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Display yard set for Railtex debut

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Railtex 2013 will feature a yard for displaying railway plant and equipment.

Following The Yard’s highly successful introduction at the Infrarail exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham, organisers have decided to use the concept at Railtex.

Supported by the Rail Plant Association, The Yard enables companies to display previously unexhibitable vehicles and machines.

Says  exhibition manager Heidi Cotsworth, ‘Our decision to add The Yard to the already wide range of features and activities at next year’s event is the result of consultation with our partners and very positive feedback from companies that took advantage of this facility at Infrarail. It was also well received by visitors to the show.’

Railtex 2013 takes place at Earls Court in London from April 30 to May 2 next year.

More about The Yard plus general information on the exhibition can be found at the Railtex website.

Formal proposal for RDG

The Rail Delivery Group will be given added powers and placed on a more formal footing as the government ramps up plans for closing the gap between train operators and infrastructure providers.

Proposals will be considered under the auspices of the Office of Rail Regulation. Says Tim O’Toole, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, ‘Placing RDG on a more structured footing will enable it to take on a leadership role in which it will formulate strategies and policies for the whole industry.

‘The government’s command paper expects the Rail Delivery Group to take a leadership role within the rail industry in order to drive efficiency and improve value for money for the passenger, freight customer and taxpayer. Formalising the group will reinforce RDG’s ability to fulfil this role.’

The RDG could become a company limited by guarantee. An obligation will be placed on industry players to join the RDG by the introduction of a licence condition requiring participation in the group. Currently the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) brings industry leaders together on a voluntary basis to provide leadership to the rail industry.

The group was set up in May 2011 after the Rail Value for Money Study, chaired by Sir Roy McNulty.

Station staff save day-old kittens

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Station staff at Bedford have been praised for saving the lives of four kittens left abandoned in a carrier bag on the station.

Staff spotted the day-old kittens – all thought to be related – and immediately took steps to keep them warm. They then alerted the local RSPCA.

Says Gayle Simpkins of  RSPCA North Bedfordshire, ‘It was only the quick thinking members of staff who made sure the kittens were warm that saved them. I have no doubt that without their help, they would have died. All four kittens are now in the care of an experienced hand-rearer and are doing well.’

Network Rail sees rise in satisfied suppliers

It takes a confident company to approach all its major suppliers and ask their opinions on the relationship between them. It also takes a fairly strong-minded supplier to tell its major customer what is wrong with that relationship. But that is exactly what Network Rail has asked its most important contractors to do.

Supplier perception survey

This is the seventh annual Supplier Perception Survey conducted by Network Rail, this year in conjunction with the Civil Engineering Contractors Association and the Railway Industry Association. To review the findings, RailStaff met with Network Rail’s Ian Sexton, director, contracts and placement, and two senior members of Network Rail Infrastructure Projects – David McLoughlin, finance and commercial director, and Katie Ferrier, head of supplier engagement. Peter Loosley, policy director of RIA, and Mike Cocks, UK rail director of CECA, were also on hand to explain the detail of their report.

Leaders from 70 of Network Rail’s main suppliers were interviewed by Ipsos MORI earlier this year.

As Peter Loosley explained, the results were mixed but overall showed a continuing improvement in the way Network Rail is perceived by its suppliers. There was an increase in the number who report that Network Rail is now easier to work with. The number of dissatisfied suppliers fell from 16% in 2011 to only 6%, well below Network Rail’s own target of 15%.

The organisation is seen to be putting safety first, getting a 4.28 out of 5 score. In terms of overall satisfaction, 72% of respondents were either fairly or very satisfied with their relationship with Network Rail, up from 63% in 2011 and only 45% in 2010 – a marked improvement.

The results were mixed but overall showed a continuing improvement in the way Network Rail is perceived by its suppliers.

Best score ever

Another improvement was shown in the rather complicated area of advocacy. This is a measure of how likely a company is to recommend another. Marks range from +2 (speak highly without being asked), through 0 (neutral) to -2 (critical without being asked). The aim is therefore to obtain a positive average as this shows that suppliers are more likely to speak highly of Network Rail than they are to be critical. The overall average was 0.58, with 63% giving positive scores and only 15% negative. This is the best score ever, up from 0.33 and 52% in 2011.

Asked what more Network Rail could do to improve, 21% asked for more collaboration and 20% for more engagement with suppliers. 20% also wanted more consistency, and better planning, better communications and an improved tender process were all mentioned.

An organisation in transition

Comments received from individuals showed that Network Rail is still an organisation in transition.  A track company commented: ‘I think Network Rail over the last 12 months has made a tremendous difference in terms of their attitude towards suppliers and we do speak quite highly of them now without being asked.’

However, there is still work to do as a professional services organisation had a different experience: “Too often at project level we find that there’s an adversarial approach with the teams which doesn’t really fit with the collaborative way that we like to do things – we’re not very good at dealing with all the aggression.” That could be why 20% of all replies asked that the corporate message be filtered down throughout the organisation.

So the result of Network Rail’s seventh annual supplier perception survey was positive overall and showed an improvement from last year. However, there is obviously still a way to go. But as Mike Cocks of CECA, said, ‘These days, listening is followed by action. That’s the difference with Network Rail now under David Higgins.’

Writes Nigel Wordsworth

Tunnelling students surface

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Over 1,000 new students have now completed their training at the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy in Ilford, east London.

The Academy, which opened last September, is pushing ahead with an expanded curriculum.

TUCA will train nearly 3,500 people in essential construction skills during the Crossrail project. It has already set industry standards by creating the Tunnel Safety Card qualification – now an industry requirement for those working in a tunnelling environment. The Academy is also playing a key role in getting unemployed Londoners back to work.

A range of pre-employment courses offered at the Academy has already equipped hundreds of long-term unemployed with the skills to help them gain employment. These include an introduction to general construction and metal formwork. Says Claire Parry, head of skills and employment at Crossrail,  ‘The Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy has been a huge success since opening less than a year ago. Over 1,000 people have now been trained to work on Crossrail and other construction projects.’

Crossrail established the Academy to make good the shortage of people with the skills to work underground on the transport scheme and on other planned infrastructure projects.

Russia backs international rail links

Sochi, in Russia, will host the 2014 Winter Olympics and the Russian Grand Prix.

No less dramatic was the recent Seventh International Rail Business Forum. Hosted by Russian Railways the forum on the Black Sea coast, attracted 1400 delegates from 30 countries. Speakers included representatives of Russian Railways, Siemens AG, Deutsche Bahn AG and the European Union.

Vladimir Yakunin, president of RZD, Russian Railways, met journalists and impressed them with his almost fluent English. Better communications between people and railways is essential to the international railway business.

Yakunin stressed the importance of clear communications coming out with the joke about the Moscow waiter asking a late night diner, ‘You finish?’ ‘Och no,’ came the waspish reply. ‘I’m frae Scotland.’ Russia is keen to develop international rail links and build new, faster lines.

The forum was attended by representatives of the European Union who, over the course of the discussions, reaffirmed their interest in tackling the problems faced by the international railway community.

Brian Simpson, MEP, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Transport Committee was concerned that standards and nationalist thinking was stifling cross border rail co-operation. Simpson pointed out this was not a problem for Civil Aviation, yet railways still suffer from barriers.

International agreements

More cheerful progress was made with the signing of a portfolio of international agreements. RZD, Kazakhstan and Belarusian Railways signed an agreement on through tariffs. Mongolian and Azerbaijan Railways agreed a passenger traffic memorandum with RZD. RZD agreed a new deal with Siemens on servicing passenger rolling stock. RZD and Transmashholding signed off a contract to deliver freight locomotives with German MTU diesel engines.

Yakunin stressed Russia’s commitment to international rail freight corridors. He wants to build a Russian gauge railway to Vienna. The 400km Russian gauge line would run through Slovakia to Vienna. The line should benefit 32 countries, generate 24 million tonnes of freight per annum and cost around £5 billion.

At the forum Yakunin’s advisor, Mikhail Goncharov, announced that RZD expect to start a feasibility study this year. This will  enable design work to be finalised by 2016. Construction could start in 2020 and be complete by 2024.

Austrian Railways chief, Christian Kern, is in favour of this line but felt its concept was not yet proven. Russia’s railway gauge – the width between the rails – is 1520 mm, much wider than the 1435 Stephenson’s gauge in use throughout Europe. However, Russian gauge is used throughout the former Soviet Union, Finland and the Baltic States and Mongolia. Total track length is 226,830 kilometres.

New rail corridor

Looking east Russia plans further development of international rail links with China. With China’s increased production in its western regions, a new rail corridor through Kazakhstan will complement the Trans Siberian Railway.

Although rail could never carry the volumes of container ships, it is competitive for time sensitive cargos. Yakunin believes railways can be the basis for industrial collaboration between Asia, Russia and Europe.

The Seventh International Rail Business Forum ‘1520 Strategic Partnership’ is the first step in addressing the need for a unified railway law in international transport cooperation. Delegates at Sochi were keen to discuss the role that railways will play in globalisation in the coming years.

Political Will

Yakunin sees political will as crucial to the development of better rail links. In Europe the state owns rail infrastructure and political commitment is needed to remove customs and standards barriers.

Yakunin is proud that despite national differences the railway community has achieved a measure of consensus agreeing that rail transport offers huge benefits. The problem, says Yakunin, is that, ‘We do not have instruments to collaborate as currently there are only political interfaces.’

However he believes that where there is a will there’s a way and he is optimistic about the future of cross border railway collaboration.

Away from the spotlight Vladimir Yakunin talked of his job and its responsibilities. First he must ensure he protects the interests of the company among the myriad demands of state agencies and businesses. Secondly RZD must honour agreements worth £2 billion per annum to protect its workers and pensioners.

Thirdly, he explained, management must own decisions taken. Before any decision is reached there is widespread discussion with the managers concerned to ensure the proposed course of action is feasible and has a financial case.

Importantly once the decision is taken, it has to be fulfilled. Any deviation from it is not acceptable. Anyone who does not agree must either obey or leave the company. He feels that because of this people sometimes confuse the person he is with the president’s function.

Reputedly close to Vladimir Putin Yakunin remains quite a private man. ‘Who I am as a person is only for my friends and members of the family,’ he said. Although Yakunin is reluctant to talk about himself personally, his humour and insight is evident to those who met him.

He has headed Russian Railways since 2005. Yakunin has a clear vision of international rail development for the mutual benefit of all. He has also led the board of trustees of the St. Andrew’s Foundation, a powerful patriotic organisation created in 1992.

Like the railway he leads Yakunin’s influence and place among the Russian leadership is immense. Seen in this light his pro-rail, open trading message carries a significance that reaches well beyond Sochi.

Writes David Shirres

New look for Network Rail

The number of public members of the Network Rail board has been reduced from 80  to 40.

Quarterly scrutiny panels underline a new commitment to transparency. The new moves came into effect at the Annual General Meeting held in July. At the AGM David Higgins, Network Rail’s chief executive, reported good punctuality at 91.6 per cent –  better safety and a 24 per cent drop in the number of infrastructure failures since the start of the control period, April 2009.

Higgins predicts that by 2014 the British and Scottish governments will have received a rebate of around £310 million as a result of Network Rail’s successful cost savings. However more passengers and increased freight make it a challenge.

Says Sir David Higgins, ‘We are acutely aware of the need for us and our industry partners to reduce the costs of our railway both for the taxpayer and the fare payer. We are making good progress, whilst grappling with the continued growth in passenger and freight demand and balancing the trade-offs between cost, performance and capacity.’

The rail industry carried  1.46 billion passengers last year on 7.3 million trains – half a billion more passengers on one million more trains than 10 years ago. These are figures not seen since the 1920s. ‘Network Rail is doing well. The company and its 34,000 people continue to work hard to deliver against some tough targets and deliver a good, reliable railway for the British people.

‘We can never be complacent and there are improvements and gains yet to be made,’ said Mr Higgins who welcomed the government’s plans to spend £9 billion on infrastructure projects as, ‘a big vote of confidence.’ There was a 100 per cent vote in favour of the new governance model.

High speed to Florence

The much-vaunted high-speed service between Milan and Naples in Italy got underway on April 28.

Launched by independent operator NTV (Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori), the initial route runs from Milan Porta Garibaldi, via Bologna, Florence (Firenze) and Rome to Naples Centrale.

To run the service, NTV purchased a fleet of 25 new 11-car AGV (Automotrice à grande vitesse) trains from Alstom. These are the second generation of Alstom very high-speed trains are quite different from the earlier TGV and Eurostar trains.

Traction motors are mounted under the carriages rather than in dedicated power cars, so every car can carry passengers giving the 200-metre long NTV trains a capacity of 460 passengers.

To see what all the hype has been about, RailStaff‘s Nigel Wordsworth took a trip on one of the first trains to run between Milan and Florence.

Porta Garibaldi station is the main commuter station for Milan, and all the NTV ticket machines were located down the escalators from the main concourse.  They worked perfectly well in the English language, the tickets were easily collected and it was off to the platform to find the shiny red AGV train.

Novel features

NTV has named its service Italo, and has introduced some novel features. Each train is divided up into three areas, rather than classes, with a total of five different ways to travel. The claim is that the comfort remains the same, it is the level of service which changes to give each passenger the choice of how they travel.

The Smart area has leather-covered seats arranged four across with a central aisle. Catering is by self-service machines and there is free Wi-Fi. The end car is laid out as a 39-seat cinema fitted with eight high-definition 19-inch screens.

In the centre of the train is the Prima area.  Seats here are wider and only three across and there is a catering service. There is also a Relax car where mobile phone calls and loud conversations are banned, and a standing room Break area where passengers can stretch their legs and chat.

At the other end of the train is the Club area.  Here there are only 19 seats and two 4-seater “compartments” for use by families or for company meetings while on the move. The seating is extremely comfortable and the hostess service very attentive.

With a stop at Milan Rogoredo and then at Bologna, the trip to Florence took just under two hours. Further south progress is quicker, and Rome comes up in another hour and a half and Naples just over an hour later.

With ticket prices starting from only €35 each way for the 400 miles from Milan to Naples trip, it’s not expensive either.

Writes Nigel Wordsworth

More railways please

People want more railways, according to a study by  Network Rail.

According to those questioned the rail industry should be confident and ambitious. From chefs to nurses, plumbers to teachers, over 300 people were involved in 10 detailed workshops earlier this year.

Says Rick Haythornthwaite, Network Rail’s outgoing chairman, ‘The railway is a vital piece of the wiring of this country, a view that has been reinforced across Britain as we talked to people about our railway and about its future. They wanted us to be confident and ambitious, to plan and invest properly in a growing and successful railway, a railway that they want to be proud of.’

The report mirrors the traditional public affection for trains and railways. However, the workshops also indicate that, contrary to common misconceptions, there is a significant body of opinion which is prepared to back a considerable and sustained investment programme, even when the cost implications for fares and taxes are spelt out.

The railway is a vital piece of the wiring of this country, a view that has been reinforced across Britain as we talked to people about our railway and about its future.

However, transparency is essential and the government and rail industry need to be upfront about how money is spent and what people get in return. Says Tim O’Toole, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group and chief executive of FirstGroup, ‘Growth for most industries is a sign of health and celebration; in rail it is too often discussed as if it were a burden.

The rail industry was invented in this country; it is thriving and much improved in this country, so why isn’t the public debate punctuated by pride and ambition, instead of timidity and crankiness? When Rick announced his intention to find out, his audience was supportive but sceptical, and yet here it is, the start of the conversation.

The rail industry is difficult to comprehend. It is in many parts. But the fact remains, it is enjoying unprecedented growth and handling that growth with ever safer operations and ever improving performance. If we are to craft the future those facts call for, we must elevate the debate as the effort reported on in this document attempts to start.’

HS2 will build on Olympic success

Andy Milne spells out four reasons why the rail industry and Britain needs High Speed Two.

As the surge of national optimism reached its crescendo at the London Olympics the great and the not so good were lining up to oppose the plan to build a high-speed railway between London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester. Leave to seek a judicial review of the consultation process could, if granted, delay the project by a further two years.

Grandees like Lord Parkinson, Christopher Chope and Stephen Norris have come out against the scheme saying the cost is unlimited and we would get more motorways for the £32 billion involved. ‘I am very sceptical about the whole thing. I see it as of limited value and almost unlimited expense,’ said Lord Parkinson.

Assumptions made by the trio are at best ill thought through and at worst defeatist and negative. Shame on those who misled you.

Railway supporters of the HS2 are keen to stress four basic arguments as to why High Speed Two should go ahead.

Building on Success 

The rail industry is a success, a safe bet, a reflection of a returning Britain, confident and determined. Rail projects have consistently been delivered on budget and on time. This proven record makes it very attractive to invest in railways. We know the money is well spent. Yes, it’s true railway people would say that – wouldn’t we?

RailStaff is right behind High Speed Two because out readers and advertisers are the people who will build the link, crew the trains and operate the network. It means better careers, a boost to rail businesses and an engaging challenge for a resurgent rail industry. Railways have waited a long time for this. However the underlining reason comes back to the fact that railways are a success. Like our heroes at the Olympics we are outstripping our competitors. Britain has the fastest growing rail industry in Europe. We are now carrying almost double the amount of passengers we were a few years ago on half the amount of track. Rail staff manage this challenge day and night rising to it with Olympian aplomb. Lengthen all the platforms you like, the truth is we need more space.

Railways make economic, environmental and social sense. You get more bang for your buck…

Increasing Capacity

The big gain from HS2 is the capacity for extra trains it creates. This is not just about shaving an hour off a journey time. HS2 will take conga reels of passengers off the bursting main lines elsewhere The scheme is as important to the beleaguered commuter who can’t get a seat on the 7.23 as it is to the inscrutable Chinese shipper with container loads of laptops bobbing about outside Felixstowe. More capacity will be created for the hugely successful rail freight companies connecting deep sea ports with the bustling commerce of Kirkgate Market, Arndale and the Bull Ring. These are goods currently careering around by lorry and jamming up the A14, M1 and M6 and a whole host of feeder roads.

Clean and Green

High Speed Two will take more traffic off the roads by freeing up paths for extra freight trains and suburban services. The net effect of this is to make significant gains in the struggle to reduce carbon emissions caused by road.

Plans to electrify much more of the network mean trains in future will be predominantly electric, green and clean. We need more of them not less. Building more motorways is an appalling idea. An eight lane motorway, plus hard shoulders and slip roads, is a much wider prospect than a railway. The rigor mortis of  meadow wide tarmacadam creates eco-altering rain water run off chaos.

Motorways are certainly more expensive – even before you factor in the social and human cost of flooding and car crashes.  Neither do they connect places very well. Robin Gisby over at Network Rail is fond of saying he can build several miles of railway for the price of a mile of motorway. Railways are thin, clean, green and safer.

Social Connection

Britain has an unhappy and persisting discontent between north and south. Wages are less in the north. Business and job opportunities are fewer away from the south east and the economic phenomena centred on London. The great effect of high-speed railways is to pipe this effect outwards. Look at high-speed railways abroad. Towns like Barcelona and Bologna have benefited hugely from the arrival of a high-speed railway.

Currently our high-speed railway runs to France. Lets not be churlish but how good it would be to be able to do for Leeds and Manchester what we are magnanimously doing for Calais. Various government have tried all sorts of vapid welfare programmes to narrow the gap between north and south. High Speed Two will do more to close it than any amount of public money spend locally. Railways make economic, environmental and social sense. You get more buck for your bang to quote Chope. High Speed Two will help unify Britain and build on the success of the London Olympics. Never mind the gap, m’lords, get behind HS2 and do something positive for your country’s future .

Cost benefit bonus for IEP

The new fleet of IEP trains to be built at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham will provide better value for money than an equivalent Pendolino fleet, rail analysts believe.

Agility Trains, a consortium made up of Hitachi and John Laing, has signed a £4.6 billion contract with the government for the provision of 596 new IEP carriages to replace the ageing fleet of HSTs. The trains will be assembled and maintained at a purpose built plant in County Durham.

Controversially the first IEP train will not enter service until 2017. Pendolinos could be brought into operation within two years and, the argument runs, would have been a cheaper and quicker option. However the IEP train is 26 metres long, 3m longer than existing conventional Intercity trains.

Despite being longer IEPs are cost comparable to Pendolinos. A nine-car IEP set, whether bi-mode or electric, will have approximately 188 more seats than a nine-car Pendolino. Analysts at the DfT argue that an electric IEP carriage costs £2,431,389, compared to an estimated £2.7 million for the Pendolino equivalent, and a bi-mode IEP costs £2,829,187.

A DfT source said, ‘An 11-car Pendolino only holds as many people as a nine-car IEP, so you need fewer IEPs to transport the same amount of people – and you have room for further expansion with a nine-car IEP – it is only 234m in length, not 254m.’

The IEP contract is expected to create over 730 jobs. The new fleet will replace the Intercity 125 high speed trains currently in use on the Great Western and East Coast routes. The East Coast part of the contract will be financed next year.

The construction of a mixed fleet of both electric and bi-mode trains, the first time in recent history that bi-mode rolling stock has been earmarked for the UK rail market, means that services will be able to continue along non-electrified routes without the need to attach a diesel locomotive. This decision not to introduce a fleet of all electric trains is estimated to save approximately £200 million.

The first IEPs should enter service on the Great Western Main Line in 2017 and the East Coast Main Line in 2018. The new fleets will be maintained in new and upgraded maintenance facilities at Swansea, Bristol, west London and Doncaster.

Welcoming Hitachi, transport secretary Justine Greening said, ‘Hitachi is the latest major international company to invest on this scale in Britain and I look forward to this new factory in County Durham following in the footsteps of Nissan’s successful car plant in Sunderland. There can be fewer stronger signs that the UK is the best place in which to invest, and from which to develop new markets, than Hitachi’s decision to base its European manufacturing base right here in Britain.’

Ironically the first locomotive to arrive in Japan was built in Britain. In 1868 Thomas Glover brought steam locomotive Iron Duke to Japan, where it worked along an eight mile stretch of track in Nagasaki. It took until 2007 for the first Japanese built trains, the class 395s, to arrive in the UK.

Sustainability: The Sierra Madre factor

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In the film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre a trio of American miners, headed by Humphrey Bogart, open up a secret gold mine in Mexico and rip out gold ore.

When they finish one of the older men asks that they close up the mine and make good the landscape. The others over rule him and jeering make off. The imputation is that they behaved badly and this underlines their own subsequent descent into treachery and betrayal. The book was written in Mexico in 1927 by a writer named Traven and must have sat uneasily with movie moguls. Traven had a natural sympathy for the oppressed, the campesinos of Mexico, and the natural world laid bare by man’s greed. Sadly Traven’s oddly prescient tale is as relevant to the wider world today as it was in post-revolutionary Mexico 80 years ago.

Making money may not be wrong but ripping gold out of hills in a poor country, rigging interest rates, sweeping the seas clean of fish and burning up rain forests trouble all thinking people. The difference  now is the consumer is in a position to do something about it.

The business world itself is changing and public pressure is driving the change. Social and environmental responsibility once jeered at as beard and sandal wishful thinking is being sown in to commercial practice with all the trepidation of a first competence assessment. Organisations need to sustain the people they work with and the communities they serve – whether those are defined as customers, shareholders, staff or simply the cities and countryside nearby. Irresponsible industrial development has come under the searching scrutiny of the thinking public as never before. The consensus emerging is that the institutions that narrate the economic competence of our time are not up to the task.

Sustainability involves careful audit of business and place.  Can rain water be re-used from the roofs or towers of factories and houses? Are staff and their families looked after, encouraged to think and develop, to grow as people as well as producers?

As individuals sustainability involves personal responsibility – cycling or walking instead of always taking the car, recycling plastic and glass, using grey water. More than this it implies integrity in business dealings. Sustaining confidence demands honesty and accountability, a ready  explanation of the suspicious swings and margins common to any  business.

Happily the rail industry already has plenty to shout about in any sustainability discussion. Financial arrangements for Network Rail, fare regulation and hotly discussed pay settlements mean much of the railway’s financial affairs are windowed with transparent accountancy procedures.  Joe Public might moan about high fares but at least  Joe knows how her fare is spent. The industry itself can’t help but be a greener way of travelling and moving freight. Imagine if all London’s commuter belt elected to drive into work one morning. Run traction on renewable energy and the industry is a sure fire winner. New railway buildings are now put up with green roofs, rain water harvesting and solar panels. Network Rail’s new headquarters in Milton Keynes is a case in point. Developments in regenerative braking make economic sense and well as saving energy.

Corporate responsibility starts early in the railway. It’s a safety intensive industry with one of the most direct consumer-supplier relationship in business. What do passengers want to see on trains and stations? Guards and drivers, dispatchers and ticket clerks. Certainly all these roles will change but the need of hands-on staff to sustain the customer–provider relationship is imperative and is ignored by industry bosses at their peril. Similarly handling huge amounts of cash, operating under a stringent alcohol and drugs policy demands a level of personal probity all too lacking in the commercial finance industry.

Personal responsibility is a big part of the railway’s sustainability achievement. One of the bizarre features of the rail industry are the gardens staff plant out. When one train crew dept at the Brent in London was in the process of moving staff were told the garden – and pond – would be abandoned and paved over. However an appeal to the penultimate chairman of BR – Sir Bob Reid on a visit to the Brent – drew a hearty response: of course you must keep it. The suits subsequently huffed and puffed but the exchange had been witnessed by several people and Reid was not a man to back down  on a promise. The garden, including the pond, was recreated several hundred yards up the line at the new centre.

Sustainability is a subject everyone can help with and draws on the expertise and support of the people who make up the businesses, together with their customers and suppliers. The rail industry with its green credentials and emphasis on human relationships has a head start.  The Mexican Revolution might have petered out in corruption, tears and dust but perhaps the treasure of Sierra Madre is not as far from us all as we think.

Track Staff battle June Monsoon

Despite torrential rain in the north on 28th June closing both the main lines and the Newcastle– Carlisle line, track staff working flat out managed to restore services while drivers and train planners diverted Anglo-Scottish services over the Settle and Carlisle line.

In Scotland the West Highland line was shut between Crianlarich and Fort William after a freight train carrying alumina derailed near Tulloch. The site of the incident was inaccessible by road and located on a steep hillside. The driver was rescued by RAF helicopter.

In Westmorland a landslip at Tebay closed the WCML. Other smaller landslips near Tebay affected both running lines and meant services between Preston, Lancaster and Carlisle were cut. The 1240 Glasgow to Euston service was trapped between two landslips. However, staff managed to fix track and free the train within 90 minutes.

Says Stuart Middleton, Network Rail’s general manager for Lancashire and Cumbria, ‘We had several landslips, the worst of which was at Tebay, where we lost 30 metres of the cess ballast. Plans were quickly put together for emergency repairs to be carried out overnight. These were successful and enabled us to reopen the West Coast Main Line on Friday with a 20 mph speed restriction over the affected area.’

Further east on the same day areas of track bed were torn away by floods at Haltwhistle on the Newcastle-Carlisle route and Scremerston on the East Coast Main Line, three miles south of Berwick. Both sites required significant rebuild. At Scremerston 600 tonnes of new material had to be replaced.

Says Warrick Dent, general manager for Network Rail, ‘Our engineers have worked around the clock to restore services as quickly as possible. The fact that we have a full service running (the following) morning is a testament to them.

‘I would like to pay tribute to my area team,’ said Mr. Dent.

Photo: charlie b1984

Metal fatigue hits thieves

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More legal powers and the success of Operation Tornado are making life tougher for cable thieves on the railway.

Operation Tornado makes it easier to trace sellers of stolen metal through an identification scheme. Pioneered in the north east, Operation Tornado is being rolled out in the south of England this summer. In further developments rail chiefs have welcomed a bill placed before the House of Commons by Richard Ottaway MP aimed at cracking down on the trade in stolen metal.

Says Michael Roberts, ceo ATOC, ‘The proposed powers (in the bill) will send a clear signal to criminals and rogue traders that dealing in stolen metal could lead to unlimited fines, removal of operating licences and even long terms in prison. Giving police and local councils the power to search and investigate scrap yards suspected of dealing in stolen metal, and if necessary close them down, will help stop metal theft in its tracks.’

BTP’s deputy chief constable, Paul Crowther, agrees. ‘Tornado is proving very successful so far. For instance, on the railways in the north east we have seen a 69% fall in metal theft. However, this needs to be sustainable in the long term and Tornado is impacting mainly on scrap dealers who are working within the law.

‘We still need the powers to close down those few unscrupulous dealers who operate outside the law. I welcome Richard Ottaway’s Private Member’s Bill….It is important we have a robust regulatory framework alongside police powers to impact effectively and permanently on this crime, which has blighted communities across Britain for too long.’

Under Operation Tornado anyone hoping to sell scrap metal to participating metal recyclers in the south of England and Wales will be required to provide proof of their identity, either a photo card driving licence including an address, or a passport or national ID card supported by a utility bill, which must be under three months old and show their address.

Thefts of cable on the rail system in BTP’s North Eastern Area since April this year are down 69% from 248, to 78. Almost half of these (38) involved live operational cable.

Panda-monium on the Tube

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Over 100 pandas – or sympathisers dressed as pandas – took to the London Underground on their way to a rally, startling passengers.

The panda patrol was part of Panda Awareness Week. A panda posse performed a graceful tai-chi dance in Trafalgar Square before greeting passers by. Panda Awareness Week aims to raise interest and support for the protection of one of the world’s most-threatened species.

In total 108 panda look-alikes took to the streets and the Underground in London – the same number of pandas currently living in a special breeding centre in Chengdu, China. Wild life experts say only 1,800 pandas are left in the wild.

 

Storm staff conquer the three peaks

The Railway Children’s annual Three Peaks challenge suffered the worst weather since its launch ten years ago.

Bad weather failed to stop teams from across the rail industry helping each other over fast flowing rivers, treacherous bogs and up and down mountains – often in driving rain and poor visibility.

Says Neal Lawson, managing director of First Capital Connect, who himself took part, ‘The hikes were extremely challenging, particularly the conditions on Scafell Pike, but the feeling of accomplishment for all of us was indescribable.’

Going up the first mountain, Snowdon, took place at night. Says Railway Children ambassador, Adam O’Connor, ‘By dark the weather was closing in and rain was falling heavily. People could not see the way ahead and I had to guide them up and down Snowdon. It was very difficult but people pushed themselves and we made it.’

By the time the challengers reached the Lake District the weather had worsened with streams become raging rivers and fields and paths flooded. Only three teams made it to the top before organisers called off the climb. Teams were ferried out by a local mini van driver who braved rising floodwaters to evacuate climbers.

The attempt on Ben Nevis the following day was also complicated by poor weather. Even getting up to Scotland was a challenge as fallen trees blocked the line north. Unlike routine passengers, challengers greeted the news cheerily and waited for the all clear in a pub.

‘It was truly one of the hardest challenges I have had to face,’ says Asif Ahmed, director, Rail Media Group. ‘I felt a real sense of achievement on the final summit Ben Nevis. More so when I heard we had raised over £170k as a group to date with more donations coming in. I would like to personally thank all 180 walkers who took part.’ Asif also paid tribute to the hard work by the organisers, train crew and Railway Children staff.

Craig Smith, of the Rail Media Group, still managed the trip despite undergoing recent knee surgery following a sports injury.

‘I think at the time of the challenge, I focussed on purely finishing the event in one piece,’ says Craig. ‘Afterwards on the train home, it started to dawn on me and others that we have actually raised a lot of money for an excellent charity.

‘That gives you as much satisfaction as actually undertaking the walk itself. Knowing your actions are directly affecting somebody somewhere turns a challenging event into an absolute pleasure.’

Milton Keynes – Home of Railway Values

At first glance the choice of Milton Keynes as the new headquarters of Network Rail seems eccentric.

Look a little closer and the move is a sound one, as Andy Milne reports.

Once derided as a concrete and plastic tribute to sixties designer angst, Milton Keynes has all the vibrancy and energy of a younger town, spangled with bright lights, loud with clubs and theatres.

Restaurants and shopping malls serve a fast growing population that needs several schools and colleges to keep pace with it’s unfolding demographics. The railway stations around MK do brisk business with an army of commuters, business travellers, students and foreign visitors.

Milton Keynes sits at the heart of the modern railway network on the West Coast Main Line. Connections to Bedford from Bletchley and the historic works at Wolverton cement the city firmly into the modern, expanding railway.

Away from the centre Milton Keynes abounds in quiet tree shaded suburbs threaded with canals and cycle routes. Local motorists may complain of the innumerable roundabouts in the city’s grid style street lay out but the effect is to reduce traffic speed and give priority to cyclists and pedestrians.

Living in a green city of over 20 million trees, grass meadows, parks and lakes where you can cycle to work has proved attractive to 230,000 people who now live there.

Back in the sixties a planning team under Richard Llewelyn-Davies managed to avoid the concrete ghettos bequeathed to other London overspill towns. From the start the emphasis was on ease of communication and local centres – as opposed to the concentric ribbon developments that cluster round many expanded cities. Work started in 1967.

More responsive

The first of around 3,000 people move into Network Rail’s new national centre in Milton Keynes this summer. Moving so many people to a single location will save Network Rail tens of millions of pounds a year in office rental costs, helping cut the cost of the railway.

David Higgins, Network Rail chief executive, emphasised the supportive role of the new headquarters. ‘The national centre is at the heart of our plans to improve the way we work and will help deliver a better and more efficient railway for passengers and freight.

‘We’ll be bringing 3,000 people who play an integral part in the running of the railway into one location, complementing the changes we have already made to our business to bring us closer to our customers and more responsive to their needs.’

Power in Network Rail has been devolved to front line route directors with the organisation at MK providing strategic back up and guidance. ‘This is an exciting time for the rail industry. Over the next ten years, Britain’s rail traffic will increase by around a third, making ours the fastest growing railway in Europe.

The railway is vital to Britain’s future economic success, connecting commerce and communities across the country. Our people based in Milton Keynes will play an integral part in its transformation.’

Quadrant: MK

The new building sits on the site of the former national hockey stadium. Although many of the 3,000 people moving to the Quadrant: MK are existing employees relocating to the area Network Rail is recruiting 700 more staff locally. The rail industry will bring both modernity and tradition to the city.

When the London and Birmingham Railway was originally opened back in 1838 the mid way point was deemed to be Wolverton – at the time a small village – now a northern part of the new city.

In an era of corridor-less trains, passengers needed to get out and in railway parlance take a personal needs break. Engines had to be attended to and a sizeable depot grew up at Wolverton. The tight curve on the main line is still notorious among drivers.

Although much reduced the Railcare depot survives to this day and is the home of the Royal Train. The reason it looks so smart is in large part down to the skill of staff at Wolverton.

By contrast with Wolverton and its Royal Train a more infamous chapter in railway history played out down the line south of Milton Keynes at Bridego Bridge a mile out of Leighton Buzzard.

On Thursday 8th August 1963 robbers held up the south bound Glasgow mail and made off with £2.4 million. Ronnie Biggs, the getaway driver, later escaped prison and became notorious. The train itself had stopped at Bletchley station to take on more mail.

Driver Bill Green recalls talking to Jack Mills, the driver of the ill-fated mail train, who Green knew quite well. Later, arriving with his train at Leighton Buzzard, Bill decided, after consultation with a puzzled signalman, to walk forward along the track.

‘We could see the mail train carriages stopped on the up fast,’ said Bill who courageously rescued Jack Mills – bloodied and dazed – and raised the alarm.

Bletchley remains a busy commuter station. For many years the staff association club across the forecourt was a haven for railway workers as important in its way as the award winning TMD over the metals.

The Bedford-Bletchley line, now renamed the Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership, is the last surviving element of the Varsity Line which once linked Oxford and Cambridge. It never closed as local bus companies refused to commit to a paid for rail replacement service.

Happily plans are afoot to reopen the line down to Bicester through Verney Junction and Claydon. This will enable through services between Oxford and Bedford to operate once more.

As well as reopening traditional railway lines it is worth noting Buckinghamshire, from which Milton Keynes sprung, will play uneasy host to High Speed Two powering along a few miles west of the city.

Milton Keynes Central itself opened on 17th May 1982, an intercity station with direct connections to London Euston, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. Services via the West London line link MK with Croydon.

High quality railway staff

One final observation about the wisdom of moving to Milton Keynes has to be the high quality of railway staff locally. At MK Central they have proved unfailingly supportive and good humoured down the years.

One personal story bears this out. Years ago a taxi carrying a one time RailStaff reporter, Paula Sergeant, was involved in a car crash in Milton Keynes up on Midsummer Boulevard. I was in Crewe that day and alerted by mobile phone by the police.

Paula was unharmed but quite shaken up. All I could think of to do was call up a pal of mine at Milton Keynes Central. The police dropped Paula off at the station where ticket office staff took her in, sat her down and plied her with hot sweet tea.

They then put her on a train to Northampton where she lived. Her boyfriend hot footed it to Castle Station and took her home. Staff at MK didn’t have to do this but Paula was, however tenuously, a part of the railway family and they put themselves out for her that day.

I have never forgotten their kindness. Taken together with convivial evenings with Bill and Delia Green – herself a feature writer for RailStaff – at Bletchley BRSA and the decision by Network Rail to relocate to a place redolent with railway values, courage, tradition and expertise seems inspired indeed.

Personal touch

The onus of railway safety is ultimately on the individual and it means personal knowledge and personal responsibility.

Pass all the laws and guidelines you like, safety comes down to human error. How well the person on the spot understands what he or she is doing and how far he or she owns the plan, the place and the system of work is integral to personal track safety.

The safety message from the industry is clear. You, the individual, have a duty of care to yourself and those you work with. It is important that all understand what is being proposed. What it is that is being asked of staff?

The message from safety experts is simple: If you don’t understand or think it unsafe then say so. New railway safety campaigns re-assert the concept of personal responsibility. Never undertake any activity unless you know you are competent, have been trained and briefed and understand what is involved.

Don’t take short cuts just to get the job done. Feed such knowledge upwards for another time – make a contribution. There is no knowledge like first hand knowledge.

Ultimately railway organisations bear daunting responsibility for moving thousands of people in safety and comfort every day. That they are able to do so with what is an enviable industrial safety record, is in no small way down to the ownership of safety at work by the people delivering the industry. Front line staff deserve every support and encouragement as they strive to keep the railway safe.

 

Current approach will never achieve the zero in safety we all seek

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Written by Colin Wheeler

On April 23rd Steve Hails became the new Health and Safety Director for Crossrail. In line with most of our railway industry, Crossrail’s aim is to prevent accidents happening. I have no difficulty in supporting this principle.

The Press Release however refers to their “target zero philosophy as driving every action undertaken by Crossrail staff and our delivery partners”. The use of the word drives hints at a misunderstanding of people and their motivations. I hope it came from their public affairs department not Steve Hails.

Leading by example

The old adage “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink” is true when applied to creating a safety culture. To encourage people at work to work safely and be passionate about it, for both their own safety and that of those working alongside them is an excellent goal. But leading by example and showing commitment are how it can be achieved; not coercion.

I believe that similar statements are also true when it comes to managing and motivating people to get things done at work generally. Management through fear or by threat is unsustainable and generally ineffective.

Beware of safety statistics

I have seen many variations on the signage of contractor’s working on large road schemes. “1,750,000 safe hours worked on the site” is one I spotted recently. The pressure such a well-publicised slogan puts onto those working there must be huge. Rather than encouraging safe working I suggest it is likely to encourage under-reporting and the concealment of minor accidents and near misses.

Many now realise the importance and value of reporting near misses and indeed all incidents which could have become accidents. Proclaiming achievements in terms of safety can be counterproductive. Presenting awards for safety statistical achievements is surely always likely to promote the hiding of any incident on the day before the award is to be made?

Network Rail safety initiatives

Recalling the comments made by Network Rail’s Gareth Llewellyn of Network Rail that I reported last month, I am still looking forward to reading what I hope will be a small number of easily understood and evidently sensible “Life Saving Rules” within our mainline infrastructure owning organisation.

I note from the details on their safety website that Network Rail’s Project Safety Leadership Group are now addressing the issues of double shifting, electrical isolation safety issues, workforce safety reporting of near misses and close calls, and the restoration of Task Briefing sheets back to where they began as single page briefing aides memoire rather than cover-all method statements running to many pages.

However, I am concerned that even they are looking to mandate every company they use to have a close call reporting system within six months. This last initiative will produce close call reports. But the mandating could well lead to individuals being told to ensure reports are generated which will alienate the workforce I suggest! Indeed it is not beyond the realm of possibility that some may even invent close calls so as to comply with Network Rail’s mandate!

I am delighted to see that the task of rationalising the number of Sentinel accredited competences has at last begun. That is one initiative which should save money, improve safety, and even go some way in convincing those who do the work that their skills are appreciated.

RAIB reports

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has published a number of reports since last month and issued a couple of accident investigation alerts. The report on the incident at Kings Cross Station on October 10th last year illustrates the sort of incident which, although only minor injuries resulted could easily have had a serious outcome.

A passenger rushing to board a train due to depart got a hand trapped in the closing doors and was pulled someway along the platform. Luckily she merely suffered bruising to the fingers of her left hand. The train was made up of two 8-coach Class 365 EMU’s under driver-only operation.

The report suggests that the design of the door seals should be reviewed.  In my opinion more significantly the report adds that “dispatch staff had adopted the practice of using their experience and observation of passenger behaviour to determine whether it was appropriate to give the Right Away.”

If the dispatch staff were adequately trained and their managers and supervisors had created a good open management and safety culture would the potential for this incident not have been realised before it happened?

Three hours without toilets or air conditioning

Another case in point was the incident that occurred on 26th May last year. The RAIB report was released on May 23rd. A Brighton to Bedford train suffered a loss of power and came to a halt. The public address system failed after around 45 minutes and during the three hours it took to rescue the train the air conditioning ceased to function and the toilets stopped working.

Not surprisingly, if unwisely some passengers decided to force the doors open. Eventually it was hauled into Kentish Town Station. Unusually the RAIB used YouTube, Facebook and Twitter images in their investigation. The concerns of the report centre on poor communication with the passengers, the inadequacy of the training and briefing of the staff and the arrangements for rescuing a train with no power.

Again I suggest the right open attitude of trust between workers and their managers should have resulted in adequate training and the use of understanding and initiative to deal with the situation.

Tram safety in Europe

Manchester Metorolink trams have been running through Manchester city streets and around Piccadilly Gardens since July 1992, as I remember having been the railway civil engineer in Manchester when its first phase was constructed.

The RAIB report into the fatality of a 67-year-old pedestrian who fell whilst running into the path of a tram travelling at just 9 mph. He became trapped under the front of the leading vehicle and subsequently died of his injuries.

The report calls for research into the front ends of trams and the potential for causing injury of the current designs of under-run protectors.  I am surprised that it does not also recommend a full review of the designs used across the European mainland with particular reference to those countries which have enjoyed the uninterrupted use of trams since they first began to replace horse drawn vehicles.

Train guard fatally injured in Yorkshire

Another fatal accident occurred at about ten past noon on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on May 21st. The 60 or so year old volunteer guard had uncoupled one coach from a rake of coaches stabled in the platform.

It was being drawn off by a steam locomotive when the locomotive unexpectedly changed direction and moved back towards the remaining rake of coaches crushing the guard.

The preliminary investigation report from the RAIB says that the ex-Southern Region Class S15 locomotive was working tender first but “the reverser could change from reverse into forward gear unless it was prevented from doing so by the operation of a locking device. Should the reverser not be secured in any position, any change may not be noticed by the driver and in these circumstances, would only become evident on opening the regulator, when a change of direction would occur”.

Cyclist killed on user bridleway crossing

Also in May a fatal accident occurred on Wednesday May 2nd at Kings Mill Number 1 Bridleway Crossing Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

The 1555 hours passenger train from Nottingham to Mansfield Woodhouse struck and killed the 34-year old male cyclist as he was cycling over this user operated crossing.

The railway is two- track and runs close to both housing and industrial estates. The crossing is equipped with signage including “cyclists dismount”, telephones and self-closing gates according to the preliminary alert from the RAIB.

Are we wrong not to identify blame?

The common theme behind all of these reports from RAIB (and indeed the views I have expressed about motivation for those who work in our rail industry) is the importance of recognising the fallibility and potential for making mistakes which we all share as human beings.

The remit of the RAIB clearly excludes establishing blame or liability. That is the business of the Office of Rail Regulation, the Police etc. But if we are to learn from the mistakes that are made and indeed share that learning across the industry then highlighting the details of blame, liability or indeed simply flagging up where and by whom errors of judgement contributed needs to be done.

I believe that being briefed on the circumstances that led to accidents and incidents makes situations seem more real to those at work. We are all then more likely to remember the details when faced with similar situations. A bland instruction, however strongly worded does not have the same impact.

One of the values of the old style report issued by Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate each year was that it did just that and used the details of significant safety events to set out concerns and lessons to be learnt for the future.

I question whether there is any publication today which does so; but the need is surely still there?

Bridgeway Consulting – Leading by example

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Bridgeway Consulting Ltd is supporting the Rail Safety Person of the Year at the RailStaff Awards 2012.

With safety at the forefront of all operations Bridgeway Consulting has always aimed to provide a safe, effective and professional service to its clients.

A proactive approach is underpinned by a detailed director-led management process that utilises a number of methods to ensure safety is always a priority. With extensive engineering expertise Bridgeway Consulting provides a dynamic and innovative service, and is equipped to undertake small or large tasks efficiently, professionally and most important of all, safely. This approach continues to provide Bridgeway Consulting’s clients with peace of mind when they engage with them on key projects.

Bridgeway Consulting supports a proactive and positive safety & behaviour culture within the rail industry and believes that the Railstaff Awards – Rail Safety Person of the Year category is important for the industry as it rewards those who lead by example.

Says Steve Diksa, Assurance Services Director, ‘Developing a culture in which the workforce prioritises safety can be difficult but it is nonetheless still achievable.  The Railstaff Awards rewards those who stand up and encourage good practice in the rail industry and we are delighted to support this as well.’

Bridgeway Consulting’s diverse portfolio of services enables their clients to use them for all their project needs in a one stop shop manner. Some of their key services include:

•         Assurance and Compliance Services
•         Permanent Way Engineering
•         Site & Ground Investigation
•         Surveying & Monitoring
•         Structural Examination
•         Railway Access & Possession Planning
•         Safety Critical Personnel
•         AC Isolation Services
•         On-site Security
•         Rail Training and Assessments

Pino De Rosa – Bridgeway Consulting’s managing director,  says, ‘Our range of services highlights our diversity and also our ability to provide a managed service to our client. Our belief is that we will be able to offer both cost and time savings to Network Rail and their suppliers as they continue to find ways to deliver better value for money.’

Key points to remember about Bridgeway Consulting:

•         Network Rail Principal Contractor license holder
•         Sound safety record on operational railway infrastructure
•         National provider
•         Exemplary reputation for delivery
•         Continuous striving for improvement
•         Highly experienced and motivated staff
•         Team approach to ensuring value for money solutions
•         Commitment to timescales and client objectives
•         Accountability and transparency in client relationships

Future of Sustainable Design

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David Biggs, director of property at Network Rail, delighted delegates at the Future of Sustainable Design conference with details of retail outlets on stations out performing recession-struck high street shops.

‘It’s retail on the way, not in the way,’ says Biggs. For several years now Network Rail Property has been hard at work unlocking the commercial potential of the industry’s railway stations. People like to shop as they travel to and from work and the huge footfall at stations is generating great business opportunities.

Property values rise

Importantly railway stations are now seen as generators of net wealth, health and jobs. Develop the station and see property values rise and local economics flourish.

The secret is community involvement and a sense of ownership best illustrated by the Junction Health Centre project, under the arches at Clapham Junction Station. The new heath centre was opened last year by local MP Jane Ellison and is proving a great success. The new health centre is still owned by Network Rail.

Continuing the theme of community responsibly, Crossrail is paying particular attention to the areas contiguous to new stations. Stuart Croucher of Crossrail described how new stations on Crossrail will enhance the urban area they served.

Croucher genially described the thinking of what he calls the men in flowery shirts and how they came up with stunning plans for Farringdon Station. The historic station is being given a massive upgrade to preserve its heritage and provide space for new Thameslink and Crossrail services that will make it one of London’s newest transport hubs.

Access for All Programme

Geoff Hobbs of TfL stressed London’s reliance on railways, never better illustrated than in this the year of the London Olympics. Stations are being deep cleaned, refurbished and improved under the Access for All Programme. Feras Alshaker of Southern and Paul Beaty-Pownall of BPR Architects Ltd stressed the need to work with the community, asking local people what else they want for their local stations.

The conference threw new light on the reasons behind Britain’s success at developing new and old railway stations. What is becoming increasingly clear is the importance of a transport hub as much more than simply a departure and arrival matrix.

Great commercial value

Often situated in town and city centres,  at the heart of the communities they serve, railway stations represent great commercial value as well as an opportunity to display the social responsibility and community involvement for which the railway industry is already famed.

The Future of Sustainable Design was held at the Excel Centre in London and organised by Murray Media.

Rail welcome for Olympic torch

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Railway staff played a lead role in carrying the Olympic torch around Britain.

FirstGroup’s Engineering Director, Clive Burrows, carried the Olympic torch in Chippenham, Wiltshire.

‘To be involved in such an important and historic event was an honour and a privilege. The occasion was magnificent and one that I will savour and reflect upon with pride for the rest of my life,’ said the noted charity fundraiser, Clive.

‘I find working with charities exceptionally enjoyable and rewarding.’

The torch travelled along the Severn Valley Railway and was carried on the train from Bewdley to Kidderminster by 43-year-old Christopher Stokes from Kidderminster.

Station manager for Staines and Windsor Frank Roberts, who has worked for South West Trains for five years, carried the torch at his home town of Swanage in Dorset.

A former soldier and keen fundraiser, Frank Roberts has raised £100,000 for charity over the years. Mortlake station clerical officer Daniel Opoku, SWT, ran with the torch at Erith.

The flame travelled in a miner’s lantern on the Snowdon Mountain Railway and was carried to the summit by Sir Chris Bonnington.

Green light for York Ops Centre

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City authorities in York have agreed Network Rail’s plan to build a new rail operating centre and workforce development school close to York station.

Says Phil Verster, Route Managing Director, ‘This decision is great news for York and the railway. These operating and training facilities will allow us to deliver a modern, efficient railway while at the same time maintaining York’s position as a proud rail city.

‘The centres will retain jobs in the city and, over time, see all of our rail operations for the LNE route consolidated on this site.

The operating centre is the largest of just 14 proposed centres across Britain and will bring the expertise and technology we need to operate the route into a single location.

Meanwhile the investment in modern training facilities will make sure our rail employees remain among the best in the world.’

The land identified for development is known as the engineer’s triangle and lies between York station and Holgate bridge.

Perception of power in recruitment

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Employers are increasing the time they take to decide on who to hire.

At the same time, top grade candidates are realising they have many advantages in an era of skill shortage. An unprecedented demand for graduates means these are testing times for companies needing to fill vacancies. Engineering and rail recruitment specialist ATA’s Managing Director Scott Bulloch explains how some rail clients are underestimating the potential power of quality candidates.

Skills gap in engineering

‘Everyone is aware that there is a skills gap in engineering. In many organisations key skilled labour is rapidly approaching retirement age,’ says Scott. To compensate, organisations seek talented and experienced personnel. The rail industry is no exception.

‘With so many engineering companies forced to close or shed staff during the recession, surely we should have an abundance of available talent for employers to recruit from?’ says Scott. The situation is not as straightforward as many believe. Recruitment agencies trying to get this talent back into work have identified new challenges.

First is the trend that sees some employers taking much longer to decide to offer the job to the candidate. It sounds simple but ATA notes that employers hold off for that ‘perfect’ candidate.

Unwilling to compromise on skill or level of experience, a number of employers were either unwilling or too under resourced to commit the time and money to training people – deciding instead that they would rather just manage with the resource they had until the ideal candidate comes their way.

This indecisive behaviour coincides with a shift of power in the industry and the emergence of a second trend. Top quality candidates now realise that, in an under-resourced market, they have a greater amount of control when it comes to choosing who they work for.

Pick and choose

‘Historically candidates would focus on perhaps one, maybe two roles and await the outcome of those,’ says Scott. ‘However, we have started to note that good candidates realise they are sought after. We are finding that candidates don’t simply rely on one or two vacancies, they have several opportunities open to them at once and when they are ready, they are in a position to pick and choose their employer of choice.

‘This is great for our candidates but it conflicts with the hesitant trend of employers and can mean that by the time they have made their mind up to recruit an individual, he or she has already decided on an alternative role.

‘There are also still high levels of uncertainty within UK engineering and many candidates need to be incentivised to move. This can be in the form of packages but it is also important that candidates see true potential and a secure future with employees.

‘This means that employers also need to try that much harder to promote themselves as an employer of choice and if they use an agency to recruit then they must be confident that the agency is presenting their brand in a favourable and true light.’

A recruitment partner that will truly understand their needs

So with such differing trends, what is the advice for employers and candidates? Scott recommends: ‘Employers and candidates should work with a recruitment partner that will truly understand their needs. At ATA we provide a consultative approach, listening to what our clients require and because we are experts in the market place we can advise them on the realistic nature of their expectations and develop a recruitment methodology that will deliver what they need, first time.

‘For candidates it is important that they also dedicate some time to working with their recruitment agency to identify what is truly important to them. At ATA we manage the application process thoroughly, so that candidates have realistic expectations in terms of packages and the types of organisations that we work with from the outset.

‘There is no point in wasting a client or candidate’s time in the first instance if they aren’t a true match. It is this approach that delivers our success ratio average of 1:3 candidates employed from the interview process with the client.’