noting

that the organization was soon to play host

at its Long Marston headquarters to Network

Rail’s Track Innovation Showcase. The RA’s

current themes are: route to market and an

overarching need to find a better way to gain

product acceptance. Colin then outlined the

£22 million Advanced Manufacturing Supply

Chain Initiative (AMSCI) collaboration being led

by Productiv which aims to develop, validate,

certify and generally de-risk new low-carbon

technologies for rail.

Railway Strategies’ seventh annual

supply chain conference, hosted in

association with the Rail Alliance, was

held on Thursday 27th June 2013

at the Royal Geographical Society, London.

Conference chair Colin Flack, chief executive of

the Rail Alliance, welcomed the many delegates

gathered in the prestigious surroundings

ahead of a fascinating day’s programme. The

proceedings commenced with an overview of

the Rail Alliance, emphasizing its credentials as

an enabling B2B networking organization rather

Inspiring excellence

For its seventh edition, Railway Strategies

Live moved to a prestigious new venue

in London and brought together an impressive line-up of speakers and

exhibitors under the banner of how to create

a modern railway for the next generation

Railway Strategies Live 2013 in association with the Rail Alliancewas sponsored by: Gold TBM

Silver AchillesComply Serve

Bronze Baldwin BoxallDilax Systems UK LtdMorson GroupRailway Industry AssociationSelectequipTrack Access ServicesVan Elle Rail


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Railway Strategies 2013Live

The exhibition area stimulated discussionThe terrace proved popular for networking over lunch

The Hi-Tech Rail ProjectThis then led neatly to the introduction to

Birmingham University’s Prof. Clive Roberts

who had just been awarded European funding

for the Hi-Tech Rail Project to support SMEs in

the West Midlands through focused knowledge

transfer. The aim of the project, which also

involves the Rail Alliance, is to bridge the ‘valley

of death’ between basic research and product

development and scale-up. With reference

to Technology Readiness Levels on a scale

of 1-9, Prof. Roberts gave several examples

of technologies that had been developed

and which were now proceeding towards the

scale-up phase: track condition monitoring;

conductor shoe monitoring; points monitoring;

and traffic management simulation. Professor

Roberts is now keen to hear from ten SMEs in

the West Midlands who could benefit from this

project’s funding ([email protected]).

TBM (Gold Sponsor)Richard Holland’s contention is that mature

Continuous Improvement (CI) companies grow

faster. He also said that around

50 per cent of executives say their CI initiatives

are “not or somewhat effective” at helping

achieve operational or market objectives.

Commitment frequently wanes in year three

of a CI programme. The point is, however,

change is not just about tools, it is about

people. Toyota’s people strategy is: “Brilliant

process management is our strategy. We

get brilliant results from average people

managing brilliant processes. We observe

that our competitors often get average (or

worse) results from brilliant people managing

broken processes.” Richard went on to

discuss the cascading of KPIs to the point of

impact, thinking of processes as patients, and

measuring the health of the process. He then

considered some examples of CI in action,

e.g. equipment overhaul improvements, design

change time reduction, visual fleet planning

improvement, pit-stop maintenance, resource

planning, passenger flow, train turnaround time

reduction, ticket office process improvement,

and food preparation process improvement.

In his final segment Richard cited the case

of the acquisitive Danaher company, whose

watchword is ‘Kaizen is our way of life’. The

company’s financial performance speaks for

itself and presents a powerful argument in

favour of CI, which requires a deep emotional

commitment at all levels through deployment:

change yourself, not others.

A view from the next generationThe Young Railway Professionals (YRP) was

formed in 2009 with the aim of bringing

together young people from across all sectors

of the railway industry. Their current chairman,

Dr Martyn Chimera joined the industry in

2008. At that time it was evident that ‘senior

members’ of the industry had many networking

opportunities not open to younger employees.

There seemed to be a gap, post-privatisation,

as companies facilitated internal networking

and the institutions facilitated networking on a

disciplinary level. The opportunity to network

across sectors and companies did not really

exist. The YRP seeks to plug this gap and

now has 1300 members. The YRP aims

to promote the railway industry to the next

generation (through an ambassador system),

to inspire young railway professionals (by

providing access to senior industry figures),

and to bring together young people from all

sectors and companies in the railway industry

(through events, fundraisers, social networking

etc). Martyn then gave his view of the industry

(healthy) and public perception of the industry

(often negative), which he put down to a

lack of public relations effort. We are facing

an ageing workforce so must counter the

negatives through such initiatives as the YRP

ambassador approach, and the YRP Awards

which recognise achievements. In summing

up Martyn stated his ideal legacy for a future

generation: a positive perception of the railway

industry; continuous long-term investment;

manageable debt; and innovation.

Collaborative AssuranceComply Serve’s founder, Chris Rolison,

presented his view of how to demonstrate

value for money through collaborative

assurance. Who is looking at assurance? The

Government’s Major Projects Authority (MPA)

certainly is, seeing it as “a new mandatory

system of assurance … to reduce the

financial risk to the taxpayer and increase

the likelihood of successful project delivery.”

They define assurance as follows: “The role of

assurance is to provide information to those

that sponsor, govern and manage a project

to help them make better informed decisions

which reduce the causes of project failure,

promote the conditions for success and deliver

improved outcomes.” The McNulty Report

also says: “...ensure a clear programme

assurance strategy and detailed assurance

approach that progressively demonstrates

that the programme is on course to deliver the

benefits’. Network Rail says that “In its simplest

zzRailway Strategies 2013Live



Colin Flack chaired

Railway Strategies Live once again

Prof. Clive Roberts

Richard Holland

Martyn Chimera

Chris Rolison

next five years. There is a huge list of projects

ranging from additional route electrification

to the Northern Hub. Safety improvements

continue to be a priority. Network Rail will

be challenged to achieve excellence in

asset management, with more money being

released once progress is visible on civs

structures and climate resilience. Passenger

will benefit from greater reliability and station

investments; freight operators will benefit from

the strategic freight network and infrastructure

improvements. Network Rail will aim to avoid

any procurement hiatus between CP4 and

CP5 by earlier requirement signalling. The

final determination, following feedback from

Network Rail, will be due in the autumn.

Enabling innovation“Innovation is not invention” – so began

David Clarke, director of the Enabling

Innovation Team (EIT), part of the Technology

Strategy Leadership Group (TSLG). EIT

helps to facilitate demonstrator projects

and innovation across the rail industry – it is

the delivery arm of the TSLG. In turn, TSLG

takes direction from Rail Delivery Group and

is facilitated by RSSB. UK rail is a success

story with increasing expectations and new

opportunities for the supply chain. Europe

represents the largest part of a £100 billion

global rail market. EIT was set up to help

address the innovation gap and to de-risk

innovation in order to improve outcomes.

Some £10 million per annum is available for

this purpose to co-invest with innovators

now, with £50 million available in CP5, to

be leveraged to £80-100 million. There is

strategic ‘pull’ from the RDG, R&D ‘push’

from TSLG, RSSB, RRUK and Network

Rail and supplier response provided by the

Rail Industry/Innovation Association and

Rail Alliance, all being enabled by the EIT,

the Technology Strategy Board, and the

Transport Catapult. The EIT’s ‘service offer’

currently takes the form of Radical Train

form, assurance will demonstrate that what

we say we are doing is what we are actually

doing, and this in turn will match what we are

supposed to be doing.” The MPA assurance

measurements are: time, cost, quality,

scope, risk and benefit (variance against

business justification). The Collaborative

Assurance approach delivers: systematic

capture of assurance information to improve

project performance; a single source of

knowledge for projects to easily access

lessons produced by assurance; improved

visibility of the health of projects – with

fewer surprises; and transparent reporting

of assurance across project organisations.

As a consequence, assurance reduces

financial risk and increases opportunity to

demonstrate value for money.

Achilles Link-up Engage and beyondA year ago, at Railway Strategies Live

2012, Annette Gevaert, the UK director of

Achilles’ rail and transport sector, announced

that Link-up Engage would be launched

in 2013 – and that has now become fact.

Advances incorporated in the new version

include a modern user interface, onscreen

feedback, a shorter questionnaire, and it

features a cross-community platform to

reduce duplication between, say rail and

utilities. Buyers now have a more flexible

search suite and there are new collaborative

features such as Additional Questions.

Savings of some £5 million per year are

expected by using this easier process. Next

it will be the turn of the audit process to

be overhauled. Industry consultation has

started and a rollout programme is planned

for autumn this year. Annette then turned to

ways in which even more efficiencies can

be achieved, such as using the information

available to further reduce company-

specific PQQs, reducing the duplication of

audits, recognition of third parties and other

assurance regimes, and using the strength

of the community to also address other risk

areas, e.g. financial, sustainability. Finally,

Annette turned to collaborative supply

chain management, citing the recent horse

meat scandal, Bangladesh garment factory

tragedy, and the interruption to automotive

supplies caused by crises in Japan. 40 per

cent of businesses have no visibility of their

suppliers’ suppliers. The automotive industry

has developed a supply chain mapping tool

to address this issue. Rail should take note!

The ORR’s draft determinationMaking his second consecutive appearance

at Railway Strategies Live, ORR’s chief

executive Richard Price gave a spirited

resumé of the recently published ‘draft

determination’ of Network Rail’s programme

for Control Period 5 (2014-2019). Network

Rail is currently experiencing the pressures

of growth and the industry is now seeing

variable punctuality. The CP5 settlement

will contribute to counteracting decades

of underinvestment and will benefit both

passengers and freight. Network Rail will

be challenged on asset management and

encouraged to work collaboratively with

customers. Passenger numbers have risen

50 per cent over the last decade and freight

is expected to grow 10-20 per cent in the

next five years. Whilst passenger satisfaction

is high and the industry’s safety record is

good, there is no cause for complacency.

We need to keep raising efficiency, keep

increasing customer satisfaction, keep

improving asset reliability, and TOCs & FOCs

need to work together in a more commercial

way. ORR has produced a “balanced

package” with some tricky challenges and

some flexibility. A PPM of 92.5 per cent will

be required. Enhancement and improvement

funds will amount to £12 billion over the



Annette Gevaert

Richard Price

David Clarke

Demonstrators, the £1 million Customer

Experience Prize, Independently Powered

EMU, Open expressions of interest, and

Testing Vouchers worth five days of testing

with two days of engineering time at a cost

of £750. Other approaches to ‘de-risking by

innovation’ include strategic, co-funded, and

Angel investor (for a royalty return). David also

reviewed other innovation activity and challenge

workshops before highlighting the study

underway to map capabilities and markets

for the rail sector, covering heavy rail, metro,

light rail and tram. Finally he described the

Innovation Guidance Tool which has now been

launched with its various filtering options to aid

identification of guidance, advice or funding for

ideas.

Crossrail – the story so farCrossrail’s CEO, Andrew Wolstenholme

presented an object lesson in how to deliver a

new railway, and, moreover, one that involves a

vast amount of civil engineering and tunnelling.

The complexity of the project and the scale of

the equipment involved are both staggering.

The railway is projected to bring £42 billion

of benefits, employ 14000 people, feature 24

ten-car trains per hour and provide 200 million

journeys per year. To date, 13,882m of tunnel

have been bored under London. Vast station

boxes have been created at e.g. Canary Wharf

and Woolwich. Oversite developments are

being planned and executed. Rolling stock is

being put out to tender. The project has been

subjected to rigorous economic, environmental

and social scrutiny and is being delivered by

a team of what Andrew refers repeatedly to

as “pioneers”. The project has five key tenets:

safety – first and foremost; inspiration – belief

in the power to change things for the better;

collaboration – we’re stronger together;

integrity – we keep our promises; respect –

we treat people as we’d like to be treated.

The project has learned from CTRL, T5 and

the 2012 Olympics and will leave a legacy for

Crossrail 2, the Thames tunnel etc., notably


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Railway Strategies 2013Livethrough TUCA, the tunnelling academy in

Ilford. The whole programme is moving surely

and certainly towards its phased opening in

2018/2019.

Modernising the London UndergroundIn the final presentation of the day, David

Waboso, London Underground’s director of

capital programmes, talked about how to

create a sustainable railway to last another

150 years. London is at the heart of the UK

economy but its transport system assets are

ageing and often well beyond their economic

life. Demand is outstripping supply on the

Underground network. There is a programme

of total planned growth of 50 per cent in

progress, and several improvements such as

the Northern line upgrade are on the horizon.

Much has been delivered – Victoria line

upgrade, ELL extension on the Overground,

S8 fleet in service on the SSR – and much

remains to be done, such as station upgrades

at Bond Street, Victoria, Tottenham Court

Road and Paddington. The introduction of

new standardised rolling stock for the deep

level Tube is to come, providing a total system

improvement. David is passionate about

keeping successful teams together and not

disbanding them at regular intervals (an act

of vandalism he says). Only this way can

long-term benefits accrue from the combined

experience of the team members. The notable

reduction in core signalling upgrade costs for

the Northern line is testament to that, with

even greater reductions predicted for the

SSL upgrade. And if we could only achieve

‘right first time’ engineering then costs would

tumble dramatically. London Underground

has also realised the folly of abandoning its

apprenticeship programmes two or more

decades ago and is now establishing an active

programme once more.

In conclusionThe formal proceedings concluded with a

panel discussion involving the day’s speakers

(and others) taking questions from the floor.

Following this, Colin Flack thanked the

speakers for their excellent contributions,

as well as sponsors and exhibitors for their

support, and delegates for making the day a

success. zz

For information about attending or participating

in next year’s event, please contact Mark Cawston:

Railway StrategiesTel: 01603 274 130


Andrew Wolstenholme

David Waboso


zz

Opportunities for higher education in rail freight and logistics

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NewRail – the Newcastle Railway Research Centre – launches a modern, research-based MSc in rail freight and logistics. MARIN MARINOV explains further...

T he world is changing fast. The global rail freight

and logistics industry is no exception. More

skills are needed for railway professionals

and logisticians than ever before, which

necessitates a higher level of qualifications to be

continuously developed.

Recent surveys conducted within the context of two

rail education-focused projects revealed that 72 per

cent of respondents believe that more people will work

in railway positions in their company three years from

now: a significant potential for railway higher education

in the future.

Future rail freight professionals who serve in the

industry must be able to master increasing levels of

new information technologies, innovative approaches

and system complexities which differ from the

historical concepts and practices that concentrated

more on orthodox methods. Such a critical need

must be addressed in rail higher education to include

modern logistics principles and practices.

The university programmes in rail freight and

logistics should be more globally oriented, employing

an interdisciplinary approach and promotion of

transferable skills such as creativity, R&D, innovation

and flexibility.

The surveys also found that higher education

in rail operations, management and logistics will

benefit both service users and providers in improving

their economic performance and trade facilitation.

Individuals will also be benefited for their prospective

career paths.

In response, NewRail has designed a modern,

research-based MSc in rail freight and logistics. The

programme aims to develop the student’s ability to

initiate and carry out advanced performance systems

analysis, and research projects to solve managerial

and engineering-related problems in rail freight and

logistics. Specifically, the programme aims to equip

graduates with the skills and qualifications necessary to

pursue a management and/or engineering career in rail

freight and logistics.

The programme places an emphasis on the growing

interest in rail freight services and the international

aspect of logistics, as both of these promote a more

mature distribution of freight. Alongside this, freight

transport planners and managers will be provided with

the chance to view rail freight and logistics together,

from a wider perspective, allowing them to appreciate

the increasing importance of rail freight and logistics

policy and practices both national and international for

a sustainable future.

The programme was designed with the purpose of:

l Preparing students to engage in life-long learning

and critical enquiry with skills in research and

knowledge acquisition and an appreciation of the value

of education to the wider community

l Providing students with internationally recognised

qualifications, which meet the requirements of the

Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and of

other benchmark statements for applicability of output

standards to Master Degrees

l Provide the global rail and logistics industry with

employable and enterprising graduates prepared

for taking on managerial, operational, commercial

technical, and financial responsibilities.

The programme provides opportunities for

students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and

understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in

the following areas:

1. Railway engineering

2. Rail freight operations and management

3. Rail economics and planning

4. Freight transport logistics

5. Rail transport policy, safety and security

6. Inter/multi-modal freight transport

7. Rail project risk and value management.

The learning outcome from the programme is a

sound understanding of rail management, engineering

and logistics concepts, operations, economics,

technologies and policies and practice, with a focus on

effective freight distributions.

The degree programme is innovative in character,

Training

Dr. Marin Marinov is the manager of NewRail’s Rail

Education Group



integrating research-based teaching activities such

as independent studies, team and independent

assignments and workshop assignments.

Specifically the programme includes a range of multi-

disciplinary activities such as: lectures with discussion;

major research projects; panel of experts; analytical

and simulation modelling; performance analysis, case

studies; scenarios; surveys; lean production systems,

systems design, evaluation of network policy and

strategy, optimisation of investment choice, economic

assessment; road mapping; web conferences and

technical visits.

The programme framework provides a multi-

disciplinary multi-cultural environment to learn and

develop the skills and qualifications necessary to

pursue a management and/or engineering career in

rail management, engineering and business logistics

at large. zz

For further information, visit: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/newrail/education/msc.htm

NewRail would like to acknowledge the support of the

European Commission, who provided the majority of

the funding for the development of this MSc course.

Tel: 0191 222 3976Email: [email protected]: www.newrail.org

Bookings Team 020 7500 6900 www.expressmedicals.co.uk

rail medicalsDRUG & ALCOHOLwellbeing OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

counselling PHYSIOTHERAPYblood testing & vaccinationsTRAINING SERVICES

Looking after the health of your business

Follow us on twitter@ExpressMedicals

http://www.railimages.co.uk

http://www.expressmedicals.co.uk


How to build a younger workforce Customer service and personal development training will help passenger transport

sector build a younger workforce, says SHARON GLANCY

P assenger transport companies need to

invest specifically in customer service

and personal development training to

retain the next generation of workers,

finds the People 1st Training Company Retention

Index (Ref.1).

The recent State of the Nation 2013 report

(Ref. 2) from People 1st, the sector skills council

for the passenger transport and travel sectors,

showed that the next big challenge for the sector

will be recruiting younger workers to replace an

ageing workforce. The Retention Index shows the

type of training that will make a difference to the

people who are entering the industry.

“We know that the next big challenge for the

sector is attracting the next generation of workers.

But beyond attraction, they also need to start

thinking about the things that will keep them in the

long-term,” comments Sharon Glancy, managing

director of the People 1st Training Company.

“Training can have a positive financial impact too

– we know from our State of the Nation report

that 48 per cent of passenger transport and travel

businesses that trained staff in the last 12 months

saw their financial turnover increase.”

The Retention Index found that almost three

quarters (74 per cent) of HR directors and training

managers feel that personal development training

can have the highest impact on retention, followed

by people/team management (55 per cent) and

soft skills/customer service (54 per cent). This is

compelling when the State of the Nation Report

revealed that 81 per cent of employers identified

customer service skills as the most important for

their business in the next three to five years.

Sharon Glancy says: “People 1st’s State of the

Nation report showed that only about

35 per cent of passenger transport and travel

businesses provide training based on personal

development needs, and yet this has been

identified by the Retention Index as the most

important training need that is most likely to

have an impact on staff retention, so there is a

mismatch between what employers know and

what they choose to invest their training

budget on.

“This research shows that skills like customer

service and team management are among

the most valued by staff and not only do they

meet key skills needs for passenger transport

businesses, but they can also have an impact

on retention. This is something we’ve known at

the People 1st Training Company for quite some

time – employers who have used our WorldHost

customer service training programmes have told

us that their staff feel they have been invested

in when they undertake the training and the

business has seen staff motivation improve as a

result. In addition, our Management 1st training

programme helps managers – particularly new

managers – address some of the challenges they

face. When their employer invests in this training,

they feel more valued and supported.

“In terms of personal development, we also

offer train the trainer programmes, which help

people develop the skills to deliver effective

training – again, many delegates see this as a real

investment in their skills and future career.”

The HR directors and training managers

surveyed say that frontline staff are the type of

employee most likely to stay by being offered

regular and relevant training – the group with the

highest percentage of current turnover

(23 per cent on average). To improve retention

respondents felt that their training budgets would

need to increase by an average of 43 per cent.

Based on current spend, passenger transport

companies would need to spend £2300 a year

on each member of frontline staff to retain those

joining the industry now.

Sharon Glancy says: “With such a clear need

for entry-level staff we want to help passenger

transport organisations direct investment into the

kind of training that will retain the right level of

employee. This is fundamental to building a

younger workforce.” zz

ReferencesRef. 1: The Retention Index research was

conducted by independent research company

Illuma in May 2013. One hundred telephone

interviews were conducted amongst HR directors

and training managers across a range of

leisure-based industries including passenger

transport industries.

Ref. 2: State of the Nation Report 2013

Passenger Transport and Travel is the second

report from People 1st that surveys more than

1400 employers in the sector to analyse current

labour market trends, skills and education and

training needs.

Sharon Glancy

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Training


New research conducted for O2 by

expert analysts Conlumino found that

passenger services companies, such as

rail and bus operators, are struggling to

harness digital technologies despite the fact that

the majority of passenger spend – 64 per cent –

is now influenced by these digital channels.

From comparing prices and planning routes in

advance to checking for delays whilst travelling,

mobile apps and online sites are now a crucial

part of a passenger’s journey. Whilst 30 per cent

of transport operators think they are doing a good

job in adapting to new technology, customers

disagree, with 96 per cent of consumers

dissatisfied by some aspect of their digital

journey:

l A large majority (84 per cent) are confused

by websites and apps

l 87 per cent are frustrated by the lack of

real time travel information

l Almost nine out of ten are annoyed when

prices aren’t consistent across different outlets,

highlighting the need for a truly multichannel

experience

With the number of Brits planning ‘Staycations’

rising year on year, bus, rail and coach companies

are set to benefit from the millions of additional

journeys being made over the summer months.

This presents passenger transport operators with

an opportunity to boost their bottom line through

digital engagement. The study shows:

l Digital is the preferred way to find

passenger transport operators: Over

80 per cent of people have used digital channels

to plan journeys and look up prices

l The station is no longer the place for

purchases: more people are now buying tickets

via websites and apps (66 per cent) than in

person or over the phone (53 per cent)

l Real-time information crucial: 65 per cent

have used digital methods to check for travel

news updates – four times the number of people

who still rely on more traditional services such as

station updates or over the phone information

Passengers are telling the industry what they

want; a more informed, integrated experience,

where they can manage tickets and access

Digital frustration costing passenger transport industry £1.2 billion

current information, not only about their journey

but the destination too. Companies such as rail

and bus operators need to keep pace with the

rapid evolution of mobile technology and ensure

the right support is in place to adapt and ensure

passengers can receive real-time updates on

any device.

The rapid evolution of mobile technology has

the power to transform the passenger services

industry. Data and analytics tools are available

to provide a deeper insight into passengers’

behaviour and needs to inform marketing plans

and improve services overall. Mobile technology

is becoming indispensable to employees too;

companies that equip teams with smart devices

and the right digital tools will be ahead of the game

in delivering a seamless and enjoyable service for

passengers. zz

The passenger transport industry may be missing out on sales to the tune of £1.2 billion by failing to connect

effectively with customers digitally, says O2

Anna Holness, managing partner of O2’s Passenger

Services commented: “Nearly all of us have used some

form of digital technology to plan journeys or buy tickets, so

we understand how convenient digital services can be in today’s

busy world. The industry is making efforts to provide passengers

with the digital tools they want; however there is still room for

improvement. The priority now is to create a seamless experience

for the customer offering real-time, multichannel information

which will ultimately improve the passenger journey.”

Ben Dowd, head of business at O2 commented:

“Passenger transport companies have embraced many aspects of

digital, but there is still a huge amount of scope to transform the

services provided to passengers. With the arrival of 4G, ubiquitous connectivity will only make these

technologies more central to the consumer experience. From

providing reliable real-time information and ensuring customer

services embrace social media, to creating a consistent multichannel

experience online and en-route, the impact of successful digital services

will be the deciding factor when it comes to engaging and retaining

customers.”

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzCommunications

which provides the basis on which all of the

other divisions depend, Offshore, Highways,

Mouldings, Sports & Play and Biomed, and this

innovation and diversity has been the driving

force behind the company’s success.

Until relatively recently Rosehill would have

been an unfamiliar name to most in the UK rail

industry but the company actually developed

the method of cold curing rubber crossing

panels as far back as 1994. At that time

Rosehill’s chairman Michael Hopkinson was

approached by an American company Riedel

Omni to improve the production methods of

their rubber crossing panels which were being

manufactured by vulcanisation using high levels

of energy, taking 17 to 20 hours to produce

and de-mould each panel.

After successful trials in the US, Riedel Omni

adopted the Rosehill method of manufacture

improving their production output enormously

by reducing the production cycle to one hour.

In 1999 Riedel Omni closed and Rosehill

acquired their mould technology, designing and

Rosehill Rail designs and produces

rubber railway crossing systems for

rail authorities throughout the world

and is the largest manufacturer of

rubber crossing panels in the UK. These panels

are manufactured from a blend of recycled

tyre rubbers without heat and are chemically

bonded under pressure and de-moulded in

25 minutes, which is a clean, quick and energy

efficient method of manufacture.

Furthermore Rosehill crossing panels do not

pose any risk to the environment, do not react

with soil or water and will not leach chemicals

or emit any harmful vapours or odours into the

atmosphere. They are marketed in the UK by

Holdfast Level Crossings and branded with the

Holdfast name.

The Rosehill Rail team is dedicated to

meeting rail customers’ needs by providing a

service that operates on a global basis. It is

also a division of the Rosehill Polymers group

who are world leaders in the production of

polyurethane systems. It is this expertise,


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzROSEHILL RAIL

With nearly 20 years’ experience,

Rosehill Rail’s manufacturing

process yields superior railway crossing panels

Rosy outlook


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

crossing grade, rail type, sleeper type, fastener

and year of manufacture, which makes it easy

to check on site that the panels meet the

required specifications.

The first of these is the Rosehill Baseplated

System, which is ideal for shorter crossings

and for cutting into turnouts and tight bends

that are particularly found in tram and city

rail systems, something few others can

accomplish. The panels can be made in

various grades to suit traffic conditions, from

heavy traffic to track access or pedestrian and

have approval in many countries including

Network Rail in the UK.

The Rosehill Rodded System has been

designed particularly for heavy traffic and

extreme situations but can be employed in any

road crossing. The principle is both simple and

ingenious; each panel is manufactured over

length and by means of rods moulded within

the panels is compressed down to 1.8 metres

long and held under compression during its

lifespan.

The advantages are that dimensional

stability is maintained in all conditions

irrespective of temperature fluctuations and the

pre-compressed panel combats compressive

set from the wheel tracks of heavy, high speed

vehicles which over an extended period can

result in distortion and gapping. The panels

can be manufactured for wide, standard or

narrow gauge and are particularly useful for

longer crossings and those at an acute angle

to the road. They also come with Network Rail

approval and that of other countries.

Both systems are quick and simple to install,

building a plant at the Beech Road factory

to manufacture the panels.

The moulds were re-engineered for the

new Rosehill process including fitting hydraulic

systems to each mould in order to employ an

efficient production process. As such the initial

investment was in excess of £2,000,000.

During its long history in the rail industry

Rosehill has amassed a wealth of experience

working with a range of global rail infrastructure

companies and operators on a wide variety

of projects. The knowledge and experience

gained has enabled Rosehill to provide

crossing solutions that are perfectly tailored to

any requirement.

For example Rosehill manufactures two

systems which are made to fit the contours of

the track taking into consideration the sleeper

profile, rail type, fastener and gauge and can

accommodate gauge widening, check rails

and tight radii.

Each panel is marked when moulded so

that it can be clearly read from above i.e. the

Rosy outlook

Sheffield Supertram Baseplated Crossing Rosehill Rodded Crossing system

Rosehill Anti-Trespass Panel

http://www.rosehillrail.com

as demonstrated by the initial installation for the

Rodded System’s Network Rail trial, which can

be viewed on the Rosehill website

(www.rosehill rail.com) where all the timings

are logged. As part of the installation process

Rosehill Lifting Pins have been designed

specifically for use with both systems and

each set is accompanied by the appropriate

test certificate and instructions for use and

maintenance. Two sets can be used in tandem

to install the gauge panels which form a natural

tent shape ideal for lowering straight into the

gauge.

A further development from the Rosehill

range is the new improved design of rubber

Anti-Trespass panel which is in extensive use

throughout the UK rail network. The panels can

be incorporated at the ends of level crossings

or on station platforms. The new design

incorporates more diverse mouldings making

them both a physical and visual deterrent to

trespassers, cable thieves, etc.

Manufacture is controlled by detailed

operating instructions. All associated


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ROSEHILL RAIL

documentation, including technical

specifications and bills of material are

controlled by documented procedures as

detailed in the company Quality Systems

Manual. Rosehill operates a quality

assurance system complying with the

international standard ISO9001:2008

which is audited annually by the National

Quality Assurance board. The process is

computer controlled and operated by a

fully trained experienced staff

and maintained under contract by

specialist engineers.

Traceability is achieved by recording on

computer the production data, weight check

and visual check of each panel at the time of

manufacture. Each panel can be traced to the

order and manufacturing batch. This enables

checking against the engineering drawings if

needed at a later date.

Rosehill Rail is looking forward to a positive

future in terms of growth. The product range is

proven and Rosehill Rail is working with many

new partners around the world to develop new

markets. This will not only lead to Rosehill Rail

crossings being seen more widely in use but it

will also help railway administrations to achieve

savings over existing monopolistic sourcing,

by introducing more competition into the

market place.

Another positive aspect is that existing

Rosehill Rail distributors are continuing

to achieve growth at a time of worldwide

economic downturn. This reflects well on the

product range as more customers realise

the benefits of using Rosehill level crossing

systems.

Rosehill Rail has attended Railtex in London

and IAF in Munster so far this year. Both of

these rail exhibitions have resulted in excellent

feedback and sales opportunities.

Other rail exhibitions where Rosehill Rail will

be present are: Nordic Rail, Sweden

(8-10 October 2013) and Eurasia Rail, Turkey

(6-8 March 2014). Rosehill Rail looks forward to

welcoming new and existing customers to their

stand at these and other major rail events. zz

Web: www.rosehillrail.com

Rosehill Rail stand at Railtex 2013

Supertram pedestrian crossing

Manufacturing plant

As a Distribution Network Operator

(DNO), UK Power Networks’ role is to

take electricity at high voltages from the

National Grid and transform it down to

suitable voltages for commercial and domestic

use. The company is responsible for three

such networks, in the East of England, London

and the South-East, which together use more

than 160,000 kilometres of underground cable

and overhead lines to distribute electricity. As

such, the company works to ensure that this

infrastructure continues to deliver 24 hours a

day, 365 days a year.

As an independent operating arm under this

parent, UK Power Networks Services (UKPN

Services) develops and maintains business-

critical energy networks for a variety of sectors.

This includes long-term maintenance contracts

for airports such as London Heathrow, London

Stansted and London Gatwick, defence

contracts such as Project Allenby/Connaught,

iconic commercial premises and significant

rail projects.

Specifically UKPN Services designed,

financed, and built, and the company now

operates and maintains the High Speed 1

(HS1) electrical infrastructure on a 50-year

contract. The company also delivered the

electrical work for the Lewisham extension of

the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and has

completed several projects on the London

Underground including the Victoria Line

upgrade programme.

Presently UKPN Services is bringing its

expertise to London Underground’s sub-

surface lines modernisation scheme and

various Network Rail programmes including

Thameslink and power supply upgrades.

Thameslink in particular has continued to

progress well with UKPN Services supporting

several phases of the scheme, including Key


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzUK POWER NETWORKS

Making the connectionMaking the connectionHaving welcomed the announcements surrounding electrification, UK Power Networks Services has the team to deliver such programmes


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzOutput 1 and Key Output 2.

The company’s main remit has been the

construction of a new DC substation close

to Blackfriars station, which will enable the

changeover of the route from AC overhead

traction to DC third rail.

Adrian Dixon, head of business development

and projects at UKPN Services, said: “While

delivering this we encountered some challenges

when undertaking the foundations, which

created a 12-week delay. However, by working

together with the client, we still managed to bring

in the project two weeks early.

“We are strongly embedded with the client,

which we believe enables us to overcome issues

more easily, should they arise, by working out

a solution together. Likewise, we also like to be

involved with projects from an early stage as it

means we can contribute our experience and

help influence the approach to be the

best possible.”

At the beginning of the year, UKPN Services

was successful in gaining a position on Network

Making the connection

@

http://www.blu-3.co.uk

UltraeleCtroniCS

Rail SystemsUltra Electronics - PMES supplies high quality DC power products for traction applications to customers around the world. Ultra can supply both substation equipment (including transformer rectifier units) and complete turnkey DC substation systems. The electrical and mechanical designs are commercially competitive, based on decades of refinement, supported by cutting edge software tools, and fully conform with both UK and International standards and practices.

Business StreamsPower & Control •(DEfEnCE)Power & Control •(InDUStrIal & EnErgy)rail SyStemS & tranSformerS•SenSorS•

ContactUltra Electronics PMESTowers Business Park | Wheelhouse RoadRugeley | Staffordshire | WS15 1UZ | UKTel: +44 (0)1889 503300Fax: +44 (0)1889 572929Email: [email protected]

advanced power electronics products, systems and services for use worldwide in ships, submarines and mass transit systems.

www.ultra-pmes.com

http://www.ultra-pmes.com

Rail’s Power Distribution System programme

in Kent. Due for completion by July 2016, this

project is still in its early phases but work will

include renewal of switchgear and upgrading of

electrical infrastructure at 39 substations and

21 traction power huts. Furthermore, more than

50 kilometres of electricity cable will also be

designed and installed.

As in many of its projects, UKPN Services

prides itself on its ability to provide a completely

integrated service from early consultancy and

design, to supply, engineering, construction,

installation, testing and commissioning. In many

cases this also extends to on-going operation

and maintenance.

“Although each industry is different in terms

of its regulations, procedures or geographical

constraints, the principles of taking energy from

Point A to Point B remain the same in many

sectors,” said Adrian. “As such we are able to

learn across our business to take aspects that

work in one industry and apply it to the benefit

of another.”

In order to widen this offering even further,

UKPN Services is currently developing a

partnership with Colas Rail Limited, which will

enable it to combine its core skills, expertise

and technologies for specific projects.

Stewart Dawson, director of UKPN Services,

said: “We specialise in the non-trackside power

supply from the DNO connection but, in order

to offer an end-to-end solution, Colas brings

in its trackside expertise. The intention is that

in this way we will be able to offer a one-stop-

shop for electrification.”

“We’re also looking at innovation. One

company we’re talking to is ABB, regarding the

innovative ideas that we could bring to the rail

sector, not only for new-build projects but also

existing assets where we could offer efficiencies

such as reducing electricity costs or losses.

“In this way we have a team working with

HS1 to look at a regenerative braking scheme


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz UK POWER NETWORKS

Ultra ElectronicsUltra Electronics is an internationally successful company with a long, consistent track record of development and growth.A world leader in power systems for mass transport, Ultra has enjoyed a sustaining, positive relationship with UK Power Networks. As part of its ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction and growth, Ultra continues to work closely with UK Power Networks to further develop this co-operation

Sonic Rail Services (SRS) Ltd have over the last 10 years developed a strong working relationship with UKPNS (formerly EDFE). This started in earnest during the Power Supply Upgrade undertaken between 2003 and 2006. SRS were the principle DC contractor for SABCo, the joint venture between Balfour Beatty and the then named EDFE.

Following on from the Upgrade SRS maintained the close ties with EDFE and latterly renamed UKPNS. The relationship has developed further over time with SRS not only servicing the DC cabling installation works but undertaking GRIP 4 and GRIP 5 design works on behalf of UKPNS, supplying significant project management resource as part of preliminary teams or actual UKPNS core team members for the major projects. SRS have also expanded into completing HV works for UKPNS, with collaborative working the strengths of both company’s skill sets and resources can be realised to deliver other elements of a project together and efficiently.

As such SRS and UKPNS have and continue to integrate their teams to enable the delivery of a broad spectrum of projects and with our collective involvement manage the rigorous process from cradle to grave. Some of the schemes may have been relatively minor however the two companies have virtually partnered on the delivery of some significant projects, some of which are ongoing. Ludgate Cellars SubstationIneer London Substation UpgradesBlackfriars StationKent PSEWaterloo Upgrade

UKPNS ETE/ETM PWAY / BRIDGE TRANSPORT & PLANT

Delivering QualityInfrastructure Services

Head Office01621 784 688

London Office0207 921 0545

Email:[email protected]

Webwww.sonicrail.co.uk

http://www.sonicrail.co.uk


and similarly with London Underground looking

at inverter trials. This is an area that we’d like

to progress further in order to create more

efficiency and savings for the railway and

our clients.”

Perhaps of greatest interest, though, has

been the recent announcements regarding

investment into electrification. “It is good to

see the rail industry investing, not only for us

as a country but the UK as the whole, as in the

past it’s not had the level needed to transform

it into a 21st century railway,” said Adrian. “The

electrification programme, the Great Western

electrification programme, the electrification

and plant (E&P) works in the South – all those

things are of interest to us.

“Further ahead we have High Speed 2 (HS2).

Given that we are the only UK company that

has built a power system for a high-speed line

in this country, we have a lot of knowledge in

this area and therefore view this as an exciting

opportunity.”

The challenge the industry now faces is

not the volume of work but finding the skilled

personnel to deliver this. UKPN Services

has always benefited from a fully-qualified

and certified workforce but is continuing to

invest in this at all levels in order to meet the

requirements of tomorrow.

“There is a major skills shortage across the

whole of the UK, which means the industry is

even looking outside of Europe to recruit the

necessary expertise,” said Stewart.

“Therefore, we are focusing strongly on the

next generation of those skills and forward

planning to be able to recruit the right people

now, working with universities, schools and

colleges to encourage young people to take

that career path. Within our company we have

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz UK POWER NETWORKS

Founded in 1951, Transformers & Rectifiers Limited have supplied Transformer/Rectifier Units and Auxiliary Transformers to both Network Rail and London Underground over many years. Additionally the company has supplied similar equipment both nationally and internationally.

Our considerable strength in design and build of both standard and bespoke products, coupled with our geographical location close to the heart of the british railway industry gives us a distinct competitive edge.

Contact15-16 Woodbridge Meadows,Guildford, Surrey,England, GU1 1BJ

Tel: +44(0)1483 568281Fax: +44(0)1483 504961www.transformers.co.uk

An ISO 9001:2008 Accredited Company

training centres and recruitment campaigns

which we can use to deliver basic electrical

training before taking them through to get the

specialist skills needed to work in rail,”

he continued.

“Because power goes across the bounds of

different industries, in terms of being the same

volts and amps, we are able to move people

across for different industries and give them

that education in rail,” said Adrian. “It’s about

attracting those people into rail but at the same

time promoting and increasing the skills of our

present workforce.”

One of the ways in which UKPN Services

is looking to achieve this is through a focus

on safety. The company has embarked on a

new safety culture programme, which aims to

look at making sure safety is foremost in every

employee’s mind by the end of the year.

“It’s about bringing that culture into the way

people operate and think,” said Stewart. “Our

vision is to win more contracts and to deliver

the projects and objectives safely, on budget

and to a high quality. The main element of

that is staff and having the right people, which

to me is key for us to be able to develop the

relationship with our clients and therefore

secure more projects for the business.” zz

Web: www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk

http://www.transformers.co.uk


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Foundation Piling ltd

Top of the pileSucceeding in the most

challenging environments, Foundation Piling Ltd is

an expert in foundation and piling solutions for restricted access areas

is able to respond to its customer requests

quickly and efficiently, anywhere in the UK

or Ireland.

From the beginning the company has

prided itself on innovation, leading the way

in terms of technically advanced, practical

ground engineering. Foundation Piling’s

extensive knowledge of soil behaviour and

unrivalled experience of challenging jobs

helps to minimise risks and enables it to

succeed in locations that are often considered

unworkable. It is for these reasons that the

company has developed a reputation as

the specialists’ specialist, and the go-to for

many site managers and civil engineers, as

well as frequently being called upon by other

companies to assist in resolving problems.

In doing so Foundation Piling can call

upon what is perhaps the UK’s largest, most

modern and versatile range of large diameter,

restricted access rigs. The company continually

assesses the latest equipment to bring the

most appropriate, up-to-date technology to

each project. In recent years this has included

new Soilmec SR70 and SF50 rigs together

with Tescar CF3 Ultra-Low Headroom Rotary

Rigs, all efficiently delivered to projects by

F oundation Piling Ltd was originally

formed in Birmingham in 1980 as

West Midland Piling and Foundations

Ltd, before relocating to Shropshire

in 1982. As today the company specialised

in providing piled foundations for civil

engineering and building projects, with

particular emphasis on restricted access

requirements. At the time the piled

underpinning market was in its infancy,

and as such the company quickly

developed its reputation.

With various other independent

companies with regional titles being

formed in the following years, it was

in 1993 that these were all brought

together under the Foundation Piling Ltd name.

As an independent company, Foundation Piling

Installation of ductile

piles in limited

headroom beneath

power transmission

cables for power

station

300 No 170mm diameter ductile piles at

Ely bridge. Replacement rail bridge piling

completed in three weeks for Kier Rail

Installation of bored piles for student accommodation constructed in limited access site adjacent to existing embankment

73 No 220mm diameter driven displacement piles for new footbridge installations adjacent to rail track


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzztheir own transport fleet. Much of this is

designed specifically for restricted access, low

headroom, and difficult ground conditions. This

includes things like working under overhead

power lines, bridges & inside

existing structures.

Delivering the works are Foundation Piling’s

highly trained operatives, the majority of which

are based out of its purpose-built premises in

St Martins, Oswestry. The company maintains

a policy of continued training and personal

development, including participation in the

Investor In People scheme, to ensure that a

multi-skilled workforce is available at all times.

Each individual has the relevant qualifications

for any work they may undertake including

CSCS standard, with the foremen also

holding an NVQ Level 2 in Piling Operations

and SSSTS accreditation.

With each foundation project presenting

its own challenges, the wide range of

piling techniques offered by Foundation

Piling ensures that the most appropriate, and

economic, solution is selected. Amongst others

this includes CFA bored piling, rotary bored

piling, tripod piling, driven tubular and timber

piling, ductile piling, soil nails, screw piles and

anchors, and retaining wall construction.

Known as Continuous Flight Auger (CFA),

this method is the quietest form of piling and

suitable for forming piles in most types of

soil, including unstable ground, with minimal

environmental disturbance. It is an ideal

solution for noise and vibration sensitive work,

and for use on some restricted-access sites.

Also ideal for use on low headroom or tight

access sites are the company’s range of rotary

rigs, a number of which have low mast heights

particularly suited to piling adjacent to roads

and railways.

Another key technique employed by

Foundation Piling is tripod piling, with the

company currently the largest contractor

for this method in the UK. Most of the

components can be manually handled and

require very little mechanical assistance to

negotiate stairways and corridors making

tripod rigs preferable to tracked machines

in many restricted applications. Furthermore

Foundation Piling can also offer electrically

powered rigs, which can be used in confined

spaces without the need for fume extraction

systems.

For more challenging environments such as

rock or loose ground, the company can deliver

both rock drilled piles and anchors together

with soil nails that achieve exceptionally high

pile capabilities, whilst the driven ductile

steel tube system offers substantial support.

As such these systems are often used in

industrial works, house extensions, highways,

architectural environments and marine

applications. When it comes to the rail market

though, it is the quick installing screw piles

that are an ideal fit to the limited possession

times. These are capable of being installed

for temporary works, as well as complete

projects, and the ability to do so without the

need for concrete or grout greatly speeds up

the process.

As a business focused around the delivery of

solid and stable underpinnings, what has been

most important for Foundation Piling in its years

of operation is keeping its own foundations

strong. This means maintaining the long-held

values of innovation, quality, and expertise, that

will ensure the ground below remains secure as

the company builds its future. zz

Web: www.foundation-piling.co.uk

Top of the pileNDT Services Ltd

PILE INTEGRITY TESTING

DYNAMIC LOAD TESTING

STATIC PILE MAINTAINED LOAD TESTING

UK Office: Unit 32 Criftin Centre, Oxton Road, Epperstone, Nottinghamshire, NG14 6AT, UK Tel: www.ndt-piletesting.com

Ductile piles for new Tesco store adjacent to rail track at Lawrence Hill Bristol

http://www.ndt-piletesting.com


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Civil Rail SolutionS

Plenty of manpowerProviding a wide spectrum of personnel solutions to the rail industry Civil Rail Solutions always delivers the right man for the job

later I had another four personnel onboard and

slowly it has grown from there,” he continues.

Over the years Civil Rail Solutions has

diversified from being just a labour entity for

the railway to also supplying the construction

sector. The company recognises there is a

need for the provision of high quality, skills

specific personnel to meet the exacting

requirements of the industry. Fully licensed,

with Link-up and ISO:9001 approval, Civil Rail

Solutions also offers an in-depth understanding

of the challenges and needs of its clients.

“Coming from a background of working on the

railway myself, I am well connected with many

others working in the industry. As such I knew

we would be able to mobilise the right staff for

each project,” highlights Mark.

“We understand that we are only as good as

the staff that we supply so we have a very strict

application process that we adhere to when it

comes to taking on new staff. This includes a

thorough induction and ongoing competency

management and training. This gives our clients

confidence that when they choose to work with

Civil Rail Solutions that we will deliver only the

best, qualified staff.”

Having built up a track record on high

C ivil Rail Solutions is the brainchild of

managing director and owner Mark

Mason, conceived in 2008 at a

crossroads moment as he explains: “I

used to play semi-professional football until I

snapped my cruciate ligament in my knee. At

the time I was helping to build the depot for

the Hitachi trains that run on the high-speed

link between Ashford and St Pancras, and we

came to the end of a piece of work with the

next intake not due to start for another couple

of months. Being that I was also in plaster, after

being on the tools for 12 years I began thinking

how I’d worked for some good and some bad

companies, and could I do better in supplying

good quality men to clients.

“So I approached a senior project manager

at Fitzpatrick, before they were Volker

Fitzpatrick, and was given the opportunity to

supply myself and one other guy. Three weeks

Mark Mason - owner and managing

director of Civil Rail Solutions


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

profile projects, today Civil Rail Solutions’

core staff of 240 work on programmes for

many of rail’s biggest Tier 1 contractors.

This includes Balfour Beatty, Amey, London

Underground, Colas Rail, Morgan Sindall, Kier,

Volker Fitzpatrick and Carillion. “We can supply

the complete spectrum of staff from project

managers to PTS labourers, LUL operatives

and CSCS-CPCS operatives. It’s just as

important for us to invest in the newly qualified

personnel as the more experienced members

of the workforce, because as a growing

company we need to bring in the staff of the

future,” notes Mark.

Outlining some of the projects Civil Rail

Solutions’ is currently engaged on, he

continues: “We have a framework contract with

Balfour Beatty for the London Underground

and are heavily involved in delivering all the

drainage programmes for that. We started off

with one team, and now have six delivering

that work so it’s been a successful niche for

us. This is because we’ve been able to put the

right staff in for the application each time, so

the client has confidence in our ability to deliver

this work.

“We’ve also been building relationships

with new clients such as C Spencer. They are

becoming a key player in Kent because of the

amount of work they have secured, and being

based in Ashford ourselves, the south-east

and London are markets we have historically

been strong in. It also means that we have

a lot of staff from the surrounding area, and

clients like to be able to source local labour

where possible to try and reduce their carbon

footprint and environmental impact.”

Five years after its formation, Civil Rail

Solutions is very much considered a trusted

partner by many, with Balfour Beatty noting

that the company is a strategic part of its

supply chain. This is a positive endorsement of

Civil Rail Solutions’ ability to deliver and stands

it in good stead for the future.

“The market is very much growing,”

concludes Mark. “Talking with clients at a

director level Control Period 5 is expected

to be a very busy time within the industry

because of the amount of work out there.

For Civil Rail Solutions it’s about making sure

that we maintain the ethos that we built the

company around – steady growth, stringent

staff approval, and the knowledge that we are

only as good as the labour we supply. If we

can continue with the above I believe we will

continue to grow and become a key player

in the labour supply market within the railway

industry. zz

Web: www.civilrailsolutions.co.uk

ReflexFlexible light commercial vehicle &

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www.reflexvans.comReflex is a brand of LCV Hire Solutions LimitedIncorporated in England and Walescompany number 07813062

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One hundred and twenty-six years old,

HaslerRail AG is a worldwide well-

known name based in Switzerland.

The company’s history is inextricably

linked with that of the railway, launching its

first products alongside this revolution of

mass transport in the 19th century. Over

the years HaslerRail has diversified into

other technologies such as cell phones, fire

protection and measurement systems, but

what remains today is very much the original

founding DNA of the business.

As such the rail market is the only one in

which HaslerRail operates. The company’s

core products are event recorders or black

box technology, which are traditionally used in

the aftermath of an accident to evaluate and

assess what happened in order to hopefully

improve the safe running of trains.

It is around this primary technology that the

company has developed its other products

including those with Safety Integrity Levels

(SIL) of up to four for use on the most safety

critical functions of a train. This includes brake

supervision, dead man control and speed

restrictions. The third branch of HaslerRail is

its offboard software solutions, which support

these products through the evaluation, analysis

and monitoring of the data recorded onboard.

With the domestic market within Switzerland

relatively small for these types of products,

from an early stage HaslerRail has focused on

international expansion and global operations.


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzHaslerrail

A long-time technology leader, HaslerRail AG’s black box solution

offers benefits beyond accident investigation

On the record



Today less then five per cent of the company’s

revenue comes from Switzerland, with the rest

being delivered through exports to major train

builders and operators around the world.

With safety being one of the headline

concerns of the industry, CEO Alexandre

Grêt describes some of the issues affecting

this today: “Safety can be achieved through

different means, and technology obviously

has an impact on that, but on the other side

is cost. We know we have very safe systems

FLIRT service-counter

Rowe Hankins Rowe Hankins Limited is proud to be

the Sales Agent for HaslerRail and their

range of safety and on-train monitoring

and recording systems (OTMRs) for the

UK rail market.

After many years of building sales for

new product applications on behalf

of and with HaslerRail, Rowe Hankins

has developed a team of trained

technicians within its Service Centre to

provide the expertise for the overhaul,

refurbishment and repair of the many

HaslerRail systems that are currently

installed within the UK national, urban

and underground train fleets.

All work is undertaken at Rowe

Hankins’ UK based, IRIS accredited,

premises in north Manchester and

is also supported by a team of ten

engineers with many years experience

of working within the rail industry. Rowe

Hankins and HaslerRail – making UK

rail a safer place.

these days, so I don’t think the challenge

is to improve that per se, but to do it at a

reasonable cost.

“The other issue is that safety is often

considered a reactive solution, but once a

system is installed very little is done in terms

of monitoring whether those levels of safety

remain consistent over the decades of

operation. So the operator needs to maintain

the system more or less, what is the availability

of the system, what do the trains do if that

http://www.rowehankins.com


system is out of service – all these issues are

not solved. The industry knows about how to

build a safe system, but less about how to keep

it running safely.”

Also of note is the fact that whilst safety has

increased, so has the volume of traffic, and

therefore the net result is not less accidents,

as recent high profiles incidents in Spain and

Switzerland serve to remind. “I think what Spain

showed is that the driver is still a critical element

in the safety chain,” notes Alexandre. “Even

though there are signalling systems that largely

exclude the driver from that, the reality around

the world is that is not really the case and it will

take decades before the majority of networks

are equipped with systems that mean the driver

isn’t the weakest link.

“Whilst there are commercial aspects to the

industry, a large proposition of international

railway is funded by government money and

this presents an investment challenge. In

Europe it is very often the case that trains run

through corridors where different signalling

systems are installed and the driver changes

from one to the next. For example whilst ETCS

is globally accepted as the safest system today,

the rollout of this technology is done in patches

which means the trains are still running on

multiple systems.”

In the past HaslerRail’s technologies

were perhaps predominantly used to take

a retrospective look at the conditions at the

time of an accident, but the company believes

they can be used in a much more proactive

way: “By looking at the data regularly we can

identify where there are safety gaps and how

we can close these to prevent incidents in the

future,” explains Alexandre. “There are many

signalling systems in the world that still operate

a speed limit but this is not necessarily checked

until something happens. Our data recorders

though can tell if the operator exceeded the

speed limit or not, so we are building tools

around this for automatic data evaluation which

will flag up such behaviours so they can be

addressed.”

He continues: “We’ve also developed a

solution that can monitor the different signalling

sub-systems and the roll-out of new ETCS

systems through the use of our data recorders

and offboard software AURA. This enables the

train operator to verify that the new system is

as safe and available as it promised to be on

a contractual basis, and to call attention if it’s

not. We’ve had success with this in a ETCS

application and want to expand that model

internationally.”

As a purely rail focused entity HaslerRail has

a unique understanding of the requirements

of the market to be able to develop products

and solutions that truly deliver. It’s an approach

the company has continued even in the more

difficult economic times. “Although it may have

slowed down a little as a result of the global

financial crisis, we believe rail is a growing

market,” concludes Alexandre. “We have been

fortunate enough to be able to invest in R&D

during this period, and our belief is that we

will emerge stronger with the best and latest

technology as a result of that.” zz

Web: www.haslerrail.com

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzHaslerrail

The full range of TCMS and communication products

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and eastern regions, the

northern and central parts

of the country, and to link

Saudi Arabia with the

GCC countries. Another

aspect of this strategy

includes moving towards

the privatisation of SRO

and opening the door

for national and foreign

investments to bolster

its ability to support

ongoing development.

Currently SRO’s fleet consists of 68 diesel

locomotives with 3500 horsepower and

75 passenger cars, which are split between the

three different classes of passenger service. In

addition, the cargo fleet numbers 2277 cars

of different sizes and types, including 838 for

double stacking of containers, 784 regular

container cars, 47 flatbeds for transporting

vehicles, 250 cement cars, 100 rocks cars and

135 grain hauling cars.

In addition to the provision of 33 2000-

horsepower locomotives for the cargo fleet,

SRO plans to expand its passenger and goods

transportation activity by about 60 per cent of

its current level. This began at the end of 2012

when SRO put eight new sets of luxurious

and fast trains in service, each consisting of

two locomotives and five cars, which will add

Saudi Railways Organization

(SRO) operates a railway

network of approximately

1800 kilometres which extends

from Dammam on the east coast, to

the capital Riyadh passing many key

areas. Together the Eastern Province

and Riyadh Province account for 40 per

cent of the country’s population, as well as

50 per cent of the economic activity. The

company’s trains carry more than 1.3 million

passengers and 450,000 containers each

year, which equates to more than

80 per cent of the containers directed to the

Riyadh Province through Dammam Port.

Specific lines include the 449-kilometre

railway for passengers connecting Riyadh to

Dammam through Al-Ahsa and Abqaiq. This

line is being doubled and expected to be in

service by the end of the year. A second line

of 556-kilometres runs from the King Abdul

Aziz Port in Dammam to Riydah, passing

by Al-Ahsa, Abqaiq, Al-Kharj, Haradh, and

Al-Tawdhihiyah. A tender study to double

the fright line is ongoing and the project is

expected to start by the end of the year.

Furthermore the network consists of 400

kilometres of auxiliary lines that branch from

these main routes to connect industrial and

agricultural areas, and military sites with export

ports and residential areas. SRO’s ambition is

to ensure that together these lines

create a network of world-class rail transport

to support national development, including

international connections.

Likewise the company is focused on

delivering high quality services and continually

developing its performance. Its success in

these areas enhances SRO’s value as a whole,

demonstrates the advantages of rail to the

national economy, and facilitates the further

expansion of the network across the country.

In particular, the Saudi Government, realising

the value rail transport offers to the national

development, has launched a number of

initiatives to bring this vital service in line with

the needs of the country. This includes major

expansion projects to connect the western


All changeAs current operator of the Saudi Arabia rail network,

Saudi Railways Organization is supporting the wealth of expansion projects taking place

throughout the country

SRO New Trainsets

zzzzzzzzzzzz SAUDI RAILWAYS ORGANIZATION

First class

http://www.caf.net

Railway Master Plan (SMRP) for the period

2010 to 2040. The main objective for this was

to put in place a conceptual framework for the

long-term development of a future passenger

and freight transport network for Saudi Arabia.

The development strategy incorporates the

key findings of SANTRAPLAN3, the National

Transportation Strategy (NTS) and other

strategic planning documents.

Contained with the SMRP is a railway

network model with a forecast of passenger

and freight transport volumes as of 2040.

As such the main recommendations include

gradual expansion of the core railway network,

and integration of rail into multimodal transport

chains to improve overall efficiency and

reliability of the transport network.

The implementation of this includes the

a further 2000 seats to the current capacity

with four more sets now under construction.

This reflects the expectation that the number

of passengers and cargo will grow after the

implementation of the current expansion

projects and those now being planned.

At the end of 2010 SRO signed a six-month

contract with the German International

Co-operation (GIZ) to conduct the Saudi


zzzzzzzzzzzz SAUDI RAILWAYS ORGANIZATION

SRO in early stage of

operation around 1950s

SRO These days

l CAF Group, a global leader in railway technology, covers the design and manufacture of whole range of railway vehicles including driverless metro, catenary-less trams and very high speed trains ( 350kmh OARIS ) as well as global railway solutions through its specialized subsidiaries ; CAF Transport & Engineering / Turn Key and Systems Integration Solutions, CAF Signaling / Signalling and Power Control Systems, CAF Power / Traction Solutions, LANDER ( Simulation Systems), NEM / Intelligent Maintenance Management etc. A reputed market leader at the forefront of technological development. CAF Group is committed in helping its clients to reach out and embrace new frontiers and reiterates its commitment to providing best-in-class rail mobility solutions for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and SRO. CAF Group, with a global presence on five continents and a presence in more than 40 countries, has worked to develop a sophisticated strategy for Saudi Arabia and the MENA region since its arrival in 2008. The two contracts signed within 2008 and 2011 for the design, manufacture and supply of the most modern passenger trains for SRO up to 200km/h for the daily services on the Dammam - Line, had become a design icon that signifies the Kingdom’s commitment to developing state-of-the-art and cutting-edge transport solutions for Saudi people. They are based on close co-operation with CAF’s client SRO, with a permanent presence through its CAF Saudi branch that develops the most modern maintenance services for the whole fleet in Dammam and Riyadh on a daily basis.

Providing the latest state-of-the-art and cutting-edge transport technology solutions for SRO

CAF GROUP


Supco Canada Railway Supply GroupSupco Canada Railway Supply Group, an AAR quality certified company, has a decade of extensive experience in design, manufacturing and supply of a wide variety of spare parts and assemblies to first-class international railways. Along with superior products to guarantee the best performance, SCRS has held an exemplary reputation in technical consultancy, maintenance program management services, turn-key maintenance and rebuilt programs, and rolling stock upgrade projects over the years.

zz zzzzzzzzzzSAUDI RAILWAY ORGANIZATION

construction of 19 lines, at a total length of

approximately 9900 kilometres. These are to

be delivered in three stages of development,

the first of which is goes through to 2025.

One such project is the double line upgrade

of the existing two lines between Dammam

and Riyadh. This will help reduce trip times

for passengers. Work is also underway on

the Haramain High Speed Railway ( 350km/h)

project, which is intended to link the holy cities

of Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah.

Approval has been granted for the planned

Saudi Railway Landbridge between Riyadh and

Jeddah, and Dammam and Jubail, therefore

essentially linking the Red Sea to the Arabian

Gulf. This will provide the capability to move

large quantities of cargo over long distances,

as well as comfortable overland passenger

transport. It is forecast that by 2015 the

number of traded containers transported by

the Landbridge will be over 700,000, which is

around eight million tonnes of cargo in total.

It is one of the largest projects to be

executed in the region by the Saudi

Government and will have a significant impact

on the routes for transport in the region. The

Landbridge is also considered to be one of

the most important elements in the expansion

programme due to the nature of the

areas linked.

Another key project is the North-South

Railway (NSR) or Saudi Railways Company

(SAR), which is one of the largest railway

projects currently under construction worldwide

by Public Investment Fund (PIF).

SRO as the leader with more than

50 years’ experience in the region, is playing

a big role in those expansion projects through

participation in almost all the technical

issues from the tendering stage till the final

execution. Moreover SRO management

is offering its expertise in setting up the

operation and maintenance regimes and

training programmes for those railways that

have already begun operating until they can

undertake this themselves. The challenge for

SRO is the training that is required to transfer

this knowledge of operations and maintenance

within the extreme sand/dust, hot, and humid

climate of the region.

The plans for the rail network are not only

limited to Saudi Arabia itself though.

There is also significant activity within

the country surrounding the GCC rail

project, which is scheduled to start

from Kuwait linking into Dammam

in Saudi Arabia, and onto Bahrain

through a new proposed causeway. It

will also join Dammam to Qatar through

Salwa, and Qatar with Bahrain via the

Qatar-Bahrain Causeway, as well as

Saudi Arabia to the UAE through Al

Batha terminating in Oman across Sohar to

Muscat. The total project covers a distance of

approximately 2116 kilometres, 663 kilometres

of which will be in Saudi Arabia. The GCC

project is expected to have a direct positive

impact on the economies, enhance mobility

of goods between the involved countries,

and freedom of movement of citizens, which

will help advance regional investment to the

benefit of all. zz

Web: www.saudirailways.org

Double Stacks Containers Wagons

http://www.supocanada.com

with Dresden being a growing city with

attractive job and tourism opportunities.

Whilst this trend is positive, Hans-Jürgen

notes that there is more that DVB wants

to do: “An important mid-term goal is to

raise the modal split. At present public

transport has 20 per cent of this, but we

hope to bring this up to approximately

25 per cent. This is an ambitious

goal though as improvement to

the road and cycle networks mean

private transport has also become more

attractive.

“Nevertheless, the chances for public

transport are very good as it is already

clear that city development has increased

its dynamic along well functioning public

transport routes, and considerable

settlements are taking place from the

region into peri-urban areas. The necessary

intermodal connection points between

the regional train, regional bus, city train,

tram, and bus system are already very

well developed and offer attractive new

O ne of the most important

transport companies in the

Dresden and Upper Elbe region,

Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe

AG (DVB) considers itself to be more than

just an operator, but rather an integrated

force for public transport. This means

that as well as owning and operating the

tramway infrastructure, and the light rail

and bus vehicles, the company delivers

product development, product production

and marketing services.

“Product development takes place in

a communicative planning process with

the state capital city of Dresden as the


zzzzzzzzzzzz DresDner Verkehrsbetriebe

Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe AG is helping to improve the multi-modal and integrated nature of public transport in Dresden

Publicly minded

responsible authority,” notes general

manager Hans-Jürgen Credé. “The

aim of this process is to combine the

political requirements with the results of

market research in order to harmonise

customer expectations with the economic

possibilities of the company.”

Passenger figures for DVB have

increased by 12 million in the last decade

to the current figure of 151 million

passengers, and further growth is expected

The tram cockpit

with the driver

advisory system

display

The low-floor tram is accessible for handicapped people


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzDresDner Verkehrsbetriebe

supply of seats to customers, as well as

better timetable stability. In addition, the

expected operational concept will lead to

greater savings in the area of buses and in

the further improvement of the efficiency

of the light-rail-transit.

“I see the strength of DVB being in the

constant alignment of the company with

the customers’ needs while considering

efficiency,” describes Hans-Jürgen. “This

means a close meshed route network,

a high frequency of services adjusted to

customer demand, and delivery of the low-

floor systems in vehicles and at tram stops

to improve accessibility.

“The basis for the high quality and

connections,” he elaborates.

One answer to the growth of Dresden

is the Stadtbahn 2020 or light-rail-

rapid-transit 2020 project. The aim of

the programme is to switch the highly

frequented bus routes to city railway

operation and therefore provide a greater

VEMVEM is an internationally active manufacturer of technically sophisticated drive solutions in Germany. It has been developing and producing rail traction machines for more than 100 years. Its product range contains highly efficient asynchronous traction motors for electrical or diesel-electrical locomotives, multiple units, trams and working vehicles. It supplements its range of products with main and auxiliary operating generators and their regulating systems. Beyond this, VEM also offers traction motors for hybrid and trolley buses for environmentally friendly local public transport.

The environment and modern public transport – an excellent partnership

http://www.vem-group.com


efficiency of our service is the consistent

implementation of internal supplier

and customer relations within product

manufacturing. The key to our success

is, however, the great willingness of our

employees and partners to implicate

changes in the course of successful urban

development, as well as image cultivation

and employee qualification. In addition,

image and market cultivation, continuous

product adjustment and customer loyalty

management are important building

blocks,” he continues.

DVB continues to invest in the

modernisation of its business with a

programme that has seen its 155-strong

bus fleet fully transitioned to low-floor

vehicles since 1999, and in the same

way only low-floor vehicles operating on

the scheduled tram service since 2010.

“From a short and mid-term perspective

there are still investments to be made in

improving the existing tram routes. Besides

that we are implementing modern control

technology at traffic lights in order to speed

up the buses and trams and improve

reliability of all travel chains,” explains

Hans-Jürgen.

This is by way of a new control system

developed at the Technical University

of Dresden which makes it possible

to switch free gaps at traffic lights for

more intensive use of regenerative forms

of energy will become necessary. The

concept envisages between 20 and

25 per cent savings against conventional

fuels by using recuperated energy and our

fleet has almost reached these goals. The

next step in electric mobility, as we see it,

is the establishment of a district bus line

operated by a 100 per cent electrically

driven vehicle. This bus would have

batteries as its storage medium and use

the direct current infrastructure at the

end of a route to recharge,” highlights

Hans-Jürgen.

With Dresden already being a well-

developed city in terms of public transport,

the task now is to raise potential demand

through a tight co-ordination of regional,

city and traffic planning. “We aim to

support the trend towards multi-modal

mobility patterns by means of appropriate

offers,” says Hans-Jürgen of DVB’s role.

“We have for many years been

co-operating with local car sharing

companies, and will soon be offering

our regular customers access to a bike

rental system.

“Likewise, city policy and its willingness

to support DVB and the necessary

investments financially will also have a

substantial influence. This has so far been

possible through the communal multi-utility

network, which is the common leadership

of transport and utility companies under the

umbrella of a holding company. Upon this

foundation, the sustainable development of

the transport company is possible,”

he concludes. zz

Web: www.dvbag.de

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

public transport in such a way that the

respective timetables or current needs

are taken into account. Therefore a

delayed tram would get clearance before

one that is at the traffic light but ahead of

schedule. In order to meet the free gap

in the demand, the project includes a

driver advisory system that also generates

positive effects for energy efficient

driving. This system will be implemented

across the entire diameter of the North-

South axis.

“We’ve also completed the acquisition

of 18 hybrid omnibuses, as long-term

the renunciation of fossil fuels and

Dynamic displays for the customer and comfortable interchanges between tram and bus

Interchange between suburban train tram and buses in Dresden-Dobritz


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Crown InternatIonal

Crowning gloryCrown International’s innovative gantry-

mounted signal pole helps address many of the rail industry’s key concerns in safety and cost

Gantry-mounted pole

Gantry-mounted pole

Cess pole for trackside mounting

Roadside sign mounting pole being lowered

having been rotated

Crown International was established

in 1991 as a specialist designer and

fabricator of road and rail infrastructure

products,” begins managing director

Mark Stacey. “Common to what we do is the

desire to produce innovative solutions which

solve problems to deliver the twin benefits

of operational cost reduction and increased

levels of safety for operatives and users.”

Working for highway authorities, and

leading service and technology companies,

Crown International’s mission is to design,

develop and manufacture road and rail safety

equipment to meet the need for secure, easily

maintained installations in urban, rural and

motorway locations. The company supplies

into both UK and overseas markets, where

it typically works with main contractors on

larger projects such as Balfour Beatty, Serco,

Costain and Carillion. However, it has also

found that it has an ever-expanding set

of contacts within consultancies such as

Mouchel and Atkins.

With an in-house team of engineers,

Crown International is able to ensure that its

products are designed in a way that meets

client specifications at an affordable price.

This is particularly important as designing an

innovative product is one thing, but designing

something that is able to be manufactured at

a reasonable cost is another. The use of 3D

engineering software and concept designs

means that every part fits as it should, and

creation of a prototype ensures that once

Crown International enters the manufacturing

stage any issues have been resolved.

Focusing on the rail market, Mark


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzoutlines Crown International’s most recent

development: “We designed and delivered a

new gantry-mounted pole for signal systems.

This product allows the maintenance crews to

access the signal head without having to step

down to a platform placing them in proximity to

the power cables. It also allows for very quick

replacement of signal head equipment as all

work can be carried out at normal working

height from within the safe confines of the

gantry.

“We have supplied over 400 of these gantry-

mounted counter-balanced signal poles to

the West Coast mainline upgrade project,

over a three year period ending in 2008. The

contract was delivered in a series of phases

and required us to design, type approve and

then build a unique solution for the problem

posed by moving to new gantries and the new

power lines. Since this installation we have

been providing spares and training to Network

Rail and their staff, and working with some of

the main contractors examining new product

initiatives for deployment on new schemes,”

he continues.

The unique properties of Crown

International’s gantry system is based on its

expertise in counter balance technology. This

allows even heavy equipment to be operated

by a single person to enable working at a

safe height. Many companies can deliver

improved safety or reduced costs, but Crown

International offer the unique advantage

of reducing cost to existing operations

and significant reduction to safety risks for

operatives. The knock-on effect is reduced

maintenance times and improved service

reliability.

The company has also been working

on other product developments including

enforcement equipment for a major safety

initiative, which will begin pilot installation

over the next few months. The expectation

is that there will be a larger scale rollout in

the years to follow. Having had success with

a different signal pole gantry design on road

projects, Crown International is now exploring

the possibility of using this system on the rail

network as well. This gantry has an advantage

in that it can be rotated away from the track

and then wound down by the trackside for

essential maintenance to signs and signals.

Describing the challenges that the company

finds when working in rail, Mark says: “Primarily

it is about getting sufficient pre-knowledge

of impending projects, and that as an SME

we have to work with others to be able to be

considered for work. Clearly more needs to be

done on implementing and making work the

Government’s policy for opening up opportunities

for SMEs. The other major challenge is that

Network Rail’s organisation can cause delays

and difficulties in the procurement process.

“Railside investment into major projects

has, with the exception of Crossrail, not been

significant over the last few years. We are seeing

signs of improvement though, and alongside talk

of big projects the smaller activities will continue

although these provide less opportunities for our

product set,” he continues.

Taking this into account, Crown International

is continuing to look at expanding its product

offering to appeal to a wider set of applications,

and therefore opening up more of the market to

the business. Having long been considered an

expert in the field of safety equipment, both the

road and rail side of the company seek ongoing

profitable growth in order to maintain Crown

International’s position as a leading player. zz

www.crown-international.co.uk

CONTACTGraham Sprowell Technical Business Development Manager

...a local source......to a global capability...

Sigma Composites Ltd16 Top AngelSterling Business ParkBuckingham Ind EstBuckinghamMK18 1TH

Tel: 01280-825591 (Direct)Tel: 01280-824498 (Switchboard)Fax: 01280-824408Email: [email protected]: www.sigmacomposites.co.uk

Sigma CompositesSigma Composites

specialise in the

manufacture of high

quality composite

components and

assemblies for select

market sectors, including

Rail, so our collaboration

with Crown International

to find a new & cost

effective solution for a

Camera Housing Cabinet

for a safety improvement

& enforcement project,

was a perfect match. Our

brief is to manufacture

flame retardant

assemblies to house

the camera & operating

hardware that are

lightweight, strong, vandal

proof and withstand all

weather conditions.

Top of the enforcement unit

http://www.sigmacomposites.co.uk

T he company was first associated with

interiors in 1983 when it operated

as a woodwork and joinery business

supplying hotels, health resorts, shops

and restaurants. In 1995, the company moved

into the rail sector providing simple high-

pressure laminate (HPL) plywood sandwich

panels. Over time it was realised that although

this market had special requirements, it also

offered significant opportunities.

As such, in 1998 under the name Volante

Verkleidungssysteme GmbH was established

as a fully independent company by director

and shareholder Erich Sperber. Located in

Germany at the centre of Europe, the company

has grown from 12 employees initially to 80

today. As of 2012 Volante Verkleidungssysteme

achieved a turnover of over €9 million, with

healthy growth prospects for 2013.

“Our main focus is the European rail interior

market,” describes technical manager Dietmar

Graml. “Our products are in trains across

more than 20 countries. We deliver interior

parts to many major manufacturers for new

coaches, but also refurbishment projects. We

also produce and deliver a wide range of spare

parts for companies like Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB,

and SBB. All types of vehicles are supplied

from subways and trams to commuter and

high-speed trains, as well as specific coach

types such as dining cars and sleeping cars.”

Interior components that Volante

Verkleidungssysteme specialises in include

flooring, side wall panels, ceilings, partition

walls, compartments, doors, driver back walls,

cabinets, tables, restaurant benches, kitchens,

counters, galleys, luggage racks, front wall

panels, toilet panelling walls, washbasins

and beds amongst others. This know-how


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzVolante Verkleidungssysteme

From top to bottom Volante Verkleidungssysteme GmbH

is providing rail with quality interiors

Nedtrain DDAR ceiling upper deck

Nedtrain DDAR ceiling lower deck

Quality inside

Nedtrain ceiling



back walls with doors for the new Siemens

trains being built for the Thameslink

Programme. This includes meeting of

fire protection requirements. Volante

Verkleidungssysteme is also supplying

numerous projects for the Stadler Group

within Germany and Switzerland with side

wall panels, cabinets and toilet panelling. One

prominent project for the coming years is the

new ICx high-speed train for Deutsche Bahn,

where Volante Verkleidungssysteme will deliver

over 5000 cabinets, 14,000 components for

front wall coverings and 130 break room walls

with sliding doors.

is reflected in the many detailed solutions

the company has delivered over the years,

numbering more than 580 large and small

projects.

Even now the company is working on

around 50 projects in parallel. This includes

development of the driver’s compartments

img Gm

bH

OUR EXPERTISEIS METAL

RIVETING

TOXING

www.img-schwanhof.de

welding technique certificate DIN EN 15085-2 conforming to specifications of DB (Deutsche Bahn)

Stainless steel Aluminium

Steel

Schwanhof | D-92706 | Luhe-Wildenau

FLIRT service-counterBistro bench and tables

http://www.img-schwanhof.de


Working with all of these different

components means Volante

Verkleidungssysteme has developed significant

expertise in production using different materials.

This broadly included wood, artificial fibres,

glues and adhesives, and metals. With more

than 4500 square metres of manufacturing

facility, the company is able to undertake all

steps from pre-fabrication including cutting,

pressing and CNC technology, to product

completion including final assembly.

Describing the typical manufacturing process

Dietmar says: “We begin on the basis of system

specification, and usually use a rough 3D model

to develop the design. Here all the requirements

and direction lines are observed and verified

using tests and laboratory certificates, including

quality checks. Then we use the chosen

materials to realise the design, often HPL and

plywood laminated sandwich panels, which

are milled on CNC machines, have edges

cast or stuck on, and are assembled with the

other components of the complete system.

Here we use our fully networked modern CNC

machines. After passing the FAI we launch the

series production and deliver just-in-time in

synchronicity with our customer’s workflow.”

At all stages it is Volante

Verkleidungssysteme’s objective to provide

its customers with the highest quality. For this

purpose the company maintains a number of

quality management systems such as

ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. It is also classified

as a Q1 supplier for Deutsche Bahn, and holds

many certificates for major standards such as

DIN 6701-2 for gluing, DIN 15085-2 CL4 for

welding, and DIN 5510 Part 2 and CEN 45545

for fire protection.

Increasingly Volante Verkleidungssysteme

has recognised a trend within rail for

manufacturers to expect suppliers to take

over the complete development and delivery

of comprehensive systems. This might mean

ceiling panels including ventilation elements,

lighting and speakers, or complete bistro

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzVolante Verkleidungssysteme

Bench

Wash table

Plywood HPL PUR edge

http://www.resopal.de


HAGN-Technische Elastomere GmbHHAGN-Technische Elastomere GmbH is a nearby Vienna domiciled company which is specialised in distribution of rubber-parts for all kinds of railway vehicles. The product range contains rubber profiles and frames, moulded parts, sponge rubber, rubber-metal-parts and components for the carriage connecting walkways. All products are available with fire behaviour according to DIN5510:2009, NF F 16-101, BS 6853 and EN45545:2013. Due to primarily specialisation in manufacturers and operators of railcars it is possible to deliver small quantities and to practise a customer-oriented stock.To assure the required level of quality standard the company established a quality management system according to ISO 9001 and IRIS.

facilities with benches, tables, bar, and

counters.

“A great knowledge of subject areas is

therefore necessary,” notes Dietmar. “We

have collected a huge amount of experience

and know-how from numerous past projects,

which can be used for the contracts which

follow. Growing demands on fire safety,

reliability, durability and cost effectiveness pose

major challenges for the future. The aim is to

secure long-term project contracts with our

customers, and use our specialist expertise in

train experience to their benefit.”

With this in mind, Dietmar outlines how

Volante Verkleidungssysteme plans to address

these demands: “Our strategy for the next few

years is to expand our skills. A horizontal, and

perhaps vertical, diversification is needed to

achieve this in the form of new technologies,

new materials and new solutions. Employees

with a high level of training and academic

education will be required, as well as a high

proportion of skilled workers. Multidisciplinary

project management is also necessary.

“The trend towards complete system

suppliers has to be addressed, whilst retaining

our core competencies. The joinery work from

which we emerged and the wide range of

materials used such as plywood, HPL, plastics,

light building materials, foam, honey comp,

artificial stone, glass, textiles, leather and steel

components create perfect conditions for this.

We can develop and produce nearly all rail

interior systems from the ground to the ceiling

and supply them for when our clients need

them,” he concludes. zz

Web: www.volante.de


Luggage rack

http://www.hagn.at

the new Birmingham New Street station in

spring 2015.”

In anticipation of this Centro has

adapted its other public services including

the reconfiguration of all bus routes in

Birmingham city centre. “We redesigned

the network around five new hubs giving

a family of services going out to different

areas,” highlights Geoff. “We also put in

new bus shelters, totems, and way-finding

information, which we have won a number

of awards for. The long-term benefits of the

Metro extension include improved access,

alleviation of overcrowding, greater

reliability, and more frequent trams, as well

as contributing to the increase in economic

activity in the region. However, even at this

stage the value is already being seen as

we have been asked to extend the work

even further to the new library in Centenary

Square through a £40 million funding

package from the city council.”

Through its partnership agreement with

National Express, Centro is jointly investing

over £80 million into the bus network

in general to improve the passenger

experience. Linked into this is work around

real-time and up-to-date information

through means such as mobile apps.

A s the West

Midlands

Integrated

Transport

Authority, Centro

is tasked with the

promotion and

development of

public transport

across the region.

Its aim is to transform public transport so

that the people of the West Midlands have

a world-class system provided by a best-

in-class organisation.

One of the ways Centro is working to


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzCentro

With a raft of works underway, Centro is bringing improvements to every part of the West Midlands’ public transport network

At the centre

How the Metro extension will look outside the rebuilt Birmingham New Street Station

Centro has developed smartphone apps

giving passengers real-time information for

bus train and tram services.

deliver this vision is through the extension

of the Midland Metro tram route between

Wolverhampton and Birmingham city

centre. “This includes 21 new trams, which

offer 34 per cent extra capacity as one of

the biggest challenges we have with the

existing system is that it is nearing capacity

in terms of patronage,” describes CEO

Geoff Inskip. “The first is to be delivered in

October, and then one a month through to

2014. The trams will be operational on the

line from late 2014, before being linked into

Geoff Inskip CEO of Centro



a new bus station to replace its existing

infrastructure.

With journeys being increasingly thought

about in end-to-end terms, as opposed

to a single transport element, Centro’s

smartcard ticketing developments are

an ideal fit. Known as ‘Swift’ the scheme

builds on the integrated ticketing concept

that the company already operates. Over

the next 12 months Centro will add a

Working with Wolverhampton City Council

and developers Neptune, Centro also put

in a new bus station in the city, which has

stimulated the need for greater investment

into Wolverhampton, including from the

private sector. As such the transport

authority is now working with the council,

Neptune and Network Rail on a second

phase interchange with the Wolverhampton

railway station. Stourbridge has also seen

Wolverhampton’s £22 million bus station was opened by Centro in July 2011

AECOM and Wolverhampton City Centre ExtensionIntegrating street running trams into a well-developed

urban area is always challenging. AECOM has been

supporting Centro to meet the challenges through the

provision of full design and consultation services to

develop a 900m extension to the Midland Metro to

properly integrate Wolverhampton’s city centre railway

and bus stations. Our work in developing

3D visualisations has helped Centro, key stakeholders

and the general public to see further and go further.

http://www.aecom.com


range of area bus tickets to the card,

starting with Coventry, before moving onto

the tram and railway as well.

“All of these elements are part of an

integrated public transport package,”

notes Geoff. “We are also well on the way

with our big commitment “Smart Network

– Smarter Choices”, which is about

enabling communities to make smarter and

sustainable transport choices. Behavioural

change is an important element of this,

and we see a very good market in younger

people who are very aware of the green

agenda, and at the same time may not be

able to afford a car so are very reliant on

public transport.

“There has been something of a shift

from car to rail, particularly for longer

distance journeys where the issues of

congestion, fuel and running costs, and

economic austerity come into play for

the car owner. For shorter distances

we are seeing more people choosing to

walk or cycle, which is very positive but

also growth on the bus corridors. This is

especially in areas where we have carried

out reviews with operators to look at

how services can be provided in a more

modern, simple, and better way,”

he continues.

Longer-term, the proposed High Speed

Two (HS2) link remains a focal point as

Geoff explains: “High speed rail is key

for the West Midlands because of three

things; capacity, capacity, capacity. Local

commuter services are growing by

14 per cent a year, whilst inter-city

connections such as Manchester, Leeds

and London are equally busy. Then there

is also freight, so high speed presents

benefits for all three of these markets by

freeing up existing capacity.

“As such a lot of our planning in the

coming years will feature around this

development, and putting in place the

necessary local rail package in the region.

Together with our wider connectivity

package, including Metro extensions, we

believe this will help to boost the West

Midlands economy by £4 billion a year and

create 50,000 new jobs. In this way we

are also focusing our agenda on helping

people to take advantage of these new

jobs by ensuring they have the transport

means to get to them. This also requires a

lot of strategic planning,” he elaborates.

For passengers across the West

Midlands’ public transport provision,

Centro’s plans look to have a positive

impact. The authority hopes though that

a proposed devolution in responsibility

for rail could allow it to do even more.

“In 2013 we are focusing on preparing a

proposal for this which we can put into

government and identifies the benefits

for them, passengers and the local area

of having a devolved railway. If this is

successful we would see responsibility

for the railway devolved directly to Centro

which would allow us to specify local

services with a greater accountability for

the operation of these,”

concludes Geoff. zz

Web: www.centro.org.uk

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzCentro

l Transport bosses have invited the public

and business community to give their views

on £31 million plans to extend the Midland

Metro in Birmingham city centre. The

proposals from transport authority Centro

would see the tram system travel through

Paradise Circus and up to Centenary

Square to help improve transport links and

support economic regeneration taking

place in the area.

Work is currently underway to extend

the system to connect the city’s two largest

railway stations, New Street and Snow

Hill, and beyond to the historic Jewellery

Quarter and the Black Country by 2015.

The proposals, drawn up in partnership

with Birmingham City Council, would build

on the work taking place to provide further

connections to key venues like the ICC,

Symphony Hall and Birmingham Museum

and Art Galleries.

Trams would run from the new stop on

Stephenson Street outside New Street

Station, before travelling along Pinfold

Street, Victoria Square, Paradise Street

and Broad Street before terminating at

Proposals for Birmingham tram extension

Centenary Square.

New stops would be created at the Town

Hall and Centenary Square.

Centro has already received approval

to integrate the system with the Paradise

Circus redevelopment but are proposing

to slightly amend the route to eliminate

the need to build a bridge over the Suffolk

Street Queensway tunnels.

Centro aims to submit before the end of

this year an application to the Government

for a supplementary Transport and Works

Act Order which would grant the legal

powers needed to build and operate the

extension. If granted, work could start in

2015 and be open for public use in 2017.

Metro Town Hall: The Midland Metro at a stop outside Birmingham Town Hall which would be created under the proposals

Cent

ro


zzzzzzzzzz zz

Steaming ahead

London Underground, AP JNP (Asset Performance Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly), is a business area within London Underground (LU) with a proven track record.

Originally Tube Lines but now part of LU

– it is responsible for the maintenance,

renewal and upgrade on the Jubilee,

Northern and Piccadilly lines. Over

500 million passenger journeys are made every

year on these lines and they play a key role

operating part of London’s frenetic transport

infrastructure. The Jubilee line was critical in

meeting the challenges of the 2012 London

Olympics and all lines now face the demands

of the capital’s growth as reliance on the city’s

transport network is increasingly stretched.

Transport, and in particular the Tube, were

vital to the success of the London 2012

Olympic Games. The Games required years

of preparation to ensure that the capital’s

transport network would be ready for the

inevitable influx of passengers during the

event. There have been multi-million pound

programmes to upgrade and improve the

assets. This included the completion of a

flagship project upgrading the Jubilee line

signalling system to ensure that the network

was able to cope with the 60 million journeys

London UndergroUnd AP JnP

Stewart Mills – director of operations

© T

fL

http://www.cleshar.co.uk

every day of the Games it was able to turn out

100 per cent of its fleet to meet the demand.

Following the formidable success of the

Games, which saw LU praised by high profile

politicians including the Mayor of London

and Games’ chief, Lord Coe, LU established

a review to decide how best to continue the

legacy of the games.

Stewart Mills, director of operations

for Asset Performance JNP at London

Underground explained: “Our job is to deliver

improvements and investments in asset

performance and maintenance for London

Underground. The Olympics was a hiatus from

the norm and LU – and indeed the whole of

Transport for London (TfL) – quite rightly has

been given a lot of confidence and kudos by

demonstrating what could be achieved with an

integrated transport system approach.

“TfL’s integrated structure means that

it is able to clear many of the barriers that

would normally hinder attempts to complete

improvements. Activity to support spending

reviews and funding allocation, for example,

can now be managed much more effectively as

the business strives for greater efficiency in its

upgrade projects. This is a vital step for London

that were made during the 17-day Olympic

period. This equated to a 100 per cent

increase in passenger journeys.

As well as major track and infrastructure

development, 36,000 components on the

current fleet of 63 Jubilee line trains were

renewed to make them even more reliable.

This massive piece of work meant that for


zzzzzzzzzzzz London UndergroUnd AP-JnP

© T

fL

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fL

http://www.ses-holdings.com

Underground as it takes on the increasing

challenges faced by an ever growing city like

London.”

Stewart elaborates: “We have an obligation

with the Mayor of London to achieve a

30 per cent improvement in reliability across

the Tube network by 2015. It is what we are

driving towards – providing a safe, reliable

service in a cost effective way. It is what our

customers demand of us and what London

needs us to deliver.”

Upgrades to the Jubilee and Northern lines

have been vital to London’s thriving economic

success. Currently, London Underground

continues with a £392m modernisation of the

Northern line, which will be completed by the

end of 2014. Modernisation started with the

Jubilee line,” explains Stewart. “It was about

improving capacity and reliability and we have

successfully continued to do this. We are

providing a service of 30 trains an hour which

has increased capacity by 33 per cent.

“The Northern line’s upgrade involves the

same new signalling system plus, later, a

proposed extension to Battersea, which will


zzzzzzzzzzzz London UndergroUnd AP-JnP

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fL

http://www.mcginley.co.uk


zz zzzzzzzzzzLondon UndergroUnd AP-JnP

open up greater access to this part of the

capital. The line represents a different challenge

from that experienced on the Jubilee line as

it is made up of older infrastructure and has

twice as many complex junctions, depots and

sidings. However, the AP JNP team in LU has

maximised the efficiency of its works by utilising

lessons learnt from the Jubilee line upgrade.”

As the UK’s capital city continues to

grow, continuing investment in infrastructure

and services will remain critical to London

in the coming years. “We have the oldest

Underground metro in the world and we are

working with a system which is 150 years old in

some parts.” says Stewart. “The continual drive

to improve the way we work, coupled with the

investment and upgrade work is allowing us to

achieve some really excellent results.” zz

Web: www.tfl.gov.uk

© T

fL

http://www.fusionpeople.com


zzzzzzzzzzzz zzFOURWAY COMMUNICATION

Beginning its foray into engineering in

1949, today the greatest proportion

of Fourway’s business is in the

rail industry through its subsidiary

Fourway Communication. In this capacity

Fourway delivers turnkey telecommunication,

and technical engineering management

and support projects, either as a principal

contractor or subcontractor, to rail clients

throughout the UK from Network Rail,

London Underground and Transport for

London through to train operating companies

and contractors.

Fourway Communication’s early

involvement in the industry means that the

company has been able to develop an offering

that covers all elements of telecoms from retail

SISS communications to trackside operational

infrastructure. This allows it to deliver a

complete package including CCTV, customer

information, cable diversion, public address

systems, line side telephony, track structure

gauges, radio systems, and passenger

help points, and most importantly to apply

these technologies in the context of an

operational railway.

Outlining those strengths, speaking

previously to Railway Strategies projects

director Charles Codrington said: “We have

developed a diverse range of multi-discipline

skills, coupled with the ability to get right

down to the detail of a project. As a company

we are about 50 per cent consultancy and

design based, and 50 per cent design and

build so we can offer a true turnkey solution.

We are really looking to capitalise upon this,

particularly in the field of design as we believe

that the level of detail that we can offer the

client far exceeds the industry norm. By laying

this detail down at the beginning of a project

we can ensure that there are no unexpected

surprises further along.” The company also

stands at the forefront of new technologies

which are being introduced to the rail sector, or

With its vast experience, Fourway

Communication keeps its clients’ railway

telecommunications on the right track

CIS installation on custom gallows

The right way


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzbeing looked at by its major participants. In this

way, Fourway Communication has delivered a

number of innovative firsts such as specialist

CCTV modelling software, and championed

developments such as intelligent speakers in

station and IP cameras.

Whilst telecoms are usually the major

element of such contracts, Fourway

Communication is also able to incorporate

structural, civil, mechanical, electrical and

signalling work. Likewise the design and build

telecoms capability is offered in any size of

contract from minor works to large system

integration schemes, often in partnership with

other contractors, or as individual components

including consultancy, design-only and

installation-only contracts.

Like all parts of Fourway Communication’s

business, design is approached in a structured

manner with a high-level system proposal

initially produced to identify proposed

manufacturers’ products and the means

of integration. At the same time system

performance is established in terms of

functionality, availability, maintainability and

installation, and design risk assessments

included at an early stage.

Such an approach benefits the site teams

at the installation phase and the company’s

planning credentials continue to be drawn upon

to ensure tasks are completed safely and on

time in accordance with railway procedures.

Site management teams are specially selected

for each project to monitor and control site

activity, whilst highly skilled operatives deliver

the works themselves.

Building on a concept pioneered on

the Farringdon station project, Fourway

Communication has also launched a new

engineering support services division. This sees

the company work to assist the client in the

management of all third-party system providers,

users, operators and stakeholders on a project.

This not only encompasses telecoms, but other

rail systems such as signalling and general

utilities as one central point of management.

Over the years Fourway Communication has

contributed to many landmark projects within

the rail industry. This includes most recently the

complete design and build of the stationwide

telecoms for the Reading Station Area

Redevelopment project including the provision

of a full Station Management System (SMS).

The company has also worked on the

King’s Cross redevelopment project first as

a principal designer of the telecoms solution,

including the complex temporary and migration

arrangements, and then as a sub contractor for

the delivery of the permanent works. Fourway

Communication is currently delivering the m&e

and comms works for the final phase of the

King’s Cross redevelopment project as part

of the Southern Square package. In addition,

Fourway Communication has lent its expertise

to the telecoms systems at Manchester

Piccadilly station and Birmingham New

Street station.

“Migration design has become a key part of

many station refurbishment projects because of

zz FOURWAY COMMUNICATION

New ticket hall Farringdon

Specialist design and manufactureorganisation for metal fabrications

Tegrel LimitedTundry Way, Blaydon-on-Tyne, NE21 5TT

Tel: 01914146111Fax: 01914140660E-Mail: [email protected]: www.tegrel.co.uk

TegrelTegrel are a UK-based specialist design and

manufacture organisation for metal fabrications.

We have worked closely with Fourways

Communications amongst other parties, on a

number of high profile rail projects including

King’s Cross, Reading, Paddington, and

St Pancras. These projects included providing

aesthetically pleasing brackets, enclosures,

CCTV housings, and Help Points, which fit the

environment. Tegrel are proud to be associated

with Fourway Communications, one of the UK’s

leading providers of communication solutions.

http://www.tegrel.co.uk


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzthe need to keep the site operational,” Charles

also noted when speaking previously with

Railway Strategies. “This quite often requires a

process of migration where central parts of the

telecoms are moved around the station, so we

strive to work with our clients early to map out

these processes piece by piece.”

One of the things that Fourway

Communication prides itself on is value

engineering and finding savings for its clients

whether that is from a technology or efficiency

perspective. It remains the case though that

technologies continue to progress and improve,

and therefore a large proportion of work is

about updating and replacing such life-expired

systems. The company is also responding

to the growing realisation of the importance

of good and effective telecoms within the rail

industry. As such, Fourway Communication

is tendering for a number of major contracts

throughout the UK, as it gears up for what

looks to be a very busy 2014. zz

Web: www.fourway.co.uk The new King’s Cross western concourse

Melford Electronics LtdUnit 14 Blenheim RoadCressex Business ParkHigh WycombeBuckinghamshireHP12 3RSUK

Melford Rail offers a variety of standard monitors which are fully approved by Network Rail and the London underground (Section 12) for Driver Only Operation (DOO), One Person Operation (OPO) and Public Awareness (PAM) applications.

Tel: +44 1494 638069Fax: +44 1494 463358e-mail: [email protected]

Company reg number: 968851VAT number: 207831277

Melford Rail has monitors installed across the rail network in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Every product created by Melford Rail is environmentally tested on site prior to despatch.

Melford is a Link-Up qualified supplier

Melford Rail is able to support legacy systems by offering reprogramming and customisation of standard products without the need for an external legacy converter unit.

MelfordManufacturers of Flat Panel LCDMonitors for Harsh Environments

http://www.melford-elec.co.uk


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Iarnród ÉIreann

Under the guidance of a new CEO Iarnród Éireann looks to both reduce costs and increase revenue in its operations

As the national railway system operator

of Ireland, Iarnród Éireann or Irish

Rail, provides passenger and freight

services over 2500 kilometres of

track. The passenger operations break down

into three key sectors of commuter transport

around Dublin including the Dublin Area Rapid

Transit (DART) system, an intercity service

connecting key destination such as Belfast,

Cork, Galway and Limerick, and some regional

routes. In addition, operation of Rosslare

Europort sits within Iarnród Éireann.

Although serving around 38 million

passengers per annum at present, there is

an underlying desire within Iarnród Éireann to

grow these numbers, and with this the revenue

figures. Having taken up the role of CEO at

the beginning of the year, it is down to David

Franks to deliver the changes necessary to

achieve this as he explains: “One of my first

tasks was to complete the restructuring of the

business to an infrastructure manager and

railway undertaking in compliance with

EU directives.

“Both of these parts in turn report through

to me so it is a much more integrated business

model than the likes of the franchises and

Network Rail in the UK. The other thing that I

recognised was the enormous cost pressure

that the business was under as a result of the

austerity that has been felt in Ireland as with

some other European countries. As a public

sector company we are reliant on subsidies,

and one of the big issues has been a huge

reduction in the level that is available to the

railway,” he continues.

Having faced a focus on cost control

throughout his career, David was fairly

confident of his ability to put in place

arrangements that could deliver the cost

reductions that were needed. “The other thing I

observed is that there was a lot of emphasis on

costs, but not on growing the revenue so one

of the things I was keen to do was get people

thinking about how we can grow that line. As

part of that I am focusing on measures such as

A new track

David Franks - CEO


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzrevenue protection,” he describes.

“We are investing around €13 million in our

‘customer first’ programme, which is to put

in place a revenue management system, new

pricing engine, replace ticket machines and

handheld devices, develop a CRM capability,

and link it all to our reservation system on the

trains. It’s a real upgrade of our technology,

which will give us the capability that has been

in place for some years in the UK.”

Iarnród Éireann already benefits from one

of the youngest fleets in Europe, and the

only one that has WiFi on every train, so the

business is now looking to maximise the

benefits of that. This is particularly in terms of

attracting customers onto the train from their

car. “Over the last five or six years there has

been significant improvement in the motorways

of Ireland, and we’ve not be able to invest in

the intercity routes to enable us to maintain

an advantage on journey times,” notes David.

“This is an area we are focusing on in our five

year plan to try and enable us to operate our

service more quickly between key destinations.

That’s where the customer first programme

really kicks in because if we can balance the

loads on our trains then we can also price

more effectively.”

Another aspect of this strategy is the

introduction of additional frequency on a

number of routes. In January Iarnród Éireann

introduced a new timetable to speed up

journeys to some key destinations such as

Cork, and is now putting plans in place to

plug gaps on major routes to generate more

journeys including moving to more hourly

services.

“We are currently spending between

€50 million and €60 million on replacement

of the signalling equipment in Dublin, which

will increase the opportunities to run more

trains through the city centre. Clearly this

offers potential advantages to the commuter

network, but the same routes are also used

for the trains that go through to Belfast. A

major objective of mine is to get to an hourly

frequency for trains between Dublin and Belfast

and the investment in resignalling is a key

component of that,” elaborates David.

It’s not only in the passenger sector

where Iarnród Éireann is looking to grow its

figures though. Although freight makes up a

relatively small amount of the business, the

company sees the scope to increase this

and to encourage more businesses to shift

to rail. “In the years prior to the banking crisis

large amounts of investment were placed in

things like modernising level crossings and

centralisation of signalling,” notes David.

“Likewise the ability for us to operate longer

and into the night in a cost-effective way is

there now where it perhaps wasn’t in the past.

This means we are in a very good position to

grow our freight operations, and again deliver

more revenue to the business.”

With a strong operational capability and

good performance results, Iarnród Éireann

bears all the hallmarks of an effective rail

business, and now looks to leverage the

benefits of its modern fleet and renewed

infrastructure to improve profitability. “The

other aspect of my forward plan is a cultural

change programme,” concludes David. “Having

spent time in both the public and private

sectors I want our thinking to move away

from considering ourselves as a public service

and more towards delivering to the customer.

This is a fairly significant shift, but one that is

important going forward.” zz

Web: www.irishrail.ieRobe

rt Pr

itcha

rd

http://www.scheidt-bachmann.com

30 September – 2 October – European Transport Conference 2013FrankfurtOrganisers: Association of European TransportTel: 020 7348 1970Email: [email protected]: www.aetransport.org

8-10 October – Intermodal Europe 2013HamburgOrganisers: Informa ExhibitionsTel: +44 (0)207 017 5112Email: [email protected]: www.intermodal-events.com 9 October – Rail in the city: the capacity challengeBirminghamOrganisers: IMechETel: +44 (0)20 7973 1245Email: [email protected]: www.imeche.org/events/S1750

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.

zzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Conferences & Exhibitions


6 November – Vehicle re-engineering – matching performance to today’s railwayDerbyOrganisers: IMechETel: +44 (0)20 7973 1245Email: [email protected]: www.imeche.org/events/S1753

12 November – Life Cycle ManagementFrankfurtOrganisers: Europoint Conferences & ExhibitionsTel: +31 (0)30 698 1800Email: [email protected]: www.lifecycleconference.eu

13 November – Track Access Charges 2013FrankfurtOrganisers: Europoint Conferences & ExhibitionsTel: +31 (0)30 698 1800Email: [email protected]: www.trackaccesscharges.eu

14 November – Wayside Train Monitoring SystemsFrankfurtOrganisers: Europoint Conferences & ExhibitionsTel: +31 (0)30 698 1800Email: [email protected]: www.waysidemonitoring.eu

20-22 May 2014 – Infrarail 2014LondonOrganisers: Mack BrooksTel: 01727 814 400Web: www.infrarail.com

23-26 September 2014 – InnoTrans 2014BerlinOrganisers: Messe Berlin GmbHTel: +49 (0)30 30 38 - 2376Email: [email protected]: www.innotrans.com

1st October

Introduction to rolling stock

Key design principles affecting the

performance of railway systems

2nd October

Traction & braking

Principles of traction and braking for

railway engineers

15th October

Vehicle dynamics and vehicle track

interaction

Understand the dynamics of railway vehicles

to improve safety, comfort and asset life

16th October

Fleet maintenance

Improve your processes and fleet

maintenance processes

17th October

Vehicle acceptance and approvals

Introduction to acceptance procedures

which apply across the rail network

11th – 15th November

Introduction to railway

signalling technologies

An overview of railway control systems,

subsystems and technologies used on

UK main line and metro railways

19th November

Train control and safety systems

Learn of the systems used on UK

fleets that provide safety and train

operational control

20th November

Train communication and

auxiliary systems

New and existing systems in use on

today’s rolling stock fleet

26th November

Train structural integrity

Structural integrity, fire and

crashworthiness systems found on

today’s rail fleets

27th November

Optimising fleet maintenance

efficiency

Understand the issues affecting rail

vehicle performance and cost of

maintenance.

A downloadable brochure is available at:

www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/

learning-and-professional-development-

documents/l_d_railway_training_web.

pdf?sfvrsn=2

For more information, please contact

Lucy O’Sullivan, learning and

development co-ordinator:

Tel: +44 (0)20 7304 6907


Web: www.imeche.org/learning/courses/

railway

A listing of courses currently available from the IMechE (Unless stated otherwise, all courses are in London)

Institute of Mechanical Engineers Training Courses Technical training for the railway industry

http://www.knorr-bremse.co.uk

http://www.zonegreen.co.uk

EditorMartin Collier

[email protected]

Sales ManagerRob Wagner

[email protected]

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

Schofield Publishing10 Cringleford Business Centre

Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU

T: +44 (0) 1603 274130F: +44 (0) 1603 274131

RAILWAYS T R A T E G I E Szzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

FOR SENIOR RAIL MANAGEMENT

Railway Strategies 101 early

Documents

Transcript of Railway Strategies 101 early