railway strategies issue 103 early edition

RAILWAYS T R A T E G I E Szzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Issue 103 Early Edition

New Desiro Class 350/4 delivered to

First TransPennine Express

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

Network Rail announces

half-year results

ORR reports 8.9 per cent increase in

freight usage

HS2 Paving Bill published

Network Rail’s 30-year view

First Radical Train entrants

win funding

London Underground

reveals vision for the future

NEWS

Interview : Network Rail’s director of rail freight Paul McMahon discusses how the

sector has developed and talks about plans for the future

See Page 25

FOCUS ON

Freight & Logistics

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www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 1

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As 2013 drifts steadily into history, we can reflect upon the past twelve

months before gazing into the crystal ball at 2014. News of the

proposed route for the second phase of HS2 came early in the year;

the entire project remained under the spotlight throughout 2013,

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

of November. Another major project surfaced at the beginning of the year –

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

currently progressing inexorably through/under London. Innovation has provided

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

promoting new thinking around the industry. Network Rail and the ORR engaged

in the final round of negotiations for the CP5 programme, with emphasis on

efficiency, reliability, asset management and level crossing safety. ERTMS,

electrification, tram-trains and IEP also made the news, as did the franchising

process which was given an overhaul.

And what of 2014? Well we know that Network Rail will embark on its

CP5 programme; that Crossrail will complete its major tunnelling drives by

the year end; that HS2 faces a defining year; that there should be at least

two franchise awards (Essex Thameside and Thameslink, Southern & Great

Northern); that the Northern Hub, Borders Rail, Reading station, Birmingham

New Street station, and Thameslink programmes will all move towards their

conclusions in subsequent years; and that our railways will continue to attract

more passengers and freight.

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

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 103 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]).

‘Tis the season to look back (and forward)

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News

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26

FeaturesIntervIew – Paul McMahon 14 Libbie Hammond

the right coating can make it better than new 26Dan Macdonald

Handle with care! 28 Malcolm Watson & Tony Synnott

excess Baggage 32 Kevin Price

raising the Standard 34 Kevin Lacey

Profiles

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzContents

First Group 38

taylor woodrow 42

Zos Zvolen 46

Mtr nordic 48

Allied Insulators 50

Industry news 4 research 13 Freight 17rolling Stock 24 Conferences & exhibitions 53 IMeche training Courses 53

50

14

23

15

Focus on... Stations

Ensuring quality & value for station fit-outs 37

Andrew Jackson

Focus on... Freight & Logistics

Wagons roll 18 Lloyd’s Register & Drax

A new concept for rail freight vehicles 20

Ross Jackson & Tom Zunder

Rail strategies for becoming a supply chain

partner in Europe 23 Dewan Islam

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzContents

20

18

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

37

4 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

O n 21st November Network Rail published its

half-year results (for the period 1st April to 30th

September 2013) which revealed that

£2.74 billion, some £15 million per day, was

invested in improving and building a bigger, better railway

– 33 per cent up on the same period last year and

53 per cent higher than just four years ago.

Patrick Butcher, group finance director, said: “The

railway continues to experience tremendous growth and

we are responding to that demand through the biggest

sustained investment programme since Victorian times.

“With a million more trains and half a billion more

passengers than ten years ago our railways are all but full.

We are squeezing all we can out of the existing network

and new railway lines, such as HS2, must be built to

deliver the step-change in capacity that Britain’s vital rail

arteries need.”

The achievementsOver the past six months some significant investment

milestones have been reached, including:

l New, bigger, better facilities have been delivered at

King’s Cross as its £550 million renovation and rebuilding

nears completion providing a magnificent gateway to the

north and sees a concourse three times the size of the

old one

l Opening of the new concourse at Reading station as

part of the ongoing £850 million project to unblock one of

Britain’s worst railway bottlenecks

l The start of work to connect towns of the Scottish

Borders to Edinburgh with the building of 30 miles of new

railway – the £300 million Borders Railway project

l A more reliable and affordable railway for the people

of Manchester, Liverpool and the North West as we

continue with the £400 million project to electrify the

railway in the region

l More reliable and faster services delivered with the

successful completion of the £100 million resignalling and

modernisation of Nottingham and its approaches

l A major bottleneck on the East Coast Main Line has

been removed with the completion of the £47 million

Hitchin flyover

l Faster journeys for passengers along the Midland Main

Line connecting Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby and other

towns and cities to London as a result of a £70 million

improvement programme

l Completion of the £10 million scheme to modernise

the railway between Shrewsbury and Wrexham.

As well as these major milestones over 5000 projects

have been completed over the last four-and-a-half

years (since the start of the current CP4 funding

period – 1st April 2009 to 31st March 2014). These are

smaller, but just as important projects aimed at making

incremental improvements to the railway for the benefit of

passengers, and have seen:

l Over 2000 miles of track renewed

l Improvements at over 500 stations across the country

l Almost 200 lifts installed at stations

l Over 140 platforms lengthened across London and

the South East

Web: www.networkrail.co.uk

Network Rail’s half-year resultsNew platforms, new lifts, new information systems, new concourses, new footbridges,

new track; all have featured as record investment has been ploughed into Britain’s railways over the past six months

Patrick Butcher

The Borders Rail Project

North West electrification

Reading station

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry


First phase of NW electrification deliveredl Electric trains have started to operate over the railway between Newton Le

Willows and Castlefield junction outside Manchester Piccadilly, marking the

commissioning of the first phase of the £400 million North West electrification

project on time and under budget.

The next major improvements will arrive in December 2014, when electric

trains will be able to run from Liverpool to Manchester via Newton le Willows

and Wigan and from December 2016, when they will run between Preston and

Blackpool, Manchester and Preston and Manchester and Stalybridge. This will

be followed by the completion of trans-Pennine electrification from Stalybridge

through Huddersfield on to Leeds, York and Selby by December 2018.

First TransPennine Express will start running direct electric services using ten

new Siemens-built Class 350/4 from Manchester Airport to Glasgow from the

30th December. These new trains will deliver an increase in capacity of more

than 80 per cent on this route

National Infrastructure Planl In a statement on 4th December, the Chief Secretary

to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, updated the

Government’s National Infrastructure Plan. This includes

£375 billion of investment in over 600 energy, transport,

communications and water projects, many of which

are already underway – and many which have already

previously been detailed.

Key announcements in the rail sector include:

l A further £50 million for the redevelopment of the

Gatwick Airport railway station

l Confirmation of a UK guarantee for the £1 billion

Northern Line extension to Battersea

l A new study into southern rail access to Heathrow

l A new investigation into access to Stansted on an

existing study of the East Anglian mainline

l The Government’s stake in Eurostar will be sold off as

part of a new £10 billion privatisation programme.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Industry

New MDl Abellio UK has selected Jamie Burles to

succeed Ruud Haket as managing director of the

Abellio Greater Anglia franchise. Jamie is currently

a bid director at Abellio UK, where he is managing

the company’s bid for the new Thameslink

franchise. He will continue in that role until the

decision on franchise award, and will take the

reins at Abellio Greater Anglia on 1st April 2014.

Adam Golton (currently finance director of Abellio

Greater Anglia) will be interim managing director

following Ruud’s departure at the end of January 2014.

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Pendolinos for the ECML?l Plans have been revealed by open access operator GNER to introduce a high

speed train service on the East Coast Main Line between London King’s Cross,

Newcastle and Edinburgh in three years’ time. New nine-coach Pendolinos

would operate the service, cutting the average London-Edinburgh time to

3 hours 43 minutes, with potential for even shorter times if 140mph running

could be achieved after the route is resignalled in 2018.

New sleeper factory openedl Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport, has officially

opened a new state-of-the-art factory in Doncaster which will supply of thousands

of essential sleepers to keep Britain’s railways running. Doncaster Concrete Sleeper

Factory, which will employ around 45 people, will supply around 400,000 concrete

sleepers each year for Network Rail to use around the network. Between 700,000

and 1,000,000 sleepers are needed each year. Concrete sleepers are used on all the

busier inter-urban and long-distance rail routes as well as those carrying heavy freight

tonnages. The supply of sleepers has been limited to a reducing number of companies

over recent years.

Trackwork Moll is a new company which managed the design and build of the

factory and is contracted to supply sleepers to Network Rail for the next ten years. It is

jointly owned by Trackwork of Kirk Sandall, Doncaster and Leonhard Moll Betonwerke

of Munich, Germany.

Patrick McLoughlin at the opening of the Doncaster Sleeper factory


More people travel on the railway

today than ever before and demand

for passenger and freight services

is high and is expected to rise

significantly in the future. By assessing how

demand is likely to change, these market

studies will help form the basis of planning

where rail travel will go in Control Period 6

(2019-24) and beyond. They also determine

what kind of services will be needed to achieve

three important outputs: enabling economic

growth, reducing carbon and the transport

sector’s impact on the environment, and finally

improving the quality

of life for communities and individuals.

Network Rail’s group strategy director, Paul

Plummer, said: “The investment decisions we

make today will last for generations and it is

vital that we base them on solid groundwork.

These market studies have been developed in

consultation with rail industry partners and wider

stakeholders and they are the crucial first stage

towards planning the future for the railway.

“The next stage will be the creation of a series

of route studies, which will develop choices to

deliver the conditional outputs across the four

markets in each of Network Rail’s devolved

routes, and to test them against our funders’

appraisal criteria. I look forward to continuing to

work with the rail industry on the next stage of

the long term planning process.”

Michael Roberts, director general of Rail

Delivery Group, said: “It is a mark of the

industry’s success that demand on Britain’s

railway continues to rise, and all parts of the

sector are focused on providing growing

numbers of customers with the best possible

services. If we are to meet that demand while

ensuring we have a railway fit for the

21st century – one that delivers for passengers,

businesses and taxpayers – it is crucial that the

industry plans ahead.

“These studies provide a solid foundation

on which we can build a more detailed

understanding of how and where passenger

and freight demand will change in coming

decades, helping us ensure that taxpayers’ and

passengers’ money is invested as efficiently as

possible.”

While the market studies provide predicted

demand figures and the kind of services

needed to deal with that demand, they do not

suggest infrastructure improvements. Those

will form part of the next stage.

Divided into four market sectors: London

and south east, regional urban, long distance

and freight; the documents are the first in a

new style of research designed to look ten to

30 years into the future. Each market study

prediction is set against potential growth or

decline scenarios for the national economy. All

market studies were drawn up to reflect HS2.

Some highlights of the studies are:

l London and south east: The rail market

in London and the South East is dominated

by demand for travel into central London, in

which public transport predominates with a

90 per cent market share. Roughly half of the

trips into central London involve use of National

Rail, delivering 575,000 people into the centre

each day. Historically, the market for central

London commuting has grown at an average

rate of 1.5 – 2 per cent annually but there is a

prediction of 1.3 per cent in the peaks going

forward. Growth in the off peak – is steady

at four per cent and predicted to continue

at that level.

l Long distance: At present around

150 million long-distance journeys are made

by rail annually. This suggests a ten per cent

rail mode share overall, although rail dominates

the market for travel between many large

cities (such as Leeds-London). In the case

of those cities, demand is predicted to rise

between 108 and 145 per cent by 2043 if the

UK economy grows, or by 40-50 per cent if it

struggles.

l Regional urban: Unlike commuting

into London, very few people are willing to

commute into regional urban centres if the

generalised journey time is greater than

60 minutes. Improvements to generalised

journey times within this 20-60 minute range

will have a large impact where both the

number of people in the population catchment

of the origin station and the number of jobs in

the catchment of the destination station are

high. The study predicts a growth of up to

114 per cent in the Manchester commuter

market by 2043 if the economy booms, or

between up to 67 per cent if not.

l Freight: Total freight traffic, in terms of

tonne kilometres moved, is forecast to increase

at an average of 2.9 per cent per annum

through to the year 2043, implying that the

size of the market more than doubles over

this period. This particularly reflects expected

growth in the intermodal and biomass sectors.

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

The 30-year view

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



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Reading viaduct reached key milestonel The construction of a new 2km viaduct

in Reading has reached a key milestone

after the first pre-cast concrete beams,

which will form the base that trains will run

on, were lifted into place. Part of Network

Rail’s £895 million redevelopment of the

railway in Reading, the viaduct will cut

delays caused by congestion on the tracks

to the west of the station when it opens

in 2015, creating more capacity for an

additional four passenger trains per hour as

well as more freight trains. This is achieved

by allowing fast passengers services to and

from places like Bristol and South Wales to

fly over the lines to Newbury, Basingstoke

and the south west of England.

The work to install the beams was

carried out by Network Rail’s principal

contractor, Balfour Beatty. The beams were

fabricated by Shay Murtagh in Ireland and

shipped to Liverpool docks before being

transported to Reading by road.

The construction of the viaduct will

also allow Network Rail to complete

the widening of Cow Lane, a notorious

bottleneck on Reading’s road network.

Remodelling of the northern Cow Lane

bridge will finish in 2015, as it cannot be

completed until the tracks above it are

moved on to the new viaduct. At this point,

motorists as well as rail passengers will feel

the full benefit of the project.

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

Whiteball tunnel improvementsl From 18th January, Network Rail will be carrying out works to repair Whiteball

tunnel to prevent the aging structure from deteriorating. In addition, work will be

carried out to expand the drainage system and to improve the embankment around

the area as part of a wider programme to alleviate flood risks posed by extreme

weather.

Around three miles of track will be renewed and seven units of switches and

crossings relaid separately at Taunton and Tiverton to enable trains to travel at a

higher speed of 80mph.

Whiteball tunnel is a 1000m long Victorian brick arch structure built in 1844 which

has deteriorated over the years. To prevent potential brick fall the tunnel lining was

previously relined with wire mesh; during this railway closure a new concrete lining will

be applied to the worst areas of the brick arch to prevent future deterioration.

The Tiverton end of the tunnel has also been identified as a potential flood site, as

it was amongst the locations affected by the extreme weather condition in December

2012. The track was flooded owing to excess water spilling from the cess as well as

blocking the culverts in the area.

Achilles renews partnership with Professor Sue Arrowsmithl Achilles – which manages Link-up, the rail industry supplier

registration and pre-qualification community – has renewed its

sponsorship of the Chair of world-renowned public procurement

expert Sue Arrowsmith – Professor of Public Procurement

Law and Policy at the University of Nottingham. Achilles has

worked with Prof Arrowsmith since 1996 and is renewing its

partnership ahead of the biggest change to

EU Directives in almost a decade.

Professor Arrowsmith and Achilles have worked together since 1996. As well as

sponsoring her Chair at the University of Nottingham, Achilles also supports the series of

conferences Public Procurement: Global Revolution, of which Prof Arrowsmith is Director.

Professor Arrowsmith provides case notes for THEMiS – Achilles’ online ‘troubleshooting’

service for procurement professionals. She also shares insights at conferences organised

in partnership with Achilles, and supports the EU Services team – who run practical training

courses and workshops covering the full range of EU procurement topics.

The renewal of Achilles and Prof Arrowsmith’s relationship comes ahead of the biggest

modernisation of EU rules and regulations since 2004.

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



l From 2012-13 the number of passenger

journeys on Britain’s rail network rose again

to more than 1.5 billion. Freight volumes also

increased, with tonnage up by 11 per cent.

Providing the capacity to handle continuing

predicted growth in use of the network is

generating significant business opportunities for

companies active in this key sector.

‘The UK Rail Market 2013’ from Brooks

Market Intelligence Reports (www.

brooksreports.com provides a concise

overview of the structure of the rail sector in

Great Britain and Northern Ireland, detailing its

main participants and its future programmes

to form an invaluable concise guide to the

complexities of this busy market.

The report covers the role of Government in

leading development of the system and how it

is regulated. It summarises details of Network

Rail’s spending plans for the five years from

2014 to 2015, known as Control Period 5.

These include major electrification programmes,

key projects like Thameslink and the Northern

Hub and the development of new routes. Also

covered is the planned HS2 high-speed rail

system.

An up-to-date overview of passenger

rail franchises includes franchise-holding

companies, contract periods and the latest

traffic figures, as well as coverage of non-

franchised passenger operators and principal

freight train operating companies.

London’s Crossrail scheme is featured in a

section on Transport for London, as well as

coverage of the London Underground, London

Overground and Docklands Light Railway

systems. The report also includes the latest

status of UK light rail and light metro systems.

Current rolling stock procurement

programmes are detailed, and the report

is completed by a sector-by-sector guide

to principal suppliers to the UK rail market,

including:

l Rolling stock/components/subsystems

l Vehicle maintenance equipment and

services/refurbishment

l Revenue collection, access control,

passenger information systems and station

equipment

l Track products and maintenance/renewals

equipment

l Signalling & communications equipment

l Traction power supply and electrification

systems

l Civil engineering and construction/

infrastructure maintenance

The report also includes numerous links to

organisation websites and to key documents,

enabling users to research specialist topics

more deeply.

New report: The UK Rail Market 2013

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


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Crossrail reveals first completed train tunnel l Europe’s largest infrastructure project, Crossrail, has unveiled its first completed train

tunnel 18 months after tunnelling machine, Phyllis, started her 6.8 kilometre journey

from Royal Oak to Farringdon.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, Infrastructure Minister Lord

Deighton and Deputy Mayor for Transport Isabel Dedring have become the first

visitors to set foot inside the completed train tunnel, entering via what will be the future

Crossrail Farringdon station.

They gained a glimpse of how the most significant addition to London’s transport

network in a generation will look when it opens in 2018, and enclosed a time capsule in

the remaining section of Crossrail’s first tunnelling machine, Phyllis.

The ministers met several of the workers including apprentices that have been

constructing the new passenger tunnels underneath Farringdon station. Crossrail is

on target to deliver over 400 apprenticeships with more than 260 apprentices already

working on the project.

l Among the items included in a Crossrail time capsule were a 2013 edition of

the London A to Z donated by Phyllis Pearsall’s company who TBM Phyllis was

named after, a Crossrail ‘Start of Tunnelling’ mining tally and a tunnel phone used to

communicate without standard telephone signal.

Crossrail’s seven giant tunnelling machines are approaching 25 kilometres out of

42 kilometres of new train tunnels that will link east and west London. Another

14 kilometres of new passenger, platform and service tunnels are

being constructed below the new Crossrail

stations. Phyllis is the first

tunnelling machine to

complete her tunnel

construction with another

three 1000 tonne,

150 metre long tunnelling

machines due to complete

tunnelling at Farringdon in

the coming year.

Selection of items included in the time capsule that will be left with TBM Phyllis

Crossrail reveals the first completed

train tunnel in November 2013

Colas Rail buys on-track tamping machines business from Ameyl Colas Rail has expanded its Rail

Services operations by acquiring

Amey’s on-track tamping machines

business. The £5 million deal comes as

Amey focuses on its core offerings of

asset management, rail projects, metro

services, track renewals, signalling

and electrification to deliver ambitious

growth plans.

Overwhelming support for Crossrail 2 l Transport for London (TfL) and

Network Rail have published the

findings of the Crossrail 2 non-

statutory public consultation, which

shows overwhelming support for the

proposed new rail link between south

west and north east London.

The Mayor of London, Boris

Johnson, who believes this project

is critical to boosting capacity on

the suburban rail network and to

galvanise economic growth in this

part of the capital, has welcomed the

results, which shows 95 per cent of

almost 14,000 respondents ‘strongly

supporting’ or ‘supporting’ the

principle of the scheme.

Even with the Tube upgrade

works and the delivery of Crossrail 1,

additional capacity on the transport

network is needed to cope with

London’s forecasted population

growth. Crossrail 2 would create a

new high frequency, high capacity

rail line with shorter journey times

between southwest and northeast

London. TfL and Network Rail will

together consider the Crossrail 2

consultation findings and will make

recommendations on the next

steps to the Mayor of London in

spring 2014. If a decision is taken to

progress, more detailed consultations

would then take place.

London Underground (LU) now carries more

people, more safely and reliably than ever before,

with customer satisfaction at record highs and

crime at an all-time low. However, with London’s

population set to grow from 8.4 million today to around

ten million by 2030 – the equivalent of a Tube train full of

people every week – the Mayor and TfL have set out how

they will continue to invest billions of pounds to support

jobs and growth and build a Tube network that meets the

needs of customers in the 21st century.

Night Tube

From 2015, Londoners and visitors to the capital will

be able to take the Tube home at any hour of the night

on Fridays and Saturdays, supporting London’s vibrant

night-time economy and boosting businesses, jobs and

leisure opportunities. Weekend services will run through

the night on core parts of the system – initially comprised

of the Piccadilly, Victoria, Central and Jubilee lines and

key sections of the Northern line.

This network, which will be expanded to include other

lines in subsequent years, will dovetail with existing

24-hour and Night Bus services to give passengers an

extensive and integrated service throughout the night.

Station staffing

The trend of ticket sales away from ticket offices has

surged over recent years and today less than

three per cent of all Tube journeys involve a visit to a

ticket office. In future therefore, rather than being remote

from customers behind closed doors or glass windows,

Tube station staff will not be based in ticket offices, but

in ticket halls, on gate lines and on platforms, ready

and available to give the best personal and face-to-face

service to customers.

As now, all Tube stations will continue to be staffed and

controlled in future, with more staff visible and available

than today in ticket halls and on gate lines and with the

same number of staff on platforms. Staff equipped

with the latest mobile technology, such as tablet

computers, will be able to monitor and manage stations

on the move.

Improvements

The huge Tube improvement programme underway

will continue, with billions of pounds of investment to

deliver more frequent, reliable and accessible services

and enhanced stations, providing greater capacity to

tackle increasing numbers of customers. It also includes

a continued rigorous focus on improving customer

journeys and meeting the Mayor’s commitment of

reducing delays by a further 30 per cent by 2015, when

compared to 2011 reliability levels.

Across the Tube network, delays to customers’

journeys have been reduced by 40 per cent since

2008/09 and 54 per cent since 2003. More frequent

trains will be introduced across a wide range of

lines, including a 20 per cent increase in capacity on

the Northern line next year and further uplifts to the

frequency of Jubilee and Victoria line services, to 33 and

36 trains per hour respectively at the busiest times.

Metropolitan line customers are now travelling on

a new fleet of air-conditioned trains with open, walk-

through carriages, and these are now being introduced

on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines, with the

District line to follow shortly.

A vision for the future of the Tube


Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and

the managing director of London

Underground, Mike Brown have

set out their vision for the future of

the Tube, including a new 24-hour

‘Night Tube’ service at weekends and more staff visible and available at stations to help

customers buy the right ticket, plan

their journeys and keep them safe

and secure

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Improvements to make journeys easier and more

convenient for customers include:

l Contactless bank card payment technology will

be rolled-out on the Tube network from next year,

providing customers with another convenient way to pay

for their travel. Customers will no longer need to queue

just to convert their currency (pounds and pence) into the

Tube’s currency (Oyster and tickets)

l Wi-Fi coverage will be rolled out to all remaining

below-ground Tube stations by the end of 2014, with

the exception of four stations that are currently undergoing

major upgrade work, so that customers can more easily

access web and other digital content on the move at

stations across the entire network

l Improved customer service training and

technology will be provided to all station staff, and

mobile devices with up-to-the-minute information on

ticketing, train services and the local area will be provided

to staff across the network so they can help customers on

the spot

l The network will become more accessible. More

raised platform sections and boarding ramps are being

introduced, information and signage is being improved

and, building on the 66 Tube stations which are already

step-free, 27 additional Tube and Overground stations will

be made step-free over the next eight years. The proposed

staffing changes will ensure that the current turn-up-and-

go service for disabled and visually impaired passengers

continues and the disability training given to staff will be

further enhanced

l More and better ticket machines will be introduced

as part of a strategy to make life easier for passengers.

Improvements include providing quicker and easier refunds

– by Tube staff, at ticket machines or online – automatically

completing journeys when customers forget to swipe out

and introducing personalised customer accounts on the

TfL website to give increasingly tailored information and

services.

l Work is also underway to improve the Tube’s

stations, with major redevelopments underway at

Tottenham Court Road, Victoria and Bond Street.

Improvements to retail and services at stations are

planned, with more than 30 stations already identified

where real improvements could be made over the next few

years, including Canary Wharf and Embankment.

Future Tube stations

LU staff are and will remain the operational heart of the

station. In future, they will be equipped with the latest

mobile technology which allows full control of the station,

even while they are mobile. No longer will they have to be

confined to station control rooms or ticket offices in order

to serve customers, manage stations and ensure the

highest standards of safety and security.

A new, simplified staffing model will reflect the fact that

customers have different needs at each of the different

types of station across the network. Many busy Tube

stations will have to deal with queries from less familiar

customers, including tourists, so enhanced visitor centres

will be provided at those stations. All Tube stations will

continue to be staffed by LU employees across the whole

day while services are operating, providing face-to-face

customer service and information across the whole

network.

The changes to the operation of stations and

improvements to customer service will be delivered while

also reducing the overall cost of running stations, to

provide better value for money for customers and

tax payers.

From 2015, LU proposes to operate stations in four

different categories:

Gateway stations

The main visitor entry points to London, with a high

proportion of people unfamiliar with the Tube network.

These stations – Euston, Heathrow Terminals 123, King’s

Cross St. Pancras, Liverpool Street, Paddington and

Victoria – will all have enhanced and redeveloped Visitor

Information Centres to ensure tourists and visitors are

welcomed and offered the best possible service.

Customers will be able to purchase Oyster cards, pick

up maps and other information such as interchange

information on other TfL transport modes, like bus services

or Barclays Cycle Hire. There will be 30 per cent more staff

in ticket halls than today, and an increase in overall ticket

selling capacity of 33 per cent.

Destination stations

Busy stations in Central London that have high volumes

of customers and include busy commuter and tourist

destinations, such as Bank/Monument, Embankment,

Leicester Square and Oxford Circus. These stations will

have 30 per cent more staff in the ticket hall than today.

Metro stations

Serving predominantly inner London communities, with

many regular users, such as Clapham South and Mile End.

These stations will have dedicated customer service staff

with the latest in mobile technology permanently located in

ticket halls.

Local stations

Smaller stations, mostly in Outer London or beyond that

have lower customer numbers and serve mainly regular

customers, such as Rickmansworth and East Putney.

These stations will have staff stationed in ticket halls

providing help to customers who need it. zz

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz High Speed Rail

The hybrid Bill, effectively the planning

application for the scheme, will give the

Government the powers to construct

and operate the railway. It will also

give those affected by the proposed line the

opportunity to petition Parliament, both for

and against the proposals, and have their

case heard by a committee of MPs.

The Government believes that the new line –

the first to be built north of London for

120 years – is vital to meet the urgent rail

capacity needs on the main rail routes into

London. Parts of the West Coast Main Line

are full in terms of the number of trains

they can carry, many of which are full to

overflowing. There are similar issues facing the

East Coast and Midland Mainline.

The publication of legislation for phase one

marks a significant milestone in the project.

Once Royal Assent has been achieved, it

is expected that construction of the line

from London to Birmingham will begin in

2016/2017 allowing the line to open in 2026.

The Government has also published the

Environmental Statement for phase one of

the scheme. The document sets out in detail

the likely significant environmental effects of

the scheme. It will allow those on or near the

line of route to see exactly how they will be

affected and give details of the ways in which

the railway has been designed to reduce as

far as practicable impacts on the landscape.

These include:

l Around 23 per cent of the line between

London and the West Midlands will be in

tunnels and around 32 per cent lowered into

the ground with cuttings

l Landscaped earthworks and the planting

of at least two million trees will further help to

screen the railway, reduce the impacts of train

noise and integrate the line into the landscape

l Much of the earth removed during the

construction will be used to create these

earthworks, greatly reducing the amount

of earth that would have to be otherwise

transported, cutting lorry journeys and

associated congestion, disruption and pollution

l Drawing on Japanese technology, HS2

trains will be fitted with special features to help

reduce noise. Considerations include the use

of wheel fairings to cut the noise made by the

wheels on rails – the biggest source of noise

on any electrified railway; and eliminating the

gaps between each train carriage to cut noise

and boost aerodynamic efficiency. zz

HS2 took a major step forward at the end of November with publication of the Bill for phase one of the country’s new railway between London and Birmingham

Hybrid Bill for HS2 published

Call to action – join our research panel today!

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

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

http://www.railwaystrategies.co.uk/article-page.php?contentid=18919&issueid=530&se=1&searchphrase=ca


Shaping the future of rail traffic managementl RSSB is working with

100%Open to build an ambitious

open innovation programme

on the future of rail traffic

management.

The programme known as

FuTRO (Future Traffic Regulation

Optimisation) portrays a vision

for a future of advanced traffic

management where train position

and speed management will

deliver a high capacity, on-time

railway. The launch of the first two

challenges was announced on

5th November:

l The Universal Data Challenge:

– How do we manage the future

railway through combining

diverse data sources in a timely

way?

l The Supermap Challenge:

– How do we create an accurate

and versatile map of the rail

network so that we can model

ways to optimise the system?

FuTRO is designed to support

the broader vision in the Rail

Technical Strategy where the

2040s railway is envisaged

to combine flexible, real-time

intelligent traffic management.

Control centres will know the

precise location, speed, braking

and load of every train on the

network to optimise operational

performance and keep

passengers informed.

Workshops held in 2013 have

helped pinpoint the focus of the

challenges and the associated

questions.

Architects sought to consider aesthetics of overhead line electrification l How can the design of gantries and cantilever structures be made more aesthetically pleasing?

The rail industry’s Enabling Innovation Team, which forms part of the FutureRailway programme,

has teamed up with HS2 to promote a competition through the Royal Institute of British Architects

(RIBA). The challenge – announced by RIBA Competitions in December, and funded by Department

for Transport – is looking for ideas from around the world to improve the appearance of overhead line

electrification.

In addition to new-build dedicated high speed lines like HS2, the Rail Technical Strategy includes a

vision for an extensively electrified network which has reduced reliance on fossil fuels and non-renewable

resources. Rail industry proposals for CP5 and beyond include further electrification programmes.

The competition is open internationally to architects, engineers and designers. Team and

multidisciplinary entries are encouraged. Concept designs submitted digitally are required for the initial

application stage with up to ten shortlisted. Shortlisted designers will then have up to £15,000 each

available to fund the next stage of development of their scheme which will include producing a scale

model of their design.

The closing date for design submission is 29th January 2014

Innovators win funding to re-think the train

l The first four of eight finalists have been awarded investment as a result of entering

the Radical Train competition, run by the rail industry’s Enabling Innovation Team. The

investments, which are the first substantial tranche of competition funding to be released

from EIT, will be genuine enablers to the winning SMEs, organisations and consortia,

who now have the opportunity to practically demonstrate the viability of their proposals.

The ‘Radical Train’ challenge was set up to seek out proposals for new ideas which

aim to make a marked difference in the performance of trains on Britain’s railways,

encouraging ideas to re-think the fundamentals about rolling stock. A total of 56 high

level entrants applied and eight were shortlisted in May to develop their proposals further

to secure investment. The first four contracts have now been agreed supporting over

£6 million worth of innovation projects in the UK. The EIT is investing approximately

£2.5 million with the innovators contributing a similar sum. The first four successful

applicants are:

l Revolution VLR Consortium (Very Light Rail) consisting of TDI (Europe) Ltd (Transport

Design International), Unipart Rail Ltd, Warwick Manufacturing Group centre HVM

Catapult, Trelleborg PPL Ltd, Allectra Ltd and GKN Land Systems for their low carbon,

very-lightweight whole passenger railcar demonstrator

l Holdtrade Ltd, Transnet, Huddersfield University and HBA Ltd for their radical freight

bogie concept

l Thales and NewRail for their active adhesion monitoring project

l A confidential investment in emissions reduction and fuel efficiency technology.

Applications were assessed on their ability to realise significant improvements and

create benefits for passengers, freight users, train operators, the environment and supply

industry. The judges also considered the international market potential of the proposals.

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

R ail freight is vital to Britain’s economic success. It

contributes £900 million to the economy and plays a big

part in reducing congestion and carbon emissions. In

fact, according to Richard Price, chief executive, ORR,

‘[Freight] is the most transformed sector in the rail industry since

privatisation.’

Network Rail provides open access for freight operators on

its network, and Network Rail’s freight team provides support

to the industry to improve performance and freight growth. It is

committed to working with customers and stakeholders to fulfill

their business needs, as well as working with operators and

developers to commission dozens of new rail-served freight sites,

and help to grow freight on the network.

Challenging targetsPaul McMahon, who became director of rail freight at Network

Rail in June 2013, says that performance and capacity are the

two main aims for his team. Over the past five-year Control


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Period (CP4) freight charges for using the network have

reduced by a third as well as there being improvements in

the performance of freight trains. However, despite their best

efforts, Network Rail were finding it a challenge to meet the

targets that had been set by the Regulator: “Our target was

for 2.94 delay minutes per 100km, and yes, this has been

identified as a rather abstract measurement! We are currently

projected to finish the Control Period somewhere between

three and 3.5 delay minutes per 100km, but in 2011 when it

became apparent we weren’t going to meet the 2.94 delay

minute target, the Regulator got involved and as a result the

Freight Recovery Board (FRB) was set up.” The FRB’s purpose

is to promote improvements to freight service performance

(reducing delays to freight services) and protect the interests

of freight customers.

“At the FRB, now called the Freight Joint Board, we sit

down together with the freight operators (FOCs) to keep a

focus on current performance issues, and although we aren’t

Freight trains provide a vital service across Britain.

Libbie Hammond talked to PAUL McMAHON, director of rail freight at Network Rail, about how the sector has

developed and plans for the future

INTERVIEW I Paul McMAHON

Moving freight

forward

going to hit the exit trajectory that we were initially targeted

with, the engagement and the delivery is now vastly improved

compared to where it was,” Paul noted.

He was also pleased to add that the next Control Period (CP5,

due to commence in April 2014) would herald the arrival of a new,

simpler performance measure called the Freight Delivery Measure

or FDM. “This calculates the number of freight trains that arrive

on time, at their destination, and ‘on time’ includes 15 minutes of

leeway. The regulator set us a floor of 92.5 per cent, but we are

targeting 95 per cent FDM in the CP5, which is about the same

level of where we should be exiting CP4.

“Today we are seeing the best ever performance on record in

terms of freight punctuality even though we are behind the 2.94

target, and in CP5 with the new measure – assuming we

hit that target – then we will see a consistently high level of

freight performance and that will be with a measure that is better

and easier to understand for a person on the street, an operator

or shipper.”

Strategic Freight NetworkWhen it comes to capacity enhancements, Network Rail

delivers a range of schemes to support freight growth,

including the Strategic Freight Network (SFN) programme.

The SFN consists of a series of schemes that improve the

performance, economic efficiency and capacity of freight on

rail. “There has been a wide number of schemes that are

being delivered through CP4, for example one to enhance

the capacity from Felixstowe to Nuneaton, and another to

improve the capacity out of Southampton, both of which

are designed to enable us to carry more freight,” identified

Paul. “This programme has gone broadly to plan and we

are looking ahead to CP5 where we are going to invest a lot

more money into freight enhancements.”

The sort of schemes that Network Rail has earmarked an

investment of £230 million towards in CP5 include Phase

Two of the Felixstowe to Nuneaton works. “That is a major

programme of work for freight capacity improvements, and

will provide for greater capacity out of Felixstowe, allowing

more trains to go across country rather than to London

and along the North London Line,” explained Paul. “There

are also more gauge enhancements on the Western route,

and we are currently looking at possible investments to

improve capacity out of Northern ports. This will look at

all commodities, but there is a focus on biomass because

Drax power station has taken the plunge and is converting

some of its power generation to run on biomass. Other

power stations may follow. The study has just started and

will come to fruition over the next few months. It is an

important piece of work for ports, power stations and other

stakeholders.”

Optimising capacityOverall, taking a more strategic look at capacity and how it

is used across the network as a whole is currently very high

on the agenda for Paul and his team. “We are working with

the freight operators, and ports and terminal operators, to

try and provide for a more modern way of running freight,

particularly in regard to on-time departure and on-time

arrival for freight trains. This happens to a degree for

container traffic, but historically we haven’t used capacity

on the network as well or as optimally as we could do. We

have an increasingly congested railway so we are looking

at the amount of capacity that rail freight operators have in

their hands through the access rights they hold to use the

network. We are looking to modernise that and have a more

efficient and optimal use of capacity by freight.”


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


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The HS2 factor“There is also a very active debate with the freight sector on

just how much capacity would be available for freight on the

‘classic’ railway if and when HS2 becomes a reality,” said Paul.

“We are involved with that debate but there’s a long way to go

in terms of how HS2 would ultimately be used. As high speed

trains will need to use the classic network how do you fit in

freight services alongside these?”

The Rail Freight AlliancePaul mentioned Network Rail’s desire for introducing new

approaches to working with the rail freight industry and this

is highlighted in its participation in the new Freight Alliance,

formed as part of the Rail Delivery Group. The Alliance involves

all the main FOCs and Network Rail. The members come

together with a commitment to work more collaboratively, on

a range of freight policy and strategy issues. “We have had a

number of meetings, and we have already started to discuss

the issues I’ve highlighted – capacity, access rights, increased

efficiency and performance – as well as other areas such as

future access charges.

“When it comes to freight access charges, the Alliance is

also giving us a platform to take a very early look at what will

be coming in the Regulator’s 2018 Periodic Review. We want

to tackle some of the big strategic questions now so we can

have a thorough debate and identify the implications and work

towards early decisions for the Periodic Review, rather than

just looking at it a year before we need to.”

Traditionally there may have been tensions between Network

Rail and the FOCs over some issues, but as Paul noted, the

Alliance means that everyone at the table is committed to

working more collaboratively together. “This means everybody

is thinking about how they might need to adapt their behaviour

for the greater good of rail freight on key strategic issues,

so that we can grow the sector, provide better services and

perform at higher levels.”

He continued: “I think particularly there is a challenge for

INTERVIEW I Paul McMAHON

FOCs as on the ground they are competing hard with one

another to win and retain traffic and that reflects one of the

successes of the rail freight sector since privatisation. But under

the Alliance we are asking people to leave these motivations

at the door and come to the table and sit down and think

more collaboratively about the more strategic questions and

challenges that are facing the sector, so that we can deliver

greater capacity for freight and more sustainable growth for

freight as a whole into the future.”

Dealing with delaysIt is clear that Paul and his team at Network Rail Freight have a

full agenda already and big plans for CP5. He highlighted one

more current issue that has been high profile of late – delays

caused by freight trains on passenger trains. “Freight trains have

always broken down or been in the wrong place at the wrong

time and have delayed passenger trains, and equally this will

happen the other way round,” he said, “but the issue of what we

call FOC on TOC delay has increased over the past couple of

years and we are working with the freight operators, again under

the umbrella of the Freight Alliance, to develop a set of actions

in order to better understand and manage FOC on TOC delay.

“Going forwards on a railway which is increasingly busy and

congested, every minute of delay counts and we have got tough

targets to hit. Whether that’s for FOC or TOC performance, any

cause of delay is going to get scrutiny, especially any category

of delay that is showing an adverse trend. The FOCs and

Network Rail want to get a grip on performance and we have put

In place a range of initiatives to achieve this.

“Running freight trains is important for Network Rail. The

goods and commodities carried are vital for the economy with

about 25-30 per cent of containers imported into the UK through

the major ports of Southampton and Felixstowe continue their

onward journey by rail. The more freight trains we can put on

the network, and the more efficiently they run, the more traffic is

removed from the country’s congested roads, which is without

doubt a good thing,” Paul concluded. zz


Sustained growth in rail freight usage l The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)

has published a new statistical release

which highlights growth in Britain’s rail

freight sector. The ‘Freight Rail Usage’

statistical release contains information

on rail freight in Great Britain covering

the period from 1999-2000 to

30th September 2013. Freight usage

data provides a useful barometer of

economic activity and is closely linked to

other industries such as manufacturing

and imports/exports. The data for

2013-14 Q2 (1st July 2013 to 30th Sep

2013), when compared to the same

period last year, shows:

l Britain’s rail network carried a greater

amount of freight, with an 8.9 per cent

rise in freight moved to a total of

5.7 billion net tonne kilometres.

l The amount of coal moved increased

by 15.6 per cent to 2 billion net tonne

kilometres – accounting for

35.4 per cent of total freight moved

on the network.

l Oil and petroleum, international and

metal moved increased by

11.8 per cent, 7.9 per cent and

2.8 per cent respectively.

To read the full report visit: www.rail-

reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.3016

Network Rail to trial parcel shops at main line stationsl Network Rail is to test the concept of a parcel collection and delivery service

at its mainline stations to capitalise on the booming online retail market. This is

designed to generate additional revenue which can be reinvested in the railway

and to provide a convenient and accessible service for those making 1.5 billion

journeys by rail every year.

Following over 12 months of researching and monitoring the sector, Network

Rail has decided to initially test the concept at Milton Keynes Central station with

its 3000 employees who are based nearby and which is close to a number of key

delivery operations. This will be followed closely by trials at London Paddington

and Woking stations with other stations to follow throughout 2014 once the

concept is proven, creating up to 4000 new jobs.

The new business initiative is called Doddle and is a joint venture with leading

entrepreneur and philanthropist Lloyd Dorfman CBE. He is best known for creating

the Travelex Group which is now the world’s largest non-bank foreign exchange

business.

The Doddle dedicated parcel shops would be open seven days a week, early

until late, to fit with people’s busy lifestyles and enable them to choose exactly

how, when and where they send and receive parcels. There will be an easy-to-use

website and advanced touch point notifications through a mobile app, SMS and

email.

The service would be the only one of its kind that is available to every retailer,

e-tailer, parcel carrier and shipper, creating a network of single points for the

collection, return and sending of parcels. This open access approach will not only

enable retailers and carriers to enhance and complement their existing delivery

offering, but also allow the consumer to combine collections and returns from

multiple retailers into one trip at a time that suits them or coincides with an already

planned journey.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Freight

l

First service from London Gateway

Network Rail’s Doddle parcel

service shop in Milton Keynes

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

Netw

ork

Rail

Transformational design“Drax is a predominantly coal-fired power

station that generates around seven to eight

per cent of the UK’s electricity,” says Peter

Emery, Drax’s Production Director. “But

our ambition is to become a predominantly

biomass-fuelled generator, with plans to

convert three of our six generating units to

burning sustainable biomass.”

Moving biomassBiomass is biological, plant-based material

sourced from forestry products and residues,

and agricultural by-products imported from as

far away as North America. But unlike coal,

biomass must be kept dry as it is transported

from the ports to the power station in North

Yorkshire. Since 2010 a fleet of modified coal

wagons have been used, each retro-fitted

with top-doors to protect the load from the

elements.

Even this was easier said than done. Freight

wagons rank amongst the ‘dumbest’ kit on a

railway, with no electricity supply, for example,

to power the open and closing of doors. The

solution, designed by Lloyd’s Register, was

based around lineside magnets. As the train

approaches the hopper house it passes a

magnet that triggers the top doors to open. A

similar magnet then closes them upon leaving.

To ensure the doors are not activated by

magnetic activity along the route – risking

damage to overhead wires, tunnels etc – the

train driver turns a key to send a pressure signal

along the rake, priming the wagons to open as

they approach the hopper house. The same key

is then used to disarm the wagons once the rake

has passed through with the doors now closed

ready for the onward journey. Also, interlocking

the pneumatic system that powered the top

doors with the brakes meant the train could not

proceed unless all the wagons were securely

closed.

Back to the drawing boardThough an award-winning design in its own right,

these converted wagons were not optimised for

biomass. It is less dense than coal, for example,

This autumn has seen a revolutionary

new freight wagon enter into the

service on the UK rail network

specifically designed for the movement

of biomass. At 18.9 metres long and offering

a capacity of 116 cubic metres, in terms of

volume it is almost 30 per cent larger than

any other freight wagon on the network

and pushes the boundaries of rail vehicle

engineering. Most importantly it will play a key

role in transforming Drax into one of Europe’s

largest renewable generators.


Wagons roll

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Having worked together successfully in the past, Lloyd’s

Register was asked by Drax, owners of the UK’s largest power

station, to help them develop a state-of-the art wagon for

transporting biomass

Biomass wagon

meaning each wagon has to carry more

material. This was something Drax decided to

address.

In early 2012 Lloyd’s Register’s rolling

stock design teams began working with

Drax to revisit their initial design. The design

and engineering team, based in Derby, have

worked on a range of freight and passenger

vehicle projects, from full bodyshell design to

interior refurbishments, as well as bespoke

components and sub-systems such as bogies

and under-frame equipment.

“This is the sort of project that designers

like ourselves relish”, says Richard Gibney

professional head of traction and rolling stock.

“It was an opportunity to re-imagine an entire

concept, taking advantage of lessons learnt

from an existing model and removing some of

the inefficiencies.

“For example, though biomass can take

various physical forms – it is a less viscous

product, so it doesn’t need the steep ‘tapering’

at each end of the wagon that helps the coal

to pour out through the bottom doors during

delivery. So we felt we could capture significant

extra volume by ‘squaring off’ each end.”

Further capacity gains were gained by

pushing the width of the vehicle to the very

limits of the tight UK loading gauge. This meant

relocating the wagon’s pipework, structural

supports and control equipment by taking

advantage of previously unused space.

Extra bottom doors at each end of the

vehicles, combined with a new patented

product flow control system, ensured that

spillage was reduced via unloading.

Work on two prototypes, conformant with

all the necessary standards for operation on

the network, began in January 2013.

WH Davis, an independent British freight

wagon manufacturer, will fulfil the full order

for 200 units. zz


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For further information visit: www.lr.org/rail, www.drax.com or www.whdavis.co.uk.

Ross JacksonTom Zunder

Drax wagon in loading bay

Drax wagon in loading bay

Ed Davey helps unload train a wagon

Time-sensitive goodsIn a competitive global market, shippers

and consignees require a service that offers

reliable, consistent and precise movement and

storage of goods. These service requirements

become even more crucial for time-sensitive

LDHV goods. Today, this traffic is generally

transported by non-rail modes – either by road

which is cost sensitive over shorter distances

or by air which becomes effective when time-

critical premium products justify the higher

transport costs.

In the European context, road is typically

favoured for the transport of LDHV goods

between origin and destination in densely

populated areas. However, the major road

networks are increasingly congested and, in

many regions this has made road transport

unreliable. A shift to rail would help to relieve

the congestion and offer significant benefits

in terms of reduced energy consumption and

greenhouse gas emissions.

The main European flows of LDHV goods

were estimated using data from the ETSIplus

project, (Ref. 1) and validated using Eurostat

2012 statistics. Medium and long-term

forecasts were prepared for 2020 and 2030

using the Integrated Scenario developed by the

iTREN-2030 project (Ref. 2). For a qualitative

assessment, the team also interviewed ten

potential rail freight customers about their

expectations.

Around 49 per cent of all LDHV goods

transported by road are moved over distances

of 200km or more, and five national and

international corridors were identified which

have a substantial proportion of long-distance

traffic, including routes in Greece, Spain and

Sweden.

However, from a business perspective, rail

freight could only be expected to attract a

proportion of this volume. An estimate for the

volume of ‘rail-accessible’ LDHV traffic moving

over 200km is around 1.9 billion tonnes, which

is around 12 per cent of the total tonnage

currently being transported by road in the 27

EU member states and Switzerland.

To meet customer expectations, the rail

freight service would need to offer short, fast,

reliable and flexible trains, working in hub-and-

spoke networks, on high-frequency corridors

or serving multiple stops on longer routes.

The network would have to accommodate

temperature-controlled traffic, and link into

urban feeder networks or serve strategically-

located consolidation centres. Trains would

predominantly run on mixed-traffic routes,

requiring integration between freight and

passenger train services.

Given these conditions, the project team

believes that a high-performance freight train

running at passenger speeds would be able

to capture a percentage of the LDHV goods

currently being transported by road.

Capacity managementThe integration of freight and passenger

operations is key, as the LDHV freight trains

would need to run between passenger

services, using passenger-quality train paths.

Feedback from infrastructure managers

including Trafikverket, TCDD and Network Rail

T he hope within the European

Community is that given the right

technology, the right distances and the

right market conditions, up to

1.9 billion tonnes a year of LDHV freight could

be switched from road to rail in the future.

The FP7-supported SPECTRUM

(Solutions and Processes to Enhance the

Competitiveness of Transport by Rail in

Unexploited Markets) project started in 2011,

has 20 partners from a range of industries and

is led by NewRail, the Newcastle Centre for

Railway Research. The project has analysed

the nature of the LDHV goods market and

the technical and operational concepts which

could facilitate a shift of time-sensitive traffic

from road to rail.


A new concept for rail freight vehicles

Freight & Logistics zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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

The InnovaTrain concept has been developed from the RailXpress push-pull

train used by the Swiss retailer Coop to move time-sensitive goods for its own

business as well as third parties such as Heineken,

Lidl and the Post Office

helped the project team to understand the

principles of timetabling, service patterns and

operational procedures, alongside capacity

management policy and practice.

A number of ‘service areas’ specific to the

LDHV sector were identified. Infrastructure

managers would have to schedule train

paths that allow a freight operator to design

a door-to-door supply chain that meets its

customers’ needs. This would impact on the

way in which they develop timetables, whilst

still adhering to EU regulations about fair and

non-discriminatory treatment of all operators.

It is also important for terminals to be located

close to pre- and end haulage points, with

suitable, affordable transhipment equipment

for the swift transfer of goods from trains to

delivery vehicles.

In the research the behaviour of a

passenger-quality freight train was evaluated

on four of the corridors identified as having

significant demand for LDHV goods:

l Switzerland (Daillens - Chur)

l Sweden (Hallsberg - Malmo) - Denmark

(Copenhagen)

l Italy (Turin) - France (Lyon)

l Bosporus - Bulgarian Border (Halkali -

Kapikule)

Using simulation techniques it was

demonstrated to be possible to add a number

of LDHV trains within the current freight and

passenger timetables on each of the routes.

ConceptualisationUsing a combination of qualitative and

quantitative research methods to identify the

market requirements, the SPECTRUM team

came up with seven concepts for further

evaluation to result in an innovative freight

vehicle to meet these requirements, and looked

at opportunities to operate high-quality freight

services on the most promising corridors.

Nineteen participants, including railway

related academics, researchers, operators,

manufacturers, suppliers and infrastructure

managers, took part. Six characteristics were

identified and used to define the logistics and

vehicle design requirements: high performance,

reliability, mixed running, flexibility, security and

seamlessness. The types of goods and loading

unit to be transported, governed the concepts.

These concepts were reduced to three

through a ranking methodology favouring

Concept A, Concept C and Concept F. In

a subsequent evaluation stage, Life Cycle

Costing (LCC) and SWOT analyses were used

with both methods identifying Concept C as

the strongest.

The analysis was extended to look

specifically at the application of the concepts

to the four corridors, where trip distances

varied from 330km to 1900km. On the basis

of the LCC evaluation, Concept C offered the

cheapest cost per pallet-km.

Preferred optionThe favoured concept is a multi-purpose flat

wagon to carry containers and swap bodies,



incorporating a horizontal transhipment

technology. A key attribute is the ability to load

and unload the loading units without the need

for a costly dedicated terminal.

Having identified the market opportunities

and a suitable vehicle technology, the

SPECTRUM team will now undertake further

research to match the vehicle development

with the ‘service areas’ defining the potential

LDHV mix. A full economic assessment of the

concept is planned. zz

ReferencesRef. 1: ETISplus Project (2012). European

Transport policy Information System:

development and implementation of a data

collection methodology for EU transport

modelling. Retrieved 10th August 2012 from

http://www.tmleuven.be/project/etisplus/

home.htm

Ref. 2: iTREN Project (2012). iTREN – 2030

Integrated transport and energy baseline until

2030. Retrieved 10th August from

http://www.tmleuven.be/project/

itren2030/home.htm

Trials with the InnovaTrain ContainerMover 3000 (transhipment technology) were conducted in Switzerland in September 2011

LDHV Rail Freight ConceptsConcept Description Loading Unit Technology

A Multi-purpose intermodal Containerised, refrigerated, palletised MetroCargo

B Liner train – Container Containerised, refrigerated, palletised MetroCargo

C Multi-purpose – no semi-trailer Containerised, refrigerated, palletised Innovatrain

D Semi-trailer Refrigerated, palletised Kockums Megaswing

E Palletised Palletised goods including roll cages Forklift/pallet trucks

F Self-Propelled (1) Containerised, refrigerated, palletised MetroCargo

G Self-Propelled (2) Containerised, refrigerated, palletised MetroCargo

Ross Jackson is a research assistant at NewRail, Newcastle University

Tom Zunder is the rail freight and logistics group manager at NewRail, Newcastle University

For further information visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/newrail/research/project/3909 Tel: 0191 222 3974Email: [email protected]: www.newrail.org

Ross JacksonTom Zunder

SNCB Logistics is an independent freight rail

operator within the Belgian rail group SNCB.

The freight activity was historically losing money,

even before the economic crisis. To become a

profitable and competitive private rail operator, it needed

to restructure itself completely. The company was

privatised on 1st Feb 2011. The firm had never invested

in cutting-edge systems to improve the efficiency and

quality of its services – that was of course until IRON.

The implementation of an integrated planning tool,

code-named ‘IRON’ gave the firm’s managers the ability

to plan based on actual demand and get a precise

and transparent view of required resources. IRON has

improved profitability, efficiency, productivity, quality

and safety. Thanks to major cost-cutting measures and

the benefits of tools like IRON, break-even is near and

productivity and quality have structurally improved.

The rail-freight planning challenge

Rail-freight planning is a complex puzzle. It involves

long- and short-term planning of locomotives, locomotive

drivers and local personnel. Plus constraints such as

maintenance rules, route knowledge, traction knowledge

and different working time directives and regulations.

Before SNCB Logistics introduced IRON, it used

separate systems to handle locomotive and train driver

management and planning. It used altogether different

systems to plan local ground operators and rail paths.

SNCB Logistics wanted a single planning system to

control its complete production chain. It would cope

with all production resources (yard staff, train drivers,

locomotives and rail paths) and all planning horizons,

from long-term to day-of-execution.

After tendering the project, SNCB Logistics selected

Quintiq and its implementation partner, Ab Ovo. Ab Ovo,

a specialist in rail freight and in advanced planning and

scheduling (APS) solutions, implemented the Quintiq

software and modelled the solution to the customer’s

demand – a collaborative project which was called IRON.

One solution – many benefits

The solution allows SNCB Logistics planners to see

the entire plan in one place. It integrates planning and

scheduling of line locomotives, shunting machines,

drivers and yard staff. It helps planners make the best

decisions for scheduling and re-scheduling resources.

The new system integrates existing planning methods

with the new processes required for the operations of the

new SNCB Logistics organization. It is easy to adjust and

it improves communication between different planning

teams. SNCB Logistics’ unique constraints such as

traction knowledge or work environment are modelled in

the system, leading to safer and more secure working.

Because the system consolidates and controls a lot

of data, it also makes it easier to align planning with key

performance indicators (KPIs). This helps SNCB Logistics

managers improve performance. The results of the

project include improved employee satisfaction, flexibility,

punctuality, higher safety levels, better operational

performance and optimized decision making, leading to

reduced costs and increased profitability. Quintiq and

Ab Ovo plan further work to improve the business results

even more. They have scheduled regular updates that

they can put in place very quickly.

More growth planned

Today 150 planners and 60 additional users are using

the system every day. This will grow to 200 planners and

100 additional users. Working with Ab Ovo and Quintiq,

SNCB Logistics has planned and organized training for

all 300 users.

Partners in puzzle-solving The Quintiq platform for planning, scheduling and

optimization beats traditional solutions by integrating all

processes and resources into a cohesive, flexible plan.

Quintiq uses today’s most sophisticated optimization

engines and can be fully configured to fit the processes

and constraints of the business. Covering multiple

planning horizons and coordinating all planning

parameters, Quintiq solves every planning puzzle.

As a long time Quintiq implementation partner, Ab Ovo

has broad experience in modelling customer solutions

using the Quintiq platform. It has in-depth knowledge of

rail-freight business processes and puts that knowledge

to use in various rail-freight companies throughout

Europe. The company delivers advanced planning and

scheduling solutions as well as an extensive back-office

application, the Rail Cargo System, which is tailored to

individual rail-freight operations. zz

Ironing out the freight planning problems


How an integrated planning tool helped SNCB Logistics improve quality, safety and performance

“IRON is proving to increase our

competitiveness and supports our mission to become the most

reliable rail operator. This initiative is only one step in a line of measures

that SNCB Logistics is undertaking to improve

the safety, quality and productivity of its

services.”

Geert Pauwels, CEO of SNCB Logistics

Freight & Logistics zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

In 2010, the total goods transported within the

EU-27 were estimated at 3831 billion tonne-

kilometres (btkm). Of this, road transport accounted

for 45.8 per cent; intra-EU maritime transport for

36.9 per cent; rail for 10.2 per cent; Between 1995 and

2010, total freight volume increased by 25.2 per cent,

with road freight increasing by 36.2 per cent. In contrast,

rail freight transport has increased by a mere

0.1 per cent, from 386btkm to 390btkm, over the same

period (European Commission, 2012).

The structure of international trade One key reason for the stagnant position in rail

freight volume is the structural change in European

manufacturing industries. Many have moved gradually

to the East, in search of cheaper labour and other

inputs, and/or have changed their consumption pattern

– consuming more imported products and producing a

lower volume of exports. Such change in production and

consumption patterns has resulted in a different set of

transport service demands and a further reason for rail’s

failure to grow has been its lack of response to this new

freight transport requirement.

For typical international trade, a transport chain consists

of transport legs such as deep sea (e.g. Shanghai port in

China to Rotterdam port in the Netherlands); feeder/short

sea leg (e.g. Jiaxing International Feeder Port to Shanghai

port); and inland transport (by road, rail or waterways) at

both ends of the transport chain. Depending on the final

destination, the inland leg may need a combination of

transport e.g. road and rail, or road and waterways. The

selection of the import/export (maritime) port depends

on, among others, the strategies and abilities of the

ports in the region, connectivity with the inland origins/

destinations and the inland transport operators’ ability

and services.

The freight supply chain

Generally, a shipper or consignee is interested in

procuring a freight transport service from a single

operator. It could be an international shipping line, or a

multimodal operator, or a freight forwarder who can take

responsibility for the entire transport haul, consisting

of multiple legs, not just deep sea, feeder, or inland. To

offer the door-to-door, integrated service that modern

supply chain requirements demand, the shipping line may

subcontract the inland transport to a competent transport

operator – a road haulier, or rail freight.

A maritime shipping line may try to enhance the share of

carrier haulage in Europe by, for example, establishing

partnerships and alliances with shuttle train operations.

In line with this approach, and to achieve a higher level of

integrated door-to-door transport service, an extended

gate terminal haulage concept may be developed, where

some of the terminal activities, traditionally performed

in a maritime port, can be moved to an inland terminal,

or port/depot. Depending on who is in control of the

transport chain, and considering factors such as distance,

transit time, frequency, shipment size and cargo type

(e.g. high or low value, time sensitive etc.), the inland

as well as total freight transport service options may be

determined by either shippers, consignees, shipping lines

or a multimodal operator.

In many cases, the international shipping lines face

obstacles in expanding the integrated network by rail

intermodal services. One reason for this is the fact that the

European railway sector is lagging behind in responding

to the needs of a reliable supply chain. Rail operators

must co-operate with other transport and supply chain

actors as a partner, not just as an operator between

terminals. The reality that one supply chain competes

with another and the fact that a successful supply chain

shares the benefits among all its partners means that a

lack of truly market-driven rail operators has largely left

rail unable to respond to market demand. It is a fact that

many rail operators (e.g. DB, SNCF) are not yet privatised,

making the operational model and market responsiveness

of these transport companies very different from that

of typical trucking companies who offer door-to-door

services, either alone, or in partnership with international

transport operators (including rail, maritime and air).

Theoretically it is claimed that rail freight operation

becomes viable for the longer transport haul (nominally

more than 500km). In practice, however, there are many

European routes, or corridors, where trucking companies

are the major operators over such distances. A recent

example of the benefits of rail liberalisation can be noted

here. In the liberalised environment, the share of rail traffic

has increased from ten per cent in 2007, to 40 per cent

in 2010, carried by some new entrant private operators

and incumbent RENFE on the route between Valencia and

Coslada in Spain.

Rail strategies for becoming a supply chain partner in Europe


Freight & Logisticszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zz

According to figures produced by the European Commission, the volume of freight transported by rail within the EU has barely increased since 1995. DEWAN ISLAM explores the issues

surrounding this situation and the means for bringing about improvements

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

A mixed freight train


Freight & Logistics zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzChange the service offering

The rail operators need to come out of their comfort zone

of offering services to a limited number of large customers

with low value, high volume, less time-sensitive cargoes.

To increase market share they must compete with road

transport in capturing low density, high value cargo. Many

of these cargoes are also time-sensitive and require a more

reliable and faster service. Here, rail operators will have

to equip themselves with some of the customer-tailored

attributes that road offers and/or join hands with freight

forwarders, who can consolidate cargoes and offer pick-

up and delivery services. Such joint services can be useful

on longer routes with higher cargo volume.

In achieving a door-to-door integrated service, the

decrease in satellite operation of feeder rail freight

(i.e. the share of single wagon load or group of wagon

load) is a particularly crucial issue. Rail operators must also

modernise their information systems, to provide track-and-

trace data and the ability to respond to customer queries,

when needed. Some wagons will need to be fitted with

a power supply system, plus the associated equipment

to enable a temperature- and pressure-controlled

environment for such cargo as flowers, or fish. A cargo

monitoring system must also be put in place, allowing the

driver/manager of the train to report, in real time, to a

co-ordinator for the transport chain partners.

Open borders – except for rail One further issue of note is that, despite an absence

of physical border control in EU-27 for almost all other

services, this function is very much alive – in a negative

sense – in the case of rail freight operation. The UIRR

(International Union for Road-Rail Combined Transport)

reports that 88 per cent of road-rail combined transport

consignments passed through at least one border in

2012. The RETRACK study, part-funded by the European

Commission under the Sixth Framework Programme,

reported border waiting times ranging from 2.5 hours

(in Western European countries e.g. between the

Netherlands and Germany) to seven hours (Eastern

European countries e.g. between Hungary and Romania).

This border-crossing issue is one that will need to be

resolved, if rail is to grow as a truly viable and competitive

European supply chain partner.

Acknowledgement

NewRail wishes to acknowledge the support of the

European Union Framework Programme 6 and 7 within

which much of their research in freight and logistics is

carried out. zz

Dr. Dewan Islam is a research associate at NewRail, Newcastle University, UK Tel: 0191 222 3972 Email: [email protected] Web: www.newrail.org

l Eversholt Rail, in partnership with Abellio

Greater Anglia and Wabtec, has launched the

Class 321 Demonstrator at Liverpool Street

station. The train has undergone a high-

specification refurbishment and technology

upgrades. It will now run in normal service on

the Abellio Greater Anglia network for a year.

During this period, Eversholt Rail and Abellio

Greater Anglia will be seeking passenger

views on the many new features showcased,

all delivered at a fraction of the cost of a

new train.

Over the next year the four-car unit,

modified by Wabtec in Doncaster, will operate

on a number of lines, including those to

Southend, Chelmsford, Braintree, Colchester,

Clacton, Harwich and Ipswich. To fully

understand passengers’ preferences and test

out different options, the unit features two

suburban style and two metro style carriages.

Seats in the suburban carriage are configured

3+2, with existing seats refurbished and

raised. The metro style, used on commuter

lines, has a 2+2 seat configuration, with all

new seating. The metro carriages also feature

an extended entrance area to allow easier

access and egress to and from the carriage.

In addition to new and refurbished seating,

the entire unit has new air-conditioning and

heating systems; energy-efficient LED lighting;

modern double-glazed fixed windows;

better wheelchair areas; and a wheelchair-

accessible toilet.

Eversholt Rail is also developing a new

system to replace the Class 321 traction

equipment to improve energy efficiency

and increase reliability. This builds upon

Eversholt Rail’s earlier success in replacing

the traction system on the Classes 465/0

and 465/1 electric multiple units in operation

with Southeastern on the Integrated Kent

Franchise.

Class 321 Demonstrator launched

Ever

shol

t Rai

l Gro

up

Refurbished seating in the suburban carriage

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Rolling Stock


A battery of testsl Network Rail and its industry partners – including the Enabling

Innovation Team, Bombardier and Greater Anglia – are testing the case

for an independently powered electric multiple unit to potentially run on

short, unelectrified branch lines in otherwise electric parts of the railway.

Lithium Iron Magnesium Phosphate battery technology from Valence

is the first to meet the requirements of the project following testing

at the Valence lab in Texas. Other battery technologies, including hot

sodium nickel salt, continue to be reviewed. Data gathered during the

experiment will be used to determine what form any future independently

powered electric multiple unit will take, be it a straight battery unit or

hybrid.

Re-engineered Class 317 unit unveiledl At the end of November 2013, Angel Trains unveiled its re-engineered Class 317 unit at an event held at Bombardier

Transportation’s depot in Ilford, London. The pre-series vehicle has been the subject of a £7 million overhaul as part of a joint project

between Angel Trains, Bombardier Transportation and Abellio Greater Anglia. The finished unit will provide the train operator with new

train look, feel and performance at a fraction of the cost of building a unit from scratch.

The project included a complete interior redesign to increase capacity and ensure PRM (Persons of Reduced Mobility) compliance,

significant engineering work on the doors to increase the ease of maintenance. A major retractioning project was also undertaken to

move the train from a DC to an AC power unit which now enables the train to make use of regenerative braking and benefit from faster

acceleration, both of which will significantly reduce power consumption and operational costs.

The retractioning work and inclusion of regenerative braking means that the re-engineered vehicle will be able to attain ‘new train’

performance with lower operational costs compared to the original Class 317 units, all without having to build a new train.

The retractioned unit will benefit in five key ways:

1. Better performance – improved acceleration providing faster journey times

2. Reduced maintenance – AC traction motors mean that no more brush changes

are required and the time between maintenance overhauls can be

significantly increased

3. Greater reliability – replacement traction system will provide

performance more akin to a new train

4. Reduced environmental impact – under optimal conditions

Class 317 will use up to 40 per cent less power

5. Lower cost – significant reductions in maintenance and operating costs.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Rolling Stock

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

Angel Trains

Angel Trains

The engineering overhaul was carried out by Bombardier

Transportation with a large proportion of the work carried out at the

company’s Ilford depot.

Travelling passengers on re-engineered Class 317 trains will have

the opportunity to benefit from a number of new features, including:

l Refurbished interior, new seating and additional grab poles

l Increased capacity on each vehicle including larger vestibule areas

l PRM compliant

l CCTV cameras throughout the train to improve safety

l Climate controlled environment

l Plug sockets and Wi-Fi throughout the vehicle

l Passenger information systems to provide journey details

The pre-series unit unveiled at Ilford is currently going through its final

testing after which it will enter passenger service with Abellio Greater

Anglia in Q1 2014.

Siem

ens

plc

It is often said that we live in a throw-away age,

where it is easier to buy a replacement than try to fix

something. This may be alright for things like mobile

phones and iPods, but it is another matter when

you consider large pieces of capital equipment worth

thousands, or even tens or hundreds of thousands of

pounds.

This is where industrial coatings come in. They can

prevent equipment failing due to corrosion and erosion

in the first place, or make it as good as, or even better

than, new if a problem does occur.

The cost of corrosion in the UK is around four per cent

of GDP per annum, but these are costs that can be cut

when it is realised that not everything that is corroded

necessarily needs replacing. It is no-longer the case that

a corroded tank, pipe, pump or other vessel, needs to

be replaced; even ones with numerous holes. One way

of achieving this is rebuilding corroded or damaged

areas with appropriate material and lining the vessel to

protect and extend its life.

Anyone who has ever repaired a boat or a canoe

will be familiar with the basic principle. You use some


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

Network Rail’s Autumn Seasonal Fleet of 17,000 litre water bowsers were rehabilitated by the author’s company ahead of this year’s leaves on the line campaign

The right coating can make it better than new

Repairing a corroded vessel, before and after

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Corrosion & Painting


suitable material and GRP to repair the hole and then

use further GRP layers and other coatings, until the boat

is not only watertight but also looks as good as new.

While slightly different materials are used, and in industrial

strength, the principle is the same.

These lining methods are a very effective alternative

solution to replacement in terms of costs, time and

environmental impact. For example, there is no necessity

to dispose of contaminated equipment, to dig anything

up or knock anything down to deal with the problem. The

same methodology can also be employed to extend the

life of new plant and equipment and older equipment can

be updated to comply with new legislation.

Storage tanks in buildings are, in many instances, put in

place and the building is constructed around them; some

are even part of the structure. This means that to replace

or renew them, when they corrode or start to leak, is

difficult and in some instances impossible.

The answer is to repair and, in some cases, even

re-build the tank using a GRP laminate system, effectively

making a tank within a tank.

The same method can also be used on outside tanks,

underground tanks and even rolling stock. For example,

we recently completed the lining of 125 of Network Rail’s

17,000 litre water bowsers used in its Autumn Seasonal

Fleet to remove the notorious leaves on the line.

The effective use of coatings can be employed when

a change of service conditions in a tank would be

advantageous. For example, redundant diesel tanks can,

through the use of coatings, be changed to water storage

tanks. This effectively recycles the tank, reduces the

carbon footprint and saves the costs of a new tank and

removal of the old tank.

Large fuel storage tanks can also have their life

extended in a similar way. The bottom of the tank and

walls, up to around 300mm above the floor, suffer from

various forms of corrosion, mainly due to the water

content in the fuel; the environmental fall-out along with

the subsequent associated costs should a leak occur are

immense. A cost effective and environmentally friendly

solution is to line these areas with a suitable coating and

if required this could be reinforced with a laminate system

to strengthen the floor.

It is a wise precaution to implement a regular

programme of inspections to monitor the condition of

plant, tanks, pipework and equipment, so that damage

and wear and tear can be identified early and rectified

before it causes a major problem, costly down-time and

either replacement or expensive repairs.

An additional bonus is the fact that a longer warranty

period can often be obtained for something that has been

repaired and lined than the manufacturer will offer on

brand-new equipment. A typical manufacturer’s warranty

will be two to three years at most, whereas coatings

companies usually offer up to ten years, depending on the

environment and proposed use.

While the main thrust of this article is to encourage

repair, rather than replacement, through the use of

coatings, it would not be complete without looking briefly

at some of the other cost-effective uses that are relevant

to the rail industry.

For example, operators can improve the environmental

credentials of rail companies while protecting them from

future costs by ensuring that fuel storage tanks do not

leak and, if they do, that the lining of the secondary

containment bunds that should surround static tanks are

in fact leak-tight and comply with the Control of Pollution

(Oil Storage) Regulations 2001.

A similar situation can occur at refuelling sites where, no

matter how careful personnel are, spills will occassionally

occur, and a properly coated containment apron will

prevent these spills leaching into the ground and

eventually leading to a long-term contamination problem.

The safety aspects of coatings are now also being

discovered by the rail industry. We have coating systems

which will provide a non-slip safety surface to station

platforms. The process we use is very quick to apply and

the coating is very fast curing; a matter of hours, so the

disruption to the station is kept to a minimum. zz

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

Dan Macdonald is managing director, Repair Protection & Maintenance Ltd Web: www.rpmltd.co.uk

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Corrosion & Painting

Work in progress on Network Rail’s fleet of 17,000 litre water bowsers

W hen mounting, checking or handling a

bearing, the process needs due care

and consideration in order to ensure the

product’s longevity and effectiveness. If

they are not handled correctly, bearings can be prone

to failing quickly and unexpectedly, but some basic

checks will help avoid some of the common problems

associated with their handling and usage.

General tips on handling

Since rolling bearings are high-precision machine

parts, they must be handled carefully. Even high-quality

bearings will not deliver the desired service life and

performance quality if they are not handled used and

maintained correctly.

However, observing a few basic precautions will help

negate the possibilities of premature failure. Firstly, the

bearing and its surroundings must be kept clean.

The presence of any dust and dirt – even particles not

visible to the human eye – is one of the key causes of

bearing failure.

Bearings must also be protected from corrosion.

Perspiration on the hands and a variety of other

contaminants may cause corrosion, so hands should

be clean and dry before handling bearings, with gloves

worn if possible.

Care should also be taken when handling the bearing

itself. Heavy shocks may scratch or cause other damage

to the bearing, while physical impact may result in

brinelling, breaking or cracking.

The proper tools should always be used for any work

involving bearings – general purpose tools should be

avoided. The manufacturer’s instructions are generally

the best place to start for a guide on this.


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

Handle with care!

Engineering zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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

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


Mounting

The mounting process is absolutely key to the bearing’s

running accuracy, life and performance, therefore

the manufacturer’s mounting instructions should be

followed precisely. Failure to do so could result not just

in premature failure but in damage to other components,

unscheduled downtime and invalidation of the product

warranty.

In the first instance, the bearing and any surrounding

components should be thoroughly cleaned and dried,

with the dimensions and finish conditions of related parts

then checked.

The mounting procedure should then be followed.

Since most bearings rotate with the shaft, the bearing

mounting method is generally an interference (tight) fit for

the inner ring and shaft, with a clearance (loose) fit for the

outer ring and housing. The correct type and quantity of

lubricant should be applied.

After mounting the bearing, an operating test should be

undertaken to verify that the mounting has been carried

out correctly.

Checks & common faults

On small machines operated manually, the bearing

should be turned by hand. Checks should be made

for stick-slip – these will be manifested in the form of

debris, cracks and dents; uneven rotating torque, which

generally indicates faulty mounting; and excessive torque,

which again shows either a mounting error or insufficient

radial internal clearance.

Once these checks are complete, the machine should

be turned on and operated at a low speed without a load,

gradually increasing the speed and load till the typical

rating is reached.

Checks should be made at this stage for irregular noise,

bearing temperature rise, lubricant leakage and lubricant

discoloration.

Several types of noise may be heard. A loud metallic

sound can be caused by an abnormal load, incorrect

mounting, insufficient or incorrect lubricant, or contact

with rotating parts. A loud regular sound can be the result

of brinelling or flaws, corrosion, scratches or flaking on

the raceways. Meanwhile, an irregular sound will be heard

in the event of excessive clearance, penetration of foreign

particles, or flaws or flaking on balls.

An abnormal temperature rise is frequently the result

of lubrication issues – either too much or too little, or

the wrong type. However, it can also be caused by an

abnormal load, incorrect mounting, ‘creep’ on the fitted

surface, or excessive seal friction.

Brinelling, flaking, incorrect mounting and foreign particle

penetration can all contribute to excessive vibration or

axial runout. Lubricant leakage or discoloration is usually

the result of overzealous application, or the ingress of

foreign matter or abrasion chips.

In the event of any of these occurring, the appropriate

remedial action should be taken immediately. Failure to

do so will almost inevitably result in failure of the bearing,

with the likelihood of associated damage to other

components.

Once the bearing has passed all these checks and is

fully operational, it is good practice to check the bearings

on a regular basis with the aim of identifying any damaged

or failing components as early as possible. zz


For further details visit www.brammeruk.com

develop the business strategy which includes

all business divisions. The yearly strategic

objectives in the operational units are then fed

down in line with the Policy Deployment which

drives the rating of key performance indicators

(KPIs) throughout the entire business.

l The KPIs are fixed in all departments.

Performance management is separated into

five main categories: S (Safety), Q (Quality),

D (Delivery), C (Cost), and P (Performance).

SQDCP boards are used so everyone can see

at a glance what the current problems are, what

needs to be done, and who’s responsible for

making sure they are resolved. The boards also

serve as focal points for daily walk-throughs by

management team members.

T BM Consulting Group, a global

operations management consulting firm

that maximises value and accelerates

growth through improving business

performance announces a new offering – the

TBM Management System.

After more than two decades working with

clients across the globe to improve business

performance, TBM has developed its own

proprietary system of tools and processes that

ensures sustainable business improvement.

This TBM Management System, based on

best practices and a lot of customer projects,

creates visibility for strategic goals, ensures

alignment, and empowers employees to get

focused on the initiatives that matter most.


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Business Improvement

New TBM Management System guarantees business growth

The system connects the business strategy

to everyday operations with a constant focus

on results and measurement. The system

recognises the differences between the

company’s expected performance goals

and the current performance situation, and

prevents deviations from occurring or corrects

them when they do. It helps employees at

every level to make the correct decisions,

which allows the management team to

fully concentrate on business strategy and

development.

There are four phases within

the TBM Management System:

l TBM and the client work together to

Using the proprietary four-step approach, businesses can expect to see three-fold increases in top-line sales and two-fold increases in EBITDA



New TBM Management System guarantees business growth

l A team-based inter-divisional problem

solving culture is introduced. The management

team reviews the KPIs as needed – in general

daily – and on a weekly / monthly basis

the long-term strategic goals. Corrective

measures such as fault prevention and

troubleshooting must be implemented at this

stage. Commitment is required from the total

workforce for continuous and sustainable

improvements.

l TBM consultants coach business leaders on

how to push through and guide cultural change

within their organisations through appropriate

leadership.

The multi-level approach of the TBM

Management System has proven successful in

TBM’s work with Eurostarl TBM has been working with Eurostar at our Temple Mills depot for over three years now. Initially they were brought in to provide education on LEAN, and to start a programme of Kaizen events within the depot.

The 48 Kaizen events that have taken place over the last three years have been interspersed with regular follow-up events, and the reconvening of the event teams has meant that over 100 gatherings have taken place in total.

When we started the programme, we soon discovered that the biggest challenge would be to change the culture, which had been embedded in the depot for such a long time. It took two years to change – much longer than we had initially anticipated. This was partly due to the fact that the Kaizen and LEAN Production System was presented to us as the latest ‘initiative’. In the railway engineering environment we have seen many initiatives discussed over the last 30 years and so, rightly or wrongly, there is often scepticism around the term and how long the latest ‘initiative’ might be in place before the next one is introduced!

However, after a slower start than we expected, I am pleased to say that the culture has well and truly changed. The Business Improvement Team works alongside the engineers and their input is well received by all as they help to turn good ideas into action. The change is permanent and here to stay.

Another key learning we took from the first year of the programme is that it’s much harder to make changes unless the whole team – right from the shop floor to the management – is on board.

Some of the best improvements and biggest savings that we have seen have come from some very surprising areas. It has been proved many times that, until you take the time to investigate and look into a process, you don’t know what you can find. My advice would be not to pre-judge a process – you don’t know until you try.

its implementation with pilot customers. The

connection between everyday operational

execution and long-term strategic goals as

well as the empowerment of employees

at every level to proactively contribute

to solving business problems has been

proven to significantly enhance a company’s

competitiveness and market growth.

“We‘ve developed the TBM Management

System based on our long-term experience

with various management tools and hands-on

customer projects. The TBM Management

System consolidates this experience into

a framework that we use for each and

every customer project. Our approach is to

implement sustainable process improvements

and establish a problem-solving culture within

organisations which enables the individual

employee to make quick decisions, thereby

relieving the burden from management and,

in turn, causing a substantial increase in

efficiency,” explained Richard Holland,

vice president TBM Europe. zz

Web: www.tbmcg.com

Example of business improvement: The introduction of calibrated digital torque wrenchesAs part of the business improvement team at Eurostar, Mick Watts uses the TBM management system to systematically investigate business processes to find out if there’s a better process to maximise efficiency. He says some of the biggest surprises have come from processes that they had thought were absolutely fine; one of which related to their process for tightening safety critical fastenings on the underside of a train. A simple task you might think but to tighten the nuts and bolts on just one component could take up to 20 minutes due to a six minute walk to reset a regular torque wrench. They would reset the wrench three times which could involve walking the full length of the train (394 metres) back to the manual settings station. The new digital torque wrenches are calibrated to deliver the exact force required and take only a few seconds to adjust. These will be rolled out across the relevant areas of the business and will be a lot more time-efficient for the teams on the shop floor.

Today our aim is to systematically work through all our processes and not allow them to go too long without a review. We have three Kaizen Promotion Officers trained within the depot and plan to have two more in the next few months. Mick Watts, business improvement manager, Eurostar

Richard Holland

According to a new report (Reference 1) from

the International Energy Agency, policies which

improve the energy efficiency of urban transport

systems could help to save as much as

$70 trillion (over £44 trillion) in spending on vehicles, fuel

and infrastructure between now and 2050.

With energy consumption for transport in cities

expected to double by 2050, transport organisations

face a seemingly impossible challenge – to continuously

improve safety and service, while reducing costs from

their complex infrastructure and asset networks.

Tracking assets Asset management in the rail industry is a hugely

complex discipline as it encompasses high volumes

of discrete and linked assets – all of which must be

managed cohesively to ensure the core objectives of

safety, service and efficiency are achieved. Effectively

managing a programme which spans overhead lines,

tracks, tunnels, ticket machines, barriers, escalators and

signalling simply cannot be achieved through traditional

Computerised Maintenance and Management Systems

(CMMS) or generalist Enterprise Asset Management

(EAM) systems.

Many EAM systems were built primarily to serve

industrial and manufacturing industries and while their

core objectives – maximising the lifecycle of equipment;

increasing operating capital; reducing downtime;

improving safety and compliance; and enhancing

customer service – might be similar, the specific needs,

activities and types of assets of rail organisations are

very different.

A train company for example has a lot of linear assets

such as rail tracks and overhead power lines, the

condition of which can vary from section to section.

Overhead power lines on railways typically sag over

time, and as a result, the train simply won’t attach. If this

situation is allowed to occur, it will not only cause major

problems in terms of train punctuality, but the line is

difficult to inspect and would cause immense disruption.

Through viewing the overhead lines as a linear asset,

which is monitored not as a finite entity but as a series of

segments, sagging can be tracked and addressed before it

become a costly problem.

Train companies have numerous types of vehicle within

their organisations which have different engines and parts,

and are subject to varying maintenance regimes and

individual warranties. Highly detailed information is required

on the entire fleet in order to make accurate predictions on

engine wear and tear, fuel consumption and punctuality,

all of which impact the cost and reliability of a service.

However without a means of tracking this diverse data,

cost savings and reliability cannot be optimised.

A micro-vertical approach The nuances of the rail industry, combined with the need

for large scale efficiencies and service improvements,

require highly sophisticated, industry-specific EAM

capabilities.

Such applications must be able to monitor a diverse

range of assets, including point, linear, vertical, networked

and componentised, in a live environment. These asset

types have varying properties as the follow illustrates.

Linear

The ability to monitor linear assets in transportation is

crucial as railway tracks, overhead power lines, bridges,

tunnels and roads are technically classed as one asset,

however their condition varies from section to section

adding complexity to the process.

Point

The most straightforward type of asset, this refers to a

single, discrete asset such as a shelter or bench.

Networked

Networked assets rely on each other in order to provide a

service. Signalling equipment and information screens are

good examples.

Vertical

This might be signage or signalling at a particular station

Excess baggage


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

KEVIN PRICE looks at how rail

organisations across the world

can tap into more than £40 trillion

worth of savings using a new

breed of industry-

specialised EAM system


Asset Managementzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzwhich runs off the rail organisation’s core infrastructure.

Componentised

Component-based assets might be anything from an

escalator to an underground train – an asset which is

composed of multiple parts.

One of the problems for rail organisations is that, in the

past, they have been forced to use multiple solutions to

manage their assets as EAM providers typically have niche

capabilities which support a specific area or type of asset.

This inevitably presents complexities in terms of integration

and maintenance, and quite often leaves gaps which must

then be addressed through manual processes.

However a new breed of applications not only provide

both the breadth and depth to support every type of

asset used in rail, but they feed live data into a central

system which, using social, analytical, mobile and cloud

capabilities, can present the information in a format which

is tailored specifically to the preferences of the user.

Crucially, these are ‘off-the-shelf’ applications designed

specifically for the transit industry that require no costly

customisation.

These new capabilities are being enhanced further

through a number of other areas which are gaining

momentum in the transport industry. Technological

standards are evolving and helping to facilitate a shift from

analogue to digital monitoring equipment, improving the

speed and reliability of data capture.

And the adoption of asset management industry

standards and best practice such as ISO 50001

and PAS 55 is strong in this sector, driven in part by

the transparency demanded by regulators following

privatisation in the UK utilities and transport sectors.

Uptake of PAS 55 is common amongst transport

companies and in many cases they have led the charge

over their industrial counterparts. In conjunction with the

right software, standards such as ISO 50001,

ISO 55000 (when available), and PAS 55 provide

improved structure, stronger momentum and greater

coherency.

Adopting this kind of best practice combined with highly

specialised capabilities for rail organisations will set the

leaders from the laggards in this sector, and undoubtedly

generate a proportion of the USD 70 trillion savings

earmarked for the transport sector in the coming years. zz

Reference

Reference 1: www.iea.org/publications/

freepublications/publication/name,39940,en.html

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

The event incorporates: MetroRail – network management, operations

and global projects

Light Rail – planning, design and

implementation

RailTel – signalling, telecommunications and

automation

Rail Power – energy efficiency, storage and

recovery

Air Rail – integrating airports with urban

transport networks

Key speakers include: Terry Morgan, Chairman, Crossrail

Mike Brown, Managing Director, Transport

for London

Pierre Mongin, Chairman & CEO, RATP

Andy Byford, CEO, TTC (Toronto)

Peter Dijk, CEO, Amsterdam Metro

MetroRail co-located with Light Rail, RailTel, Rail Power and Air Rail

It’s all about urban transit

l As cities and passenger

numbers grow, urban

transport is becoming

increasingly connected.

Building on ten years of

MetroRail, the urban rail show

is designed to help you cover

every aspect of urban rail

in just two days. No matter

where your interest lies – light

rail, heavy rail or infrastructure

– we have content, networking

and new partners for you.

1-2nd April 2014 Business Design Centre, London

Ibrahim K. Kutubkhanah, CEO, Jeddah Metro

Andrew Bata, CSO, New York City Transit

Dan Grabauskas, CEO, HART (Honolulu)

Ramon Canas, CEO, Metro De Santiago

Didier Bense, Board Member, Société du Grand

Paris

Anne-Grethe Foss, Deputy Chief Executive,

Metroselskabet (Copenhagen)

Aurelio Rojo Garrido, Secretary General, Alamys

Duncan Cross, Deputy Director Operations,

London Overground & Crossrail

Peter Cushing, Metrolink Director, Transport for

Greater Manchester

Geoff Inskip, CEO, Centro (Birmingham)

David Potter, Chief Engineer, Eko Rail (Lagos)

For more details, please download the event

brochure here:

http://www.terrapinn.com/RS-brochure

T he process of purchasing and

managing tools, maintenance,

repair & overhaul (MRO) and health &

safety products for manufacturing and

process facilities can be a complicated one,

requiring hundreds or even thousands of stock-

keeping units (SKUs) to be available whenever

and wherever they are needed on-site.

This means that significant amounts of cash can be

tied up in slow-moving products, while there may be little

thought given to whether these products are delivering

optimal performance and value, with the same product

simply reordered whenever stocks run low.

In a bid to simplify the process and reduce working

capital, many companies have in recent years been

taking a long, hard look at the process to see how it can

be improved.

One of the areas where the greatest impact is

consistently achieved is in ‘standardisation’ – minimising

as far as possible the number of different brands and

models of product used for the same task, while ensuring

there is no compromise on performance, quality or safety.

Typically undertaken as part of an overall improvement

initiative, standardisation can rapidly deliver a measurable

commercial return.

How it works – a simple example

In one facility handling sensitive metals, glass is

banned completely in one area of the factory because

of its propensity to contaminate the products being

manufactured. Because of the nature of the tasks being

performed in this section, the risk of cuts to the hands

had been assessed as the highest possible, meaning all

operatives working there were required to wear safety

gloves with the maximum Level 5 protection. After

some searching, a glass-free glove offering the required

protection was sourced, but this did not negate the

contamination issue. Operatives working in other, less

sensitive areas of the factory were still wearing around

a dozen other types of gloves, many of them containing

glass, but on occasion still had to enter the glass-free

area, with the potential that they may forget to remove or

change their gloves when they did so. And as many of

the different glove types looked very similar, there was a

real risk that an operative could inadvertently choose the

wrong type.

The answer lay in standardising the gloves in use in the

factory. An internal study revealed that the Level 5 glass-

free gloves could be used throughout the factory without

any impact on productivity while negating any risk of

glass contamination. The estimated annual cost saving

– based on zero waste due to glass contamination,

reduced downtime, and fewer SKUs needing to be

ordered and processed, exceeded £100,000.

The role of standardisation in optimising productivity and efficiency

It is not only in the area of safety where standardisation

can play a role. Production consumables can be

standardised for both operational and commercial gain,

too. In the area of abrasive discs and belts, for example,

it is not uncommon for companies to source and stock

multiple grades of product to cope with all stages of the

process from weld and burr removal to finer cosmetic

finishing. Yet innovation in recent years has created

abrasive products that not only reduce the number of

process stages required (and therefore the number of

different belts or discs needed) but last longer too.

While the initial purchase price of these new items

may exceed that of the existing products, the true

value they can offer will only be appreciated through a

study of whole-life costs and, of course, trials under real

operating conditions. Considered in these calculations

must be factors such as a comparison of processing

time, changeover time, and reject rates. Standardisation

in this area will only work if the operatives using the new

Raising the standard


KEVIN LACEY considers the role of maintenance, repair and overhaul product

standardisation in operational and commercial success

Kevin Lacey is marketing & growth director at

Buck & Hickman

Web: www.buckandhickmanuk.com

Depots & Maintenance zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


consumables buy into the process and are fully trained in

getting the best out of them. Incorrect product choice by

the operative, poor technique, and disposal of consumable

products which may still have useful life in them – simply

because they have always been changed at those intervals

– will all conspire to ensure that any potential cost savings

identified at the outset are not fully realised. Hand in hand

with the standardisation of products, therefore, must go

a process to standardise procedures to ensure maximum

value is extracted from the change.

A model for success

How can the benefits of standardisation be delivered, in

pressured production environments where the interests

and motivators of different stakeholders in the process –

financial directors, quality managers, purchasing teams,

production managers, health & safety specifiers, and

production operatives – may vary radically?

The initial opportunity for standardisation can be

identified internally or externally by a consultant or supplier.

An initial feasibility study should set targets for the project

which are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable,

Relevant and Time-bound objectives. Once these are

agreed, with a documented projection of financial benefits,

buy-in should be sought from key stakeholders such as

the head of production and financial decision-makers,

before the procurement team are involved. The next stage

is the establishment of an ‘integrated product team’ (IPT)

who will agree timescales and location for the trial. The

trial then takes place, with the IPT evaluating the results

and then preparing a final evaluation against the original

objectives and proposal for sign-off by all stakeholders.

The full project is then implemented, with training and

induction for those individuals involved in the changeover,

measured and continuously monitored against the

objectives set.

While SKU numbers will almost inevitably fall, with a

positive impact on cash flow, standardisation should not

be considered solely as a means of reducing the costs of

MRO purchases. In some instances initial purchase costs

may increase as the value and compensation they offer

will appear elsewhere on the balance sheet. Best value

will be extracted through taking a holistic view with a

scientific approach to assessing the return on investment

at every stage of each project.

Planned and managed effectively, in conjunction with a

partner who can provide independent advice alongside

a broad product range and ongoing technical support, a

product standardisation programme has the potential to

deliver significant operational and commercial benefits. zz

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

http://www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

http://www.railimages.co.uk

At the outset of this complex project, Rail

Waiting Structures (RWS) was commissioned

to undertake only the design and specification

project. However, following customer approvals,

RWS was awarded the demolition, manufacture and

build contract, as the result of a tender process.

Diverse material usage

The scheme incorporates a 7m-wide walkway featuring

stainless steel and structurally glazed walls, covered

with an aluminium curtain-wall construction glazed

roof, which also incorporated LED lighting. Three retail

spaces were created using a structural steel frame and

Kingspan cladding and roof system.

Managing complexity

State-of-the-art 3D Computer Aided Design tools

enabled the creation of early visualizations of the

scheme to aid the approval process, as well as resolving

the complex component manufacture and construction.

The site was complex, incorporating challenging

slopes, curves and services. Access was also very

limited requiring careful logistics planning. The station

was in use to the public throughout the construction

programme. Rigorous site management ensured

maximum passenger safety, while causing minimum

disruption. The concourse was officially opened in

October 2013

Customer satisfaction

This is the best measure of success for any project and

this handsome construction was no exception. zz

Three Bridges station concourse & retail facilities


Rail Waiting Structures was awarded the contract to totally replace an existing dilapidated concourse with a high-quality, well-designed,

functional and efficient building

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

For further information, please contact:

Rail Waiting Structures (A member of the BSW

Group of Companies)

Tel: 01446 795 444Email: [email protected]

Web: www.shelters.co.uk

Project overviewContract scope:l Specify l Design l Manufacture & supply l Demolish l BuildClient: Southern RailDuration: 30 weeks

Stations zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Projects are being driven by a need to think

about long-term capabilities and flexibility

for future change. This means the design

and integration of the fit-out needs to be

durable, maintainable and flexible. These elements

are addressed from design stage; being involved at

the earliest stage enables a manufacturer to ensure

performance whilst taking responsibility for delivery.

While balancing aesthetics with the performance

qualities of materials is key, budgets and limited working

hours in stations need to be factored in. Therefore

prefabrication of solutions is an important consideration.

The fit-out of any transport hub is a challenge.

Considerations include design, material choice and

durability, while the risk of issues on site during

installation and programme slippage has huge

repercussions for ensuring projects are delivered on

time and to budget.

To significantly reduce the risk for project teams

some manufacturers are choosing the design, supply

and install route to market. Transport hubs need to be

designed and fitted out to tight programmes and value

is generated by having one entity take ownership for

the entire process.

Working in live stations poses many complications

including limited working hours in a fully operational

environment. Prefabricating products and systems

under factory-controlled conditions allows better

quality-control. Compliance to tolerances and other

performance criteria can also be achieved as well as

a reduction in lead-times. Importantly site health and

safety is improved; usually fewer operatives are

required on site. Prefabrication of products and services

also helps reduce site waste and limit the

environmental impact.

Ensuring quality & value for station fit-outs


Stationszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zz

In a station environment the demand for innovative and

interesting interiors must be balanced with the use of

high performance products. The durability of a material

and ease of maintenance is essential to ensure they stay

this way.

Ease of access for maintenance and cleaning are

crucial for longevity, security and safety and place special

demands on material choice of interior fit-out solutions.

Metal solutions provide a durable surface that is easy

to clean and will allow ease of access for essential

ongoing maintenance, without damage. They also

provide for impact resistance in external or semi-external

spaces such as public concourses.

The ability to design in options from the outset for

effective ongoing maintenance and ease of access,

along with consideration for increasing number of

passengers, provides for time and resource savings in

the long term.

With off-site assembly and prefabrication

manufacturers, should have the ability to offer fixed

production and delivery lead-times ultimately providing

programme benefits.

The complexity of carrying out construction and

renovation work for such projects underlines the

importance of partnering with manufacturing installers to

enable this. Design expertise, flexibility and an innovative

approach are critical in this relationship.

On many of today’s major projects clients and main

contractors want to guarantee design, to deliver project

value, limit risk and have the comfort and benefits of

all-encompassing warranties. Working directly with the

manufacturer installer provides a single point of contact

from start to finish and pre-fabricating products and

systems ensures better quality control, reduction of lead

times and safer working. zz

ANDREW JACKSON discusses some

of the factors to be considered

when upgrading railway stations

Andrew Jackson is a director, SAS International

Web: www.sasintgroup.com

Waterloo station new balconyLiverpool Central station

SAS

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iona

l

SAS

Inte

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iona

l


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzFIRST GROUP

Nearly a year and two independent reviews

later, short-term contract extensions have

been implemented and promises to improve

the Government’s overall franchising policy

made. In March 2013 Transport Secretary Patrick

McLoughlin unveiled long-term plans designed to

drive improvements to rail services, deliver on major

infrastructure projects, and put passengers at the heart

of a revitalised rail franchising system.

Dealing with this period of uncertainty is undoubtedly

an ongoing challenge, but as Vernon Barker, the

managing director of FirstGroup’s UK Rail Division was

keen to highlight, the most important thing has been to

continue with ‘business as usual’ for passengers. “At

Keep moving

As the UK’s largest and most experienced rail operator, FirstGroup is looking forward to the upcoming franchise

competitions and submitting further high quality bids that deliver value for

passengers, taxpayers and shareholders

FirstGroup we made sure that we remained focused on

the day job – we still have to deliver for our customers

and run the train services we have in existing franchises.

We couldn’t afford for any interruption of the franchising

programme to interfere with what we do on a daily basis

for customers,” he began. “So we made sure that we

maintained our standards and also continued with any

planned improvements as usual across all our franchises,

and that included First Great Western and First Capital

Connect, which were two of the refranchising businesses

at the time. We ensured that we focused on delivering

and improving on our current levels of service.”

He continued with some details about how the Great

Western franchise specifically has been affected: “First


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzprogrammes that are already underway, such as the

Reading station remodelling. This two-year single-

tender direct award will help to maintain stability for

customers while going through a front-end period of

transformation.”

Vernon added: “I think there is a lot of really positive

change coming for the Great Western franchise and

customers, and we are working to remain there and see

the delivery through. My colleagues on Great Western

have been through some tough challenges, primarily

the infrastructure projects, up to this point so it would

be very nice to be there delivering on some of the very

positive stuff.”

The other FirstGroup franchise that is hoping to

receive a short direct order is First Capital Connect

and negotiations with the DfT are progressing well.

Furthermore, as recently as 1st November, FirstGroup

announced it had been shortlisted for the ScotRail

franchise competition by the Scottish Government. The

Group currently operates the franchise which provides

passenger train services throughout Scotland. The new

ten-year contract, with a potential break point after five

years, will be awarded next year and is expected to start

in April 2015.

Vernon was delighted to have been shortlisted for

the ScotRail franchise competition, and he is also

pleased to see that the Government has set a detailed

transparent timetable for the receipt of bids on the

two recently issued invitations to tender (ITT) for the

Essex Thameside and Thameslink, Southern and Great

Northern (TSGN) rail franchises. “It is encouraging that

these two franchises, which were paused this time

last year, will be let and that bids have to be in before

Christmas,” he said. “I think that is really important and

I would encourage the DfT to stick to that strategy as

there is quite a bit of work to be done over the next few

years and these deadlines are essential, especially given

all the work yet to complete on the Thameslink upgrade

and the receipt of new trains.”

Following the intense scrutiny that the franchising

process has seen over the past 11 months, Vernon was

glad to see that the conclusions drawn endorsed the

Government’s overall franchising policy, and highlighted

that the privatisation of the railways has been of crucial

importance in creating what is today – an industry with

record levels of investment, a doubling of traffic (from

750 million journeys a year to 1.5 billion) and the best

recent safety record in Europe.

“I echo many of the comments that have been made

across the summer since the production of the industry’s

Growth and Prosperity report, which does show that

while it is has had challenges, the franchising model has

actually delivered the greatest growth the industry has

seen in living memory,” he added.

He went on with more specifics about FirstGroup’s

franchises: “I think that FirstGroup has been instrumental

in delivering a good number of new train fleets into our

Great Western and First Capital Connect were still very

much at the front end of the refranchising programme,”

he said. “With First Great Western we entered into

negotiation with the Department for Transport and were

awarded a 23 month deal in October, which means First

Greater Western Ltd will operate trains between London

Paddington, the Cotswolds, south Wales and the south

west until September 2015.

“This direct award was really encouraging for us,

and was very much the right thing to do for passenger

services. The Great Western franchise area is going

to see some significant change over the coming years

while it receives the benefit of massive investment in

electrification, new rolling stock and the infrastructure

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


franchises. In fact, since we have been operating our

successive businesses as franchises we have introduced

a new fleet of trains on every one of them in order to

cope with increasing passenger demands. Overall, I think

privatisation has been a success story.”

An essential part of FirstGroup’s successful franchising

operations has been its strong relationship with Network

Rail. Vernon noted that this has been essential to the

delivery of a variety of projects, including one north of

the border in Scotland. “The alliance we formed with

Network Rail and ScotRail was pivotal in delivering the

Paisley Canal Electrification, which otherwise would not

have gone ahead based on the initial cost estimates,”

he explained. “By adopting a more proactive alliance

approach, the operator and Network Rail managed

to get the costs significantly reduced. In addition the

alliance’s strategy for possessions worked for both

parties, as it gave Network Rail better access and got

the job done in a shorter period of time.”

Indeed, such was the success of the Paisley Canal

Electrification project that ScotRail and its partner,

Network Rail, scooped top prize in the ‘Transport

Team / Partnership of the Year’ category at the National

Transport Awards in October 2013.

“The solutions they created were very, very clever,

and it is a great example of how working together

on a project means it can be completed at less cost,

implemented on time and as a result delivered benefits

for transport across Scotland,” noted Vernon.

Back in England, Network Rail’s work with the

operator on the redevelopment of Reading station has

been crucial in the project’s evolution, as has First Capital

Connect’s work with Network Rail on the Blackfriars

scheme in 2012 and the London Bridge works due

in 2015.

Added Vernon: “I must also highlight First

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzFIRST GROUP

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

http://www.unipartrail.com


TransPennine Express’s work with Network Rail on the

electrification of the Chat Moss route and the wider

Northern Hub developments. Our electric trains are

being delivered over the next few months and these will

allow First TransPennine Express to transform its offering

from Manchester airport and add extra capacity and a

strengthened timetable on other diesel routes when we

cascade the diesel trains from the northwest to cross-

Pennine services.

“The Northern Hub is a programme of a number

of different projects that include some spectacular

engineering feats, such as putting extra platforms

in at Manchester Piccadilly. In fact, through a strong

relationship with Network Rail we have been quietly

delivering a raft of significant improvements around the

UK, including some in the core of London.”

Since first getting involved in the UK rail industry,

FirstGroup has introduced 740 additional vehicles and

invested over £650 million into its franchises. As a result

of its hard work and dedication, the four franchises have

received more than 250 awards since 2005, including

First TransPennine Express being crowned the 2012

Rail Business Awards Train Operator of the Year and

First ScotRail currently holds the title of Scottish Public

Transport Operator of the Year. Vernon concluded with

his views in why FirstGroup is good at what it does:

“I am always impressed with the people I meet in our

organisation, across all the franchises,” he said. “We

have got a strong and committed management team

and I think throughout the business we have staff that

really have the interests of the customer at heart.

“I do genuinely believe that our people come to

work to deliver good service to our customers and

they consistently try their hardest to deliver. Overall, we

remain focused on getting things right first time and

running an on-time railway, and after all – that is what

our customers are looking for.” zz


www.firstgroup.com/uktrain

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

http://www.wabtecgroup.com

our design team, our supply chain partners

and our clients to deliver successful

projects.”

The company will achieve a turnover

of £300 million on rail sector projects

during 2013, which is an increase from

£170 million in 2011. Taylor Woodrow

currently has one of the most exciting

and challenging portfolios within the rail

sector and is undertaking major projects

including the upgrades of Tottenham

Court Road and Victoria station for LUL,

works at Connaught Tunnel, Victoria Dock

Portal, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel

for Crossrail and projects for Network Rail

at Nottingham Hub and the Crossrail West


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzTAYLOR WOODROW

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

Realising potential

NET Phase 2; bridge over A52 at Queen’s Medical Centre

T aylor Woodrow has delivered a

number of high profile projects

during its history including the

Jubilee line station at London

Bridge, the development of new ticket halls

at King’s Cross Underground Station, the

DLR Three Car Capacity Enhancement

project and the new Western Concourse at

King’s Cross Mainline station. “We target

complex, challenging schemes that look

for strong planning and engineering skills,

innovative ideas and confident, resilient

people,” says Fred Garner, Sector Director

for Transport Projects. “Taylor Woodrow

has always been known for teamwork and

we like nothing better than working with

Tottenham Court Road


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

been a great place to be; infrastructure

and rail transport in particular are high

on the political and public agenda. There

is a realisation that to maintain both our

quality of life and our economic success

there is a need for investment in the UK

national and local rail networks. One of

the most interesting developments is

that as a nation we are reversing many

of the decisions that we made during the

1960s and 1970s, when rail was seen as

outdated compared to the attraction of

the motorcar. The pendulum has swung

and we need to grab the opportunity now

to create the integrated rail transport

networks for the next 100 years.”

With the nation’s requirement for

dynamic rail solutions and the company’s

reputation for undertaking complex

projects, Taylor Woodrow has had no

shortage of demand for its targeted

engineering solutions. The challenge, as

Fred observes has been to ensure that

Taylor Woodrow is placed to meet its

customer’s needs and retain the best

engineering staff: “Our biggest challenge

in the last two years has been managing

our growth and principally ensuring that

the project teams are fully resourced

with the right people with the right skills

and behaviors. We have done this in two

ways: Firstly, our DLR 3 Car and King’s

Cross projects created an opportunity

to develop some very talented engineers

Stations. In addition to these projects,

Taylor Woodrow is also undertaking the

expansion of Nottingham’s tram network,

known as the NET Phase Two and the

upgrade of Ealing Common and Upminster

depots for the new S7 stock.

Commenting on the company’s busy

workload Fred elaborates: “My view of

the industry in the last year is that it has

Nottingham Express Tramway

http://www.emico.co

http://www.galldris.co.uk


and project managers, many of whom are

now prominent in the business, or in fact

leading our current projects. Secondly, we

have recruited some excellent people who

are excited at the prospect of working on

challenging, high profile projects and see

the potential in our business.”

The company has also taken steps

to address what it sees as a noticeable

skills gap within the railways sector as

Fred further explains: “This year we are

recruiting increased numbers of civil

engineering graduates than in previous

years, as well as continuing to sponsor

undergraduates, where we are using

QUEST scholarships to identify the best

and brightest candidates. In recent years

we have also offered work placements to

second year foundation degree students

and subsequently recruited them as

technician engineers into the business,

sponsoring them to move on to their

BSc part time whilst working for us.

Unfortunately, significant increases in

tuition fees have caused us to review this

policy this year but I hope we will be able

to resume again next year.

“We also recently held our first

Inspiration Lecture at the ICE, where our

guest speakers offered their thoughts

on how the civil engineering profession

can inspire young minds. The evening

was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience,

which was a mix of sixth form students,

undergraduates, TW graduates and

industry colleagues of all ages.”

At present, the company is busy in

Nottingham, where the NET Phase Two

extension is at the peak of construction.

During the past 12 months the project

has seen the installation of three major

new bridges, including Nottingham’s

Station Bridge, which was featured on

the BBC’s One Show. The tramway

project is expected to be completed and

operational by the end of 2014. As it

moves into the future, Taylor Woodrow

already has major projects lined up and is

currently mobilising a team for its Crossrail

West Stations project. The £100 million

project was awarded to the company

by Network Rail in October 2013 and

will allow it to combine the experience

it has gained through its King’s Cross,

DLR and Crossrail projects. It is with no

small excitement that Taylor Woodrow

approaches this latest project and the

company is keen to show what it can

do as Fred concludes: “This project will

enable us to show how efficiently we

can deliver upgrades to 13 stations in

a very challenging environment on the

western approaches from Maidenhead to

Paddington.”zz

Web: www.taylorwoodrow.com

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz TAYLOR WOODROW

Nottingham Express Tramway

Whitechapel Cambridge Heath Shaft

Whitechapel - Durward Street Shaft Whitechapel - HCDL Worksite

on the railway sector throughout the early 1990s. After

the end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia at the end

of 1989 and the dissolution of the country into the two

individual states of the Czech Republic and the Slovak

Republic (Slovakia) in 1992, major reforms to how the

rail industry was operated throughout Slovakia brought

a significant shift in the market. Therefore, ZOS Zvolen

adapted its services to best serve the new state’s rail

needs as sales director, Vladimír Kaeuk explains: “Up

until the beginning of the 1990s the main focus of the

company was maintenance, mainly on locomotives and

we were entirely focused on the market in Slovakia. At

that time the state railway company ran the network

and we provided services for all of the locomotives in

the country. Then the beginning of the transformation

process started and a lot of changes came to the market

and therefore a lot of challenges for the market players.

At that time we decided that the maintenance business

would not be large enough to support the company

and would not provide enough of a base to develop the

company in the future.

“We then began refurbishment and development

services,” Vladimir continues. “Many of the operated

locomotives were produced 30 to 40 years ago and the

rail companies did not have enough finance to purchase

brand new machines, so there was a compromise of

modernization of the locomotives. In our region, ZOS

Zvolen was able to totally rebuild locomotives. This

means that the newly refurbished locomotive retains the

original frame, but all of the other fittings and devices are

totally new.”

Today, ZOS Zvolen is focused on three main areas

that form the basis of its wider market strategy. The

company retains its traditional market in maintenance,

which remains steady within the domestic market and

continues to manage a series of modernization projects

The company’s history begins in 1872 at the

beginning of Slovakia’s rail industry, where it

undertook the construction of the country’s first

locomotive powered railway lines and depots.

During this time it operated as part of The Rail Company

of the Slovak Republic, however during 1994 ZOS Zvolen

reached one of its most important milestones when it

split from Slovakia’s state rail company to become a joint-

stock venture. The repair manufactory Zvolen owned the

company until 2008 when Zvolen became part of the

ZOS Trnava Group, which is when the ZOS Zvolen brand

was born.

The development of ZOS Zvolen is closely linked to

the shifting political situation in the region and its impact


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

AMS100 mobile welding machine

A local partnerŽeleznicné opravovne a strojárne Zvolen a.s.,

(ZOS Zvolen) has long history dating back 140 years and is today one of the Slovakia’s most significant

rail company focused on the maintenance and modernisation of locomotives and railcars.

ZOS ZvOlen


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzfor rail networks internationally. The company has two

distinct divisions that offer targeted solutions based

on the customer’s needs. LOKO focuses on repair

and maintenance operations, while the MP (machinery

production) division takes on production, welding and

renovations. These divisions supply detailed services

including the replacement of engines, regular V25-

regulated vehicle examinations, welded structures

for railway vehicles and the supply of components to

domestic and foreign customers in the field of production

and repair of railway vehicles. The company’s third

branch is focused on the supply of components to

the main operators throughout the railways industry,

including ALSTOM, STADLER, Bombardier and ŠKODA

Transportation.

Domestically, ZOS Zvolen is connected to the most

dominant partners within Slovakia’s rail industry: ZSSK

Cargo and ZSSK Slovakia. This local business remains

a vital component within the company’s overall portfolio

and provides the base from which it is able to expand

into further markets within the EU and Asia. It maintains

close relations to operators within nations close to

Slovakia including the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary,

Ukraine and Austria as well as former Balkan states

including Serbia. Currently it is engaged in a major

contract in the Ukraine where it will soon service up to

300 locomotives over the next five to six years and is in

negotiation for a further large contract in Russia.

The company is also active within Asian markets,

which yield the potential for greater market presence

in the future, as Vladimir elaborates: “We are beginning

to enter wider markets throughout the world including

Asia, which is a different market for us and can be

challenging taking into account different engineering

practices and language barriers. However, we have had

some interesting work for clients in Asia in countries like

Pakistan and India. These have been successful but we

are still making a decision over whether we will fully enter

the region.”

Commenting on the company’s possible future

strategy in Asia Vladimir continues: “I think the most

acceptable business model will be to co-operate with

local companies, with which we can provide technical

engineering, design and technical support, training of

staff and the main elements for the refurbishment &

modernization of their locomotives. This could be very

successful and is a model that has been proven in

Eastern Europe. This gives us an advantage because

very often, local customers do not like all-in-one solutions

because they like some level of localization. This is

something we can do that larger players cannot. We are

able to understand the customer’s requirements and

build them into the customer’s project.”

The financial crisis has put a strain on rail operators

and in turn weakened the maintenance market, but

ZOS Zvolen is a dynamic company ready to meet the

challenge as Vladimir concludes: “The financial crisis

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

has caused the value of transport services and the

maintenance market to decrease year-on-year. On the

other hand, the modernization market continues to grow

and our third field of manufacturing new components in

co-operation with other operators is also growing, so we

are very optimistic.” zz

http://www.knorr-bremse.at

bidding for the Crossrail, Essex Thameside, ScotRail and

Thameslink operating contracts. In Sweden, strategically

aiming to deliver a new, fast, premium-quality service to

its Swedish intercity passengers, MTR Nordic announced

it will be launching the MTR Express, a new express train

that will connect Sweden’s two largest cities.

“Running 110 weekly departures between Stockholm,

located on the east coast, and Gothenburg in the west,

we aim to attract existing rail passengers as well as

other business and leisure travelers to choose rail over

other modes of transport with our three hour ten minute

service,” said Peter Viinapuu, chief executive officer of

MTR Nordic.

Calling at Flemingsberg, Sodertalje, Hallsberg,

Herrljunga and Falkoping, MTR Express service was

officially awarded nine Stockholm to Gothenburg train

paths each way on weekdays and five train paths on

weekends in September 2013; the majority of services are

anticipated to start late 2014.

Reaching top speeds of 200 kilometres per hour, MTR

will invest 78 million euros to acquire six state-of-the-art

train sets to operate on the route. Capable of dealing

with the most harsh Nordic weather conditions, the five-

car, aluminium bodied EMU trains will be designed and

constructed in Switzerland by Stadler to provide high

quality travel for customers. Due for delivery in autumn

2014, the new train sets will be tested and commissioned

before the launch of the MTR Express service.

Focused on customer satisfaction, the company’s

guiding principles are security, punctuality, cleanliness

W ith the overall responsibility for the running,

planning and maintenance of the Stockholm

underground system since 2009, for a time

period of 13 years thereafter, MTR Nordic

operates under a 300 million euro annual contract. This

involves ambitious goals to continuously improve and

develop the underground network for the 1.2 million

passengers that use the metro every day.

Since taking over the contract four years ago, MTR

has seen exceptional improvements, with punctuality now

at its highest ever levels in the metro’s 60 year history.

Managing traffic, ticketing, cleaning systems and traffic

information, while consistently striving for customers to

have the best possible journey, MTR Nordic views the

underground as an imperative part of the daily running of

Stockholm and is determined to keep journeys flowing

efficiently.

By a joint venture with Norway’s leading train

maintenance firm, Mantena, MTR Nordic handles the

maintenance sector of the organisation. Operating

24 hours a day, seven days a week, the maintenance

organisation manages, develops and maintains the

complete fleet of vehicles and workshop equipment used

and owned by the public transportation organisation,

Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL), to ensure all travelers a

safe, punctual and enjoyable journey.

MTR Nordic, being a subsidiary of the London

based MTR Europe, is part of MTR Europe’s wider

growth strategy. In the UK, MTR already joint-owns and

successfully operates the London Overground, and is


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Bold developmentsWith 3000 employees and ambitious goals for ongoing improvements,

MTR Nordic is working to create a world-class underground system

MTR NoRdic


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzand customer service. To succeed in delivering these

core values, the internal environment at MTR is

open and transparent, with close dialogue between

all staff levels encouraged. With more than one

million journeys made daily, MTR Nordic is aware

that constant improvements are vital to the ongoing

success of the company and is keen for management

to hold regular, informal meetings with staff to

encourage conversations and ideas that will enhance

the company’s day-to-day operations. Furthermore, it

has developed a process-based system, which takes

staff suggestions into consideration and enables

the firm to provide an increasingly enhanced travel

experience.

The internal work with coaching leadership has

made a significant footprint in employee satisfaction.

The latest employee survey conducted in November

2013 marked an all-time-high score on Employee

Satisfaction Index, namely 81 per cent.

One way customer satisfaction will be improved

is with the 19 kilometre expansion of the Stockholm

metro. Following an agreement between the

Government, Stockholm County Council, City of

Stockholm, Solna Town Council and the municipalities

of Jarfalla and Nacka, the expansion of the city’s

metro network will involve 19 kilometres of new metro

lines and nine new stations to be completed by 2025.

With 78,000 new homes, the four planned projects

within the expansion plan will help to meet the sharp

rise in demand for housing in Stockholm.

Included in the plan is a project to build a new

metro line from Odenplan to Hagastaden, which is

due to open in 2020, a southern extension of the

Blue Line from Kungstradgarden to Sofia and an

interchange at Gullmarsplan; an extension of the

Blue Line Akalla branch to Barkaby station, due for

completion in 2021 and a five-station extension of the

Blue Line east from Kungstradgarden to Hammarby

Canal, Sickla, Saltsjo-Jarla and Nacka Forum, which

is scheduled for completion in 2025.

“Hosting world-leading expertise and strong

financial backing, MTR Nordic aims to develop our

presence in the Nordic countries with rail activities

and superior services that will complement the needs

of many different categories of passengers. We also

look forward to be an integrated business partner in

the development of the metro system in Stockholm,”

said Peter Viinapuu.

With construction due to begin on the four

projects in 2016, the expansion will be ready for the

anticipated increase in Stockholm’s population from

2.1 million to 2.6 million by 2030. Meanwhile, over

the coming few years, the company will continue

to enjoy positive growth in passenger volume on

the Stockholm underground as the city’s bustling

population is annually increasing by double its

predicted rate. zz

http://www.nybergs.se

Hanley caused an amalgamation of the two businesses

to form Allied Insulators Ltd in 1972. Between 1985

and 2010 Allied Insulators continued to operate through

various owners and acquisitions that saw it become

part of the Fairey Group in 1997 and the Wade Allied

Group in 1999. During 2011 a management buyout of

Allied Insulators from the Wade Allied Group restored the

company back to its true original form.

The company’s long history can be still found in

transmission, distribution and rail electrification today.

Notably all of the original UK rail infrastructure both

overhead and underground was built with insulators

manufactured by Allied Insulators and its former

associates, including the famous Doulton insulators

so the company remains very proud to have that

entire heritage to look back on. Whilst renowned for

this porcelain legacy and capability the company is

now well diversified into more modern insulators and

T he company’s journey began during the

19th century in 1842 when Captain J Buller and

J Devett purchased the Folly Pottery situated in

Bovey Tracy, Devon and founded the Bovey Tracy

Pottery Company. The company then became one of the

first manufacturers to explore the possibilities presented

by the emerging market generated by communications

and electrical power. Owing to the cost of transporting

coal (used to fire the porcelain) between Staffordshire and

Somerset the company transferred its operations to the

heart of the potteries industry and by 1862 operating as

W W Buller & Co, the business was trading out of Hanley,

Staffordshire.

The Allied Insulators brand first appeared in 1959

following an agreement between Bullers Ltd and Taylor

Tunnicliff to share technical and marketing experience.

The companies continued to trade under their own

names until the closure of Taylor Tunnicliff Eastwood,


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


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

within the UK and around the world

Allied insulAtors

History in the making...

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

A switchgear product manufactured for the UK electricity

distribution companies – an 11kV

Air Break Switch Disconnector


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

materials, deploying the most advanced technologies

and manufacturing methods. Today Allied Insulators

is a highly respected manufacturer in its own right; it

manufactures and supplies an extensive range of high

specification insulators in Porcelain, Silicon Rubber, or

advanced Thermoplastics, overhead line fittings and

disconnector products to meet the rigorous demands

of the electricity transmission, distribution and rail

industry. “We are the major supplier of all insulators to

the UK electricity industry and our aim is to re-develop

our rail sector business to a similar degree,” said

managing director Jonathan Knapper (Jon).

Allied has an extensive design department and a

portfolio of products to suit virtually any application.

The UK based manufacturing and distribution facility

combines an extensive manufacturing and assembly

facility, large storage and warehousing space plus

its own in-house laboratory where the company can

undertake the full range of mechanical testing along

with standard routine or batch testing. Additionally Allied

has a small HV laboratory and electromechanical facility

for undertaking electrical testing as necessary. High

technical standards and rigorous quality assurance and

control are key to this business and evidenced by its

many approvals, accreditations and esteemed customer

base. The diverse nature of the products and business

coupled with the short delivery demands also means

that there is a need to carry quite high stocks for a wide

range of products here in the UK - hence response

times are equally swift.

In addition to the UK rail sector Allied has a growing

overseas business and is seeing demand for export

- for example it recently completed a major third rail

electrification project for the Ankara metro in Turkey

though one of the main rail contractors.

Whilst maintaining the supply of somewhat bespoke

porcelain insulators for maintenance and refurbishments

some of the more recent successes with Network

Rail have been to develop insulators to solve known

problems or issues. “We recently had our latest Third

Rail Insulator approved, which introduced a very

Grenville Engineering (Stoke-on-Trent) LtdUnit 3 Newfield Industrial Estate, High Street Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 5PD

t 01782 577 929 | f 01782 575 672 e [email protected]

DesignLaser CuttingPunchingPressingWeldingAssemblyMachiningFinishingLogistics

High Voltage laboratory

A range of Porcelain Third Rail Insulators and Other Porcelain Insulators for Rolling Stock or OLE

http://grenville-engineering.co.uk/



advanced thermoplastic material that has distinct

advantages over the existing insulators. Furthermore our

25kV polymer insulator was developed to overcome a

known phenomena linked to potential premature insulator

failures. We are now hoping to springboard our standard

range of 25kV OLE Polymer insulators into Network Rail

from these projects and are very keen to understand

the opportunities to enable this. Our innovation and cost

leadership strategy is where we see great advantages for

Network Rail and its partners, especially during a period

of major investment where product quality and value will

be key for project success.”

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzAllied insulAtors

Early in 2012, Allied Insulators also re-joined the Rail

Alliance and hopes to be able to further develop its

relationship with other industry operators through its

membership. Commenting on the strengths that the

company is able to deliver to its clients Jon observes:

“Some of the secrets to our small successes lie in what

we ‘can do’ rather than what we were renowned for and

it is this that pushes the performance and technology

frontier for Allied Insulators today. We remain as one of

the only British insulator companies in this industry and

this is something we are very proud of.”

Moving into 2014 and beyond Allied Insulators

is keen to further develop and continue to achieve

sustainable growth. When Jon and his business partner

Oliver Scopes undertook their management buyout

in 2011 they did so with a five-year business plan.

Having achieved many of the plan’s aims in a short

time the company will now focus on new growth and

further integration with the UK rail industry. “Whilst we

carry this heritage we have had to re-invent ourselves,

we are not the major porcelain manufacturer we

were but we are a highly responsive, lean and diverse

business with ambition and agility to react in a vast and

challenging landscape.” Network Rail’s planned National

Electrification Programme for the next years represents

an import opportunity for the company and one it is well

placed to take advantage of. zz

www.alliedinsulators.com

A range of 132kV

Silicon Rubber Insulators used

in the UK

A range of traditional Porcelain OLE and

Substation Insulators

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


13 February 2014 – Gen Y RailNewcastle Upon TyneOrganisers: The National Skills AcademyTel: 0161 833 6320Web: www.nsare.org

12-14 March – Exporail South East Asia – Thailand 2014BangkokOrganisers: Mack Brooks ExhibitionsTel: +44 (0)1727 814 400Email: [email protected]: www.exporail-southeastasia.com/

1-2 April – MetroRail co-located with Light Rail, RailTel, Rail Power and Air RailLondonOrganisers: TerrapinnTel: +44 (0)20 7092 1000Email: [email protected]: www.terrapinn.com/RS-brochure

1-3 April – Intermodal Asia 2014ShanghaiOrganisers: Informa ExhibitionsTel: +44 (0)207 017 5112Email: [email protected]: www.intermodal-asia.com

Forthcoming Conferences and Exhibitions This listing represents a selection of the events about which we have been notified. It is strongly recommended that direct contact should be made with the individual

organiser responsible for each event before booking places or making travel and accommodation reservations. Cancellations and other last-minute alterations are liable to occur. The editor and publishers of RAILWAY STRATEGIES are not responsible for any loss or inconvenience suffered by readers in connection with this guide to events.

zzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Conferences & Exhibitions

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

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

28-29 May – GEO Business 2014LondonOrganisers: Diversified Business Communications UKTel: +44 (0)1453 836 363Web: www.geobusinessshow.com

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

17-19 March 2015 – Rail-Tech 2015UtrechtOrganisers: Europoint Conferences & ExhibitionsTel: +31 (0)30 698 1800Email: [email protected]: www.rail-tech.com

4th March 2014

Introduction to rolling stock

Key design principles affecting the

performance of railway systems

5th March

Traction & braking

Principles of traction and braking for railway

engineers

6th March

Vehicle dynamics and vehicle track

interaction

Understand the dynamics of railway vehicles

to improve safety, comfort and asset life

18th March

Train control and safety systems

Learn of the systems used on UK fleets that

provide safety and train operational contro

19th March

Train communication and auxiliary

systems

New and existing systems in use on

today’s rolling stock fleet

20th March

Fleet maintenance

Improve your processes and fleet

maintenance processes

1st April

Vehicle Acceptance and Approvals

Introduction to acceptance procedures which

apply across the rail network

2nd April

Optimising fleet maintenance efficiency

Understand the issues affecting rail vehicle

performance and cost of maintenance

3rd April

Train structural integrity

Structural integrity, fire and crashworthiness

systems found on today’s rail fleets

12 -16th May

Introduction to railway signalling

technology

An overview of railway control systems,

subsystems and technologies used on UK

main line and metro railways

A downloadable brochure is available at: www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/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 6907Email: [email protected]: 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

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