Southern driver Steve Copley, described in his nomination as a ‘commuter’s hero’, was named the RailStaff Awards Train Driver of the Year.
Steve, possibly the only driver in the world with his own hashtag, hosts a daily guess the year quiz in an attempt to brighten the day of his passengers.
Says Steve, ‘I am absolutely overwhelmed. I never thought for a million years that I would win considering the tough competition from people who have had fatalities and done a lot more worthy things than I have.
‘All I’ve tried to do is keep people talking on a train. That’s all, that’s it and I’m really humbled.’
Steve, who is based at Victoria, worked for London Underground as a track engineer before achieving a childhood goal of becoming a driver nine years ago.
He explained where the idea of hosting a quiz came from. ‘It started off sitting at a red signal when there’s only so many things you can say… It was just something to do to pass the time.’
Steve thought it was the ‘human touch’ he provides which had led to his nomination. ‘You can put the automatic announcement out, say we’re sitting at a red [signal], but that doesn’t really help anyone.’
Hitachi Rail Europe sponsored the Train Driver of the Year category this year – a reflection of its growing status as one of the UK’s premier train builders.
In September last year, the company opened its Newton Aycliffe site, which is currently delivering the Class 385 fleet for ScotRail. It later acquired Italian manufacturer AnsaldoBreda and a majority stake in Ansaldo STS, developing its rolling stock and rail systems business across Europe.
Says Ian Dawson, head of operation and delivery, Hitachi Rail Europe, ‘Hitachi are delighted to have this particular award and Steve is, quite rightly, humbled because the competition was incredible, it really was. When I read all the citations it was a really, really tough category to decide on but he’s done an excellent job. If you get on his train in the morning, it’s a different experience.
‘His people have spoken. He could probably have won three maybe even four of these categories, so I take my hat off to him. If Hitachi had drivers up and down the line, I would certainly recommend that my MD hired him tomorrow.’
Stephen Head (left) with City Surveys’ Ian Johnson.
The final accolade of the night, Rail Person of the Year, was won by Adam Stead. As well as running his own consultancy business, Adam is a prominent supporter of Young Rail Professionals (YRP), the Railway Study Association and INCOSE. This year, Adam spearheaded Rail Week, a series of some 150 events around the country run over one week in July to engage young people with the rail industry.
Adam’s friend and YRP colleague Stephen Head, who collected the award on his behalf, described Adam’s passion for the rail industry.
Says Stephen, ‘Adam’s done a tremendous amount of work with Young Rail Professionals, which is all voluntary, and that’s all about promoting the rail industry and promoting young people in the industry.
‘He’s some fantastic initiatives and really helped YRP grow as an organisation, helped a lot of young people in the industry come together and network, and just to understand more about this industry we work in.’
This year the sponsor of the Rail Person of the Year category was City Surveys. A Network Rail principal contractor, City Surveys started with just one member of staff and a couple of pieces of surveying equipment. The company, which offers track surveys and monitoring, ground investigations, ecology surveys and utility mapping services, now employs around 60 people at three offices around the country.
Ian Johnson, key accounts director at City Surveys, said he believed the category ‘embodies the entire awards’ in the way it recognises such a wide variety of roles.
He added, ’A lot of the awards ceremonies seem to focus on companies, teams, organisations, significant projects… and too often the individual can be the person who gives the most and is most valuable to that project.’
TRAIN DRIVER OF THE YEAR HIGHLY COMMENDED
Davinder Shanker, East Midlands Trains
IanPalmer, Northern
RAIL PERSON OF THE YEAR HIGHLY COMMENDED
Lee Clinton, telent
Ajmal Akram, Great Western Railway
2016 has been a big year for us says SNC-Lavalin managing director Richard George. In the company’s own words, it has been a year of transition. On 1 January 2016, the Derby-based engineering consultancy Interfleet became SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit after assuming the name of the company that acquired it back in 2011.
RailStaff spoke to Richard earlier this year. He had initially been anxious about what impact the re-branding could have on the company, but was subsequently buoyed by the early reaction. ‘Around the world the profile has now changed and that will take time to come through, but it certainly has not done us any damage at all and there are some opportunities that have been opened up as a consequence.’
SNC-Lavalin has continued to publicise its new image over the last few months, as it looks to grow its technical capability and workforce in the UK and overseas.
SNC-Lavalin sponsored this year’s RailStaff Awards Rail Manager of the Year category. A traditionally well-contested category, the trophy was presented to Heathrow Express’ Brian Keenan last year after he saved the life of a passenger and this year to Merseyrail’s Ian Taylor.
Below, Richard explains why the company is supporting this year’s event and what value he believes it brings to the industry.
Q: Why are you supporting the awards this year and specifically what drew you to the Rail Manager of the Year category?
2016 has been a big year for us – as it kicked off with our re-brand – adopting the name of our owning company SNC-Lavalin has given us the opportunity to go out and wave the flag a bit more than we might have done in other years. But as always, it’s also been a big year for the rail industry as a whole, with many things keeping us in the news.
The challenges of railways always take good management; we wanted to celebrate this, and sponsoring Rail Manager of the Year seemed like a good way to do so.
Q: Do you feel it is important to have an event in the calendar which recognises individuals in the rail industry rather than companies?
Absolutely. Our business is firmly grounded in the experience of our staff. It is their combined skills and experience which make us a leader in
our field. Each company – no matter what size – is made up of individuals, and it’s important to recognise this. At the end of the day, people do business with other people.
Q: In terms of retention and development, how important do you feel this sort of recognition is for staff?
Very important. We hold our own employee recognition awards internally, as part of our Great Place to Work initiative. Since introducing this scheme, we’ve seen staff retention improve and satisfaction levels increase. I think it’s fantastic that the RailStaff Awards do this on a bigger scale, on behalf of the entire industry.
Q: The RailStaff Awards bring together people from all different kinds of rail industry roles. Is there value in bringing together people in the industry who probably have very little interaction with one another normally?
Yes, 100 per cent. Occasions like this provide a great opportunity to network, meet new people and catch up with familiar faces that you haven’t seen in a while. Obviously it’s a social event so it’s not all about ‘talking shop’, but there will be lots of guests sharing experiences and swapping stories; and that is invaluable.
Photo: SNC-Lavalin’s Michael Grace (right) with this year’s winner, Ian Taylor.
Ambitious Network Rail graduate Lucy Hoyle won the 2016 Graduate of the Year award.
Lucy, who studied geography at University College London (UCL) before joining the Network Rail graduate scheme in September 2015, said she had always been interested in working in infrastructure and construction.
She is currently part of the Network Rail Transformation team, which is responsible for implementing new ways of working within Network Rail. The role requires Lucy
to demonstrate outstanding stakeholder management skills.
‘It’s quite a surprise,’ said Lucy, reacting to her award win. ‘It’s also really exciting because I think there is a lot of talent in the industry, and I think it’s important to recognise the talent, so I feel really proud to have been recognised as the winner.’
Lucy described her experience within the rail industry as a ‘whirlwind’. ‘I’ve had two six-month placements and they’ve both been completely different, but I think that’s put me in good stead for the future.’
She’s now looking forward to what a career in rail could offer. ‘There is literally so much to see… I think there’s so many more avenues to explore and that’s why I’m thinking going forward I’d like to explore more different opportunities and different teams.’
Graduate of the Year was sponsored by rail telecommunications specialists telent, which has been designing and delivering telecomms networks for over 30 years. telent runs its own two-year graduate scheme for aspiring engineers and project managers.
Says telent’s Stephen Dalton, ‘The industry as a whole is going through a bit of a transition.’
He believed that graduates bringing ‘new passion’ and ‘new energy’ into the industry would play a key role.
‘We at telent, we’re transitioning as a business as well from a traditional lineside operational comms organisation through now to the IP and technology for Digital Railway and we see graduates playing an important part in that.’
Jason Garside (left) with Alex Pedley.
The NTRS training team won the Training Team of the Year award. NTRS has a City & Guilds-accredited and EAL- approved training centre in Sheffield. As well as supporting the training requirements of its parent company, Linbrooke, the centre offers training services to the wider rail industry.
Jason Garside, head of client development for NTRS, said the award was ‘absolutely fantastic’.
Construction and Rail Training (CART) was the sponsor of this year’s Trainer/Training Team of the Year award. Established in 2015, the company has more than 40 years of combined experience within the rail and construction sectors. Initially operating from a single site in Baldock, Hertfordshire, the company now has a satellite training centre in Sheffield and is preparing to open a second in Essex.
Alex Pedley, business development and funding director, CART, believed CART and NTRS share the same focus on quality in training. ‘That is what everybody in the rail industry has got to work to,’ said Alex. ‘We’ve seen it in the past where things maybe have not been done quite right, but it’s getting to that stage now where everything has got to be done to a tee. We’ve got to do it and NTRS are demonstrating that.’
He added, ‘It’s a fantastic night that highlights the quality throughout the industry. I think as an industry as a whole the quality of everything we do from training to delivery to engineering, everything we do, it’s gone through the roof in the last few years and I think it’s only going to get better.’
GRADUATE OF THE YEAR HIGHLY COMMENDED
Emma Taylor, SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit
Chris Kelly, Alstom Transport UK
TRAINER/TRAINING TEAM OF THE YEAR HIGHLY COMMENDED
Steve Tollerton, Jason Alexandre and Rob Christopher, Samaritans’ Managing Suicidal Contacts and Trauma Support Training Team
Bridgeway’s Access Services team took home the Rail Infrastructure/ Possessions Team of the Year award and were followed swiftly by the 2016 Rail Manager of the Year winner, Merseyrail’s Ian Taylor.
The Bridgeway Access Services team has been providing possessions, line blockages, AC and DC isolations for clients across the UK since 1995. Recent projects include Thameslink and Crossrail East/West.
Mike Harris, access services director, Bridgeway Consulting, said the few people there on the night represented a team of between 300 and 400 people within the company. The team includes delivery managers, planners, engineering supervisors, PICOPs, COSSs and safe work leaders.
‘We were against some stiff opposition out there. There’s a lot of people that we really respect and there’s lots of people out there that really we’re in awe of, but we work really hard to deliver for our clients. What we look at is exceeding expectations in what we deliver. We’re both pleased and humbled by the award really.’
Deploy UK Rail, part of the DE Group, sponsored this year’s Rail Infrastructure/ Possessions Team of the Year award. Deploy UK Rail was established in 2013; at the time with just three employees. Since then, the company has grown substantially and now employs over 300 sponsored staff. Initially focussed around London and the South East, Deploy Rail has gone on to open regional offices in Plymouth and Manchester, and has plans to open more in the future.
Ian Taylor (left) with Michael Grace.
Ian Taylor was named as the 2016 Rail Manager of the Year. Nominators described Ian as an ‘inspirational’ leader and someone who is ‘always actively seeking out better ways to do things’.
‘Absolutely over the moon. I really can’t believe it,’ said Ian, who joined Merseyrail 14 years ago as a mobile technician and is currently based out of the Birkenhead North TMD. ‘I love working for the rail industry. It’s the togetherness,’ said Ian.
On 1 January 2016, Derby- based engineering consultancy Interfleet became SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit after adopting the name of the company that acquired it in 2011. SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit has an experienced team of 1,500 rail experts working on a variety of rolling stock, infrastructure and control system projects around the world.
Says Michael Grace, who presented the award for SNC-Lavalin, ‘We’re really focussed on having a sustainable business and the only way we can do that is having good talent coming through the business, so having good managers and good leaders is absolutely critical.
‘Our number one priority within SNC-Lavalin is staff engagement that’s the one thing that we focus on more than anything. If we get that right and deliver quality then everything else falls into place.’
RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE/POSSESSIONS TEAM OF THE YEAR HIGHLY COMMENDED
MTR Crossrail’s maintenance team were recognised with the Depot Team of the Year award for their contribution to the service’s fast-improving reliability and satisfaction scores.
Within just three months of being set up, the maintenance team had implemented new maintenance management software and procedures in ready for the launch of TfL Rail services between Liverpool Street and Shenfield in May 2015. They’ve also overseen a full fleet refreshment programme which has helped double the reliability of the fleet.
Says team member Tetyana Nedilko, ‘We’ve been working really hard to achieve this to get where we are.’
Adding, ‘We have a great team looking after our fleet, working together with Abellio Greater Anglia, and they’re awesome. Thanks for their efforts and we also have a great team in engineering at HQ who were all amazing. Thanks for all your hard work.’
Seaton Rail is the proud sponsor of Depot Team of the Year for 2016. Set up in 1995, Seaton Rail is managed by father-and-son team Shane and Matthew Seaton. Seaton Rail, which is based in Bridlington, specialises in possession and works planning. In 2008, the company also began offering contingent labour supply, training and on-track protection and warning services.
Seaton Rail, an approved Rail Training Accreditation Scheme provider (RTAS) through the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR), is also a member of the Association of Railway Training Providers (ARTP) and the British Safety Council.
Shane Seaton, managing director of Seaton Rail said the MTR maintenance team were ‘well deserved winners’ and that he’d found it nice ‘to meet up with some old colleagues’ on the night.
MTR Crossrail Maintenance Team.
Depot Team of the Year was followed by the Samaritans Lifesaver award, which this year was won by Scott Paton – a performance manager for Abellio Greater Anglia (AGA) who performed a life-saving intervention during a routine station visit.
‘It’s an absolute privilege to be recognised but I feel like all the nominees were deserving of this,’ said Scott, who doesn’t believe he would have had the confidence to intervene were it not for the training he had received from the Network Rail/ Samaritans partnership.
The award is sponsored by Samaritans, which in 2010 joined forces with Network Rail to run a rail suicide prevention programme. In the past three years, the programme has received information about more than 2,000 recorded suicide interventions by railway staff and British Transport Police (BTP) officers. Samaritans has seen the number of interventions rise by 30 per cent in the last year.
He went on. ‘It’s nice to be recognised by judges, peers, everyone, and it just proves that this is not just about me it’s about the Managing Suicidal Contacts course and what the Samaritans do as well.’
The programme’s Managing Suicidal Contacts training aims to give staff the skills and confidence to identify vulnerable people and act. To date, more than 11,500 railway staff have completed the course. The charity also runs trauma support courses for train drivers and other staff who have been affected by a suicide. More than 1,500 people have attended one of these courses to date.
Says Ola Rzepczynska, strategic programme manager, Network Rail, ‘It’s absolutely inspiring. It’s above and beyond a day job.
‘For most of us, we don’t go into our daily job thinking that something like this, someone taking their life, might actually happen… but unfortunately on the railway it is, so giving people the skills to be able to cope with that is hopefully making that difference and we believe at Samaritans that suicides can be preventable and as does the suicide prevention programme that we’re all part of.’
Network Rail’s Bill Cooke would have been briefly disappointed to miss out on the Safety Person of the Year award to John Abbott and colleague Roan Willmore, but his fundraising exploits ensured he’d come away with a trophy before the night was over.
John Abbott, from RSSB, and Network Rail’s Roan Willmore collaborated to produce the recent ‘Leading Health and Safety on Britain’s Railways: A strategy for working together’. The strategy looks at what the industry can do over the next 10 years to further improve its health and safety performance.
Says John, who collected the award, ‘On behalf of Roan and myself, I’m delighted that we’ve won the award because it just reflects the importance to the industry of safety and the work we’ve done which we hope to further improve our already impressive health and safety performance.’
He added, ‘To put it in context, Britain’s railways have never been safer and I’m proud to say that over the last few years we have become the safest railway in Europe. But there is still considerable room for improvement on many aspects, whether that’s to do with the workforce in terms of health and safety, but also there’s further improvements that can be made to passenger safety and public safety. ’
Bridgeway has been the sponsor of the Safety Person of the Year category since the first RailStaff Awards in 2007. Like the awards, Bridgeway has grown in stature since it was formed by three British Rail underwater inspection unit divers in 1995, now employing some 700 members of staff and holding a Network Rail principal contractor license.
The company provides a range of engineering services, including on site and ground investigations, isolations, geomatics, Business Information Modelling (BIM), utilities, structures examinations – including diving and rope access, AC/ DC isolations, possession management, worksite management, permanent way engineering and signalling and telecommunications.
Says managing director Pino De Rosa, ‘As a rail industry stakeholder, as an organisation that has a commercial challenge to succeed and survive and prosper, the one thing that underpins everything we do is the importance of making sure that all our people go home safe at the end of every shift.’
He added, ‘There are people out tonight working in the dark, in the cold, in the rain potentially, and it’s really important that we make every effort to make sure they’re safe so being the sponsor of the Rail Safety Person or Rail Safety Team of the Year means a lot to me on a personal level.’
Bill Cooke received the Charitable Person of the Year title having helped to raise more than £460,000 for charity over the past 13 years. This has in part been down to Bill’s Annual Charity Partners Golf Day, a popular event which is supported by companies across the rail industry.
Adrian Fricker wrote in his nomination, ‘The amounts that Bill has been able to raise for a number of charities over such a sustained period are exceptional and his passion, enthusiasm and commitment go far above the norm of charity fundraising.
‘He has been an active member of the Network Rail Charity Panel for a number of years and is seen as a role model in terms of his behaviour and delivery.’
The Charitable Person of the Year category was sponsored by Force Contracting Services (FCS). FCS provides construction, civil engineering and role access solutions to the rail industry. From its base in Worksop, FCS supports clients nationwide, including J Murphy and Son, AMCO Rail and Kier.
Jim Broe, who presented the award for FCS, said it was great to be able to recognise ‘anyone that takes time out above and beyond what they do’. ‘It’s key and very important to society in general.’
RAIL SAFETY PERSON OF THE YEAR HIGHLY COMMENDED
Bill Cooke, Network Rail
Stobart Rail Safety Department, Stobart Rail
CHARITABLE PERSON OR TEAM OF THE YEAR HIGHLY COMMENDED
Crystal Danbury, Chiltern Railways
Luke Gardner, TransPennine Express
‘It’s all about teamwork isn’t it,’ says Roger Stewart, a director at Coyle Personnel, one of the largest suppliers of contingent labour to Britain’s rail industry. For a company that is a primary sponsor for around 900 staff, you can understand why teamwork is so important.
As well as its 900 or so sponsored staff, Coyle Personnel employs teams of full-time management and administrative staff at 10 offices around the country: Harrow, Walsall, Cardiff, Central London, Chelmsford, Glasgow, Ashford, Reading, York and Manchester.
Coyle Personnel was incorporated in 1988. The company had initially specialised in construction labour before building a presence in the rail industry. Now a supplier of electrification and plant works (E&P) and signalling contingent labour to Network Rail, Coyle Rail has grown into a £50 million turnover business, supplying some of the biggest names in the fields of signalling, electrification and rolling stock.
Retention
The shortage and subsequent demand for engineering skills has put a strain on the industry. The reasons are diverse. ‘It’s the work patterns that is the biggest problem,’ says Roger. ‘Construction in the South East is growing so a lot of people have left the rail industry.’
Coyle Rail, like many other companies, is looking at the training it offers to bring new entrants to the industry, but retention of existing staff is equally important. More than 500 of Coyle Rail’s sponsored staff have been with the business for 10 years or more.
‘I know both sides of the coin,’ says Roger, who began his own career as a track worker. In fact, many of the company’s managers dotted around the country have some form of practical railway experience, with many trained to engineering supervisor (ES), person in charge of possession (PICOP) or machine controller levels.
‘The reward for the guys is being treated fairly,’ says Roger.
Reward
Coyle Rail sponsored the Rail Team of the Year category at this year’s RailStaff Awards, which was won by Northern’s Blackpool North station. Last year, a team from Knutsford station in Cheshire took home the Rail Team of the Year trophy. They had received various glowing reports detailing the ways in which they had worked to improve the station for passengers and the community.
Says Roger, ‘It’s good to reward people whether it’s for the office or for the workers themselves.’
He added, ‘It’s all about teamwork isn’t it. To work in the industry we work in, it’s got to be down to teamwork.’
VolkerRail’s Kirow Team, winners of the Rail Plant and Equipment Team of the Year award, are used to scaling dizzying heights.
With over 1,500 days without a RIDDOR, VolkerRail’s Kirow Team prides itself on being one of the most reputable plant teams in the sector.
Since acquiring the UK’s first Kirow crane 15 years ago, VolkerRail has expanded its fleet substantially. The company now employs 30 delivery staff to operate its fleet of five cranes.
‘It’s recognition of 15 years achievement,’ said Steve Shields, business manager, VolkerRail. ’We often go into projects that are, shall we say, out of scope, that need a different slant on how you’re going to deliver them; and we’re always there to give our clients and our customers a top level service.’
The sponsors of the Rail Plant and Equipment Team of the Year category, Amey, know the challenges of operating and maintaining large equipment fleets. Amey’s rail business is currently delivering Network Rail signalling, electrification and track framework contracts and in the South West it is working with Network Rail on the electrification of the Great Western Main Line.
Says Simon Rhoden, Amey’s business director, ‘We were delighted to sponsor the Rail Plant and Equipment Person or Team of the Year Award because at Amey we recognise the skills required for this work and that teams and individuals work tirelessly to ensure our railways operate smoothly.
‘We were impressed by all the nominations and are proud to have been able to celebrate the hard work and dedicated attitude of our colleagues in the rail industry.’
As well as its design and consultancy services division, Amey looks after more than 100,000 Network Rail assets as part of its civils examination framework contract. Earlier this year, the company was also named as a member of the construction alliance which is building Manchester’s Ordsall Chord.
VolkerRail Kirow Team.
Shortly before the mid-session break, Keltbray’s Les Blake, who has worked in the rail industry for 54 years, won the Lifetime Achievement Award. Now 73 years old, Les began his career in the freight department of British Rail before moving over to rail electrification. Since, then he has worked on practically every major electrification project in the country. He remains at the sharp end, working most recently on the electrification of the Great Western through the Severn Tunnel.
During his time at Keltbray, Les has been dedicated to training and mentoring apprentices and junior linemen, but his crowning achievement came recently, working with Keltbray to bring a brand new road/rail full tensioning wiring unit to the UK.
But Les said he feels the industry has given as much back to him as he has contributed throughout his long career. Following the death of his wife three years ago, work has given Les a comforting degree of normality. ‘When you get up in the morning it’s all about sadness,’ said Les. ‘When you head off to work you’re back to what you’ve always done.’
As long as he feels he has something to contribute, Les will continue to get out on track. ‘My family say it’s about time I did slow down, take a bit more time off, and maybe I will do that but at the moment likewise when you get things like this Severn Tunnel coming up you can’t not want to be involved with it. It’s another challenge.’
Specialist video production services provider High Viz Media sponsored the Lifetime Achievement category in 2016. Says managing director Nick Collier, ‘Presenting the award for lifetime achievement was an immense privilege; it serves as a great reminder that whilst the industry is increasingly becoming segmented, the railway family still exists and the drive and passion to remain part of it is very much alive.’
RAIL PLANT AND EQUIPMENT PERSON OF THE YEAR HIGHLY COMMENDED
An outstanding apprentice and a leading project manager both took to the stage to collect awards for their exceptional efforts over the past 12 months.
‘It feels good,’ said Billy Welch, the winner of the Apprentice of the Year award. Billy, who works as an apprentice civil engineer for Costain at London Bridge, had worked as a HGV driver prior to joining the rail industry three-and- a-half years ago.
During his 18 months on the project, Billy has gained the respect of senior colleagues on what is a complex project, producing reports that have contributed to the Start of Shift (SoS) briefings and helping to ensure works are completed safely.
‘It’s quite hard to stand out at London Bridge due to the amount of staff and the vast amount of work that’s going on,’ said Billy. ‘But you have to make sure you try and stand out from the crowd.’
Jessica Andrews, who nominated Billy, wrote, ‘It is doubtless to say that one day Billy will walk through London Bridge station and be proud of what he has achieved.
‘Billy is also very keen to ensure that the quality aspect of all work is second to none and meets with Network Rail’s whole-life quality criteria. He achieves this by using Inspection Test Plans (ITPs) to ensure that work has been completed in accordance with project design documentation and engineering/ construction specifications.’
‘I think it’s good to receive some recognition for the work you do; it’s quite easy to go unnoticed in a project but once you receive the recognition it spurs you on to keep working and keep working towards another goal,’ Billy said.
This year, the Apprentice of the Year category has been jointly sponsored by Gore and Ballyclare, which together have been supplying rail PPE products to the industry for the past 25 years.
In a joint statement, Gore and Ballyclare said, ‘It was clear that Billy’s hard work, inquisitive passion and holistic approach to the mechanics of his current project, ‘London Dungeons’ section of the London Bridge station redevelopment, had gained him the admiration and respect of his peers and senior colleagues.
‘Added to this, his enthusiasm for his onsite work was equally matched by his thirst for on-going training, his current studies for a HND in construction in the built environment and his desire to become a fully certified engineer.’
Winner of the Project Manager of the Year category was Craig Young. He joined the Network Certification Body (NCB) as a senior rail vehicle conformance engineer in 2013. Twh years later Craig was appointed project, planning and resource manager. He has risen to the challenge of the role and now oversees a portfolio of around 600 projects.
‘I’m an engineer by trade, so I’ve developed project management skills through my engineering,’ said Craig. ‘It is really nice and I’m going back into work on Monday with a big smile on my face and say a big thank you.’
CPMS sponsored the Project Manager of the Year category. CPMS was formed in 2012 and delivers rail electrification project management services and resources to the industry. Starting out with only four employees, the company now has a team of more than 60 and has supported several major programmes, including the replacement of 320 km of overhead line between Chelmsford and London’s Liverpool Street station and laying the foundations for the Great Eastern electrification scheme.
Says Mat Baine, managing director, CPMS, ’When they asked us what category we wanted to sponsor, it was only going to be one choice.
‘Project management is the lifeblood of the rail industry, and we need quality project managers coming through, people like Craig, delivering week in week out and driving the industry forward. It was a no- brainer for us as a company.’
An emotional Suzanne Nicholls collected a deserved Station Staff of the Year award at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena and was followed by Recruiter/HR Person of the Year winner Adam Razzell.
Suzanne, Preston station’s community champion, is dedicated to making the station a community hub and has recently won an award for her charity work. She works with local businesses to arrange pop-up shops at the station and with schools to educate children on railway safety.
‘I’m absolutely over the moon. I can’t believe it,’ said Suzanne after collecting her award. ‘This has just bowled me over completely,’ she added. ‘I did this off my own back because I enjoy doing it.’
Nominator Cheryl Marland wrote a glowing appraisal of Suzanne’s achievements over the past year. ‘I don’t know how she does it,’ said Cheryl. ‘She is a great team player and extremely level headed but with a brilliant sense of humour and she’s very ‘real’. You can approach her with anything and she will do her level best to help without compromising the task in hand.’
TBF, the sponsors of the Station Staff of the Year category, is a charity set up to support transport sector staff in times of need, hardship and distress. The organisation was established more than 100 years ago to support the families of staff fighting in the First World War. The fund has changed a lot in that time and recently became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
A small £1 contribution every week allows TBF to help its members by paying for complementary and alternative therapies or equipment not covered by the NHS, arrears on household bills or providing cash grants. Since 1997, the organisation’s membership has increased almost sixfold to more than 47,000 and every year the charity awards around £2 million to members in need of support.
Chris Sullivan, chair of TBF, said it was obvious Suzanne had a ‘benevolent streak’. At its heart, TBF believes that everyone in the industry has a moral responsibility to support one another, particularly when safety is a factor.
‘You’ve only got to make one mistake with a train,’ said Chris, talking about how personal and financial problems can be a distraction for staff while at work. ‘We can take some of the strain of it.’
Adam Razzell (centre)
Adam Razzell, who has gone from being a junior consultant to head of Advanced Resource Managers’ (ARM) rail division within just four years, was named the Recruiter/HR Person of the year, outshining a talented bunch of rail recruiters from around the industry.
In one of the many nominations for Adam, Paul Welland wrote, ‘I speak to many recruiters regularly and unlike most, Adam provides a professional service far in excess of others. I would not hesitate to recommend him.’
Over the past year, Adam has maintained a high placement average and weekly timesheet. He has also introduced positive initiatives within the business, including the creation of client- specific microsites, open days and the introduction of pre- interviews on site.
‘It feels great. Great to win an award, especially an industry award like this,’ said Adam. ‘For me, I only learn from the industry, so the industry people I speak to – the contractors, the clients – they teach me all that I know so for them to then nominate me it’s great, it’s a great achievement.’ Global Rail Jobs, a global careers website covering the international rail industry, sponsored the Recruiter/HR Person of the Year category.
Says Asif Ahmed, director, Global Rail Jobs, ‘We talk about the railway skills shortage as a UK problem, but it’s something that companies around the world are getting to grips with. Recruitment and HR professionals understand the challenge better than anyone and all of the finalists and nominees have played a central role in the past year trying to find, train and place skilled people within the industry.’
The winners of the Rail Team of the Year category provided one of the most uplifting stories of the night. When driver John Burrows suffered a life- changing stroke, the team at Blackpool North stepped up to help.
While John was in hospital, a leak at his house had ruined his kitchen. Determined for John not to return to such devastation, the team of 18 repaired and renovated his home, installing a new kitchen, fitting new carpets and buying new furniture. Later in the year, the team returned, again in their own time, to spruce up his garden. Funding for the work came from drivers’ union ASLEF and the Blackpool North Welfare Fund.
Nominating the team, Paul Wilkinson said, ‘When John came home from hospital he was welcomed with a new kitchen, carpets, furniture and freshly decorated rooms. This had all been done by his colleagues at Blackpool North train station in their own time. This included drivers, conductors, station staff and management from all across the station and depot.’
‘This is the pinnacle of it,’ said Northern’s James Brennan, collecting the award. ‘I’m here in normal tie because we don’t have black ties, we don’t have dickie bows, we’re not that kind of people. We’re average people that live in Blackpool and we do our bit.’
Coyle Personnel, one of the largest suppliers of contingent labour to Britain’s rail industry, has sponsored the Rail Team of the Year category this year.
As well as employing around 900 sponsored staff, Coyle Personnel also has full-time management and administrative teams working out of its 10 offices around the UK.
Coyle Personnel became incorporated in 1988 and specialised in construction labour. Rail now represents a large part of its business. As well as other major industry clients, Coyle Rail is a supplier of electrification and plant works (E&P) and signalling contingent labour to Network Rail.Says Phil Cambridge, Coyle’s rail manager, ‘They were just so genuinely, genuinely delighted to win it and genuinely surprised that they did as well.’
He added, ‘I think what makes it different to a lot of industry awards is it’s much more personal… I think it’s great that the award’s given to that person for their efforts and not to that project.’
Jai collecting his award from Phil Mounter, Westermo.
Next up was Jai Smart, a power engineer with 15 years experience in the rail sector, who was presented by sponsor Westermo with the Signalling and Telecommunications Person of the Year award.
Jai, who works for Alstom Transport UK, was praised by his colleagues for demonstrating ‘a common-sense practicality when developing and evolving bespoke power applications for the railway environment’. He was also described as a great manager and a great role model.
Jai, who joked that the award was his first since completing the 50m breaststroke at school, said his aim now is to grow his team and promote the field of engineering.
‘My position is to promote engineering and power in the business and make sure the signalling actually works,’ said Jai. ‘I’m looking to actually recruit and develop the department and provide a better engineering base towards the industry,’ said Jai. ‘I was an apprentice in the 80s and everybody went into the public monetary sector and finance rather than doing engineering, so that’s one of my focuses at the moment to try and get graduates and trainees back into the engineering sector to bring back and put engineering where it needs to be.’
This is the fifth time that Westermo has supported the Signalling & Telecommunications Person or Team of the Year category.
Founded in Sweden in 1975, Westermo has been manufacturing industrial communications systems for over 40 years for a variety of sectors.
In the UK, Westermo is an established supplier of lineside and on train communications infrastructure. Its communications networks support the CCTV, passenger information and remote condition monitoring systems we encounter every day.
‘We’re just so proud to be part of this industry,’ said Phil Mounter, sales manager for the company’s rail business in the UK. ‘It’s just so rewarding to work in an industry that’s proud of itself, proud of the people that work within the industry. It’s great to work with people like Jai who really go the extra mile.’
RAIL TEAM OF THE YEAR HIGHLY COMMENDED
Marylebone Station Team, Chiltern Railways
East Midlands South ‘Flying Scotsman’ team, British Transport Police
SIGNALLING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS PERSON OF THE YEAR HIGHLY COMMENDED
Danny Roberts of TransPennine Express and Natalie Dickinson from ISS Labour were the first winners of the night at the 2016 RailStaff Awards.
Danny, a customer service assistant at Grimsby station, won the Outstanding Customer Service accolade. His nomination described a dedicated member of the team, who on a number of occasions has shown great compassion and care in dealing with vulnerable members of the public.
Chris Nutton, major projects director at TransPennine Express, collected the award on Danny’s behalf. He said Danny’s achievement reflected the quality of service provided by staff throughout the company. ‘Danny’s done some outstanding work for us at TransPennine working at Grimsby station – part of a small and really dedicated team delivering for our customers on the line there in north Lincolnshire.
‘He’s gone out of his way to deliver not just great customer service but also really managing safety in an excellent way, caring for vulnerable people and working both with his colleagues at the station and other agencies on the railway to make sure that we’re looking after our customers and going the extra mile.’
RailSport sponsored this year’s Outstanding Customer Service Award. Established by the British Rail Staff Association, RailSport has been pitting rail staff against one another in sporting competition since the early 1990s, culminating each year with the annual RailSport Games, which next year will be held in Loughborough. The award was presented by RailSport secretary Cliff Robinson.
Chris Nutton (left) and Cliff Robinson.
The second award of the evening was won by Natalie Dickinson, who was named Rail Engineer of the Year and became the first woman to receive the award in the event’s 10-year history. Natalie joined the rail industry 13 years ago and currently works as an engineer within ISS Labour’s OLE Division offices in Salford. During the 2015 Christmas works programme, Natalie took on a new and challenging role which involved reviewing OLE designs, ordering materials and ensuring projects kept to strict deadlines.
Nominating Natalie, ISS Labour chief executive Simon Higgens said, ‘Natalie’s breadth of experience and engineering knowledge is vital to the development and nurturing of the next generation of linesmen. As such, Natalie will be playing a key role in the mentoring of ISS Labour’s new batch of OLE engineers, where her exceptional communication and interpersonal skills will come to the fore.
‘Natalie thoroughly deserves the recognition that this award will convey. Modest, humble and not seeking attention, she has achieved a significant amount in her career and is an exceptional example to us all.’
A couple of days later, having had time to reflect on the award, Natalie said she was ‘genuinely astounded’ to have won. ‘I was so surprised to have been nominated. To have won is amazing. It was completely out of my comfort zone being nominated for such an award and to be up against 19 other strong nominees was quite daunting.’
‘The award has made me realise that I am accepted and valued by the team that I work within. I think that to be acknowledged for your effort is important for everyone who works in a team. For me personally, I feel very proud and motivated. I also feel a great deal of loyalty to both the team that I work with and ISS Labour who I work for.’
Natalie, who joined the rail industry as a team organiser, said she hoped becoming the first female winner of the award will help in some way to raise the profile of female engineers.
‘To find out that I am the first woman to receive this award in the 10 years the event has been going is a tremendous achievement. The rail industry is notorious for being male orientated; however, this is changing and becoming more diverse. I hope this will inspire more female employees to reach their full potential.’
Natalie collecting her award from sponsor Keltbray.
She added, ‘I would like to thank my four colleagues that nominated me as the words they used for the nominations proved to me that they know I am passionate about my work. I’d also like to thank everyone who voted for me, past work colleagues, family and friends who have supported me throughout my 13 years working within the rail industry.’
Rail Engineer of the Year was sponsored by Keltbray Rail, part of the Keltbray Group. Keltbray Rail, which holds a principal contractor license with Network Rail and a Plant Operators Scheme Licence, offers electrification design and build services, as well as rail and civil engineering and plant delivery services. Projects Keltbray Rail has recently contributed its expertise to include the Welsh Valley lines, Crossrail Anglia, Great Western and the West Coast Main Line modernisation scheme.
Managing director of Keltbray Rail & Infrastructure, Phill Price, said, ‘Keltbray Rail plays a key role in maintaining and developing Britain’s infrastructure. We are currently involved in the development and upgrading of the some of the UK’s greatest railways, and were proud to sponsor this year’s Rail Engineer Award.
‘We were even more proud to sponsor this in the year Natalie Dickinson won as the first ever woman to win this award. This is an important milestone for our industry, which needs to work harder to attract a more diverse workforce so that we better reflect the communities within which we work.’
Teams that form a strong bond often refer to themselves as a family. Hitachi’s Ashford train maintenance crew – the winners of the Depot Team of the Year category at last year’s RailStaff Awards – would agree.
Sometimes the term is completely accurate. It used to be common to follow members of your family on to the railway; it still happens today even if it is not as familiar a story. The railway relies on family ties and family-run businesses.
Branching out
Set up in 1995, Seaton Rail is managed by father-and-son team Shane and Matthew Seaton. The company, which is based in Bridlington, initially offered possession and works planning services, but in 2008 branched out, adding contingent labour supply, training and on track protection and warning services.
Seaton Rail, an approved Rail Training Accreditation Scheme provider (RTAS) through the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR), is a member of the Association of Railway Training Providers (ARTP) and the British Safety Council. The business continues to add and expand its activities in the sector. In June, the company announced it had received its accreditation to provide drugs and alcohol screening services.
A former British Rail signalling and telecommunications engineer, Shane took voluntary redundancy in the mid-1990s to establish the company, which is sponsoring the Depot Team of the Year category for 2016.
Depot Team of the Year is the only category which specifically sets out to reward the hard-working teams that strive to ensure the reliability of the trains and maintenance vehicles that operate across Britain’s rail network.
As well as his role as managing director, Shane is also the company’s compliance manager, which involves doing the inductions for new staff, delivering training sessions, distributing safety bulletins and chairing safety meetings. His son, Matt, followed him into the industry and is now Seaton Rail’s director of operations – a role that involves managing the allocation of staff and working with clients to plan projects.
The family connection doesn’t stop there. Shane’s partner, Maggie, is the company’s accounts manager, his daughter Laura is the office manager and his youngest son, David, is the training and development manager.
Valuable assets
A significant chunk of Shane’s time is spent developing new and existing staff. He has recently trained three new trainers for the business who he hopes will soon gain their NSAR accreditation to deliver track safety training.
Seaton Rail initially specialised in planning projects and would use a third party labour supply agency to carry out the work. The company has now taken that element in-house – it currently employs around 100 sponsored staff as well as 27 full-time employees. Shane says this gives the company a better understanding of his workforce – what they are trained and equipped to do – and avoids scenarios in which works have to be cancelled because the technicians that have turned up on site aren’t able to carry out the required tasks.
‘Recognising and rewarding staff is essential’, says Shane. Seaton Rail won’t be using the evening to entertain clients, instead members of frontline staff have been invited to attend. ‘Our employees are a valuable asset to us and how they perform makes a big difference to our business,’ said Shane.
Communications, both the wired sort and the spoken word, are at the heart of the rail industry. Signallers need to communicate with drivers, staff with passengers and designers with engineers. When any one of these falls down, the consequences can be costly.
Founded in Sweden in 1975, Westermo has been manufacturing industrial communications systems for over 40 years, providing critical infrastructure for numerous sectors. The company is now a global provider of railway communications networks, employing more than 200 people around the world – roughly a quarter of which work in the rail sector.
“Rail is a big part, and an important part, of what we do,” said Phil Mounter, Westermo sales manager. “We’re a growing business globally and we’re growing in the UK as well. We pride ourselves in not only delivering quality industrial networks fit for purpose in all industries that have critical communications infrastructure, but also second to none local technical support.”
Onboard systems
The company, which has its UK headquarters in Southampton, has for a long time specialised in designing and supplying lineside communications infrastructure but is now increasingly developing On Train networks, as train operators and ROSCOs look to refurbish fleets with new CCTV, passenger information, driver-only operation, remote condition monitoring and wireless communications systems.
Just recently, Westermo won a landmark contract with Transport for London to work in partnership with them and other suppliers to deliver the Predict and Prevent RCM project on London Underground’s Jubilee line. A key element of the solution Westermo is supplying is the wireless communications between the carriages and Train-to-Ground Communications to forward the data from the train to the station’s wireless infrastructure.
At this year’s Infrarail exhibition, Westermo was demonstrating its IP train concept – something the company has been pioneering with Bombardier and other manufacturers which, in essence, uses a single Ethernet network to manage almost all of a train’s onboard systems.
CBTC
For the past four years, Westermo has supported the Signalling & Telecommunications Person or Team of the Year category at the RailStaff Awards to recognise the kind of skilled, inventive engineers the company works with every day.
The 2015 award was won by the signalling test team at Old Dalby in Leicestershire, which is trialling the new Communications-based train control (CBTC) signalling system for London Underground’s Sub-Surface Railway (SSR). RailStaff was lucky enough to visit the site in March and travel on an S Stock train as it completed a test run through rural Leicestershire. It was a great example of a complicated project overcoming a challenging start through the application of innovative technology and a dedicated team.
Give something back
Although Westermo specialises in technical communications networks, the company recognises the value of communication in all its forms. After handing out last year’s award, Phil felt that the chance to recognise and reward the individuals and teams, as well as the companies they work for, was the main draw of the RailStaff Awards.
“We believe passionately in the industry that we’re in; in terms of the quality of its engineers and the products that the engineers produce,” said Phil. “We feel that we should give a little bit back.”
It will be someone who grasps the opportunities put in front of them that will win the RailStaff Awards 2016 Graduate of the Year category, says Steve Pears, telent’s managing director, rail.
This year will be the second time telent, which itself has a popular graduate scheme, has sponsored the category. It’s an area in which the company invests a lot of time and resource.
‘What we’re finding at the moment is year on year it’s increasing,’ said Steve, describing the growth of telent’s graduate scheme, which in September will welcome 20 new recruits.
The two-year scheme offers graduates the choice of pursuing a career either as an engineer or as a project manager within the business, which has been designing, delivering and maintaining railway telecommunications networks for more than 30 years.
Mel Gibson, one of telent’s project managers, who herself completed the scheme, was featured in the March issue of RailStaff. She worked as a junior bid manager on the bid for the RETB telecoms renewal in the Scottish Highlands and eventually went on to project manage the scheme. She said it was clear that the number of staff within the business who were 30 or younger was increasing.
Taking on responsibility
But the industry as a whole is failing to bring in as many young rail professionals as it needs to fulfill the industry’s future workload. It’s forcing graduates to mature more quickly than in the past – a challenge for graduates, but also an opportunity.
Last year, Graduate of the Year was won by Great Western Railway’s Tyler Corbishley. Although he had only been with the company for a short time, he set about making sweeping changes to the way the business operated, including digitalising the existing paper-based rostering system.
‘At the moment if you’re a graduate and there’s a great demand for engineers it gives you a chance to take on more responsibility, more quickly,’ said Steve.
Grow and develop
Although he felt that graduates were receiving recognition for their contribution, the awards serves as a good opportunity for newcomers to the industry to see where they fit into the grand scheme of things.
‘It’s an opportunity for them to understand the part that they can play,’ said Steve.
‘It’s very important that graduates feel they’ve got a good career and an opportunity to grow and develop in the business.’
Steve, who judged the Awards last year, also spoke about the ‘significant stories’ which are highlighted by the event, particularly where someone’s intervention has saved a life. ‘I think the business has a part to play but I think the individual has a bigger part to play,’ he said.
The RailStaff Awards sells itself on variety. One moment a long- serving employee can be receiving a lifetime achievement award for their rich, sometimes transformative, body of work; minutes later an apprentice who has spent less than a year in the industry can be standing on the same stage.
This year, the Apprentice of the Year category is being sponsored by Gore and Ballyclare, which together have been supplying rail PPE products to the industry for the past 25 years.
‘There’s new blood coming to the rail market which is really exciting,’ says Maggie Shaw, sales manager at Ballyclare, explaining the company’s decision to back this year’s event.
Orange Army
The Orange Army is the go-to term which has been adopted by Network Rail and the government when referring to the gangs of railway workers delivering repairs and improvements around the network. The trademark orange PPE is part of the railway’s identity. But of course it also plays a critically important safety function. It must achieve certain minimum standards and, for the wearer, it needs to be comfortable.
‘It gives procurement, HR and safety the biggest headache because it’s so personal to the individual,’ Maggie added. ‘Individuals can actually be out there for 12 hours in the rain, wind and snow. They’ve got to be kept dry, they’ve got to be kept warm.’
Dialogue
GORE-TEX® Fabrics has built its reputation on the combination of its waterproof and breathability qualities. Gore supplies technical textiles and laminates to Ballyclare who, as a licenced manufacturing partner, design and produce durable GORE-TEX® rail garments. Completed garments are tested to meet the EN 14360 standard.
The testing process is rigorous. Using a purpose-built rain tower, Gore is able to simulate realistic wet-weather conditions to put its products to the test. Gore Associate Jonas Andersson said the company was also keen to engage with end users, through events like the RailStaff Awards, to gather feedback which can inform the future research and development of its products.
Says Jonas, ‘That direct dialogue with the people actually doing the job out there is really important for us.’
Back stronger
Earlier this year, Ballyclare was re-appointed by Network Rail as its official PPE supplier. ‘This is a way of saying that we’re back,’ said Maggie.
‘We’re back stronger than ever.’
It was also a chance for the two companies to recognise those in industry who maybe don’t receive the thanks they deserve. Last year, the award went to an apprentice with the Costain/Skanska Joint Venture (CSJV) working on Crossrail, Ben Cox.
‘I think it’s nice for them to have some appreciation and it’s great when it’s an apprentice that’s new to the industry,’ says Maggie. ‘Nobody really sees what these guys actually do to make that repair or improvement to make sure that we all get from a to b.’
Pulling cable through the interconnected tunnels of London Overground’s East London Line while most people are asleep is a world apart from the predictable hours of most office jobs. As one of Carillion’s signalling and telecoms apprentices, Ben Dawson, puts it, ‘There’s a bit of graft involved.’
The East London Line reopened in 2010 following a three-year reconstruction project delivered by Carillion and Balfour Beatty. Carillion was subsequently awarded a seven-year maintenance contract for the line, which connects Highbury & Islington with New Cross, Croydon and Clapham. Carillion’s responsibilities include everything from repairing the track and signals to removing graffiti and litter.
In August, Ben travelled down from his home depot in Crewe to London to help run some new signalling cable between stations. He would sleep during the day, visiting the capital’s sights when he got a chance, before descending into the tunnels around Wapping station at night. Halfway through his apprenticeship, Ben is now looking at what opportunities lie ahead, but signalling was not the career path he had originally planned.
Ben left school at 16 and immediately joined the army. While there he trained as an avionics technician, but part way through he sustained an injury and had no choice but to leave. ‘I was gutted to be honest with you, absolutely devastated,’ said Ben. ‘I didn’t really want to do anything else, I’d never seen myself doing anything else but you just had to take it for what it was really.’
Returning home to Stoke to recover, Ben, 18, found some information online about Carillion’s signalling and telecommunications apprenticeship scheme. Ben’s application was accepted and he was invited down to Bletchley to get his PTS.
Apprentices initially work towards an NVQ Level 3 in electrical engineering and an NVQ in signal installation, completing placements within different areas of business while attending college on day release once a week. For the placements, apprentices are sent to offices and sites around the country. For some of the apprentices, it will be the first time they’ve been away from home for days/weeks at a time. ‘It makes you quite independent,’ says Ben’s friend and fellow apprentice, Adam Critchley.
It is also an opportunity to visit new places. Says Ben, ‘Especially when you’re working night shifts because you can wake up at a reasonable time in the day and go out, see things, come back, have a sleep and go to work and have a laugh with the lads as well.’
This month, Ben will begin his final placement and in December he’ll start applying for jobs within Carillion’s signalling business. ‘I’m hoping to progress through the grades as quickly as possible and get as many safety courses under my belt,’ says Ben, who would eventually like to go on and train to be a controller of site safety (COSS). ‘It’s a bit more responsibility… It’s good if you want to put yourself out to go for them jobs.’
Ben Dawson
FROM CLASSROOM TO SITE
Adam is in the same position. The 21 year old from the Wirral spent two years looking for an apprenticeship after completing his A-levels before joining Carillion; he came across the opportunity on the government’s apprenticeship website and applied. Like Ben, Adam knew he wanted to do something practical, more hands- on, and he too is already looking to progress through the ranks.
‘I think it’s a great opportunity for me. I’ve got a whole career ahead of me now as well.’
Although Ben admits to not being a fan of the classroom, he says he really enjoyed the training elements and was full of praise for his two trainers, Jim Furlong and John Foster. ‘They won’t just throw a book at you. They’ll get you out on the training area and they’ll explain because they’ve been there themselves.’
He added, ‘You can get on with them as well. You can always go and talk to them about things if you’re struggling or anything like that.’
APPRENTICESHIP ROUTE
Last month, students around the country were collecting exam results. Record numbers have been offered a university place since, suggesting that high tuition fees aren’t having a marked impact on the numbers choosing to pursue undergraduate degrees. But the argument for apprenticeships as an alternative is compelling. A report produced by Barclays and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) has shown just a meagre 1.8 per cent gap between the lifetime earnings of graduates and apprentices. What’s more, it suggested that in some sectors apprentices could earn 200 per cent more over the course of their careers.
Convincing young people of this is still a challenge says Paul Martin, Carillion’s signalling apprenticeship manager, but there is no shortage of people looking to fill Carillion’s apprenticeship positions; more than 900 applications were received for the four places offered during the most recent intake.
Paul, who gained his qualifications as an apprentice in the 1980s, spoke about his expectations for new starters today. ‘They’re really employed to be there to learn, to ask as many questions as possible and get involved.’
TIGHT-KNIT GROUPS
Although he hadn’t envisaged a career in rail engineering, Ben has quickly identified the opportunities that exist, particularly with the emergence of programmes such as Digital Railway. ‘It’s not just the new technology, it’s the new training that will be given for it. It’s extra qualifications. It all stands you well for promotion. It is exciting.’
Both Ben and Adam, who are based at Carillion’s depot in Crewe, say they are keen to support new apprentices joining the company. Ben recently travelled down to Bletchley to speak to a new class and answer questions about the scheme. It points to the friendships that are formed in these tight-knit groups. Every year, Carillion apprentices from all parts of the company organise a five-a-side football competition.
‘It’s a good relationship because all the apprentices are kept together as a group,’ said Ben. ‘We’re all in the same class at college; it’s a good environment to be in.’
Adam agreed. ‘At the start of the apprenticeship you are being introduced to the railway so you’re taking on a lot of knowledge. It’s nice to have those guys around you.’
People often refer back to inspirational teachers from their formative years when asked why they pursued a particular career path.
Even for those who may have felt let down by their school education, there will be a trainer or mentor somewhere along the line who they owe some portion of their success too.
The demand for experienced railway trainers is as high as it has ever been. This particular period of time, where around £40 billion has been earmarked for railway projects around the country, could even be described as exceptional.
This year’s Trainer/Training Team of the Year category is being sponsored by Construction and Rail Training Ltd (CART) – a new NSAR- accredited training and assessment company looking to become a leader in its field.
Solid foundation
CART was established in 2015. The team, which have accumulated more than 40 years of experience within the rail and construction sectors, initially operated from a single site in Baldock, Hertfordshire. In just 12 months, the company has added a satellite training centre in Sheffield and is preparing to open a second in Essex.
Alex Pedley, business development and funding director at CART, believes the company is well placed to meet the training needs of the industry during the current control period.
’Strategically placed, we are able to offer railway safety critical training and assessment, construction, health and safety training and OHL electrification training and have forged a solid foundation of quality operational and delivery staff to make this happen,’ says Alex.
He went on, ‘The railway is currently delivering a £36 billion budget to enhance the daily operation and journey improvement times of all services across its network and all within an ambitious five-year timescale with one of the largest investments in electrification, which brings fantastic opportunities for industry workers, training and commuters.
‘We can appreciate that training facilities can be somewhat of a challenge for a national reach of this but we believe that our partnerships through collaboration with leading industry providers will help suffice this need.
‘Offering training both commercially and through funded provision allows our customers a cost effective solution to their training requirements whilst maintaining their employee competence levels and building upon already attained skills. This is why we aim to offer skills support for the employed and apprenticeships within both sectors to allow our customers to build a better and stronger workforce for the future.’
Exceptional work
In 2015, it was a team from Abellio Greater Anglia which won the Trainer/Training Team of the Year category for the successful implementation of a customer service training programme across the business.
‘In our field of work, we are all about two things: the quality of what we deliver and the people we are delivering to,’ says Alex. ‘We enjoy meeting and conversing with people of all walks of the railway life, and, engaging with more people will only help progress both the company as a whole and ourselves as professionals.’
He added, ‘We feel it is very important for the winners and those nominated to be recognised for the exceptional work they do. The RailStaff Awards is a fantastic platform for individuals and teams to be recognised for the work and dedication they put in to keeping the railway industry moving forwards.’
Greater automation through driverless trains is a ‘necessary evolution’ says Ramon Malla, director of automated lines at TMB Barcelona and chairman of the UITP Observatory of Automated Metros. It’s an evolution that, given time, can be delivered in coalition with the trade unions, he believes, as new research shows no slowdown in the spread of automated metro networks around the world.
Figures published by UITP in July suggested that the growth of automated metro lines will quadruple within the next decade and that the combined length of the world’s driverless lines will almost triple.
The research highlights the Middle East as one of the fastest growth areas, but it showed the popularity of driverless networks is increasing all around the world, with systems now also appearing in Latin America. The scale of some projects dwarf anything that has come before. For example, Riyadh Metro, which opens in 2019, will be double the size of Singapore’s current network – the city with the most kilometres of automated lines in 2016.
EARLY ENGAGEMENT
Varying grades of automation are used on the UK’s metro lines and for a number of these new rolling stock and signalling will turn them into fully automated railways within the next decade. From the early 2020s, driverless trains will be in use on the Glasgow Subway and the New Tube for London programme will bring the first driverless Tube trains to the capital in the next 10 to 15 years.
‘Automation has been a constant feature in the evolution of metro and in general of the railway. Progress in driving with ATP and later with ATO systems has been a positive development for the sector,’ Ramon told RailStaff. ‘Full automation is one last step in this process where many aspects have already been automated.’
Photo: Leonid Andronov / Shutterstock.com.
But as the five-day Southern strike in August over driver-only operation (DOO) demonstrated, the technology’s engineering challenges are only part of the battle.
‘They have generally eliminated more routine activity to concentrate on tasks with higher added value tasks. So it is a process of transformation that is not new for union relationship, it can be addressed normally if managed holistically, involving all parts in the change management.
‘The challenge for the operator is that knowing this process, they must prepare in advance.’
CHANGING ROLES
By removing the element of human error, automated systems can claim to be safer and more efficient. Having fewer staff operating trains is also clearly cheaper, something the industry tries not to highlight too eagerly but does acknowledge.
For the people currently carrying out these roles, automation is seen as a threat to their jobs. Having fewer trained staff on board can only degrade safety, they believe. Advocates of the technology say it leads to more rewarding roles for staff.
‘The operators of automated lines testify that these lines give more meaning to the work and enhance the status of the jobs triggering greater staff and customers’ satisfaction,’ said Ramon.
‘But they also agree that, to be successful, the new model requires a rethinking of management culture. While this is true for the success of new automated lines, it is even more crucial for the transformation of networks where conventional and automated lines coexist. Automation is an opportunity to become a motivational project for everyone working in the company.’
PROFESSIONAL EVOLUTION
Ramon went on to describe the ways in which the traditional driver role changes with the introduction of driverless technologies.
‘In general terms, operational staff in a full automated line acquire a deeper knowledge of all key systems, and a global overview
on the functional interactions among them, allowing for professional evolution. In automated lines, operations staff tasks also evolve towards maintenance.
‘Two fields of activity separated in a traditional line merge, having a positive impact in the performance of the line and of course in the staff, which enjoy greater diversity in their tasks/job profile.
‘The nature of the tasks in an automated line calls for more human, proactive and efficient roles from the staff. They require being closer to the customer, and stronger cooperation among the staff as a team, which result in job positions built on relationships, and therefore, more human.’
Thirty-six cities around the world now have at least one fully automated metro line. It will still be a long time before automated metros represent the majority of systems around the world, but that is the way things are going. Says Ramon, ‘When a city builds an automated metro line, it never opts for building subsequent lines in conventional, manual operation. Those who try, repeat.’
Neither the operator, the manufacturer or the unions wants to see a railway with no human input – nor do paying passengers. We’re in a driverless evolution, but the industry knows it needs to ensure that knowledgeable staff aren’t left feeling disenfranchised and unappreciated, but are involved and given the opportunity to move into the more interesting and challenging roles that automation promises.
All companies have to start somewhere. For City Surveys – one of Network Rail’s trusted principal contractors, a multi-million pound turnover business – it began with a second-hand printer and a small loan to buy a single survey instrument.
From just one employee in 2003, the company now employs 60 people out of three offices around the country. Services offered to the rail sector include track surveys and monitoring, ground investigations, ecology surveys and utility mapping.
This year, City Surveys is sponsoring the Rail Person of the Year category at the RailStaff Awards.
‘The team has worked incredibly hard to achieve some pretty significant milestones over recent years, most notably our PCL and a framework agreement with Network Rail,’ said managing director Richard Furlong.
‘Through dedication and innovation, we intend to consolidate this relationship and continue to exceed our clients’ expectations on the railway infrastructure.’
Remarkable change
In the 13 years since Richard acquired that first instrument and began work, the industry has moved on significantly.
‘The most remarkable change has been the technology,’ says Richard. ‘Instruments and software now allow large-scale mapping to be completed in a number of ways only dreamt of before.
‘From track-mounted scanning instruments to drones, the availability of innovative technology is changing the way we think about mapping the infrastructure as we strive to remove the person from harm’s way by reducing track time.’
Rail Person of the Year is a deliberately open category; it courts nominations for achievements that are hard to define or too numerous to narrow down. Last year, the award was presented to Bridgeway’s John Matheson. His nomination described a young man who, having joined the company as a labourer in 2010, had dedicated himself to gaining new qualifications and moving through the ranks.
Though, no doubt, Bridgeway had nurtured his enthusiasm to study and improve, the award was recognition for the time he had dedicated and the sacrifices he would in turn have made.
Personal contributions
‘Whilst I fully appreciate that teams and organisations bid for, win and successfully manage projects, too often the individuals within those organisations – and their personal contributions and achievements – are overlooked,’ said Richard, asked about the focus the Awards gives to individual achievement.
‘Too often people take for granted that teams are made up of individuals rather than being a single entity. These individuals have their own stories and motivations, something that we as employers and managers should strive to recognise.
‘The rail sector as a whole should embrace and encourage these factors, publicly recognising achievement and allowing people to fulfil their ambitions. I believe that, by doing this, we will see improved job satisfaction and an improved quality of life for employees as well as significantly higher levels of innovation and productivity.’
The world is going digital, and railways are not exempt from that process. The digital revolution is starting to affect every aspect of railway operations – signalling, traction power supplies, ticketing, maintenance, station management and the passenger experience.
The recent Digital Rail Summit, organised by Rail Media at Addleshaw Goddard’s impressive facility near London’s Barbican and sponsored by digital imaging specialists Hanwha Techwin, examined the whole topic of the future digital railway. Experts in their fields, including the DfT, Network Rail Digital Railway, London Underground, RSSB and suppliers, explained what is being planned, when it will be implemented and how it will affect everyone involved in the railway today.
SUCCESS BRINGS PROBLEMS
The British rail network carries twice as many passengers as it did just two decades ago, but demand is projected to rise dramatically in the years ahead. The major initiative to address the capacity constraint is to digitalise the railway. This will enable more trains to run on existing tracks, safer, faster and more economically, complementing the additional capacity increases from new railways.
But exploiting digital technology is not just about additional capacity. New technology and ways of working will have the same, if not a greater, impact on the whole industry. This includes an enhanced passenger experience that will commence from considering a journey, through the station and platform experience, to on-board. Digital rail will bring a wealth of new thinking from the supply chain as the industry exploits what is possible without the constraints of old technology.
With the fastest growing network in Europe, many key routes are overcrowded, not just in London but in cities like Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh, where peak-time travel is already standing room only.
If passenger growth in the next twenty years matches that experienced over the last 20, there will be a billion extra journeys by 2035. At the same time, the network needs more space for freight trains, which now travel 600,000 miles a year and carry 75 per cent more consumer goods than they did in 2005.
Traditional options cannot deliver on the scale the economy demands. While schemes like Crossrail and HS2 are vital to help meet this need in key economic hotspots, traditional options such as building new tracks or extending trains and platforms will not, on their own, deliver the space for extra trains we need across the network.
WHERE ARE WE TODAY
he concept of railway fixed-block signalling has not really changed in over 100 years. Yes, colour light signalling with auto sections has replaced semaphore signalling (but not everywhere) and track circuit block has supplemented absolute block. Signalling control areas have become larger, but the method of fixed-block signalling is a constraint on running more trains over the network.
While digital electronic interlocking systems have been used since the 1980s, and digital electronic telecommunication systems since 1966, there are many mechanical signal boxes still in use. The oldest was installed at Monks Sidings near Warrington in 1875. Skilled staff to service and maintain this technology is becoming scarce, but it is somewhat ironic that relay and early electronic signal boxes installed in the last 20 to 40 years are even more of a concern from an asset maintenance perspective.
European Train Control System (ETCS), together with GSM-R and traffic management, form the European Train Management System (ERTMS). This tried-and-tested system will replace traditional railway signals with a computer display inside every train cab, reducing the costs of maintaining the railway, improving performance and enhancing safety. ERTMS is now in service on the Cambrian route, is providing excellent performance and is well received by the train crew.
WHY THE DIGITAL RAILWAY?
The challenge is unlocking the growth potential of rail. The ambitious programme of railway investment is at a record high: £38 billion between 2015 and 2019. Demand, however, continues to grow, outpacing capacity. Keeping up with demand is key to economic growth.
In some of our major cities, one in eight people commute by train. Enabling future growth through conventional upgrades alone would be too costly, slow, and disruptive and, on many routes, not possible at all. Therefore, improving utilisation of the existing network is the most economically viable solution to deliver a fast-growing railway.
ERTMS will offer a host of benefits to the railway and the application of the technology will spell the end for traditional signalling. Instead of lineside signals, a computer in the driver’s cab controls the speed and movement of the train, whilst taking account of other trains on the railway. By bringing the control system inside each individual train, ERTMS allows specific customised control. This allows the drivers to always run at the optimum safe speed helping more trains to run faster and recover from delays more quickly.
Installing ERTMS across the country as signalling becomes life- expired will save an estimated 40 per cent over conventional systems. Each train will run at an appropriate safe speed, allowing more trains onto the tracks. ERTMS will improve train performance and reduce energy consumption.
Communications-based train control (CBTC) is similar to ERTMS, but is manufacturer-specific rather than being a standard of interoperable systems. Using CBTC technology, metros and other railway systems such as Transport for London (TfL) have improved headways from typically 27 to 36 trains per hour, while maintaining and improving safety and performance. At the same time, digital technology has dramatically improved the customer experience with ticketing and train information.
There is concern from some quarters that the claimed capacity improvements from ERTMS may not be realised on all parts of the network, particularly without level 3, which is still some way off. Level 3 will, however, provide further savings with fewer trackside assets. The traffic management part of ERTMS will provide the ‘most bang for your buck’ and should be a priority within the digital programme.
New methods and technology in other transport sectors have provided dramatic results. For example, TfL has increased capacity by up to 40 per cent, Heathrow airport by 60 per cent and smart motorways by 80 per cent. Rail simply needs to do the same, while improving the passenger experience.
DON’T FORGET THE PASSENGER
Passengers require three fundamental things; affordability, reliability and no overcrowding. They don’t understand (or need to know) what digital rail means, so digital needs to be explained as providing solutions to these three requirements while, at the same time, improving the journey experience with simpler ticketing, information and infotainment.
The supply chain is the key to the success of digital rail. Ideally, it needs certainty in the plans for the future, but the base requirement is to have confidence in the planning, visibility of the road map, and to see the momentum being maintained. System engineering is another key element, with a far wider scope than ever before with digital parameters affecting many disciplines and assets in different ways, but the supply industry is well-placed for the challenge.
Brexit will provide challenges and risks, but also benefits. Will the large signalling suppliers still invest in the UK? Will there be more opportunity for smaller companies to prosper and innovate? Could CBTC provide solutions for captive parts of the network?
Cyber Security is a risk to be managed in digital rail, but it is clear the rail community is now well on board with what is required and is learning fast from other control system industries.
Rail is an exciting place to be. Other industries would just love the problem of how to deal with significant growth. It just needs to get on with plans to deliver tomorrow’s railway.
The Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) has secured important new funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) and Arriva Rail North (ARN) which enabling it to expand and restructure. ACoRP 2.0 will be better equipped to help the changing face of the rail industry in future.
The organisation will be split into two departments – Operations and Commercial, each led by a senior manager. Overall, the organisation will be headed up by a chief executive recruited from outside the current structure. After a handover period, long- serving general manager Neil Buxton will leave the organisation and retire at the end of 2016. All other existing staff will remain with ACoRP in posts similar to those currently held. The charismatic leadership of Neil Buxton who emboldened and enlarged the community rail movement will be much missed.
Says Neil, ‘In the last decade, ACoRP has grown considerably in stature and influence, and I’m proud to have contributed to that. However, to stay ahead of the game, the organisation needs younger, fresher minds to deal with the new challenges being presented to the community rail sector.
‘Having been closely involved with the reorganisation since its inception, I firmly believe this is the way to go and I’m excited by the opportunities it will offer to improve our service delivery to both our membership and the wider rail industry.’
ACoRP chair Peter Roberts MBE confirmed that a series of new posts would be filled by January 2017.
‘We have been aware, from comments made by our members, of the need to restructure our business for some time, and the new funding streams that have become available have provided us with a unique opportunity to achieve that.
‘We are grateful to both DfT and ARN for their co-operation and assistance in making this possible. We are sorry to part company with Neil, who has been a loyal and valued member of our team for 16 years, and our general manager for the last 11 years. However, as he approaches retirement, he has acknowledged that new leadership is best to take ACoRP forward into the future, and has assisted throughout the long process of bringing this to fruition.
‘He will remain with us until the end of this year for a handover period while the new chief executive and other new post-holders settle in. We are especially grateful to him for his leadership during a challenging period for both ACoRP and the rail industry in general.’
The organisation will continue to be based at The Old Water Tower at Huddersfield station, where office alterations will be undertaken to accommodate the new staff.
Genial factotum Brian Barnsley becomes deputy chief executive and senior operations manager. Widely respected, Hazel Bonner, who has done much to pioneer a new movement, Women in Community Rail, becomes events and fundraising manager. Hard-working Dawn Wolrich becomes administration manager and the respected Martin Yallop becomes community stations development manager.
Engineering apprentices have been helping the team at Darlington Locomotive Works build new steam locomotive No. 2007 Prince of Wales.
The apprentices, from Virgin Trains, gain firsthand experience of working on a steam engine in a workshop. The scheme is part of a sponsorship agreement established to help the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. The trust built Peppercorn Class A1 locomotive No. 60163 Tornado from its original drawings.
Says Mark Allat, chairman of the Trust, ‘We’re delighted that apprentices from Virgin Trains are now working with us to build No. 2007 Prince of Wales, a true inheritor to this route’s combination of speed and style.’
Michael Olley and Simon Nadolny, both 23, are usually stationed at Virgin’s Bounds Green depot in London. As part of their apprenticeships in electrical and mechanical systems maintenance engineering, they work on the maintenance and repair of Virgin Trains’ electric 225 fleet, which is in daily service on its east coast route.
Says Simon, who is from Doncaster, ‘We’ve been getting down to basics, bending metal and hammering nuts and bolts into place, helping to install three large fabricated frame stays and assembling the smokebox lifting sheets. It’s been a real privilege and I’m proud to have played a small part in creating what will be the UK’s most powerful steam engine.’
Michael, from London, agrees. ‘It’s been great to have the opportunity to work in a different type of environment. The Trust’s approach to solving problems has provided really good insights which we can take back to the day job.’
Ahead of the launch of the new Britain Runs on Rail campaign, the RDG’s chief executive, Paul Plummer, is on a mission to get this positive message across – one that he hopes will boost pride amongst people working across the rail industry, as well as build support amongst the public for continued investment in rail.
‘The unprecedented investment going into the railway is a story I’m determined to take to the wider world,’ says Paul. ‘As an industry, we need to raise public awareness of how taxpayer and passenger money is spent. And with rail companies delivering over £50 billion of improvements as part of the Railway Upgrade Plan to build a bigger and better railway, it’s crucial we start getting that message out there.’
Britain Runs on Rail is due to launch in the autumn. Across the country, the general public – including rail passengers and non-rail users – will see a series of innovative adverts. The ads are designed to be thought-provoking, evoking a sense of ‘Britishness’ with symbolic representations of the railway. They’ll show the ever more vital role of the railway and explain why improvements are necessary.
The campaign has been developed by the RDG, which represents Network Rail as well as freight and train operating companies. Says Paul, ‘This is the first industry-wide campaign of its kind since the 1980s and it’s great to see all elements of the rail industry supporting it. The RDG has led the initiative, but Britain Runs on Rail is very much about bringing together Britain’s rail companies and this is reflected in the ads themselves.’
RailStaff is excited to support the campaign and readers will have seen features in the previous editions.
Paul Plummer was appointed last September and took up the position two months later, succeeding the widely respected Michael Roberts. He has the advantage of a long involvement with the rail industry, witnessing up close the industry’s recent transformation.
‘Having worked for the railway for much of my career, I’ve seen at first hand how the industry has changed in the last couple of decades. I’m focused on ensuring that this continues and we go on to build the bigger and better railway that the nation needs,’ says Paul.
Economic success
For Paul Plummer, Britain’s railway is an essential part of the country’s economic dynamic. Plummer read economics at Exeter University and went on to gain an MSc in economics at York.
‘Britain Runs on Rail explains the ever more crucial role of the railway,’ he says. ‘The Railway Upgrade Plan is the biggest programme of investment in the railway since the Victorian era. Investment is needed to maintain and build the railway passengers want and the country needs.’
It is a remarkable vote of confidence in an industry once seen to be in decline.
Massive growth
Central to Britain Runs on Rail is the ambition to throw a spotlight on the railway, not just as a means of transport but as an economic lynchpin.
Paul Plummer continues, ‘It’s an extraordinary story of transformation to meet massive growth in demand – both from passengers and freight; a story of how the railway enables housing, jobs and economic growth. The railway and its supply chain now supports 216,000 jobs nationwide and pays up to £4 billion in tax to the public purse, boosting the UK’s productivity by £10 billion a year.
‘Taxpayers are investing billions in the railway and passengers are paying an ever greater share of the day-to-day cost of running services. Our goal is to sustain support from the public, private sector and government for continued investment. In this way we can build the bigger and better railway that our growing number of passengers and the country need and want.’
Economics of success
The RDG under Paul Plummer is setting about telling the story of today’s railway, highlighting its increasingly crucial role. It’s a challenge the former group strategy director at Network Rail relishes. Plummer spent 13 years at Network Rail responsible for the development of corporate strategy. He has also worked for the rail regulator, the ORR, where he was chief economist and director of economics and finance. The economics of success form a common thread, from the quays down below Exeter University up through positions at Rothschild’s Global Financial Advisory division and NERA Economic Consulting, to a demanding leadership role at the RDG.
Paul lives with his family just outside London and commutes in to the RDG’s offices near the Barbican. In his spare time, he enjoys running and is a keen kayaker – he recently completed a canoe trip from Devizes in Wiltshire to Westminster, a distance of 125 miles.
The focus at the RDG is on enabling rail companies to succeed in delivering a successful railway, bringing together all operators with Network Rail and HS2.
Engagement
Why launch a campaign now? ‘Research has shown us that the way to engage with the public most positively is to explain the role and purpose of the railway,’ says Paul. He stresses, ‘It helps define national identity. We use this engagement to then tell the story of the improvements.’
Plummer is aware of the hard work ahead. ‘We know we need to do more to raise public awareness of how money from taxpayers and passengers is improving journeys and why this investment is necessary.
‘We’re engaging across the industry with passenger groups and business organisations, all of whom have been really supportive of the campaign. The Department for Transport has been very encouraging, including the new Secretary of State,’ says Paul.
Creative
The ads have become something of a talking point at the RDG’s offices. Paul Plummer continues, ‘The images we’re using are intended to be thought-provoking. We have worked with leading creative directors and photographers to design the artwork. I’ve just seen the drafts and they’re looking great: unfortunately I can’t give away any more details as the images remain top secret until launch date. But readers should keep an eye out for them appearing in the autumn.’
The ads are underpinned by facts and figures fundamental to the campaign, highlighting how the railway is driving economic growth and investment in the industry benefits everyday lives.
Rail logo
Once again, the British Rail double arrow logo is being pressed into action – it has long survived as a symbol of rail identity and marker for railway stations.
Paul explains, ‘The other aspect of the campaign that your readers are bound to have noticed is the reworking of the national rail logo as the campaign identity.
‘We wanted to take this iconic feature of our railway, give it a modern twist, but most importantly use it as a way of demonstrating how rail companies are working together as one railway, to deliver for passengers and the country. The eagle-eyed amongst your readers will see how the different colours are symbolic of different rail company logos.
‘The ads will be displayed on billboards and posters around the country as well as digitally. They will also appear on the railway’s advertising spaces, on trains and in stations.’
No time like the present
Railways will always remain a much debated area of public life. Is this really a good time to be launching the campaign?
‘Maybe there’s never an ideal time to start this campaign but it’s needed now more than ever,’ says Paul.
He warms to his theme, ‘Our industry is seeing unprecedented amounts of change and investment which is why rail companies are working closer together to improve performance, tackle capacity issues and improve customer experience.
‘Yes, there are challenges ahead, but Britain Runs on Rail gives us all the chance to build on the passion and energy we have for the railway to a nationwide audience. Whether that’s friends, family or colleagues, Britain Runs on Rail is your opportunity to promote the railway: use the ads as a talking point, debate the issues they throw up – we want this kind of engagement to create interest and awareness.
‘Don’t worry if people don’t agree with you – we all know the railway is a highly complex industry that can provoke strong feelings!
‘On a more individual note, don’t forget to take part in the competition: tell us why Britain Runs on Rail and you’ll be in with a chance to win return Eurostar tickets to Paris! Readers of RailStaff will see the Britain Runs on Rail lapel badges featured on the front cover of this issue (many rail companies will also be stocking these). Do take one and wear it with pride.’
Sea-change
‘If we’re to succeed in doing this, we have to bring people with us – and Britain Runs on Rail is crucial to building and sustaining support for the railway.
‘I’m passionate about telling this story to the public, harnessing the massive enthusiasm for the railway across the industry to achieve this. And I’m looking forward to having that national conversation, painting a picture of our growing industry and the positive impact it has on all our lives.’
Britain Runs On Rail – achievements
By 2019 there will be 170,000 more rush-hour seats on trains into London: 20 per cent more than in 2014.
30 per cent more seats on trains into cities across the north of England, with £1 billion invested to make room for 44 million more passengers a year.
Our work to electrify main lines connecting our cities will cut delays and increase capacity.
Better stations throughout the country – whether large city-centre stations such as Edinburgh, London Bridge and Birmingham New Street as well as many smaller stations such as Llandudno, Market Harborough and Rochester.
Plans to modernise train tickets will see the phasing out of the orange paper ticket as more and more people use mobile devices and smartcards.
