Those who use laser devices to target train drivers could be jailed for up to five years under new legislation unveiled by the Department for Transport.
The Laser Misuse (Vehicles) Bill, published today, expands the list of vehicle operators – beyond just planes – of which it is an offence to target with lasers.
Laser pens have become a growing concern with their beams capable of impacting a driver’s ability to control their vehicles.
The bill removes the current fine limit of £2,500 and also makes it easier to prosecute offenders by removing the need to prove an intention to endanger a vehicle.
Commander Simon Bray is the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for lasers. He said: “Recklessly shining a laser at an aircraft or another moving vehicle is deeply irresponsible and dangerous.
“By causing a distraction or, in some cases, short or long-term eye damage, laser attacks can lead to catastrophic incidents.
“These new and robust measures send a clear message to perpetrators: laser attacks are a crime and serious consequences will follow from committing this offence.”
Last year, the Civil Aviation Authority received reports of 1,258 laser incidents, with Heathrow the most frequent location for reports of the devices being used recklessly.
Earlier this year, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ran a call for evidence on the selling of laser pointers and is considering the findings before formally responding in 2018.
The Department for Transport has released a brief video explaining the new legislation:
The country’s first-ever second generation electric multiple unit (EMU) has been painted in its original blue and grey British Rail livery.
Train 313201, which operates out of Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR) Brighton depot along the Coastway route, has been repainted in its original colours – except for changes to meet today’s accessibility requirements – by GTR and Beacon Rail.
The train was the first off the production line at British Rail Engineering Ltd’s York Works in 1976.
It was BR’s first unit designed with both a pantograph for 25 kV AC overhead lines and shoegear for 750 V DC third rail supply.
Originally numbered 313001, it was reclassified 313201 when it was transferred along with 18 other units to Southern and the pantograph removed.
The repainting was carried out as part of a programme of improvement works, including work on the door mechanism, the air system, parts of the interiors plus repairs to the bodywork to keep them safe and fully functional.
More than 300 body-worn cameras (BWC) are being made available to frontline rail staff in Scotland.
The ScotRail Alliance has invested £300,000 in the devices, which can be clipped on to a member of staff’s uniform, or worn on a lanyard.
The cameras capture footage when they are activated by a member of staff and are capable of recording video and audio in high definition for up to eight hours.
The roll out follows a successful trial, where staff found that people positively changed their behaviour when informed that they were being recorded. Footage from cameras worn by staff has also been used in a number of prosecutions.
The BWC’s are clearly marked as CCTV cameras and have a 130-degree field of view.
ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Hynes and BTP chief inspector Sue Maxwell at the launch of the body-worn cameras. Photo: ScotRail Alliance.
Staff will be encouraged to wear the new cameras, but it will not be compulsory.
The initiative has been delivered in partnership with Transport Scotland and trade unions ASLEF, RMT and TSSA. The aim of the role out is to continue to improve the safety of customers and staff, deter antisocial behaviour, and gather evidence when it does occur.
ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Hynes said: “Anti-social behaviour will never be tolerated at our stations, or on our trains.
“These new cameras will improve everyone’s journey by deterring anti-social or criminal behaviour, and help with gathering vital evidence on the rare occasions when it does occur.”
Scottish transport minister Humza Yousaf added that, just as every passenger has the right to a safe journey, every worker has the absolute right to carry out their duties without the fear of verbal or physical assault.
In September, BTP rolled out body worn cameras to all our officers meaning that they have an independent witness by their side at every single incident.
The National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) is to launch a scheme to encourage unemployed youngsters into a career in the digital railway.
Central to the project is the innovative way that technology will be used, working with a specialist technology partner to develop a digital platform, called Trax, which will host a series of videos that explore the roles and skills of specific rail employees.
The aim is for the young adults who complete the video courses to be signposted to job roles within digital rail or be directed to other opportunities through NSAR Connect and the National Training Partnership.
The initial pilot will focus on reaching the 60,000 unemployed young people (aged 18 to 24) in London and the South East of England through the Job Centre Plus network.
Following the pilot, Trax will be rolled out across the UK to support the rail industry in filling the forecasted 5,000 digital roles, while at the same time addressing its diversity targets.
The project has been made possible thanks to money from the grant-funding body UFI Charitable Trust.
Rail minister Paul Maynard said: “We are delivering the greatest investment in our railways since Victorian times to give passengers the services they rightly expect. Digital railways are an important part of that transformation and will allow us to run a greater number of services for passengers. It is vital that the next generation of rail employees have the skills to operate in this exciting new environment.”
Heritage Lottery will no longer be giving the Great Central Railway more than £9.5 million to build a new museum in Leicestershire.
Plans for the new museum in Birstall are now in jeopardy following the announcement, although the team involved are confident it is not the end for the project.
According to Leicester City Council, Heritage Lottery decided to withdraw its funding because of concerns about the “stage of development of the project and perceived delivery risk”. Heritage Lottery was due provide more than half of the estimated £18 million cost.
The Main Line project, as it is known, is a partnership between the Great Central Railway (GCR), the National Railway Museum (NRM) and Leicester City Council.
Due to open to visitors in 2021, the new museum would sit alongside GCR’s Leicester North terminus on the site of the former Belgrave and Birstall station.
GCR’s managing director, Michael Gough, said: “We were genuinely astonished to hear the news about the HLF’s decision on our round two funding and I have to question their rationale.
“Since joining the GCR I have been highly impressed by the support that the project had from the City Mayor and his team and I was confident that the strength of our combined proposal would be a winning solution.
“Our proposal to the HLF consisted of, as requested by them in October 2017, a comprehensive strategy and action plan from the city council, and a detailed business plan from the railway. Taken together this provided an approach that had almost zero risk.
“We will now explore a number of alternative plans. In the meantime, I can’t help but feel hurt that Leicester appears to have been overlooked yet again.”
Leicester’s City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “We are obviously very disappointed, but this is not the end of the project. We remain committed to it, and the challenge now is for us to find a Plan B and an alternative source of finance.”
Around 200 specially invited homeless guests will enjoy Christmas dinner at Euston station this Christmas.
Steve Naybour, head of transformation in Network Rail’s track team, said he normally works on December 25 and seized the opportunity to help the homeless when he found out he wasn’t scheduled to work.
Working alongside volunteers from charities St Mungo’s and Streets Kitchen, around 30 Network Rail workers have chosen to give up Christmas day to serve and clear food and chat with guests. Station colleagues, security staff and the British Transport Police (BTP) will manage security on the day.
The station concourse will be filled with decorations and tables will be laid for dinner so that guests can enjoy a full Christmas dinner and some company.
Steve Naybour said: “Thousands and thousands of my colleagues will already be working on Christmas Day to improve the railway for passengers.
“Working on Christmas Day is pretty much part for the course for many of us who work for Network Rail but this year, because I wasn’t scheduled to work, myself and a handful of colleagues came up with this plan to feed some of London’s homeless instead.
“St Mungo’s and Streets Kitchen have been fantastic. And I’m proud to say we’ve had lots of interest from Network Rail colleagues to volunteer to come along on the day to help out.
“All of this is possible due to great support from the station team, BTP and local and national suppliers including the Pret Foundation Trust, Blacks outdoor clothing, Virgin Trains and Abellio – they’ve been amazing in making this event happen.”
Jon Glackin from Streets Kitchen added: “This is a shining example of local businesses, community groups and individuals coming together at Christmas in solidarity to assist others in need.
“It’s fantastic to work with all the Network Rail team innovatively employing one of their prestigious stations to spread some festive cheer for our homeless community.
‘This will be a fantastic fun day for our homeless friends that we will all hope could be replicated anywhere and everywhere.”
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council has produced a business case worth £286 million for the development of Birmingham International station.
The Urban Growth Company, a special-delivery vehicle set up by Solihull Council to deliver infrastructure improvements around the station, produced a study which informed the business case.
It said that since Birmingham International station opened in the 1970s, passenger numbers have “exceeded all expectations. ”
Urban Growth Company chairman Nick Brown added: “We now have a scenario where there simply isn’t enough capacity and the passenger experience could be so much better.”
Nick said that with the HS2 Interchange station on its way, major growth at Birmingham Airport and the NEC, and nearby Jaguar Land Rover going from strength-to-strength, passenger numbers at Birmingham International station are forecast to triple over the next 20 years – potentially making it one of the UK’s busiest stations.
Under plans in the business case, a multi-modal hub will be created, bringing together future high speed rail, existing rail, air travel, trams, buses, taxis and bicycles with seamless connections to Birmingham Airport and the new HS2 Interchange station by 2025.
The study was 50 per cent co-financed from a €875,000 grant awarded by the European Union’s connecting Europe facility, with balance of funding provided by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), Birmingham Airport and NEC Group.
The business case will now be submitted to the WMCA and the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership in order to secure funding to progress the project to design stage and delivery.
Colin was most recently an executive director for strategy at HS2 and will be directly responsible for operational performance and governance in his new role.
Geoff Banks, founder and managing director of ie people, says he believes his new venture can challenge the world of executive recruitment in the transport sector both in the UK and overseas.
A rail recruiter with more than 20 years in the industry, Geoff previously oversaw group sales and business development at RTC Group prior to launching ie people and has previously worked as an internal recruiter for CH2M and Bombardier Transportation. He also sits on the Rail Supply Group’s SME council board.
Alstom UK and Ireland has appointed Maria Griffin as its new director for quality, railway safety and performance.
Maria started her career at Alstom 26 years ago as a mechanical engineering graduate, where she was the first female to work on an Alstom UK shop floor as part of the company’s graduate training programme.
She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the youngest and only female engineering manager at the age of 29.
Maria then moved into project management, both within rolling stock and signalling, eventually becoming technical director of signalling.
She then became quality and technical safety director in April 2017, before taking up her current post.
In her new role Maria will be responsible for ensuring that Alstom’s products and services are of the highest quality and meet its extremely strict safety criteria. She will also oversee its operational functions units, including engineering, industrialisation, sourcing, supply chain and cyber-security.
Maria Griffin said she was especially proud to have come from a graduate engineering trainee to Alstom’s senior management team.
Network Rail has awarded Carillion Powerlines a £11.6 million contract to electrify the Shotts line between the junctions of Holytown and Midcalder.
The contract will deliver enhancements to stations to support the electrification of 74km of railway as part of a wider £160 million Scottish Government investment in the line between Edinburgh and Glasgow, which will see the route electrified by March 2019.
The activity within nine stations on the route includes platform reconstructions and renewals and enhancements to lighting, CCTV and customer information systems.
Two stations: Livingston South and Breich, will be completely rebuilt with platforms extended at Carfin, Shotts and West Calder to enable the introduction of longer trains on the route. Work on the stations is due to be completed in autumn 2018.
The electrification of the line will enable the introduction of a new fleet of Hitachi Class 385s on services between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central via Shotts.
Scottish transport minister Humza Yousaf said: “This work contributes to the transformation of services across the central belt as part of the wider package of investment to enhance rail travel between the country’s two biggest cities, meaning passengers will see shorter journey times, increased capacity and better reliability.”
Blue flashing lights have been installed on one of the platforms at London Paddington station to reduce the number of accidents caused by passengers tripping between the train and platform.
The lights on Platform 6 flash when the doors of Heathrow Express services open. The idea is the lights will help to draw attention to the gap and bring down the number of reported step board incidents.
Installed by Pod-Trak, it is believed to be the first time this kind of lighting has been used at a national railway station in the UK. The lights were switched on for the first time on December 8.
Heathrow Express has previously worked with Network Rail to pioneer the use of gap fillers – rubber brushes that are attached to the platform edge – which have reduced the number of incidents by 85 per cent where they’ve been deployed. However, curved platforms at Paddington meant this particular solution could not be used.
Fraser Brown, director of Heathrow Express, said: “Ensuring that our passengers get to their destination safely and as quickly as possible is our key aim and the flashing blue lights together with the footprint vinyls at the curved end of Platform 6 at Paddington, will reduce accidents by providing a visual reminder to passengers and staff to be mindful of their step.”
Mark Langman, route managing director at Network Rail, said: “Our focus on safety is relentless. This is another example of how we are striving to be even better.”
Network Rail has successfully delivered a training programme to prepare Thameslink signallers for the introduction of ETCS and ATO.
The course was developed by the Thameslink Programme, working with the Network Rail training team in conjunction with Siemens Rail Automation, and delivered at the Three Bridges ROC in Crawley to prepare signallers for the rollout of the new signalling systems from 2018.
Once in operation, ETCS (European Train Control System) and ATO (Automatic Train Operation) will allow 24 trains an hour to operate through the Thameslink core.
Work initially began in October 2016 and approval was given by Network Rail’s professional head of operations to begin the training programme in August this year.
Bill Graham, an operations specialist involved with the Cambrian ERTMS and ETCS National Integration Facility (ENIF), provided support to Thameslink and Network Rail Training in developing the subject matter.
Working on a specially designed ETCS/ATO simulator, the course was delivered in five modules. The different modules covered the operation of ETCS in normal, abnormal, degraded and emergency conditions.
Jamie Geraghty, shift signaller manager (SSM) and trainer at Three Bridges ROC, said: “The signaller and SSM plays a vital role in the day-to-day running of the railway under ETCS, which provides us with great new tools to enable us to do our job.
“ETCS and conventional signalling have some similarities, which made converting to ETCS easier, as what we already know and do today have resemblances to terms and procedures that are used in ETCS.
“The signalling team are very excited to be involved with the development and introduction of ETCS and ATO. I am also incredibly proud to be here at the start of this fantastic new technology.”
Iona Wakely, head of the Thameslink operational readiness programme, said: “Introducing ETCS to the Thameslink Core is not just a technology change, but it also drives changes to the way the railway is operated and maintained to deliver the capacity we need for the new timetables.
“Completion of this course marks a major milestone for the programme and for South East route – as our signalling staff are now operationally ready to signal trains in ETCS Level 2 from early 2018.”
Technical director Andrew McNaughton will become HS2’s new strategic technical adviser in the new year.
The part-time role will see Andrew provide strategic advice and assurance to the HS2 executive on technical matters. He will also advise the Department of Transport and other government departments on wider transport matters.
Andrew, a former chief engineer for Network Rail, became the company’s first employee when he joined HS2 as chief engineer in 2009, helping to guide it from concept to the edge of reality.
He was appointed technical director at HS2 in February 2012 and made responsible for developing the principles, network and specific route design for high speed rail in Great Britain.
He said: “After leading the design and authorisation phases of HS2 for the last nine years I am stepping back from a full-time executive leadership function to this more strategic role which, I am delighted to say, will continue my strong link with HS2 whilst also giving me more freedom to advise the government here, and others elsewhere, on both high speed railway development, and wider transport issues.”
HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston added: “Andrew was not only our first employee, but has also been an inspiration to many of those who have joined since.
“He has been critical in establishing the project and in recruiting the highly talented team that will carry his and many others’ work through to fruition.
“We will continue to lean heavily on his expertise, at the same time as benefiting from the perspective Andrew gains from his work with other organisations.”
Andrew will step down from his full-time role leading the technical directorate and take on the new position from January 2. He will continue to report to Mark Thurston. An announcement on the future leadership of the technical directorate will be made shortly.
Andrew will continue to be chairman of the World High Speed Rail Committee. He is also special professor of rail engineering at Nottingham University, a visiting professor of engineering at both Imperial College London and Southampton University, vice chair of the EU Transport Advisory Group, chair of the European Rail Research Advisory Council and special advisor on rail to the Australian Government.
A joint venture between Morgan Sindall and Austrian firm BeMo Tunnelling has been awarded a contract to design and build a new workshop for the London Underground.
The depot is being built for the Tube’s train modification unit at its existing Acton Works depot, west London.
Morgan Sindall said the deal is worth around £20 million and is part of a wider eight-year framework civils and tunnelling works contract – anticipated to be worth £350 million – agreed in December 2016.
Work on the new workshop is expected to take 18 months. It will include the construction of a new 160m train maintenance building, incorporating four pitted rail tracks and an accommodation block providing welfare and office facilities for 100 staff.
The project also includes the installation of new tracks and turn outs that will connect into London Underground’s existing network.
The joint venture team is working with one of Morgan Sindall’s sister companies, design and engineering company BakerHicks, on the design of the project.
Once complete, the depot will provide London Underground with the facilities required to deliver major packages of repair and upgrade works on their fleet of trains. The Central line fleet will be the first to be upgraded between 2019-2022, this forms part of the Central Line Improvement Programme.
More than 1,200 hopefuls applied to join the industry’s first train driver apprenticeship scheme launched by Virgin Trains.
A cohort of 30 high-calibre candidates were offered interviews following psychometric tests devised by Virgin Trains and the RSSB, with three successful applicants navigating their way through the 16-stage recruitment process.
The year-long trial programme was launched in February in partnership with the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) trade union. It will see apprentices trained in all the aspects of the train driver role and shadow train drivers, but it won’t be confined solely to the driver’s cab.
In addition to English, Maths, ICT and PTS training, the scheme’s pioneers will also shadow station staff and learn about control and command and safety and fleet management to gain an appreciation of how the role fits into the train company’s operations. To further familiarise themselves with the Virgin Group’s mentality and see how another side of the transport business works, the apprentices also visited Virgin Atlantic’s head office in Crawley.
Sam Edwards, a former apprentice from Virgin Trains’ RedTrack graduate programme, has helped to shape the scheme since September 2016 and is now overseeing its delivery alongside Virgin Trains’ head of drivers, Nick Chadwick.
Nick has been credited with creating and managing the first driver apprenticeship programme in the UK and picked up the Rail Manager of the Year gong at the RailStaff Awards in October because of his “visionary leadership” and for fostering a positive culture change throughout the company. He came up with the idea, prompted by the introduction of the apprenticeship levy, to encourage fresh blood to join the train driver profession.
During the days of British Rail, driver training was conducted at regional centres but nowadays it falls to each train or freight operating company – there are, however, plans to launch a National Train Driver Academy in April. Currently the majority of drivers are more than 40 years old.
Patrick McGrath is the human resources director at Virgin Trains West Coast. He said: “We are delighted to be launching the first ever train driver apprenticeship scheme alongside ASLEF. “At Virgin Trains we believe in giving our staff the tools to innovate and it’s great to see that one of our former apprentices has used his skills to truly shake-up the industry. “It’s clear that the appetite for high-quality training in the rail industry is still there and we look forward to inviting the next generation of train drivers to come join us at Virgin Trains.”
ASLEF’s district organiser Kevin Lindsay added: “We welcome this joint initiative and look forward to continuing developing the driver apprenticeship scheme with Virgin West Coast Trains as this is a great opportunity to bring young people into the rail industry and particularly the driving grade.”
L-R: Joe Wilson, Samantha Jones, Simon Tyrer. Photo: Virgin Trains.
First three
The first three apprentices to join the programme are Joe Wilson, 19, from Liverpool; Samantha Jones, 24, from Manchester; and Simon Tyrer, 29, from Preston.
After trying his hand out at a motor vehicle apprenticeship, Joe decided to follow in his father’s footsteps while Simon turned his back on managing a phone shop to pursue a train driving career. Samantha is the only one of the trio with any experience in the rail industry having previously worked onboard trains.
She said: “I’m so happy to have the opportunity to be able to dive straight into this apprenticeship and build on the skills I’ll need as a driver. It’s given me a clear picture of what the role is actually like and everyone has been so supportive along the way.”
Although the apprenticeship scheme has proven successful, as things stand it is not yet known whether the scheme will be renewed.
One lasting legacy of the programme is that it could produce the youngest ever train driver on the national rail network in the post British Rail era. Joe, who is old enough to drive a train on the underground but not mainline routes, will begin the driver training programme with his fellow apprentice graduates in 2018. Should he prove successful, Joe will pick up his train driving licence on his 21st birthday – beating his dad, a fellow train driver, by four months.
Stewart Thorpe attended the Rail Forum East Midlands (RFEM) annual conference to get a flavour of the region’s big plans
It might be overshadowed by its West Midlands neighbour, which continues to press for great devolution and has positioned itself at the centre of Britain’s high-speed rail route maps, but quietly the East Midlands is making significant strides forward for its 2033 showcase.
In June this year, a new regional transport board met for the first time. Hoping to replicate the success of Transport for the North and Transport for West Midlands, senior leaders of the East Midlands’ local transport authorities came together for the soft launch of Transport for the East Midlands (TfEM).
On the agenda for the inaugural meeting was the transport strategy for the East Midlands’ HS2 station at Toton; the three-year plan for Midlands Connect, which is the transport arm of Midlands Engine; and the East Midlands rail franchise competition.
Leicester’s major, Sir Peter Soulsby, is the group’s chairman and Lincolnshire county council’s transport portfolio holder, Richard Davies, is his deputy. TfEM members meet on a quarterly basis with the Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail.
It doesn’t possess the same powers as its sister organisations but the formation of the board is a statement of intent from the local transport authorities that they are working more collectively and collaboratively. Currently the transport board is working in partnership with the DfT on an informal basis to support the next East Midlands rail franchise, an important pre-HS2 award to secure the building blocks for Phase 2’s 2033 opening.
Such is the importance that one representative – David Young of consultancy firm SCP Transport – was seconded to London to work with DfT to inform the franchise’s invitation to tender documents and support the consultation process, which closed in October. The franchise’s current timetable stands as follows:
April 2018 – invitation to tender process launches;
Spring 2019 – contract award;
August 2019 – the next East Midlands franchise begins.
TfEM secretariat Andrew Pritchard. Photo: Inside Out.
TfEM secretariat Andrew Pritchard described the board’s relationship with DfT as “rail devolution lite” and said that the region now has more purchase than it did previously.
As part of its work with the DfT on the next franchise, Andrew said that TfEM wants to get away from rebranding after each new award in order to build trust between passenger and operator. The recently launched West Midlands Rail was one example TfEM hopes to replicate.
Andrew added that over time the public will see the TfEM brand become more prominent as it establishes a long-term role in the management of the franchise to ensure it remains locally responsive.
“Not everything can be managed out of London and it’s important there is some local accountability,” said Andrew, speaking at RFEM.
“We’re not looking to replicate the direct management and responsibilities that have been taken on by Rail North or West Midlands Rail, but we are looking for a seat around the table and to influence and shape things and help the department and the train operating companies make the most of what they’ve got in the East Midlands.”
A computer generated image of the East Midlands HS2 Hub station at Toton.
Connecting Toton
Outside of London, the East Midlands HS2 interchange at Toton will be the best connected station on the network, with seven trains per hour passing in each direction – four from London and three from Birmingham.
It will directly serve the current population of around 8,238 in the ward of Toton and Chilwell Meadows, Nottinghamshire, but will be expected to serve a far greater catchment area and connect the East Midlands’ major cities.
Toton is situated between the cities of Nottingham and Derby. There are direct bus services to both cities but only by finding the perfect solution to improve the speed and capacity of this connectivity, as well as Leicester and East Midlands Airport, will the wider economic potential of HS2 in the East Midlands be unlocked.
The obvious solution is to extend the existing Nottingham Express Transit (NET) tram line from its current terminus at Toton Lane for one mile to the East Midlands HS2 station, as has been proposed by the East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board (EMHSB). This would involve the least amount of work and would link the station to Boots’ Beeston headquarters, the Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham’s city centre. Nevertheless, the tram’s journey time from Toton to Nottingham’s city centre is already more than 30 minutes, which would add a significant time to the proposed 51 minutes high-speed journey from the East Midlands station to London, if it is also a stopping service.
Towards Derby and East Midlands Airport, EMHSB has considered a bus rapid transit, further NET extensions and – should it become a viable technology – a tram-train solution but it said that further work is required to determine the best routes and modes.
Another option put forward by EMHSB is the introduction of classical conventional “shuttle services” from the station to Nottingham and Derby. There would be four of these services per hour, per direction, including stopping and non-stop services.
Local bus company Trent Barton has also contributed to the debate, putting forward suggestions for a future bus route from Toton to Derby using a mix of guided and unguided segregated bus ways, lanes and smart priority signalling. Inspired by designs in Cambridge, these guided busways could run on concrete rather than steel rails.
Nevertheless, with Royal Assent yet to be given, plans for HS2 Phase 2, never mind the rails, are not yet concrete, but it is crucial that the high-speed line is talked about as part of a wider transport strategy if it is to reap the wider economic benefits.
Sir John Peace. Photo: Inside Out.
Overdue investment
Sir John Peace delivered the perfect case for better east-west transport connectivity in the Midlands by his late arrival for RFEM’s annual conference.
Sir John, the Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire and the chair of the Midlands Engine, took more than two hours to travel from Newark to Pride Park, a journey of around 40 miles. Explaining the thinking behind his choice of travel, Sir John said he thought that taking a cab to Newark station, to get on a train and a cab to reach his final destination would have taken him even longer. Yet, if Sir John had taken the train to London, St Pancras International station for example, the more than 120-mile journey would have taken him an hour and a half.
“In terms of investment into the Midlands, the reality is, for the past several decades, we have underinvested,” said Sir John, referring particularly to the East Midlands. “Let’s not kid ourselves, the reason we have these problems on our roads and railways is not because we didn’t have the vision, it’s because we underinvested and underestimated the growth of population, the complexity of society and the economy that has been created. The first thing we have to do is play catchup but, more importantly, we need to get out ahead.”
Summarising Midlands Engine’s Vision for Growth, Sir John said that connectivity is key to drive economic growth in the region – which has under performed compared to other regions – and to close the gap between the gross value added (GVA) of the Midlands and the UK average by 2030. Leaving such issues as Brexit and the scrapped electrification schemes in the past, this will be achieved by contributing to the industries of the “new industrial revolution”, such as artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and HS2.
Midlands Connect’s Maria Machancoses. Photo: Inside Out.
In Sir John’s absence, Maria Machancoses opened the conference by discussing Midlands Connect’s vision for the region.
Maria, the organisation’s director, said it is also working with DfT to help inform transport policy to make sure the region makes the most of HS2. Crucially, she said, improvements aren’t just for the benefit of the region but the country because the regional’s central transport infrastructure is important for the UK.
One scheme Midlands Connect is keen to implement by 2024, to improve east-west connectivity, is improvement work in Birmingham. New Street station has provided no added capacity, said Maria, and signalling and platform work needs to be conducted at Snow Hill and Moor Street stations. This would allow for up to 10 extra trains per hour in and out of Birmingham, linking with the likes of Leicester and Nottingham.
In the Autumn Budget, Midlands Connect was given £5 million to develop plans for rail upgrades in the Midlands.
Returning to EMHSB, Andrew Pritchard said one of its key asks, and another way that east-west connectivity can be transformed, is by opening – at least partially – the East Midlands’ HS2 station in 2030 rather than 2033, which won’t necessarily add further cost to the project, he added.
If that demand is satisfied, the East Midlands’ big ambitions and the wider economic benefits will come to fruition sooner than anticipated, as will its chance to step into the limelight.
The ambition and scale of the Ordsall Chord project has given MPs and other local leaders plenty of opportunities to dust off their favourite superlatives.
It was a project of firsts – both for Manchester and the country as a whole. The structure is the UK’s first network arch bridge and the world’s first asymmetrical rail bridge. Its completion also signifies the first time the city’s three largest stations (Piccadilly, Victoria and Oxford Road) have all been linked together.
More than 4,000 tonnes of steel was used to construct Ordsall Chord. Three major blockades were required to deliver the structure and two of the biggest cranes in the country had to be brought in to lift the two 600-tonne arches into place.
The engineers who have designed and delivered the chord have had to work within a confined construction site to deliver a huge new piece of infrastructure alongside the Grade- I-listed bridge – built by George Stephenson in 1830 – which carried the Manchester-Liverpool railway to the former Liverpool Road station.
Six trains an hour off-peak will initially use the link when it opens in December, connecting Victoria and Oxford Road and providing services from the Calder Valley direct to Oxford Road. Further improvements will be needed to create the capacity at Manchester Piccadilly. The project had originally included the provision of two new through platforms at Piccadilly. Network Rail says this is still on the table and that it is waiting for a decision from the Secretary of State regarding its application for the construction of platforms 15 and 16.
The project sits at the centre of a £13 billion investment in the North’s transport infrastructure. On November 9, Rail Minister Paul Maynard installed the final rail clip and provided a ceremonial ending to the project. To celebrate its completion, RailStaff is featuring several members of the team that will be able to tell their grandchildren that they helped build the Ordsall Chord.
Not too long ago Natalie was living in Monaco, travelling the world working as a deckhand on multi-million pound super yachts. She traded that lifestyle in to join the railway industry and went straight into the Ordsall Chord project team.
“It’s been fantastic to be honest,” said Natalie, explaining the approach taken by the integrated project team. “It’s just changed the way we approached the project from the get go.”
Natalie has worked as a project management assistant within the integration team for Network Rail. The role has involved keeping stakeholders in the loop and ensuring everything is in place prior to major blockades. Natalie is now working towards becoming a scheme project manager. She said: “I’ve done lots of travelling and to come home and be part of something so iconic, I’m just bursting with pride really.”
The highlight for Natalie was the demolition of Chapel Street Bridge. “They had five arches to go in and it was all done; it was just seamless.”
Reflecting on the project as a whole, she said: “Keeping such a close eye on everything whilst maintaining everybody’s safety was a big ask, but we had such a fantastic team.”
Paul Bolton, lead engineer CRE, Amey.
The opening of the Ordsall Chord marks the end of 20 months of “solid work” said Paul, who joined the project in February 2016 after talking to former colleagues about the project.
“By the time I’d got there, the majority of the early planning had been done and the long- term planning had been done. It was actually about executing the plan,” said Paul. “When I started in February about eight weeks later we did the first major blockade.”
Paul joined the rail industry as a trainee and has spent the past 10 years delivering conventional plain line, S&C renewals and high output track renewals.
He described the Ordsall Chord project as a “whole different monster” because of the challenge of delivering such a complicated scheme in the middle of a busy city.
Paul’s official end date is December 22 – at which point he’ll pack up his things and return home to York to work on the Transpennine route upgrade. He sees the Ordsall Chord as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “I don’t think I’ll get involved in anything as complex and challenging as this in my career.”
James Davies, senior project manager, Siemens.
James is a chartered engineer and has more than 20 years’ experience in major project and programme management. He joined the Ordsall Chord project in early 2014 as the signalling, power and comms (SP&C) lead.
Constructing the bridge itself was just one part of a much wider programme. The project also included the most complicated resignalling scheme to be delivered in the North West for the last 40 years, said James.
James said: “Collaboration has been key to our success across the organisations and stakeholders involved. Fundamentally this project would not have been successfully delivered if it was not an alliance; with a single target cost to ensure collaboration. I’ve been proud and privileged to have worked on a great project with great people.”
Alesha Hancock, project planner, D2 Rail.
Before she joined D2 Rail in 2015, Alesha had been planning the construction of Australia’s mining railways. Delivering brand new infrastructure alongside one of the oldest railways in the world, in the middle of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country, is a very different proposition.
Alesha, who studied at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, has looked after the construction planning for weekend works across the Ordsall Chord scheme. She admits that she hasn’t had a weekend to herself for over a year, spending a large portion of her time out on site helping to manage the interface between the various construction and engineering disciplines.
Alesha said she had been fascinated by the many archaeological and historical elements of the project, but also by the opportunities she had to pilot new technology, including providing programme updates via smartphone. “I had the freedom to be a bit more experimental.”
From her office on site, Alesha saw the project progress from start to finish. Now finished, she, like many of her industry colleagues, has moved onto the Transpennine upgrade scheme. Alesha said she is still very happy in the UK and sees plenty of opportunities ahead. “There’s so much for me still to learn here and so much to offer me as well… The opportunities for growth, especially for planning, is huge.”
Patrick Cumming, project manager, Skanska BAM JV.
Patrick had to call on his 33 years of civil engineering and infrastructure experience while overseeing the civils construction of the main River Irwell bridge, Trinity Way viaduct and the restoration of listed structures.
He joined the scheme at the start of the main construction phase, having been transferred to the project. He praised the collaboration across the construction disciplines.
Patrick said: “As an engineer, I feel humbled that I am part of the team which has changed the landscape of Manchester on a project situated next to George Stephenson’s first commercial rail line. It is not very often that you can say in life that you made history but with this project we have.
“All my family has been up to look at the various stages and after Christmas we’ll all be sitting on the train crossing the chord. I will have my grandson with me and in 50 years, when my grandson is a grandad, he’ll be able to tell his grandson that his grandad was part of this landmark project.”
The start of 2018 will signal the beginning of the end for the £6.5 billion Thameslink programme. The project team will hand back the railway on January 2, completing the final major blockade of one of the most complex railway projects of the Network Rail era.
Since work began on the project in 2009, there have been around 4,500 possessions, 128 major track stageworks, eight major signalling commissions, including several major closures to remodel the railway that links New Cross Gate and New Cross stations in Lewisham with London Bridge and Blackfriars. In total, Network Rail will have installed 154 new switches and crossings and more than 40 km of new track by the time the railway is handed back in January.
As well as permanent way infrastructure, a huge amount of new signalling equipment has been installed which will become the foundation of the UK’s first ETCS signalled network.
For passengers, London Bridge is the face of Thameslink. The station, described as the first of London’s major main line stations, has been completely rebuilt and re-imagined to cope with future passenger numbers.
“In order to deliver Thameslink, a 30 per cent increase to capacity on the Thameslink route, you have to remodel the railway, completely change the layout of London Bridge,” said Thameslink’s project director for rail systems, Mark Somers, as he prepared to conduct one of his regular walkthroughs of the site.
Mark remembers when initial plans were being drawn up for Thameslink in the mid 1990s. “The problem was always how do you do London Bridge while still keeping 54 million passenger journeys a year,” said Mark. One option would have been to close the station completely for two years. “That wasn’t palatable,” he said.
Network Rail eventually opted to carry out the redevelopment of London Bridge over the course of five years between 2013 and 2018. Until the project is complete, cross-London Thameslink services have been diverted away from London Bridge as the station’s configuration is switched from nine terminating platforms and six through platforms to nine through platforms and six terminating platforms.
REMOVING CONFLICT
Stood in front of a large map of the track layout around London Bridge, Mark explained some the preparatory works that were being conducted ahead of the Christmas closure. The simplest way to describe what is happening around London Bridge is to say that it’s all about removing conflict. The new layout will create dedicated routes for Thameslink, Southern and Southeastern services. Two new major structures – the Bermondsey Dive Under and the new Borough Viaduct – will allow services from the South East to Charing Cross to avoid clashes with trains travelling between Brighton and Blackfriars.
Work was completed on the low-level section of the route (Sussex routes) in Christmas 2014. The focus is now on restoring the high-level station – the Kent and Thameslink routes.
The Christmas closure is, in many ways, the final piece in the puzzle for Thameslink. Lines one to eight will be closed during the blockade. Following the works, the final third of the concourse is due to open and the last five platforms – one to five – will be brought back into service, with four and five becoming dedicated Thameslink platforms. Between January and May 2018, driver training will be carried out through London Bridge before the new timetable comes into effect. The station will be capable of accommodating 16 Thameslink trains per hour (tph) in each direction. However, a phased introduction will see 18 tph travelling through the core route between Blackfriars and St Pancras in May 2018 increase to 24 tph in December 2019 when ATO and ETCS is introduced.
For anyone unfamiliar with the project, the track layout and remodelling at London Bridge is fiendishly complicated – more than half a billion pounds will have been spent on systems alone by the time it’s all over. Mark, however, could recite the new track layout in his sleep, having spent a large portion of his career delivering these kinds of major projects.
Passengers heading south out of London Bridge may have spotted the green crosses spray painted on to some of the old signalling equipment. The markings are there to highlight what needs to be removed during the Christmas closure.
“This is the real challenge at Christmas,” said Mark, explaining the work that will be undertaken to replace the legacy signalling equipment on lines one and two, which will remain in service right up until December 23. “From the 23rd onwards, we’ve got to take all of the existing signalling out because the new signalling on these two lines is in different positions.”
THEN THERE WERE TWO
Joining the industry as an apprentice in 1978, Mark began his career in the signal box at London Bridge. By the time the station becomes fully operational in January, all but two of the signallers will have moved over to the new signalling control centre at Three Bridges. The signal box will remain in use while two other resignalling schemes are delivered, but in 2020 it will close for good – just a couple of years shy of its 50th birthday.
Mark says he plans to have a rest once the project is complete, although it still seems premature to think about life after Thameslink. “I’ve been doing major resignalling schemes and remodelling stuff like this since 2002. As you can imagine at times it gets a bit stressful when you’re trying to always hand the railway back.”
Thankfully for Mark, the load has been shared across his experienced team – some of who were even brought out of retirement to support the signalling design work.
The project has also provided a challenging learning environment for many apprentices, including 12 within the railway systems team. There have been apprentices spread across the project, working on the signalling and track activities as well as in administrative and commercial roles. Two apprenticeship schemes have been created specifically for the London Bridge programme.
Mark added: “We had to have the best possible team that we could get to deliver this job because it is the most complex resignalling/remodelling that’s ever been done on a live railway like this.”
Despite the pressures of delivering such a major programme of work, Thameslink has run relatively smoothly.
“The remarkable thing about this programme, and certainly the thing I’m most proud of, is when we finalised the staging strategy we took that staging strategy, and the master action plan, we took that to the board to approve in 2012 and we’re still on programme.”
When London Bridge officially reopens on January 2 it won’t be the end for the Thameslink team. Shop fit-outs and general snagging will continue until Thameslink services return in May and a project 25 years in the making finally comes to an end.
A handful of current and former apprentices were at the Elizabeth line’s Tottenham Court Road station to celebrate the project passing the 1,000th apprenticeship milestone.
More than 1,000 apprentices have joined the programme since work began in 2009, either employed directly by Crossrail Limited or its contractors.
The group at Tottenham Court Road station included current apprentices and several qualified apprentices who have gone on to secure roles on projects like Tideway and the Northern line extension.
Crossrail Limited has created 710 apprenticeships during the construction and fit-out of the stations and tunnels. In addition, Bombardier and MTR have created a combined 297 apprenticeships during the manufacturing of the Class 345 fleet and network upgrade programme.
Sir Terry Morgan, Crossrail chairman, said: “Apprenticeships are at the heart of the Crossrail project and our commitment to creating quality learning and career opportunities for young people has made a huge contribution towards revitalising our infrastructure skills base.
“Investment in skills and training is essential, not just to the delivery of the Elizabeth line, but also the next generation of projects. I am continually impressed by the drive and commitment of our apprentices and I would like to congratulate each of them on their fantastic achievements.”
Mark Wild, TfL’s managing director of London Underground and the Elizabeth line, said: “The number of apprentices who have worked on the construction of the new railway is quite spectacular. They represent the future of the transport industry and have played a key part in creating the Elizabeth line, which will redefine how people travel around the capital.
“As the line becomes operational we will continue to support apprentices. It is essential that we build on this legacy and inspire more people to realise the fantastic opportunities that are available within the transport industry.”
Arriva Trains Wales has launched the UK’s first community rail apprenticeship scheme.
Ex-engineering apprentice Danielle Hopkins, 23, is the first to join the 18-month programme. She will work to strengthen links between the train operator and communities in the Valleys as well as to boost tourism.
Through research and working with local groups, such as ramblers, Danielle hopes to promote the scenic walking routes that are close to Arriva’s stations.
Supported by community rail officers from across Britain, her work will be focused on the areas between Pontypridd and the surrounding valleys of Rhondda, Cynon, Taff, Rhymney and Merthyr.
Danielle said that, as the country’s first community rail apprentice, she wants to “set the bar high”.
Danielle Hopkins and Tom Joyner, Arriva Trains Wales managing director. Photo: Arriva Trains Wales.
Tom Joyner, Arriva Trains Wales’ managing director, added that the role has the potential to create even stronger links between railways and communities in the Valleys.
He said: “Encouraging people to travel up in to the Valleys through marketing and promotion will help support local businesses and provide better opportunities to access jobs.
“It is more important than ever the voices of communities are heard in how transport services are delivered, and Danielle will be a passionate advocate for her communities within Arriva Trains Wales and with our partners.”
ACoRP senior operations manager Brian Barnsley added: “We are keen to see community rail further expand, diversify and develop, especially engaging younger age groups.
“This growing, and increasingly influential, grassroots movement, plays a vital role in helping people to access sustainable travel and enabling communities to get the most from their local railways.”
A new peak-time railcard for 16-18 year-old passengers has been announced.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said the digital app-based card will be trialled in spring 2018, ahead of a national rollout in September, should it prove successful.
The card could save 1.5 million young people a minimum of 34 per cent on peak-time tickets to school, college, and training places, according to the RDG.
The new railcard will be different from the 16-25 railcard because it can be used during peak travel time. The precise terms of the railcard will be reviewed following the trial.
RDG’s managing director of customer experience Jacqueline Starr said: “The railway has the potential to help young people across the country to cast their net wider for new opportunities in education, work and training and train companies, working together, are making it happen.”
Specialist rail contractor Readypower Rail Services Group has acquired civil engineering firm Terrawise Construction.
Readypower said the move creates “one of the largest specialist rail civils contractors in the UK” and gives Terrawise the largest, most modern fleet of specialist road rail vehicles (RRV) in the country.
Following the acquisition, Terrawise Construction has become Readypower Terrawise.
Readypower CEO Russell Jack said: “Terrawise’s customers will now benefit from guaranteed access to the best machines in the country to complete the work and greater financial strength to undertake projects of all sizes.
“Readypower’s extensive client base, including Network Rail, will be able to benefit from a much wider service offering than the traditional plant hire and POS services that have been historically offered.
“As an enlarged group, Readypower is now well placed to have the capabilities and flexibility to succeed for the rest of CP5 and into CP6 and beyond.”
Readypower Terrawise director James Crossen, who will remain with the business, added: “At Terrawise we are proud of our company and the services we offer. However, we recognised that our prime competitors are much larger in size and deployable assets.
“This deal substantially increases the ability of Terrawise to compete on a level playing field, with the best in-house rail plant fleet in the country.”
Fellow Terrawise directors Jamie Burrows and Darren Long will also remain with the business.
Grabbing a set of 25kg weights, Freightliner’s Steve Cokayne talks me through his warm up routine. We meet at the gym he trains at in Leicestershire on a Friday morning. It’s been a long week for Steve, who has been working in the North West as a site driver for the upgrade works between Preston and Blackpool.
Steve enlisted in the Royal Artillery in 1985. Three years into his service, while on a training exercise on the Isle of Man, he seriously injured both his legs after he fell around 40 metres during a climb. “Unfortunately my legs took all the impact,” said Steve, who was only 20 at the time. “I had fractures to my left leg which healed normally but my right leg was totally mashed.”
The extent of Steve’s injuries meant he had to be discharged from the army and in 2009, following countless operations, the decision was made to amputate his right leg below the knee. It was an easy decision, said Steve, and one that has opened up opportunities he would never have dreamed of.
PERSONAL BEST
In 2002, Steve joined Southern as a train driver. He was back at work just four months after his amputation and said he found little difficulty adjusting – in part because of the advance of prosthetics in recent years. One of Steve’s five prosthetic legs has even been designed with extra ankle movement to make it easier for him to walk on ballast.
In 2012, he and his wife, Barbara, moved to the Midlands. Steve, who was nominated in the Train Driver of the Year category at the RailStaff Awards 2017, now works for Freightliner, based out of the company’s Rugby depot.
Last year, Steve received an e-mail through from Help for Heroes asking if he’d be interested in taking part in the Invictus Games – a multi- sport competition for injured military veterans fronted by Prince Harry. “I knew about Help for Heroes. I never knew there was a component within that called Band of Brothers and Sisters and that part was just basically set up for people that were wounded on active service or doing their military service,” said Steve.
In September, Steve was part of the British team that travelled to Toronto to compete at the Invictus Games. Although Steve took part in powerlifting, shot put and the 100 metres, it is the former where his passion lies. He comfortably bench presses 90kg as we chat and, thanks to the help of his trainers at Simply Gym in Hinckley, he managed a personal best in the competition with a lift of 126kg.
Steve, who turned 50 in October, is targeting a medal in the middle weight category at next year’s competition and recently improved on that personal best with a weight of 140kg, which would have been enough to win a medal in that category this year.
The standard of the field is clear. The powerlifting competition, which was held in an ice hockey stadium, was won by UK competitor Martin Tye with a lift of 188kg – almost 30 stone. What’s more, unlike the traditional bench press technique where the lifter’s legs are planted to the floor, the rules require all competitors to lie flat on their back with their legs up.
GOOSEBUMPS
Steve said he was staggered by the reception all the competitors received while they were out there. “It’s amazing,” said Steve. “I got to meet President Obama. Harry’s all over the place… He’s just like a good mate now.”
Swiping through his phone, Steve has countless photos and videos from his time in Canada, including footage of him getting a VIP police escort through Toronto. He starts playing another video he took of the UK team’s bus arriving for the opening ceremony. “We were told there might be a few people outside the Air Canada Centre,” said Steve. There were actually thousands of people there to greet them. “The goosebumps that I had when I got there.”
Photo: Help for Heroes
Steve hopes to continue to be part of the UK’s Invictus Games team in the coming years. He and several of his fellow competitors have been invited to attend the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony in Liverpool in December.
The first powerlifting training camp for the 2018 games in Sydney will be held at the start of next year but, with fewer spaces available, competition will be fierce. As well as powerlifting, Steve is planning to try out for athletics, cycling, archery and indoor rowing. He’s also set his sights on becoming team captain.
Steve said he is now becoming more involved with other aspects of the work undertaken by Britain’s military charities. In January, he will be working with actors at a London theatre to learn how to tell his story through a course organised by Blesma – a charity for limbless veterans.
“People think the Invictus Games [is just about] people that have been shot/blown up in Afghanistan, where 40 per cent of the people that went out this year were injured not through Afghanistan, like myself, but have had genuine accidents on exercise.”
MASTER OF MY FATE
Like many of his teammates, Steve has had Invictus Games tattoos done as a reminder of his involvement. He has the Invictus Games logo on one bicep and two lines from William Ernest Henley’s Invictus poem on the other, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul”.
Steve will discover his fate in May when the 2018 team is announced. Until then he plans to continue to train hard so he can return in 11 months’ time with more stories to tell.
CrossCountry and the British Transport Police (BTP) have launched a seasonal campaign to remind passengers to store their luggage responsibly.
The train operator hopes to tackle a rising trend in lost or stolen property at six hotspot areas.
Over the coming weeks, CrossCountry will be handing out thousands of special luggage tags, which include a short free video to download where BTP chief inspector Andrea Graham offers important and practical advice on taking luggage on trains.
You can watch the video by downloading the XC Community Hub app and scanning the TravelSmart logo. Photo: CrossCountry.
CrossCountry managing director Andy Cooper said: “We know our trains can get very busy at this time of year, when people are travelling home for the holidays, visiting their families or delivering Christmas presents. This year we wanted to do something special by showing them some helpful tips on storing and taking care of their belongings.
“Watching someone explain the best way to look after your belongings brings the message home, and having chief inspector Graham present the message in person gives it an appropriate level of importance.”
The film can be accessed by downloading an app from the Google Play or Apple Store and scanning the TravelSmart logo on the tag.
