Many rail businesses are missing out on a customer base worth almost £250 million by not catering for disabled passengers’ needs.
That is the message from the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Sarah Newton who has appointment Stephen Brookes MBE to champion the cause of the more than 13 million disabled people in the country.
Stephen, a member of Rail Delivery Group’s governance group and non-executive director of Blackpool Transport, will use his influence in the industry to promote the benefits of being inclusive to disabled passengers.
Last year he created disability access groups for Northern Rail and TransPennine Express and is now working with Virgin Trains and Transport Scotland.
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Sarah Newton, said: “Additional support is already available, such as the Disabled Persons Railcard, but we know there is more to do to.
“By showing businesses in the rail sector the importance of making disabled customers a priority, our new rail champion will help to ensure disabled people can have a better quality of experience when travelling by train.”
To quote John F Kennedy: “We stand today on the edge of a new frontier – a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils – a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats.”
That might seem a little dramatic for your average employer, but when it comes to the new world of employer/employee relations, it is highly relevant.
Brought about by a mixture of skills shortages, increased pressure on productivity, and millennials having a very different view on the concept of employment than their predecessors, companies are being forced to look at their role in supporting and engaging their workforce in a new light.
According to talent services specialists Ford & Stanley, it is a world filled with opportunity for the brave and ambitious, but one not without risk.
“There is a significant shortage of skilled people at every level and the hard reality is that people with in-demand skills will choose to ply their trade with the employer they feel the most engaged with,” said Andy Duncan, head of GENIUS Performance Coaching.
“I work with a diverse portfolio of clients and whether it’s a Premier League striker living a champagne lifestyle, or a shop floor fitter trying to put food on the table for their family, the underlying issues that impact their engagement and performance are exactly the same.
“Personal circumstances, traumatic events, debilitating beliefs and habits that keep people from fulfilling their true potential do not have barriers in terms of job titles. Whatever you do, whether you like it or not, you bring your wphole self to work, and that might mean things that you have felt troubled by for 15 minutes or 20 years. You can’t just leave them at the door.
“Helping people with these things is the type of engagement employees are looking for.”
Interest in GENIUS Performance Coaching has intensified in recent times, in line with increased publicity on the impact of mental health issues on industry and commerce. It brings with it, according to Duncan, both opportunity and threat; employers want to act but risk being blinded in a blizzard of available solutions.
“The publicity surrounding the impact of mental health issues is a good thing because it is now firmly on the agenda of all responsible organisations. With that, however, comes the inevitable feeding frenzy of people wanting to push their ideas forward as the ‘silver bullet’ solution,” he said.
“I don’t count Ford & Stanley as being in that space because we believe that there is merit in all sorts of approaches – the key is understanding which apply where.”
Working on highly personalised one-to-one sessions – normally four, one-hour-long sessions – is enough, said Duncan – the GENIUS approach is about encouraging employees to look forward to where they are happiest, more fulfilled and therefore most productive at work.
Unlike traditional therapy or CBT, there is no reliving the trauma, said Duncan, or “irrelevant” assumptions, boundaries or parameters to “shoe-horn” the employee into. “Our starting point is ‘where do you want to be’ and we take it from there.”
Deeper approach
GENIUS coaching is the distillation of Duncan’s life experiences, lessons and professional skills. These include neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Ericksonian hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, performance coaching and mentoring.
Ford & Stanley Group’s chairman, Peter Schofield , said there is a huge competitive advantage to be gained for those organisations who take a deeper approach to the issue of individual performance improvement, and believes that the rail sector can learn a lot from the way in which its GENIUS Performance Coaching team works with its sports clients.
“When we first work with a football club, we work with the management team to assess their perception of individual player engagement, and with the player himself. We work with that individual for a period of time on any issue that’s preventing them from being at the peak of their A-game and always, without fail, see an improvement,” he said.
“Within minutes of the final whistle, the manager can correlate improvement in player engagement with improvement on the pitch – proving that employee engagement works.
“Industries which lack measurement criteria for employee engagement often ultimately solicit the same response from those with their hands on the purse strings: ‘so what?’.
“It’s worth remembering that old adage ‘measure what’s important – and if you don’t yet measure it then find a way’.”
On-boarding
Running alongside GENIUS Performance Coaching is GENIUS OnBoard, where performance experts work with a candidate through the often-stressful resignation process, notice period and then the first 100 days of their new employment, ensuring they are settled, motivated and performing at their peak.
“When someone is considering a new role, there is pressure everywhere; from the current employer, the new employer, a sense of loyalty within yourself. It’s hard to know what’s for the best,” said Duncan.
“The objective support and advice we give has proved incredibly successful, as has the help in the first period of new employment as clients get settled, as invariably there is a wobble or two.”
Some of the first British Transport Police (BTP) officers who responded to the Manchester Arena bombing are warming up for a fundraising charity football match against the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS).
The game is to be played at the Manchester Regional Arena, which neighbours Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, on Sunday, March 11.
Money raised will go to the Manchester Emergency Fund, which was set up by the British Red Cross, and also MIND and COPS, in support of staff affected by the traumatic scenes on 22 May, 2017.
The event is the branchild of PC Owens. He said: “The idea first came up in the changing rooms. We play football regularly as a team anyway and it’s a great way of getting together and talking about things you might otherwise not.
“We thought it would be therapeutic to do something with our NWAS colleagues, who were also there on the night, and raise money for the victims and survivors at the same time.”
Kick off is at 1pm. For tickets (£3 adults, £2 children, £10 – 2 adults and up to 4 children), email [email protected].
Last year more than £3,000 was raised in support of victims of terror at a charity rugby match held between a combined BTP and Metropolitan Police team and the Railway Barbarians at the RailSport Games.
Dr Dan Hegarty, CEO of Express Medicals, explains the dangers of silica dust and the importance of early testing
The railway industry is becoming increasingly aware of the dangers to workers caused by the silica particles contained within ballast dust. It is a national concern, with silica dust-related lung cancer killing around 800 people each year.
It is a threat to health that some have likened to the danger from asbestos – and employers have reacted responsibly to avert a similar long-term health catastrophe. Last year, the RailStaff Awards’ health and safety category was won by one contractor’s far-reaching silica dust awareness campaign.
Workers inhale silica dust when handling ballast, or when they drill into concrete, bricks or tiles. It’s a real risk in many common construction tasks.
Now rail companies are working closely with occupational health providers, ensuring their testing includes specific silica tests to maintain a high level of commitment to staff safety.
Express Medicals CEO Dr Dan Hegarty.
Silica tests
Express Medicals Ltd tests for silicosis and related conditions at clinics throughout the UK, and is seeing an increase in customer requests.
“Testing for silicosis is an important feature of railway medicals and we work closely with a number of companies to ensure workers are silica free, or to find out if they should receive early intervention and treatment if we find they’ve been exposed to levels that might cause harm,” explains Dr Dan Hegarty, chief executive of Express Medicals.
“We anticipate a significant rise in the number of these medicals throughout 2018 as awareness of the various diseases caused by dust-borne particles continues to be of concern.
“It’s vital to test early, to help prevent the onset of silicosis.”
Silicosis is a serious lung disease which can affect any workers who breathe in silica dust. In most cases the condition develops over a long period of time. However, if a large amount of silica is inhaled over a short period of time, for example a few months, then it is possible to suffer from a rapid onset acute form of silicosis. Sufferers usually present with a cough and increasing breathing difficulties upon exercise.
There is an increased incidence of some other medical problems in people diagnosed with silicosis including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) which also causes breathing difficulties; RA (rheumatoid arthritis); TB (tuberculosis) and lung cancer. HSE has produced a guidance leaflet ‘G404. Health surveillance for those exposed to respirable crystalline silica (RCS)’.
The role of correct PPE, including well-fitting face masks, is paramount. A good occupational health (OH) provider will also help employers ensure they’re meeting their requirements under the COSHH Regulations 2002 by contributing to briefing sessions to advise on occupational lung diseases, including silicosis.
Four point process
Express Medicals has created a four-point process to assist managers. You should consider:
How best to educate your workers about the risks from silica;
Who to include in your health surveillance programme;
Who to appoint as the responsible person to organise and oversee the programme;
The appointment of an OH provider.
The OH provider will act as a significant advisory partner to your health and safety staff and the management team. Its services will include questionnaires, medical examinations, chest X-rays (when appropriate) and liaison with GPs / other health professionals.
The role of an OH provider in relation to silicosis falls within the much wider remit of health and wellbeing, and health surveillance. The benefits of providing health and wellbeing services are increasingly recognised by employers because, in helping to protect the health of a workforce, such services positively affect morale, retention and performance. A workforce that is cared for will be more motivated, more efficient and will likely boost company performance.
A good OH provider will provide valuable up-to-date information to your health and safety staff and management team. They are essential partners in developing effective health and wellbeing programmes, to ensure staff are motivated and efficient.
An Elizabeth line train has been driven through the new tunnels underneath London for the first time.
The start of testing marks a major milestone for the megaproject and comes as construction reaches its final stages.
The first Bombardier Aventra to be driven through the tunnels departed from Abbey Wood. It entered the new tunnels at Plumstead Portal and travelled under the Thames heading for Connaught Tunnel before returning to Abbey Wood station.
Testing of the railway and signalling infrastructure will now begin to ensure services are safe and reliable for the opening in December. This is the first of hundreds of test runs that will take place throughout the year.
Earlier this month Crossrail activated the 25kV overhead lines in a section of the tunnels beneath the streets of London, which ensured this first journey could take place.
One train will initially be used for testing in the tunnels before more are gradually introduced.
Crossrail CEO Andrew Wolstenholme said: “The start of infrastructure testing is a major milestone moment. It’s testament to the men and women who have, and continue to, work tirelessly on the project that we are now welcoming the first Elizabeth line train that’s powered by the new overhead lines, into the tunnels.
“The Crossrail programme is now over 90% complete and this heralds the start of our works to bring together the new stations, track, power, signalling and trains ahead of the Elizabeth line opening in December.”
Global Rail Construction Limited (GRCL) has opened an office in Derby to head up its new labour supply arm.
The new office will be used to meet external client demands for labour, including safety critical personnel, as well as supporting GRCL’s own current and future rail projects in the Midlands and the North.
The company has assembled an experienced and committed management team to run this new labour division.
GRCL said the new business arm is well placed to support the company’s work on some of the UK’s biggest rail infrastructure projects.
GRCL holds a full principal contractors licence and is a leading UK provider of design and build services to clients in the rail and transportation sector.
With its head office in Hertfordshire, the company undertakes projects throughout the UK; the opening of the new midlands hub, on 3 April 2017, allows project managers direct coverage of contracts across this region of the country.
It is also a milestone for the company due to the city of Derby’s significance to the rail industry.
The Roundhouse at Derby is the world’s first and oldest surviving railway roundhouse. It was originally developed in 1839 by four rival rail companies, including North Midland Railway (NMR) for whom George Stephenson and his son Robert were engineers.
The Midland Railway became one of the country’s prominent railway companies with lines throughout Derbyshire, up to Carlisle in the North (including the country’s highest station at Dent) and to the south with its London terminus at spectacular St Pancras.
From 1873, the Midland Railway Locomotive Works, known locally as “The Loco”, became a major manufacturer of locomotives and rolling stock units.
When the railways were nationalised in 1947, the Derby works became part of the BR Workshops. GRCL’s new office in Derby is a signal of its growth and success across its rail infrastructure sectors of operation, which encompass civil and structural engineering, E&P, signalling and building works – as well as its new labour supply arm.
The company has a strong track record of achievements across the country, including in the Midlands where GRCL helped deliver the East Notts Resignalling project, which was completed at the end of 2016.
Tony Kearns, formerly strategy and operations director at WSP, has joined SYSTRA, taking on the dual role of operations director for its Northern Europe region and UK Engineering.
Tony brings more than 25 years of experience to his new role at SYSTRA, which will see him delivering on key projects such as HS2 and Crossrail, Scandinavian light rail transit (LRT) projects and the Danish national electrification programme.
Starting his career at British Rail in 1992, Tony went on to set up his own rail engineering business which he successfully sold after 12 years.
Tony joins SYSTRA from WSP where he worked for almost five years, first as strategy and operations director, Rail, Transit & Aviation with Parsons Brinckerhoff and then, following its acquisition by WSP, as operations director, Rail & Transit.
Prior to this, he was at AECOM for almost three years, first as heavy rail sector director, Transportation, then as deputy rail sector director, Transportation.
“I always enjoyed transport projects and their unique challenges,” said Tony. “But the opportunity at SYSTRA made me specifically think: that’s the position I really want to be in, so that’s my next step. As well as SYSTRA having a fantastic reputation for technical excellence, it has a robust strategy for growth that really appealed to me.”
Tony has spent his first few weeks travelling between SYSTRA’s international offices as he gets to grips with the company’s range of projects and capabilities.
He describes the breadth and depth of expertise that SYSTRA possesses, along with its engineering footprint, technical strength and understanding of resource management as “highly impressive”.
As well as leading a number of areas, including operations, technical and engineering, project controls, project staffing, and health, safety and security, a crucial part of Tony’s role is resource management across the Northern Europe region.
In the UK, his remit will be to grow SYSTRA’s comprehensive engineering capability to support the delivery of its projects and promote knowledge transfer to the UK of new competences in the field of high-speed rail and rail systems.
SYSTRA’s strategic ambition is to accelerate growth in Northern Europe.
Having run and grown his own business, Tony is excited by the challenge in operational delivery that comes with the drive to expand.
“It’s about our people and their expertise,” he said. “I want to develop our technical specialists and make sure our clients reap the benefits of their capabilities.”
Tony is optimistic about the transport sector as a whole. “Governments across Europe are investing in seamless journeys. Getting from A to B typically involves several modes of transport, such as walking, cycling or driving to the train station. It is essential to plan for and provide the type of connected journeys that consumers want. Investment in new transport technology is vital for economic prosperity across and between nations.”
The UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) – a collaboration between the rail industry and eight universities – has been formally launched.
Working in partnership, the universities will create four new Centres of Excellence encompassing rolling stock, infrastructure, digital systems and testing.
The aim is to work with industry to develop new innovative solutions for the railway’s future challenges both in the UK and overseas and radically increase the country’s rail productivity and performance.
UKRRIN has been established following a successful £28m bid to the Higher Education Funding Council and has been backed by commitment from the rail industry to invest more than £60m in research, development and innovation activities at these centres over the next 10 years.
Rail minister Jo Johnson said: “We are investing in the biggest modernisation programme of our railways since Victorian times, delivering what passengers want – more frequent trains and quicker and more comfortable journeys.
“In doing so, we are utilising a range of new technologies across the network and Britain is now at the cutting edge of digital signalling, high speed transport and railway infrastructure.
“New centres of excellence, bringing together experts, universities and the wider rail industry will be essential in achieving our ambition to get all diesel-only trains off the track by 2040 as well as delivering the advanced railway network that passengers deserve.”
Professor Clive Roberts, director of the Birmingham Centre for Rail Research and Education at the University of Birmingham, added: “UKRRIN gives universities and rail industry partners the opportunity to shape the global future of railways.
“This launch is the official beginning of an innovative partnership, and we look forward to reinforcing the UK as the world-leading centre of rail innovation.”
Southampton University will lead the Centre of Excellence in Infrastructure, Birmingham University the Digital Systems Centre, Huddersfield University the Rolling Stock Centre and Network Rail and its Rail Innovation & Development Centres will lead on testing.
International children’s charity Railway Children has launched a new fundraiser for 2018 – the Great Rail Bike Off.
The 100 mile sportive, which is being organised in association with the Young Rail Professionals (YRP), will begin in Twickenham, pass by key railway towns and hubs and finish at Network Rail’s Westwood Development Centre in Coventry.
Railway Children said: “As well as taking on a stunning and very challenging ride, through your fundraising efforts you are also doing something really special to support children living on the streets.
“We will give you lots of help and support with your fundraising. Raise more than £500 and we will send you a yellow jersey to wear with pride.”
Solo riders, team players or relay teams are welcomed, and the individual and team that raises the most money will win the Great Rail Bike Off trophy.
Porterbrook is the event’s headline sponsor. Product development director Zena Dent said: “We are delighted to be headline sponsor of this exciting new cycling event which will be open to all abilities and we look forward to entering a team.
“Railway Children have a reputation of hosting well-organised events and we are proud to be associated with this exciting opportunity to help raise funds for the thousands of vulnerable children living on the streets.”
Tickets cost £35 for individuals, with a minimum sponsorship of £100, and £30 for relay teams, with a minimum sponsorship of £75.
Midland Metro has been unable to find a buyer for its original fleet of trams after putting them up for sale.
Thirteen of the Ansaldo 69 trams will now be sold for £12,000 for scrap in a move that has been described as “the best return for the council tax payer” – but two have been saved.
The two survivors are Tram 11, which was repainted in the old Birmingham Corporation colours in 2013 to mark the 60th anniversary of the final tram running in the city and will go to Birmingham Museum, and Tram 7, which has been donated to UK Tram, the British tram industry body.
Tram 11 is named after councillor Theresa Stewart, who was a member of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority and played a leading role in persuading the government of the early 1990s to give the go-ahead for the Midland Metro line.
She said: “I remember very well the meetings in parliament and the campaign to get permission to open the Metro so I am glad that one of the original trams is to be kept for posterity, they are an important part of the story of public transport in this region.
“When you look at the success of the Midland Metro today it just shows how the campaign to bring back trams was right.”
The T69 trams were introduced when the Midland Metro line opened between Birmingham Snow Hill station and Wolverhampton city centre in 1998.
However they were phased out following the introduction in 2014 of the Urbos 3 trams now in use on the network, and have been in storage at a depot in Long Marston, Warwickshire, ever since.
Greater Anglia has released images of its new Aventra fleet coming together at Bombardier’s factory in Derby.
Full assembly of 111 brand new trains is due to start as part of a £1.4 billion investment in new trains for the Greater Anglia route.
Bombardier is supplying a total of 665 new carriages to Greater Anglia: 22 10-car trains and 89 five-car trains.
The first trains of the Aventra fleet will enter service in 2019, operating commuter services into London Liverpool Street from Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.
GreaterAnglia’s managing director, Jamie Burles, said: “It’s so exciting to see the new trains beginning to take shape. These are a vital part of the transformation of the railway in East Anglia.
“It’s really possible now to imagine the huge difference these trains will make to our customers , making their journeys much more comfortable.”
RAIB investigators are asking for witnesses to come forward after an elderly woman was dragged into a London Underground tunnel when her bag became trapped in the train’s doors.
The 78-year-old woman was left seriously injured following the incident at Notting Hill Gate station on 31 January.
Despite efforts by passengers to free her bag from the doors, the woman was dragged along the westbound Central line platform and into the running tunnel.
Passengers on board the train sounded the emergency alarm and the train operator applied the brake. Six of the train’s eight carriages were in the running tunnel by the time the train came to a stop.
The woman was rescued from the underside of the train and the tunnel by emergency services.
The RAIB said its investigation will consider the following points:
the actions of the people involved
the process of checking whether it is safe for a train to depart, including the equipment provided to enable the train operator to do this
It is a well-documented, industry-wide issue and if it’s not tackled, the ramifications could be huge.
The engineering and higher-level skills gap needs no introduction. At the National College for High Speed Rail (NCHSR), technical recruitment agency Morson held a roundtable discussion with HS2 contractors to look at the challenges surrounding apprenticeships and training and the opportunities to learn from them.
Morson was joined by the likes of WSP, Mott MacDonald, BBV (Balfour Beatty Vinci), Bechtel, CEK (Carillion, Eiffage and Kier JV) and HS2 as well as representatives from organisations such as the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and NCHSR.
Future forecast
Keynote speaker Neil Robertson, chief executive of the National Skills Academy for Rail, outlined the challenges specifically for HS2. He said that, while there will be peaks and troughs for labour demand, the engineering skills that are needed during the latter stages of construction are not currently in the market.
Rail has historically been focused on Level 2 and 3 qualifications but it needs to take on more with Level 4 and 5 qualifications, according to Neil.
Brexit, Neil added, will make the situation even more difficult, with estimates putting the amount lost at up to 10 per cent of the construction sector’s workforce.
HS2 SEEs
To encourage the supply chain to step up, HS2 has set skills, employment and education (SEE) outcomes for all of its relevant procurement.
This includes hiring the unemployed, graduates, supporting apprenticeships and NCHSR, offering short-term work placements and rolling out school education programmes.
Although these outcomes differ from contractor to contractor, the professional services sector has struggled to place unemployed jobseekers because of the nature of their work. However, they have had great success with their apprenticeship programme – one of which had a higher retention rate than the graduate scheme.
“I think to address the skills gap, it had to be done,” said Morson operations director Adrian Adair, talking about HS2’s high SEE benchmarks.
“The only way you will meet the skills gap is if you are reaching into new areas such as people that are in a workless situation and by creating apprenticeships that wouldn’t have been created before – that all needed to be done.
“HS2 has come out and said ‘here’s the benchmark, here’s what you need to do.’”
Prompted by Neil Robertson, there was widespread agreement that to meet the skills gap, targeting the socially disadvantaged and diversifying the workforce must move from a ‘nice to do’ to a must do.
Challenging parents’ perceptions of apprenticeships – such as unhelpful views that they are second best to degrees – and perceptions of engineering, have helped to remove barriers and make the workplace more inclusive.
Targeting schools more effectively and earlier on was a keen strand of debate to changing perceptions of engineering from an earlier age. Delegates noted how long-term schemes such as mentoring should be favoured over box-ticking exercises such as presentations.
Social media campaigns and making use of alumnus networks were other strategies that had proved effective. ‘Gamification’ was discussed as an alternative tool for targeting youngsters.
Nevertheless, youngsters shouldn’t be the only demographic that the industry sets its sights on. Career development and career changers have a part to play to help bridge the skills gap.
Last year, the apprenticeship levy was introduced but there has been some confusion and underuse of the available funds. However, awareness needs to be raised that this pot of money can be used for upskilling and, from April this year, can be transferred into the supply chain to better address specific skills shortages.
A stark warning
Summarising the findings, Adrian Adair gave a stark warning to the room, stating that if the industry doesn’t tackle the skills gap, it will put the country’s major infrastructure projects in jeopardy.
An initiative to reduce plastic waste will see Network Rail install water fountains at some of the country’s biggest stations in 2018.
The scheme will begin with the trial installation of a new water fountain at London Charing Cross in March.
Lessons learnt from that trial will inform a full rollout of free drinking water facilities across all Network Rail’s managed stations later in the year with fountains installed where it is possible to do so.
Network Rail said that, as one of the country’s largest retail landlords, it hopes to encourage users to refill their own multiple-use water bottles to reduce the impact of plastic waste at its stations.
Network Rail managing director of property David Biggs said: “At Network Rail we put station users at the heart of everything we do and our managed stations are carefully designed to ensure that people can enjoy a great experience – whether they’re travelling, shopping, dining or socialising.
“By introducing free water fountains at our managed stations we can make a simple change that not only helps quench the thirst of station users, but also has a positive impact on our sustainability ambitions by reducing single-use plastics.
“We’re looking forward to the introduction of these water fountains and the benefits they will bring the public and the environment.”
Railway systems professor Clive Roberts, of the University of Birmingham, has joined HS2.
Clive will lead HS2’s digital connectivity workstream to maximise the benefits from the arrival of the high-speed rail to the West Midlands.
Responsible for delivering the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) HS2 Growth Strategy, the programme team aims to capitalise on the huge investment being made in the region by establishing the West Midlands as a world leader in train technology.
Professor Clive Roberts was identified as the ideal candidate based on his experience at the University of Birmingham, his role as director of the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education and lead for the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network.
Over the last 20 years he has developed a broad portfolio of research aimed at improving the performance of railway systems, working extensively with the railway industry in Britain and overseas.
As the chair of the Digital Connectivity workstream for the WMCA’s HS2 programme team, Clive will be responsible for setting a strategy for the Combined Authority; initiating and helping with activities that will help deliver the strategy; and monitoring achievements.
Clive said: “It is an honour and privilege to be involved in a project that will revolutionise rail travel in the UK.
“The technological requirements of high speed rail mean that to deliver the project there is a need for innovation and invention, as we build new processes and equipment to take the railway industry into the future.
“I am looking forward to bringing my experience and expertise to the project and working with the HS2 programme team.”
Craig Wakeman, HS2 Programme Manager, added: “The West Midlands has a unique opportunity to establish itself as the world leader in rail technology, and having an industry leader in this field as part of our team allows to establish a strong platform for future success.
“The Digital Connectivity workstream is another strand of the HS2 project that is transforming the economy in the region. It will provide a multitude of future employment opportunities in the rail and technology sectors, and we are working closely with education providers to ensure the West Midlands is producing the required talent to make this a success.
“Rail technology is just one of the many industry sectors that are already providing a wealth of opportunities for local businesses, as more and more contracts become available to create the vast supply chain required to deliver the programme, which will see the first trains enter service in 2026.”
Workwear specialist Ballyclare has donated a waterproof coverall to a tuba-playing entertainer who rides around the country riding a recumbent tricycle.
Jon Hodkin, stage name InnerTuba, approached the PPE provider to acquire something to keep him warm and dry on his travels.
“Combining my passions for cycling and playing the tuba allows me to visit schools and community halls, meet different people and put on presentations of tuba music,” explained Jon.
“That involves cycling in all kinds of weather, and when I saw the sort of protective weatherproof clothing that Ballyclare manufactures I knew it was exactly what I needed.”
Ballyclare regional sales manager Anne Marshall said the company was more than happy to help and they donated one of their GORE-TEX waterproof coveralls to keep him riding in all weather conditions.
She added: “Jon has been putting on the InnerTuba concerts since 2000, and he obviously brings a lot of pleasure to people. One of our GORE-TEX coveralls was the perfect solution to help keep him warm and dry on his travels.”
Working trackside can be a challenging existence. Long night shifts in miserable weather are written into the job description.
Dave Lee has spent most of his career on construction sites. For five years, he worked on the railway doing everything from extending platforms to installing signal bases.
“On the railway you’re going from one job to the next,” said Dave, who in 2008 considered taking his own life.
“I was driving round a roundabout on the way to work and I knew I couldn’t continue anymore,” said Dave.
It was the thought of his family at home that ultimately prevented Dave from driving his van into one of the roadside barriers and helped him onto the road to recovery.
Statistics show that men are more likely to take their own lives than women. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), more than three quarters of suicides are by men and suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 45.
According to figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), mental health issues and suicide are a particular challenge within the construction industry, with deaths from suicide believed to be 10 times higher than from workplace accidents.
Dave used drink and drugs to treat his own depression. His recovery only began when he attended Alcoholics Anonymous. “It was a journey,” said Dave, who went on to write a book about his experiences: ‘The Hairy Arsed Builder’s Guide To Stress Management’.
In 2017, Dave set up his own mental health consultancy, A Deeper Understanding, to help move the conversation around mental health on.
Dave said: “We’d rather talk about football and what happened at the weekend than having an open and frank conversation about what we’re feeling.”
The Mates in Mind charity was established in 2017. The organisation aims to raise awareness of mental health within the construction industry and promote a positive wellbeing culture within the industry.
Balfour Beatty was one of six construction companies to take part in a pilot programme led by the charity between February and June last year. Balfour Beatty aims to roll the programme out across its entire business by 2020.
Mark Bullock, managing director for Balfour Beatty’s rail business, wants to see mental health training implemented across the rail division by the end of this year. Targets include having one mental health first aider for every 40 employees, one person with MIND training per 10 employees and for every employee to have undertaken Start the Conversation training.
Talking about Balfour Beatty’s work with Mates in Mind, Heather Bryant, health, safety, environment and sustainability director, said: “This integral programme will ensure a consistent industry-wide approach to tackling the stigma around mental health within our industry.
“The tools and techniques supplied by Mates in Mind is key to dealing with the startling statistics that highlight the evident problem within construction, but also in providing the education to business that is required to provide a supportive and inclusive working environment.”
Dave said he is now able to see that having one difficult day doesn’t mean that every day will be difficult. He hopes that telling his story will stop other men from struggling in silence.
When we chose to focus on health and wellbeing for the February issue, it gave us the opportunity to address a topic that has a profound impact both on the individuals that work within the industry and the companies that employ them: mental health.
A whole catalogue of issues fall within the health and wellbeing band. We could have chosen to focus on hand arm vibration or silica dust – without doubt two of the most immediate risks threatening the physical health of those building and maintaining the railway. We could also have chosen to highlight fatigue, musculoskeletal conditions or healthy eating – all valid concerns.
We picked mental health because it is something that affects around one in four people. Mental illness is indiscriminate. It affects people of all ages and of all backgrounds.
It is safe to assume that everybody has had some encounter with mental illness. Some people will have struggled with depression and anxiety themselves, often without seeking professional health. Others will have looked on in concern as a friend or family member grapples with their demons.
While I was putting this month’s magazine together, I published a post on LinkedIn about our mental health feature, expecting perhaps a couple of likes and well-wishing comments. The response was emphatic and demonstrated the weight of feeling within the industry to see mental wellbeing treated as seriously as physical safety.
One of the people who got in touch after seeing the post was Matt Kent – a mental health consultant who spent several years working for Network Rail. Coincidentally, he had just filmed a conversation with Network Rail’s chief executive, Mark Carne, about what mental health means to him. He talked about the hidden impact mental illness has on performance and the role employers need to play in supporting their employees.
Leaders like Mark Carne can help to normalise the conversation around mental health and make more companies take responsibility for the mental health of their workforce, particularly when medical resources are under great strain around the country.
The reasons why someone may struggle with their mental health can be complex. It is a difficult topic to broach and not always easy to solve, but the first step is starting that conversation. Ask someone how they are today. You’d be amazed how much you can help.
VolkerRail has produced a video showing its renewals and realignment works at Bloxwich level crossing which have increased the line speed through the area.
The works in Bloxwich were delivered over the course of three consecutive weekends.
Network Rail has said the renewal and realignment of the track will allow it to raise the speed limit from 25 mph to 50 mph.
As well as improving the line speed, the works will see the level crossing closed for good.
Graham Shaw, VolkerRail senior project manager, said: “Cannock has been a challenging project from its inception, however, the team in collaboration with Network Rail and other major stakeholders are working extremely hard to ensure the ORR milestone of May 2018 is met.”
Staff welfare has long been thought to be an important part of any successful business. Although, in the past, the focus has been on the physical health of the individual rather than their mental health and wellbeing.
In 2000, when the issue of stress was raised by a Railway Mission chaplain with an HR director, the response was “we don’t have stress in our company”. Such a blinkered view is being dispelled and the importance of personal resilience is increasingly recognised.
Mental health and wellbeing is a concern for every company that understands people are their most valuable resource. Establishing psychological resilience in the workforce enables companies to be able to respond swiftly to internal and external pressures. Railway Mission chaplains understand the need to focus on the psychological needs of the workforce. Bringing psychological first aid to the rail industry chaplains can enhance and complement the chain of care provided by companies.
Major traumatic events have a terrible and far-reaching impact. However, rail staff may face overwhelming situations every day – life can be full of difficulties. It may just be a coffee and a chat or something more, but chaplains are there to support railway people.
Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Network Rail’s chairman, said: “Emotional and spiritual support in a time of crisis is one of the most valuable things you can give to a person. The Railway Mission provides this help to railway staff, the British Transport Police and the travelling public – taking care of the mental welfare of our railway family both day-to-day and following traumatic incidents.”
Support networks
People are affected by problems in their personal or work life in different ways; one person may cope well while another emotionally collapses. It takes time to gain the confidence of people who are hurting.
Chaplains support people of all faiths and none, regardless of their lifestyle or position, building trusted supportive relationships. Chaplains also work with other support networks in the workplace. These networks are increasingly important as society has become more fragmented. Networks such as BME, carers, disabled staff, LGBT and interfaith groups help create a platform to offer mutual support, respect and understanding for employees. These in turn also help increase employee resilience, improve working relationships and therefore, may help to reduce sickness absence. Such groups provide a conduit for communication between senior management and staff groups who have been traditionally underrepresented or who have experienced discrimination in the workplace.
Railway Mission chaplains are proficient at developing self-worth in the individual; bringing light into the darkness and despair some people experience. This spiritual and pastoral care contributes towards an organisational culture sympathetic towards personal mental health issues. As important, but independent members of the chain of care, chaplains are able to cross organisational boundaries. It’s a mechanism for releasing stress and emotional conflict from within the individual. Helping people cope with the stresses of modern life; empowering them to recognise their lives and work have value and meaning.
Care and sensitivity
Over the last year, chaplains have been on hand to support the railway family following the appalling terrorist atrocities that inflicted so much harm. In some small way, we have reached out to those affected.
Working with British Transport Police Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Teams to support people affected by suicides, chaplains have cared for railway staff, witnesses and bereaved families. The chaplaincy team has also visited schools after students have been killed on the railway, supporting the teaching staff and pupils.
Financial difficulties, work uncertainties, assaults at work and domestic violence, divorce, addictions, illness, both physical and mental have all been dealt with by the Railway Chaplains over the last year. How does the chaplaincy face all of these issues? One at a time, with care and sensitivity.
Written by Liam Johnston, Executive Director, Railway Mission
Several weeks on from the original announcement, the story of Carillion’s collapse and its reverberations around the industry continue to be felt.
On 15 January, the High Court appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as the Official Receiver to oversee the liquidation of Carillion. The company entered compulsory liquidation after failing to secure the funding it needed for its turnaround plan.
Prior to its demise, Carillion was the second largest supplier to Network Rail, receiving 5.1 per cent of Network Rail’s total spend in 2016-17.
Since then, there has been a series of announcements and statements indicating just how far and wide Carillion’s fall is being felt.
In the week following the announcement, numerous posts appeared on LinkedIn from Carillion employees, demonstrating the human impact of the Carillion story. Despite everything, many of the messages expressed pride in their work at Carillion and thanked colleagues for their support.
There have been some glimmers of good news for Carillion’s workforce. Network Rail has committed to paying Carillion staff working on its projects until at least mid-April. Kier has agreed to take 150 workers, including seven apprentices, through its joint venture with Carillion on HS2 and Cleshar, which has taken over the London Overground East London Line maintenance contract, has employed Carillion’s maintenance staff on their existing terms and conditions.
Questions still remain over pay and pensions after it revealed that there was a sizeable deficit in Carillion’s pension scheme. On 2 February, PwC said it had successfully found new employment for 919 staff members, although more than 800 employees have been made redundant so far.
The supply chain is also seeking clarity. Network Rail has confirmed that it will pay Carillion’s suppliers for work carried out over Christmas up to the start of the liquidation proceedings. Several banking groups have set up lending packages worth a total of £200 million to support SMEs, but there is still uncertainty for many suppliers.
The Federation of Small Businesses said the fall of Carillion should start a conversation around payment terms and supply chain resilience. The Rail Industry Association (RIA) said it was currently working to support rail industry suppliers caught up in the fallout.
“The main concern for the Railway Industry Association (RIA) is ensuring rail staff, skills and capabilities are not lost, that there is no break in the contracts currently underway, and that the many threatened SMEs working on projects can survive and find new work. We hope that all partners involved will be able to work together to minimise redundancies, disruption to the pipeline of rail projects and loss of valuable, skilled workers, and specialist companies.
“We would also like to reassure those concerned about the ability of the rail supply chain to deliver future projects. The UK rail supply sector is highly dynamic and will come together to ensure these projects are delivered. We are already starting to see various organisations involved in Carillion schemes putting plans in place to ensure the smooth transition of workloads. This is very welcome and, along with government support, will ensure rail suppliers continue to deliver for the UK.”
History of Carillion
The Carillion name first appeared in 1999 when Tarmac’s construction and services operations were separated from the company’s quarrying and road-surfacing business.
Carillion expanded in the latter 2000s, acquiring Mowlem in 2006 and McAlpine in 2008. McAlpine, among other things, built the Eden Project in Cornwall.
Major projects delivered by Carillion include building the Tate Modern in London, the Copenhagen Metro and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link into St Pancras station. Tarmac had been part of the Anglo-French consortium that built the Channel Tunnel itself.
Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF has hailed a successful first supplier day as it seeks to establish a local supply chain.
With the help of the Welsh government, the event was held at Celtic Manor, Newport – near to the Celtic Business Park where CAF is building its train manufacturing plant – on January 30.
More than 200 companies registered an interest in attending the event with 82 invited to hear CAF’s current and future plans.
CAF detailed recently obtained contracts, goals for the future and the expectations and opportunities for the local supply chain, including ongoing tendering opportunities such as the Wales and Borders and South Wales Metro.
Welsh and UK suppliers were then invited to one-two-one meetings with CAF’s procurement team, covering the new factory and various maintenance activities in Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester.
Of the 82 businesses in attendance, 13 companies were interested in ‘pitching’ to the new-build and after-sales markets making a total of almost 100 meetings taking place during the day.
CAF’s UK and Ireland business development director Richard Garner said: “The success of this event underlines CAF’s commitment to establish a locally based supply chain to support its activities not just for the new factory but also in the important after-sales market.
“Many of the suppliers had exciting leading-edge technology to offer and CAF looks forward to working with these providers of innovative products on future projects throughout the UK.
“CAF truly believes that if it is successful then its suppliers will also reap the rewards to themselves and also the wider local economy.”
Serious questions are to be asked of Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC), Network Rail and transport ministers over the failure of the East Coast franchise.
That is the message from transport committee chair Lilian Greenwood who has launched an inquiry into the franchise’s imminent collapse.
VTEC will be the third rail franchise on the East Coast to collapse in just over 10 years.
Operations were last taken back into public ownership, through Directly Operated Railways under the brand name East Coast Trains, in 2009.
Moving ahead, transport secretary Chris Grayling has set out two options for the interim period to 2020: services to be taken in-house and operated by the Department for Transport; or a short-term and not-for-profit arrangement with VTEC.
The committee’s inquiry will look at lessons learned from this and previous franchise failure, the best way forward in the short and longer term, and the wider implications of the failure for the franchising system.
Committee chair Lilian Greenwood said: “This failure – not once, but three times – has drawn criticism from all corners.
“The failure of the East Coast franchise has wider implications for rail franchising and the competitiveness of the current system. Lessons need to be learned by all concerned.
“In the meantime, the Department for Transport must take the right steps to protect passengers and taxpayers. Safeguards must be put in place to restore public confidence in the sustainability of our railways.”
