Guest writer Adam Razzell, head of transport and infrastructure at Advance Resource Managers, reflects on the diversity of talent in the rail industry and questions whether more needs to be done.
With an average staff turnover rate of just three percent (compared with the UK median rate of 13.6 percent), the UK’s rail sector has less experience than most of dealing with skills gaps – but its landscape is changing quickly.
An ideal time for reflection
Due to retirement alone, the industry is expected to lose as many as 50,000 workers by 2033 (from a total of around 240,000), most from operative roles. The futures of a further 15 percent – the workforce’s EU nationals – also remain uncertain because of Brexit.
Then there’s rising demand from passengers (in contrast with falling interest in bus and coach travel) and plans for a new era of high-speed rail infrastructure to create the need for even more staff.
As UK rail looks to steady itself for the future using a range of recruitment and training initiatives, we find ourselves at an ideal point to take stock of its current talent, and the diversity of that talent. Does its recruitment approach need to change drastically for a more secure future, or is it on the right track already?
A general snapshot of rail talent
According to Department for Transport data from December 2019, around 240,000 people work in the UK rail sector – 67.8 percent for rail infrastructure firms and 25.4 percent for train operators, the two biggest categories.
With salaries ranging from £16,000 up to £71,000, the average rail worker earns just over £35,500 per year, although this rises to £39,000 in London and falls just short of £32,000 in Scotland. Average salaries in all other areas of the UK sit between these two figures, meaning all are above the wider national median salary of £30,300.
Given rail’s low staff turnover rate, it’s unsurprising that almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of its workers have eight or more years of experience in their roles. Sixteen percent have between four and seven years of experience, and 20 percent have three years or less. And, while this implies that a retirement surge could cause serious issues, the amount of experience currently present in the sector does bode well for the Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT), a body set up in 2016 to address skills gaps and increase diversity across UK transport using apprenticeship programmes.
Gender representation in rail
The rail sector cannot avoid major skills shortage without diversifying its workforce – that’s something that Mike Brown, the recently departed Transport for London Commissioner and STAT chair, implied in STAT’s latest update report.
“A skilled workforce is vital to future economic success,” he said. “Quality training at all levels is fundamental and we need to broaden our talent pipeline if we are to drive productivity and innovation across the transport sector.”
Right now, the data shows a huge imbalance. Of its quarter-million employees (including those working in passenger services, freight operations and the wider supply chain), only 17 per cent are female. That falls to 13 per cent in the commercial rail workforce, and again to 12 per cent in signalling and design – both areas with significantly higher average salaries (£45,800 and £37,900 respectively).
Both photo credits: Southeastern.
Some companies and regions are more diverse than others. Network Rail – by far the sector’s biggest employer – TFL and Southern Railway hold the most female talent, while London and the South East lead the list of regions. But more needs to be done.
What’s positive is that we are seeing action from some of the sector’s biggest operators. Southeastern and East Midlands Trains, for example, recently introduced anonymous candidate screening and targeted advertising campaigns in attempts to encourage more women to become train drivers. Southeastern is aiming for 40 percent of applicants for driver roles to be women by 2021 (from 4.5 percent in 2019), and East Midlands has already seen the number of female applicants double.
But skills gaps and underrepresentation aren’t challenges that employers can address individually – there needs to be an industry-wide shift. And, as the seemingly inevitable skills gap inches closer, it must happen quickly.
Paul Knowles and Craig Loveman have recently joined QTS Training Ltd, the training arm of QTS Group. Paul has joined as a new trainer and assessor, while Craig has joined as an assessor and trainee trainer.
Paul has joined QTS Training following a rail industry career spanning almost 25 years. During this time, he has covered a vast majority of rail disciplines from maintenance to planning, before moving into a training role at AmcoGiffen in 2019.
Based at the QTS’s Nottinghamshire headquarters, Paul will play a key role in building the firm’s presence in England, leading on the delivery of training courses and the assessment, training and development of their participants.
He will also have an instrumental role in developing the Controller of Site Safety (COSS) material for QTS Group’s pioneering COSS Development Academy, which was launched in 2021 to develop and enhance the skills of QTS team members who hold this key safety critical role.
Craig Loveman became a member of QTS Training in December 2023. He has extensive experience in the industry and has worked as an assessor and trainee trainer in recent years. He was eager to grow his skills and advance as a railway safety critical trainer and assessor. He can now provide Controller of Site Safety (COSS) training and various small plant competencies, and is currently working towards achieving engineering supervisor training capability.
Lorna Gibson, managing director of QTS Training said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Paul and Craig to the QTS family, enhancing our commitment to delivering top-tier training solutions. Their expertise will undoubtedly enrich our team’s capabilities.
“At QTS, we believe that a well-equipped team is key to providing unparalleled learning experiences, and these developments align with our vision for continued excellence in training services.”
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has announced the appointment of John Whitehurst as its chief operating officer (COO). He will begin the role on Monday 20 May.
The role will see John lead the planning and delivery of services across GTR’s four brands – Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, and Thameslink – which collectively represent approximately 18% of UK rail passenger journeys. He will also hold key relations with the supply chain and industry partners such as Network Rail.
John will bring to GTR significant experience within transport, having managed large teams and multi-million-pound projects across operations, infrastructure and engineering. He has previously worked at Network Rail as route infrastructure maintenance director on the Kent and Anglia routes, and spent nearly 12 years at Serco, where he was managing director of transport and community services.
John said: “I’ve been an admirer and customer of GTR for many years, so I’m very proud to join and be a part of the UK’s biggest railway operator at an exciting and important time for the rail industry. I’m looking forward to getting out across the length and breadth of GTR’s vast network, meeting my new colleagues who work incredibly hard every day to provide customers with a safe and reliable service. I’m excited to work with all our industry partners and stakeholders to innovate and improve our services for the hundreds of thousands of customers who rely on us.”
Andy Coulthurst, who has led GTR’s operations successfully on an interim basis since November 2023, will retire this summer after more than 20 years in the rail industry. Andy joined GTR in January 2020, assuming various roles including leading a successful programme of initiatives to give customers an ever better and more reliable train service. Andy will stay with GTR to help ensure a smooth and seamless leadership transition up to his retirement in the summer.
Angie Doll, GTR’s chief executive officer, said: “I am delighted to welcome John to GTR. His impressive career both inside and outside rail will be a great addition to my team and the wider organisation. I know that John’s extensive knowledge of running operations in the UK and abroad will play a key role in our future success, bringing fresh thinking as well as years of experience to help GTR grow and deliver for our customers and communities. I very much look forward to having John in my team.
“I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to Andy, who has been an excellent interim chief operating officer. Andy joined us during a challenging period in 2020, and throughout his time at GTR has consistently demonstrated strong leadership. He will be missed, and on behalf of everyone at GTR I wish him a happy and well-deserved retirement.”
Inspirational Great Western Railway (GWR) and Network Rail director Ruth Busby was at Buckingham Palace on Friday to receive her OBE from the Princess Royal.
Ruth was recognised in the New Year Honours ‘for services to diversity in the rail industry’.
Her award recognises not only her work within GWR and Network Rail, but the numerous other organisations she represents to champion Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the rail industry.
Ruth, from Didcot, said: “It was an absolutely thrill to receive my OBE from the Princess Royal and it was lovely to be joined at Buckingham Palace by my husband, Liam, and children, Megan and Alfie.
“I still feel so humbled that people took the time to nominate me and the memories from Friday’s ceremony will last a lifetime.”
Ruth joined GWR in 2018 and, after helping to lead colleagues through the Covid-19 pandemic, was named HR Director of the Year at the 2021 Personnel Today Awards.
Last year she began a joint strategic role with responsibility for the HR and Internal Communications teams in both GWR and Network Rail’s Wales and Western Region.
Over the past few years, she has also worked with the Department for Transport, the Samaritans, and Mental Health at Work, to lead a research study on mental health and wellbeing across the rail industry.
She is also the executive sponsor for Rail Wellbeing Live, the biggest health and wellbeing movement in the history of the rail industry.
As a non-executive director of the Youth Futures Foundation, Ruth also works to improve employment outcomes for young people from marginalised backgrounds and is currently chair of its People and Culture Committee and Employer Advisory Board.
Ruth also remains a passionate supporter of Women in Rail, having previously served as co-chair of Women in Rail South.
PB Design, a leading provider of industrial standby power solutions, has announced key changes to its senior leadership team.
Effective 1 April, Scott Edsall, the company’s former strategy & technical director, has taken on the role of Managing Director. With nearly seven years of experience at PB Design, Edsall has been instrumental in shaping the company’s future strategy, particularly in developing its new modular industrial product line and innovative EV Charging solutions. In his new role, Edsall will lead the team in expanding PB Design’s focus on net zero technologies, addressing pressing global climate challenges.
Mark Crocker, who successfully led PB Design through employee ownership for a decade, stepped down from his position as managing director on 1 April to enjoy an early retirement. Crocker will remain with the business in a Board-level role, providing support and guidance to the new leadership team.
PB Design also welcomed two new members to its senior leadership team. Scott Commons, who has been with the company since 2007, has been appointed as operations manager. Commons brings extensive experience in driving continuous improvement and operational efficiency, having previously served as the company’s QHSE manager & continuous improvement champion.
Sandy Mace joined the senior leadership team as technical manager. With a strong background in technical project management and a keen eye for innovation, Mace will play a crucial role in shaping PB Design’s technical strategy and driving the business forward.
“With these new additions joining Neil Howlett (sales and marketing) and Zach Campbell (finance), we have a senior leadership team that brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our delivery of innovation and continued success,” said Edsall. “Their collective expertise enables us to capitalise on emerging opportunities and deliver on our business growth strategy.”
Getting customers from A to B safely and ensuring that staff go home unharmed is a core focus of our industry and, while statistics show that rail has made great strides in the past few decades, there is always space for improvement. As such, the key focus of this issue is health, safety & wellbeing, and we deliver a wealth of insightful and in-depth features.
Leading the focus, Colin Wheeler delivers his regular take on the latest RAIB accident reports and asks how and if the operation of the railways will change under a new government. Radical change is discussed by Darren Broadhead, managing director of Broadhead Global, who argues that a paradigm shift in thinking is required to improve health & safety in the industry.
On 12 March, Rail Media held its annual Rail Safety Summit at Loughborough University. The conference saw health and safety professionals present the latest information and developments within their field of expertise alongside companies exhibiting the most exciting products and services. On page 20, we give an overview of this successful event and a summary of the presentations our expert speakers delivered.
Following this, Paul Darlington gives us a report on the life-saving actions of Signaller Bill Taylor. Back in 1984, Bill managed to avert disaster at Carlisle Citadel Station. Paul met with Bill’s son David, now account director at Thales, to hear about the incident 40 years ago. Rounding off the issue focus, we examine the disturbing rise in cases of staff abuse and ask how this upsetting trend can be reversed.
But before all of that, Jacqueline Carr, CEO of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), kicks off the issue with a celebration of Darwin’s 20-year anniversary. As one of the most critical systems serving the industry, Darwin powers all the real-time information which customers use to check the status of their train journey. When you look up the status of your train on Google Maps or the National Rail Enquiries app, among others, you’re accessing information provided by the system.
We’ve also bagged an interview with Jo Shelley and Adam Blower, who lead Network Rail and RDG’s Smarter Information, Smarter Journeys Programme (SISJ). The programme’s aim is to deliver better and simpler customer information to ensure that passengers have the best possible rail journey experience. The SISJ team currently has 21 projects underway to deliver its aims in the next few years.
In our second interview of this issue, we sit down to chat with Dr Neil Strong. As biodiversity strategy manager, he works to manage Network Rail’s estate to ensure trains run safely and to schedule, and that Network Rail meets its environment obligations. Neil discusses the challenges of the role, the intricacies of liaising with the public, and the increasing effects of climate change.
Closing the issue, Young Rail Professionals Chair Bonnie Price brings news of the organisation’s awards evening and looks forward to her second year in office, welcoming new team members and discussing the exciting events in store for 2024/25.
As ever, we also celebrate the RailStaff Awards, which creep ever closer. As the only event to solely honour the rail industry’s incredible employees, it’s devoted to those who go beyond their day-to-day role.
Nominations are open now, so go ahead – make someone’s day and give them a mention!
Jacqueline Starr, chief executive officer of Rail Delivery Group (RDG), marks a milestone for Darwin, the rail industry’s official real-time train running information system.
Darwin is 20 years old and at RDG we are celebrating this impressive milestone. But what is Darwin? And why should you care?
Darwin is one of the most critical systems serving the industry, which RDG maintains and continually improves in partnership with our supplier, Thales GTS. Darwin is the system which powers all the real-time information which customers use to check the status of their train journey, such as, customer information screens, journey planners and third-party retailer sites. When you look up the status of your train on Citymapper, Google Maps, or the National Rail Enquiries app, you are accessing information provided by Darwin.
In this digital age, we take this kind of service for granted, and it is right that customers should have live information at their fingertips. Knowledge is power and if you know what’s happening to your train service, you can decide how to make best use of your time – the most precious commodity there is. Information also reassures us. As inconvenient as delays to our journeys can be when there’s disruption on the network, it becomes a little easier to tolerate if we know what the issue is and have an idea of how quickly it can be resolved.
The concept
Today, Darwin has over 1,225 users and processes over 9 billion requests for real-time train information from customers annually. But how was the Darwin concept born?
Twenty years ago, there was a great number of different real-time systems feeding customer information screens, each of these systems using their own algorithms and working in isolation. This resulted in confusion for the customer. For example, a customer information screen in Swindon could be showing completely different live information from a customer information screen in Bristol Temple Meads. How was the customer to know what to believe?
Darwin was created to solve the problem of multiple realities by providing a single source of the truth – one universal and accurate source of live information. This solution was welcomed by the industry, with Darwin winning the National Rail Innovation Award in 2004. Over the past 20 years, Darwin has been adopted across the industry by parties who have seen the necessity in their customers having access to this truth.
20th anniversary event organised by Thales GTS and RDG. Credit: RDG & Thales GTS.
In 2005, Darwin was integrated with the National Rail Journey Planner. In 2009, the National Rail Enquiries app launched, powered by Darwin, and in 2011, a programme of work initiated the roll out of Darwin to all operators across the network. When this was completed in 2016, more than 66 standalone customer information screen systems were linked together for the first time, providing customers with one consistent truth.
In 2017, train loading data was introduced so that customers could see how busy certain train services were, and even, how busy the carriages on those trains were. And, in recent years, Darwin has been further developed to provide even more granular and accurate data for customers.
Looking ahead
But what of the future? It is widely recognised that train travel needs to be made more accessible for everyone, and plans are in the pipeline for more train loading data enhancements. This will mean that customers will have access to more details about their train, such as the location of accessible seats and toilets, as well as real-time information on their train formation.
We are also cognisant that technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and no system can remain static and hope to provide customers with the same level of service. Therefore, in mid-February, the Darwin Evolution project was launched – a large-scale initiative, which operators have endorsed and invested into. Darwin Evolution will upgrade the architecture of the Darwin platform, improving the system’s reliability and resilience and ensuring that it can adapt to the inevitable technological advances of the future.
I believe that reflection and self-awareness are vital to the success of any industry. In creating a simpler, better railway, it’s important that we acknowledge areas where we need to improve upon, and where reform is needed. However, it’s equally important to celebrate and build upon our successes, like Darwin.
Jo Shelley of Network Rail (NR) and Adam Blower from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) took some time out to talk to RailStaff about the industry’s customer information programme, Smarter Information, Smarter Journeys (SISJ). Jo and Adam’s network criss-crosses the industry and together they steer the SISJ programme team to deliver the railway’s customer information strategy. This is a strategy grounded in customer insight that not only focuses on the ‘here and now’ but will also take the industry through to 2030 and beyond.
Jo, Adam, thanks for joining us. To start, could you tell us more about SISJ? When was it launched and which organisations are involved?
The SISJ programme launched in 2020 and has become the industry catalyst for delivering better and simpler customer information, especially during disruption on Great Britain’s Railways. This SISJ team is a blended cross-industry programme team consisting of NR and RDG colleagues. This ‘blended’ team is a fantastic example of cross-industry collaboration and what can be achieved for the good of the customer and the industry alike.
The SISJ team also collaborates extensively with Train Operating Companies (TOCs), the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), Transport Focus, and other industry stakeholders in the delivery of the programme.
What factors drove the creation of the programme? What are its objectives and how are they being achieved?
The SISJ programme was born out of the ORR-commissioned Winder Phillips report, which challenged the industry to work collaboratively on improving customer information. The programme’s objective is to ensure customers have all the up-to-date information they need at every part of their journey to guarantee they have the best possible rail journey experience. To ensure this objective is achieved, currently the team has 21 projects underway to deliver in the next few years.
How is the success of the programme measured? What has been the feedback of customers to date?
The programme’s impact is measured using a customer information survey tool called InfoTracker, which looks at how each project is driving customer satisfaction and monitors if value is being delivered.
Since SISJ’s launch, there has been a 10% increase in customer satisfaction with customer information during disruption.
As well as InfoTracker, the programme uses research from across the industry and commissions ad-hoc research, often in partnership with Transport Focus, to provide insight on certain initiatives.
Credit: iStockphoto.com
What real changes will customers see when the SISJ programme is complete. How will it improve their journey from start to finish?
The SISJ programme will not be complete but will evolve as customer behaviour changes and technology moves forward. Through the programme we want to ensure all our customers can make informed choices, plan their journeys more effectively, and have a seamless customer information journey experience. Examples of our major projects that help customers achieve this are:
Personalised journey notifications. By working extensively across the industry, the SISJ team has developed and implemented a tool which allows TOCs and retailers to notify customers who purchased digital tickets when their booked train has changed or been cancelled. This solves a key customer pain point whereby previously if a customer did not proactively check, and their train was cancelled or re-timed, they could arrive at a station and only at that point find out that their train was not running as expected. Almost all TOCs and third-party retailers are now using the tool and over three million customer notifications have been sent to date.
On-train Passenger Announcements (OTPA). We are providing a long-awaited step change in technical capability to enable train operator control rooms to broadcast directly to passengers on trains by using GSM-R, the railway’s mobile communication system. The OTPA project will provide TOC control teams with an easy-to-use web interface to enable announcements to be made to multiple trains in a geographic area and to deliver prerecorded announcements.
Real time lift data: Customers, in particular disabled customers, can face huge challenges when a station lift is not working. But through the National Rail Accessibility Map, customers can now see if station lifts they might need to use are in or out of service, before they start their journey. Previously, live lift data accuracy was unreliable, and the customer had no knowledge of the lift status until they arrived at the station. Now, 86% of lifts across the network are providing live lift data on the National Rail Accessibility Map, which has resulted in customers being able to plan their journeys in advance more effectively.
With so many organisations involved, how do you coordinate to achieve everyone’s aims. How successful is this collaboration to date?
When starting a new initiative, it is essential to get industry to buy-in to what we are trying to achieve. This will typically start with an exploration and engagement stage where we speak to as many industry stakeholders as possible to guide our thinking. A working group consisting of industry experts will then be formed to guide the project team. Through our reporting (to 250 stakeholders across 50 organisations) and robust governance and control structure, the team is held to account to ensure we are delivering against objectives and the industry is brought on the journey with us. We believe the programme is working in a way that embodies the objective of Great British Railways (GBR) to create a more joined-up railway with consistent customer experiences.
With the first stage of SISJ delivered, what are the key aims of the next stage (SISJ V2) and what progress do you hope to make in the coming years?
The team always strives to exceed customer expectations, therefore in April 2023 we launched SISJ version 2, a new strategic vision which lays down the industry path for customer information until 2030.
This new vision was developed through undertaking extensive customer research and gaining valuable insight, which included a specific piece of customer research delivered in partnership with Transport Focus. We spoke firsthand to customers, and undertook engagement with industry stakeholders, subject matter experts, and other industry programmes to understand their priorities for improvement. The outcome of this work was the creation of 21 new initiatives for the programme to tackle over the next few years.
Credit: iStockphoto.com
Commuter patterns have changed in the last few years because of Covid-19, and leisure travel has increased. How has SISJ adapted to these changes as it has been rolled out?
Commuters have reduced the frequency with which they use the train to get to work/education, and leisure travel has grown vs. pre-pandemic. As the make-up of passengers using the railway changes, the customer information proposition needs to adapt to a new audience, including less regular and familiar users of the railway. An enhanced customer experience is a key way to attract customers back to rail. We know from research that customer information plays a key part in driving the overall customer experience. Customer experience needs to evolve and develop with the latest trends and available technology, and keep up with what companies outside of rail are doing. It is therefore important that as and when SISJ revisits its strategy, deliverables take into consideration the customer information requirements of today’s new passenger.
We also want to ensure we are creating a simpler, better railway for everyone in Britain, which is inclusive and accessible for all. This can include the use of British Sign Language, providing better visual information on-board trains particularly to help passengers who are deaf or who are experiencing hearing loss, and providing improved lift status data.
Finally, where does the Darwin system fit into SISJ programmes objectives? Will it be retained and what upgrades or improvements will be required to ensure it is fit for purpose?
Darwin is a critical industry system and plays a key role in providing real-time information to customers on the status of their trains, as it is the industry’s real time train running information service. It is vital it continues to be fit for purpose and future proof. Therefore, through the Darwin Evolution project, that was endorsed by operators and began mid-February, SISJ has committed to safeguarding and improving Darwin by modernising it from its current architectural platform to a new modernised solution. SISJ has also delivered several Darwin related projects, such as the ability to make customers aware up to 90 days in advance if trains will not be running in emergency situations where there is a gap in the normal timetable uploading process to show the correct timetable (in the past it was 48 hours in advance).
Jo Shelley is head of programme management within system operator at Network Rail. Jo has a broad range of rail experience, which includes previously working at a train operating owning group and a train operating company. Her experience has enabled her to have a holistic understanding of the industry, and the crucial need for collaboration.
Adam Blower, head of customer information at the Rail Delivery Group co-leads SISJ, with Jo. Adam has extensive industry experience specialising in customer experience, strategy, and insight. His most recent roles were at Eurostar and HS1.
If you have any further questions about SISJ, please email [email protected].
This year there will be a General Election, perhaps in October, and the funding of our railways, trams, metros, and indeed all forms of public transport will come under scrutiny. The critical nature of the challenge to get daily commuters to work each day has already been reduced by working from home and that will continue. There are places where office accommodation is no longer fully used and many shopping centres are experiencing lower foot fall. Could the cancellation of HS2 phases 2a and 2b possibly be reversed?
Equally important, I suggest, are reductions in private car use in all major conurbation areas and the building of low pollution trams and metros so that city centres can breathe again!
The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) is working away, and we need good political backing for proposals to grow and improve our railways, trams, and metros. I notice that the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is also reviewing its organisation and has a Transformation Team at work. My perception is that a transition is likely to be less radical than a transformation.
Meanwhile, accidents and incidents continue to keep the Rail Accident and Investigation Branch (RAIB) busy. Indeed, I suspect they may justifiably claim to be overworked!
Fishguard trackworker near miss
This incident was announced by RAIB on 12 February. At 09:46 on 4 January, the trackworker was acting as both the Person in Charge (PIC) and Controller of Site Safety (COSS) with a small team undertaking vegetation clearance works. The plan was for all team members to “remain at least two metres from the open line”. A train approached around a tight curve at 53mph when its driver saw the worker on the track. The PIC moved clear a mere two seconds before the train passed. Following its preliminary examination, RAIB has decided to publish a Safety Digest.
Yarnton wing wall collapse
This accident occurred on 10 February 2023 and RAIB’s report 01/2024 was released on 1 February this year. The Great Western Railway passenger train from Paddington to Hereford was between Oxford and Hanborough when it struck rubble from a collapsed bridge wing wall at Yarnton. It was travelling at around 58mph and was damaged but did not derail. No one was injured. The bridge carries a local road over the railway. The wing wall was known to be in poor condition. RAIB’s report recommendations include improving repair work specifications and making safety condition information available. The train driver described the fallen brickwork as being 2.5 metres deep and 10 metres long when he reported it to the Control.
The relevant Network Rail Standard says: “the examining engineer is responsible for identifying aspects that could affect the operational safety of the structure” and must “assign a defect risk score and recommend remedial works.” Perfect is rated 100, but 40 or below indicates a heightened risk. Yarnton Road Bridge had an overall score of 28 with the southwest wing wall scoring just 20. RAIB concluded that the wing walls were unable to carry the imposed load and had “hidden defects resulting in the 2013 repairs being ineffective”.
RAIB’s recommendations include measuring methods for masonry wall bulges, reviewing procedures for specifying fractured masonry repairs, and the introduction of a standardised method of measuring the shapes of bulges in masonry walls. There are no references to risk assessing difficult and failing structures being examined by qualified chartered structural or civil engineers with professional liability responsibilities.
Pedestrian struck at Lady Howard crossing
This tragic accident occurred on 21 April 2022. An elderly pedestrian was struck by a train and killed at Lady Howard Footpath and Bridleway. The RAIB report 01/2023 was initially issued on 14 February 2023, but was subsequently withdrawn when fresh evidence came to light. Version 2 was then issued on 6 February this year.
Six near misses at the crossing had been documented between 28 March 2019 and 29 March 2021, and there was a fatality on 9 August 2019.
A risk assessment in October 2021 recorded Network Rail’s intention to install a motion-activated camera at the crossing in response to a number of incidents that it classified as deliberate misuse. Clause 52 of the risk management document states that: “Network Rail had not provided any effective additional risk mitigation at the crossing despite having deemed the risk to be unacceptable. This is a probable underlying factor.” The revised report quotes in detail from the ORR guidance document.
In January of this year Miniature Stop Lights (MSLs) were at last fitted. When a train reaches the strike in point, the lights change to red and an audible alarm sounds. The system also includes a spoken warning which is triggered if another train is approaching.
Trackworker hit by RRV
The RAIB investigation of this accident, which happened in the early hours of 6 February at Braybrooke Northamptonshire, is underway. A trackworker was walking alongside a road rail vehicle (RRV), directing it. A second RRV was working on the Midland Main Line which struck the trackworker causing leg injuries that required hospital treatment. RAIB has already completed a preliminary examination and consequently will publish a Safety Digest.
Train derailed by fallen trees
Also on 6 February, a passenger train was derailed at Thetford. It was travelling from Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich when it ran into trees that had fallen across the track from outside the railway boundary. The leading wheelset derailed, but the train was travelling at 83mph and ran on for 680 metres before stopping as a result of the driver’s emergency brake application. Two staff members and 31 passengers were on board, and one passenger suffered a minor injury. RAIB’s investigation is underway. It will consider the management and control of trees falling from outside the railway boundary, the crashworthiness of the train cab, and “the performance of the train in remaining aligned with the track while running derailed”.
Passenger train derailed at 85mph
On 4 March, a passenger train struck a piece of redundant rail on the Up Fast line on a railway access point on the approach to Walton-on-Thames Station and was derailed. The train was travelling at 85mph. Its leading set of wheels derailed but it remained upright and came to a stand 500 metres beyond the point of collision. Several hundred metres of track were damaged. The train was the first of the day following weekend working that included the recovery of redundant rails. RAIB has begun its investigation. It will consider the planning and management of the work, arrangements to ensure the lines are safe following work, the actions of those involved, and underlying management factors.
Radical thinking is required if the rail industry is to truly manage its health and safety commitment, says Darren Broadhead, managing director at Broadhead Global.
In the fast-paced world of rail, the traditional approach to health and safety has often focused on compliance and incident avoidance. However, in an industry that’s dynamic and complex, mere adherence to health and safety systems is no longer sufficient. To ensure the health and safety of all stakeholders involved, a paradigm shift is needed – one that embraces innovation, challenges the status quo, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
Accessibility and clarity are crucial in health and safety systems. It’s not enough to have policies on paper or screens; they must be easily understood and integrated into daily practices. The challenge lies in ensuring that these resources are perceived and applied effectively across all levels of the organisation. Success should not be measured solely by the absence of incidents but by a clear understanding of the real level of risk control. Enhancing knowledge about day-to-day performance can add significant value and drive rapid progress in health and safety.
Innovative thinking
Darren Broadhead. Credit: ILA
Embracing ‘big risk’ thinking can drive substantial improvement in health and safety outcomes within the rail industry. Instead of simply adding layers of risk control, organisations need to question the status quo and explore innovative solutions. By challenging conventional wisdom and encouraging a culture of openness, the industry can unlock new opportunities for enhancing safety and wellbeing.
When designing your health and safety arrangements, consider:
Accessibility and clarity: Organisations must ensure that health and safety systems are accessible and clearly understood by all stakeholders. This may involve simplifying complex documentation, providing targeted training, and fostering open communication channels. Do your systems live and breathe in your organisation or are they just work products which add little?
Moving beyond incident avoidance: While sending people home safe and well remains a priority, true success lies in understanding the underlying factors that contribute to risk and taking proactive measures to address them. By focusing on continuous improvement and effective risk management, and learning from a real understanding of risk control, organisations can enhance their overall health and safety performance.
Embracing innovation: The rail industry has a long history of innovation, from technological advancements to operational efficiencies. ‘Big risk’ thinking involves challenging traditional approaches to health and safety and exploring unconventional solutions. This could include leveraging data analytics, implementing new technologies, or redesigning work processes to mitigate risks effectively.
Cultural shift: Achieving meaningful change in health and safety requires a cultural shift within organisations. Leaders must champion a proactive approach to safety, empowering employees to speak up about potential hazards and encouraging collaboration across departments.
A holistic approach
In conclusion, rethinking health and safety in the rail industry requires a holistic approach that goes beyond compliance and incident avoidance. By prioritising accessibility, embracing innovation, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, organisations can enhance safety outcomes and ensure the wellbeing of all stakeholders. Challenging old assumptions and embracing new possibilities sets the course for a safer and healthier future in rail transportation. One final thought – whatever change you embark upon, ask yourself the really important question: “Do I understand why I am doing this and what I am trying to achieve?”
If you don’t, is this one of those ‘shiny distractions’ to be avoided?
Tuesday 12 March saw delegates from across the industry gather for the annual Rail Safety Summit, at Loughborough University’s Holywell Park Conference Centre.
The conference saw health and safety experts present the latest information and developments within their field of expertise alongside companies exhibiting the most exciting products and services within the rail industry. It provided attendees with networking opportunities and the chance to catch up with peers from throughout the industry.
Regular Rail Media contributors Colin Wheeler and Clive Kessel acted as hosts, guiding attendees and speakers through the day’s proceedings.
Here is just a taste of what our guest speakers had to say.
Network Rail Health & Safety Management System update
Abigail Patterson, principal operations safety specialist at Network Rail, kicked off the day’s presentations with an overview of the recent updates to Network Rail’s Health & Safety Management System.
Most organisations within the rail industry possess such a framework, said Abigail, pointing out Network Rail’s current version: a +200-page, densely worded document with complicated language. Abigail admitted this is a daunting read. Around 12 months ago, Abigail began a project to update the document and make it useful for as many employees as possible. She discussed the challenges of delivering a Health & Safety Management System which is accessible to all but also that covers the whole scope of Network Rail’s operations.
The updated system is more visually appealing, shorter, at under 70 pages, and the feedback received has been very positive. The updated Health & Safety Management System will be launched in May.
Abigail Patterson.
Safety risk management framework: A proactive data journey
Laura Reardon, head of safety risk management at the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board (LRSSB), next took the stand to discuss the organisation’s Safety Risk Management Framework.
LRSSB was established in 2018, as a result of RAIB’s recommendations following the 2016 Croydon tram crash. Since its formation, LRSSB has worked to meet RAIB’s recommendations, two of which concerned gathering sector-level data on safety performance and bringing operators together to understand, in depth, the operational risks.
Laura explained how together with a major upgrade of the Tramway Accident and Incident Reporting system (TAIR), the LRSSB has made significant progress around sector-wide safety risk management and data analytics, including the development of a national risk profile and the updating of models for individual networks.
It’s data-led Safety Management Framework has provided an empirical understanding of risk and controls to prevent and mitigate against hazardous events including those of low frequency/high consequences. Since 2021, it has reduced total fatal risk on the network by 3% (equivalent to preventing a fatality every 4.2 years) and has reduced overall risk by 5% (equivalent to preventing over 100 class one minor injuries per year, in addition to fatality reduction).
Safety performance review
Following a break for refreshments, Simon Morgan, Network Rail’s head of corporate safety, provided attendees with a review of the organisation’s safety performance.
Simon first outlined the risk environment in which Network Rail operates, including political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal, and environmental risks. The forthcoming general election, interest rates and inflation, new passenger flows and reasons for travel, as well as climate change are all key causes for vigilance, among many others. Benchmarked against other forms of travel, excluding air travel, mainline rail remained the safest option said Simon, though compared to other industries Network Rail is not performing so well on lost time injury frequency rates, with the Oil & Gas industries topping the chart.
Looking at long term workforce safety trends, Simon remarked that things are moving in the right direction but that the trend has flattened recently. “If we continue to do the same things, we’re going to get the same results or worse,” said Simon, “definitely, a different approach is required.”
Long term workforce health trends are relatively stable, said Simon, though he questioned whether the trend truly relates to long-term health concerns, such as inhalation of silica dust and welding fumes. “We want people to be healthy when they finish working, and to enjoy a healthy and fruitful retirement,” he said.
Simon went on to talk about passenger safety and the potential for accidents. The trend is currently relatively stable in the low figures, with collisions with vehicles at level crossings and earthworks being the main risks, though delivery of the weather action task force in CP7 will substantially improve the earthworks risk. Train overspeeding is an emerging concern.
Simon Morgan.
Rail health and safety strategy
Chris Knowles, director of system safety and health at RSSB, delivered an update on the organisation’s Rail Health and Safety Strategy, a five-year strategy developed through industry consultation.
Citing data from the Annual Health and Safety Report 2022/23, Chris drew comparisons between the safety record of rail and other modes of transport, explaining that travel by bus or coach is four times less safe, on average, than making a rail journey of the same length, while the same journey by car is 14 times less safe. So, he asked, why do people choose to travel by these modes if they are less safe? Reliability, journey time, flexibility, and low perception of risk are all contributors. The fact, Chris said, is that we need a safe railway, but also one which is high performing and affordable.
While the risk of accidents has fallen significantly over the past 20 years, Chris said the derailment at Carmont in 2020, which resulted in three fatalities, shows that the potential for serious accidents remains. “As an industry,” he said, “we must continue to be vigilant in assuring the health and safety of those using the rail network and those that work on the railway.”
Incidents of locked wheels on freight vehicles
Next, attendees heard from Steve Taylor, general manager of the Rail Wagon Association (RWA).
The rail freight industry is safe, he said, but the Llangennech derailment of 2022 led to a renewed focus on safety. The incident occurred when one set of wheels on the third wagon in the train stopped rotating, leading to the third wagon and those behind it derailing. Since 2017, locked wheels have led to incidents on four occasions that are known at: Ferryside in October 2017; Pencoed in March 2021; and at Petteril Bridge in October 2022 and September 2023.
In March 2022, the RWA set up the Locked Wheels Task Force to try to work out how many such incidents have actually occurred, what factors link them, and what can be done quickly and economically to try and detect wheel locking when it occurs. The Task Force has found that although the autumn is a high-risk time of year, wheel locking cannot solely be blamed on leaf fall, and that freight trains running on the west side of England and Wales are more vulnerable than those on the East. The Task Force also feels that freight braking in low adhesion conditions is a consideration, and that Network Rail may look into where it focuses the operation of its rail head treatment (RHT) trains.
The RWA has identified 32 actions covering: Network Rail’s Low Adhesion Forecast; RHT trains; identification of low adhesion sites; education of rail staff; increased understanding of low adhesion; and the use of technology to reduce risk and detect locked wheels.
What can we learn from the Sailsbury accident?
Andy Hall, chief inspector of rail accidents at RAIB, returned to the Rail Safety summit after presenting in 2023. His focus this year was the 2021 Salisbury rail crash, it’s causes, and areas of recommendation.
At around 18:43 hrs on 31 October 2021, two trains were approaching a converging junction located to the east of Salisbury in Wiltshire on two separate lines, explained Andy. The route was set for the first train to go through the junction at 20 mph. The second train was to stop at a red signal protecting the junction. However, it did not stop and subsequently collided with the side of the first train at 52 mph, leading to the derailment of both trains. Thirteen people were hospitalised. Two, including the driver, were seriously injured.
The causes of the accident, Andy explained, were that wheel/rail adhesion was very low in the area where the driver of the second train applied the train’s brakes, and that the driver did not apply the train’s brakes sufficiently early on approach to the signal protecting the junction to avoid running on to it, given the prevailing low level of adhesion. The level of wheel/rail adhesion was very low due to leaf contamination and had been made worse by a band of drizzle that occurred immediately before the passage of the second train.
Andy Hall.
Andy explained that the second train was fitted with a single fixed rate sander system. Had it been fitted with a double fixed rate sander system, the higher sand delivery rates would certainly have provided better low adhesion braking performance, which would have led to a reduced collision speed, and possibly avoided collision altogether.
The underlying factors of the collision, said Andy, were that Network Rail’s Wessex route did not effectively manage the risks of low adhesion associated with the leaf fall season. This was related to issues including: resourcing; liaison between departments; track access constraints; proper understanding of railhead treatment effectiveness; and staff competences. RAIB also found that South Western Railway was not effectively preparing its drivers for assessing and reporting low adhesion conditions was a possible underlying factor.
Concluding, Andy said that adhesion related incidents and accidents have been present throughout the life of RAIB, however managing the risk is not simple. As the three top causal factors were associated with different elements of the industry, he explained, coordination and cooperation are key.
In future, new technology may prevent this type of accident, but until then the industry must remain “chronically uneasy”.
Delivering a healthier and safer railway: Reflections from the regulator and new HM chief inspector
Next, Richard Hines took the lectern to discuss his early reflections as incoming HM chief inspector of railways; emerging themes and thinking around health and safety; and the importance of collaboration.
Richard gave us a brief overview of his career which saw him work for eight years at British Sugar, before spending 14 years with the Health and Safety Executive, rising in his last three years to head of operations. Joining ORR in 2020, he took on the role of HM Deputy Chief Inspector in 2021 and became Acting HM Chief Inspector of Railways / director of railway safety at the beginning of this year.
Richard was keen to stress the importance of listening to frontline staff and investigating and acting on concerns they may raise. He pointed to the example of the Carmont derailment, which was caused in part by a string of failures in coordination and communication.
“Nobody recognised that the drainage system hadn’t been constructed as it was designed,” he said. “Nobody recognised that the CDN health and safety file was missing. Nobody ensured that the asset management system was followed and it led to that asset being handed over in a condition that wasn’t known about.”
Richard pointed out that many people did speak up with concerns about Carmont, but those concerns went unheard, and there was a lack of a co-ordinated response to the storm which occurred in the hours before the derailment. Considering the ORR’s ongoing commitment to health and safety, Richard said his approach to his new role is to build on the legacy built by outgoing HM Chief Inspector Ian Prosser, and to follow a policy of evolution, rather than revolution.
When focussing on the future, he stressed, the industry needed to remember the lessons of the past. It must also nurture an environment that listens to, understands, and acts on feedback from frontline staff.
Richard Hines.
Discussing the public’s expectations of transport safety
Before breaking for refreshments, the conference was addressed by Lord Tony Berkely OBE. Lord Berkely spent 15 years developing and building the Channel Tunnel, followed by chairmanship of the UK Rail Freight Group. He was a board member and sometime chair of the European Rail Freight Association and was a founder and currently Honorary Board Member of Allrail. He is a regular contributor in the House of Lords on rail, competition, and the safety of different types of transport.
Nothing can be 100% safe, he said, otherwise people would never leave their houses. So what does the public expect of transport safety? The answer, he said was “Safety as far as is reasonably practicable.”
Although there is progress to be made, he stressed that rail does very well in terms of safety, especially when compared to road. With statistics indicating road users are four times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than those using rail, he suggested that the same stringent safety measures that the rail industry is subject to, should be applied also to roads. Transport legislation should apply to all modes equally, he argued.
Tony also warned about the trend toward automation of transport, questioning its benefits and whether the subject of vehicle-environment interface has been sufficiently explored. The driving standards of automated vehicles must also be much higher than those of humans, he said, if the technology is to succeed.
Improving railway safety
Starting the final session of the day, David Shipman, rail design lead at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE), gave the audience an outline of the planned purpose, capability, and functionality of this proposed facility.
Situated in South Wales, at the head of the Dulais Valley, about 10 miles north-east of Swansea, the GCRE site will, said David, “provide new opportunities to improve safety across the rail sector, offering far greater facilities to test and prove all sorts of systems, technologies, and processes.”
With a purpose-built, electrified, 7km high speed track, GCRE will allow new products to be tested in a live environment, 24 hours a day, with no risk to the mainline. It will provide an environment that is relatively risk free and, relying on automation where feasible, it aims to separate the human from the testing process as far as possible. It will offer a unique environment in which to undertake much more extensive and representative preparation for technology introduction, for both trains and infrastructure, David explained.
The facility has received £70 million of support from the public sector through a £50 million Welsh Government equity investment and a £20 million UK Government grant, as well as £10 million from Innovate UK and £15 million as part of UKRRIN.
David Shipman.
Enforcement trends
Ben Davies, a senior associate at Burges Salmon LLP, gave the final presentation of the day, providing an insight into prosecution trends within the industry. Prior to joining Burges Salmon, Ben had been an in-house lawyer at the ORR. He began by listing five key factors which make health & safety compliance essential, namely: public and worker safety; avoidance of ORR and police investigation; the risk of reputational impact should accidents or incidents occur; and the commercial fallout of reputational damage. All five aspects are interlinked, he said.
Ben went on to discuss ORR convictions. The past eight years since February 2016 have seen 11 Section 2 convictions (employer duty to employees); 22 Section 3 (employer duty to third parties); two convictions under Sections 7 and 37 (employees and directors); and five convictions for specific regulatory breaches.
Average fines have increased over the past two decades, he explained. The period 2006 – 2016 saw 55 convictions, the largest fine being £4 million and the lowest £4,000. The average fine was £267,000 and the total cost to the industry was £14.6 million.
Of the 41 convictions from 2016-2024, the largest fine was £10 million and the lowest £12,000. The average fine has been £1.3 million, with a total cost to the industry of total cost £53 million.
Finally, Ben touched upon the length of time it takes to bring a conviction following an incident. He talked attendees through the process from incident to criminal proceedings which includes immediate investigations by the ORR, police, and RAIB; the regulatory investigation stage which includes statement gathering, interviews, and so on; review and charge in which lawyers are brought in and court dates issued; and finally criminal proceedings including first appearance at court, trial, and sentencing. The process can be a very long one, said Ben.
An outstanding event
Once again, the Rail Safety Summit was a tremendous success. The day’s presentations covered many aspects of rail safety, looking in-depth at long-recognised problems and introducing novel ideas.
Delegates were left impressed by the high level of discussion and the debate generated by each presentation. All were left with much food for thought.
Rail remains one of the safest ways to travel by any measure and, in the years to come, technological and operational improvements will make it even safer. However, the industry cannot afford to become complacent. It must take the lessons learned from past incidents and accidents into the future and remain ever vigilant for unknown risks.
Our thanks go to our excellent speakers and everyone who attended. Special thanks also to Colin Wheeler and Clive Kessell for hosting and chairing the event.
Forty years ago, at 05:30 on Tuesday 1 May 1984, Bill (Willie) Taylor, a signaller at Carlisle Power Signal Box (PSB) realised that 4S55, a Liverpool (Garston) to Glasgow (Gushetfaulds), a freightliner train had become divided south of Carlisle and both portions of the train were rolling downhill towards Carlisle Citadel station. It was carrying dangerous, highly explosive chemical goods, including toxic tetraethyl lead compound – the treatment used in leaded petrol – and 750 bags of oxalinic acid. Using all his knowledge and experience, Bill quickly and calmly switched the uncoupled wagons onto the empty Carlisle Goods Avoiding Line, avoiding disaster.
Sadly, Bill passed away the following year, before his son David Taylor joined the railway. RailStaff recently met up with David, now account director at Thales, to hear of his recollections of Bill and the incident 40 years ago. The incident
Credit: Paul Darlington
The train had stopped earlier at Preston with dragging brakes. Usually, a fully air-braked train which becomes divided breaks the air pipe between the vehicles, causing the brakes on both portions to activate and bring both to a halt. So why didn’t this happen? The train received attention at Preston, but after closing the air brake cocks half-way down the train and rectifying the problem, the cocks were not reopened. From that moment on, disaster was inevitable as the front of the train was fine but the rear was unbraked.
Another problem, it is believed, is that the screw couplings between wagons 5 and 6 were not stowed away properly and were left swinging. It is thought that the rear brakes were still dragging when the train left Preston, but gradually the brakes on the rear vehicles ‘leaked off’ and by the time the train reached the Fells the train was running freely. However, because the gradient as far as Shap is almost all rising, the couplings between wagons 5 and 6 were kept tight.
Once over the top at Shap Summit, the coupling between wagons 5 and 6 probably went slack and the swinging coupling struck an AWS magnet in the four-foot and was lifted upwards. A damaged magnet was believed to have been found later. The train coupling came off the draw hook so that the rear 10 wagons, with their dangerous cargo, were now free running and unbraked.
The rear 10 wagons of the 15-wagon train were initially left behind, but then started to gather speed on the downhill grade towards Carlisle. Bill spotted the irregular indications on his panel and realised he had a divided runaway train, and that he only had moments to act. He was also aware that there was a passenger train in the station at Carlisle. The locomotive and the front part of the freight train which were still coupled were allowed to run forward safely into Carlisle station and signalled to a stop. After seeing that the leading part of the train had passed Upperby Bridge Junction, Bill switched the points to divert the runaway portion onto the freight-only line bypassing the station.
The rear divided wagons negotiated the sharp curve under Nicholas Bridge at Carlisle and thundered under the WCML and Maryport rail bridges, and over Bog Junction and Rome Street Junction at an estimated 60-70mph. A 20mph goods line restriction had already commenced at Upperby Bridge Junction. The runaway made it around the sharp right curve onto Denton Holme Bridge where the wagons crashed through the bridge and into the River Caldew. The two leading wagons came to a rest, derailed and badly damaged, about 50 metres on the north side of the bridge where Denton Holme South signal box had once stood. At 05:42 the residents of nearby houses were awakened by the loud crash and were soon gazing over the wall at the wreckage in the river. The bridge was pushed off its bearings into the river and a 60-foot piece of rail was hurled into the end of one of the containers.
Just doing his job
There was significant wreckage with much of the train in the river, but thanks to Bill’s quick actions to minimise risk to the public and rail staff, nobody was hurt. Local residents were evacuated for a time and it took weeks to clear up the wreckage.
The UK’s largest crane had to be brought in to lift the containers out of the river, and locals were even invited on a coach trip to Blackpool to clear the area whilst particularly difficult crane lifts were carried out.
A video on YouTube shows all the 1984 TV news coverage of the derailment, including interviews with Bill, where he says he wasn’t a hero and was only going his job. He also says that he would do exactly the same thing again if required, and he would be back at work that night.
Bill’s sons, David & Ian, visited Carlisle PSB to discuss the incident with his ex-colleagues.
Bill also later said: “There was little time to discuss what would be the best course of action – I knew there was going to be some form of incident whatever action was taken, but the lesser of the two evils was to divert the runaway away from the station, protecting the station and Carlisle city centre”.
David is immensely proud of his father and, with his brothers and sister (Ian, Michael, and Margaret), had previously been involved in unveiling a plaque to the memory of Bill in a Carlisle station waiting room. David explained that Bill had started his railway career as a ‘knocker up’ moving on to be a ‘box lad’ booking train movements. He became a relief signaller and worked at most of the 46 mechanical signal boxes in the Carlisle area. It is believed he retrained as power box signaller at Kingmoor PSB before transferring to Carlisle PSB when Kingmoor closed in 1973. Outside of rail, Bill was an accomplished violinist with several local country and western bands, a very skilled model maker, and the proud father of five children.
Counselling
The incident happened years before today’s post incident counselling and therapy processes were put in place. So, after the incident on the 1 May 1984, Bill finished his shift as normal and on his way home stopped on the banks of the River Caldew to look at the train wreckage and demolished bridge. David remembers coming downstairs to find his dad at the breakfast table looking calm, but thoughtful and shaken. David went to school wondering what had actually happened, only to come home to find his street full of press and TV news reporters, and to learn that his dad was the hero signaller (signalman in those days) of Carlisle.
It is worth considering that Bill was 58 at the time of the incident and had spent over 40 years working as a signalman in both mechanical and power signal boxes. Signallers have to remain calm and to concentrate at all times. They have to know and apply the operational rules ‘to the book’, hour after hour, day after day. But in the event of an incident such as Carlisle in May 1984, they must think quickly and calmly put control measures in place.
Bill certainly had to do that and, having worked for the railway for 44 years, he had seconds to decide the action required to avoid disaster. There wasn’t time to consult or refer the decision to senior managers. When the train divided, the indications on the panel could initially have appeared to be a track circuit failure, but Bill quickly identified that the ‘broken’ indications were in fact moving and that the train was divided, with the rear running freely on a steep decent towards Carlisle.
His responses of being calm under pressure, attentive, and assertive, are today classed as non-technical skills. The non-technical skills training, coaching, and assessment which is now in place is something that would have been unheard off in Bill’s day. The industry has also made massive improvements with counselling support.
Credit: Cumbrian Railways Association
The freight route around the station was unavailable for months due to the damage, and, in December 1985, the decision was taken not to restore the route. Signalling changes at Citadel station were made to facilitate all freight traffic passing through the station. The stub of the Goods Avoiding Line from Bog Junction was retained as a siding for a time to serve the Metal Box Co’s works at James Street. The remaining three spans of the bridge were demolished in 2008 and, in recent years, the stone piers have been removed to improve flood prevention measures.
Today, the old rail freight route is part of the Cumbria Way. You can still see the old bridge supports when walking along the pathway and, if you look at some of the flood defence fencing by the path, there are some images, including of signal levers, as a tribute to the near disaster on 1 May 1984.
Many readers may not have heard of this incident, but had the 10 wagons of dangerous chemicals thundered at over 60mph into a passenger train in Carlisle station, the date would be very well known in the industry.
Thanks to the public artwork on the route of the former Carlisle Goods Avoiding Line, and the commemorative plaque in the waiting room close to platform 6 at Carlisle Citadel station, Bill Taylor’s actions will never be forgotten. David is now in discussion with an operator to name a locomotive after his father as a further tribute.
With thanks to David Taylor, Gwyn Jones, Stuart Palmer, Mike Lamport, and Ken Harper for their help with this article.
Statistics released by Network Rail in November last year revealed that 90% of staff working at its Southern Regions’ busiest stations had suffered abuse, including verbal abuse of a racist, sexist, and homophobic nature, as well as physical assaults.
Frontline colleagues – those who interact with customers on trains or at stations – are all at risk of confrontation with the general public. And it’s a growing problem.
A recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the BBC revealed that 4,088 attacks were recorded at railway stations across England, Scotland, and Wales in 2023. The FOI showed that the number of assaults recorded by police was almost 10% higher than pre-pandemic in 2019, despite an 11% reduction in passenger numbers. So how is the rail industry tackling this distressing trend?
Caught on camera
In February, a member of the public from Tyne and Wear was banned from all Northern services across the North of England for 18 months, following a two-year campaign of abuse. The individual was issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) following a string of offences which included threats of physical violence towards members of train crew.
The CBO was achieved thanks to the use of body worn camera footage that was shown in court. Northern has recently invested £1.7 million in the roll-out of more than 1,000 body worn camera units to colleagues across its network, taking the total number now in operation to 1,300.
Similarly, Motorola Solutions announced in March that ScotRail had deployed more than 1,000 of its body cameras across its rail network, tripling the number available to staff following ScotRail’s initial deployment, which began in 2017.
Credit: TfL
The cameras act as a tool for de-escalating potentially difficult situations and provide video and audio evidence of incidents.
“The safety of our staff and passengers is our top priority,” said David Lister, director of safety, engineering and sustainability at ScotRail. “Where body cameras have been used, we have already seen a positive impact on morale and staff confidence, as well as a decrease in reported incidents, helping to ensure a safer environment on our trains and at our stations.”
Staff working for Transport for London (TfL) now count body worn cameras among their essential kit. Using video evidence, in 2023 TfL prosecuted 19,614 people for fare evasion, an increase of 56% on 2022. This is particularly pertinent as fare evasion is often a trigger for violence and aggression towards staff. Indeed, TfL reports that revenue disputes are a precursor to approximately half of all its reported work-related violence and aggression incidents.
Research undertaken by Cambridge University in conjunction with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and British Transport Police (BTP) has found that assaults on staff were cut by nearly half (47%) for those wearing body worn cameras. By acting as a visible deterrent, cameras can stop assaults from taking place and prevent violence towards frontline staff across the railway. And while cameras can’t stop assaults entirely, the research shows they do lead to a 30.7% decrease in severe injuries, and a similar decrease (30.5%) for low-level injuries.
War of words
Though physical abuse makes the headlines, verbal and psychological harassment is no less distressing. The consequences can be significant and enduring, impacting mental and physical health.
To combat the frequency of such events, in early March, South Western Railway (SWR) launched a new campaign highlighting the damaging effect of abuse directed at its frontline colleagues.
SWR’s campaign aims to reduce the level of verbal abuse that colleagues suffer, by inviting customers to consider the lasting impact that words can have.
Hard-hitting printed and digital posters conveying this message are now on display across the SWR network, depicting examples of thoughtless abuse staying with colleagues beyond their shift. The campaign will be particularly visible on the network during certain events and times of the week, especially when customers are more likely to have consumed alcohol, which tends to be when levels of abuse against colleagues are higher.
Grant Robey, senior network crime and security manager for SWR, commented: “We know that most customers wouldn’t purposefully abuse our colleagues; a lot of this behaviour arises when customers lose their temper and make heat of the moment comments. Our colleagues come to work to keep everyone safe and they should not expect to face this behaviour. People wouldn’t behave like this in their own workplace, so it isn’t acceptable in ours.”
A combined effort
Tackling staff abuse is not an issue that the rail industry can manage alone. Indeed, a recent initiative by Scotland’s Railway has shown the benefits of close cooperation between multiple agencies.
In December last year, ScotRail, the Scottish Government, the BTP, and trade unions joined forces to tackle abuse experienced by transport staff. The campaign was launched by Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop MSP, timed to coincide with the Christmas party season, which can see a rise in abuse on the rail network.
Credit: SWR
ScotRail has invested £1.6 million to triple the number of body-worn cameras to tackle anti-social behaviour, hired more people to double staff late-night trains in known problem areas, and introduced a team of revenue protection officers. The BTP has also committed to several pledges which aim to enhance the safety of staff and support any victims of abuse.
A dedicated investigator will follow up any report of abuse and will work closely with ScotRail to support railway staff through any incident. Any repeat offenders, or those deemed to pose the greatest threat to staff, will be targeted with prohibitive court orders.
Supported by a publicity campaign urging customers to consider the longer-term consequences of violence or abuse, the pledge promises to fully support staff by setting out the increased measures being used.
The campaign was supported by the National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT), Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF), Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA), and Unite the Union (Unite), in addition to Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Stamp it out
There is no place for abuse on the railways – physical or verbal – and every effort must be made to stamp it out. However, this will involve significant investment, cooperation within industry and without, and a dedication to bringing perpetrators to justice.
It will take time and great determination, but the rail network can be made a safer working environment for employees. Indeed, it must.
RailStaff caught up with Dr Neil Strong who spoke to us about his work managing Network Rail’s real estate, the role of new technology, and the increasing impact of climate change.
Thanks for joining us, Neil. To begin, could you give us an overview of your role and the importance of your work?
My role is biodiversity strategy manager, and I sit within the environment and sustainability team in the Technical Authority level. After completing a bachelor’s degree in forestry and ecology and a PhD in Mycology / Forestry, I’ve been with Network Rail since 2001 in a number of positions.
I started off primarily in the vegetation management side of things, looking at the standards that we use for managing vegetation and, although they’ve been adapted and updated over the past 20 years, I helped to establish the standards we have in place today.
My role is primarily about managing Network Rail’s estate – that long, thin line of around 50,000 hectares across the country. Parallel to that is the matter of making sure we can run trains safely and efficiently but doing it in such a way so that we can also meet our environmental obligations, abide by legislation, and meet the challenges we face, including those from our seven million neighbours over the fence.
Ultimately, our role is to manage and maintain the structures that give us the safety and visibility our staff and passengers need, and at the same time maintain what is essentially a relatively undisturbed habitat for a whole host of plants and animals of which we are the custodian.
When we talk about vegetation management, what types of techniques and technologies are Network Rail’s teams using today?
Starting on the ground, we have teams across the network who are still out on a daily basis, using hand tools and chainsaws to manage vegetation. We still use traditional manual labour to cut back vegetation and get it out of the way of our lines, and the basic technologies haven’t changed much over the past 20 years.
Credit: iStockphoto.com/LuPa Creative
In terms of bigger machinery, since I’ve been working in the railway, we’ve increasingly moved towards remote controlled machines. One example is the chippers that we now use. These are completely remote controlled, making the job a lot safer for their operators.
The introduction of battery technology is dramatically helping with health & safety issues such hand-arm vibration. It’s also helping significantly in terms of accessibility and noise reduction. One of the main complaints we receive from the public is regarding noise levels, especially as the majority of the work that we do has to be carried out during the evenings or weekends to accommodate train movements. The last thing you want at 10 o‘clock on a Saturday morning is someone at the back of your garden using a chainsaw. Going forward, it’s likely that battery technology will improve to the point where our large machines are also electric or battery-powered, reducing the disturbance of the general public even further.
In terms of surveying, we have air operations teams who can provide good imagery using helicopters, and we have teams across the network who are able to use drones to get similar imagery. We have fixed wing aircraft, which use LiDAR technology, allowing us to gather information on the health and condition of trees, and assess more accurately whether those in poor health are a danger to the line. In the case of particular diseases, such as Ash dieback, we can also use this data to start modelling where we need to take action and can then direct our teams on the ground to particular areas.
We’re also looking at new techniques involving AI, which can help us better predict where vegetation may encroach on the line or block signals in future, and plan to carry out work before this starts to cause problems.
What threat does vegetation pose to structures on the railway, and how is this managed?
Vegetation is very good at growing in places it shouldn’t, and plants like buddleia are just doing on rail infrastructure exactly what they do in their natural habitats – growing out of rock faces and cliff faces. Unfortunately, they’re using our brickwork and ballasted area as a surrogate for these areas and that can be very damaging to infrastructure along the railway. One example is when roots get into brickwork and rockfaces and then expand, destabilising the structure (‘root-jacking’).
Network Rail carries out structural examinations and general vegetation examinations, so that our teams on the ground can understand what they’re dealing with and address these issues through scheduled work programmes before they start to cause a problem.
How we treat and manage vegetation is key to protecting against structural damage, and this is where technology comes into play again. We are currently looking at the use of drones to apply herbicides, which will help with access to hard-to-reach areas. One of the best examples where this would be useful is the huge retaining walls on the approach to Liverpool Lime Street Station. Treating the vegetation with herbicides is very difficult here due to overhead powerlines and trains regularly passing through. This technology will certainly help with access and help us minimise the damage that vegetation can cause.
We have the techniques and the technology to help us manage vegetation on the railways, and the inspection regimes in place to identify where vegetation is a problem and direct our teams to tackle it.
You mentioned how the work of your teams can cause friction with the general public. How big is this problem and how does Network Rail address this?
Credit: iStockphoto.com/Thomas Marx
In 2018, there was a big review of Network Rail’s approach to vegetation management. This came after an article in the Guardian which suggested we were secretly felling trees. In reality, there were a couple of sites just north of London where there had been very poor communication with local people and the contractors had cleared a lot of vegetation that they didn’t need to. After questions in Parliament, Joe Johnson, who was Rail Minister at the time ordered a review of our approach to vegetation management across England and Wales, and also how we took account of local communities and biodiversity.
John Varley OBE was appointed chair of the review and spent 18 months looking at what we did, why we did it, and how. Among his recommendations were improving communications with communities and key stakeholders. As a result, we now spend a lot more time and resources, using a wider range of communication channels and tools, to inform the public of where and when we will be carrying out work, the purpose of the work, and how we’re going to protect the environment.
An example of this is sending out text messages and emails to residents when we’ll be working in their location to make them aware of our presence, but also to reassure them that the work is necessary, and that while it might not look pretty when we start, the end result will be improved safety for the public and rail staff, and an improved local area in terms of the environment and biodiversity.
All of this also ties into the technological progress we are seeing. The use of battery-powered tools and machines means we can now work in close proximity to our neighbours with as little disturbance as possible.
One cause for concern among the public is the use of pesticides. How are chemicals used to manage vegetation on the railway, and how do you ensure they are used responsibly?
We primarily use pesticides to keep the ballasted area of the railway clear. We have a number of trains that travel in circuits across the network every year, primarily to treat weeds and plant growth in the ballast. We do this for a few reasons. For example, the ballast is designed to be free draining, but once you have plants growing in there, that reduces this ability.
We also have plain line pattern recognition (PLPR) trains going up and down the network, using lasers and cameras to detect faulty track. If these can’t see the components of the track, we’re left with a very expensive train collecting images of weeds.
There are various ways of weeding the railway. You could ballast-clean the whole of the railway on an annual basis, but that would be rather expensive and not very efficient. The same can be said for hand weeding.
Chemical usage, when it is targeted and follows the manufacturers conditions and instructions, is the best and most efficient way to treat weeds on the railway. We’ve worked for years with manufacturers, the Environment Agency, and with environmental regulators to make sure that our approach to applying pesticides is the best it can be. We’re avoiding drift, targeting the areas that we spray, and we’re using the chemicals that have the best efficacy for getting rid of the weeds, but which have the least environmental impact.
The active ingredients that we’re using are agreed with the HSE and the Chemicals Research Directorate, as well as the Environment Agency. We have signed a spray agreement with the Environment Agency and Water UK, as well as SEPA in Scotland, and Natural Resources Wales. That document details the way that we monitor and manage where and how chemicals are sprayed, and where our spraying trains will turn off because they’re entering into abstraction areas – areas where water is taken out for human use.
So, we have all the right processes in place to ensure that we’re putting the right chemicals in the right place at the right time, and that that we’re not over-spraying.
Finally, the major issue we all face right now is climate change. How is this affecting the safe operation of the rail network and what steps are you taking to mitigate its impact?
Climate change is having so many impacts, including species movement, new pests and diseases, and severe weather events. When combined, all of these issues are causing a problem which is larger than the sum of its parts. For instance, species movement introduces new pests and diseases to an area. These then affect the health of the trees in that area, making them more likely to lose branches, or come down entirely, in the case of a severe weather event. Obviously, this increases the risk to trains and passengers on the network and causes disruption in the case that powerlines are brought down.
Credit: iStockphoto.com/cjkitts
Warmer temperatures will increase growth rates, meaning that we’ll have more work to do as return rates will decrease. Ten years ago, if we’d cleared an area and cut all the trees back, we could have been confident that we wouldn’t need to return for another 10 years. We’re seeing now that growth rates, especially in the south-west of the country are rapidly increasing. It’s not an insurmountable problem, but we need to be aware of it and plan accordingly.
Increasing temperatures will affect the distribution of tree species across Britain. Beech, for instance is a south of England species, but temperature rises mean it is becoming suited to the North. This means that we are starting to see Beech trees in the south becoming awfully stressed as rainfall and water levels in the soil are not sufficient. When trees become stressed, they become unhealthy and susceptible to infection by fungi – even those that wouldn’t usually be problematic. With individual trees, this isn’t a huge problem, but when you have forests full of stressed trees, then we need to be more aware of the impact that could have. We’re seeing that dramatically with Ash Dieback disease. Around 16% of trees across the rail network are Ash, and we know that a lot of them are going to get Ash Dieback and we’re going to have to manage that.
A further complication with fungal disease such as Ash Dieback, and pests such as horse chestnut leafminer, is that they cause trees to drop their leaves. As these diseases become more common, we’re increasingly having to deal with leaf-fall-problems earlier in the year.
The increasing frequency of severe weather events is also having an impact, and that’s exacerbated by the way that many trees have evolved. What deciduous trees do very well is shed all of their leaves before winter. This is due to reduced water availability – water is primarily lost through leaves – and because, generally, we tend to see stronger storms during the winter months. If trees hold onto their leaves during this time, they are more susceptible to blowing over in the event of strong winds. However, we’re now seeing increasingly strong storms at a time when the trees haven’t shed their leaves, and we’re seeing more trees blowing over.
These are the many challenges that our teams on the ground are now having to work with. It’s not quite an apocalyptic scenario, but it increases the number of factors that our teams need to be aware of.
The rail industry has its fair share of awards ceremonies, but the RailStaff Awards are completely different from the rest. For a start, how many awards nights involve an indoor fun fair?
The RailStaff Awards is the only event that solely honours the industry’s incredible employees – the teams and individuals who keep everything running to plan. You won’t find an award for a company or organisation, only for their hard-working staff.
The entire evening is devoted to those who go beyond their role, whether that’s supporting their colleagues, helping society at large, or just making customer’s days a little brighter.
You’re bound to have a co-worker who deserves some recognition. Go on, nominate them in one of our categories today:
THE CATEGORIES:
Apprentice of the Year Award
Charity Award
Customer Service Person or Team Award
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Person or Team Award
Graduate of the Year Award
Health & Wellbeing Person or Team Award
HR, Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Person or Team Award
Innovation & Technology Person or Team Award
Learning, Development & Investing in People Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
Rail Engineer of the Year Award
Rail Manager of the Year Award
Rail Person of the Year Award
Rail Team of the Year Award
Rolling Stock, Freight & Depot Person or Team Award
Safety Person or Team Award
Samaritans Lifesaver Award
Station Staff Person or Team Award
Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Person or Team Award
Nominate today
Team and individuals can be nominated by co-workers, managers, friends, union reps, even the general public. You can’t nominate yourself though, that wouldn’t be in the spirit of the event.
Once we’ve received all of your nominations, the public voting begins. Anyone can go onto www.railstaffawards.com and cast their vote, whether that’s for an entry that really captures their imagination or just to show support for a friend or colleague.
With all the public votes collected, an independent judging panel will deliberate on the top 15 nominees in each category. The judging teams choose a winner and up to two ‘highly commended’ entries, all to be revealed on the night of the event.
Support the Awards
The RailStaff Awards is a spectacular evening and a celebration of the people who make rail great. All attendees are guaranteed an exquisite dining experience and exhilarating entertainment, leaving with the wonderful glow of having championed their peers.
But the Awards wouldn’t be possible without the stalwart support of the industry, and there are plenty of options for sponsorship.
To date, sponsors for the 2024 RailStaff Awards include:
Bodyguard Workwear
Freightliner Group
GeoAccess
Land Recovery Limited
Rail Engineer
RailwayPeople
Train’d Up Railway Resourcing
Transport Benevolent Fund CIO (TBF)
Thank you all for stepping up to support the event at this early stage.
Whether your organisation would like to back an individual award, or the support the event as a whole, we look forward to hearing from you.
Now more than ever, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) is a key concern for organisations across all industries. While many firms are still coming to terms with the concept, a growing number are placing EDI as a key pillar of their company values, creating a culture of support for current employees, and reaping the recruitment benefits that a welcoming environment can bring.
It’s fair to say the rail industry is still getting to grips with including and representing the wide array of cultures, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, and abilities represented in today’s workplace, but a number of firms are leading the way, with the help of some very special individuals. The RailStaff Awards recognises their vital efforts, with the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Person or Team Award.
Freightliner, which has sponsored this award for several years, places a huge emphasis on improving EDI across its business. Misconceptions of the rail freight industry have created something of an image problem for the sector, making it unattractive to underrepresented and protected groups. Despite this, Freightliner is committed to improving diversity within its business and this is championed by its CEO, Tim Shoveller.
“We see a significant challenge in encouraging more people to join our business, but becoming more diverse is a really important way of doing that,” he says. “It makes our business stronger. Diversity significantly improves competitiveness, innovation, and profitability.
“It’s important as leaders, managers, and employees throughout the organisation that we stand up and are clear in our objectives. I’m really determined that we build an inclusive culture, one where everyone feels safe – not just physically but psychologically too.”
Equal opportunities
In recent years, gender equality has become an increasingly important topic for the business. On a monthly basis, gender profile is discussed at executive meetings and a target has been set to increase Freightliner’s female population by 1% year-on-year as part of its five-year strategy.
It has also developed a Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural awareness programme for all managers and leaders, which is currently being cascaded to all employees. The aim is for all employees, regardless of seniority, to understand the importance of diversity and inclusion, including the moral and social benefits.
Freightliner throws itself into EDI initiatives including International Women’s Day where colleagues come together in celebration of women in the rail and logistics industry. This is a valued initiative and a wonderful social event used to share experiences and examine and discuss topics that are important to the female frontline workforce.
The company also regularly gets behind The Big Logistics Diversity Challenge, an event bringing together industry professionals to look at how diversity can be tackled collaboratively and collectively through physical and mental team-building challenges.
In 2023, the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Person or Team Award was presented to Paul McGunnigle-White, treasury manager and diversity and inclusion lead at Trenitalia c2c. Paul’s strong relationships with colleagues across the company helped him to deliver real change and raise challenging conversations that have taken the organisation forward.
Paul possessed every characteristic that Freightliner looks for in a winner of the award: a strong commitment to EDI; innovative and creative ideas; and a personal passion for making change happen.
If you know someone with the same drive and determination, make sure to nominate them today!
The people who staff our 2,500 railway stations have a huge responsibility on their shoulders.
They’re the people who keep our stations safe, ensure they’re clean and tidy, sell and check tickets, and direct passengers. They despatch trains, assist passengers boarding and disembarking, search for lost luggage, and administer first aid.
They also deal with anti-social behaviour, come to the aid of those in emotional crisis, and act as guardians for all at the station. All the while, they’re expected to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the railway.
It’s a mammoth task that goes largely unnoticed, but these frontline heroes are recognised by the RailStaff Awards. The Transport Benevolent Fund CIO (TBF), is a long time supporter of the annual event, and returns once again to sponsor the Station Staff Person or Team Award.
Founded in 1923 by the predecessors of Transport for London (TfL), TBF provides relief from hardship and distress among those who work in (or are retired from) the public transport industry and its related services. TBF helps out when things aren’t going so well, offering a wide range of benefits including health, welfare, and financial support, including a comprehensive range of complementary therapies, legal advice, convalescence and bereavement grants to its members and their dependants.
The Fund is open to anyone engaged in the public transport industry in Great Britain; membership costs £1.25 a week, covering the member, their live-in partner and dependent children. Each family member is considered separately, and benefits paid are not cumulative for the whole family.
Numerous public transport employers have opted to pay for TBF membership for its employees as part of their employment package. Moving forward, TBF is encouraging further companies to take up this option.
“TBF is here to help its members in times of need and the Station Staff Award is a great opportunity to thank those who regularly help others in need,” says John Sheehy, TBF’s CEO. “Members of station staff are an integral part of the railway and, being the first point of contact for passengers, they play a very important role in helping to make the customer experience on the railway a safe and pleasant one.”
The Station Staff Award celebrates hard working, respected, and well-loved staff who help both colleagues and customers have a better experience at their station. Last year, the St Pancras International Station Team, from Network Rail High Speed, came away with the honours. While they make a difference on a daily basis, on one particular day the team reacted with exceptional professionalism and expertise to a number of major medical incidents. By putting their training into practice, acting calmly and professionally throughout, their quick thinking safeguarded passengers and colleagues alike.
“When judging the nominees for the Station Staff Award category we are looking for a commitment to helping others, ensuring customers have a positive experience of the railway,” says John. “The potential winner(s) should be reliable, hardworking and demonstrate their initiative in response to often challenging, and occasionally, life-threating situations.”
It’s not just individual employees who take the praise at the RailStaff Awards. The Rail Team of the Year Award honours those who work together to continually deliver great service, overcome significant challenges, and support colleagues and customers alike. That’s because seamless teamworking is an essential component of the industry, which is built on, and driven by effective communication.
Operating as an effective team requires a range of competencies, attitudes, behaviours, and knowledge. Research shows that collaborative problem-solving leads to better outcomes, with staff more likely to think ‘out of the box’ and be innovative, when they have the support of a team behind them. Working in a team also encourages personal development, increases job satisfaction, and reduces stress.
The ScotRail team at Johnstone Station wowed our judges in 2023 with their close camaraderie and dedication to their role.
Johnstone station is one of the busiest on the ScotRail network, lying 15 minutes from Glasgow on the Glasgow-to-Ayr mainline. The staff at Johnstone Station support not just the local community, but communities across Strathclyde. They’re passionate about their station and are very proactive with helping out. Over the years they’ve supported many local projects including Woman’s Aid and Turning point, and they continue to collect pyjamas for children on behalf of the Provost of Renfrewshire.
“We’re absolutely gobsmacked, totally overwhelmed,” said the team on the night. “If anybody ever needs anything, we’ll make sure we get it to them. We’re a just a small station, but we have the biggest heart.”
Renewed support
Train’d Up, a leading national provider of apprenticeships and work-based learning solutions, sponsored the Rail Team of the Year Award in 2023. Following last year’s spectacular event, the company is delighted to support the award once again, recognising the amazing teamwork that takes place in the industry on a daily basis.
Since it’s formation in 2003, Train’d Up has fast become a nationally recognised centre of excellence for innovative training and development solutions. With five locations strategically located throughout England and Scotland (Bridge of Allan near Stirling, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, York, and London), Train’d Up is well placed to meet the needs of the rail industry, nationally.
Its current national delivery includes a range of apprenticeship programmes, including Railway Operations, Business & Customer Service, and Engineering. Whether you’re an employer seeking to recruit an apprentice, or a young person seeking an apprenticeship, Train’d Up is there to support you.
“We’re absolutely delighted to sponsor the Rail Team of the Year award,” says managing director Alan Wilson. “There are so many good people in this industry and as an organisation that works with them on a daily basis, it’s just fantastic to be part of the RailStaff Awards.”
For further information on Train’d Up’s services, visit www.traindup.org or call 0330 058 8300.
Chair of the Young Rail Professionals (YRP), Bonnie Price, looks back on a very successful 12 months and gives us a taste of what’s in store for the next year.
As we come to the end of the fiscal year, YRP has gone through its national and regional election process. A huge thank you goes to our outgoing chairs office Simon Kendler (National Vice-Chair 23/24) and Martin Halligan (National Treasurer 23/24).
Agata Wesek.
We also thank our outgoing regional chairs: Agata Wesek (London chair); James Bennett (Wales chair); and Ewan McDermott (Western chair), who are all now handing over to their successors.
Nationally, in the incoming chairs office we have Bonnie Price taking on a second year as national chairwoman (the first woman to ever do so); Agata Wesek stepping up into the role of national vice-chair; Conor O’Donnell becomes national treasurer; and Neal Dodge takes on a second year as secretary.
Introducing herself, incoming vice-chairwoman Agata says: “I’ve been in the railway industry for almost five years now and I currently work for Network Rail (High Speed) where I am a change project manager leading on organisational change projects within the infrastructure maintenance teams. I joined YRP during the height of the Covid pandemic to connect with like-minded individuals and volunteered in various regional roles. I’ve recently had the honour to be elected as the national vice-chair.”
Conor O’Donnell adds: “I am YRP’s incoming national treasurer for the 24/25 Financial Year. In my day job I am an engineering consultant at AtkinsRéalis where I have been since 2019, and I have been fortunate enough to work on several industry-leading projects such as the East Coast Digital Programme and HS2.”
Night to remember
Moving on, we had hundreds of award nominations for our annual dinner and awards which was held on 14 March at the historic east London venue The Troxy. Our national chairperson has previously been quoted as stating that “judging was agonising” and that was certainly true this year. With over 270 nominations, it was no small feat to filter through, long list, short list, pick finalists, and choose a winner.
Conor O’Donnell.
Asher Thomas was named Young Rail Professional of the year, Mohammed Al-Sharif was named Mentor of the Year, with Simens and Tilt winning employer of the year and SME employer of the year, respectively.
David Horne, managing director at LNER, was a guest speaker at the awards. He said: “The work that YRP does in terms of professional networking, development, and providing a forum in which you can get people across every bit of the railway industry together to share knowledge, is wonderful. Full credit to the team who put all this together on the back of their day jobs.”
During his speech as headline sponsor, Steve Mole, managing partner of CPC Project Services commented: “It is essential we recognise people across the rail industry, that are a force for good.”
This was CPC’s twelfth year as a headline sponsor, underlining the commitment the company makes to young people within the industry.
It was most uplifting is to see the wealth of railway talent currently joining the industry. We look forward to seeing the impact that they will no doubt have on the industry in these turbulent times.
A year of growth
It is all change at YRP with the constitution being updated to reflect the organisation’s growth. We are adjusting job titles to match the legal implications at a national level, with all national job titles changing from chairs office to c-suite. It has been such a year of growth for YRP. We have come a long way from being a London-only committee since we started 15 years ago. In the last 12 months alone, we have increased our individual membership by 32.1%, the biggest increase in YRP history. Over 24% of our membership is made up of women, far outperforming efforts elsewhere within the rail industry. It is a trend we hope to continue and replicate with other protected characteristics.
Martin Halligan, Bonnie Price, Simon Kendler, and Neal Dodge.
Other successes over the past 12 months include the relaunch of YRP’s North West branch, our busiest Rail Week programme with 32 events across the UK, and our first Santa Express Train which entertained 180 children either living in residential care homes or with life-limiting disabilities. The Into Rail programme was our busiest and most successful yet, with 10 schools and careers fair visits, and our heritage programme delivered more than 1,000 hours of volunteer time on the UK’s heritage railways – another record set.
Looking to the next 12 months, our plans of consolidating and expanding continue as we branch into Ireland to support young people within the Irish rail industry. There is so much exciting news coming from the emerald isle and we are extremely excited about the next year. We hope you will be with us at every stop along the way.
As ever, it is free for individuals to join YRP. If you would like to discuss working together, please take a look at our website www.youngrailpro.com.
Railway workers across are set to raise thousands of pounds for Samaritans this April as they put on their running shoes to take on the 2024 TCS London Marathon.
South Western Railway’s runners are supporting Samaritans after it was chosen as the event’s official Charity Partner of the Year. They will not only be raising much-needed funds, but also awareness of the essential services the charity provides to people in crisis and needing support. Samaritans answers a call every 10 seconds from someone needing to be listened to.
With one in five (20%) people in the UK saying they have experienced suicidal thoughts, at some point in their lives, which is the equivalent of around 10,000 of the anticipated 50,000 participants who will take part in this year’s TCS London Marathon, the South Western Railway team know how important the work of Samaritans is.
Train driver, Gemma Deedat from Fratton, Portsmouth, pledged to run for Samaritans following an incident on her route.
The mother-of-two – who has worked in the rail industry for 11 years – hopes that by running for the charity, more people will see how vital Samaritans’ services are.
She said: “I had not long come back from annual leave when the incident happened, and I’d only been driving on my own for seven months. The British Transport Police, paramedics, and my train guard were really supportive.
“I have chosen to run for Samaritans because I am hoping it will show that calling them to speak with someone can make all the difference.”
Samaritans’ own findings show while 74% of people are comfortable talking with family and friends about mental health and wellbeing, only 45% are comfortable talking about suicidal thoughts, suggesting a stigma still exists around this specifically and discomfort in discussing it could be contributing to a lack of awareness and understanding of the issue.
Mel Rappini from Southampton used the Samaritans website to help her navigate tough conversations with loved ones who were struggling to cope. This inspired the HR Business Partner to fundraise for the charity.
Mel, who is also a mother-of-two, said: “Samaritans gives so much out to other people all the time, and I have used the information on its website to help support close friends and family who have previously been going through a tough time.
“It was useful to understand how I can support them and know where they are coming from a little bit more.
“It isn’t necessarily about saying to someone, ‘This is what you should do’, because there may be no right answer.
“For people to know Samaritans are there any time to listen, it allows them to ease some of the weight off their shoulders and talk openly about what they’re going through.”
The trio of runners includes James Stearn, who works as a Duty Control Manager.
James, from Surbiton, said: “Through my work in the control centre, I am well aware of the numbers of people who seek help through Samaritans and the great work they do.
“Samaritans support is not only as a voice in times of need, but also in training rail staff so that they feel confident to make interventions which could just save a life if someone is in crisis.”
Daniel O’Riordan, Head of Security and Safety Assurance at South Western Railway, said: “I am in awe of the work Samaritans do.
“We’ve worked together for many years and the positive impact of our partnership is felt by colleagues, customers, and the communities we serve all around our network.
“We’re committed to playing an active role in safeguarding everyone who uses the railway and ensuring everyone knows they are in a safe pair of hands.
“All of us at SWR are very proud of everyone taking part in this year’s marathon and will be cheering Gemma, Mel, and James every step of the way”.
Network Rail’s Wales and Western region today announced Tim Walden as its new capital delivery director.
Tim joins from the company’s Southern region, where he has held the role of capital delivery director since June 2022.
A driving force behind the completion of CP6 (the five-year railway funding period from 2019-2024), Tim has supported the creation of the Southern Renewals Enterprise, taking the region into CP7.
His leadership saw the successful delivery of major resignalling schemes at Victoria and Feltham and completion of the impressive Gatwick Airport Station works. In addition, he led the delivery of the Access for All portfolio which was the biggest of any region in CP6.
He replaces Stuart Calvert, who has moved to the role of capital delivery director for Network Rail’s Eastern region. Kayleigh Spires is currently interim capital delivery director for Wales and Western.
Regional managing director Rob Cairns said: “I’m delighted to welcome Tim to Wales and Western. There’s no doubt he’ll be an incredible addition to the leadership team and will help us to achieve our goals and ambitions for CP7.
“I’d also like to offer my sincere thanks to Kayleigh Spires, who is currently covering the capital delivery director role since Stuart’s departure and has been doing an absolutely fantastic job holding the fort.”
Network Rail has today announced two new directors who will join its executive leadership team, filling roles made vacant by recent moves and secondments.
Appointed to the vacant role of group director, system operator, is Anit Chandarana who returns to Network Rail following his DfT secondment. Anit will take up the position from 29 April on a permanent basis*.
Liam Sumpter has been appointed into the role of managing director for Network Rail in Scotland, following the announcement that Alex Hynes will be moving to the DfT on a two-year secondment as director general, rail services.
Liam is currently route director Scotland and will take up his new position from 15 April on a two-year secondment.
Balfour Beatty today announces the appointment of Steve O’Sullivan as Project Director with responsibility for Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA’s HS2 Old Oak Common station project. Steve replaces Nigel Russell, who was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of Balfour Beatty’s HS2 Major Projects business in January 2024.
With over 40 years’ experience in the industry, Steve has been involved in the delivery of some of the largest and most complex infrastructure projects in the UK and overseas including Nam Cheong Station West Rail interchange in Hong Kong and Terminal 2B and Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport.
In addition, he was responsible for Balfour Beatty’s joint venture project with Morgan Sindall and VINCI Construction, as Senior Project Director, on the Whitechapel Elizabeth Line station project and more recently, was Balfour Beatty’s Senior Representative on the Sizewell C Nuclear power Station project.
Steve joined Balfour Beatty as an Electrical Engineering apprentice in 1980 and is testament to the company’s commitment to attracting, training, and retaining its employees to offer customers the best capabilities whilst providing the quality leadership required to drive forward world-class infrastructure projects.
Nigel Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Balfour Beatty’s HS2 Major Projects business said: “I am pleased to hand over the reigns of the HS2 Old Oak Common project to Steve.
“Steve’s detailed knowledge and understanding of the market, combined with his wealth of experience, makes him perfectly placed to perform this role and lead the delivery of the UK’s best-connected and largest new railway station.”
Steve O’Sullivan, Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA Project Director at HS2 Old Oak Common station, said: “I have worked in the construction and infrastructure industry – and at Balfour Beatty in particular – for many years, helping to deliver iconic schemes around the world.
“But there is no infrastructure scheme more recognizable than HS2. It’s a household name and is critical for thousands of people and communities in the UK. It is therefore an honour to be leading the 2,000 employees who are already working tirelessly at Old Oak Common to ensure its success and be part of the regeneration of the area in which I grew up.”
The Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA joint venture was awarded the HS2 construction management contract for the Old Oak Common station project in 2019, with responsibility for the final design, construction and commissioning of the station and delivering six underground platforms as well as up to eight platforms on the adjacent Great Western Main Line.
Last year, Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA celebrated a significant milestone at Old Oak Common, with two years of permanent construction completed including the installation of the 1.2 mile diaphragm wall for the underground box which will contain the six new high-speed platforms and the first base slab concrete pour in the western end of the station box.
Scottish Rail Holdings today announced that Joanne Maguire has been appointed interim Managing Director of ScotRail following Alex Hynes’ two-year secondment to the UK Government Department for Transport.
The appointment will be effective from Monday, 15 April 2024.
Network Rail has also announced that Liam Sumpter has been appointed Managing Director of Network Rail Scotland. He will take up his new post, on secondment for the same two year period as Alex Hynes, on Monday, 15 April 2024.
Transport Scotland, Scottish Rail Holdings, and Network Rail remain committed to the Alliance Agreement, which has delivered collaborative working between ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland and ensures a close relationship between track and train – for example, the joint Integrated Control in Springburn, one of the first of its kind in the UK railway. The organisations will work together over the coming months to update and further strengthen the Alliance Agreement between ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland.
David Lowrie, ScotRail Chairman and Scottish Rail Holdings Chief Executive, said:
“Joanne Maguire has been an outstanding leader of ScotRail over the past two years and I am pleased that she has accepted the role of interim Managing Director. I know she will continue to work with the team to build on our recent successes, including strong passenger growth, customer satisfaction, and punctuality.
“We remain fully committed to the Alliance Agreement, which has delivered close collaborative working between ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland for the benefit of our customers. Over the coming months we will work with Network Rail and Transport Scotland to update and further strengthen the Alliance Agreement to continue delivering the best possible service for our customers.”
“I am very proud to take on this new role and grateful for the opportunity to build on the work we have been doing together at ScotRail to deliver a safe, reliable, and green railway for the people of Scotland.
“Everyone at ScotRail continues to work hard to increase passenger numbers, grow revenue, and deliver value for money for the taxpayer. I am looking forward to continuing to play my part in this new role.”
Alex Hynes, outgoing Scotland’s Railway Managing Director, said:
“I am delighted for Jo personally and know she will do a great job. ScotRail is in safe hands with her at the helm.
“ScotRail’s greatest asset is its people and I know Jo will lead them to even greater success.”
