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Railway lessons for democracy

Andy-Milne
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The great advantage of the RailStaff Awards and one which sets it apart from so many other worthy award schemes is the involvement of the people it celebrates.

Railway workers up and down the network and from every part of the industry are free to send in nominations and to vote on the outcome. This is more important than it seems.

The rail industry is now leading the economy by example. Confidence, value for money, emphasis on career development and responsible working practices all have lessons for the wider country which we serve. The railway had to learn the hard way.

This was an industry only a few short years ago slated for managed decline and post-Beeching euthanasia, a sort of Liverpool p-way. Instead by dint of hard work, professionalism and admittedly tremendous strokes of good fortune – the rising importation of Chinese white goods and London’s economic upsurge – the railway fought back.

Ingenuity and initiative

Rail freight continues to grow. Investment and major projects are forging ahead. Trains now carry more passengers than they did in their hey day 70 years ago. That they do so on half the amount of track is in no small part down to the ingenuity and initiative of the people the RailStaff Awards salutes.

New projects including new railways, new stations, electrification and track doubling are delivered on time and on budget. There are lessons here for a country struggling to find stability in a changing world. It is no coincidence that our light hearted Back-to-School theme this year shines a light on rail’s lessons and logarithms. It is important to be involved, to vote.

Public disdain for politics is at an all time high. Many people argue there is scant difference between the three major parties. Throw in the sight of MPs being jailed and the whole profession is debased.

Boldness is not a crime

This is unfair to the many MPs who work long and hard out of conviction. However they fail to take risks to get their message across. Boldness is not a crime and voters respond to it quite well.

Look at the success of Nigel Farrage, even now considering his mistaken stance on HS2. Look too at Bob Crow’s call for a new true socialist party. The sight of the no nonsense secretary of the RMT entering the House of Commons and berating the be-suited ones will be wondrous indeed. Can Bob and Nigel restore confidence in our democracy?

A healthy democracy starts with the people themselves – demos mean people – getting involved, arguing, discussing and then voting. Always remember to vote. Once again the railway, by selecting and voting for its own heroes, demonstrates democracy in action.

The RailStaff Awards is all about the people who do the work. Those that excel are rightly recognised by their friends and colleagues. We look forward to saluting them and celebrating an industry that continues with confidence to light the way ahead.

Voting finishes on 16th August – so take a look now and make your vote count.

Testing times

Andy-Milne
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Dr Dan Hegarty of Express Medicals has now been involved in workplace drug & alcohol testing for 17 years.

I am very aware of how confused many employers are when faced with choices about which type of drug testing to select and under which circumstances. A recent case has brought this into focus again.

A healthy man presented himself for two different types of workplace testing within 45 minutes. One sample was collected as part of a governmental agency’s testing regime and the other as a pre-employment test.

The first sample used oral fluid (saliva) and the second method involved a collection of urine. In both instances the collection was done under formal chain-of- custody protocols and the samples were analysed in appropriately accredited analytical laboratories.

There were no declared prescribed, over-the-counter or illicit drugs. The oral fluid test resulted in a PASS result. No drugs of abuse were detected. However the urine test resulted in a FAIL result. Cocaine and cannabis were detected.

The individual concerned appealed the result of the urine test and the employer was understandably confused as to why two tests on the same day could produce two different outcomes.

Window of detection

There are a number of explanations. However, the simplest message is that, in general, the positive pick-up rate (number of fail results) for cocaine will be lower when using formal laboratory-based oral fluid (saliva) testing as opposed to formal laboratory-based urine testing.

One factor to realise is that cocaine is only detectable for a short time in oral fluid (saliva).

This window of detection is just 12-24 hours. It is significantly longer when urine is analysed for the presence of cocaine and so the likelihood of positive results for cocaine is enhanced by virtue of the longer detection window.

As regards the cannabis results, urine is also generally better for detecting cannabis in workplace testing regimes. Firstly, cannabis disappears quickly from oral fluid (saliva). Secondly, significant amounts of cannabis sample are lost from many oral fluid (saliva) collection devices and this loss can be of the order of 50%.

This means that false negative results for cannabis (ie: the test fails to detect the cannabis present in samples) are significantly more likely when using formal laboratory-based oral fluid (saliva) testing as opposed to formal laboratory-based urine testing.

Complexities

Thus a seemingly simple and straightforward case of two professionally collected samples, both of which underwent formal laboratory analysis, highlights the complexities that have to be considered when establishing a workplace testing programme.

In the case cited above, the cannabis and cocaine were missed when saliva was collected and analysed. This is termed a false negative result.

Furthermore, the likelihood of such a false negative result would have been even greater had an instant test kit been used (ie: a PoCT / point-of-care or point-of- collection test kit). This is because the ability of PoCTs to detect drugs of abuse is less reliable than laboratory-based tests.

When establishing a workplace testing and/or screening regime it is essential to seek out high quality, informed advice in respect of both a company’s drug and alcohol policy and the ongoing issue of which methods of testing to opt for.

Heart to heart

Andy-Milne
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Network Rail and Mace have brought in the British Heart Foundation to deliver first aid training for workers on the Birmingham New Street project.

As part of a comprehensive approach to health and well being local rail chiefs want to see staff better equipped to handle medical emergencies. Says Ian Painter, area development manager at British Heart Foundation, ‘We’re working with the team at New

Street to teach skills that could truly mean the difference between life and death in an emergency.

‘The BHF ‘Heartstart’ programme teaches people what to do in an emergency including assessing an unconscious patient, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), dealing with choking or serious bleeding and helping someone that might be having a heart attack.’

Leighton Buzzard rail fever

Andy-Milne
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John Travolta took time out from a busy filming schedule recently to take his son, Ben, for a good old fashioned steam train ride on the Leighton Buzzard Railway in Bedfordshire.

Volunteers on the narrow gauge railway rallied round and made sure the Travolta family enjoyed an hour long ride together on a scheduled service. Says Mervyn Leah from Leighton Buzzard Railway, ‘Towards the end of the morning a couple of men with American accents turned up and had a look around and said they would be back at 2pm. They came back in the afternoon bringing John Travolta and his son with them and went for a ride on the train.’

Retain your talent!

Andy-Milne
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At a time when many businesses are feeling the strain, it is imperative that employers are equipped to source and retain staff who will provide the best return on investment. However, many make common mistakes that ultimately cost them dearly.

Victoria Turner asked Andy Ridout, Managing Director of rail Recruitment Company, advance- TRS why so many businesses are failing in their selection strategies and how top talent can be retained.

Ridout believes that successful candidate selection requires the employer to be precise about what a role actually involves.

“It is important to understand exactly what will be expected of a candidate before you can ascertain the type of employee you require,” says Andy Ridout. “If your candidate will need to head a team, ensure that your interview questions allow him or her to not only demonstrate suitable knowledge and qualifications, but to express the personal characteristics of a successful leader.”

Training specialist, Monique Choudhuri, Head of Training and Development at advance-TRS has built a 25 year portfolio of blue chip clients including British Airways, BSkyB and Fircroft and is only too familiar with the staffing problems most companies face.

Understand the psychology

Says Monique, “For a business to flourish, every employer should understand the psychology behind interviewing, as well as the various techniques that can be applied to identify the strongest candidates in the talent pool.”

Once your interview methods have been perfected you may manage to hire a great member of staff, unfortunately it is not the time to relax. According to Monique, it is at this stage that employers are lulled into a false sense of security, often causing the most expensive mistakes to be made.

Companies are increasingly guilty of failing to get the most from their staff. In some sectors, 43% of employees complain of lacking opportunity for growth. This not only means that their potential remains unrealised but that they are more likely to leave.

advance Training and Recruitment Services offers clients established training, mentoring and personal development plans, all part of a client retention strategy proven to develop an employee’s most valuable assets, boost company morale and maximise productivity. Surely this is an investment which no business can afford to be without?

To book a free consultation with Monique or

Tram man on the run

Andy-Milne
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A man dressed as a tram has completed a SPAD-free 21 mile romp around Hebden Bridge parish boundary in West Yorkshire.

Neil Harrison, Communications Manager for Metrolink, undertook the nine-hour off- road slalom to raise funds for Francis House, a children’s hospice in Manchester. Francis House provides a home-from- home for the families of children with life threatening or life limiting conditions, where they can receive professional care, support and friendship. Neil donned the MetMan costume, a life-size character used by Metrolink for school presentations.

Says Neil, 32, from Levenshulme in Manchester, ‘The MetMan costume is great fun for children, but not so much fun for nine hours of hiking across 21 miles of fairly wild countryside. It involved a climb of more than 2,500 feet, it was utterly exhausting, incredibly hot and difficult and I couldn’t really see where I was going, but it was completely worth it to raise money for such a good cause.

‘The care and support the hospice provides is incredibly humbling, so this was the very least I could do to help them continue their fantastic work. I hope this raises funds and makes more people aware of this incredible charity.’ To help go to: www.justgiving/neil- harrison10

The fall and rise of Britain’s railways: Part 4

Andy-Milne
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This year sees the fiftieth anniversary of Richard beeching’s ‘the Re-Shaping of british Railways’, Writes Colin Garratt

2013 also sees the thirtieth anniversary of the Serpell Report. These two events mirrored the tempestuous undertones of railway policy in the years following World War Two.

In this eight part series, Colin Garratt of Milepost 921⁄2 outlines the turbulent events which led up to the privatisation of British Rail in 1993, concluding with an analysis of the current situation and where it might be heading. the 1960s proved to be a dramatic decade for britain’s railway.

A new corporate livery was introduced comprised of Rail Blue, grey and flame red. A change of name was made from British Railways to British Rail and an ingenious double arrow logo was introduced which remains in widespread use to this day.

These powerful symbols were conceived during the final years of Beeching’s tenure. The blue livery lasted for some twenty years. Many people found it oppressive. Certainly it was very different from the multi-coloured trains of today. However, nowadays, some forty years after its inception, the blue period is regarded with great nostalgia.

1960 revealed an interesting glimpse of the future with the introduction of the 90 mph ‘Blue Pullman’. These trains ran on the London Midland and Western Regions. They were fast, spacious, air conditioned and comfortable and with a high powered diesel engine at either end they were the forerunners of the celebrated InterCity 125s destined to appear fifteen years later.

Great supporter

The 1960s saw the Beeching era come and go. Under the incoming Labour government of 1964 Prime Minister Harold Wilson appointed Barbara Castle as Secretary of State for Transport. Although Beeching’s closures continued apace under Labour, Castle was to prove a great supporter of the railways.

T022-00072

She wiped out a considerable amount of railway deficit and drew a clear distinction between the commercial railway, which could operate at a profit and the social railway, which needs subsidy but benefits society as a whole.

The Labour Party took the view that the railway could not run at a profit. Even Beeching had tacitly accepted that his re-shaping, harsh as it was, would not put the railway into profit.

An exciting new railway

The electrification of the West Coast Main Line, Britain’s busiest trunk route, between London Euston, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool had come into operation, heralding an exciting new railway.

In the previous year the first Freightliner depot, a legacy of Beeching, had opened at London’s York Way. This became so successful that it was overwhelmed with traffic and operations had to be transferred to Willesden. Freightliner depots pioneered the development of containerised traffic on which today’s logistics are based.

As part of the East Coast Main Line upgrading, a class of 100 mph giant Deltic diesel locomotives was built by the North British Works, Glasgow in 1961. These were highly impressive machines which did much to foster interest in Britain’s new railway. They reduced the journey time from Kings Cross to Edinburgh to six hours and were a compelling substitute to the much mooted electrification of the East Coast Main Line.

The British Rail board became convinced that the railway’s future viability depended on modernisation and vigorous marketing. The new stations built on the West Coast Main Line under the electrification programme were immensely popular as was the modernity of the new Euston station.

Although the destruction of the Doric Arch and Grand Hall was regarded as vandalism, a situation made all the more poignant was a similar threat to nearby St Pancras with its magnificent train shed and the neo-Gothic Grand Hotel, one of London’s most magnificent buildings. Such sentiments indicated a determination to create a modern railway with little respect or concern for the historic wonders of our legendary past.

Passenger Transport Executives

Parallel to the development of long distance trunk routes was the urgent need to maximise public transport in Britain’s largest conurbations to offset ever increasing traffic jams which were endemic in Britain’s metropolises during the 1960s.

Barbara Castle created the Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs). These were operated by railway management and local authorities in areas of heavy population and were given government grants to improve the transport infrastructure. The executives proved very successful with their high profile approach to public transport, not least the combining of the railway with bus operators.

PTEs operated in West Midlands, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow. It is interesting to note that even today the East Midlands Trains timetable – almost fifty years later – states that “the frequency of its services between Sheffield and London is supported by the South Yorkshire PTE”.

Inevitably British Rail developed an obsession to be rid of steam traction. Had a more balanced approach been taken to the changeover in motive power, a smoother transition would have occurred.

Alleged superiority

Many of the new types were built without being tested sufficiently. The building of diesel multiple units – which had begun in the 1950s – was much heralded for branch lines and secondary routes. These new trains, with their ability to start and stop rapidly, showed alleged superiority over steam.

However, many of the stations and lines intended to be serviced by DMUs were closed under the Beeching cuts.

During the changeover some 20,000 steam locomotives were replaced by 3,633 diesel and 317 electric locomotives in a period of less than fifteen years. It is heartening to remember that this huge building programme was carried out when Britain had the full capacity to build locomotives and rolling stock.

Blue Period Class 37 [online]

One of the most successful types was the present day Class 37 Co- Cos which were to be found over the entire network and how heartening to read on their technical specification ‘Built 1965 by the English Electric Company, Newton le Willows Lancashire’ or ‘Built by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn, Darlington’.

These were two of Britain’s leading locomotive foundries. Both companies had roots going back to the building of steam traction in the 1830s, a time when Britain was the railway builder to an empire and the world. Known for their thunderous, ground shaking exhausts, some Class 37s can still be seen on the national network.

It is an interesting but sobering thought that an incredible 350 companies are known to have built steam locomotives in this tiny sceptred isle of ours with a total build of 110,000 locomotives. Today, that capacity is drastically reduced.

An emotional reaction

British Rail could not divest itself from steam without there being an emotional reaction across the nation. Over the generations since its inception, steam had mesmerised young and old alike; artists, photographers, historians, film makers, model engineers, down to the thousands of small boys on platform ends.

Many found it difficult to come to terms with the passing of steam. It was almost as if the nation had divested itself of football, which was also written into our culture. The last steam hauled expresses finished in 1967 when Bulleid’s former Southern Railway re-built Pacifics gave way to electrification on the main line from London Waterloo to Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth.

Vast numbers of enthusiasts from all over Britain flocked to see main line steam on mile a minute timings. The crews, aware of their place in history and despite the engines being badly run down, worked their steeds up to speeds in excess of 100 mph, to the delight of their lineside audiences.

In preparation for disposal

On the final Sunday, 9th July 1967, all remaining Southern Region steam locomotives were despatched either to Salisbury or Weymouth depots in preparation for disposal. The following day Barbara Castle initiated the new electric service. On that Sunday evening it was all over for steam.

It was deeply sad. Around 19.00 that evening I visited Salisbury Motive Power Depot and found the shed full of Locomotives, the majority of which had run down light engine that day, many from Nine Elms. All fires had been dropped but the engines were still in steam and through the evening silence which hung over the depot could be sensed, the traumatic presence of the condemned engines impregnating the air with their acrid aroma of oil and soot so peculiar to the steam locomotive.

At the back of the shed stood two drivers talking, their conversation floated above the gentle sighs of the dying engines. “Thank God they’ve gone; we had a bloody cow last Friday night from Basingstoke – wouldn’t steam. My mate was blacked up with it”.

Rays at Rose Grove [online]

But my sadness and their jubilation were mitigated by the fact that many of these engines were sent to Dai Woodham’s scrapyard at Barry in South Wales and eventually were destined to be preserved and restored to running order.

August the following year saw steam traction end completely on Britain’s main line railway. The last train was the now famous Liverpool to Carlisle Fifteen Guinea Special, a price many considered to be outrageous, but inevitably the train was full.

From then on steam trains were banned from operating on Britain’s main lines. Our railway faced a brave new world of modernisation and all the effects it was to have on the future of the industry.

Part 5: NAME will be published in September.

Photographs courtesy of Milepost 92 1/2

Safe keeping as London’s population grows

Andy-Milne
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The Office of National Statistics estimates that London’s population will grow to 9 million people by 2021. That is a 14 per cent increase on today, writes Ian Gaskin, who is responsible for developing management systems at TfL

On the rail and underground part of TfL – Tube, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground and trams – demand is expected to rise from 1.5 billion journeys a year to 1.9 billion.

Extra capacity

To find the extra seats TfL is having to find more room on the timetable and create extra capacity through projects like the London Overground’s fifth car scheme.

More people equals more transport demand and more trains means more potential safety issues on the network.

In preparation, TfL, sponsored by Commissioner Peter Hendy, brought together 700 directors and senior managers from across the organisation’s many departments to talk about safety leadership.

The existing record is good. Based on ORR statistics the Underground is one of the safest significant railways in Europe.

On the roads safety has also improved dramatically over the past 15 years. Good, but no room for complacency. More is demanded and while improvements to safety rules and procedures continue, this is not enough.

Leadership is what embeds safety within an organisation

We all recognise when a person really means what they say and walks the talk. When leaders in an organisation live the right behaviours it is infectious.

Matthew Steele, programme delivery manager, Automatic Train Control (ATC) signalling, believed that looking across all aspects of

TfL was key to maintaining a strong safety record.

“I think the fact that the course considered the context of TfL as a whole made it quite different,” said Matthew.

“We understood some of the specific challenges faced in making our highways safe and thought about how we could apply some of that to the railway.” Key also was the decision to ensure those in specialist support areas like Finance, Human Resources and Procurement were included. Decisions made far from the front line in both time and distance can have a huge impact on safety outcomes for customers and staff.

Left to right: Mike Weston, operations director, London Bus Services, Tony Daly, head of safety, Surface Transport, Tony Jessop, HSE senior manager, Sarah Gardiner, HSE administrator, Martin Brown, HSE general manager, Tess Watson, support manager, Jill Collis, director of Health, Safety & Environment, Cathy Hunsley, HSE senior manager, Ian Gaskin – HSE general manager, Cathy Behan, HSE general manager, Simon Peacock, HSE senior manager, Rob Mair, HSE senior manager, Mike Brown, managing director, London Underground.
Left to right: Mike Weston, operations director, London Bus Services, Tony Daly, head of safety, Surface Transport, Tony Jessop, HSE senior manager, Sarah Gardiner, HSE administrator, Martin Brown, HSE general manager, Tess Watson, support manager, Jill Collis, director of Health, Safety & Environment, Cathy Hunsley, HSE senior manager, Ian Gaskin, HSE general manager, Cathy Behan, HSE general manager, Simon Peacock, HSE senior manager, Rob Mair, HSE senior manager, Mike Brown, managing director, London Underground.

Bernard backs Museum campaign

Andy-Milne
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Bernard Bell, 89, one time steam driver and former Lord Mayor of York has been supporting a public campaign to save the National Railway Museum. Alarmed by reports that the Science Museum Group plans to shut one of its museums local people and rail staff swung into action.

The campaign, organised by local newspaper the York Press, attracted 13,500 signatures to a petition in just a fortnight. As well as York, the Science Museum Group runs museums in London, Bradford and Manchester. Cuts to funding could mean one of them may have to close.

Interest in the NRM has never been higher this July with thousands celebrating the record breaking run of A4 class locomotive Mallard which raced down Stoke Bank at 126mph on 3 July 1938.

The NRM has reunited the record breaker with its five surviving sister locomotives. Only six of the 35 A4 locomotives built survive. Bernard Bell drove the iconic Mallard in the 1950s. Now living in Woodthorpe Mr Bell spent his working life on the railways.

New team for Great Western Main Line electrification

Andy-Milne
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The electrification of the Great Western Main Line has moved a step nearer with the appointment of a joint Atkins/Parsons Brinckerhoff team as Lead Design Organisation.

The team will prepare the route between London and Cardiff for electrification. The project will involve electrifying approximately 1,000 kilometres of railway and installing over 20,000 overhead line support structures along the route.

Says Douglas McCormick, managing director of Atkins’ UK rail business, ‘Electrification is vital for the UK railway network. It will enable greater capacity, shorter journey times, less maintenance, lower energy costs and will boost the economy by providing better connections between towns and cities.

‘As one of Network Rail’s first major electrification schemes, this project will give the Atkins/Parsons Brinckerhoff team the opportunity to lead the industry and develop best practice.’

‘Atkins and Parsons Brinckerhoff will design the overhead line equipment and power systems to electrify the route and provide engineering assurance throughout construction. The work will also involve the modification of platforms and bridges and the lowering of track where necessary.

‘It will present significant challenges for planning and consents, particularly around Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which will involve close collaboration with Network Rail and key stakeholders to preserve the area’s environment and heritage.’

Says Darren Reed, head of rail at Parsons Brinckerhoff, ‘We are delighted to be selected by Network Rail as its engineering partner to meet the exciting challenge of electrifying Brunel’s Great Western Railway. The combined strength of Atkins and Parsons Brinckerhoff creates a market leading electrification design and engineering capability – and it is an area in which we both continue to invest heavily to meet future anticipated industry demand.’

Railway Children charity founder ‘honoured’ with train naming

Andy-Milne
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Charity founder David Maidment said it was “a great honour” to have a train named after him in recognition of his tireless efforts to protect street children around the world.

Network Rail and Colas Rail unveiled the ‘David Maidment OBE’ nameplate last week at the National Track Plant Exhibition at Long Marston.

David established Railway Children in 1995 after encountering homeless children during a trip to India.

Railway Children now has a network of 24 partner organisations across Africa, Asia and the UK, supporting around 50,000 street children worldwide each year.

Last year, David won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2012 RailStaff Awards.

“The naming was a complete surprise,” said David.

“Initially, I was unaware that an engine was to be named, then when asked to perform the ceremony, I assumed the locomotive was to receive the name ‘Railway Children’. I was speechless when I unveiled my own name on the side of the Colas heavy freight engine.

“It gave me an opportunity to thank the many rail industry companies and thousands of railwaymen and women who have supported the charity over the 18 years of the charity’s existence. It’s a great honour.“

Network Rail’s Steve Featherstone said: “A few weeks ago, I did the Three Peaks Challenge by Rail on behalf of Railway Children. This gave me an opportunity to understand some of the great work the charity does. Much of that work is a result of the vision and passion David has shown since founding the charity in 1995.

“Stephen Haynes of Colas Rail had provided their engines as logistical support for the show and they asked did we know anyone deserving of an engine naming.

“It was a pleasure to invite David to unveil the nameplate and recognise the outstanding contribution that he has made to Railway Children and to the wider railway industry.”

More than 200 exhibitors and 3,700 visitors attended the National Track Plant Show, donating £8,750 to Railway Children on the day.

Fitters behind West Coast improvements

Andy-Milne
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A new £40m initiative to reduce delays and improve services on the West Coast Main Line is largely the brainchild of maintenance staff up and down the line.

Chris Gibb, Chief Operating Officer, Virgin Trains, worked a six month secondment with Network Rail. Chris spent time with maintenance crews, mostly at night. His recommendations, published in a special report, are largely based on the ideas he heard from experienced staff at T&RS depots.

Network Rail is pushing ahead with a number of projects aimed at improving reliability. These range from overhead line improvements to new security fencing designed to reduce delays caused by trespass and vandalism.

Around 70% of delays to Virgin services are attributable to Network Rail, 35% of which are down to infrastructure faults and 25% to external factors such as cable theft, fatalities, trespass, vandalism and extreme weather.

A specialist team of engineers has walked the entire route between London and Rugby and recommended a series of improvements that are now being delivered over and above regular maintenance and inspection activity.

Around £10m will be invested to construct more than 11 miles of new fencing along the railway between London and Rugby at key locations, reducing the risk of incursions from people or livestock onto the track. Further north, a major project over 18 miles of railway near Wigan will see new junctions and track installed over nine days in July. In the longer term, similar infrastructure improvements in the Watford area will be getting underway in 2014.

Says Chris Gibb, ‘I am pleased that Network Rail has decided to progress all the recommendations and make a £40m investment to improve performance on the southern end of the West Coast Main Line. We are starting to see that investment actually taking place but both Network Rail and the train operators need to keep the pressure on to ensure that lasting improvements in performance are achieved.’

McGinley backs Infrastructure Team

Andy-Milne
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McGinley Support Services is once again sponsoring the Infrastructure team of the Year at this year’s RailStaff awards.

McGinley Support Services is a Link-Up accredited supplier of personnel and support services to the national railway and various urban metro rail networks. McGinley Support Services provides a rail and metro staffing and track operative service through its centralised rail and metro organisation.

Sean McGinley, Business Support Director of McGinley Support Services Limited, says, ‘The RailStaff Awards 2013 will be a great celebration of the ordinary men and women who continue to make the rail industry a leading industrial success. Infrastructure personnel are key to that success.

‘At McGinley Support Services we continue to rise to the challenge of providing the railway with the people and solutions it needs to grow and succeed.’ Sean, a keen supporter of the RailStaff Awards, added, ‘The RailStaff Awards is an exercise in confidence, in the future of the industry and the people who make it up.’

Innovator

McGinley Support Services prides itself on being a leading innovator in the industry in terms of service and transparent financial arrangements. As one of the top specialist rail recruitment suppliers, McGinley Support Services has pioneered new initiatives that embrace safety systems and workforce management, upholding a strong safety and quality culture that is necessary to support the rail and metro industry in meeting its own objectives.

Internal processes and systems ensure that, through co-ordinated planning, a flexible, motivated and compliant workforce is available to meet all needs. From highly skilled systems engineers, signalling and electrification staff through to protection/warning and track workers, McGinley Support Services delivers comprehensive recruitment backed up by a national transport and equipment support service.

Says Tom O’Connor, Managing Director of the Rail Media Group, ‘McGinley Support Services are loyal supporters of the RailStaff Awards and are making a similar growing contribution to Britain’s fast expanding railway.

‘McGinley is at the forefront of providing top grade professionals to lead and deliver the rail network and it is highly appropriate that they are backing the Infrastructure Team of the Year Award once more this year.’

Transferable skills essential

Andy-Milne
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The future looks bright for the railways. Passenger demand is increasing. Investment in high speed rail and major projects such as electrification, will create increasing demand for skilled personnel. Writes Lawrence Dobie, Education and Training Director at Vital Services Group

There are already recruitment challenges at all levels in the industry, particularly in specialist engineering. Network Rail is putting increasing pressure on contractors to employ staff direct, rather than rely on agencies.

As well as young people finishing their academic careers, this investment in infrastructure also provides a massive opportunity for those with relevant, transferrable skills.

Challenging times

Talent from other sectors that have faced challenging times during the economic downturn such as the armed forces, nuclear, telecoms or mining, should consider the rail industry as their next career step.

Many of the skills these people have are transferable to the rail industry, including communication, planning and decision making.

More mature candidates can offer considerable experience of operating in challenging environments, team working and managing and motivating others.

The move into a new, potentially lucrative career can be made a smooth one for job seekers by finding the right training programme that will bridge the gap in these specialist engineering skills. Training providers can then help to find an appropriate role to match the newly acquired expertise.

Ex-service personnel

With particular reference to the aforementioned armed forces, the Ministry Of Defence’s Career Transition Partnership (CTP) initiative helps ex-service personnel to make a successful transition into a suitable second career which suits their skills, knowledge and aspirations.

The partnership helps people to prepare for civilian life, even for those who wish to enter full-time education, and is a good example of how the industry could attract a pool of skilled workers who have the potential to develop further with industry-specific training.

Implementing this type of transitional support system could be particularly beneficial to the areas of electrification and OLE engineering – two areas where there are substantial skills shortages and with much potential for rail contractors to fill some highly sought-after roles.

For those with an engineering background, there are roles in maintenance, asset information, track, construction, civil engineering or signalling, power and communication. Alternatively, roles such as finance, legal or HR offer a worthwhile career in the many support functions.

Safeaid – specialised safety solutions

Andy-Milne
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Safeaid is a fast growing provider of specialist Safety & Workwear solutions for the rail industry. Having focused on railways since 2006, we are fully aware of the challenges and requirements of this demanding market. Safeaid designs and manufactures innovative products and solutions specifically to meet those needs.

“Contractor wins Gold Star award for using QuickBand”

The proof of our ability to innovate is QuickBand. This has changed the way the rail market uses armbands and is now the product of choice for many major contractors.

QuickBand is a revolutionary product designed to help wearers identify their role, particularly in safety critical areas, but is also used for general awareness on site. The key to the success of QuickBand is its versatility. A wide range of inserts are available from stock and bespoke solutions can be manufactured with very small minimum runs.

A major contractor recently won a Gold Star award as a result of using QuickBand on a rail project, demonstrating its value as a unique and effective safety solution.

Quality, Value and Consistency

At Safeaid we believe that the three essential components of workwear and PPE are Quality, Value and Consistency. These components are at the very core of Signal products.

Signal has been developed with the wearers themselves, through extensive trial and feedback programmes. This enables us to design and manufacture an exclusive range of workwear that successfully suits the requirements of the rail industry.

The range of Signal products is constantly expanding and developing with Flame Retardant clothing shortly to be launched.

As part of our commitment to offer a total solution to the rail industry, we also supply a wide range of Track Safety products, Lighting, Insulated Tools and Look Out Equipment.

Source: Safeaid

Desiro fleet for Thameslink

Andy-Milne
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Siemens is to build a new fleet of Desiro City trains for Thameslink which reduces overall energy consumption and track wear by up to 50% compared to predecessor models.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin confirmed the £1.6 billion order for 1140 commuter carriages. Eversholt Rail is providing project and asset management services.

Desiro City trains are up to 25 percent lighter than the existing Desiro fleet, thanks mainly to the use of lightweight aluminum in construction. Bogies are approximately one-third lighter in weight. The Desiro City is based on the Single Car Concept, which integrates the entire traction equipment into one motor car.

All of these motor cars are identically equipped and can be used both as end cars and as intermediate cars. The Desiro City Thameslink can be coupled to form 8 and 12-car trains and operated in dual mode (750 V DC or 25 kV AC). They are built for a top speed of 100 mph.

Siemens built two new rolling stock depots in Three Bridges and Hornsey. The trains will be manufactured at the Siemens factory in Krefeld, Germany, and the first trains will enter service in 2016.

Getting safer every year (statistically)

Andy-Milne
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Every year, the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) publishes its Annual Safety Performance Report.

This reviews the rail industry’s safety performance over the latest financial year. The latest report, covering 2012/13, was released at the end of June.

Once again, overall use of the railways has increased although freight dropped off slightly. Compared to 2011/12 there were 1.5 billion passenger journeys (3% increase), 58.4 billion passenger kilometres (2% increase) but 47.8 million freight train kilometres (2% decrease).

It is pleasing to note that there were no passenger or workforce fatalities in train accidents in 2012/13. This is the sixth year in succession with no such fatalities. At 0.3 per year, the ten-year moving average for these train accidents is at its lowest ever level.

Comparing figures

To look at the statistics in detail, it is necessary to understand how fatalities and injuries are measured. This is done using an index known as Fatalities and Weighted Injuries (FWI). In effect, it takes all the non-fatal injuries and adds them up using a weighting factor to come up with a total number of ‘fatality equivalents’.

So 10 major injuries, or 200 class 1 minor injuries or shock/trauma, or 1000 class 2 minor injuries or shock/trauma, are taken as being ‘statistically equivalent’ to one fatality. Add these up, and that gives the total FWI number for the year.

This FWI figure is used to compare one year with another. The actual fatalities are also listed as it is possible for the FWI to go down even if the actual number of fatalities has gone up, due to a reduction in the number of less- severe accidents (as happened last year).

The numbers

So in 2012/13, four passengers died in separate incidents, all at stations. When non-fatal injuries are also taken into account, the total level of passenger harm was 45.8 FWI which is 7% higher than the 42.7 FWI (five fatalities) recorded for 2011/12.

So although actual fatalities were down by one, the overall score was up – due mainly to an increase in the number of major injuries. When normalised by passenger journeys, the rate of harm shows a 4% increase compared with 2011/12.

There were two workforce fatalities, both infrastructure workers. Including non-fatal injuries, the total level of workforce harm was 22.6 FWI, which is a reduction of 8% compared with 24.5 FWI (one fatality) occurring in 2011/12. The rate of harm normalised by workforce hours fell by 11%, even though there was one more fatality.

The types of train accident most likely to result in harm, such as collisions and derailments, are known as potentially higher-risk train accidents (PHRTAs). Last year there were 35 of them. This is an increase of one on the previous year’s total of 34. In fact, the number of PHRTAs for the past three years has remained lower than levels seen prior to this period.

Included in those PHRTA figures were seven passenger train derailments, four of which were due to landslips affecting the line. There were no major injuries to train occupants resulting from derailment, or any other type of train accident.

PIM and SPADs

As serious train accidents are rare, the industry monitors trends in train accident precursors using the Precursor Indicator Model (PIM). This provides a measure of trends in the underlying risk from PHRTAs.

At March 2013, the overall indicator stood at 90.6, compared with 74.9 at the end of 2011/12. The passenger proportion of the PIM stood at 39.4, compared with 27.4 at the end of the previous year.

While this rise is significant, the increases in the PIM are due mainly to a rise in the number of landslides that affected the running line which occurred following periods of heavy rain during the year.

At 250, the number of SPADs (signals passed at danger) occurring during 2012/13 was a 9% reduction on the 276 occurring during 2011/12.

The accident in 1999 at Ladbroke Grove, in which 31 people died, occurred following a SPAD. Since then, the industry has focussed on reducing the risk from SPADs through initiatives such as the fitment of the TPWS (Train Protection & Warning System) which was completed in 2003. TPWS can automatically stop a train that passes a signal at danger.

At the end of 2012/13, the estimated level of risk from SPADs was 60% of the September 2006 baseline, compared with 32% at the end of 2011/12. Although the increase in SPAD risk was substantial, the level for 2012/13 is the second lowest financial year- end level on record and SPADs remain a low contributor to overall train accident risk.

Level crossings

These are always problematic, being where trains, road vehicles and pedestrians interface most closely. Excluding suicides, four pedestrians and five road vehicle occupants died in accidents at level crossings in 2012/13.

There were seven major injuries, 53 reported minor injuries and 17 cases of shock or trauma. This equated to a total FWI of 9.9, which is higher than the 2011/12 figure but below the average over the past ten years.

There were ten collisions between trains and road vehicles at level crossings during the year, which is one more than last year’s figure of nine. There has been an average of 13 accidents per year since 2003/04. There is evidence that the underlying rate of collisions at level crossings has reduced over this period.

An overall improvement

Including the nine level crossing users, but excluding those due to suicide or suspected suicide, there were 49 fatalities to members of the public last year. 39 were trespassers and the remaining one has been categorised as an assault. Including non-fatal injuries, the total level of public harm was 53.9 FWI, which is lower than the 63.5 FWI recorded for 2011/12.

At 238, the number of suicides was the same as for 2011/12, and remains above average for the last decade as a whole.

So in total, and excluding suicides, there were 55 fatalities, 457 major injuries, 11,297 minor injuries and 1,179 cases of shock/trauma. The total level of harm was 122.3 FWI, down from 130.7 in 2011/12. The main cause of the decrease was a fall in the number of fatalities to members of the public.

Colin Dennis, Director Policy, Research and Risk at RSSB commented: ‘Although 2012/13 recorded a historically low number of passenger fatalities, overall there was an increase in the level of passenger harm due to a rise in major injuries, mostly as a result of slips, trips and falls in stations. This area continues to be an area for industry focus, and a number of co-operative activities and initiatives are in progress.

‘The number of Potentially Higher Risk Train Accidents was again low and although rises were seen in the measures of SPAD risk and train accident risk, both remained below the baseline used for comparison.

‘Taken over the longer-term, the industry continues to meet the safety targets set for it by the Department for Transport and the European Railway Agency.

‘Rail continues to be the safest form of land transport in Britain and the industry’s performance continues to meet the requirement of ensuring that safety is generally maintained and, where reasonably practicable, continuously improved’.

Great Train Robbery memorial service

Andy-Milne
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Railway staff at Crewe will be holding a Memorial Service at 3pm on 8th august to mark the 50th anniversary of the Great train Robbery.

The Crewe-based driver of the Glasgow-to- Euston mail train, Jack Mills, was coshed by the gang and never fully recovered. His secondman, David Whitby, also based at Crewe, was attacked by the gang and thrown down the embankment.

Northwest railway chaplain, the Reverend Dr Richard Cook, is organising the special service which will be held in the old drivers mess room on platform 12. Once a guard with BR himself Rev. Cook has worked the same numbered mail train as Mills and Whitby, 1M44.

‘Over the years the media tend to forget the victims and remember the Robin Hood aspect of robbing a train,’ says Richard who also mentioned that people in Crewe still remember the train driver and secondman who suffered, as did the postal workers on the train. The service is being held at 1500hrs. The robbery itself took place at three in the morning.

‘We didn’t think we’d get much of a turn out at that time so it’s at three in the afternoon,’ says Richard. The Reverend Cook is Free Church minister and BTP chaplain.

On 8 August 1963 a London gang lead by Bruce Reynolds held up the south bound mail train by tampering with the signal lights south of Linslade in Buckinghamshire. Over £2.6 million, the equivalent of £41 million today, was stolen. Jack Mills died in 1970 of leukaemia and David Whitby died of a heart attack aged 34. The service is open to all.

Another brick in the wall

Andy-Milne
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As part of the 150th anniversary celebration of the London Underground the Lego company has recreated five Tube Maps made entirely out of lego-bricks.

The maps will be on display throughout the summer. The maps have been created by Duncan Titmarsh, Britain’s only certified Lego professional – one of only 13 in the world. Each map took four days to build and has 1,000 bricks. The maps will be displayed as follows:

• South Kensington – 1927 map

• Piccadilly Circus – 1933 map, (Harry Beck’s original map)

• Green Park – 1968 map

• Stratford – 2013 map

• King’s Cross St. Pancras – 2020 map including Cross- rail, the proposed Croxley Rail Link, and the proposed Northern Line Extension.

Says Mike Ashworth, Design and Heritage Manager at London Underground, ‘The 2020 map at King’s Cross St. Pancras shows the new stations and rail links we want to deliver – we hope this fun LEGO map will inspire the young engineers of the future to help deliver our vision.’

Meet me in St. Louis

Andy-Milne
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Harry Boyce was born with Diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy which affects muscles making it difficult to move and walk unaided.

However, as well as his own bravery Harry Boyce has a secret weapon – his parents Agnes Kolodziejczyk and Roy Boyce. The family also has many friends at Heathrow Express where Mum and Dad work as train drivers.

Hearing of a life altering operation, available at St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri, Agnes, Roy, staff and friends set about raising the money required under the banner ‘Helping Harry.’

Business wide activities included sponsored cycle rides and runs, cake sales, sponsored slimming, fundraising parties, jamborees and raffles. Managing director, Keith Greenfield, even swam the Henley Classic, a distance of two kilometres in open water, to raise funds for Harry.

The family travelled to St Louis and met with pioneering surgeon, Dr T. S. Park who has performed over 2,000 selective dorsal rhizotomy operations and is renowned as a world leader in his field.

‘Dr Park told us that he felt that following Harry’s SDR operation Harry would walk unaided in the future. I can’t begin to explain how hearing this made us feel. We know that this is going to be the result of a long journey and lots of hard work, but seeing our little man walk is all we’ve wished for since starting this amazing journey,’ says Agnes.

Harry was in the operating theatre at St Louis for five hours. Agnes and Roy were given their own room to wait in and regular updates by the surgery team.

‘As soon as the surgery had finished Dr Park came to see us and told us that everything had gone really well. Harry had coped with everything amazingly. He told us that Harry was in the recovery ward. As soon as he had come round and they were happy he was OK we were able to see our little man.’

Harry has been making good progress after a week long stay in hospital. Physiotherapy and various exercises are helping him become increasingly mobile. Agnes and Roy both thanked staff at Heathrow Express.

Says Agnes, ‘Hopefully, in the future, Harry will take his first steps on his own. This is a long way off yet and Harry has a lot of hard work ahead of him, but we really believe that he will get there. We will never be able to put into words how much this means to us, but you have all helped give Harry a bright new future. Thank you.’

If you want to donate to Harry’s cause, contact Agnes, by email: [email protected]

London Bridge for Aberystwyth

Andy-Milne
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Sections of London Bridge station’s old roof have found a new home at Aberystwyth.

The roof will be rebuilt as part of the Vale of Rheidol Railway narrow gauge railway museum in the town. Network Rail has saved 16 columns, 14 beams and other elements which can be moved to Wales.

‘The roof offers an opportunity to show the locomotives in context within a train-shed environment and the Vale of Rheidol will work hard to recreate the atmosphere, which only a London terminus can provide,’ says Robert Gambrill from the Vale of Rheidol Railway.

Mr Gambrill went on to praise the team he worked with from Network Rail. ‘It has been a pleasure to work with such a dedicated team from Network Rail – their care and attention to detail has ensured that as much of the structure that we need has been saved,’ he said.

‘Without their co-operation none of this would have been possible. We all look forward to unlocking the potential of our collection and seeing the Vale of Rheidol becoming a world class tourist attraction for Wales.’

The line climbs 12 miles to Devil’s Bridge and is a masterpiece of engineering. It opened in 1902 to carry lead ore, timber and passenger traffic. The narrow track gauge allows the railway to follow the contours of the terrain with many sharp curves and steep gradients which add to the railway’s charm.

Says Chris Drabble of Network Rail ‘This great news has been possible because many people from many organisations have been working together. Up until the actual structures were lifted we were never sure if any of this would be technically possible, so all of the teams can be really proud of what they have achieved.’

The line attracts around 40,000 visitors annually from all over the world.

HS2 – sound survey

Andy-Milne
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HS2 Ltd plans to use new technology to cut the noise of high speed trains on the line.

Over two thirds of the line’s surface sections between London and the West Midlands will be sunk in cuttings. Earth removed for track laying can be used to build up noise-absorbing berms. On the train itself, designers plan to eliminate the gaps between train carriages to cut noise and boost aerodynamic efficiency.

Drawing on Japanese expertise, HS2 trains could also be fitted with wheel farings to cut the noise made by the wheels on rails, the biggest source of noise on any electrified railway.

Says Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, ‘HS2 is absolutely vital for this country, providing a huge economic boost which will generate a return on investment that will continue paying back for generations to come. But you cannot build a new railway line without causing some disruption. What we can and will do is ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum by using the very latest design and construction methods.’

The most significant proposed design refinements, as revealed in last month’s RailStaff, include tunnelling under Ealing and Northolt in north west London, and at Bromford in the West Midlands.

New station for Westgate

Andy-Milne
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Transport Minister, Simon Burns MP, interviewed in this edition of RailStaff, visited Wakefield Westgate station, to check out progress on the £8.8 million new station project.

Construction work at Westgate began earlier this year and the new station is scheduled to open in November. The site has been cleared and prepared, concrete piling columns for the foundations have been installed and the steel frame of the building is being erected this summer. The new station will include better shops, a spacious travel centre, ticket gates and improved security.

Says Simon Burns, ‘This station, made possible with government support, will be the first newly-built station on the East Coast Main Line for decades and will show the world that Wakefield is open for business.

‘This is part of the wider programme of infrastructure investment which will see billions spent on the network over the coming years, helping to drive economic growth and reinvigorate the railways.’

Network Rail’s Route Managing Director Phil Verster believes the railways will help boost Wakefield. ‘We know that our stations provide important gateways to the cities they serve and can help to attract investment and regeneration and look forward to that being the case in Wakefield,’

Phil said. Wakefield Westgate currently has 32 direct East Coast services to London each weekday, with a fastest journey time of 1 hour 47 minutes. The weekday flagship ‘West Riding Limited’ service leaves Leeds at 07.00, calling only at Wakefield Westgate at 07.12 and arriving at London King’s Cross at 08.59.

Hollingsworth heads Eurostar

Andy-Milne
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Eurostar International has appointed Clare Hollingsworth as chairman.

Clare will succeed Richard Brown who steps down at the end of June. Clare Hollingsworth joined the board of Eurostar as a non- executive director in 2010. She is also on the boards of Savills, the real estate advisor, Virgin Healthcare, Molnlycke AB, a Swedish medical technology company and Spire Healthcare.

Prior to her non-executive roles she was Chief Executive Officer of Spire Healthcare and its predecessor business, BUPA Hospitals. Before Spire Healthcare she was Managing Director, Caledonian Airways.

Richard Brown’s decision to step down follows his appointment earlier this year as chairman of the Department for Transport’s Franchise Advisory Panel. Brown is also a-non executive director of High Speed Two.

Says Richard, ‘It has been a great privilege to be at the heart of Eurostar’s growth and expansion over the last decade but the time is right for me to hand over the reins. Eurostar is now an internationally respected brand and I have every confidence that it will go from strength to strength in the future.

‘With her knowledge of the company and her experience of consumer-facing businesses, Clare is perfectly placed to lead the Board through the next phase of Eurostar’s development.’

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RailStaff was launched in 1997 after the UK Rail Industry was privatised and it quickly became established as a leading rail publication in the UK, due to its positive support of the industry, and now reaches over 100,000 readers per month.

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