railway strategies issue 104 final edition

RAILWAYS T R A T E G I E Szzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Final Issue 104

Network Rail meets level crossing closure target

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

Bombardier wins Crossrail order

Simon Kirby moves to HS2

New Thameslink train unveiled

East Coast Franchise

shortlist revealed

Weather conditions bring

disruption

Crossrail reaches halfway point

Work begins on new

Metrolink line

Plans for new engineering

college announced

NEWS

Interview : Network Rail’s director of

rail freight Paul McMahon discusses how

See Page 4

FOCUS ON

l Geotechnical Engineering

l Infrastructure & Asset Management

RS Live! 2014 Preview page 6

Health and Safety Monitor is the newsletter of choice for professionals across all industries because it is:Clear, succinct and brief:With case summaries, indexes and bullet points so you can easily pick out what’s relevant to you

Practical, informative and comprehensive:Health and safety news reported and analysed, with full references supplied for your ease of use

Unbiased, trusted and critical:Gives you the facts

Health and Safety- If you don’t have the time

to read it all, read what you need

Request the latest issue free of charge

Subscriptions: £195 for 12 issues Contact: Maxine Quinton t: 01603 274280 e: mquinton@schof ieldpublishing.co.uk w: www.healthandsafetymonitor.com

http://www.healthandsafetymonitor.com

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk 1

ChairmanAndrew Schofield

Managing DirectorMike Tulloch

Editor Martin Collier

[email protected]

Managing EditorLibbie Hammond

Art EditorJon Mee

Advertisement DesignerJamie Elvin

Profile EditorLibbie Hammond

Advertisement SalesDave King

Head of Research

Philip Monument

Editorial ResearchersKeith Hope

Karl Riseborough Gavin Watson

Alex Merritt

AdministrationTracy Chynoweth

No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means

(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other) without prior written permission being obtained from the publisher.

While every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content, the publishers cannot be held responsible for

any errors or omissions. Views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher.

Published by

Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre,

Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich NR4 6AU

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01603 274 130Fax: 01603 274 131

I know we British love to talk about the weather but, as far as

the rail network is concerned, it has been a dominant theme

of late. Not for the usual reasons at this time of year, however

– no significant snow and ice (south of the border at least) to

cause problems, but wind and rain – and lots of it. Network Rail

has not only had a very busy period of planned maintenance and

renewals recently, but has had to devote significant resources

to dealing with the aftermath of the torrential rain and gale-force

winds. Embankments have had to be re-stabilised or completely

re-built; track ballast has had to be reinstated; flood water has

had to be pumped away; and services have had to be diverted or

cancelled – in some cases for a matter of weeks. Let’s hope there

is some respite soon and then the debate about the resilience of

our rail infrastructure to natural influences can take place.

Aside from the weather, we are pleased to announce that our

Railway Strategies Live! conference will once again take place

this year. As last year, the venue is the Royal Geographical Society

in London and a fascinating programme is being assembled –

further details appear within this issue.

So save the date: 15th May 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 104 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]).

Elemental forces

Netw

ork

Rail

20

FeaturesTime to invest in transport 18 Arnaud Dutt

Four predictions for the UK supply chain 37 Adrian Chamberlain

Profiles

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzContents

ATG Access 20

Neary Rail 26

Lowery 29

Oleo 33

Venice Simplon- Orient-Express 38

BEA Sensori 48

Bachy Soletanche 60

Stadtwerke Bonn 66

38

18

66RS Live! 2014 Preview 6

News

Focus on... Geotechnical

Engineering Ballast control to save on

maintenance & manpower 52 Mike Horton

Digging for success 54 Libbie Hammond

Focus on... Infrastructure & Asset

Management Key Assets 42

Rob Russell

Keeping on the right track 44John Langley-Davis

Condition monitoring and asset management using

network video cameras 46 David Thomasson

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzContentsIndustry News 4Infrarail 2014 23

Products & Services 24Finance 64

Contracts 65Integrated Transport 68

Stations 69Rolling Stock 70

Conferences & Exhibitions 72IMechE Training Courses 72

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

54

16

10

8

The majority of crossings closed are, like Cardells

crossing in St Neots, footpath or user-worked

crossings (on private land and largely used by

land-owners, farmers, delivery and utility vehicles

but run across main line railway).

Since 2010, Network Rail has invested £131 million in a

national level crossings improvement programme, which

by the end of March will have resulted in:

l 38 footbridges to replace crossings

l 57 new spoken warnings installed to announce

“another train is coming” when one train has already

passed through

l Obstacle detection radar technology installed at

13 sites

l New barrier technology installed at 33 sites which

previously had open crossings

l New warning lights installed at 16 crossings

l 250 power operated gate openers installed to prevent

vehicle owners crossing the tracks on foot unnecessarily

or gates being left open

l ‘Wavetrain’ sound vibration technology trialled at

Whitehouse Priory View crossing in Norfolk

l GPS technology installed on the Marks Tey – Sudbury

line allowing signallers to pinpoint a train’s location and

provide better safety information to those requesting

Network Rail reaches target of closing 750 level crossings

4 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

The closure of a level crossing on the East Coast Main Line in Cambridgeshire means Network Rail has now reached its target, set in 2010, of closing ten per cent of Britain’s crossings – 750 in total – by April 2014, contributing to a reduction in the

overall risk level crossings pose to the network by 25 per cent

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry

New half-barrier system installed at Balnacra in Scotland – a previously open level crossing

on the line to Kyle of Lochalsh

Cardells level crossing on the East Coast Main Line in Cambridgeshire, which has now been closed.


permission to cross

l 21 crossings fitted with red light safety cameras to

dissuade motorists from jumping the lights

l 13 mobile safety camera enforcement vans operated by

British Transport Police

l 100 new Network Rail level crossing managers

l National TV and digital advertising campaign – ‘See

Track, Think Train’

l Rail Life schools awareness campaign www.rail-life.

co.uk

Network Rail has pledged to close a further 500

crossings in the next five years, investing more than

£100 million over this period as part of its ongoing

programme of work to improve safety and reduce risk to

passengers and the wider public.

Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations

for Network Rail, said: “Britain’s railway is safer than ever

before, but even so there will always be a certain level of

risk to motorists or pedestrians where a road, footpath or

cycleway crosses the tracks. Network Rail is committed to

reduce that risk as much as possible and if we are able to

close a level crossing, we will.

“Reaching our target to close 750 crossings in four

years is good news for Network Rail, train operators and

of course the public, but we cannot be complacent. There

is much more we can do to make the level crossings

that remain safer and we will continue to introduce new

technology, upgrade crossings to include lights or barriers

where appropriate and work with schools, communities

and other organisations to spread awareness of our

safety message.

“We’ve pledged to close a further 500 level crossings

in the next five years. Successfully closing a crossing isn’t

always a straightforward process, so we will need the

support from local authorities, landowners and the public

to help us achieve our new target and improve safety

further still.”

Ian Prosser, director of railway safety at the Office of

Rail Regulation (ORR) said: “We welcome Network Rail’s

closure of Cardells crossing in St Neots, Cambridgeshire.

To remove 750 level crossings or ten per cent of their total

in Britain, by April 2014 is a significant achievement for

the company. Though Britain’s level crossings are among

the safest in Europe, there is no room for complacency.

They still pose a significant risk to the public and ORR

has recently announced millions of pounds’ worth of

extra funding for Network Rail to close or upgrade level

crossings in the next five years.”

In 2013, there were ten accidental fatalities at level

crossings and ten collisions between trains and road

vehicles. zz

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Watch the ‘See Track: Think Train’ TV advert at http://bit.ly/1gQ8VLA

For more information on Network Rail’s programme of activity on level crossings visit: www.networkrail.co.uk/level-crossings/

Level crossing database

A South Wales-based company has secured a contract with Network Rail, to configure the database systems for its level crossings. There are some 6500 level crossings across Britain, many in rural areas on private land where users must operate the crossings themselves. As a key safety measure on these crossings, users must register with Network Rail and contact them before using crossings for the first time. Network Rail has a vital database of authorised users and must regularly communicate with them by SMS, phone and email in order to keep registered users informed of safety issues, maintenance work and much more. To manage this, Connect Assist has configured a sophisticated new customer relationship management

(CRM) system for Network Rail, allowing the company to keep track of all of its outbound communications. Network Rail chose to build the new database using Oracle RightNow as the CRM platform. It then selected Connect Assist to develop the system because it is one of the most experienced companies in the UK at configuring the Oracle RightNow CRM platform.

The new bridge at Mors Gorse, Cannock

Power Operated Gate Opener Technology (POGO) on a level crossing. Automation reduces the number of times a user has to cross the railway to close gates and ensures gates are not left open, posing a risk to others

Connect Assist chief executive, Patrick Nash, at a user-operated level crossing

l The Supply Chain of the Futurel Finding the Right Route to Market

zzzz

zzzz

zzzz

zzzz

zzzz

zzNetwork Rail to use Railway Strategies Live 2014 conference to launch its new Product Acceptance

process for the first time in an open forum

Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR

Thursday May 15th 2014

Network Rail

Hosted in association with

RAILWAYS T R A T E G I E Szzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

FOR SENIOR RAIL MANAGEMENT

2014Live

stop press

Gold Sponsor

Speakers include:

Rob Wallis - CEO, Transport Research Laboratory (TRL)

Terence Watkins - CEO, Alstom Transport

Richard Holland - UK MD, TBM

Chairman - Young Rail Professionals (YRP)


For the UK rail industry to truly develop an effective and world-class supply chain it needs

to grasp the opportunities afforded to it by the broader economy. Sectors such as

automotive, aerospace and defence are outperforming rail and offer many mutual benefits

in terms of products, goods and services, along with complementary technologies -

businesses in these sectors offer valuable best practices and examples from which the rail

sector can learn and profit.

Working in very close affiliation with the Rail Alliance and its members, Railway Strategies Live

2014 will deliver a conference that is going to cover the sort of topics that really matter to those

in the rail supply chain. Not only is it going to put the spotlight on the small to medium enterprise

(SME), but it is also going to see the launch of a very exciting new process from Network Rail.

Following the results of a recent Rail Alliance research report (The SME in the Railway Market -

an Entrepreneurial Leap of Faith), Railway Strategies Live is going to take a look at how the rail

sector can make better use of the innovative capabilities of the SME in the supply chain. It will

discuss why the Route to Market is so very difficult and complex, and try to identify what is being

done to put this right.

Another factor that makes Railway Strategies Live a must-attend event is the news that Network

Rail will be using the conference to launch its new Product Acceptance process for the first time

in an open forum.

Finally, the conference will deliver more exciting news about how the railway supply chain is

transforming the way it collaborates and co-ordinates itself, as well as highlighting new

opportunities, technology and innovation.

The speaker programme will be drawn from Network Rail and other leading UK rail companies

and government as well as some international organisations.

Railway Strategies Live 2014 will deliver a conference that is designed to be a useful and

memorable learning experience for all delegates, and valuable resource for sponsors and

exhibitors. With extensive prospects for networking it will be a unique opportunity to meet the

people you need to in order to drive your business forward. The conference is already attracting

interest from former delegates, sponsors and exhibitors keen to secure repeat attendance.

There are a number of sponsorship/exhibiting opportunities available, which will enable forward-

thinking businesses to expose their services and skill sets to an audience of delegates who are

ready to embrace innovation and bring state-of-the art technologies and approaches to the UK

railway sector.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The Eighth Annual Conference from Railway Strategies (in association with the Rail Alliance) is being held at the Royal Geographical Society (www.rgs.org) London, Thursday May 15th 2014

For further details of the event, email Mark Cawston: [email protected] for delegate enquiries, email Maxine Quinton: [email protected] or telephone: 01603 274130 and ask for Mark or Maxine, or visit:

http://www.railwaystrategies.co.uk/eventbooking.php?id=574


A succession of tumultuous storms tested the rail

industry’s resilience during a very difficult period

over Christmas and the early part of 2014. High

winds and heavy rain wrought havoc in many

areas of the country, with teams of engineers having to

brave the conditions to repair the damage quickly, often

in remote, difficult-to-access locations. Almost 400 trees

were brought down onto the railway while torrential

rain caused almost 130 floods and 29 landslips, some

blocking major routes.

As ever, safety was the industry’s top priority in the

face of widespread and unpredictable damage to the

infrastructure. On a number of occasions, Network Rail

and train operators took the decision to introduce blanket

speed restrictions to reduce the risk caused by fallen

trees and in some instances delayed the start-up of

services so routes could be checked by empty trains in

daylight for obstructions and debris. These precautions,

and those used during the investment programme,

meant the railway experienced no serious injury to

passenger, employee or contractor.

For train operator Southern, the extreme weather

had a particularly significant impact with scores of

trees blocking routes and a number of major landslips

on the Brighton Main Line – the operator’s primary rail

artery. Two landslips at Redhill and Coulsdon have been

repaired along with flood and fire damage to the track at

West Croydon, and flooding near Balcombe. However,

a serious landslip at Ockley, between Horsham and

Dorking, will take longer to rebuild. Some 40 metres

of the embankment must be rebuilt before services

can resume.

The Cumbrian coast line reopened just ten days after

large sections of the railway were washed away during

Extreme weather strikes again


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry

Flooded track at Claydon on Christmas Eve

Ockley Landslide

A tree on the line near Watford

Netw

ork

Rail

Netw

ork

Rail

Netw

ork

Rail


storms and flooding. Hundreds of Network Rail engineers

worked round-the-clock to completely rebuild large

parts of the railway following significant damage to the

infrastructure on Friday 3rd January. More than

4000 tonnes of rock were transported to the area to rebuild

the railway as well as new track, signalling equipment and

other infrastructure needed to safely run the railway.

Sea defences

Sea defences and retaining walls were washed away

at several locations between Sellafield and Maryport

and more than 120 yards of track was washed away

at Flimby. More than 600 yards of ballast was washed

away at Parton and Kirkby-in-Furness and Braystones

station were flooded. A section of the line between Barrow

and Workington reopened on Monday 6th January and

hundreds of engineers worked to repair the rest of the

damage so trains were able to use the length of the route

from Monday 13th January.

In Lincolnshire the extreme weather before Christmas

caused a bank slip which suspended all rail services on

the line at Ruskington, between Sleaford and Lincoln on

7th January. Detailed assessment indicated that 2500

tonnes of stone were needed to sufficiently stabilise the

bank to allow trains to run. Rail services resumed on this

route on Monday 13th January after repairs had been

completed, but Network Rail's engineers would remain in

the area for several weeks repairing wider storm damage.

A particular consequence of the conditions, however,

was that punctuality on the railways reached only

83.7 per cent over the period from 8th December 2013 –

4th January 2014. This compares to 88.3 per cent for the

same period last year. The moving annual average is now

at 90.1 per cent. zz

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Flooding at Kirkby-in-Furness station

Bank slip at Ruskington in Lincolnshire

Track washed away at Flimby

A landslip at Liphook in Hampshire

Netw

ork

Rail

Netw

ork

Rail

Netw

ork

Rail

Netw

ork

Rail


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz CROSSRAIL

journey times and up to 24 trains per hour

between Paddington and Whitechapel

during the peak.

Key features of the new high-capacity

Crossrail trains include:

l Air-conditioning

l Inter-connecting walk-through carriages

l On-train passenger information systems

delivering real-time travel information to allow

passengers to plan their onward journeys

l Lightweight construction with an emphasis

on energy efficiency

l Intelligent on-train energy management

systems.

TfL will run Crossrail as part of its integrated

transport services for London, including

ticketing and customer travel information. The

new trains will be introduced from May 2017,

with the fleet progressively introduced to the

existing rail network well in advance of services

commencing through Crossrail’s central

section in December 2018.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:“The Crossrail project is now rolling on

full-steam ahead. The manufacture of these

new trains will not only revolutionise rail travel

in London, they will deliver jobs and economic

growth in their birthplace in Derby and

across the UK. With a firm on board to deliver

a fleet of 21st century trains and the tunnelling

more than halfway complete, we’re on track

to deliver a truly world-class railway for the

capital.”

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:“This announcement will mean state of

the art trains providing quick, comfortable

journeys for the millions of people Crossrail

will serve. It is also great news for British

manufacturing and for Derbyshire, where

Bombardier will support 760 new jobs and 80

apprenticeships.”

Sir Peter Hendy CBE, London’s Transport Commissioner said:“Crossrail is already generating jobs in

London and the UK. When it opens it will

continue to provide jobs and the growth it will

bring will boost the whole economy. Crossrail

is a fantastic example of the widespread

benefits that sustained investment in transport

infrastructure brings.”

Andrew Wolstenholme Chief Executive of Crossrail said:“Crossrail will transform rail services in

London and the south-east. Procurement of

the rolling stock and depot is just one more

step in delivering this new railway and making

it a reality for millions of passengers.”

Transport for London will award the

contract for the operation of Crossrail services

at the end of 2014. The successful train

operator will start running the first services

from May 2015 between Liverpool Street

(mainline platforms) and Shenfield, taking over

the stopping services currently operated by

Greater Anglia.

The current planning assumption is that

new Crossrail trains will be introduced to run

Crossrail services as follows:

l Liverpool Street to Shenfield – May 2017

l Heathrow to Paddington (mainline

platforms) – May 2018 (when the Crossrail

concession takes over the Heathrow

Connect service)

l Paddington (Crossrail platforms) to

Abbey Wood – December 2018

l Paddington (Crossrail platforms) to

Shenfield – May 2019

l Full through service (including services to

Maidenhead) – December 2019. zz

T he contract between TfL and

Bombardier covers the supply, delivery

and maintenance of 65 new trains

and a depot at Old Oak Common.

Each Crossrail train will be around 200 metres

long, made up of nine carriages and is able to

carry 1500 passengers. The contract includes

options for 18 additional trains. New Crossrail

rolling stock will be introduced between

Shenfield and Liverpool Street (mainline

platforms) in May 2017.

Bombardier has confirmed that the new

trains will be manufactured and assembled at

their plant in Derby. This contract will support

760 UK manufacturing jobs plus

80 apprenticeships. An estimated 74 per cent

of contract spend will remain in the UK

economy.

The construction of the maintenance depot

at Old Oak Common will support 244 jobs,

plus 16 apprenticeships. When fully operational

the depot will support 80 jobs to maintain the

new fleet of trains.

Crossrail will boost London’s rail-based

capacity by ten per cent connecting

Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west and

Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. It is

connecting people and places, providing faster

Bombardier awarded Crossrail rolling stock and depot contractThe intention to award a contract to deliver rolling stock and a

new depot for Crossrail with a capital value of around £1 billion to Bombardier was announced on 6th February 2014 by Transport for

London (TfL) and the Department for Transport (DfT)

© T

rans

port

for L

ondo

n

An impression of the new Crossrail train


Netw

ork

Rail

InterCity East Coast pre-qualificationl The shortlist of bidders that will be invited to deliver

proposals for improved services for passengers on the

InterCity East Coast rail franchise was announced by the

Government on 17th January.

The companies that have successfully passed the

Pre-Qualification Evaluation stage and can now start working

on developing their plans for the franchise, before they receive

the Government’s Invitation to Tender are:

l East Coast Trains Ltd (First Group plc)

l Keolis/Eurostar East Coast Limited (Keolis (UK) Limited and

Eurostar International Limited)

l Inter City Railways Limited (Stagecoach Transport Holdings

Limited and Virgin Holdings Limited).

These potential operators will need to consider how they

intend to use the latest high-tech trains, built in the UK by

Agility, to deliver more passengers to more of the UK’s biggest

cities faster and in greater comfort.

The Government is expecting to see how the future

operators will capitalise on the significant Government

investment along this route, including £240 million in

infrastructure projects over the next five years to improve

capacity and reduce journey times.

When it started the franchise competition in October

2013 the Government published the InterCity East Coast

prospectus which set out the areas prospective bidders will

need to consider when they start developing their proposals.

These include:

l Developing innovative timetables which build on the core

train service requirement published by the Department for

Transport (DfT)

l Investment in innovative ways to transform the customer

experience on trains and at stations

l Identifying further opportunities for investment along the

route, particularly at stations

l Making the route and train operations more considerate of

the environment

l Involving communities along the route in local decision-

making

l Demonstrating how their proposals will support economic

growth along the route.

To pass the rigorous Pre-Qualification Evaluation each of

the bidders were asked to demonstrate that they have the

financial strength, legal, operational and safety experience to

run the franchise.

The DfT is planning to issue the Invitation to Tender at the

end of February and the potential operators will then have at

least three months to develop their bids. New services start in

February 2015.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Industry

Simon Kirby moves to HS2l HS2 Ltd has appointed Simon Kirby as

chief executive – construction. Simon joins

from Network Rail where he is managing

director, infrastructure projects, leading on

a £5 billion a year investment programme

to improve the country’s railways. He will

join HS2 Ltd in June and become CEO in

September.

In his ten years at Network Rail Simon

has overseen the largest investment

programme in Britain’s railway since the Victorian era – a programme

which, since his appointment, has seen almost £25 billion invested

in improving the railway, including landmark schemes such as the

transformation of King’s Cross in London, the modernisation of Reading

station, the Thameslink programme and the refurbishment of the Forth Rail

Bridge in Scotland.

Simon has also been responsible for transforming Network Rail’s

relationship with its key suppliers, as is widely recognised in the industry.

It has also been confirmed that the current chief executive, Alison

Munro, will continue in that role until September when she will become

managing director of development to oversee the passage of the Hybrid

Bill through Parliament and the development of Phase Two of the project.

ww

w.ra

ilimag

es

www.railimages.co.uk

GNGE improvementsl Major work has been completed on the Great Northern

Great Eastern line in the Saxilby area of Lincolnshire. The work

delivered over Christmas and New Year is part of a £280 million

scheme to transform the 86-mile former ‘Joint Line’ into a

twenty-first century railway. The line runs between Peterborough,

Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln, Gainsborough and Doncaster.

The latest improvements include:

l Modernising level crossings at Saxilby, Sykes Lane & Kesteven

l Installing CCTV equipment at Stow Park crossing

l Commissioning a new signalling system between

Gainsborough and Lincoln, allowing all trains to be controlled

from the Lincoln Signalling Control Centre

l Decommissioning three obsolete mechanical signal boxes

l Constructing a new ramped footbridge at Saxilby station

providing full access to both platforms for all passengers

allowing the closure of the level crossing.

Work at Saxilby over Christmas and New Year

l

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

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

rail medicalsDRUG & ALCOHOLwellbeing OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

counselling PHYSIOTHERAPYblood testing & vaccinationsTRAINING SERVICES

Looking after the health of your business

Follow us on twitter@ExpressMedicals


http://www.expressmedicals.co.uk

http://www.thermit-welding.com



Netw

ork

Rail

The official group at Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station

Crossrail reaches halfway pointl Less than five years after works began on Crossrail, Europe’s largest infrastructure

project has reached the halfway point of its construction. Prime Minister David

Cameron, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Crossrail Minister Stephen Hammond

marked the occasion by visiting the £14.8 billion project, going 25 metres below

ground to view progress at Crossrail’s Tottenham Court Road site. The station will be

a key interchange with London Underground when trains run through central London

from 2018.

They were joined by apprentices and commuters who will benefit from the new

east-west railway, along with Crossrail Chairman Terry Morgan CBE, Crossrail Chief

Executive Andrew Wolstenholme OBE and Transport Commissioner

Sir Peter Hendy CBE.

During 2014, Crossrail’s major civil engineering and tunnelling works will conclude

and the focus will shift towards station construction, fit-out and implementing railway

systems within the tunnels and stations. The train operator will then test and refine the

systems before trains run from 2018.

Upcoming Crossrail milestones include:

l Structural completion and start of fit out of western tunnels in early 2014

l Further tunnel boring machine breakthroughs during construction of the eastern

tunnels at Stepney Green cavern, then Whitechapel, Liverpool Street and Farringdon.

Major tunnelling for Crossrail is due to complete by the end of 2014.

l Completion of the Canary Wharf station ticket hall, and the roof of Canary Wharf

Group’s over station development in early 2014

l Network Rail to continue major surface works on the existing rail network including

platform lengthening and construction of a new station at Abbey Wood

l Crossrail rolling stock and depot contract to be awarded in spring 2014

l Announcement of the Crossrail train operating concession in late 2014

l Joint venture partners will be sought during 2014 for major above station

property developments at Paddington Triangle, Tottenham Court Road (Dean Street),

Farringdon East (Lindsey Street), Liverpool Street East,

Woolwich and the Limmo Peninsula

l Delivery and testing of trains is scheduled to start in 2017 ready for the opening of

the new Crossrail tunnels to passengers in late 2018.


Cros

srai

l

l Plans for a new college to train

the next generation of world-class

engineers to work on the construction

of High Speed 2 (HS2) have been

unveiled. The college will deliver the

specialised training and qualifications

needed for high speed rail, which

will benefit HS2 and other future

infrastructure projects across the

country. It will offer the necessary

technical training to make HS2 a

success and ensure it can be built

by skilled British workers, including

rail engineering, environmental skills,

and construction. It will be the first

new incorporated Further Education

College in over 20 years.

The new college, which is expected

to open by 2017 when construction of

HS2 will begin, will provide training in

how to make the most of cutting-edge

technology and use state-of-the-art

equipment to deliver programmes

designed specifically for the HS2

project. It will also build relationships

with a network of affiliated facilities,

including existing colleges, private

training providers, HE institutions

and major supply networks off route.

Learners from across the country will

have opportunities to become involved

and work along the line.

The announcement was made

on 14th January during a visit to the

Old Oak Common railway depot by

Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew

Hancock. He was met by Transport

Minister Robert Goodwill and Sir David

Higgins, the Chairman of HS2 Ltd.

This forms part of the Government’s

work with HS2 Ltd to ensure the new

north-south railway delivers a tangible

skills legacy that will serve the UK

for the next century and continue

the proud tradition the UK has for

worldwide demand for its engineering

expertise. It is expected that HS2 will

create up to 2000 apprentices during

the lifetime of construction.

New college to support development of High Speed 2


At more than £100 million, the festive investment programme was the biggest ever

carried out by Network Rail and was planned in conjunction with train operators to

minimise the impact on passengers during what is traditionally one of the quietest

periods for rail travel. Hundreds of engineers from Network Rail and its suppliers

worked the equivalent of more than 600,000 hours at more than 100 locations across

Britain over the period, often in extremely difficult weather conditions.

Highlights of the work completed include:

l A new platform, track and signalling

equipment at Gatwick Airport station.

Around 1300m of track was laid, a 50m

footbridge was renewed and a new

250m platform, complete with a new lift,

escalators and high-level walkway to the

station was completed.

l Commissioning of new signalling

equipment at Peterborough, part of a

wider project to relieve a major bottleneck

on the East Coast Main Line which

includes a new track layout, longer

platforms, station bridges, extensions

and new lifts (completion March 2014).

l Electrification work at Manchester

Victoria, which saw 400m of track

lowered and 1300 tonnes of spoil

removed to create additional headroom

for overhead power lines so electric trains

can run from Manchester to Liverpool

starting in December.

l Installation of a new rail bridge in Ipswich, part of a 1.1km stretch of new railway

connecting the East Suffolk Line and Great Eastern Main Line to increase rail capacity to

the port of Felixstowe (completion March 2014).

l A major upgrade of Gravesend station, including a new platform allowing longer

12-car trains to call at the station for the first time, providing more seats and extra space

for passengers. There will also be improved facilities including a new footbridge and lifts to

all platforms (completion May 2014).

Record-breaking festive rail investment programme

Netw

ork

Rail

Netw

ork

Rail

Netw

ork

Rail

A record-breaking programme of

upgrades to Britain’s rail network was

successfully completed over the Christmas

and New Year period, providing new tracks,

new and longer platforms, new lifts and footbridges at stations, upgraded

signalling equipment and electrification

equipment to allow cleaner, faster electric

trains to run

Upgrading the Brighton main line

Peterborough station

Work at Manchester Victoria

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry


Netw

ork

Rail


l The Rail Research UK Association (RRUKA) held its

second annual conference in November at Kings Place in

London. Two years after launch, this year’s event allowed

delegates to gain an insight into RRUKA’s activities in

2013 and in particular the progression of ‘Achieving the

24/7 Railway’ and ‘Half Cost Train’ events, organised and

funded by RRUKA and championed by Network Rail and

ATOC respectively.

The conference highlighted the value of collaborative

research and provided tangible examples of the positive

steps that can and are being made with fresh approaches

to rail sector challenges.

Delegates were presented with 15 research

presentations and three keynote addresses with topics

ranging from maximising working time on possessions

to the design and management of stations for counter-

terrorism security.

Walt Aldred, research director, Schlumberger provided

an example from the oil and gas sector, with a look at

Schlumberger’s approach to research and innovation,

highlighting scientific and technological research and

developments as key factors underpinning all of the work

they carry out.

Pierre Messulam, director of railway strategy innovation

research and regulation, SNCF, provided a European

perspective, in his discussion of strategic rail issues

and the need to consider how future trends such as

demographic transition and industrial transformation factor

into ascertaining the areas in which research should be

focused.

Simon Iwnicki (academic co-chair RRUKA and

director of the Institute of Railway Research, University

of Huddersfield), demonstrated the way the association

has already, and intends to continue supporting the Rail

Technical Strategy 2012 with the launch of the Academic

Response to the RTS.

Sharon Odetunde, (senior partnerships development

manager, RSSB) highlighted how RRUKA inspired the rail

professionals of tomorrow with the Next Generation Rail

event, and provided an insight into the events planned for

2014 including activities specified in the recently published

2013/14 – 2014/15 business plan.

In his closing keynote address, Tim O’Toole (chief

executive, First Group and chair of Rail Delivery Group)

gave an amusing introduction to the ‘alphabet soup’ of

acronyms currently being used in the rail research arena –

clearly demonstrating the extensive range of programmes

and initiatives that are in place to promote and encourage

research, development and innovation in rail.

More information about the conference, including a link to

conference materials can be found on the RRUKA website:

http://rruka.org.uk/rruka-2013-annual-conference/

l A vital part of the Ipswich rail chord project which will provide

more capacity for freight and fewer delays for passengers was

delivered over the Christmas break moving the project a step

closer to completion.

Network Rail, working with contractors Spencer Rail Limited,

successfully demolished and removed the old steel bridge

weighing 190 tonnes over the River Gipping, replacing it with a new

steel deck bridge at the start of the new junction for the chord.

Other work included:

l Breaking the old bridge into the three sections using a

1000 ton crane

l Removed the existing track and ballast stones

l Installed concrete walls of the new bridge lifted into place

using cranes

l Installed new tracks and junction for the new Chord linking the

East Suffolk line and the London Liverpool Street to Norwich line.

Network Rail is building a new 1.2km stretch of track, or

‘chord’, north of Ipswich goods yard linking the East Suffolk line

and Great Eastern main line on part of the site of the former Harris

meat factory.

The chord will remove the need for freight trains travelling to and

from the Port of Felixstowe to use the sidings adjacent to Ipswich

station as a turning point, eliminating a major bottleneck on the

busy Great Eastern main line and freeing up capacity for both

passenger and freight services.

The project is set to be completed by April 2014, and includes

the completion of four new bridges, two new embankments, a

350m retaining wall, 1.2km of new track and signalling equipment,

and improvements to the existing overhead line equipment.

The chord forms an important part of Network Rail’s strategic

freight network, a programme of investment to improve freight

capacity across Britain’s railway.

Second phase completed for removing major bottleneck in Ipswich

Work in progress over Christmas 2013 at Ipswich Another year of showcasing Rail Research UK Association


Trac

k Pa

rtner

ship

Trac

k Pa

rtner

ship

Trac

k Pa

rtner

ship

www.railimages.co.uk

T he Track Partnership team took advantage

of the relatively quiet period for passenger

traffic over Christmas to complete difficult

works at one of the network’s busiest

locations, the District line platforms at Earl’s Court.

Well over 100 staff and contractors worked round

the clock with supporting trains, heavy plant and

materials to complete the following improvements:

l Track was replaced through three of the four

District line platforms.

l Two bridges were replaced over passageways.

l The platform edge was realigned through

platform 4 to reduce the gap between the platform

and the train for passengers.

l New track drainage was installed to the west of

the station to assist in keeping the trains running

during heavy rainfall.

Completing these works during an extended

closure over the festive period reduced the total

disruption for London as far fewer travellers were

affected than would have been the case at any

other time of the year. The extended closure also

saved in excess of £2 million of public money

compared to delivering the work over multiple

weekend closures.

As Earl’s Court is the hub of the District line, the

closure affected services across central and south-

west London. However, disruption was reduced as

much as possible by running additional Piccadilly

line trains to stations between Hammersmith and

Acton Town and to Ealing Broadway.

The works were planned in such a way as to

allow Piccadilly line trains to continue to stop

at Earl’s Court throughout the course of the

improvements works. Arrangements were also put

in place to cope with peak demand when Chelsea

Football Club held two home premier league

fixtures.

The successful completion of these heavy

engineering works is an important step in keeping

the Underground fit for London. zz

Whilst London enjoyed the Christmas holidays the

Track Partnership, a strategic alliance between London

Underground and Balfour Beatty Rail, was busy completing vital track replacement works at

Earl’s Court station

Earl’s Court improvements

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Industry



New chairman for Rail Delivery Groupl At a meeting of the

Rail Delivery Group

(RDG) in December,

Martin Griffiths,

Stagecoach Group

chief executive, was

appointed as chairman

with immediate effect.

Mr Griffiths succeeds

previous chairman Tim O’Toole, chief executive of

FirstGroup, who has been RDG chairman since the group was

founded in May 2011. The RDG has assumed responsibility

for policy formulation and communications on behalf of the

rail industry, combining the Association of Train Operating

Companies’ communications and policy functions with

complementary resources from Network Rail and support from

other RDG members to operate for the RDG as a whole.Three Bridges signalling centre openedl A new signalling centre which will eventually control large parts

of the railway across Sussex and Surrey has been officially opened in

Three Bridges.

The rail operating centre at Three Bridges is one of 12 which will

eventually operate the entire rail network across Britain, replacing more

than 800 signal boxes and other operational locations currently used to

control trains.

All 12 centres will have more advanced signalling tools and

technology that will help reduce delays, improve performance, increase

capacity, provide better information to passengers and offer better

value for money for the British people.

The new rail operating centre is part of a transformation of the

railway in Three Bridges which will see it firmly placed on the national

railway map for many decades to come. Eventually it will control all of

the railway from London Victoria and London Bridge stations, along the

length of the Brighton main line to Brighton and the south coast, and

large areas either side in both Sussex and Surrey.

One of two maintenance depots for the new Thameslink trains is

being built in Three Bridges and a number of improvements to the

station and subway have recently been completed by Network Rail

and Southern to provide better journeys and facilities for thousands of

passengers.

Construction of the rail operating centre was carried out by Spencer

Rail on behalf of Network Rail.

(L-R) Tim Robinson, Network Rail’s route managing director for Sussex; Crawley MP Henry Smith; Councillor Bob Burgess, Mayor of Crawley; Chris Burchell, managing director of Southern

Netw

ork

Rail

JPCS’s new head of raill Civil engineering and infrastructure

contractor, JPCS, has appointed

John Owen as head of rail in order

to develop JPCS’ offering to the rail

sector. John, who has more than

16 years of experience in the

rail sector, started his rail career

as a PTS operative and quickly

progressed through the ranks

holding positions such as site manager,

project manager, contract manager and then director. He

specialises in developing and establishing new work streams

in the rail sector, including bridges, platforms, drainage and

embankments. John holds a wide range of rail qualifications

including Engineering Supervisor (ES), Controller of Site Safety

(COSS) and Person in Charge of Possession (PICOP).

Heading up rail at WSPl WSP has appointed Julie Carrier to head up its fast growing rail business.

Julie joins WSP with 20 years’ experience in the management, design and

delivery of operational railways. Previously she was programme director at Amey

where she grew the business significantly during a very challenging economic

period, increasing both the volume of work and profit margins. There she

worked on high profile projects including the Edinburgh – Glasgow Improvement

Programme (EGIP), and Crossrail. Prior to working at Amey she was engineering

director at Colas Rail.

Hima-Sella appoints new MDl Systems integration specialist

Hima-Sella has appointed

John Blackwell as its new

managing director. John, who has

served as Hima-Sella’s finance

director for the past seven years,

takes over from Ian Wright, who

remains a full-time director and

is executive chairman of the

Board, whilst also retaining his

responsibility for finance and

administration.

from sceptics, who can’t believe Britain can

do anything on this scale, or NIMBYs, who

it seems would prefer everyone to travel by

horse and cart.

When Network Rail announced a £37 billion

upgrade of 28,000 signal boxes, what it got

instead of praise for tackling this major project,

was criticism for doing away with quaint

Victoriana.

The will-they-won’t-they saga around HS2

is played out in a similar story of politics and

infrastructure when it comes to air travel.

Britain is losing business to Germany, France,

and Holland, who have a joined up transport

network, and have invested in airports. This is

having a detrimental long-term effect on the

UK economy.

As a nation, we do not offer enough flights

to emerging economies – a situation that was

foreseen 20 years ago. However, because of

political sensitivities, no governments have

made the decision to tackle this – a huge

failure for the UK economy.

The current debate about where to site an

extra runway is typical. Why is the Government

waiting 18 months to make a decision on

how to expand? With marginal constituencies

around Heathrow, the government would

rather pander to the NIMBYs than invest in a

joined up transport strategy that encompasses

all modes of travel, including rail.

Lack of investment has another, darker

consequence. The public and private sectors

have been under immense pressure to cut

costs ever since the banking crisis plunged us

into recession, and the fallout in lost jobs and

failed firms has been well reported.

There is a less well-documented effect, one

that even as the recovery arrives has yet to be

felt, and when it does come, the results could

be literally catastrophic.

I am talking about decisions that have been

made to cut corners to save money. In many

organisations, public and private, purchasing

departments have been given unprecedented

buying power, even the ability to overrule

engineers and specify inferior components.

Under pressure to make savings, managers

have delayed vital upgrades. These decisions

store up costly refits and put systems at risk, in

some cases with disastrous consequences.

We all know what can happen when money

talks and priorities get skewed.

l A decade after the Potters Bar crash when

seven people died after their train was derailed

by faulty points, unions were still lambasting

the Government about cuts and their potential

for fatal consequences.

l Just this summer, the cargo ship Swanland

sank off Wales with the loss of six crew. Money

saving played a major part with insufficient

maintenance and a lack of repairs resulting in a

vessel severely weakened by corrosion to the

point of structural failure.

l Similarly, a report into the Gulf of Mexico oil

spill that killed 11 men concluded that cost

cutting greatly contributed to the accident with

managers making “decisions that reduced

costs and increased risk”.

So while there are no indicators about

corner cutting to appear on the nightly news

alongside the latest unemployment figures,

we know it is happening, and when the results

come to light in the worst-case scenarios, it is

all over the newscasts.

Like other businesses, we at Texane have

had to cope with these incredibly tough

past few years, and I do not for a minute

underestimate the pressure on businesses

large and small, or the public sector, to cut

As a public member of Network Rail,

I am perhaps more up to speed than

the average rail traveller, but it still

surprises me how little people know

about ongoing investment in the rail network.

People know about HS2, of course, but they

don’t realise that investment in existing lines

and stations is going on at just as large a scale.

Look at stations. Investment is having a

hugely positive effect on commuter experience.

You only have to spend time at two of the

busiest stations in the country, namely King’s

Cross and Birmingham New Street, to see how

such physical transformations influence daily

commutes. Investment in stations, including

lengthening platforms, means fewer delays,

increasing capacity throughout the timetable,

and of course providing a more pleasant

journey. It is done with passengers in mind.

This is all great, but we need much more,

and not just in the rail sector but in airports

and the whole joined up business of transport

infrastructure.

There are massive benefits for the economy.

Major projects that increase capacity lead

to demand for more materials and support

services, and create jobs because improved

efficiency benefits businesses.

So what’s holding us back?Ignorance, selfishness and fear. Look at

HS2. Instead of admiration and excitement,

that project mainly attracts negativity either


Time to invest in transport

Strategy zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

If you ask anyone on a train today what they think of Britain’s

railway network, you should expect to hear some ill-informed nonsense, asserts ArnAB Dutt

costs. I should also point out that as a supplier

of durable components to the rail sector and

other mass transit operators, we have a vested

interest in encouraging purchasing managers

and engineers to specify high end product.

It is, however, a fundamental truth of

business and life in general that if you don’t

pay your dues now, you will have to pay later.

When the time of reckoning comes for corner

cutting in this recession, let’s hope the price is

paid in money and not lives.

What would it be like if we weren’t so

piecemeal and short term about transport?

The long-term view creates solutions to

problems that currently seem intractable. For

example, with HS2 in place, Birmingham could

be considered as the next airport for expansion

rather than focusing on the southeast. London

may be the preferred destination for most UK

travellers, but with HS2, Birmingham would be

only an hour away.

The notion that Britain’s rail network is falling

apart and starved of investment is hard wired

into the nation’s psyche, but it is far from the

truth. Nevertheless, we need much more focus

on improving our rail capacity and all aspects

of our transport infrastructure. Right now, we

need to change our mindset, and invest in

a long term joined up transport strategy for

Britain. zz


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Arnab Dutt is managing director of Texane

www.texane.com

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

critical national infrastructure.”

The business provides products that restrict vehicle-

borne threats ranging from vandalism to sophisticated or

aggressive attacks by determined criminals or terrorists.

The HVM solutions prevent vehicles permeating the

boundary, on critical national infrastructure and locations

that require high levels of security to guard the safety of

the public that passes through them on a daily basis.

As the security trend on an international basis begins to

grow, the international markets are beginning to follow

the same standard as that in the UK.

ATG Access is carrying out work with numerous

franchised and Network Rail stations, working on

designs and operating very closely with Crossrail, as

well as various designers to implement schemes for

projects that are headed for 2015/2016. Contracts cover

all the new stations that are being built for Crossrail,

and additional station upgrades. All the projects have

elements that require HVM security.

Depending on the actual product selection, certain

W ith a history dating back 25 years, ATG

Access designs, manufactures and

installs security systems that protect city

infrastructure and citizens. The core of the

business is within the UK, with relationships established

among major companies such as Network Rail, Crossrail,

WSP and Mott MacDonald.

As demand for its solutions continues to grow,

Railway Strategies contacted high security manager Iain

Moran: “We have completed a large scheme of work

with Network Rail covering Hostile Vehicle Mitigation

(HVM) measures throughout the UK. Having designed

and supplied products to over 35 stations, demand

for our services has grown to the international arena.

The recent bombings at Volgograd Railway Station in

Russia demonstrate the very realistic day-to-day threat

of international terrorism. It is important that station

designers globally factor in the needed Counter Terrorism

measures at the redesign/regeneration planning stages to

protect tourists and visitors travelling through this type of


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

AMS100 mobile welding machine

ATG Access, the leading manufacturer of security bollards and vehicle barrier systems, is growing its international presence as it takes its experience from the UK to the global market

ATG Access

Access granted


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

installations only require an installation depth of 112mm

that will prevent access from hostile vehicles up to

7500kg travelling at 50mph. With very little excavation

required, the products can be installed quickly, a factor

that is of great importance in retrospective protection

installations at stations, with the process creating

minimal disruption.

“Our range of products also includes manually

retractable solutions for situations when irregular access

by vehicles may be required and for situations when no

power supply is available to install automatic products.

We specialise in developing products specific to the

needs of the customers,”says Iain.

The R&D process begins with Market Requirement

Document (MRD), determining what products are

required through contact with customers and the

market. The products are then developed and

launched to the market. But complementing this

standard process, ATG Access additionally develops

products through blue sky ideas, as Iain highlights: “Our

developers are constantly thinking up ideas, which we’ll

offer to the market to see what they think, so for us;

R&D is a two-fold perspective. All products go through

a rigorous testing process having to pass 68 individual

requirements, and rigorous impact testing criteria. Each

product is certified to a rating that can stop a certain

vehicle travelling at a certain speed.

“Although it is the hostile vehicle mitigation market

that is growing quickly, our products are still used in

other applications in access control systems such

as dedicated taxi lanes leading up to stations and

pedestrian demarcation with static bollards.

“We are looking to push our products internationally

in 2014. At present we are working on rail projects in

the Middle East, and our aim is to introduce the same

standards from the proven and very good formula

established in the UK by replicating the process of

working very closely with security and construction

teams.”

Aimed at producing the best solutions, ATG

Access seeks project involvement from early stages.

Birmingham Gateway is an example of the company’s

involvement from an early point, having been active

Gibfield Works, Colliery Lane, Atherton, Manchester M46 0RD

Tel 01942 883 046 Fax 01942 896 025 Email [email protected] Web www.stephensoneng.co.uk

CoatingsEngineering/DesignForging

Flame CuttingFabricationMachining

Added Value Engineering

http://www.stephensoneng.co.uk



throughout the architectural design. Bespoke solutions

were also incorporated at Paddington Station to fit in

with the surrounding environment. Involvement from

the engineering team is generally required as early

as possible to keep within the design of the project,

the architect and the environment, but also cover the

fundamental security requirements.

“We have installed bollard systems at York Station,

where we have integrated products with bus shelters,

benches, litterbins, cycle stands, and various other

elements. It results in a more pleasing aesthetic view,

whilst providing impenetrable security,” highlights Iain.

Regarded as a specialist and market leader, the

business offers a service that can take an idea from

a concept through to design, manufacture and

implementation and offers a full service and maintenance

contract.

“It is not just a case of putting a bollard here and there,

we can integrate the whole security system and solution

within the existing building infrastructure and we can

design bespoke solutions for new environments and new

infrastructure that is being developed.

“We are focused on our goals for the future, and our

interests lay in business security and impact testing

F&M Powder Coating Specialists LtdF&M Powder Coating

Specialists Ltd have

worked closely with

ATG Access Ltd for

many years applying

protective coatings

to a wide range of

their products and in

this time have built

up a good working

relationship making

them proud to be

given the opportunity

to show their support

for ATG Access Ltd.

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzATG Access

standards. Export currently makes up in the region of

60 per cent of the business and it is an aspect we are

looking to grow over the next five years to trading with a

turnover of £50 million,” Iain concludes. zz

www.atgaccess.com

PROFESSIONAL APPLICATORS OF PROTECTIVE COATINGS

F&M Powder Coating Specialists Ltd12 Roman Way Ind Est, Longridge RoadPreston PR2 5BB

We’ve got it coveredCONTACT

Tel: +44(0)1772 [email protected]

www.fandmpowdercoating.co.ukSt Pancras Bollards

http://www.fandmpowdercoating.co.uk

Focusing specifically on products and services

covering every aspect of railway infrastructure,

this tenth Infrarail offers something for

everyone. The list of exhibitors already totals

around 140 companies, covering civils, track,

signalling and communications, stations and depots,

and much more.

The exhibition

Alongside company stands, two display areas in

the hall will showcase larger exhibits. The Track,

sponsored by Tata Steel, will take the form of sections

of track for the display of smaller items of equipment

and machinery, while The Yard will feature products

such as road-rail vehicles. The Yard is supported by

the Rail Plant Association. In addition, an area of the

exhibition will be dedicated to stands by member

companies of the Rail Alliance networking association.

Also supporting Infrarail are Network Rail, the

Railway Industry Association, the Institution of Railway

Signal Engineers, the Permanent Way Institution and

the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, among many

other key industry bodies.

Visitors will also be welcome at the Civil

Infrastructure & Technology Exhibition (CITE), which

takes place for the first time alongside Infrarail at Earls

Court. This will cover the closely related theme of

equipment, products and services for constructing

and maintaining vital infrastructure such as roads,

ports, airports, utilities and communications networks.

Seminars, reception & awards dinner

Accompanying this year’s Infrarail will be a busy

programme of supporting activities. Mostly free and

open to all attending the event, these include technical

seminars providing insights into the latest product

innovations, keynote speeches from Minister of State

for Transport Baroness Kramer and other industry

leaders, Project Updates covering Network Rail

programmes and HS2, and The Platform, an open

discussion forum addressing topical industry themes.

Opportunities to make new business contacts

and renew existing ones will be provided by the now

familiar Networking Reception on Infrarail’s opening

day and by the following evening’s Infrarail Awards

dinner, which will recognise significant achievements

by companies taking part in the show. Exhibitors’ job

vacancies and skills needs will also be highlighted by

the Recruitment Wall.

Registration

Online registration to visit the show free of charge is

now open. A link on the event website

www.infrarail.com takes you quickly through the

simple registration process. Pre-registering to visit the

exhibition speeds up entry and avoids a £20 charge

payable for non-registered visitors. The website also

features the very latest list of exhibitors and regularly

updated details of the many activities taking part

during Infrarail. zz

Infrarail 2014


The UK’s biggest rail event this

year will be Infrarail 2014,

which takes place at Earls Court in

London from 20 to 22 May

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Investing in the futurel Geotechnical monitoring specialist itmsoil is to receive

investment capital from Rcapital, a private investment

firm that provides turnaround and growth funding to UK

companies, in order to drive continued growth in both UK

and international markets. itmsoil is a world leader in the

design, manufacture and installation of premium quality

geotechnical and structural monitoring instrumentation.


UK trade body GAMBICA gains key driver for industrial growthl Wound component and power quality specialist

REO (UK), has become the latest member of GAMBICA,

the trade association for Instrumentation, Control,

Automation, and Laboratory Technology in the UK. The

company hopes that the move will allow it to strengthen its

supply and customer value chains.

The industries represented by GAMBICA are worth close

to £6.9 billion according to the Office of National Statistics.

The trade body has over 200 members with exports of

£3.7 billion and a positive trade balance in excess of

£260 million. Within GAMBICA there are several groups open

to members, which influence areas of significance such as

regulation, political lobbying and economic forecasting as

well as management systems and exports.

This concerted effort strengthens the industry by providing

a collective voice for the sector, reflecting the opinions and

common interests of members. GAMBICA excels as a

thought leader by working closely with other influential bodies

in the regulatory environment.

REO (UK) is an original manufacturer of power equipment

including electronic controllers, components and electrical

regulators. Its main customers are drive manufacturers,

systems integrators and control panel manufacturers.

As a result, REO (UK) has joined the ‘Industrial Automation’

and ‘Variable Speed Drives’ groups of GAMBICA, with the

objective of gaining insights into current trends and up to

date thinking. Relevant products in REO’s range include EMC

and Sinewave filters, input and output chokes, and braking

resistors.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Products & Services

Rescroft moves into train seatingl Rescroft Ltd, the UK transport and specialist

automotive seating company has acquired the designs,

IPR, tooling and certain material stock of People

Seating Ltd (PSL) the UK train, light rail and tram seat

manufacturer. David Poston, former managing director of

PSL will be retained by Rescroft as a consultant. It is the

intention of Rescroft to continue supplying the existing

rail seats and trims as supplied by People Seating and

develop a new range of train seats.

Rescroft Ltd was formed in 1976 and has established

itself as major UK designer and manufacturer of bus, mini-

bus, accessible and specialist vehicle, commercial vehicle

and sports car seating systems. Rescroft Ltd supplies

the UK and other international markets. Rescroft Ltd, an

ISO9001/2008-accredited company designs and creates

seating solutions from the design and manufacture of

complete seat frames to foam moulding and trims in

leather, PVC and fabrics.


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Products & Services

Helping to raise standardsl Sheffield manufacturer, Mechan, is helping Northern Ireland’s newest rail depot

to raise standards in train care. Translink’s Adelaide train maintenance facility in

Belfast is the latest recipient of rail handling equipment designed, constructed and

installed by Mechan’s expert engineers.

The £28 million, purpose-built facility is equipped with 12 of Mechan’s flagship

lifting jacks, along with two engine removal tables and two bogie turntables. They

are being used to service the 20 new Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles

(CAF), Class 4000 trains, recently introduced to the local network, to renew and

expand its existing fleet.

This latest order placed by Adelaide’s main contractor, Graham Construction,

complements the lifting jacks and engine removal tables Mechan installed at

Translink’s York Road engineering facility in Belfast in 2002.

Located on a brown field site south of Belfast, Adelaide was developed as part

of the New Trains Two programme, a £150 million initiative to deliver high quality,

accessible public transport to local residents.

Link-up approvall Siemens Industry has successfully

attained full accreditation with the

Achilles Link-up scheme, ensuring

its Rail Electrification management

system demonstrates full compliance

with all aspects of Health, Safety and

Environmental requirements for safety

critical suppliers who work on Network

Rail’s managed infrastructure.

The approval means a number of

Siemens Industry’s products, including

SITOP power supplies and its portfolio of

Rugged Backbone RX 1500 and

RSG 2100 modular Ethernet switches

and routers all conform to the

Network Rail standards in mission

critical applications, offering reliable

performance within the challenging

working environments seen on rail

infrastructure.

RuggedCom products enable Siemens

Industry to offer a full spectrum of

solutions for operation in harsh and

climatically challenging environments

typically found in transport and utility

operations.

Hitachi onboard ETCS technology successfully certified l Hitachi’s On-board ETCS (European Train Control System) solution has been successfully

certified by a Notified Body in accordance with the Control Command and Signalling TSI

(Technical Specification for Interoperability) 2012/88/EU and 2012/696/EU.

ETCS is a common signalling system which has been developed throughout Europe to enable

train services to cross frontiers and boundaries between different countries without the need to

change signalling systems or locomotives. ETCS is part of the European Rail Traffic Management

System (ERTMS) and many systems have already been implemented in non-EU countries such

as China and India.

Hitachi On-board ETCS has been formally endorsed through the rigorous assessment process

demonstrating compliance with relevant TSI and EN norms at the highest Safety Integrity Level 4.

The breakthrough came as part of Hitachi Rail Europe’s ‘Verification-Train 3’ project to

trial ETCS on-board equipment in the UK. During this project, a Network Rail Class 97301

locomotive has been successfully retro-fitted with the Hitachi on-board system to test

interoperability with a separate supplier’s groundside system currently in use on the Cambrian

Line.

Following the successful certification, Hitachi is now embarking on train fitment implementation

for IEP: Intercity Express Programme and other programmes around the world, in order to realise

the benefits of a radio-based cab signalling system with a reduced trackside infrastructure.

More displays for FCC

l Faced with the need for more displays

as a result of platform extensions to

accommodate longer trains, First Capital

Connect (FCC) decided to use electronic

display specialist Infotec as a ‘one-stop

shop’ for the work. Among the nine stations

concerned were Bedford, Luton, St. Albans

and West Hampstead and the displays

being provided had to interface with the

existing system as well as visually match

what was already there.

Established in 1994, Link-up approved rail

contractor Neary Rail has built a solid and

reputable business that focuses on offering

safe and high quality lineside civils services.

With offices in Manchester and Glasgow, the company

has worked on a diverse range of projects throughout

England, Wales and Scotland. Services include level

crossing maintenance, refurbishment and installation,

foundations for REBs, signals, stanchions and modular

buildings, access points and depot works, all types of

lineside cabling, troughing and containment.

“Neary Construction was set up in 1992 purely as a

civils company, however Neary Rail was set up in 1994

as an autonomous division within the Neary Group when

we acquired a small rail firm operating in Scotland. This

strategic move introduced us to rail infrastructure as the

company was working on the British Rail framework at

the time and we have worked in this industry ever since,”

explains Martin Neary, Managing Director of Neary

Construction. “We organically built the business up until

2010 when we started to find it more difficult to secure

work. Throughout 2010 and 2011 we realised that our

work load in the rail division was dwindling to the point

it was no longer self supporting or sustainable. Looking

at our options for the future, we didn’t know whether to

close Neary Rail down or to refresh the division with the

introduction of new management.”

Deciding on the latter option, Neary brought back

previous employee Chris Bird as Rail Contracts Manager

in 2013, re-grouped the business and began to expand

its multi-skilled capabilities to utilise the experience

of its team and sister companies. “We successfully

passed the Link-up audit in 2013 and are now approved

for more than 100 different work categories and are


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Following an expansion of its capabilities, Neary Rail has the multiple skills and flexibility

to continue strengthening its presence in the railway industry

Neary rail

Linked to success

Constructing a new signal base, Rochdale Resignalling Scheme

Completed sealing end compound with earthworks, retaining wall

and fencing, all by Neary



seeing a positive amount of interest in all work areas,”

says Chris. New services include the removal and

reinstatement of all surface finishes and paving for

embedded rail networks, building refurbishment and

minor building services, project management and

site support and a complete installation service for

station PA, CIS, PID’s schemes; this includes all cable

containment such as duct, troughing, traywork, trunking

and racking. On top of this, the company offers cable

and equipment installation and low voltage termination.

Neary Rail is also looking to target building works such

as station refurbishments and depot upgrades as well

as drainage works.

“We mainly work on heavy rail projects, undertaking

minor civils projects, installing foundations, cable routes

and improving level crossings. However with our new

service offerings we have also begun to target the light

rail market,” says Chris. “Intended for tram and light

Morson InternationalMorson International are a global recruitment specialist,

recently named the UK’s No.1 Technical Recruiter.

Established in 1969, Morson are a recognised leader

in the field of rail protection, providing safety critical

solutions across the UK’s railway industry for over 25

years. Our close partnership with Neary Rail primarily

focuses toward the delivery of contingent labour which

include protection staff and skilled tradesmen in support

of civil engineering, heavy and light rail projects.

rail systems, this will involve providing contractors with

civils support to remove and reinstate surfacing in street

running and slab track areas to facilitate rail changing

and cable installations.

“In line with these developments our parent company

recently acquired AD Antrobus, a Southport based

electrical contractor. This will provide us with different

skill sets that will benefit both the rail and civil divisions at

certain points in projects when we may need specialist

electrical work carried out. It will be a huge benefit to

call upon and will enable us to maintain our own quality

Installing platform duct at Hinckley Station

Newly installed CIS and Induction Loop posts at Narborough Station

New 132kV Transformer Switchgear, at Earlstown, all

constructed by Neary

http://www.morson.com



standards, not only in terms of delivery but also in terms

of staff training, rather than relying on sub-contracting to

other firms,” says Martin.

Currently working with Network Rail and Metrolink, the

dynamic and flexible company frequently goes the extra

mile to ensure a project runs smoothly. “We require fairly

low management from our client, as they trust us to work

to the highest levels of compliance with regards to safety,

environment and quality,” says Chris. “A particularly

challenging project was the renewal of Ardmoor level

Howarth TimberWith over 170 years’ trading experience, the Howarth

Timber Group has grown to provide not only the widest

range of products, but expertise, service and knowledge

you can rely on.

Customers are at the heart of everything it does. With a

nationwide network of branches supplying timber and

building materials, dedicated manufacturing divisions

supplying specialist windows and doors and timber

engineering services, the Howarth Timber Group is

focused on providing market leading choice, quality,

service and value.

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzNeary rail

crossing, which was contracted over a weekend shift.

When we arrived on site the works were significantly

behind, which meant we were unable to get onto track

until much later. Nevertheless, we kept our resources,

including sub-contractors, on site for an additional 12

hours, modified the method of working and were able to

hand the railway line and road back on Monday morning

with minimal delay. This shift was considered a great

success, and demonstrates our flexibility and problem

solving attitude.”

Boasting strong relationships with clients due to

flexibility, expertise and high quality services, the division

was recently awarded a Metrolink contract. Starting

in October, this contract supports the completion of

a new tram management system on the Phase 1 and

2 Metrolink Lines, as Chris discusses: “The contract

was awarded by Metrolink RATP Dev Ltd to carry out

maintenance and refurbishment works on the cabling

route between Bury and Altrincham so that when the

TMS contractor comes along they will have a suitable

route to install the cables in. With a duration of six months

we are about a third of the way through and anticipate the

contract will be completed in April.”

Having set up the foundations for a stronger and more

diverse rail division, the future looks positive for Neary

Rail as it focuses on strengthening its relationships with

existing clients such as Network Rail LNW and Metrolink,

while also forging new relationships in the light rail

transport sector and other Network Rail zones. “We are

aiming for steady growth alongside controlled delivery of

projects to maintain our reputation for safety and quality.

Looking further ahead, we would like more companies to

see us as a first choice contractor for the work we do,”

concludes Chris. zz

www.neary.co.uk/rail

New timber RRAP under construction at Farrington, near Preston

New access road at Farrington, near Preston

http://www.howarth-timber.co.uk

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Lowery Ltd


With a list of clients that includes National

Grid, NTL, Thales and Seeboard by 2000,

Lowery Ltd took the strategic decision

to expand its railside activities in 2003

when it acquired its Principal Contractor’s

License (PCL) from Network Rail.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2010,

the Addlestone headquartered company’s

core geographic area of activity is based

in the south and south east of England,

where it has additional offices to support

its ongoing major projects.

Focused on developing long-term

relationships with its customers since

its inception, Lowery Ltd has gained

repeat business from major firms with

its proven capabilities and performance.

With fully accredited, superior systems

in place, Lowery Ltd continually meets

T he principal operating firm within

the Lowery Group, Lowery Ltd

was established in August 1950

to initially work for British Rail,

the General Post Office (GPO) and its

major customer during this period, Pirelli

Cables. Through installing underground

supertension cables for the Central

Electricity Generating Board (CEGB)

during the 1950s and working in Belfast in

the 1960s, Lowery Ltd further developed

its relationship with Pirelli while also

extending its activities with British Rail,

CEGB and the GPO.

Securing major contracts with British

Telecom, Cable & Wireless and Network

Rail throughout the 1980s and 1990s,

Lowery Ltd had proven its capabilities as

a quality focused and highly efficient firm.

Following more than 60 years of

civil engineering, Lowery Ltd has

gained an excellent reputation for

quality and service

A superior service


Aspin GroupThe Aspin Group’s expert and experienced

team works collaboratively with its clients,

providing a wide array of services to the

railway environment and across industry.

Aspin Group provides site investigation,

civil, structural and geotechnical design

consultancy, management, installation

and plant services to deliver all aspects of

substructure and superstructure installation

across the UK and beyond.

Aspin Consulting has specific skills and

knowledge to develop big-picture innovative

designs and solutions together with the

detail and minutiae necessary to deliver.

Aspin can provide the complete solution

from design through to delivery. Innovation,

technology and providing solutions are at the

heart of its service.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

its customer’s expectations by operating

in full compliance with all health, safety

and environmental legislation, while also

delivering the highest quality services.

By giving a high priority to compliance

and continual improvement in all areas of

activity, the company minimises downtime

and significantly lowers the likelihood of

incidents or accidents. All projects are

manned by a highly trained, efficient and

competent workforce and managed by a

capable and experienced management

team.

Boasting the civil engineering and

electrical skills required for the design,

build and commission of heavy voltage (HV)

and direct current (DC) cabling projects,

Lowery Ltd has been actively involved in

the Crossrail project, providing a reliable

service to long-term client Network Rail.

Acting as principal contractor for works

including installation of UTX, buried duct

and surface troughing, fibre and copper

cable terminations and jointing, cable

pulling and lift and shift of existing cables,

CSR board installation and cable laying in

confined spaces, Lowery Ltd has been an

active participant in the development of

Crossrail, which reached the halfway point

of its construction in January 2014.

On top of its involvement in the Crossrail

project, Lowery Ltd has been working as a

principal contractor for major projects and

Class 378 train at Norwood Junction on the East London Line, South stations

http://www.aspingroup.com

Anderton Concrete Anderton Concrete is the market leader in

the supply of cable troughing to the UK rail

industry. Anderton is the sole supplier to

Network Rail for standard cable troughing

(Certificate No. PA05/00318) and the

new revolutionary Anderlite Lightweight

Troughing System (Certificate No.

PA05/05810).

The Anderlite system has an identical

product profile to the traditional product

therefore, a transition from ‘system to

system’ is effortless.

Anderlite reduces the risk of manual

handling with a weight reduction of 30

per cent in relation to standard concrete.

Additionally, this reduction in weight affords

significant transport cost savings of up to

20 per cent, reducing the carbon footprint

for all its industry partners. Anderlite is up

to 50 per cent cheaper than alternative

light-weight systems.


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Lowery Ltd zz

investments in south east territory (E&P)

HV feeder renewals. This is centred around

the supply, management, site works,

possession management, installation,

testing and commissioning of new high

voltage feeder and pilot cables

that replace life expired and oil

insulated cables at locations

based in the south east territory

of Network Rail’s infrastructure.

On top of this, the works include

the draining down of redundant

oil and recovery and disposal

of old cables following the

commissioning of each new

HV feeder and cable.

Link-up approved, Lowery

Ltd incorporates a wide

range of product codes

to support its scope

of operations, while the

company’s rail division is accredited by

BSI to BS EN ISO 9001:2008 Quality and

BS EN ISO 14001:2004 Environmental

standards. Furthermore, the firm holds a

PCL for line-side civil engineering works,

cable supply & laying and cable route

works from Network Rail and is a member

http://www.andertonconcrete.co.uk


of the British Safety Council. Working

directly for Network Rail and London

Underground, as well as a specialist

supplier with major rail contractors,

Lowery Ltd has an assurance team in

place to ensure complete compliance with

all London Underground and Network

Rail’s health and safety requirements.

As an established Principal Contractor

for London Underground’s electrical

enhancement projects, Lowery Ltd

has gained experience from delivering

successful solutions while working

on ETE, SUP and ATC contracts.

These projects include the design and

installation of a new 11kV feeder circuit to

the Old Dalby Test Track’s new switching

station, the design and installation of

DC Cable, upgraded for ‘S’ type rolling

stock in Wimbledon and DC ETE works at

Wembley Park Sidings.

With a long history of delivering civil

engineering solutions and an excellent

track record for delivering projects safely,

on time, on budget, Lowery Ltd guarantees

customer satisfaction with its commitment

to health, safety, quality and environment.

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzLowery Ltd

Furthermore, with a focus on continual

improvement and strong relationships

with major firms such as Network Rail

and London Underground, the company’s

reputation as one of the UK’s principle

contractors for rail power suppliers is sure

to continue growing in the future. zz

http://www.railwaystrsategies.co.uk

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz OleO InternatIOnal


“Oleo’s product portfolio has expanded

since then to include elevator buffers,

industrial buffers, end stop solutions as

well as testing and simulation software,”

added Sul. “Testing is done at our factory

in Coventry using specialist test rigs

developed by Oleo alongside mathematical

algorithms that can simulate the linear

and non-linear dynamic energy absorption

characteristics of our products. This

combination of physical testing matched

by mathematical analysis has enabled Oleo

to maintain leading edge products and

simulation software.”

As Sul pointed out, Oleo prides itself

on being innovative in response to both

A s Sul Sahota, managing director,

explained, the company’s roots go

back a long way: “In 1934, Peter

Thornhill (the founder of Oleo)

devised a design of undercarriage strut for

aircraft using a free floating piston, which

allowed the whole strut to be inverted,

this enabled the strut to work at an angle

eliminating the problem of an oil and air

mixture.”

Sul continued: “Using this principle

and after many years of research and

development for a hydraulic railway buffer

a patent was lodged, pioneering the

first practical design for a self-contained

hydraulic buffer for railway rolling stock.

For over 60 years Oleo has been involved in the design and

manufacture of energy absorption

technology for a variety of industries,

including rail

RailJet

An absorbing story


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

customer demands and technological

opportunities. “Continuous investment

in research and development (R&D),

state-of-the-art technology and modern

manufacturing processes has made Oleo

leading experts in energy absorption,”

he elaborated. “By utilising our in-house

simulation software and testing equipment

it has been possible to develop new

technologies. R&D is ongoing at Oleo

with new services being introduced and

products patented, and we have ISO17025

accreditation for our testing facilities.

As a result we are routinely undertaking

type testing for customers as well as new

product development activities.”

These customers include major train

operators such as SNCF and RATP,

train manufacturers such as Alstom,

Bombardier, Siemens, CSR and CNR as

well as their suppliers of couplers and

buffers such as Dellner, Voith, Faively SRI

Class 378 train at Norwood Junction on the East London Line, South stations

Temple Mills Depot with Oleo end stops

Oleo’s in house test rig

Lee SpringSprings and fasteners are often vital

components in the manufacture or

construction of a component for

transport systems and with Lee Spring’s

stock range of over 19,000 springs

and fasteners, customers value a

faster route to precise and accurate

specification. The Lee Spring custom

design service also provides precise

application matched solutions.

Lee Spring supplies springs and

fasteners to various industry sectors

for a wide range of applications. The

ISO 9001 Registered Company ensures

that the highest quality materials are

used to manufacture all the springs Lee

Spring supplies and that the springs

themselves meet exacting transport,

medical, military, aerospace and/or

equivalent British and DIN Standards.


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz OleO InternatIOnal zzand Axtone.

Serving these customers is a

knowledgeable and well-trained staff, and

ensuring it has the best people within the

business is one of Oleo’s priorities: “Oleo

has an active programme of recruiting and

developing apprentices and graduates,

recruiting seven apprentices and 12

graduates in the last two years, as well as

one staff member doing an engineering

degree on day release. We encourage and

support all our engineers to work towards

Chartered Engineer status and we also

have two engineers undertaking Ph.D

programmes. We are planning on recruiting

for apprentices and graduates again this

year,” noted Sul.

This combination of in-house expertise

and sophisticated systems means

that Oleo can continuously release

innovative products that are developed

using proprietary technology and at

the same time achieve cost leadership

Baker Street

http://www.leespring.com


A SUPPLIER OF STEEL TUBE AND BAR TO OLEO INTERNATIONAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RAIL BUFFERS AND END STOPS

PRODUCTSCold Drawn Precision Steel TubeHot Finished Seamless Mild Steel Tube and Carbon Hollow BarHydraulic Products; Honed and Smooth Bore Tube, Chromed Bar, Stainless Bar and Cast Iron Bar.Hot & Cold Finished Structural Hollow Sections

MARKETSRail IndustryConstructionEquipment ManufacturingFluid Power (Cylinder Tubes and Chrome Plated Bar for Hydraulic Applications)

SERVICEIdeally situated close to the A1 in North Yorkshire, we use our own fleet of 20 trucks to deliver a fast and efficient service throughout the UK and the Republic of IrelandAn Extensive Product Range with over 30,000 tonnes of stock held in our 37,000m sq purpose built warehouse9 Fully Automatic Saws Cutting up to 650mm OD, which includes 1 High Speed Circular Saw operating 24 hours a day 5 days a week

NTS are Part of the Bianco Group, a family run business made up of over 20 companies in Europe and North America

ISO 14001: 2004 OHSAS 18001: 2007

ISO 9001: 2008

Tel: +44 (0)1845 577440Email: [email protected]

www.nationaltube.co.uk

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzOleO InternatIOnal

rail which simulates rail collisions.”

Since Oleo was founded it has has

grown from small beginnings to become

a leading world expert in crash energy

management and energy absorption

technology with manufacturing facilities in

the UK and China and a sales and service

facility in Germany as well as subsidiaries

in the USA and India. “Products are sold

and distributed from our warehouse in

Atlanta to support our growing business

in the US and Oleo products are sold

worldwide through a host of distributors,”

noted Sul. “Over 95 per cent of Oleo sales

are exported from the UK with Europe and

China being the largest markets.”

It is clear that the rail industry is growing

strongly worldwide and this is both a

challenge and an opportunity to Oleo as

Sul concluded: “Oleo is an engineering

company and that’s our core activity.

Therefore our mission is to continue to

grow and develop our engineering team,

development, testing and manufacturing

facilities and apply these expert capabilities

to strategic markets such as the rail sector.

We aim to maintain world leadership of

our products and services by continuous

commitment to engineering excellence.” zz

China

Bombardier AGC

by investments in manufacturing. “We

introduced Oleo 1D Rail simulation

software and a range of gas hydraulic and

deformation products during 2013, and

these have had good market response,”

highlighted Sul. “We have more innovative

new products and services to launch in

2014, including an updated version of 1D

http;//www.nationaltube.co.uk

l 2013 was the year supply chain disruptions hit the

headlines – from the Bangladesh factory disaster, to

the horse meat scandal and ethics issues at several

mobile phone companies. All the incidents showed

how suppliers in lower level tiers of the supply chain

can have a devastating impact on the financial

performance and reputations of global businesses.

Mapping the supply chain We believe that in 2014 consumers, governments

and industry watchdogs will put pressure on big

businesses, across a whole range of sectors, to

scrutinise their operations in terms of health and safety,

ethics and compliance. Most of the high-profile issues

of 2013 involved suppliers beyond tier one.

In 2014, we expect to see an increase in supply

chain mapping – where companies from a wide range

of business sectors work to identify exactly which

companies are in their supply chains.

Once businesses know who is in their supply chain,

they can scrutinise each supplier’s operations and

evaluate whether companies are aligned to their own

values in terms of people, planet and profit.

Monitoring and benchmarking sustainability

With increasing scrutiny on the origin of materials

and the treatment of workers through all tiers of the

supply chain, 2014 will mark the beginning of the end

to companies paying ‘lip service’ to sustainability. This

is due in part to a raft of new legislation and direction

from Governments around the world.

Conflict minerals

From May 31 2014, companies will be required to

file reports on their use of ‘conflict minerals’ – metals

sourced from mines that are usually owned by,

and support the activities of, terrorist groups and

armed gangs.

The EU recently completed a consultation, calling

for views on the potential implementation of a similar

initiative to tackle conflict minerals within supply chains.

With that in mind, we would urge European companies

to take proactive action now, as it’s inevitable – and

right – that these requirements are extended beyond

the US and into other countries.

Welfare of workers

Meanwhile, businesses should also prepare to disclose

further information about the welfare of workers in their

supply chain. The Home Secretary Theresa May has

asked Labour MP Frank Field to review the evidence

base for a new Modern Slavery Bill. The Home Office

has published a draft version of the law and expects to

publish a final version and an action plan in the spring.

Both examples show that more than ever, CSR,

health and safety, ethics, bribery, corruption,

compliance and financial well-being are now critical

aspects of business activity which need to be

monitored and reported on very closely. We predict

that increasingly, buyers will be looking for systems

to accurately record and benchmark suppliers’

performance in terms of sustainability.

The impact of new Procurement Directives

Early in 2014, the European Commission is expected

to unveil the biggest raft of change in almost a decade

to Utilities and Public Sector Procurement Directives.

This could be a ‘double-edged sword’; providing

real opportunities for suppliers including SMEs, but

significant potential risk for buyers who are unprepared

and could be challenged on procurement decisions.

The changes are expected to include:

l Buyers will no longer be able to impose a minimum

financial turnover requirement on suppliers greater than

two times the value of the contract.

l SMEs tendering for ‘above threshold’ contracts

will now only be required to provide evidence of

compliance when the contract is awarded.

l Clearer definition on what constitutes a ‘substantial’

or ‘material’ change to contract.

The Cabinet Office is expected to enter the changes

into legislation swiftly, within 12 – 18 months. As such,

we would recommend buyers and suppliers get ahead

of the game and act early before the changes become

law. This includes checking procedures and contracts

are ‘watertight’ and in line with expected legislative

requirements.

Creating a single global view of supplier data

The World Trade Organisation predicts world trade

growth of 4.5 per cent in 2014. We anticipate big

businesses will have a renewed focus on expanding

into emerging markets. It will become a priority

for global businesses to implement the same high

standards in terms of health and safety, ethics and

compliance in all countries in which they operate.

In 2014 we expect to see a growing number of

companies consolidating their supplier information

into a centrally managed database which allows

businesses to source either globally or on a

country-by-country basis depending on political

and economic factors.

We expect that this functionality will be used much

more widely, by a whole range of sectors.

Knowledge is power and we expect that the

companies who get to grips with potential issues in

their supply chain will have a real USP in 2014. zz

Four predictions for UK supply chains in 2014


ADRIAN CHAMBERLAIN

predicts four supply chain trends likely

to affect other industries in 2014,

and shares tips on how to get

ahead

Supply Chain zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

When it comes to rail travel, these

trains deliver a service where

travel is about relishing the

experience and taking part in a

more sophisticated age and a gentler pace of

life. From the first greeting from a distinctively

uniformed and friendly steward to the gleaming

carriages, the trains installs a sense of wonder

that brings together fascinating, like-minded

people united in their shared love of adventure

and travel.

The lovingly restored carriages of the Venice

Simplon-Orient-Express date back to the

1820s and 1830s and embody the spirit of

the pioneering age of luxury travel. Guests

can choose between single, double and

cabin suites that each offer unique yet equally

sumptuous surroundings. Double cabins are

configured as a relaxing lounge that includes

a banquette sofa, footstool, small table and

washbasin cabinet with hot and hold water and

at night the cabin becomes a cozy bedroom

with an upper and lower bed. Cabin suites

consist of two interconnecting cabins, where

guests can choose between single beds or to

keep one cabin as a lounge with upper and

lower bed in the other. A beautiful, mosaic-tiled

lavatory is also located in each carriage.

The carriages themselves are expertly

maintained to guarantee excellent reliability


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Harking back to the roaring twenties and the golden age of travel, the Venice

Simplon-Orient-Express and sister trains, The British

Pullman, Northern Belle, The Royal Scotsman and

The Eastern & Oriental Express provides one of the

world’s most iconic travel experiences

Venice Simplon-orient-expreSS

iconic serviceAn

boasting Lalique glass panels, Etoile du Nord

with its beautiful marquetry, and L’ Oriental,

decorated in black lacquer. At the heart of

the train is the stylish bar car, which offers a

welcoming environment where guests can

relax over cocktails or coffee, chat with fellow

passengers and enjoy music from a resident

pianist.

The Côte d’Azur is decorated by René

Lalique and was first built during 1929 as

a first-class Pullman. It features faintly blue

opaque glass showing classical figures with a

matching frieze of smaller panels. The stylish

carriage began life in the Côte d’Azur Pullman

Express before switching to the Deauville

Express. Later, it was returned to the Côte

d’Azur for winter journeys and ran from Paris

to Calais for many years, meeting passengers

from the Golden Arrow boat train service. By

1961 it had been placed in a reserve pool used

for special services and was eventually stored

at the Wagons-Lit works at Villeneuve. It was

later rescued from a dreary rail siding in 1991

by VSOE and fully restored at Breman.

The Etoile du Nord was built in England

during 1926 and showcases some of the most

beautiful marquetry in the continental rake.

The carriage originally ran with the Etoile du

Nord train from Paris and then switched to the

Edelweiss based in Amsterdam. Later, it was

used as part of the Lustitania Express from

Lisbon to Madrid before it ended its service

travelling between Cadiz and Seville during

the 1970s. The final resonant car in the fleet is

and a smooth, relaxing service. To ensure the

highest standards in quality, only the very best

providers of rail equipment and facilities are

relied upon to assist in the upkeep of the ironic

train. This allows guests to savor the beautiful

surroundings including, opulent interiors,

sparkling crystal, plush fabrics and polished

woods while anticipating a delicious breakfast

served against a backdrop of exciting new

panoramas.

The sumptuous interiors and comfort

of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is

complimented by exquisite gourmet haute

cuisine, prepared by highly skilled chefs and

a famous wine selection. Fresh ingredients

are taken on board at stops along the route

including lobsters from Brittany, tomatoes

from Provence or saltmarsh lamb from

Mont St Michel. The restaurant and bar cars

exemplify the same rich history and premier

travel experience that has made the Venice-

Simplon-Orient-Express an iconic name and

the train features a total of three beautifully

restored 1920s restaurant cars; Côte d’Azur,


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A 1930 themed carriage on board the Northern Belle

The steam pulled British Pullman

A cabin suite on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, in night time configuration

http://www.jpadesign.com

the L’Oriental, which was originally a Pullman

kitchen car. It was built in Birmingham in 1927

in the Etoile du Nord style and ran a luxurious

service between Paris and Amsterdam. It too

later joined the Lustitania Express. When it

was purchased for the Venice Simplon-Orient-

Express, the car was updated and refitted with

black lacquer panels and today all three cars

continue to impress.

The bar car also features stunning design

and exclusive comfort. It was built slightly later

than the restaurant cars, starting life in 1931

but it none-the-less perfectly captures the

imagery and spirit of the golden age of travel.

The carriage was originally based at the Gare

Saint-Lazare in Paris and after the war it ran as

part of the Sud Express from Paris to Irún on

the Spanish border and from Paris to Toulouse

in Le Capitole. Today it features an exquisite,

Art Nouveau-style interior by Gérard Gallet.

In 2014, the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express

will operate a number of scheduled departures

out of Brussels for the first time and in 2015,

the train returns for Scandinavia for journeys

to Stockholm and Copenhagen from Venice.

The UK Luxury day trains, The British Pullman

and the Northern Belle offer a wide variety

of exceptional journeys across the British

countryside from day trips to weekends away

and exquisite dinners hosted by celebrity

zzzzzzzz zz

chefs such as Raymond Blanc OBE. The

Royal Scotsman will journey to London for the

first time in 2014 and the Eastern & Oriental

Express in Asia will host a special fundraising

gala journey in October 2014 in aid of Save

Wild Tigers. zz

Venice Simplon-orient-expreSS


The Eastern and Oriental Express

The Royal Scotsman

JPA DesignJames Park Associates (JPA) was

founded by architect James Park

and has become recognised as

a world leading transport design

company, notching up numerous

award winning projects within

the aviation and rail industries.

Working closely with Orient

Express, the relationship has

been pivotal in the production

of rail projects such as Venice

Simplon Orient Express, Eastern

& Orient Express, The Andean

Explorer in Peru, The Northern

Belle and the GNER Mallard

project. In addition, JPA was

the designer for The Royal

Scotsman, which continues to be

a successful part of the Orient

Express portfolio.

JPA’s ability to combine interior

design solutions with extensive

technical ability has proved to be

perfectly matched to the creation

of high quality luxury travel

projects.

Infrastructure is key to a successful rail sector,

accounting for approximately one-third of the

railway’s operating costs. In 2009/10 in the UK alone,

£1bn was spent on renewals of infrastructure, £2bn

on maintenance and £1bn on enhancements. As a result,

there is a growing industry-wide focus on the

development and introduction of advanced asset

management and condition monitoring technology in

order to achieve a resilient, seven-day railway with

optimum levels of reliability, capacity and service levels.

This will chiefly be achieved through the introduction of

intelligent condition monitoring systems on board rolling

stock in order to provide accurate, timely information that

allows operators to implement condition-based

intervention and reduce unplanned maintenance and

delays. The introduction of such technology has already

commenced across the UK rail network, particularly as

operators recognise the operational benefits, at minimal

cost, that increased automation, the data to predict

intervention, and the use of intelligent software and

equipment bring.

Network Rail in particular has been a leading

implementer of advanced asset management and

condition monitoring systems, recognising that with such

a large and complex asset base it is vital for an operator

to manage maintenance and refurbishment efficiently

and provide early warning of any rapid deterioration or

component failure. The business has been lowering

costs since 2007 and aims to cut a further £2bn through

the development of methods of reliable, real-time

measuring structures, systems and components and

innovative remote measurement technology.

To discover more, Railway Strategies recently spoke to

Rob Russell, CTO (Data) at Critical Software

Technologies, who explained that: “Condition monitoring

systems and the critical management of assets is

essential where there is a high value, complex

infrastructure that can have a significant impact on

business systems if there is a failure. To implement this in

the rail sector, the main course of action needs to be an

exploitation of the current capabilities that are available

on the rolling stock and the infrastructure, in parallel with

a considerable enhancement of these capabilities. So,

initially, this might mean taking the existing data feeds

that are already available from the trains and the

operational environments and looking at the datafication

of maintenance records, logistics systems and so on.

Much of this valuable information exists only on paper,

requiring a shift to it being captured by electronic

maintenance management and logistics systems.

“That step will of course serve its initial purpose, in that

it will enable operators to capture the relevant data for

the safety and legislative status of tracking condition and

configuration management of the trains. Beyond that it

will be possible to reuse the data over time, enabling

things like ‘equipment performance analysis’, whereby

you can identify the specific areas on the trains that drive

unserviceability and maintenance burdens. This is where

real condition monitoring systems start to be successful,

allowing operators to dedicate any budgets that are

available for product improvements or technological

developments to the most significant areas for reliability

and serviceability.”

Of course, this represents an initial step, using the

available technology to begin the process of managing

and monitoring rolling stock and assets in order to

identify the most problematic areas. “In parallel with that,

operators should take a forward-thinking approach to

see how best they can capitalise on new technologies

that become available, so they improve the connectivity

of train systems and the ability to store, manage and

move larger data sets,” Rob highlighted. “From here

there are other developments that will go hand in hand,

such as the introduction of additional sensors, both to

rolling stock and the tracks/infrastructure. So, where

traditional sensors would monitor vibration levels,

Key assets


Rob Russell of Critical Software Technologies discusses asset management and condition monitoring in the rail sector

Rob Russell

Infrastructure & Asset Management zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


transmissions, oil systems and such like, adding things like

CCTV and camera imaging, allows measurements of the

infrastructure as the train is passing, for example.

As with any industry, the introduction of new technology

and the updating of existing assets and infrastructure will

be challenging, but Rob believes the benefits far outweigh

the potential problems. “The key is really about a change in

mindset,” he said. “From my experience in the aviation

sector, there is a lot of discussion and activity around

condition-based monitoring and prognostics, but I actually

believe that there is a lot more credibility and that far more

success would be achieved within a market like the rail

sector. For example, the problem in aviation is that

systems tend to be over maintained so that if there are any

failures identified, even at their earliest stages, the

components are removed so that operators never fully

understand the full cycle of the failure mode.

“Within the rail sector, because the safety regulations are

different, components and assets tend to run for longer so

that you can get a far better understanding of the failure

mode, and that is exactly the type of data that you need to

be feeding into prognostic models to allow you to

successfully implement condition-based maintenance.

Having this knowledge and information means that you are

able to run rolling stock and infrastructure for longer

periods at any one time. Once you have identified and

modelled a failure mode, you can run the components for

longer as you understand how far you are away from that

failure becoming critical.”

Future developments

Critical Software Technologies is currently involved in a

number of important projects in the rail sector in relation to

condition monitoring, giving Rob an insight into some of

the key areas in terms of future developments. “There is

already a reasonable level of embedded systems within

existing rolling stock that are monitoring many variables,

which is why expansion is the first aspect of the

development process. So, enhancing the capabilities of

sensors measuring transmissions, using existing CCTV

systems for other activities like passenger monitoring, and

monitoring the direct usage of the trains over an extended

period will be important.”

A key challenge in enhancing these existing systems is

the current capability of the rolling stock and infrastructure

– with numerous questions being raised including whether

the current CCTV systems are capable of measuring track

and train conditions at operational speeds, whether the

current Wi-Fi coverage is adequate across the network to

support both the needs of passengers and operators and,

if so, what issues may arise when trying to integrate the

data from across the whole network?

“The capabilities are there, it just requires a change in

approach as to how we implement condition monitoring,”

Rob explains. “Take CCTV for example. There are already

dedicated systems in place that take accurate

measurements from images at lower speeds. But I think it

is more effective to treat this as a ‘big data’ issue,

gathering higher volumes of images. This will likely mean

that, you will have a lot more ‘noise’ in the data, but there

are widespread techniques to remove this easily.

“Regarding Wi-Fi connectivity, unfortunately I do think

that it is often a challenge to find a good Wi-Fi connection

on a train across the UK rail network. Importantly, I believe

improvements will come though – they have to if we want

to progress and remain competitive in the global rail

sector. The advantage of Wi-Fi has always been that it

helps to meet passenger expectations for living a more

‘connected’ lifestyle but, in terms of condition monitoring,

you have the ability to piggy back on that Wi-Fi system to

carry all of the data recorded back to central data hubs.

The aspiration has to be for the highest degree of

connectivity possible throughout the network if you want

to easily achieve this.

“Moving forwards, the biggest challenge in implementing

a real step change in terms of condition monitoring and

asset management is that, in the UK, we have an

enormous retrofitting challenge in terms of fitting these

systems to a legacy infrastructure. When it comes to

installing new infrastructure, I think that it would be foolish

to not be putting the latest communication and

monitoring equipment in place; it would be extremely

short sighted on the part of UK industry to take that

approach.

“With regards to existing rolling stock, an important

challenge is the problem of the interoperability of data.

Because of the UK industry’s reliance on importing rolling

stock and infrastructure, you are seeing data being

collected across a network from different train types,

manufacturers and operators, which definitely creates a

challenge for the central operators in terms of bringing all

of the data together, calibrating it and translating it into

something meaningful and definitive. Ultimately, the most

important point long term will be for the UK to be involved

in the development process of this technology as early as

possible, and to be in the position where we can actually

try and define and drive these standards forward.”

Looking ahead, Rob concludes by explaining that, while

it is naturally important to consider the UK’s strategy for

implementing further condition monitoring throughout the

network, the global nature of the rail industry, coupled

with our reliance on imported rolling stock and

infrastructure, necessitates a broader approach. “It’s

important to have a global vision. We can look at our UK

network but it is vital to be able to put that into a

worldwide context. The home market is receiving so

many systems that are designed to European

specifications, or further abroad, so the key success

factor is to be as influential in the design and development

of new systems and solutions as possible. The UK is still

a highly innovative nation and I think there is still the

opportunity to really be at the forefront of the industry so

that we can develop an efficient, effective and world-class

rail network over the coming years.” zz


As the UK rail industry continues to grow, there is

increasing pressure on rail operators to ensure

the busy network is free of interruptions. A large

number of delays on the rail network can be

attributed to a loss of signalling power, usually caused

by cable or equipment faults, cable theft or vandalism.

PADS approved and developed in conjunction with

Network Rail’s Signalling Innovations Group, Schneider

Electric’s Automatic Supply Restoration (ASR) system is

the first non-protection based system available for the

rail market which automatically restores power for the

rail network’s critical signalling functions. The alternative

protection-based systems attempt to identify and isolate

the fault in real time. This requires careful configuration

of the protection settings during commissioning,

maintenance and upgrades. The Schneider Electric post-

fault ASR system is novel because it uses differential

measurement techniques to locate faults, thus removing

the need for calculated settings and making it resistant to

load changes. Having identified the location of a fault, it

operates contactors to isolate the faulty section and then it

restores supply by closing the normally open point and the

tripped breaker.

Already adopted by – and demonstrating its benefits

in – industries and infrastructure projects where

supply availability is critical, an ASR system works by


Keeping on the right trackWith demand on the UK rail network at its highest since the 1920s, reducing delays caused by signalling failures is essential in keeping passenger and freight customers moving, as well as keeping costs down for rail operators. JOHN LANGLEY-DAVIS explains the importance of embracing new innovations like

Automatic Supply Restoration (ASR) systems

A screen grab from the ASR system display


automatically restoring power to signalling equipment

following Functional Supply Point (FSP) or cable faults and

reduces supply interruptions to less than fifteen seconds.

The ASR system comes with an easy-to-use touch screen

interface complete with a graphical network representation

of the signalling power network. The display can be viewed

and remotely controlled via Internet Explorer and presents

real time and historical reporting, as well as status and

alarm information, ensuring maintenance engineers have full

visibility of network loading and fault data information

The Schneider Electric ASR system benefits from the

ability to integrate into new and existing power supply

distribution systems, without affecting the current network.

When it comes to installation, unlike protection-based

systems, this ASR system is ‘plug and play’ so does not

require any measurements of the electrical characteristics

of the feeder at each FSP and therefore does not require

specialist engineers to install or maintain it. Similarly, only

cabling skills are required to repair a faulty ASR unit as the

entire unit can be easily exchanged with no configuring

required of the replacement unit.

The system is scalable meaning that two variants of the

equipment – remote fault detection and automatic supply

restoration – can be offered to individuals based on their


Ross JacksonTom Zunder

John Langley-Davis is Schneider Electric’s advanced services marketing manager

Infrastructure & Asset Management zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzproject requirements and budgets.

Remote fault detection provides communications, analysis

and display facilities; enabling the rail engineering team to

remotely monitor the status of the network. When a fault

occurs, the system automatically analyses the fault data

and identifies the location of the fault, displaying it on a HMI.

This allows the faulty feeder section to be identified prior to a

local inspection.

The full ASR system uses the technology of the Remote

Fault Detection system but adds the control of contactors

at the FSP, enabling the network to be automatically

reconfigured.

To ensure safety, security, reliability and efficiency on

the UK’s ever-expanding rail network, rail operators must

adopt new innovative and intelligent solutions which help to

monitor, control and optimise the electrical assets on the rail

network. An ASR system improves supply availability for new

installations, while also extending the useful operational life

of existing networks. It can significantly reduce delays and

outages, minimise impact on rail customers, as well as save

time in installation, save time in maintenance and improve

the safety of those inspecting the network. zz

Web: www.schneider-electric.com/uk

http://www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

http://www.railimages.co.uk

T he transportation industry faces its own unique

set of surveillance challenges. Indeed, operating

environments do not come much more complex

than a busy rail network. Incidents can occur

anywhere: along the infrastructure at stations, depots,

even on board trains – day or night. One obvious dilemma

is the need to simultaneously monitor all these areas in

real-time and feed the information to the appropriate

authorities.

Forensic to real-time Traditional analogue CCTV systems are mainly used

for viewing recorded video footage after an incident has

happened – in other words, a forensic approach. This is

one of the main factors driving the shift from analogue

CCTV to network video, or IP cameras. Network video

opens up these closed systems, allowing users in

any authorised global location to view real-time video,

simultaneously.

Intelligent analysis ‘at the edge’ Network video has also led to the development of

intelligent video, whereby the surveillance system

automatically analyses the images, adding valuable

information to surveillance installations. As network

video cameras are essentially small computers with

lenses, video analytics software can be loaded onto the

camera itself. Furthermore, by processing the video in

the cameras themselves – ‘at the edge’ – the load on the

network is significantly reduced, resulting in a much more

cost-effective network.

Extreme light conditions

Network video cameras are also able to see in extreme

lighting conditions – from near pitch black to direct

sunlight – making them perfect for condition monitoring

and asset protection applications within the rail industry.

Axis’ ‘Lightfinder’ technology enables its cameras to see

in colour in close to complete darkness (0.05 Lux) without

the need for additional light (See Fig. 1 for example).

Similarly, too much light or scenes with both bright and

dark areas (e.g. platforms, atrium-style concourses and

multi-storey car parks in direct sunlight) have always been

a challenge for analogue cameras, with images usually

over or under-exposed. Wide Dynamic Range – Dynamic

Capture (WDR-DC) network video cameras are able to

capture both these two extremes and everything in

between. They do this by using multiple exposure times

and overlaying into one image, ensuring the correct

exposure. For example:

These features, coupled with superb image quality,

mean network video cameras can be used for condition

monitoring in any setting. For example, forward-facing

cameras on trains to monitor the track infrastructure

or even the condition of on-board equipment, such as

pantograph wear.

Using analytics

Real-time video analytics software transforms standard

surveillance networks into intelligent and effective

detection and alert systems by effortlessly pinpointing

Condition monitoring and asset management using network

video cameras


The applications of network video in the rail environment are many and varied says DAVID THOMASSON

David Thomasson is business development

manager – transportation,

Axis Communications

Without Wide Dynamic Range – Dynamic Capture (WDR-DC)

With Wide Dynamic Range – Dynamic Capture (WDR-DC)

Fig.1: Lightfinder technology in action



security breaches, alerting staff to safety hazards,

protecting valuable assets, enhancing operational

efficiency, increasing return on investment and offering

powerful forensic analysis capabilities.

Typical examples within the rail sector include:

l Crowd management (people counting/

density/counter-flow)

l Loitering and track intrusion detection

l Queue/waiting time measurement

l People tracking reports (heat map)

l Fare evasion detection (anti-tailgating/pass-back)

l False liability claims deterrent

l Face recognition (VIPs/known criminals/

unauthorised personnel)

l Vandalism and graffiti deterrent

l Car park management and protection

l Perimeter protection

l Track safety initiatives enforcement

l Level crossing obstacle detection

l Tunnel incident detection

l Copper theft prevention

l Threat level assessment

l Efficient forensic analysis of events.

Also, network video can be a powerful safety tool

for fire detection, as video analytics can quickly and

automatically detect and alert as to the presence

of smoke and allow the user to monitor the exact

situation in real-time.

The sound of surveillance

Network video can even monitor suspicious sounds –

by having a built-in microphone and/or a ‘line in’ socket

to connect to a separate microphone, cameras can

hear as well as see! Advanced audio analytics can help

prevent violence and crime by recognising specific

sounds in real-time and allowing operators to respond

to incidents before they escalate. Specific examples

could include gunshots, explosions, aggression,

screams, breaking glass and aerosol/graffiti detection.

Cameras also have a ‘line out’ socket for connection to

a loudspeaker, to enable the operator to communicate

with people at the scene.

Sound analytic technology can also be used for

maintenance and condition monitoring. For example,

automatic detection of defects in train wheels, such as

bearings ‘squaring off’. zz


http://www.hmilliams.co.uk


zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzBEA SEnSorio

Sensing successBEA Sensorio specialises in the design of sensors integrated on

automated systems for train doors, gates and similar public

transport equipment



BEA, founded in Belgium in 1965, has over 400

employees around the globe. A pioneer in

the sensor industry, BEA was one of the first

companies to launch a Doppler microwave radar

specially adapted for automatic doors opening.

The Sensorio division of BEA was set up to broaden

the fields of application of its technologies through market

diversification, and to make its expertise available to

other parties involved in various new markets. At BEA

Sensorio, the employees and management team combine

experience and know-how in a way that ensures clients

get the right solution to meet all their sensor needs.

BEA Sensorio offers a complete range of infrared

optical, radar and time of flight LZR® based sensors, and

these are divided across several market sectors, one of

which is Railways and Public Transport in general. In this

area, BEA Sensorio products are available for interior

doors, exterior doors, platform screen doors and other

similar applications in Public Transport.

When it comes to interior doors, over the past few years

automation has become increasingly important in the

public transport market, mainly focusing on the comfort

and safety of passengers. The same is valid for automated

doors, especially on train platforms.

On automated interior train doors, the aim of using

sensors is threefold:

1) To open the door when passengers approach the door

(detection of motion), and avoid inappropriate openings in

all other situations

2) To keep the door open as long as a passenger is next

to the door or within its threshold (detection of presence)

3) To avoid the door staying open indefinitely, if objects,

such as baggage are placed in the sensor’s detection field

The BEA Sensorio sensors of the RS range are

dedicated to this kind of application. So for example, the

RS-1 is a one-spot active infrared sensor designed to

open the doors when needed or to keep them open in

case of presence at proximity of or in the door’s threshold,

and the RS-15 is an active infrared sensor featuring a

detection area (matrix) of 3 x 5 configurable spots, to

open the door when needed and keep it open in case of

presence in the threshold.

These solutions offer multiple customer benefits,

including decreased maintenance and logistics cost. They

are convenient alternative to push buttons, light barriers or

similar infrared sensors.

Sensing success


For exterior doors, generally the most important

aspects for operators to consider are safety and access

conditions for persons with disabilities. As a result, on

automated exterior doors, the aim of using sensors is to

safeguard the passengers while keeping an acceptable

level of operability. Therefore, the door should be kept

open when somebody tries to enter or to leave the railway

vehicle, alone or accompanied (e.g. with a children or an

animal). The ‘critical’ passengers should be detected

without being hit by the door. Consequently, additional

sensor solutions to contact edges used nowadays are

requested.

Time-of-flight technologyBEA Sensorio’s products in this area are based on the

LZR® platform, which the company describes as ‘time-

of-flight technology’. The LZR®-RS300 solution has been

designed to safeguard exterior railway doors in either

two or (optionally) three dimensions - one single sensor

(emitter and receiver are integrated in one housing) can

be enough to safeguard a complete door, either single or

double leaf, flat or curved.

The LZR® RS-300 offers a variety of customer

EternalSun Precision Components (Beijing) Co.,Ltd (Beijing Dinglun Plastic Co.,Ltd) was established in 2013. As a leading plastic mold manufacturer, EternalSun cooperate with domestic and international electronics manufacturing companies to manufacture household appliances and electronic equipment. We offer advanced technology, forward-looking processes, and excellent after-sales service to satisfy our customers. EternalSun are an approved molds and parts suppliers of the Legrand, BEA, Perlos(Lite-On), CITIC auto, Lepu Medical, Boston Power, INC.,Pride Power and other well-known companies.

Contact us to find out moreGeneral Manager Jason Zhang

Tel +86-13311517289 E-mail [email protected]

East 394#, MaFang Industrial Park, PingGu District, Beijing China 101204

www.eternalsun.com.cn

Material

We use high quality materials to manufacture the mold, the main Steels are from ASSAB, DAIDO.

Technology

Dinglun has many years mold manufacturing experience, providing customers with high efficiency and stable moulds.

Management

Our mold has the advantage of high productivity and ease of maintenance, realize your product and production completely.

Innovation

All the moulds are manufactured according to customer requirements and our innovations, we value each step of the manufacturing process.

EternalSunPrecision Components (Beijing) Co.,Ltd(Beijing Dinglun Plastic Co.,Ltd)

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzBEA SEnSorio

benefits. It is a convenient alternative to light grids,

and as the emitter and receiver are integrated in one

housing, minimum effort is required for integration offering

time and cost reduction to integrator and end user. It

offers complete coverage of the door surface, and in

combination with contact edges, the LZR-RS300 provides

high degree of safeguarding on exterior train doors.

Platform screen doorsPlatform Screen Doors (PSD) is a part of a safety system

used mainly in the subway to separate subway platforms

from the railway track. Sliding doors installed on the

subway platform interact with train doors, while opening

and closing simultaneously. One of the main tasks of such

systems is to prevent passengers from falling on the track

and guarantee constant and safe passenger flow between

platform and train. Consequently, the safeguarding of the

threshold area between the PSD and the train is a very

important factor.

The LZR® platform is also used in the PSD area, with

the LZR®-RS310. The LZR®-RS310 has been designed to

safeguard the threshold area between the PSD and train

doors in three dimensions. For correct train positioning

http://www.eternalsun.com.cn


and other raw data measurement linked to PSD

systems, BEA Sensorio also offers LZR®-U9xx series

another part of the LZR®-range.

Clients find that BEA Sensorio’s LZR Laser Scanner

series provide a refined alternative to light barriers,

cameras or similar technologies sensors. LZR® Laser

Scanner integration on the Platform Door Screen enables

the integrator to set-up a safe (up to SIL3 safety level)

and reliable system with reduced maintenance costs

and increased availability of the overall Automated Metro

system.

Alongside safeguarding exterior and PSD doors or

comfort on interior doors, other applications can also be

addressed using radar and time of flight LZR® sensors.

Generally, if motion has to be detected, radar sensors

are the most appropriate solution, whereas if distance

has to be measured, time of flight LZR® is generally more

suitable. Some examples of other possible applications

in the railway market are passengers counting and gap

filler deployment – both could be addressed using BEA

Sensorio’s Laser scanner platform LZR®-U9xx.

Major area of focus It is clear from the solutions discussed above that

passenger’s safety and comfort are major area of focus

for BEA Sensorio, and it is working closely with train

manufacturers such as Siemens and Alstom as well as

the integrators such as Bombardier to create adapted

sensor solutions bearing in mind cost adapted solution

for end-user and more safety & comfort for passengers.

As an example, one of its most recent announcements

was in September 2013, when the company released

an updated version of RS-15, the only opening sensor

for train inner doors that is compliant with fire safety

standards in Europe.

It is thanks to innovative solutions such as this that

BEA Sensorio remains one of the world leading

companies in its sector. As it enters the New Year, the

organisation is looking forward to further developing its

equipment for new applications in the industry, which

by the way will be exhibited during the forthcoming

INNOTRANS Exhibition. zz

www.sensorio.be


•

Rail Engineers are acutely aware of

the impact that ground conditions

and resultant track movement can

have on construction schedules.

Excessively soft or unstable soil conditions

tend to require greater excavation depths

and the use of larger volumes of aggregate,

increasing site traffic, carbon emissions and

ballast costs.

Whilst support can be achieved through

other means, such as chemical stabilisation or

deep excavation followed by a thick granular

sub-layer, these methods can be both time-

consuming and expensive. What’s more,

many of these processes can be avoided by

specifying an appropriate geogrid solution in

ballast and sub-ballast applications.

The stabilisation of rail ballast layers using

geogrids is backed up by more than

30 years of research detailing its ability to

delay track settlement. Various research


The use of geogrid technology in track ballast stabilisation and rail track support is increasingly being implemented across Britain’s rail network. MIKE HORTON explains how

and why this technology is proving so effective

Ballast control to save on maintenance & manpower

shown TriAx systems to provide even

greater performance of granular layers under

trafficking.

Geogrids rely on particle confinement

to develop a mechanically stabilised layer.

Here at Tensar, our research into geogrids in

ballast applications identified that determining

an optimum aperture size to fit with the

ballast particle size was vital. Doing so

creates the mechanical interlock necessary

to reduce ballast movement and sleeper

settlement, providing opportunities to increase

maintenance cycles and a number of cost

savings in the process.

It was identified and proven that a larger

aperture is required to cater for the coarse

nature of rail ballast, and so the TriAx® TX190L

larger aperture geogrid was developed. When

used in ballast applications, the aggregate

particles interlock within the triangular

apertures and the efficient rib profile of the

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Geotechnical Engineering

articles published in both the UK and

internationally have found the use of

mechanically stabilised layers comprised of

geogrid technology to increase the bearing

capacity of sub-ballast layers two-fold,

compared with the same non-stabilised

thickness.

Much of the early research into the

performance of geosynthetics in ballast and

sub-ballast applications relates to traditional

biaxial geogrid designs, which distribute

forces applied in two directions whilst

confining aggregate layers to reduce the need

for regular tamping.

In 2007, this efficiency was taken a step

further, with the introduction of geogrids

with a hexagonal structure and triangular

apertures capable of distributing force

across 360° of the geogrid system specified.

Comparative independent tests of Tensar

biaxial and TriAx triangular geogrids have

A traditional biaxial geogrid in use

Mike Horton is product and technology manager for stabilisation systems, at Tensar International

•

geogrid helps to confine

aggregate, which combined with the

isotropic stiffness, creates a mechanically

stabilised layer.

TriAx® TX190L has been accepted into

the Network Rail PADS catalogue based on

parameters identified as being relevant to the

expected performance of the product when

installed within the ballast layer itself. This

approach matches that for the stabilisation

function which is identified as being distinct

from reinforcement function where tensile

strength is seen as important.

When looking to save costs on manpower,

materials and maintenance, it makes sense

to think from the ground up to select an

appropriate system. Be sure to speak to an

expert and carefully consider which products

best suit your needs. zz


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzA traditional biaxial geogrid in use The world’s first TriAx TX190L application in Slovakia

Web: www.tensar.co.uk

Crossrail project pushes on with Tensar’s TriAx®l Tensar International was selected to provide a ground stabilisation solution as part of the Crossrail project. The company’s TriAx® geogrids have been utilised in the construction of a key part of the 2.6km North Woolwich Thames Tunnel Contract. Chosen as the designer of stabilised temporary working

platforms for heavy tracked rigs by the project’s joint venture contractors, Hochtief Murphy, Tensar supplied its TriAx® ground stabilising solution after the site investigation showed that soft alluvial ground conditions would make the use of alternative methods much slower and more expensive. Working alongside Hochtief Murphy from an early stage, Tensar’s team of specialists designed a mechanically stabilised layer (MSL) utilising a TriAx® geogrid solution. Based around a triangular structure, TriAx® has excellent, multi-directional tensile stiffness and has extensively well-researched performance. This allows heavy loads to be widely distributed through the stabilised granular platform, reducing pressure on the weak formation while using the minimum fill thickness. By combining TriAx® with a recycled granular capping material, Tensar’s engineers were able to remove the need for extensive excavation or the use of a reinforced concrete slab with box-outs whilst offering a high level of stability to the site, reducing costs and delays to other aspects of the project in the process.

TriAx geogrid

Tensar’s TriAx geogrids were specified to stabilise the North Woolwich Thames Tunnel as part of Crossrail.


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz CROSSRAIL

Diggingfor success

Cros

srai

l

TBM Elizabeth lowered into main shaft 25 October 2012

Tunnels The construction of Crossrail’s rail tunnels is a

core element of the building programme and

is work that has not been undertaken on this

scale in London for over 50 years. Twenty-one

kilometres of new twin-bore tunnels are being

constructed to deliver the new rail tunnels

through which the Crossrail trains will operate.

The five tunnels to be constructed are:

l Royal Oak to Farringdonwest

(Drive X) - length of drive approximately 6.4 km

l Limmo to Farringdon east

(Drive Y) - length of drive approximately 8.3 km

l Pudding Mill Lane to Stepney Green

(Drive Z) - length of drive approximately 2.7 km

l Limmo to Victoria Dock Portal

(Drive G) - length of drive approximately 0.9 km

l Plumstead to North Woolwich

(Drive H) - length of drive approximately 2.6 km

Each of these drives will construct both the

eastbound and westbound tunnels. All of this

adds up to 42 km of bored tunnels located

below the busy streets of London.

Eight giant tunnelling boring machines, or

TBMs, are being used to construct the new

tunnels. Each 1000 tonne machine will weave

its way between existing underground lines,

sewers, utility tunnels and building foundations

from station to station at depths of up to 40m.

C rossrail is among the most significant

infrastructure projects ever undertaken

in the UK. From improving journey

times across London, to easing

congestion and offering better connections,

Crossrail will change the way people travel

around the capital.

Work on the Crossrail project started in May

2009 and there are currently 10,000 people

working across over 40 construction sites.

The project is designed to bring an extra one

and a half million people to within 45 minutes

of central London and it will link London’s key

employment, leisure and business districts

– Heathrow, West End, the City, Docklands –

enabling further economic development.

Furthermore, the construction of Crossrail

is generating significant economic benefits

through the supply chain, and is providing a

stimulus for job creation and growth not just in

London, but also throughout the UK.

The project will support the equivalent

of 55,000 full time jobs and create at least

75,000 business opportunities right around the

country. From Falmouth to Fife, thousands of

companies are winning work on the project,

more than half of which are SMEs. In London

itself, the project’s economic benefits will

extend well beyond the construction phase.



At a value of £14.8 billion, Crossrail

is Europe’s largest construction project –

LibbiE HAmmond takes a look at

the extensive tunnelling

aspect of the programme

Crossrail Tunnel Boring Machine

cutterhead being installed at

Westbourne Park, 31 January 2012

Crossrail’s Western tunnels


Cros

srai

lw

ww.

john

zam

mit.

co.u

k Ab

solu

te P

hoto

grap

hy L

td


Crossrail’s Connaught Tunnel

A total of seven tunnelling machines are now

in operation, and since tunnelling commenced

in May 2012, milestones have been reached

on almost a monthly basis. The most recent

of these occurred on 9th October, when

tunnelling machine Phyllis finished the project’s

first train tunnel, 17 months after commencing

her 4.2 mile (6.8 km) journey from Royal Oak

in west London and Farringdon in

central London.

Phyllis’ sister machine, Ada, is in the Holborn

area and is due to complete tunnelling during

the winter while another six machines will finish

tunnelling in 2014.

Over the weeks following the completion of

her tunnel, Phyllis will be dismantled and her

130-metre long trailer system will be removed

from the tunnel via the recently completed

Fisher Street shaft.

At the time of Phyllis’ achievement Andy

Mitchell, Crossrail programme director

commented: “Crossrail has not only completed

its first tunnel under London but has reached

the half-way point for our tunnelling machines

with 13 miles of tunnels constructed to date.

A further six tunnelling machines are currently

hard at work constructing over 100 metres of

new tunnel each day with major tunnelling due

to complete next year.”

While Phyllis may have finished her work,

the others are still going strong - in south-east

London, TBMs Sophia and Mary have reached

the Woolwich station box with Sophia now

heading towards North Woolwich. The eastern

tunnelling machines Elizabeth and Victoria

are making great progress, with Elizabeth

expected to break through into Stepney within

November. Jessica is expected at Stepney by

the end of the year and the final TBM, Ellie, is

expected to launch early in 2014.

As a matter of interest, the naming of tunnel

boring machines (TBMs) after women is a long-

held tunnelling tradition. Tunnelling machines

Ada and Phyllis were named after early

computer scientist Ada Lovelace and Phyllis

Pearsall who created the London A-Z, while


Jessica is named for gold medal Olympian

Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Each of these tunnelling machines is a

1000 tonne, 150 metres long underground

factory with 20 person ‘tunnel gangs’ working

in shifts. At their peak, the tunnelling machines

aim for around 100 metres of tunnelling

progress per week - as the tunnelling

machines move forward, precast concrete

segments are built in rings behind - 250,000

tunnel segments will be used to line the

42 kilometres of tunnels.

Although the tunnelling teams are achieving

great results on a daily basis, some of their

successes are more important than others.

For example, in September the tunnelling team

completed a major part of the Connaught

tunnel refurbishment ahead of schedule. The

tunnel was built in 1878 and has not been in

passenger use since December 2006. It is the

only existing tunnel that will be re-used

for Crossrail.

Earlier in the year, dam walls were installed

in a section of the Royal Docks that runs

above the tunnel to allow Crossrail workers to

access the tunnel from above. A cofferdam the

size of a football pitch was put in place and

13 million litres of water were drained from the

Royal Docks. This allowed workers to deepen,

widen and strengthen the central section of

the tunnel so that it can accommodate new

Crossrail trains.

Sections of the tunnel were in a poor

condition and parts of it were narrowed during

the 1930s so that the dock could be deepened

to accommodate larger ships with brickwork

removed and steel segments installed. This

material had to be removed and a larger,

stronger structure put in place in preparation

for the start of Crossrail services in 2018.

The work had to be completed by the first

week of September to allow ships to pass

through the dock ahead of a trade exhibition

at ExCeL London. Following three months


Cros

srai

lCr

ossr

ail


Stepney Green shaft tunnelling


of work around the clock, construction was

finished, the dam walls were removed and the

dock was re-opened.

Discussing this part of the project, Andrew

Wolstenholme, Crossrail chief executive

noted: “In refurbishing this Victorian rail tunnel,

the team at Connaught has had to think on its

feet and overcome some unique challenges.

It is a source of great pride that our engineers

and everyone on the project continue

to deliver, often in difficult and complex

circumstances.”

Linda Miller, Connaught tunnel project

manager added: “It was a race against the

clock to get the work completed and the dock

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

finished ahead of schedule.”

With an unprecedented level of tunnelling

and underground construction work due to

take place in the UK, the Crossrail team also

realised it needed to look at the bigger picture

and deliver a new generation of workers with

the right engineering skills and expertise.

As a result it has established a dedicated

academy not only to train the next generation

of engineers but also to upskill people

already working in the wider industry. The

£13 million Tunnelling and Underground

Construction Academy in Ilford plays a leading

role in supporting the Crossrail project, but

will also support future projects such as

Thames Tideway and HS2. Crossrail has also

created nearly 250 apprenticeships including

engineering roles, with at least 400 to be

delivered during the lifetime of the project, and

established a graduate scheme with the first

graduates starting in Autumn 2013.

The establishment of the Tunnelling and

Underground Construction Academy (TUCA)

is central to Crossrail’s delivery plans and

its legacy to the industry. TUCA will not only

ensure that Crossrail has the skills needed

for its construction but will be retained post-

Crossrail as a specialist training centre for other

tunnelling projects thereby acting as a

legacy to the UK construction industry. zz

Tunnelling at Hanover Square site Bond Street Crossrail station

Whitechapel Crossrail station tunnelling works

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz CROSSRAIL



zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzCROSSRAIL

of the first of two new Bond Street station

ticket halls. The western ticket hall on Davies

Street is five storeys underground, with works

having already started recently on a passenger

tunnel to connect the Crossrail ticket hall to the

existing underground station.

The milestones continue Crossrail’s

impressive construction progress, which

recently passed the halfway mark on time and

within budget. In 2014 the project will transition

from major civil engineering work to station

and tunnel fit-out. 30km out of 42km of bored

tunnels are now complete.

The 150 metre long, 1000 tonne TBMs

create 6.2m diameter tunnels by installing

precast concrete segments in rings to line the

tunnel. They are pushed forward by hydraulic

rams and positioned using lasers and Global

Positioning Systems.

Ada’s 6.9 kilometre journey has been

particularly challenging for engineers,

successfully navigating a complex web of

Tube lines, building foundation piles and

infrastructure up to 30 metres beneath central

London. This included passing less than a

metre above the operational Northern line at

Tottenham Court Road.

More than 72,000 pre-cast concrete

segments have been used to line the western

tunnels and about two million tonnes of earth

has been excavated, destined for a new RSPB

nature reserve at Wallasea Island, Essex.

Now that Sophia’s journey has finished, her

sister Mary will shortly be launched from the

Woolwich box to complete the final section

of tunnelling on Crossrail’s southeast section.

With the arrival of TBM Jessica at Stepney, an

eighth tunnelling machine, Ellie, will commence

her journey from Pudding Mill Lane to Stepney

later this month.

TBM Jessica will be taken to Limmo

Peninsula for reassembly where she will

construct the new Crossrail tunnels between

Limmo and Victoria Dock Portal. zz

C rossrail’s western tunnels are now

structurally complete with tunnelling

machine (TBM) Ada reaching the end of

her journey at Farringdon on

24th January, having set out from Royal Oak

near Paddington in August 2012. This follows

the arrival of her sister machine Phyllis at

Farringdon in October 2013.

Over in southeast London, TBM Sophia has

completed Crossrail’s first tunnel beneath the

Thames, arriving at the North Woolwich Portal

on 29th January, having started south of the

river in Plumstead last August.

TBM Jessica has also completed her

tunnelling journey from Pudding Mill Lane and

broke through into one of Europe’s largest

mined caverns beneath Stepney Green on

3rd February.

In addition, tunnelling machine Elizabeth

made a spectacular entrance into the

new Crossrail station at Whitechapel on

20th January on her journey from Limmo

Peninsula to Farringdon. Her sister machine

Victoria also broke through into Stepney Green

on 30th January.

Crossrail has also finished civil construction

Crossrail completes

unprecedented fortnight of milestones

At the beginning of February Crossrail celebrated the

delivery of an unprecedented fortnight of construction

progress ranging from completion of new train

tunnels to three spectacular tunnel boring machine

breakthroughs

Crossrail’s unprecedented fortnight of milestonesstones

Date Milestone

20 January 2014 TBM Elizabeth breaks through into Whitechapel Crossrail station

24 January 2014 TBM Ada completes her journey from Royal Oak to Farringdon. The western tunnels are

now structurally complete.

29 January 2014 TBM Sophia arrives at North Woolwich portal, completing her journey from Plumstead

30 January 2014 TBM Victoria breaks into Stepney Green cavern

3 February 2014 TBM Jessica breaks into Stepney Green cavern, completing her journey from Pudding Mill Lane

Cros

srai

l

Cros

srai

l

Crossrail’s tunnelling machine

Sophia shown starting the drive

from Plumstead to North Woolwich

A map showing the progress of the Crossrail TBMs

offers techniques such as LDA piling (large

diameter bored), restricted access mini-

piling, CFA piling (continuous flight auger),

diaphragm walls, grouting, tunneling and

engineering to safeguard the environment.

These are used to form a range of

structures including foundations, tunnels,

station boxes, deep basements, shafts,

bored pile retaining walls and underground

car parks. With an objective to supply

services safely, on time and within budget,

the quality focused company’s in-house

design service means Bachy Soletanche is

also equally capable of taking on projects

as a specialist contractor to principle/

management contractors as well as

working as the main contractor for clients

on projects that involve a substantial

geotechnical element.

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzBachy Soletanche

As one of the UK’s leading geotechnical

specialists, civil engineering contractor

Bachy Soletanche has an excellent

reputation for working in the most challenging

environments

of opportunity

T he UK subsidiary of the French-

founded, globally operating

Soletanche Bachy Group, Bachy

Soletanche Limited has offered

the personalised service approach

of a Northern European firm since its

inception in 1963. Taking advantage of

the experience of its parent company,

the innovative and quality conscious firm

continuously pushes boundaries to find

solutions to any engineering challenges;

a commitment that enables clients to

reap the rewards of Bachy Soletanche’s

exceptional design procedures, enhanced

geotechnical processes and tradition for

excellence.

A leader in all aspects of modern

geotechnics and foundation engineering,

Network Rail approved Bachy Soletanche

Bachy Soletanche defines piles in

excess of 600mm diameter to be large

diameter

Piles


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

provider’s five-year £400 million project to

carry out the design and redevelopment

of London Bridge station. The project is a

key part of the Thameslink programme and

will result in nine through terminals and six

terminating platforms being linked together

by an open concourse that will offer

escalator and lift access to every platform.

On top of this, the company is working

for Costain and Laing O’Rourke on

the London Underground upgrade at

Bond Street. The project will involve the

completion of 900 millimetre diameter, 54

metre maximum length bored piles that will

support the new over site development;

once completed in 2017, the station will

benefit from increased capacity from a new

ticket hall and step-free access to both

the jubilee and central lines, a new low-

level passenger interchange between both

underground lines, which will thus reduce

congestion and enhance journey times,

and additional escalators to the jubilee line.

With an excellent reputation for

operating in challenging environments,

the in-demand company is busy working

on ground works for the final phase of the

£3 million Crossrail C340 Royal Victoria

Dock Portal project under main contractor

Taylor Woodrow and UK construction

firm VINCI. Commissioned by Crossrail,

the works are focused on a narrow site

between the Docklands Light Railway

Bachy Soletanche installs piles at Scarborough Marine Drive Yorkshire Water treatment facility

Having worked on major transport and

infrastructure projects such as Terminal

Five at Heathrow, the Channel Tunnel

rail link and Kings Cross and St Pancras

stations, Link-up approved Bachy

Soletanche’s current projects within the

rail industry include the almost-completed

multi-million pound piling contract for

Costain as part of the engineering solution

AWS Plant HireAWS offer the most up to date welding machines available and all of our equipment is constantly being upgraded and maintained. Being a specialist welding company we are always available to provide expert advice to ensure that you, the customer, receive the best products for all your requirements.

All AWS Plant Hire generators offer the following:• Low fuel consumption• Reduced noise levels• Low emissions • Latest engines• 24/7 service throughout the year• Are ideal for power & welding in all conditions

Welding accessories and consumables for saleAWS are able to supply a complete and comprehensive range of welding consumables, safety equipment, machines and hire plant. A fleet of delivery vans and wagons enable us to provide a prompt and efficient delivery service, both locally and nationwide where required, and our trade counters are open at all depots for sales, collections and advice.

Contact us to find out more

For all your welding needs

FALKIRK, Scotland01324 636376

BILLINGHAM, Teesside01642 563366

SCUNTHORPE, Lincs01724 847383

CHORLEY, Lancs01257 279364

PEMBROKE, Wales01646 622837

LUTON, Beds01582 598250

[email protected]

ONLINEwww.adweld.co.uk


http://www.adweld.co.uk

(DLR) and a residential road. So far more

than 380 CFA and LDA piles are installed

at the site, including 1180 millimetre

diameter 19.8 depth rotary primary piles

and 1200 diameter by 19.8 depth CFA

primary piles. Due to the limited site area,

Bachy Soletanche carefully planned the

design phase of the works, which involved

contracting its specialist equipment to

the site to ensure precise and efficient

operations in a uniquely restricted

environment.

Four rigs were introduced to the

confined site: one CFA rig for primary

piles, two heavy-duty LDA rotary rigs

for secondary piles and one rotary rig;

all support cranes were telescopic and

assisted in the installation of full depth

reinforcement cages, aiding later slab

connection with two layers of void formers.

The new Victoria Dock Portal will enable

the new Crossrail trains on the existing

railway that are travelling from the east to

move underground and into the tunnelled

underground section of central London.

Looking ahead, Bachy Soletanche’s

order book includes ongoing works at

Nottingham Rail Station; this challenging

project has involved the installation of 26

11.4 metre deep, 1200 millimetre diameter

CFA piles into sandstone bedrock in line

with plans to add a new bridge that will

carry two new tramlines into the station.

The company is undertaking works

at the Nottingham Express Transit for

client Taylor Woodrow Alstrom, as part

of its joint venture with engineers Mott

Macdonald on phase two of the existing

Nottingham Tram System. The two new lines

will extend the service to south west of the

city and will serve the university and Clifton

area of Nottingham; work is anticipated for

completion in late 2014.

As the dynamic specialist geotechnical

engineering company continues its work on

a broad range of ambitious and elaborate

projects, Bachy Soletanche is keen to

keep its high level of expertise moving

forward with its apprenticeship scheme.

Aware of a shortage in young, skilled

labour in the ground engineering industry,

the firm is running the programme for its

third consecutive year to encourage new

talent to gain an NVQ Piling Apprenticeship

qualification and potentially continue working

with the Bachy Soletanche Group. By

focusing on delivering quality services to

its present customers while also preparing

for future demand, Bachy Soletanche is

prepared for any challenges in the years to

come. zz

Web: www.bacsol.co.uk

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzBachy Soletanche


NDT Services Ltd

PILE INTEGRITY TESTING

DYNAMIC LOAD TESTING

STATIC PILE MAINTAINED LOAD TESTING

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

Premier Concrete Pumping Ltd is the UK’s leading supplier of:

CONTACT

www.pcpgroup.co.uk

NDT Services LtdNDT Services Ltd have a long association of

working with Bachy Soletanche on variety

of prestigious UK projects. We specialise in

Pile Integrity Testing, Static Load Testing and

Dynamic Testing of CFA, Large Bore and Mini-

pile foundations. Independent assessment of

pile construction and performance is provided

through a quick, efficient service, clients are

provided full access to the NDT database for all

information required.

http://www.ndtpiletesting.com

http://www.pcpgroup.co.uk

‘ International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) is an

insurance association established in 1925, which insures

2000 different businesses throughout the world and is

recognised as the leading mutual provider of professional

indemnity insurance in its field. ITIC works closely with transport

professionals and their insurance brokers to provide specialist

guidance and advice on their risks in their working environment,

both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

ITIC has concluded that many insurers do not understand the

work that professionals in the rail industry undertake. Often, these

insurers do not analyse the work of the professional working

on a project and, as a result, your premiums are increased

unnecessarily.

ITIC’s insurance includes worldwide cover for bodily injury and

property damage as standard; this is of paramount importance

to those working in the rail industry and differentiates ITIC’s

insurance from many traditional underwriters who either exclude,

or expect you to pay an additional premium for this important

element of cover.

ITIC makes four recommendations to professionals working in

the rail industry:

1. Ask your current insurers or brokers if they understand

exactly what it is that you do. For example, if you are a signalling

systems design engineer, your direct involvement in the day to

day operational environment is limited. You design a signalling

system on a railway network, but you are not necessarily the party

who operates and maintains it. Your liability is substantially less

than the operator and, therefore, you require an insurance that is

adapted specifically to cover your liabilities if you make an error in

Rail professional opportunity

Are you a rail professional open to offers for new business? ITIC, a rail and transport sector specialist insurer, needs a network of rail specialists in the UK and overseas, to advise and consult on claims

the design of the system. However, the liabilities resulting from an error in

the use of the system you have designed fall under the

operator’s liability insurance programme.

2. Enquire about a longer term, non-contract specific, business-wide,

professional indemnity policy. It is more expensive to buy insurance for

each individual contract or tender than buying an annual policy that covers

all your work.

3. Ask your insurance broker or underwriter whether bodily injury or

property damage cover is included in your policy at no additional cost.

4. Ascertain whether your policy of insurance provides you with

worldwide cover. zz

To express an obligation-free interest please contact Roger Lewis, ITIC’s underwriting director: ITICTel: 020 7338 0150Email: [email protected]: www.itic-insure.com

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Insurance

‘‘The service that we provide and the width of our professional indemnity insurance has resulted in a significant growth in the number of companies involved in the rail industry insuring with ITIC over recent years,” says Roger Lewis, ITIC’s underwriting director. “To help us support this growing rail portfolio we need a bigger network of consultants we can call upon to help with specific claims on a call by call basis.

http://www.itic-insure.com

The British Bankers Association (BBA) has

launched a new campaign to let businesses

know they are a lot more likely to get bank

finance than they think. It highlights, in

particular, that while only 37 per cent of all SMEs

planning to apply for finance believe they will get

approval from their bank, actual approval rates are a lot

higher at almost 67 per cent.

The research has identified that while 16 per cent

of businesses in the transport sector intended to

borrow to finance expansion only 11 per cent actually

ended up doing so – a difference of around 15,000

businesses. The research from the BDRC survey

identifies a lack of confidence in their chances of

success as one of the key reasons for this.

Increasing confidence around lending amongst

transport sector businesses has the potential to boost

the UK economy. Based on the figures for the UK

overall, if all of those 15,000 businesses went ahead

and applied for finance this could enable:

l 3000 small and medium sized businesses to

expand in the UK

l 2700 new orders for equipment

l 6500 businesses to boost their spending power.

The campaign includes online advertising specifically

targeted at businesses with a turnover of less than

£25 million in the transport sector.

The new Better Business Finance (BBF) website,

www.betterbusinessfinance.co.uk, is a one-stop-

shop resource with impartial information relevant to

transport businesses.

The new campaign will work alongside the

Government, politicians, banks and business groups to

spread the message that SMEs are a lot more likely to

get finance than they think. The campaign also features

social media outreach, top tips for finance success,

promote schemes such as business mentoring and

showcase examples of businesses that have gone on

to grow and prosper after securing a loan.

Businesses are a lot more likely to get finance than they think

There is an evident ‘perception gap’ between what

businesses consider to be their chances of success

in obtaining finance, and the reality. Many businesses

assume that they will be turned down by their bank,

when in fact statistics from the latest SME Finance

Monitor report (Q3, 2013) show that success rates for

all applications for finance (loans & overdrafts) were

67 per cent and confidence over the same period that

the bank would say ‘yes’ was 37 per cent.

The BBA has launched this campaign to try to boost

confidence amongst SMEs about approaching their

bank to seek finance. If more businesses were as

confident about their chances of getting a loan, then

this could provide a real boost to the economy.

New campaign launches

In response, a number of high street banks – alongside

the BBA – have launched a new national campaign

through the BBF programme. This 12-month

campaign aims to help and encourage SMEs to

approach lenders for business loans on the basis that

they are a lot more likely to get finance than they think.

It is supported by the BBA and the banks involved

are Barclays, HSBC, Natwest, RBS, Lloyds and

Santander.

The campaign will also raise awareness of the

independent Appeals Process that has been in place

since 2011 to allow businesses to challenge banks’

finance decisions. This means if SMEs are initially

declined for a loan, overdraft or credit card they can

appeal to their lender to have their decision overturned.

The overall process is being overseen by Independent

reviewer, Professor Russel Griggs OBE. SMEs turned

down for bank finance can start their appeal at the

BBF website or apply directly to their bank.

Research

The new analysis uses SME Finance Monitor research

based on 15,000 interviews of small and medium-

sized businesses conducted independently by

BDRC-Continental between January and September

2013. It assesses the attitudes and experience of

the whole spectrum of SME businesses, from sole

proprietors to small employers, to businesses with

250 employees, in their use of the whole range of

external finance options (not just bank finance). zz

The full SME Finance Monitor is available at www.sme-finance-monitor.co.uk

Higher confidence about bank lending could boost growth prospects

Increasing the numbers of

transport sector businesses

confident about their chances

of getting bank lending would

boost UK growth, new research

from BDRC Continental shows.

Businesses could expand, order

more equipment or boost their

spending power if they were more

aware of their good prospects of getting bank

finance

Financezz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz



Improving Underground accessl KONE has won an order to fully replace fifteen

elevators and modernize a further four elevators at

six busy London Underground stations. This order

comes as part of the Tube improvement plan.

The customized KONE MiniSpace™ elevators

equipped with KONE EcoDisc® hoisting machines

will carry up to 50 persons at a time from the street

level to the station platform. For example at Bank

station, KONE’s new elevators will carry over 4000

people per hour, meeting the demands of smooth

People Flow at peak times. All the elevators will be

fitted with the KONE E-Link™ remote monitoring

system to ensure high availability of the equipment.

The first elevator upgrade will begin at the

Gloucester Road station in 2014, with the final

elevators to be installed at Lambeth North in

2017. The contract will also include the preventive

maintenance of the equipment until 2034, and

modernisation packages when the need for

upgrades arises. KONE’s dedicated team currently

maintains 150 escalators and 45 elevators, which

accounts for a third of the London Underground’s

equipment base.

Significant orderl Tracsis plc, a provider of software and technology-led products

and services for the transportation industry, has received a

significant order for its Remote Condition Monitoring equipment.

The initial order, which has been placed through the five year

Framework Agreement announced on the 21st October 2013,

comes from an existing UK client and has a value of £2.2 million.

It will be fulfilled within the current financial year as per an agreed

delivery schedule with the customer.

Sensing collaborationl OptaSense is to collaborate with Deutsche Bahn Netz AG to validate a

set of fibre-optic sensing tools designed to reduce the operating cost of rail

track operation. The 18 month collaboration will see the validation of bespoke

software tools which record and report train and track events along Deutsche

Bahn’s network.

The project, which commenced in January, will verify the performance

of OptaSense distributed acoustic sensing (‘DAS’) to provide alerts and

operational data for a large range of events. The collaboration will begin

with eight priority applications which will be tested by DB Netz in all weather

conditions over 18 months, with a view to giving DB Netz insights into the future

of railway sensing.

The collaboration will report on the potential of DAS technology to reduce the

number and cost of different sensor systems required to monitor various train

and track events. The initial set of events and sensing requirements include:

l Accurate platform announcements of the next train

l Wheel flats and other wheel/rail interface problems

l Hot axle box

l Unauthorised access

l Metal theft, vandalism and attack

l Rock and tree fall detection

l Animal detection

l Train tracking with train integrity in real time.

Shifting sandl GB Railfreight has signed a contract with Sibelco

UK to provide freight services for its silica sand

product. The contract states that silica sand will be

transported from Sibelco’s quarry in King’s Lynn,

Norfolk, to Guardian Industries’ UK plant in Goole,

Yorkshire, and Ardagh Group’s UK glass sites in

Barnsley and Doncaster. Two trains will be running

each day to the three locations.

Sibe

lco

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Contracts

a transport fleet consisting of around 190 buses and 99

trams, SWB is committed to delivering optimisation of

its services through a focus on innovation, transparency,

cost efficiency and safety. “SWB has a holding-structure

with a GmbH company and subsidiaries that makes up

the associated transport companies; this association has

achieved several milestones over the last 18 months,

including the undertaking of a tram restoration project,”

highlights Werner. “This project involves the restoration

of 25 1974 – 1977 Duwag tram models, which are

outstanding in regard to comfort and solid structure;

they have an exemplary air cushioning and vehicle

body. Today the first three trams are in operation and

an extension of the project is planned with a further 35

trams to be restored.”

Following the roll out of new tram cars in 2003 that

were deemed unsatisfactory by passengers, SWB faced

difficulties in 2005 when the time came to increase its

fleet by a further 20 models. Christian Burk, engineer

at SWB discusses the inception of the project: “It is

standard procedure to buy new cars every few years,

however the roll out of light railway trams in 2003 led

to passengers being very dissatisfied with the whole

comfort. When the time came to acquire 20 more of

these tram cars we didn’t want to buy a product that

wouldn’t satisfy customers so SWB brainstormed and

A wholly community-owned company serving

the people of Bonn, Germany, SWB’s team

of approximately 2300 employees work in

four core segments: energy supply, drinking

water, local public transport and waste processing.

Speaking to Railway Strategies, SWB Group’s director of

communication Werner Schui begins: “SWB is the fourth

largest company in the Federal City of Bonn and offers

its employees secure and sustainable jobs; owned by the

city, SWB has a company supervisory board, constituted

by local politicians and employee representatives. The

company has been a strong partner of Bonn and its

inhabitants since 1879; today, SWB can look back on

a long-standing tradition of good quality and customer

orientated activity.”

Transporting approximately 92 million passengers on


Phot

ogra

phs

® S

tadt

wer

ke B

onn,

Mar

tin M

agun

ia

zz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


A modern classicStadtwerke Bonn (SWB) has boosted internal

team motivation and its public image with its tram restoration programme that will save the firm

approximately 45 million euros

SWB StadtWerke Bonn


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzcame up with the idea to restore old cars built in 1974-

1977. These models are nearly 40 years old and we

know these cars very well; we have all of the engineering

and facilities designed especially for this type of tram.”

With a clear price option of 2.5 million euros per low

quality car, SWB hired two retired engineers with

previous DUWAG experience in 2005 to offer

consultation services on the condition of the 35-year-

old trams. With mild corrosion the only issue, the firm

proceeded with its plans by developing a technical

concept that received approval in 2007. “The calculation

for this project was around 600,000 euros per car for an

extended lifetime of 15 years in comparison to the price

calculations of three million euros per brand new car in

2007. However, this time frame wasn’t long enough to

receive subsidies so we changed the technical concept

and presented a price of 900,000 euros for 25 years to

the board,” says Christian. “SWB saves around 47 million

euros by restoring 25 new trams instead of buying new

ones, which would cost around 75 million euros for the

same amount of trams. There are also further benefits in

the maintenance and technical service of these trams,”

adds Werner.

Mock-up tests were undertaken on a car that the

company had lost to a fire over ten years ago, which

was cut in two and used as a prototype for the driver

cabin and whole passenger area before the restoration

began at SWB’s modern facilities. “We were very

satisfied with the fifth series of this tram car that we

purchased in 1993. The so-called ‘B-Wagen’ is a very

comfortable light-rail vehicle and has robust technical

concepts we wanted to adapt to these older cars. The

main focus for us is the modern chopper system, which

has an opportunity to bring in the braking energy to the

contact line; we have also enhanced the driver cabin

SoiltecSoiltec is a leading international mass transit business company specialising in the supply of spare parts and components, maintenance and modernisation work on rail vehicles and engineering services. It is your sourcing partner for parts and components engineering, delivering reliability and service in diverse transportation Industries. With many customers in the public transportation sector it is sharing experience and know-how in local, regional, European and worldwide projects and applications.

by expanding it by half a metre, adding a new seating

area, modern equipment and air conditioning on the top.

Drivers sit for ten hours a day in this area, they need a

comfortable working place,” explains Christian.

With three of the restored trams in operation,

the company has achieved its financial objectives

and received a positive response from passengers.

Following this successful outcome, SWB is expanding

the restoration project to a further 35 tram cars and is

looking commercialise on its knowledge through offering

consultation services to other organisations in the railway

industry. “Acquiring new cars is too expensive, so this

idea of restoring old cars would be a real benefit to other

cities and community owned firms. It is not an easy

project to start; planning is one thing, doing is another,

but the most integral aspects of a project like this is

the content, the subsidies and the final approval by the

supervising authority,” concludes Christian. zz

Restoration

http://www.mass-transit-soiltec.de

Netw

ork

Rail


Work begins on Metrolink’s new city line l Work to deliver a second Metrolink line through the

heart of Manchester city centre – providing greater

capacity and resilience across the network – is now under

way with the start of utility diversions. The three-year

programme will see the creation of the new multi-million

pound Second City Crossing (2CC), enabling more

trams to cross the city centre and, in turn, increasing the

capacity, flexibility and reliability of the system.

The first stage of work – to divert gas pipes and

electricity and phone cables buried in the highway

away from the footprint of the new tramway – has now

started on Corporation Street, between Withy Grove

and Market Street. Trenches are being created so new

ducting can be laid for pipes and cables. Localised

road closures and diversions are in place but access to

businesses in the area will be maintained at all times.

The new route will begin in Lower Mosley Street and

run through St Peter’s Square, before turning down

Princess Street and then heading along Cross Street and

Corporation Street before re-joining the existing Metrolink

line just outside Victoria.

As part of the project, new stops will be built in Exchange

Square and St Peter’s

Square.

From January

onwards, work will

be carried out at

various sections of

the 2CC route until

its completion in early

2017. However, subject

to ERDF funding, the

section to Exchange

Square could be

complete in 2015.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Integrated Transport

Councillor Andrew Fender, chair of the TfGM Committee, on board on of the new trams

New, improved trams go into service l The first of three new-style

Metrolink trams, which have

an improved interior layout

based on customer feedback,

have now entered service.

Tram numbers 3075, 3076

and 3077 are the first three of

an order for 30 new M5000

vehicles placed with Austrian

manufacturer Bombardier.

These have eight extra seats,

taking the total to 60 seats

per tram.

The revised layout is based

on customer feedback from

the Transport for Greater

Manchester (TfGM) survey

undertaken in late 2011 and

was developed in consultation

with Metrolink’s Disability

Design Reference Group.

Additional hand-holds have

also been incorporated to

address another point raised

by the survey.

The trams were delivered

to the Queens Road depot in

November and December last

year, where they underwent

a rigorous safety testing

process. The trams were

being used to test the new

Oldham town centre line

and entered service on

27th January.

TfGM

TfGM

TfGM

TfGM

The line of route of the new Metrolink line

Above: Councillor Andrew Fender, chair of the TfGM Committee, and Councillor

Kate Chappell, Manchester City Council’s executive member for environment,

inspect the start of work on Metrolink’s Second City Crossing

An impression of St Peter’s Square at night

Netw

ork

Rail

Netw

ork

Rail

Manchester Victoria station improvements completedl A major upgrade of the railway at Manchester Victoria has been

completed allowing electric trains to start running from Manchester

Victoria to Liverpool next December as part of the £400 million

North West Electrification Programme.

Engineers spent 10,000 man hours over the Christmas and New

Year period, installing 74 foundations and some of the steel work

for the overhead line equipment which will allow electric trains to

operate. In the station, engineers installed 42 fixtures to hold the

overhead wires to the roof of station.

At the east of the station under Cheetham Hill road bridge,

400m of track was removed in order to lower the track bed,

creating the headroom needed for overhead lines. This meant

removing 1300 tonnes of spoil before relaying the track with almost

1000 tonnes of new ballast. Meanwhile, work continued on the

£44 million project to renovate the station and install the new roof

which will be completed later this year.


Lift replacement at Covent Garden stationl Transport for London (TfL) is advising customers who use

London Underground’s Covent Garden station that work to replace

four lifts at the station will begin at the end of February. Work on two

lifts will start from 24th February 2014 and will last for approximately

ten months. Work on the remaining two lifts will take place from

February 2015. The replacement work will require engineers to

completely remove the existing lift cars as well as replace all of the

structural, mechanical and electrical parts. Work to modify the steel

structure work within the lift shaft is also required, adding to the

complexity of the work.

The replaced lifts will provide a 25 per cent increase in customer

capacity by utilising larger lift cars and an increased running speed

and they will be compliant with current lift and disability legislation.

They will also be more energy efficient and contribute towards

TfL’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint.

The current lifts at Covent Garden station were installed around

25 years ago.

Reducing congestion at East Worthing stationl Passengers at East

Worthing station can look

forward to more space and

reduced congestion after

Network Rail engineers started

work to widen both platforms.

Network Rail will widen the

full length of both platforms,

which are around 100m long,

by 1.5m, increasing them on

average to 3.75m in width. The

work will not impact on train

services and is scheduled for

completion in May.

Gravesend station improvementsl The £19 million upgrade of Gravesend station completed over the Christmas and New Year

period has unlocked capacity improvements in Kent which will provide more space and seats

for passengers. The improvements to the station, which include a new platform and lengthened

existing platforms, will allow 12-car trains to call at Gravesend which will provide greater

capacity for passengers, particularly those travelling in and out of London. It’s the final stage of

improvement work which will allow 12-car trains to call at stations in the south east London metro

area for the first time. Improved facilities have been provided and a new footbridge and lifts has

also meant there is step-free access to all platforms.

Engineers working at Manchester Victoria over

Christmas 2013

Gravesend station reopens after upgrade work over Christmas and New Year

© T

rans

port

for L

ondo

n

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzNEWS I Stations

The state-of-the-art train that will transform rail

travel into and across London, boost the economy

and generate thousands of jobs throughout the

UK, has been unveiled by Rail Minister Stephen

Hammond. The Government’s £6.5 billion Thameslink

Programme will create up to 8000 jobs as part of the

deal to build 1140 carriages and to complete the wider

infrastructure work required.

The new Class 700 ‘Desiro City’ rolling stock, being

built by Siemens and compatible with both overhead

and third-rail electrical supply, will offer a much improved

travel experience for passengers. Alongside the wider

infrastructure work being carried out to lengthen platforms

and remodel stations, the new trains will boost capacity

and reliability across one of Europe’s busiest stretches of

railway. Benefits in the morning peak, for example,

will include:

l Over double the number of carriages, providing

80 per cent more peak seats across central London

(between Blackfriars and St Pancras);

l The number of carriages serving the capital to jump

by 40 per cent; longer, more frequent services with

30 per cent more seats on all Thameslink north services

that run fast from St Albans to London;

l 15 per cent more seats from stations along the line

from Peterborough and Cambridge and more than

60 per cent more carriages into London Bridge.

Speaking at the unveiling

of a full-scale mock-up

of the train at London’s

ExCeL Centre at the end

of January, Rail Minister

Stephen Hammond, said:

“We are transforming

our railways through the

biggest programme of rail

investment ever. “These

exciting new trains,

combined with the wider

Thameslink Programme

are a real boost to UK Plc, creating thousands of

jobs in construction and across the supply chain, which

is driving forward our economy.

“Once operational they will provide a huge benefit to

the hundreds of thousands of passengers who travel

into London every day. It will vastly improve train travel

providing fast, reliable and more frequent services.”

The trains have been designed specifically to meet

the demands of the ambitious Thameslink infrastructure

programme delivering high frequency (24tph), high

capacity services. They will be more reliable and

New Thameslink train revealed


Rail Minister Stephen Hammond unveils full-scale version of the new rolling stock being built for operation

on the rejuvenated Thameslink route from 2016

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Rolling Stock

The new Class 700 train for Thameslink

Standard class seating

Stephen Hammond

DfT


more energy efficient than existing rolling stock and their

lightweight design will mean less wear and tear on the

tracks, saving money in maintaining the network over the

long term.

Trains will be equipped with a diagnostic and wireless

telemetry system to forewarn maintenance staff of any

impending fault condition. Instrumentation such as

forward-looking cameras, gyros, accelerometers and force

transducers will all contribute to an improved maintenance

regime and also provide valuable feedback on the

condition of the track, from which Network Rail can benefit.

Passenger loading information is provided by a counting

system mounted above the doorways in combination

with load sensors attached to the floor. This data can

be used by the operator for managing service frequency

and forward planning, and to inform passengers of space

availability and distribution.

Train manufacturer Siemens expects the contract

to build the 1140 carriages to create up to 2000 jobs

across the UK supply chain in component manufacturing,

assembly, construction of new depots and subsequent

train maintenance. A further 3000 people are expected

to be directly employed as part of the wider Thameslink

infrastructure works with as many again employed in

related jobs in the wider community.

Cross London Trains, a consortium comprising of

Siemens Project Ventures GmbH, Innisfree Limited and

3i infrastructure plc, is financing the new trains and will

lease them to the operator of the Thameslink franchise.

The first new train will begin operating in early 2016 with

the remaining fleet following at an increasing rate until there

is one new train entering passenger service every week.

They will run on the current Thameslink network between

Bedford and Brighton and the Wimbledon Loop and will be

deployed across new routes from 2017 as infrastructure

work is completed. These include the Great Northern

routes to Cambridge and Peterborough, the route to

Sevenoaks via Elephant and Castle and new destinations

off the Brighton Main Line.

From 2018 the trains will operate at high frequencies

across central London with one arriving every two to

three minutes between St Pancras and Blackfriars during

the peak. The new London Bridge main line station will

also be completed by 2018, providing capacity for more

cross-London services, including the extension of Great

Northern services southward from King’s Cross. The

new trains will be maintained at new depots being built

in Hornsey (London Borough of Haringey) and Three

Bridges (West Sussex).

In addition, the new generation of trains will release

existing rolling stock for use elsewhere on the network,

particularly as further routes are electrified, for example

in the north west of England and the Thames Valley

commuter lines.

Thameslink sits within a wider context of multi-billion

pound investment in the country’s transport network. It

will provide for improved north/south journeys across

the capital, supporting access to London Bridge as well

as Luton and Gatwick airports. A new interchange at

Farringdon will also give Thameslink passengers access

to Crossrail for east-west journeys, including Heathrow

Airport, Canary Wharf and the West End.

The first stage of the Thameslink Programme is now

operationally complete. Final touches are being made to

building work at Farringdon and Blackfriars stations, and

platform extension work has been completed at a number

of locations including Luton Airport Parkway

and St Albans.

This has allowed some longer 12-carriage trains to

operate on the Bedford to Brighton route. The platforms

at Blackfriars station have also been extended across

the Thames, making it the first station to span the width

of the river. The second stage is now under way and

involves the reconstruction of London Bridge station and

a new connection to the East Coast Main Line just to the

north of St Pancras station. zz

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzThis map shows routes that could benefit from the upgraded Thameslink London core. The competition for a new franchise to operate these services is currently underway. Final route and stopping patterns will be confirmed by the next operator.

Left: The new information display provides real-time travel information for passengers to guide and inform their onward journey plans

DfT

Above: Driver’s compartment, showing displays for energy-efficient train operation and control. Trains have facilities for an on-board guard but are also Driver Only Operation (DOO)-capable.

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

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

15 May – Railway Strategies Live! 2014LondonOrganisers: Railway StrategiesTel: 01603 274 181Email: [email protected]: www.railwaystrategies.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.

zzzzzzzzzzzzz NEWS 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

21-25 September – 10th International Conference on GeosyntheticsBerlinOrganisers: International Geosynthetics SocietyWeb: www.10icg-berlin.com

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

29 September – 1 October – European Transport ConferenceFrankfurtOrganisers: Association for European transportEmail: http://aetransport.org/contactWeb: http://etcproceedings.org/

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.zonegreen.co.uk

EditorMartin Collier

[email protected]

Sales ManagerRob Wagner

[email protected]

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

Schofield Publishing10 Cringleford Business Centre

Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU

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

RAILWAYS T R A T E G I E Szzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

FOR SENIOR RAIL MANAGEMENT

railway strategies issue 104 final edition

Documents