err 2013 - 6

www.europeanrailwayreview.com Issue 6 2013

JOIN US AT:Rail & Public TransportSafety & Security 2014

6 March 2014, London, UKSee Page 38

SignallingPhilippe Citroën (UNIFE),

Henrik Holtermann (Banedanmark) andPedro Fortea (MAFEX)

UK ProfileNetwork Rail’s capacity case for HS2,Birmingham New Street station revampand Northern Rail’s new vision

European Railway Reviewwww.europeanrailwayreview.com 1 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013

Yes and no, as DB (German Rail) is having a devilof a time getting its new Velaros passed forpassenger service, as manufacturer Siemenshas not yet jumped the hurdle of getting them approved for multiple operation withinGermany, let alone getting them passed forcross-border service. The signs are that DB willnot be introducing a service competing withEurostar through the Channel Tunnel until 2018at the earliest, although hopefully DB’s newtrains will come in on services from Germany toParis, Brussels and Amsterdam before that!

The original idea was that Eurostar would beable to ride the coat-tails of DB in getting theVelaro certified for cross-border service, but itlooks now as if things will be the other way round:Eurostar will be blazing the trail on theintroduction of the new trains into internationalservice. In the circumstances, Eurostar is beingsuitably cautious with its announcement aboutthe timing of the introduction of trains on theAmsterdam route. Anyway, the principal purposeof the new trains is to refresh the fleet on thecompany’s prime London to Paris route, whereEurostar hopes to introduce them in mid-2015.

Nevertheless, London to Amsterdam is anattractive market for Eurostar. The two services aday planned in each direction, with a journeytime of about four hours, should win over a

sizeable number of the more than three millionpassengers who travel this route annually by air.

The announcement about the London toAmsterdam service had as much to do withinternal Dutch politics as it did the ambitions ofEurostar. The Dutch Government appears to be indifficulty – the cancellation in the spring of theorder for Fyra high-speed trains for the Brusselsto Amsterdam route, following technicalproblems with the units, leaves the expensiveAntwerp to Schiphol HSL Zuid high-speed linewoefully underused.

The under-utilisation of the line was alreadya glaring problem even before the Fyra servicestarted fitfully in December last year. The line hadbeen ready since 2009 (although even that wasno triumph, as the civil engineering ran late, too).With Fyra gone, the only trains using it now arethe Thalys Amsterdam to Paris services (oneevery couple of hours) and the half-hourly Dutchdomestic trains between Amsterdam, Rotterdamand Breda using Traxx dual-voltage locos andconventional 160km/h rolling stock.

With the Dutch Government underwritingthe access charges on the new route andpassengers making only a small contribution atpresent, the cost of the new line is a contentiousissue: being able to point to a through-service toLondon in the near future is a big political bonus.

With the Fyra trains out of the picture, it willtake time to find suitable rolling stock for theroute, but NS (Dutch Railways) is arranging formany more Dutch domestic services to use thenew high-speed line in 2016.

The HSL Zuid story has not been a happy oneso far, although hopefully it will have a goodending. But experiences such as this make itdifficult to sell the idea of high-speed railelsewhere, in contentious corridors such as theUK’s High Speed 2 (HS2) between London and Birmingham.

The case for high-speed rail on a heavily-populated route such as HS2 is much strongerthan it is on many cross-border routes, such asPerpignan to Figueres and Brussels to Aachen,where the high-speed lines seem to have beenconstructed more as a statement of faith in a cohesive European Union than to meet any real market need. Corridors within a singlecountry are usually busier, as they cater tohistoric travel patterns.

It is no coincidence that Europe’s first high-speed line was built between Paris and Lyon,where the historic route had become full-up andthe French took the visionary step of building ahigh-speed route between their two largest citiesas a relief line. Exactly the same logic applies toHS2 in the UK.

INTRODUCTION

It is welcome news that Eurostar intends to introduce through-services between London and Amsterdam in theDecember 2016 timetable change. The intention is to utilise the company’s new e320 Velaro multi-system sets onthis route, 10 units of which are currently being constructed by Siemens. That gives three years to get the units readyfor passenger service – a leisurely timetable, surely, considering that the first unit is already on test in Belgium?

James Abbott Technical Editor, European Railway Review

Utilising high-speed lines

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1 INTRODUCTIONUtilising high-speed linesJames Abbott, Technical Editor, European Railway Review

7 FOREWORDPlanning ahead to meet future demandStephen Hammond MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, UK

8 NEWS12 UK & IRELAND PROFILE:

NORTHERN RAILA clear vision for rail in the NorthAlex Hynes, Managing Director, Northern Rail

14 UK & IRELAND PROFILE: NETWORK RAILRebuilding for a proper gatewayA look at the Birmingham New Street station revamp

16 UK & IRELAND PROFILE: NETWORK RAILMaking the capacity case for HS2Rupert Walker, Head of High-Speed Rail Development, Network Rail

19 UK PROFILE: FIRST GREAT WESTERNNew FGW franchise to build on improvementsLooking at what the new FGW franchise will bring

22 UK & IRELAND PROFILE: LONDON OVERGROUNDInvestment, improvement andmodernisation at London OvergroundPeter Austin, Managing Director, London Overground Rail Operations Ltd

25 UK & IRELAND PROFILE: TRANSLINKTranslink leads the way in sustainablestation development Clive Bradberry, Infrastructure Executive, Translink

29 UK & IRELAND PROFILE:UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAMCombating the cold weatherEdd Stewart and Clive Roberts, Birmingham Centre for Railway Research andEducation, University of Birmingham

36 FRANCERFF’s impressive rail networkmodernisation planMatthieu Chabanel, Deputy General Director, Marketing and Planning, RFF


CONTENTS

The B 66 U is a high-output universaltamping machine for S & C’s as well as

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Editorial BoardLibor LochmanExecutive DirectorCommunity of European Railway and InfrastructureCompanies (CER)

Robin GisbyManaging Director, Network OperationsNetwork Rail

Alex HynesManaging Director, Northern Rail

Alex VeitchEU Representative and Sustainability ManagerAssociation of Train Operating Companies (ATOC)

Andrew McNaughtonChief Engineer & Technical DirectorHigh Speed Two Ltd

Poul FrøsigSenior Adviser on Transportation, EUInteroperability, Signalling and Control Systems

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40 SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONSSUPPLEMENTTotal renewal in Denmark is on time and on budgetHenrik Holtermann, Head of Secretariat in the Signalling Programme,Banedanmark

44 SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONSSUPPLEMENTThe European rail industry’s commitment to ERTMS implementationPhilippe Citroën, Director General, UNIFE and Michel Van Liefferinge, General Manager, UNISIG

48 SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONSSUPPLEMENTThe signalling sector opens the door to the Spanish industry Pedro Fortea, Director, MAFEX – the Spanish Railway Association

50 SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONSSUPPLEMENTTelecommunications: ringing in the newÉric Le Moal, Head of ERTMS and Telecom Services, RFF

53 BOGIESFLEXX Compact – the most successful bogieplatform for regional and commuter trainsFrederik Allert, Project Engineer, Bombardier Transport France S.A.S.

58 NOISE & VIBRATIONS SUPPLEMENTReducing vibrations near railway lines –ways for finding effective measuresWolfgang Behr, RIVAS Coordinator, UIC and Isabelle De Keyzer, Dissemination ofEU Co-Funded R&D Projects, UIC

62 NOISE & VIBRATIONS SUPPLEMENTIndustry cooperation needed for a less noisy railwaySiv Leth, Chairwoman, UNIFE Noise Mirror Group and Nicolas Furio, Coordinator,UNIFE Noise Mirror Group

65 NOISE & VIBRATIONS SUPPLEMENTSpeech intelligibility in trainsJesús Otero Yugat, Senior Test Engineer, CETEST and Igor Alonso Portillo, Director– Strategy and Business Development, CETEST

68 INTEROPERABILITYTAP TSI – improving the customerexperience of European rail journeys Rütger Fenkes, Project Leader, TAP TSI

70 NEWSTRACK


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CONTENTS

Independent auditwatchdog service forprinted publications

European Railway Review can guarantee its circulation is 7,494 (for the 6 issues distributed between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012). The publication is ABC audited .This is anindependent verification that our circulation is genuine.

Printed by

Registered Office as above.Russell Publishing Ltd, is registered as a Limited Company in England, Number 2709148VAT Number GB 577 8978 47

No responsibility can be accepted by Russell Publishing Limited, the editor, staff orany contributors for action taken as a result of the information and other materialscontained in our publications. Readers should take specific advice when dealingwith specific situations. In addition, the views expressed in our publications by anycontributor are not necessarily those of the editor, staff or Russell Publishing Ltd.As such, our publications are not intended to amount to advice on which relianceshould be placed. We therefore disclaim all liability and responsibility arising fromany reliance placed on such materials by any reader, or by anyone who may beinformed of any of its contents. Published November 2013

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HIGH-CAPACITY I PRECISION I RELIABILITY

Importantly, it will benefit from a step change ininvestment. Rising passenger and freightdemand since privatisation had stretched thecapacity of the railway to its limits. In res-ponse, the Government has embarked on the biggest rail modernisation programme inBritain for generations.

One of the tangible benefits will be an extra140,000 seats at peak times by the end of thedecade. Between 2014 and 2019, infrastructureoperator Network Rail is planning to spend over£35 billion to run and expand the railway. Of that,the Government is investing over £9 billion todeliver major improvements across the country.

We are electrifying 850 miles of track, andspending £5.8 billion on new rolling stock for ourmain north-south lines. We are also buildingCrossrail – a new high capacity railway forLondon and the South East.

Despite this increased level of expenditure,we will be running out of capacity on our busiestroutes in the years ahead. Inter-city rail demandhas doubled in 15 years – faster than the rest of the network.

To address these challenges, we are pressingahead with HS2 – a new high-speed network forBritain running from London to Birmingham,Manchester and Leeds. Construction is due to start in 2017.

While high-speed rail will speed-up journeysand improve connectivity, the real argument forbuilding HS2 is providing the capacity to meetincreasing passenger demand. HS2 would becapable of carrying 14 trains per hour in eachdirection, rising to 18 trains when the network is complete – each capable of carrying up to 1,100 passengers. It will link eight of our 10 biggest cities, deliver around £2 of economicbenefits for every £1 spent, and create at least 100,000 jobs. As long-distance servicestransfer onto HS2, capacity will be created on theexisting network.

All these investments will give Britain a worldclass railway, with the capacity we need toprosper. But the railway will need to change inother ways.

Smart ticketing technologies will transformthe way that passengers use services. We recentlyannounced a trial of flexible ticketing, which, for example, would offer discounted fares forthose travelling outside the peak, and flexibleseason tickets for people who don’t work five days a week. Ultimately, passengers will have a single smartcard to travel on diff-erent routes and different modes of transport,allowing for a system to be designed to suittravellers individually.

We are also committed to simplifying the

current, complex system of fares where possible,and making sure that the information provided isclearer and more customer-friendly. And as oureconomy recovers, we will make fares moreaffordable. We have already made a start byreducing average fare rises.

Looking at the structure of the industry inBritain, I think we will see closer collaborationsbetween train and track operators. Partnershipslike the one formed by South West Trains andNetwork Rail will help align objectives to improvethe railway for passengers, and ensure thatdifferent parts of the industry do what they do best – whether it is selling tickets, runningsignals, or fixing track. However, it is notimpossible to imagine alliances which includebuilding or infrastructure companies, as well astrain companies.

The next 20 years promise to be exciting onesfor Britain’s railway. By 2033, HS2 will be built andrunning. Crossrail will be more than a decade oldand a familiar part of London life. Our currentmainlines will be largely electric. Services will befaster, more frequent, more accessible and easierto use than ever before.

Therefore the increase in passenger journeysthat we have seen since privatisation is likely tocontinue. As our economy grows, rail demand willgrow. And this time, we will be ready to meet it.


FOREWORD

It is 20 years since Britain’s railways were privatised. At the time it was seen as a risky move, even though thenetwork had grown increasingly unreliable and inefficient under state operator British Rail. Responsibility fortracks and trains was split, and private companies were invited to bid for regional franchises. Two decades later,the benefits of privatisation are clear. Passenger journeys have doubled to a level not seen since the 1920s, railfreight has grown by half, and revenue is up by more than £3 billion. And on a network roughly the same size asthen, our railway today is running 4,000 extra services a day. But how our railway will continue to succeed over thenext 20 years is now the key question.

Planningahead to meetfuture demand Stephen Hammond MP

Parliamentary Under Secretary ofState for Transport, UK

The new generation MATISA B 66 U tamping machine

European Railway ReviewVolume 19, Issue 6, 2013 8

NEWS

Further Reading:Do you want to know what the latest ERTMS plansare in Denmark? Turn to page 40 in this issue ofEuropean Railway Review to read an article fromHenrik Holtermann, Head of Secretariat in theSignalling Programme at Banedanmark.

The new generation MATISA B 66 U tamping machine

The European Union will co-finance with €11.5 million from the TEN-T Programme aproject to electrify the last missing section on theCopenhagen–Esbjerg rail line and build a new trackto the Port of Esbjerg.

The project, which was selected for fundingunder the 2012 TEN-T Annual Call, will install anelectric overhead system with associated powersupply units throughout the entire 57km double-track line from Esbjerg to Lunderskov, in Denmark.The TEN-T funds will also support the upgrade of the existing line from Esbjerg main station to itsport, as well as two 450m tracks connecting themain railway system directly with the Port ofEsbjerg’s terminal area.

Completion of the project will eliminate a bottleneck and optimise modal shift. Theelectrification of the railway line will have apositive impact on the environment by reducingpollutant emissions and contribute to better re-balancing of transport modes in favour of rail.

The initiative will be monitored by the Trans-European Transport Network ExecutiveAgency (TEN-T EA) and is set to be completed bythe end of 2015.

http://tentea.ec.europa.eu/

EU to supportDanish railimprovements

The B 66 U (fully compliant to EN requirements) is auniversal lining and leveling tamping machine capableof handling all types of switches and plain line with a very high performance in terms of output, flexibilityand ease of use.

Featuring three working and driving cabins withan emphasis on ergonomics, view on the workingcomponents and usage of space, this machine ischaracterised by its compactness and light-weight for abig, high-output machine.

The four tamping units are completely inde -pendent in vertical, lateral and longitudinal directions.In switches, the diverting track can be wedged at adistance of 2,800mm from the track axis on which themachine is operating. Each tamping unit has thepossibility to move 560mm longitudinally. In additionto the combined hook and roller universal clamp, the B 66 U is fitted with two synchronised telescopicdiverting track lifting devices, making the B 66 Ucapable of handling the heaviest concrete sleepersfound on switches used on high-speed lines. Thismachine can also handle switches fitted with hingedsleepers and tracks featuring Y shaped sleepers.

The new generation B 66 U features: a newHuman Machine Interface (HMI) which allows easier

use of the machine controls, a more rapid interactionand a greater comfort for the operator; a largelyimproved diagnostics software that provides visual andeasily understandable fault finding capabilities; animproved optical measuring system (NEMO) whichfeatures completely new electronics and LEDtechnology; a new guiding software capability(MIRIS); a reduced engine regime during work and avariable engine regime during transit (with the benefitsof a hydrostatic drive) for lower energy consumptionand lower noise emission; an improved universal S & Cclamp (additional rotational degree of freedom) tofacilitate the lifting of the switches; an improveddiverting track lifting clamp (additional rotationaldegree of freedom) in order to accommodate moretypes of switches; a new control system of the verticalmovement of the tamping tools to allow for precisionpositioning; a new ballast brush featuring an adjustableaxle to allow for the different sleeper shapes; andintegrated ballast compacting units.

MATISA has more than 50 years of know-howand expertise in the design and making of on-trackmachines and is always looking to improve for the future.

www.matisa.com

Renfe and MAFEXcollaborate topromote the railsector abroadMAFEX (the Spanish railway association) and Renfe(the Spanish rail operator) have recently signed acooperation agreement with the aim of promoting theSpanish railway sector abroad and encourage a greaterinternational presence of Renfe and the Spanishrailway industry. The agreement, signed by theChairmen of RENFE and MAFEX, Julio Gómez-Pomar and Victor Ruiz Piñeiro, states that the partieswill develop different activities, such as technicalresearch and assistance, training programmes,specialised visits and technology and innovationpromotion applied to rail transport.

www.mafex.es

Further Reading:How is MAFEX currently working to promote theSpanish signalling sector? Read more from PedroFortea, Director of MAFEX, on page 48 in this issue ofEuropean Railway Review.

Vossloh EspañaEURO 4000locomotives for ETF

The EURO 4000 is the mostpowerful diesel-electric locomotivemanufactured in Europe

ETF – the French rail construction company – hasordered two EURO 4000 locomotives from VosslohEspaña for freight services. The vehicles are intendedto transport building materials for the construction ofrailway lines.

These new units will be in-service before summer2014; ETF will use them on their high-speed linesjobsites on the East European high-speed line and theHSL Tours–Bordeaux.

The EURO 4000 is the most powerful diesel-electric locomotive manufactured in Europe. It is ahighly innovative vehicle that stands up due to itsversatility, performance, technology and environmentalcompliance, and it can pull longer and heavier freighttrains at faster speed than its competitors, whichincreases the operator’s competitiveness and efficiency.

www.vossloh-espana.com

Alstom branded Pendolinoon West Coast Main Line


NEWS

EVENTSRail & Public TransportSafety & Security 20146 March 2014Location: London, UKEmail: [email protected]: www.eurotransportmagazine.com/rptss

UIC ERTMS WorldConference 20141-3 April 2014Location: Istanbul, TurkeyEmail: [email protected]: www.ertms-conference2014.com

Scandinavian RailDevelopment 201429 April 2014Location: Oslo, NorwayEmail: [email protected]: www.scandinavianraildevelopment.com

If you have a diary event you wish to publicise, send details to Sarah Wills at:

[email protected]

Alstom has recently been awarded a contract worth over €12 million by Virgin to modernise its entire fleet of 56 Pendolino trains. The contract includes the refurbishment of the interiors, bar, kitchen facilities and toilets. The work is being undertaken at Alstom Traincare Centres in Oxley (Wolverhampton) and Longsight (Manchester)and will be performed over a period of eight months. The interior modernisation will enhance the comfort of around20 million passengers travelling each year on lines from London to Birmingham or to Glasgow.

www.alstom.com

€12m Alstom overhaul of Virgin Pendolinos

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STRAIL prides itself on creating solutionsalongside high levels of service and their customersare testament to this with their satisfaction of themany STRAIL products that have been installed onlevel crossings worldwide.

In a digital-download of European RailwayReview’s Level Crossing Safety Supplement fromIssue 4 2013, an incorrect link was used to directviewers to STRAIL’s website. The correct websiteaddress is: www.strail.de.

Rubber levelcrossings: STRAIL is theworld leader

The Swedish cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg willsoon be connected by a new open access express trainservice operated by the MTR Corporation. MTR,which also runs the large Stockholm Metro system,will provide 110 weekly services in brand new trainson the 455km-long route between Stockholm andGothenburg. The service is the latest development inMTR’s growth across Europe which has already seenit expand London Overground under the LOROLjoint venture, which now runs 1,200 services a day –up from 400 when LOROL took over in 2007. MTRis also shortlisted for four upcoming franchises andconcessions in the UK namely, Thameslink, EssexThameside, Crossrail and ScotRail.

MTR will invest over £66 million to purchasesix all-new train sets to operate on the Swedish route.The trains will be designed and built to provide high-quality, reliable services in Nordic weatherconditions. As part of the contract, the rolling stockmanufacturer, Stadler Rail AG, will providemaintenance services for the new fleet.

“Our strategy is to bring a fast, new premium-

quality service to Swedish intercity passengers. We believe this will not only be attractive to existingrail passengers, but will also draw other business and leisure travellers to choose rail over other modes of transport to commute between Sweden’sEast and West coasts,” said Jay Walder, CEO of MTR Corporation.

Jeremy Long, CEO of MTR Europe comm -ented: “We are excited to be providing this newservice to our passengers in Sweden. Introducingnew trains to an existing route, in harsh weatherconditions can be a challenge. We will draw on ourlocal Swedish management and our experience inthis area from our operations around the world,including London Overground and Hong Kong.”

MTR Express will be operated by MTR Nordic,a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTR Corporation.Delivery of the new train sets is scheduled forAutumn 2014, and the MTR Express service will belaunched following testing and commissioning of the new trains.

www.mtr.com.hk

MTR to launch open access train service in Sweden

Balfour Beatty has been awarded a €64 millionCrossrail contract by Network Rail for theelectrification of a 12.5-mile section of the GreatWestern Main Line in the UK. The contract covers theinstallation of new overhead line electrificationequipment on all lines between Stockley Junction andMaidenhead on the Crossrail West Outer section. It alsoincludes supporting ancillary civils and power works.For this contract, Balfour Beatty will use its new andenhanced plant solutions including the new HighOutput Wiring Train which offers safer and moreefficient installation of overhead lines.

www.balfourbeatty.com

€64m Crossrailelectrification contractto Balfour Beatty

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“Before I took up the role, looking at the scaleand complexity of the Northern network, thenatural assumption was that it shouldn’t reallywork, but it does,” comments Alex. “The size of the network, the complex fleet with 13 differ -ent classes of train, and interfaces with over 10 different train and freight operators, allpresent their own challenges but the team has worked hard to develop and maintain aservice that meets customer, stakeholder andclient needs.”

Operating in five Passenger TransportExecutive (PTEs) areas, all of which (Merseytravel,Transport for Greater Manchester, Metro – WestYorkshire, South Yorkshire and Nexus – Tyne and Wear) are co signatories to the franchisealong with the DfT, Northern is a heavilysubsidised TOC.

“The team has had much to prove; not onlyto our industry partners but also to ourcustomers,” explains Alex. “They are very aware

that as a heavily subsidised TOC delivering goodvalue for money is something on the tip ofeveryone’s tongue.”

Alex continues: “Independent researchestimates that each year our services generate atleast £690 million of economic and other benefitsfor the UK economy, providing a 2:1 return to thenorth of England on the subsidy we receive. It’s good but we know that we need to work hardto find new and innovative ways of deliveringbetter value and improved services and facilitiesat lower cost. Partnerships are essential tohelping us achieve this. With Network Rail we arefocusing on how we can work together to delivera better railway, looking at processes andsystems to ensure we get the best value formoney and reduce waste. A great example of thisis the depot at Allerton which reopened onMerseyside in 2011. From an initial estimate ofthree years construction, it went from derelictsite to fully-operational in six months and it was a

collaborative effort. People were willing to take afresh look at how we do things and come up withnew streamlined safe ways of working – it was areal will and desire to deliver.”

Allerton is just one example of whereNorthern’s partnership with Network Rail hasresulted in value for money and efficiencyimprovement and is a text book case for theargument that shows TOCs could have a strongerrole to play in developing and implementingmajor projects.

And it’s not just a good working relationshipwith Network Rail, as Alex explains: “Northern’srelationship with its stakeholders and theengagement and investment that delivers wasone of the things that really attracted me to thisrole. I was really struck by the level of supportstakeholders showed for Northern, its employeesand customers – they really fight in our corner. In my first month I attended some of our annualstakeholder thank you events. It was a real


Operating 2,500 services every day, Northern Rail serves an area stretching from the Scottish Borders down toNottingham and Stoke and from Southport and Sellafield in the West to Whitby and Hull in the East. It’s a wideranging landscape of rural communities, market towns and bustling urban centres where rail services are at theheart of economic regeneration. The franchise was let in 2004 and originally set to run until September 2011with no forecast of significant growth in passenger numbers. Fast forward nine years and customer journeyshave increased by an impressive 42% with journeys on target to total 96 million by the end of the year. After anautomatic extension for meeting performance targets, and a seven period continuation enacted by theDepartment for Transport (DfT), the latest review of the franchising programme means the team at Northern isnow talking to the DfT about potentially operating for a further 22 months until February 2016. Enter newManaging Director – Alex Hynes. Previously Commercial Director at London Midland and most recently MD RailDevelopment for Go-Ahead, Alex joined Northern in August and in an exclusive interview with European RailwayReview discusses the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

A clear vision for rail in the North

UK & IRELAND PROFILENORTHERN RAIL

privilege to meet station adopters, ‘friends of’groups and community rail partnerships whogive their time and effort to help make their localstations and services more welcoming places for their community. Whether it’s those thatvolunteer their time, campaign for improve -ments or corporate partners such as localauthorities and the PTEs their commitment anddetermination to deliver a better railway for thenorth of England is clear. These relationshipshave realised over £100 million of investmentinto services and facilities, which is great news forour customers. Our stakeholders aren’t afraid to challenge us either when they believe we cando better.”

A prime example of this is the recentconsultation Northern held for its May 2014timetable change proposals. The introduction ofa fifth transpennine path between Manchesterand Leeds means that the local service patternsneed to be recast.

Alex continues: “As a result of our consul -tation some of our stakeholders challenged us todo more for our customers on the Calder Valley aswe had removed some stops at some smallerstations. With their local expertise we were ableto revisit the plans, and while we know we won’tplease everyone the overall service pattern isbetter as a result.”

It’s this understanding of rail as a driver ofeconomic regeneration, and a commitment todeliver a better deal for customers across thenorth of England that has meant stakeholdersand Northern have been part of a formidableforce that campaigned for the Northern Hub andother infrastructure enhancements.

“It’s such an exciting time to be joining abusiness like Northern,” says Alex. “The railnetwork in the north of England is benefittingfrom the biggest levels of investment since theVictorian era.”

He continues: “The Northern Hub will deliversignificant capacity enhancements. Allowing anextra 700 trains every day it will enable betterjourney times, frequency and connectivity.Coupled with 300km of track between Liverpool,Manchester, Preston, Blackpool and Leeds being electrified, it’s clear to see the progress well underway. The first phase of electrification is already complete with new electric trains being introduced in the North West by the end of the year.”

These are just some of the schemes deliver -ing capacity enhancements to cater for anexpected 23% national growth in passenger and

freight demand over the next five years. And it’snot all about track enhancements. The roof hasquite literally been raised at Manchester Victoria,which is benefitting from a £44 million invest -ment to restore its position as one of the jewels inthe UK rail crown.

“All these enhancement projects are vital toincrease capacity on our network but it isimportant that we have the right quantity andquality of trains to support this,” says Alex.“Passenger journeys on our services have grownby 42% since the start of the franchise but ourfleet has only grown by 19% and it is welldocumented that our trains are some of theoldest in the UK. Our engineering teams do afantastic job day-in day-out of maintaining ourfleet – they’ve used lean thinking to help toreduce the time taken on exams and enhanceprocesses to drive real improvements in miles percasualty and availability of units. It’s essential aseven with every available carriage out on thenetwork, there are still times when we are leavingcustomers standing on the platform and that isjust not good enough.”

Alex continues: “Yes I want new trains for ourcustomers but that is not something we willachieve in the short-term. Electrification will allow faster more reliable and sustainablejourneys but it could also, in the short andmedium-term, enable a cascade of vehicles tohelp provide much needed capacity else-where. I want to work with our stakeholders to campaign for and secure the volume and qualityof trains our customers need and deserve. Thiswork needs to start now, and must tackle thecritical question of funding. Fare box incomealone has not yet proven itself capable of

supporting increased rolling stock procure-ment, and it is clear that affordable finance in acompetitive market is key to easing thesecapacity constraints.”

“Northern has a vision for rail in the North,it’s one shaped by our customers, one thatsupports our communities. We need to worktogether; to deliver a strategic plan that convertsthe challenges of capacity into a blueprintleveraging the opportunities in growth.”

With the future of Northern’s operation notyet confirmed by the Department, some mightwant to take a cautious approach. On thecontrary, says Alex: “We have to look to and planfor the future for the good of our customers and the economies of the north of England. We need to act and make decisions now or themomentum created by infrastructure invest-ment will be lost.”


UK & IRELAND PROFILENORTHERN RAIL

Alex Hynes joined Northern Railas Managing Director in August2013. Having spent his earlycareer as a consultant forHalcrow Fox, Alex worked withthe Office of Rail Regulationbefore joining the Go-Ahead

Group in 2005 as Strategic Planning Manager and,in 2007, as Commercial Director at LondonMidland, and finally, as Managing Director – RailDevelopment. Here Alex sat on the ExecutiveCommittee and led the development anddelivery of Go-Ahead’s rail strategy including allfranchise bidding activity. As Managing Directorfor Northern, Alex’s industry experience positionshim well to implement the next programme ofimprovements that will drive excellence anddeliver greater satisfaction for customers and stakeholders across the Northern network.

Passenger journeys on Northern services havegrown by 42% since the start of the franchise

Network Rail Project Director Chris Montgomerysaid: “The New Street revamp is one of the mostcomplex construction projects in Europe, as notonly are we redeveloping a 1967 structure, weare also undertaking major construction anddemolition over a live operating railway,without impacting any rail services or disruptingpassengers as a result of our works.”

And in April 2013, passengers saw the firstmajor change to the station’s operations, as theold concourse was shut and half of the plannednew concourse area was brought into use.

For those who are unacquainted with New Street’s charms, the 1960s building,designed by British Rail’s in-house architect,

hid the 12 platforms under a concrete raft and put the Pallasades shopping centre and car park on top. Hence, unusually for a large station, the platforms are considered to be‘under ground’ and are subject to undergroundfire and safety regulations.

The nature of the raft meant that a straightdemolition and rebuild was not possible. In factthe pressure on the station is so great that only one platform can be taken out of use at atime without causing the railway to grind to a halt, with a train arriving or departing every 37 seconds. So a design was created that wouldsee a hole punched in the centre of the building,letting natural light down into a new concourseto be 3.5 times the size of the old station andcreated partly on the bones of the old and partlyin the former NCP car park.

April 2013 saw the former car park spaceopened as a concourse, following the removal of7,500 tonnes of concrete from within the


When the last round of redevelopment work began at Birmingham New Street in the 1960s, England were on theverge of winning the World Cup and rail travel was forecast to decline. Since then rail travel has enjoyed rathermore success than the England football team and the station handles double the number of passengers it wasdesigned for – 140,000 per day at the last count. Such was the overcrowding that four years ago Network Railand its delivery partner Mace began to rebuild1 the station into a proper gateway for the City of Birmingham.

Rebuilding for aproper gateway

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‘‘The New Street revamp is one of the most complex construction projects in Europe,

as not only are we redeveloping a 1967structure, we are also undertaking majorconstruction and demolition over a liveoperating railway, without impacting

any rail services or disrupting passengers as a result of our works’’

structure. This was achieved by Mace con -structing a track and hoyer system, where cranerails were run the length of the building to act asthe track, and a gantry crane brought in to act as the hoyer. The concrete was cut up and takenaway in 10 tonne chunks, largely recycled onother construction projects in the region.

However, as if that wasn’t enough, a solutionhad to be found for moving the station’s servicespine, which ran along the wall of the oldconcourse. A modular solution was chosen,which saw the new spine built in sections off-siteand bolted together inside New Street andhidden in the roof space of the new concourse.

Once that was done, the original unlovedconcourse could be closed and passengersmoved into part one of the new station. Despiteeffectively only being half-time in the project, thetemporary concourse is still one and a half timesbigger than the old and offers passengers a moremodern, brighter environment with better ticketoffice facilities and access to platforms.

Work is now underway on the old concoursearea, to create a large, inviting space, floodedwith natural light from an ETFE (Ethylene TetraFluoro Ethylene) roof (the same material as usedin the Eden Project biomes) and the atrium theheight of eight double-decker buses. The 1967structure was built as nine rectangular concretesections and the hole is being created byremoving the middle one, allowing the rest of thestructure to continue to support itself.

Natural light will also then permeate thestation and a new shopping centre, called Grand Central, which will wrap around the openarea. Such has been the enthusiasm for theproject that more than 80% of Grand Central’s

200,000 sq ft floor space has already been let, and it won’t even open until 2015.

The project also received a major boost in2011, when John Lewis announced it was joiningthe scheme. Their 250,000 sq ft store – the firm’sbiggest outside London – is taking shape on thesite of a former housing tower block (StephensonTower) which was demolished earlier in theproject. This and a new entrance will finally link the north and south of the city centre for thefirst time.

“The transformation on this side of thestation will be vast, opening up this area of the city for the first time since the arrival of therailways in the 19th century, demonstrating howprohibitive the previous station has been for cityconnectivity,” explained Chris. “We’re workingwith Birmingham City Council on collaborativeemployment initiatives for local peoplethroughout the life of the project.”

Similarly, the 12 platforms and the con -course will be linked by 30 escalators and 15 lifts, which will massively improve theaccessibility of the station and the throughput ofpassengers. One platform at a time is being takenout of use and refurbished, working across thestation in order, with materials brought in bytrain. That same train is used to remove wasteand runs from the station twice a week, to a baseon sidings out at Bordesley. The nature of the city

centre site means lorry movements have to bekept to a minimum.

But it has not all been plain sailing.Originally, the car park atop the 1967

structure was going to be refurbished. However,once work began it was discovered that salt fromthe underside of cars parked there had mixedwith rainwater and found its way into cracks inthe concrete. This in turn cased the reinforcingbars to corrode within the concrete andconsequently the building had to be demolishedand is now being re-built to serve Grand Central.

Similar problems were also encountered else -where in the structure, requiring expert attention.

Meanwhile, with more than 80 contractorsworking on the project, a small number havefallen into administration as the work has goneon, meaning new specialist workers had to beappointed and a 24/7 shift pattern introduced to hit deadlines.

But work continues at a great pace and morethan 1,000 construction staff are workingtowards the 2015-opening of what is intended tobe a massive spur to regeneration.

As well as John Lewis, the Grand Centralshopping centre will bring more than 40 newshops and 20 restaurants to the site, creatingmore than 1,000 new jobs. When finished, a polished stainless-steel casing will be fixed tothe exterior of the building (currently greyconcrete), to reflect the sky and the City ofBirmingham growing around it.

Reference1. The Birmingham New Street redevelopment project is

funded by Birmingham City Council, the Department forTransport, Centro, the European Union and theDepartment of Business Innovation and Skills and is beingdelivered by Network Rail and Mace.



An artist’s impression of the Western viewof Birmingham New Street station

‘‘Work continues at a great pace and morethan 1,000 construction staff are working

towards the 2015-opening of what is intendedto be a massive spur to regeneration’’

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Passenger demand in Britain has increased by 50% over the last decade and this growth is forecast to continue. By 2020 another 400 million journeys are forecast every year.This growth in demand is hugely positive, butthe truth is our Victorian railway was never builtfor this number of trains. We run more on ournetwork each day than Spain, Switzerland, theNetherlands, Portugal and Norway combinedand as a result the busiest parts of the networkare full at the busiest times of day. Just like abusy motorway, even the smallest of delayscan have a big knock-on impact. Performance is at an all-time high but we can’t just keepadding more trains without significantlycompromising punctuality.

Nowhere is that trade-off currently moreevident than on the West Coast Main Line (WCML)– Britain’s most economically vital rail corridor. It is the busiest mixed-traffic railway in Europe,carrying a quarter of all Britain’s rail freight andhundreds of millions of passengers each year.

Twelve operators use the line, with differenttrains stopping at different stations, at differentfrequencies and other lines joining it at regularintervals. Train paths are as precious as airporttake-off or landing slots and its terminus, LondonEuston, handles more passengers every day than Gatwick.

As the route gets more congested it getsharder to recover from delays. Something assimple as a blown fuse bears comparison to abreakdown on the motorway – it might be fixed quickly but there are tailbacks for the rest of the morning. We have invested heavily,lengthening platforms to enable longer trains to operate and will deliver furtherupgrades to untangle bottlenecks and improveperformance. But in the longer term, demand will still outstrip supply. We know that. Even now, at the busiest times of day, there is no more space to run additional services intoLondon Euston without causing knock-on delays to others on the route – and the

trains that do run see significant levels of overcrowding.

We predict the number of commutersarriving at Euston will grow by 26% between 2011and 2023, but we cannot create enough trainpaths to run the extra services required. By themid-2020s, both the trains and the line will be full.The effects will be felt at the southern end first,with many commuters unable to board theirtrains at the busiest times, before similarproblems start to affect longer-distancepassengers. Although capacity is most con strained at the southern end of the line, long distance trains are often overcrowded, usually outside of the London commuter peaks.Between 2011 and 2023, we expect demand togrow between London and Manchester by up to 46% and even the most pessimistic scenariopredicts that London to Birmingham passengernumbers will grow by a third within 30 years.

So what can we do to create the capacity weneed for the future? Our 2009 ‘New Lines’ study


Britain’s railways are booming. Last year, more than 1.5 billion journeys were made by train and the networkmoved around 100 million tonnes of goods. But railways do much more than just move people and freight; theyconnect homes and workplaces, businesses with markets, they create jobs, stimulate trade and support thegrowth of a balanced economy.

Making the capacitycase for HS2


Rupert Walker Head of High-Speed Rail Development,Network Rail

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examined the capacity challenge on the West Coast Main Line in detail. It concluded that the gap between available capacity andfuture demand was so great that upgrades alone would not be enough. Only new runninglines could meet long-term demand and high-speed lines would provide better value formoney. The government subsequently created acompany, HS2 Ltd, to bring forward proposals fora new line.

HS2 is one of the few issues which enjoys abroad political consensus among our three majorpolitical parties and the current government has worked hard to advance legislation which lays the groundwork for construction to startwithin the next few years. For many of us, HS2 is a no-brainer – the only practical answer to a veryreal capacity crisis which would, left unchecked,stifle economic growth and hurt communities thelength of Britain.

But we must also accept that there are many people in this country – including members of parliament, council leaders,business people and various media ‘comm -entators’ – who believe that HS2 is anunnecessary extravagance. Some have called it a political vanity project. They say that thenecessary capacity can be provided by

lengthening trains and upgrading the existinginfrastructure. It can’t.

In 2011, we were asked by the Departmentfor Transport (Dft) to review specific proposalswhich sought to demonstrate that upgradesalone could meet demand – Atkins’ Rail Package2 and the ‘Optimised Alternative’ created by 51M,a coalition of local authorities opposed to theconstruction of a new line.

The 51M proposal suggests declassifying firstclass carriages, lengthening trains and upgradinginfrastructure on the WCML in a number of areas.Our report found that whilst the proposals dohave the potential to increase capacity (albeit atgreater cost and with more disruption than hadbeen assumed) they would only deliver a short-term benefit. Even if all the upgrades could bedelivered, by the mid-2030s load factors oncommuter services would be back at 122% andyou would still need to build a new line. Incontrast to continued piecemeal upgrades, HighSpeed 2 will provide a step-change in capacity onthe WCML.

Phase 1 between London and Birmingham,which it is hoped will be operational by 2026, willcreate the extra train paths we need to run morecommuter services as well as provide more spacefor freight. An initial study carried out by Network

Rail into how these train paths might be usedshowed that fast-growing commuter towns atthe southern end of the route could get moretrains an hour at peak times and a much betterchance of a seat for commuters. Other placescould see quicker journeys and new directservices. Milton Keynes, for example – which hasseen a 26% increase in passenger numbers in thelast five years alone – will be a major beneficiary,with up to 12 trains an hour to London Euston(currently six) and a journey time reduction of upto a third, as well as better connections to theWest Midlands and neighbouring towns.Crucially, all passengers would have a reasonableexpectation of a seat, even at the busiest times of day.

Phase 2, which will connect Birminghamwith Manchester and Leeds, will not only relievecapacity constraints further north, it could also see the rail network reshaped to deliver a step-change in connectivity, bringing key towns and cities closer together to help driveeconomic growth.

A further initial study into how you might usethe capacity freed up by the completion of thesecond phase of HS2 highlighted three possibleapproaches to its integration. The first was a ‘dominimum’ approach, which would keep train


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services on existing lines broadly the same,offering reduced crowding and increased choicefor passengers between high-speed andconventional long-distance services at certainlocations. The second was an ‘incremental’approach, which seeks to replace long-distanceservices on the existing network which arereplicated by those provided by HS2, allowing thecapacity to be used for improved inter-urbanconnectivity and/or additional commutingcapacity. The third was a more radical approachwhich we termed ‘integrated connectivity’ – anexciting concept which would see all future railservices planned in a ‘hub and spoke’ model tocomplement and work in conjunction with HS2.

Even the incremental approach identifiedpotential benefits for over 100 towns and citiesacross Britain, although the integrated conn -ectivity approach was supported by the majorityof stakeholders – local authorities, passengertransport executives and chambers of commerce– who helped us to produce the report.

We will follow up both these reports withmore detailed assessments in due course. It ishugely important that we continue to work withthese stakeholders to consider and plan futurerail services to make the best use of the capacityon both high-speed and existing lines. HS2

provides the kind of opportunity which doesn’tcome along often – to make strategic, well-evidenced decisions about the kind of rail servicewe want for the future.

Let me be clear; HS2 will not solve all of theproblems facing Britain’s congested railway. We will still need to continue investing,improving, upgrading the network to squeezeever more out of our ageing assets. Indeed,Network Rail is investing around £5 billion a yearin renewing and upgrading the railway, and by2019 we will have provided 170,000 extracommuter seats at peak times, expandedLondon’s rail capacity by 20% and providedspace for 700 more trains a day across the northof England.

But in some places that will not be enough.The challenge facing commuters at the southernend of the WCML in a decade’s time will not begetting a seat, but getting on the train in the firstplace. The only answer to a railway running out ofspace but facing huge demand is sustainedstrategic rail investment to build new capacity onthe network and boost connectivity betweenBritain’s towns and cities.

HS2 is a big decision. It is daunting both in itsscale and ambition. And, I fully accept, there arebig questions that will have to be answered along

the way. But the prize is big too – a chance toescape the constant frustration of bending everysinew just to play catch up in a game you cannever win, no matter how hard you try. This is ourchance to move beyond that frustration and, foronce, to get ahead of the game.


As Head of High-Speed RailDevelopment, Rupert Walker isleading Network Rail’s involve -ment in the development anddelivery of Britain’s high-speedrail strategy. Rupert and his teamwork closely with DfT, HS2 Ltd

and other stakeholders to inform and develop theGovernment’s plans and make sure that HighSpeed Two is integrated with the wider network.Bringing together people with expertise andexperience from across Network Rail, includingprojects such as Crossrail, King’s Cross, WestCoast Route Modernisation and BirminghamGateway, Rupert’s team is working closely withlocal route team colleagues and the broaderbusiness so that the value Network Rail adds tothis exciting project is maximised, and the railwaycontinues to evolve and provide vital support forBritain’s economy. Rupert joined the railways inDecember 2000 and has led the development ofprojects including Thameslink, Reading, Crossrailand ERTMS. His ambition is to ride a high-speedtrain on the new line from London to Manchesterbefore his retirement!


The First Great Western storyRunning over 1,550 trains a day, First GreatWestern (FGW) manages 210 stations and callsat a further 60 across the South West network.First Group made the decision in 2011 not totake up a contractually permitted three-yearextension to the franchise, with a view toretendering for a longer-term agreement.

The decision enabled the Department forTransport (DfT) to develop plans for a longer-term franchise that would benefit from and helpto deliver a number of major schemes, includingelectrification of a significant part of the network,the completion of Crossrail and the introductionof the Intercity Express Programme bi-modetrains. First Group was shortlisted to submit a bid for this longer-term franchise, which was

due to begin in July 2013 and run for 15 years, but this process was delayed following thedecision in October 2012 by the DfT to pause itsfranchising programme.

First was asked to continue to operate theGreat Western network and extend the currentfranchise for a further 28-week period beforeentering into negotiations with the DfT to operate the franchise under a short-term Single Tender Award. A 23-month Single TenderAward agreement was reached and commencedon 14 October 2013.

The best providerService delivery for FGW passengers, in a safeand efficient manner, remains at the top of theFGW agenda following the decision to award

the new franchise. The DfT clearly saw FGW as the best provider – a testament to the highstandard of customer service delivered on aday-to-day basis.

The 23-month Single Tender Award agree -ment is good news for rail passengers, providingcontinuity and consistency of service with FGW.The award also allows the company to build on the improvements its experienced team made during the last franchise period from 2006to the end of March 2013.

ImprovementsMuch has been achieved by the rail operatorsince 2006 – passenger volumes have increasedby 25%, with a 40% increase in advancepurchase and off peak travel. Additionally, more

Running services out of London Paddington, across the South and West of England and South Wales, the formerGreater Western franchise began operating on 1 April 2006. Operated by First Group and branded as First GreatWestern, the network combines the previous Great Western Intercity, London and Thames Valley, and WestCountry regional franchises. A second, 23-month franchise agreement began on 14 October 2013.

UK & IRELAND PROFILEFIRST GREAT WESTERN

New FGW franchise tobuild on improvements

than 170 rolling stock vehicles have beenintroduced to the network and perform-ance and customer satisfaction rates haveimproved considerably.

Yet, there is still much for FGW to do tomaintain record levels of passenger growth and satisfaction.

In addition to the new 23-month agreement,FGW are conducting further work with the DfT tosecure improvements, including the introductionof a fleet of electric trains in the London ThamesValley, plus the extension of Wi-Fi provision to itshigh-speed train fleet and additional standardclass capacity. Conversations with the DfT couldalso see the introduction of smart ticketing afterthe company successfully launched a mobileticketing application for both iPhone andAndroid handheld devices.

During the preceding franchise, in 2006, FirstGroup won the Great Western Franchise againststiff competition with a promise to invest toimprove train services. At the time, the averagePublic Performance Measure (PPM) for thenetwork was 82% and overall satisfactionmeasured by the National Passenger Surveyremained static at 77%.

Rolling stock investmentCentral to FGW’s improvement plans was a

comprehensive £80 million re-engineeringprogramme for its high-speed train fleet,replacing ageing engines in all 117 power cars to improve reliability, efficiency and servicelife. More visible to its customers than the re-engineering of the power cars however, was a£65 million investment to provide new, highquality interiors for the 400 carriages in the high-speed train fleet.

The company now has the most high-speedtrains operating the Great Western network sinceit was built, with increased frequencies.

During the last franchise, a £2 millionupgrade was also carried out to the now soughtafter Night Riviera Sleeper which runs betweenLondon Paddington and Plymouth/Penzance.Following extensive consultation with service

users, all 17 sleeper carriages received acomprehensive refurbishment with new interiordécor, lighting and re-upholstered First Classstyle seating giving the carriages a morecomfortable, relaxed feel. An additional carriagewas also leased to harness increasing demand.

More recently, in 2012, interiors wererefreshed with old blankets replaced by morecomfortable duvets. Since 2006, FGW havemanaged to increase passenger numbers on theservice by 10% year-on-year and the new 23-month Single Tender Award will see twoadditional carriages provided to harness demand.

More than 170 new rolling stock vehicleswere introduced since 2006, taking advantage ofthe DfT’s High Level Output Specification (HLOS)programme. FGW secured 48 additional carriagesafter negotiations with the DfT in 2011, to thebenefit of passengers travelling on anincreasingly congested network.

The deal, whereby FGW refurbished formerbuffet cars, provided an extra 4,500 seats forcustomers on peak services into and out ofLondon – a capacity increase of 9%. Five Class180 trains were also leased to replace Turboservices on the North Cotswold line betweenLondon Paddington and Worcester. The rollingstock investment was specifically designed toreduce crowding on the most popular peakservices on the network, particularly those intoand out of London.

The work with the Government to sourceand invest in additional carriages, and sched -uling improvements, has seen a reduction in thenumber of services in the Government’s mostovercrowded services list from all 10 of the top 10 to just one in the latest figures1.

FGW’s expertise has also been harnessedwith the Government’s Intercity ExpressProgramme which will see new bi-mode electricand fuel Intercity trains replace the ageing high-speed fleet and deliver further capacity improve -ments from 2017.



Plans for the West of England over the next 23 months● Continued provision of train services in the direct award franchise based on the Service Level Commitment

that applies in the current FGW franchise, thus retaining through-train services from London to Hereford andWeston-super-Mare.

● Enhanced service scope through the provision of six additional return services between Swindon andWestbury from Monday to Saturday, and five additional return services on Sundays (subject to agreementwith our partners).

● Continued support to progress for the Metro West scheme.● Fitting more long-distance trains with Wi-Fi.● Working with the DfT on longer-term plans to address crowding and capacity challenges through the cascade

of rolling stock to the West of England.● Retaining additional services currently being run as per agreements between FGW and local authorities.

Since 2012 when Agility Trains, of which HitachiRail Europe is the main shareholder, was awarded thecontract to finance, design, manufacture, maintainand deliver the Class 800 series trains into dailypassenger service for the IEP, a lot of work has goneinto the programme.

British design company DCA Design waspicked to lead the interior design process for thetrains, ensuring that the sound engineering basis ofthe trains is mirrored in the comfortable and high-quality interior. A number of contracts wereawarded to British-based suppliers; Gateshead-based Nomad will supply the On-Board Servers,Knorr-Bremse will supply brake systems from theirbase in Wiltshire, specialist glass-maker Romag fromCounty Durham will supply the side windows for thetrains, and Brecknell Willis are contracted tomanufacture the pantographs.

In addition to this, Volker Fitzpatrick is busywith the refurbishment and new build of some of thedepots required for the maintenance of the fleet oftrains. Work in West London’s North Pole depot isprogressing well, and construction of the depot inStoke Gifford is also underway. New builds in Swansea and Doncaster will commence during the course of 2014. Construction of the trainmanufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe has greatlymoved forward and will continue during 2014, withthe facility opening in mid-2015.

Given the on-time delivery and successful trackrecord of the Hitachi Class 395 service currently inoperation, expectations are high for the delivery ofthe Class 800 series train and 2014 will be an excitingyear full of progress and opportunity.

www.hitachirail-eu.com

Project Update – Intercity Express Programme

Passenger growthThe growth in the number of customers usingFGW services has been one of the great successstories of the UK’s privatised rail industry andthe number of people taking advantage of extraservices and capacity continues to increase. A staggering 97 million passenger journeys wereundertaken on the First Great Western networkin the last year alone.

Passenger numbers on the West Countrycommunity rail lines hit two million for the firsttime last year, taking the increase on somebranch lines up by as much as 147% since 2006.Over half a million people used the Tarka Line inthe past year; passenger numbers rose to over175,000 on the Tamar Valley line; by over 104,000on the Looe branch line; over 84,000 on theAtlantic Coast line; over 600,000 on the MaritimeLine; and over half a million on the St Ives Line.Additionally, the community rail line servingBristol fell just short of reaching a millionpassenger journeys.

Among the fastest growing and most reliableof all services offered by FGW, the community railline results show the value of local services andhow productive partnerships with communityrail groups and local authorities can really deliver results.

Station transformationFirst Group started its 2006 Great Western

franchise with a promise of a £14 million invest -ment to transform stations across the networkof 210. By the end of the 2012/2013 financialyear, the total investment secured for stationimprovements reached more than £85 million,including funding for projects from FGW, theDfT, Network Rail and local authorities.

A £10 million redevelopment of Bath Spastation has not only increased the flow ofcustomers through the busy station, but helpedto re-invigorate the southern part of the city;while a £1 million overhaul of Slough stationcreated one fit to transport people to and fromEton Dorney, which hosted the London 2012Olympic rowing events.

ElectrificationGovernment investment for the future of theGreat Western network is set to transformBrunel’s greatest achievements. With £9 billionalready announced for the electrification of theline, this paves the way for faster, more reliableservices and the most of planned investment innew trains. The first of the new Intercity fleet willbe seen on the network from 2017.

Performance riseDuring 2006 to 2012/13, FGW’s performance –measured by the Public Performance Measure(PPM) – increased by more than 6% from 82% to in excess of 89%, and National

Passenger Survey results saw a correspondingrise of 5%. Significant rises in the upkeep andrepair of stations, in cleanliness and in thefacilities provided, and in the provision ofinformation about train times and platformswas also recorded.

The new 23-month franchise agreement willprovide continuity and consistency in the UK railnetwork, allowing the experienced travelprovider to build on the improvements its teamhas made over the last franchise period.

The network’s longer-term future is verypromising if First, committed to supporting thecommunities it serves, can take up the chall-enge to provide innovative solutions in thisincreasingly congested world.

Reference1. Autumn 2012, published in Autumn 2013



First Great Western’s Managing Director is Mark Hopwood who was educated at RoyalGrammar School in High Wycombe and thenjoined British Rail after ‘A’ levels in 1989. Markwas sponsored through the University of Essexfrom 1990 to 1993 where he studied politics. He undertook a variety of operational and customerservice roles in the Thames Valley for BR, NetworkSouthEast and Thames Trains including StationManager at Slough and Performance Manager forThames Trains. In 2000 Mark joined Railtrack PLCand worked as a Passenger Negotiations Managerin its London HQ before re-joining a train oper-ator in 2001 when he was appointed OperationsDirector of First North Western. Mark returnedsouth in 2004 to be Operations Director of NationalExpress Group’s London rail businesses whichincluded c2c, WAGN and Silverlink Metro andCounty. He was made Managing Director of thatbusiness in 2006 when it was reshaped to includec2c, Gatwick Express and both SilverlinkBusinesses. In 2008, Mark left National Express toreturn to First as Performance Director and DeputyManaging Director and he became ManagingDirector of FGW in December of that year. At FGW, Mark restored punctuality, achieved‘Train Operator of the Year’ and worked to deliversubstantial investment with Network Rail in thebusiness and the routes it serves.

Plans for Thames Valley over the next 23 months● Continued provision of train services in the direct award franchise based on the Service Level Commitment

that applies in the current FGW franchise● Immediate start to declassify 21 First Class compartments on the Class 166 Turbo fleet to further improve the

standard class capacity, particularly for Thames Valley commuters● Working with DfT to put in place agreements to address crowding and capacity challenges on commuter

corridors through the provision of electric rolling stock for the Thames Valley area, Oxford and Newbury,allowing for the cascade of DMUs to other areas of the network

● Working in partnership with National Rail, DfT and local authorities to further the plans for the Oxfordstation re-modelling.

Plans for Devon and Cornwall over the next 23 months● Continued provision of train services in the direct award franchise based on the Service Level Commitment

that applies in the current FGW franchise. Thus protecting through-train services from London and theSleeper Service

● Fitting more long-distance trains with Wi-Fi● Provision of two additional sleeper service vehicles which will increase seasonal capacity (one sleeper and

one seated carriage)● Enhanced service scope through the introduction of an additional six return services between Newton Abbot

and Paignton each week day, two of which will go to and from Exeter St Davids (subject to final agreementwith our partners)

● Enhanced service scope through the provision of a limited number of additional return services betweenExeter and Paignton (subject to final agreement)

● Continued support for the Devon Metro and Tavistock service proposition● Supporting Cornwall Council’s plans for the West Cornwall transport interchange.● Protecting additional services currently being run as per agreements between FGW and local authorities.

The last couple of years, in particular, have beenbusy for LOROL. The challenge of unprece -dented passenger numbers during the London2012 Olympic Games and the opening of themuch anticipated East London Line extensionlast December to deliver the Capital’s firstorbital railway in nearly 130 years are two keyprojects that the LOROL team has successfullydelivered throughout this time. And with theproject underway to increase the capacity of the network with the introduction of five-cartrains from December 2014, the successfulinvest ment, improvement and modernisationactivity at LOROL is on track to continue.

An Olympic successLOROL played a key role in the delivery of

outstanding transport performance during theLondon 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.We ran the most intensive train services that thenetwork has ever run and carried more peoplethan ever before.

Approximately 2.8 million passengers werecarried during the first week of the Games alone,and over the four week period of the LondonOlympics, 11.2 million people travelled on 29,000 trains on the Overground network. This represented a 45% increase in passengervolumes for us compared with the same time inthe previous year and was significantly morethan had been estimated by industry expertsprior to the Games.

Since its inception LOROL has relied onstrong relationships with its stakeholders and

industry partners to deliver its contractualcommitments, as well as customer service andpunctuality to passengers. A key factor in thesuccess of LOROL’s Olympic efforts is a result ofthe strong foundations that have been laid here,in particular with key industry partners includingTfL, the British Transport Police, Bombardier andNetwork Rail.

London’s first orbital railway for 128 yearsPartnership working was one of the keycontributing factors to the successful opening ofthe extension from Surrey Quays to ClaphamJunction on the Overground network, whichwas inaugurated by Mayor Boris Johnson on 10 December 2012 and which represented the


Since 2007, London Overground Rail Operations Ltd (LOROL) has been actively transforming the LondonOverground network, modernising the service, improving facilities and providing a better, safer, moreenvironmentally efficient and comfortable experience for its customers. And six years on, LOROL’s delivery ofTransport for London’s (TfL’s) extensive investment in the network is proving to be a real winner.

UK & IRELAND PROFILELONDON OVERGROUND

Investment,improvement andmodernisation atLondon Overground

Peter Austin Managing Director, LondonOverground Rail Operations Ltd

final piece of the LOROL puzzle, completingLondon’s first orbital railway for 128 years.

The network extension means an increase in the number of trains on the Overgroundaround the capital from 945 to 1,090 every day. TfL estimate that more than 12 million pass engers will use the new route each year, which links Surrey Quays on the EastLondon Line to Clapham Junction in the west and which provides the local south London area with greater options for travel. In the past most rail journeys had to be made intoLondon terminals such as Victoria or LondonBridge stations, but the new extension hasgiven passengers the option of going around the city to the east or west, and further up to the north.

A rolling programme of station refurbishmentFrom the very first day that LOROL took over theOverground concession, it has been a businesspriority to improve and maintain stationenvironments and ambience for both pass -engers and staff. On-going investment in CCTV,lighting, painted finishes and clean canopies, aswell as high quality signage have made apositive difference for customers, ensuring that the network benefits from deep rootedimprove ments that have passenger needs andsafety at their core.

Station refurbishment works that werecompleted at Willesden Junction in July 2013,

for example, underline LOROL’s commitment tocreating a safer environment for passengers andstaff, as well as the local community, withimproved road conditions, new lighting and anincreased number of CCTV cameras. Transportlinks have also been improved at the station, withnew bus stops, shelters, cycle racks and short-term parking bays.

This £750,000 scheme was funded byNetwork Rail, TfL and the London Boroughs ofBrent, Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham,with project support from LOROL, along with the main contractor, Walkers Construction,

and the local community group, the HarlesdenTown Team.

The Willesden Junction project demon -strates what can be achieved on the railwayswhen different organisations pull together andfurther emphasises the successful way in whichLOROL has encouraged multi-party working andimprovement schemes on the network since ittook over the concession.

Five-car trains on the Overground networkThe Overground network has come a long waysince LOROL took over the reins yet the rapidlygrowing nature of the railway has meant thebusiness always needs to be looking ahead interms of the next service improvement orproject. In fact, passenger numbers havequadrupled since the concession began andfuture growth estimates confirm that this trend will continue. We are already carryingmore passengers each week than we did duringthe Olympic Games, which in itself saw journeysat unprecedented levels. With this in mind, it’svital that LOROL works with TfL to furtherexpand the railway whilst continuing to deliver punctual trains and first-rate levels ofcustomer service.

Five-car trains will increase the network’scapacity by 25% on all electric routes and theLondon Overground Capacity ImprovementProgramme (LOCIP), as it’s known within thebusiness, therefore represents the next majorproject for LOROL and one that will have a hugelypositive impact on our customers, our stake -



LOROL’s OperationalBuilding Complex

Willesden Junction following thestation improvement works

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holders and industry partners and the companyas a whole.

This £320 million project, funded by TfL,includes the construction of longer platforms at nine stations and the delivery of an extra 57 carriages. Improvement works are alsorequired at LOROL’s Silwood and New Cross Gatedepots, with the first five-car trains officiallyrunning on the East London Line from December2014 and the project being successfullycompleted on the North London Line inDecember 2015.

A positive future for the OvergroundLOROL’s success in recent years has funda -mentally been down to our highly trained andskilled workforce and the strong partnershipswe have formed with other train operatingcompanies, stakeholders, industry partners andour local community.

The LOROL team is particularly importantwhen it comes to this success and enables us torealise our vision of ‘Developing our railwaytogether, proudly connecting communitiesaround London’.

The workforce, whether employees arebased in the head office, in the depots or on thefront line, are, by far, our best asset, and it is

rewarding to know that they are engaged withthe business. In fact, our latest employeeengagement survey confirms that support forLOROL’s vision is higher than ever before with99% of employees confirming they are behind it.Alongside this, 94% confirm they are proud towork for LOROL and 96% of employees agreethey understand what to do to deliver excellentcustomer service.

LOROL also relies on positive workingrelationships with our partners to keep ourpassengers moving safely and on time andexperiencing high levels of customer service.Whether it’s the multi-party works to deliver ourdemanding station improvement programme,the strengthening of partnerships withBombardier for train maintenance and fleetoperations, or the partnerships that haveenabled us to deliver projects with a globalaudience, such as the London 2012 Olympics, wecouldn’t do what we do without them.

The most recent National Passenger Survey further confirms that LOROL is on the right tracks: once again it was voted by pass -engers as one of the best rail services in the UK,achieving 92% in overall passenger satisfac-tion and on 85% of the factors used to measuresatisfaction – such as punctuality, reliability,

cleanliness and helpfulness of staff – LOROLscored higher than other services in the south east.

Our work and commitment over the last sixyears to deliver TfL’s vision for the Overgroundwas rewarded last year when LOROL secured atwo-year extension to operate the LondonOverground network until 12 November 2016.

The extension recognises the efforts thewhole team at LOROL has made since 2007 andthe excellent operational delivery that has beenachieved. We have new challenges to meet in thefuture, particularly with the implementation ofthe LOCIP project, and look forward to doing sowhilst continuing to maintain the excellent levelsof industry-leading punctuality, performanceand customer service that we have become sowell known for.


Peter Austin is a CharteredAccountant with experience ofboth the private and publicsectors. Peter joined LOROL asFinance Director from Laing Railin 2006 and was part of the bidteam. Prior to Laing Rail, Peter

spent three years at the Strategic Rail Authorityleading the procurement of franchise extensionsto Central Trains, Wessex Trains, Firth NorthWestern and Northern.


During the summer of 2013, Translink success -fully completed two major infrastructureprojects transforming passenger facilities in twobusy towns in the North East and South of thecountry. The construction of Antrim Bus and RailCentre brought Northern Ireland its firstsustainable low carbon station and the re-development of Portadown Train Stationprovided an important gateway into an areawhich had seen annual rail passengerthroughput increase by around 19% in the lastfive years.

Both projects were funded by NorthernIreland’s Department for Regional Develop-ment and the European Union’s INTERREG IVA(Portadown) and IVB (Antrim) Programmes.

Antrim Bus and Rail Centre Construction work on Antrim’s new £2.9 millionbus and rail centre began in early 2012. It formspart of the European Union’s innovative‘SusStation: Achieving Sustainable Stations’project which supports the construction ofsustainable, low carbon stations.

SusStation involves five partner organisa -tions from transport authorities across Germany,the Netherlands, France and the UK. It iscommitted to: delivering more sustainableconstruction and management of station

buildings; lowering carbon emissions from therail sector; creating a rail industry environmentthat encourages sustainable station develop -ment; creating new marketing opportunities; andworking with the rail industry, government and the public to change attitudes towardssustainable transport.

The Antrim Bus and Rail Centre is an exampleof European sustainable station development‘best practice’. An effective mix of old and new,the project restored the original 1902 station’sGrade 2B architecture and façade, incorporatingit with the latest environmentally soundtechnologies and major eco-refurbishments.

The facility reflects Translink’s company-wide focus on managing and minimising its environmental impact. Innovative eco-technology and biodiversity initiatives werecombined with excellent passenger comfort andaccessibility features to create a first-classpassenger facility.

Before construction began, Translinkcustomers in Antrim had to use two separatefacilities for bus and rail services. The railwaystation at Antrim was a single-storey red brickbuilding with an interior concourse leading to themain railway station platforms. It was a goodexample of a traditional early 20th centurystation house.

The separate Ulsterbus facility consisted offour departure stands with no dedicated bus forecourt or bus layover spaces; busesparked on an ad hoc basis around an engin-eering workshop. There was also no dedicatedpedestrian entrance and exit and no enclosedfacilities to service bus passengers.

New features

Key features and benefits of the new facilityinclude: improved integrated bus and railtransport provision; park and ride extension tocater for 180 cars; an integrated ticket andinformation office; an enclosed accessiblepassenger waiting area; a canopy constructionto cover most of the platforms; an electronicpassenger information system; fully accessibletoilet facilities plus a parent and baby room;new traffic management and improvedpedestrian access; a CCTV system; coveredbicycle parking; vending machines; passengerlift; and bus park extension.

Important sustainable features include:reclaimed clay facing bricks; roof-mounted solarpanels; grey water harvesting system; naturalventilation; naturally insulated ‘green’ roof;geothermal heating system; and Swift Bricks toaccommodate bird nesting at the site.

Translink’s on-going approach to sustain -

UK & IRELAND PROFILETRANSLINK

Translink leads theway in sustainable

station development Clive Bradberry Infrastructure Executive, Translink

In 2012/13, Translink rail passenger journeys reached a record breaking 11.5 million – an increase of 7% on theprevious year. Overall, there were 78.5 million Translink passenger journeys on bus and train last year beatingthe Northern Ireland government’s target of 77 million.

able business has received high profile industry recognition including The Carbon TrustStandard, top ‘Platinum’ status in the ARENANetwork Environmental Benchmarking Surveyand a Number 1 Northern Ireland ranking in theCarbon Reduction Commitment EnergyEfficiency Scheme.

A range of business-wide actions havecontributed to these results such as installationof energy efficient lighting, converting heatingsystems to run on gas instead of oil andinstallation of voluntary half-hourly electricitymetering. These have delivered business benefitsincluding: year-on-year reduction in energy costs;cutting carbon emissions; and enhancing thecompany’s public image.

Portadown Train Station The £3.6 million Portadown Train StationRedevelopment Project commenced inFebruary 2012. The major refurbishment andextension work saw the existing station buildingstripped back to its base structure andcompletely refinished inside and out to deliver avisually striking regeneration to meet customerneeds now and in the future.

The new facility also complementsPortadown’s recent public realm works whichhave transformed the town centre with acontemporary feel helping to rejuvenate the areaand boost civic pride.

The station is just a five minute walk from thetown centre and combined with modern trainsoperating along the Portadown railway line,

it provides a considerable enhancement inservice quality.

During the last five years, Portadown TrainStation’s annual passenger throughput grew toover 930,000 – an increase of approximately 19%.In addition, there were around 3.5 millionpassenger journeys made on the Portadownrailway line in 2012/13.

Translink maintained its customer-centricvision for this facility so that accessibility,passenger comfort, convenience and safetyremained of paramount importance throughoutall aspects of the redevelopment.

The quality of materials – both inside and out

– was carefully chosen to create a bright andcolourful environment. Passengers can alsoenjoy enhanced comfort with an enlargedwaiting area.

A dedicated car turning head and passengerdrop-off areas combined with increased disabledparking has enhanced park and ride conveni -ence. A new bus stop and canopy also reflectsTranslink’s on-going integration between busand train operations.

With sustainability in mind, improvedintegration of cycle facilities for employees andpassengers were provided and the environ-ment around the station is enhanced throughattractive planting and landscape.

New features

In addition, enhanced station facilities include:replacement of the old underpass with a new‘Disability Discrimination Act’ (DDA) compliantoverhead track-crossing incorporating pass -enger lifts accessing island platforms; new DDAcompliant lifts and stairs installed at the main entrance; a new passenger concoursebenefiting from natural lighting and high qualitytiled finishes; a crisp contemporary elevation tothe station’s Northway due to new cladding andglazing installation; a series of energy efficientlighting systems; a new passenger canopy at themain entrance creating a visible landmark in thetown; external PA system; electronic passengerinformation screens; and a CCTV system.

Enhanced station technical design featuresinclude: a fully-glazed wall to the train platformsenabling passengers to clearly see trains coming



Portadown Train Station’s new-look

One of the new eco-features of the Antrim Bus and Rail Centre is its green roof

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and going from the comfort of the passengerwaiting area; an improved interface betweenemployees and customers; new compre-hensive lighting scheme resulting in a safe andwelcoming facility all year round; a focus onsustainability – the original fabric of the stationhas been largely retained and upgraded to reachthe recognised BREEAM Environmental Rating;improved general access to all external areas ofthe building including cycle facilities, passengerdrop-off, taxi facilities and parking; and provisionof a new cantilevered signal gantry improvingtrain driver sight-lines, ensuring safety levels are maintained.

Community engagement The successful delivery of both Antrim andPortadown projects also required the support of the local communities. In tandem withconstruction work, Translink delivered acommunity engagement programme to keeplocal people fully informed on constructionwork progress. A selection of engagementmethods were used including on-site ‘hard hat’tours for local politicians, customer informa-tion sessions and regular media features. In particular, the Antrim project adopted avariety of creative measures to boost levels of

anticipation about the new facility and a senseof community ownership.

At the start of the project, Translink teamed-up with its contractors to deliver a school artcompetition that asked children to designartwork which was then enlarged and used to decorate construction site hoardings.Competition themes were determined in linewith Translink’s corporate responsibilityobjectives helping young people understand theimportance of embracing more sustainabletransport. Towards the end of the project,Translink also invited the public to submit itemsfor an Antrim Bus and Rail Centre Time Capsule.The capsule was then installed at the station’smain entrance and will remain on display until itsscheduled re-opening in 50 years’ time.

Looking ahead Translink welcomed an additional 1.5 millionfare paying passengers on-board bus and railservices in 2012/13 compared to the previousyear. To continue this success, Translinkremains committed to its vision of providingintegrated travel solutions that are attractive,sustainable and good value. The Antrim andPortadown construction projects have nowdelivered two new innovative local transport

hubs that will play a huge role in supportingpassenger growth and contributing to eco -nomic, social and environmental developmentin Northern Ireland. They also provide ‘bestpractice’ examples for future station con -struction projects.


Clive Bradberry is InfrastructureExecutive at Translink. He has 27 years of experience in thedelivery of public transportranging from heavy rail, metroand light-rail projects totendered bus services. Clive

joined London Underground as a graduate civilengineer in 1986 and was involved in the designand construction of major works. In 1996 Clivetransferred to Transport for London and becameProject Manager for the £200 million CroydonTramlink PFI scheme. Once Tramlink wasoperational, Clive moved to London BusesLimited to gain operational experience as thePerformance Delivery Manager for all bus servicesin south London. Upon moving to NorthernIreland in 2001, Clive spent the first 18 monthscommuting back to GB to work for Network Railon a variety of projects. Finally in 2003, Clivebecame the Infrastructure Executive for Translinkheading a Division of approximately 200 staff with responsibilities for all stations, depots,garages, track, signalling and structures used todeliver bus and rail public transport services inNorthern Ireland.

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Third railThe vast majority of the UK’s third rail network islocated south of London where it makes up asignificant portion of the lines. The networkitself is configured as a top running conductorrail electrified at a nominal 750 V DC. This means

that the contact point between the train’scollector shoe and the third rail is on the rail’stop surface. This configuration can havesignificant disadvantages in winter conditionsas ice can form on the surface of the rail andthen act as an insulating layer between the

supply rail and the train. For this reason, toprunning third rail systems in parts of the worldwith climates any worse than the UK are oftenshrouded against snow or ice formation.

In the UK, a number of different approachesto the ice formation problem have been

With a national rail network extending from Penzance in the south to Thurso in the north, the vast majority of theUK’s railway infrastructure rests in a moderately agreeable band between 50.12° and 58.59°. Even in thiscomparably comfortable region, however, we are still at the mercy of the seasons. Spring rains threatenembankments and floods in one part of the country can have countless knock-on effects elsewhere. In thesummer, our comparably moderate maximum temperatures still bring the risk of buckled rails. In the autumn wemust contend with issues of high winds, adhesion, and the infamous ‘leaves on the line’. And in the winter we areplagued by both operational and maintenance disruptions caused by ice and snow. Since 2006, the BirminghamCentre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) has been undertaking work to understand and mitigate theeffects of ice and snow on the UK’s railway network. While some of this has involved taking measurements fromthe live railway, the group has steadily been developing a suite of facilities and standard tests which can be usedto evaluate the winter resilience of a number of components of the railway infrastructure.

UK & IRELAND PROFILEUNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Combating the cold weather Edd Stewart and Clive Roberts

Birmingham Centre for RailwayResearch and Education, University of Birmingham

considered with tests undertaken at theUniversity of Birmingham to evaluate some of the candidate solutions. The first work under -taken was to consider the possibility of increasingthe contact force between the conductor shoe and the rail. The tests made use of BCRRE’s spinning rail facility shown in Figure 1.The nominal contact force was varied throughstatic loading to identify any effects on the abilityof the conductor shoes to clear the formed ice.The tests showed that the loading had limitedeffect when compared to the condition of theconductor shoe itself.

In 2008, further testing was undertaken. This time the tests considered a number

of different shoe designs and looked at the dynamics of the interaction between theconductor shoe and the third rail. Example shoesand outputs are shown in Figure 2. Custom ice

clearing shoes were moderately effective, butthose suitable for current collection worked lesswell for ice clearance. While the different shoedesigns had limited effects or exhibited

prohibitive wear profiles, the instru mentationindicated a correlation between pitching of theconductor shoe and ice clearance. This wasattributed to the toe of the shoe digging into theice and causing sections of it to be removedthrough fracturing. This pitching behaviour,along with other shoe dynamics, was laterverified in a series of field experiments.

By 2010, the proposed methods for iceclearance had largely moved from physical tochemical. BCRRE developed a standard suite oftests to be used in the evaluation of commercialde-icing products offered to Network Rail for useon the third rail network. The tests used thespinning rail facility to not only evaluate the iceclearing capacity of the products but also theirresilience to both mechanical wear by conductorshoes (see Figure 3, page 31) and to furtherprecipitation. Testing in the 2010 season also included evaluation of sleet brushes for ice clearance. This highlighted appreciableperformance but also demonstrated an issuerelating to the alignment of the tines in which afurrow effect still prevented rail/shoe contactbeing made (see Figure 4, page 32). BCRRE staffmodified the test sleet brush with a newalignment and repeated the test showing adramatic improvement in performance.

In 2011, Network Rail was searching not onlyfor reactive de-icers, but for preventative anti-icier products to apply to the third rail. Thestandard suite of de-icer tests was expanded to



Figure 1 The BCRRE spinning rail facility enclosed in an environmental chamber

Figure 2 Two conductor shoe designs and their ice clearing performances

‘‘In the UK, a number of different approachesto the ice formation problem have beenconsidered with tests undertaken at the

University of Birmingham to evaluate some of the candidate solutions’’

allow evaluation of anti-icing properties and anew round of testing was undertaken. In additionto conventionally applied (sprayable) chemicalproducts, Teflon and Silicone based rail coatingswere also evaluated. These form a coating overthe rail on which moisture pools such that when

it freezes it forms ‘baubles’ with low surfacecontact and adhesion. The removal of thesebaubles was shown to be largely dependent onthe sharpness of the edge of the removingconductor shoe.

More recently, in 2012, BCRRE have worked with RVEL to test configurations anddeployment mechanisms for equipment to bemounted to Snow and Ice Treatment Trains(SITT). While initially involving alternativemountings for castellated conductor shoes and sleet brushes, these tests also involvedadapting the test facilities to support hot-laychemical de-icers. The testing itself consisted ofvariations in component type and sequence

along the train as well as fluid deploymentsequence and rate.

BallastWhile the formation of ice on the third railpresents an operational issue, ice in the ballastcan result in substantial disruption to main -tenance schedules. Holiday periods, such asthose around Christmas, are often used to

schedule track renewal works such thatdisruption to commuter traffic is minimised.Unfortunately these periods are among thosemost likely to be affected by freezing conditions.Ballast is used in track to provide support whileallowing drainage. Should the ambient temp -era ture fall, however, any moisture remaining in the ballast can freeze in the inter-particlespaces bonding the ballast particles together.


Figure 3 Product performance in relation to mechanical wear

‘‘In 2010, BCRRE undertook work for Network Rail to develop a series of tests toevaluate the effectiveness of a number of

chemical de-icers when applied to sections of frozen ballast’’

This bonded ballast is particularly difficult to remove from the track and can have asignificant impact on the schedule of renewals processes.

In 2010, BCRRE undertook work for Network Rail to develop a series of tests toevaluate the effectiveness of a number ofchemical de-icers when applied to sections of frozen ballast. The tests considered two

situations – the bulk ballast itself and the releaseof panels of track embedded in frozen ballast. As with all other chemical testing, the tests wereundertaken blind to cost and lead by NetworkRail’s dosing levels; but in this case the quantitieswere also varied to identify those required for asuccessful application.

Following the testing, Network Rail achievedan improved capability for ballast removal duringrenewals. At this point a second issue relating tofrozen ballast emerged. Once the ballast isremoved it must be replaced with fresh ballastwhich is generally transported in auto-hoppers.As the ballast is stored outside, it can becomedamp and thus freeze into the auto-hopperspreventing deployment. In 2011, BCRRE pro -duced a pair of structures simulating the form andmechanisms of an auto-hopper to identifyappropriate levels of chemical de-icers to beapplied in order for the units to remain functional.

SwitchThe latest project undertaken by BCRRE in thearea of winter preparation relates to iceformation in switches. This is a project funded bythe TSB and RSSB under the ‘AcceleratingInnovation in Rail’ call. BCRRE are working with anumber of project partners including Heat TraceLtd. to develop self-regulating heating systemsfor use on points. While the project partners arelooking at material substitutions, cable designs,efficiency savings and safety improvements;BCRRE have developed a thermal model (seeFigure 5) of the entire switch allowing rapid

evaluation of candidate designs and applica -tions. Further to this, BCRRE have beenundertaking full-scale physical testing of the most promising products and designs using a B-type switch contained in a freezer

(see Figure 6, page 33). A number of evolutions ofcable designs and application strategies havebeen tested along with multiple solutions forpowering the cables in order to maximisecompatibility with the railway environment.



Figure 4 Sleet brush performance illustrating ‘furrow’ effect

Figure 5 Thermal model with insets illustrating Computational Fluid Dynamics used for determinationof heat transfer coefficients

‘‘BCRRE are working with a number of project partners including Heat Trace Ltd.to develop self-regulating heating systems

for use on points’’

‘‘Top running third rail systems in parts of the world with climates any worse

than the UK are often shrouded against snow or ice formation’’

Going forwardDuring the course of the aforementioned work,BCRRE has developed a substantial suite offacilities and standard tests for winter prepara -tion testing. This range is ever expanding withfuture projects likely to build on the testing

already undertaken but also to link to otherareas of work favoured by the group. Inparticular, the group has previously under-taken substantial research into conditionmonitoring of infrastructure assets such aspoints machines. It is likely that future projects

may involve the extension of these conditionmonitoring techniques and algorithms toconsider the performance of points machines infreezing conditions.



Dr Edd Stewart is a lecturer indigital logic and microprocessorsystems at the University ofBirmingham. His research workis delivered through theBirmingham Centre for RailwayResearch and Education where

he leads on projects in the areas of conditionmonitoring, energy, winter preparation, and non-destructive testing. Edd is involved in researchprogrammes in the UK, Europe, and also in theFar East where he is also involved in universityrelations and overseas teaching.

Clive Roberts is Professor ofRailway Systems at theUniversity of Birmingham andDirector of Railway Research for the Birmingham Centre forRailway Research and Educa -tion. He works extensively withthe railway industry and academia in Britain andoverseas. Clive leads a broad portfolio of researchaimed at improving the performance of railwaysystems, including a strategic partnership in thearea of data integration with Network Rail and aEuropean Regional Development Fund project tohelp SMEs develop products for the rail industry.Clive’s current research interests lie in the areasof: fault detection and diagnosis; systemmodelling and simulation; optimisation and datacollection and decision support, applied torailway traction, traffic management systems,mechanical interactions and capacity. Cliveheads a team of 12 Research Fellows and 24 PhDstudents. He is a Visiting Professor at BeijingJiaotong University and in 2010 was named asone of the National Science Foundation ofChina’s International Young Scientists.

Acknowledgements

BCRRE would like to acknowledge their project partners and funders who have contributed to the workdescribed in this article. In particular, Network Rail, ARUP and RVEL for the third rail work; Network Rail forthe ballast projects; and the TSB, RSSB, Heat Trace Ltd. and other project partners for the switch project.

Figure 6 The BCRRE switch facility enclosed in an environmental chamber

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Understanding the effects of ice and snowon railway networks will help to combatchallenges that cold weather brings

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SYSTRA has established itself as aleading partner for many worldwidehigh-speed rail projects. How is your rolein these projects different from SYSTRA’swork in the urban transport market?SYSTRA’s worldwide high-speed rail projectportfolio includes HS1 in the UK, South Korea, Taiwan, Morocco and the Kuala Lumpa–Singapore HSR. We continue to advise theChinese Government on high-speed, and we haveworked on every high-speed project in France.

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What was SYSTRA’s role on the UK’s HS1project, and can you explain the workyou did on HS2’s operational concept?SYSTRA was a member of the HS1 projectmanagement team ‘Rail Link Engineering’which worked for the concessionaire London &Continental Railways. The role of the RLE teamwas to carry out the entire project referencedesign, manage the selection of constructioncontractors and to supervise their work up toand including the railway approval andhandover to the operator Eurostar. Using a ‘bestperson for the job’ approach, we overcamemany considerable challenges.

For HS2, we advised that given the rightinvestment in engineering and rail systems theline could run up to 18 trains per hour.

SYSTRA’s main shareholders are the railoperators SNCF and RATP, so we are focused upon passengers in all our designs and advice,making us unique in our ability to think through a problem from a 360º perspective.

Tell us about SYSTRA’s work in the UK’sCrossrail project – how are things going?Since 2001, SYSTRA has been part of theCrossrail delivery team, working together withBechtel and CH2MHill to assist in projectmanagement, design and construction super -

vision. With over 50% of the tunnelling workscomplete, we are on target for opening in 2018.

SYSTRA has around 50 staff working onCrossrail in a variety of roles, helping the Crossrailmanagement team define the track, power andsignalling system requirements.

Now that the contractors are on board, weare working together to ensure that the detaileddesign and construction can proceed inaccordance with the project programme andstringent specifications.

What are the core long-term goals of SYSTRA?We are already a world-leader in trans portinfrastructure engineering and we aim to stay at the top.

In 2012 we reported revenues of €406 million,of which over 50% came from internationalprojects and the other 50% from France. Our goalis to double the turnover of the company by 2018.

The UK is a strategic market for us. We wantto build on our HS1 and Crossrail experience,promoting our mainline and urban rail expertiseto Network Rail, HS2 and London Underground.

The launch of such a vast railway modernisa -tion programme in the UK has given us theopportunity to invest in the development of alocal engineering capability. For example, wenow have a UK-based electrification capabilitywith particular expertise in 2 x 25k V systems.

Pascal is based in SYSTRA’s London office – please contact him at [email protected].


www.systra.com

In an interview for European Railway Review, Pascal Mercier, Senior Vice President for NorthernEurope at SYSTRA, discusses the company’s position in the high-speed marketplace, their UK presence, and their focused-goal to double turnover by 2018.Pascal Mercier

INTERVIEW

New approach to network maintenanceand modernisation – key principlesAmbitions for the French rail network over thenext 10 years are running high, with the dualtarget being to put the network back on track ona sound and lasting basis, both financially andtechnically, and to rise to a multiplicity ofoverarching challenges (safety, traffic regularityand growth, simplifying train usage, shifttowards renewable energies, etc.). To cater tothese challenges, a new approach to networkmaintenance and modernisation is a ‘must’.

An end to piecemeal renewals

Underinvestment in the existing network,combined with some of the unfortunate effectsof the administrative and budgetary demarca -tion between renewal and maintenance, havespawned a surfeit of small scattered main -tenance or renewal operations, at inevitablyhigh unit costs. The upshot is a network with a

wide variety of different components and, byextension, in less than optimum condition.

To modernise the network, it is thereforenecessary to begin by eliminating thesedifferences through thrusting renewal policiesgeared towards re-establishing commoninfrastructure standards and bringing networkcondition back under control. Through a burst ofconcentrated effort, it should be possible to catchup with the maintenance backlog beforeresuming a normal working rhythm, whilecontinuing to give renewal operations pride ofplace. The creation of a fully-fledged infra -structure manager will simplify this process.

A move towards bespoke maintenance

Parts of the network are already manageddifferently – high-speed lines, for example, arenot treated in the same way as conventionallines. But current practices make insufficientallowance for the particular features of the

various different types of line with the result that maintenance is less than optimal. Somelittle-used lines are maintained to a relativelyover-high standard while there are a number of unacceptable defects on certain heavily-trafficked lines. Ideally, each line and each site should be considered individually withregard to: ● Reliability requirements and target availa -

bility levels

● The acceptability of incidents and theirrepercussions

● The split of engineering capacity (main -tenance windows, works possessions, lineclosures, etc.) between revenue service andmaintenance requirements

● The economic viability of line maintenance.

Towards a route-based rationale

Heavy renewal operations have a major impacton network availability. It is therefore vital


On 15 October 2012, Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) was ordered by Transport Minister, Frédéric Cuvillier, to tableproposals to deliver major rail network modernisation (GPMR). Delivered to the Minister on 19 September 2013,the plan proposed is consistent with efforts to create a shared, long-term vision for rail transportation.According to the plan, €15 billion are to be earmarked for the network – in other words €2.5 billion per year –while a further €2.3 billion are to be specifically devoted to maintenance. But modernisation plans are not anexercise in allocating funds. The aim of the proposals set out in the GPMR is to lay the foundations for a newmethodical approach to the network, where user requirements are central to the works scheduling rationale.The plan is, therefore, inextricably linked with the creation of a fully-fledged infrastructure manager and anintegrated industrial public-sector group. The purpose of this article is to highlight the key principles that willshape network renewal and modernisation in the coming years.

FRANCE

Matthieu Chabanel Deputy General Director, Marketing and Planning, RFF

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RFF’s impressive rail network

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that maintenance should be industrially andconsistently organised over entire lines orcorridors, and not in piecemeal fashion from oneadministrative area to the next. There shouldalso be coordination with infrastructuremanagers in neighbouring countries, in par -ticular over European corridors. Equallyimportant, all maintenance operations should fitin with a long-term rationale (at least 10 years).

Developing a common medium-to-long-term vision for the networkTime in the railway world is long. This explainswhy it is so vital for the network manager tohave a strategic roadmap designed in relation to several different time horizons: short-term,over the six years up to 2020, with the pursuit ofprojects already in-hand and the start of anumber of new developments; medium-term,up to about 2025, which is when today’s newand emerging projects should come to fruition;long-term, in other words the final goal towardswhich all steps taken in the shorter-term shouldultimately converge.

New methods involving all stakeholders

The strategic roadmap will contribute towardsovercoming the financial disequilibriumprevailing on the network by ensuring thatcommon targets are set for infrastructure(nature, performance, etc.) and agreementreached over the requisite medium and long-term resources.

A common roadmap is also vital for thetransport organising authorities and the railwayundertakings, which need to have a clear forwardvision and firm, to make realistic decisions on which to plan their own investments. Theroadmap will also need to take their existingplanning documents into account.

This strategic vision of the network andnetwork policy should be established with theState, the transport organising authorities,

the railway undertakings (not least SNCF), and shipper and passenger representatives. It will be the infrastructure manager’s resp -onsibility to assist the public authorities inconsolidating this vision, thereby enabling theState to produce a coherent network strategy by the end of 2014.

Five-point programmeA five-point programme for designing tomorr -ow’s service portfolio consists of:

1. Establishing capacity requirements

at regional level

This stage consists of using travel require-ments at each of the different time horizons to establish a clear picture of what futuretransport services (passenger and freight)should be and check their compatibility withinfrastructure. Should the two be incompatible,the measures to be taken (operational and/orinfrastructure adaptations, etc.) will need to be examined.

2. Ensuring the consistency at national level of

the requirements identified

The approaches adopted in the regions must beconsistent with a national vision based on thework of the Mobility 21 Commission and the decisions taken as a result. A nationalapproach of this nature will, of necessity,involve ensuring that a corridor passing throughtwo regions receives similar treatment on eitherside of the administrative divide.

3. Fixing performance requirements for

individual lines or sites

For each performance criterion, it will benecessary to set local targets as a basis forplanning and undertaking maintenanceoperations. To achieve optimum results,requirements will be subject to close scrutinyand resources tailored to actual needs.

4. Establishing maintenance requirements over

uniform geographical areas

In the face of capacity constraints, priority hasto be given to those renewal operationsrequired to bring infrastructure back up tostandard. In heavily-trafficked areas, inparticular, works possessions are in shortsupply with the result that engineeringoperations can only take place at night overperiods lasting, at most, five to six hours at astretch. This may result in trade-offs, withdevelopment plans put on hold until services onthe existing network have been brought back upto standard.

5. And what of the future of

lightly-trafficked lines?

For those parts of the network handling small ormedium volumes of traffic and essentially usedby TER trains, discussions will have to be heldbetween the infrastructure manager and theregions to arrive at solutions combiningallowance for the economic possibilities of theinfrastructure manager with catering satis -factorily to mobility needs.

Conclusion: a long-term action planThe modernisation plan sets the foundations fordiscussions with all stakeholders so that,together, those concerned can produceambitious and challenging proposals for thenetwork. Fuller details should be available bythe end of 2013, after which the plan will becascaded down to the regions. Action shouldstart at once on a number of pilot worksites notrequiring major investment that can act as testbeds for the new methods and proceduresproposed in the GPMR.

For the men and women working on therailway, the GPMR now to be finalised andenforced, and by extension railway reform as awhole, heralds not only new opportunities butalso major change. The success of the project willdepend, to a large extent, on the support giventhem in negotiating this change.


FRANCE

Matthieu Chabanel has helddifferent posts during his careerincluding positions withingovernmental bodies, mostnotably being appointed in April2010 as Technical Advisor forTransport and Infrastructure

Planning in the Prime Minister’s Office. Matthieujoined RFF in April 2012 as Deputy DirectorGeneral in charge of the Commercial Centre.

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The Vigirail emergency action prevention planFollowing the derailment at Brétigny on 22 July 2013, SNCF and RFF began analysing the causes of theaccident, producing an emergency action plan, codenamed Vigirail, launched on 9 October 2013.

Under this plan, €410 million are to be invested between 2014 and 2017, with most of this amount to bedirected towards speeding-up switch renewal operations. The €300 million earmarked for the purpose will fundthe replacement of 500 sets of switches per year, compared with the 300 originally scheduled, and double thenumber of switch replacements in Île-de-France.

The second largest budget item (€80 million) will be for video camera systems to monitor switches in thetrack. €20 million will be invested in automating infrastructure inspection records to ensure 100% traceability.Three further steps will be taken to flank these developments: creation of an ‘express alert’ desk (€3 million),stepping-up staff training in new technologies (€4 million) and improving and simplifying maintenancereference documents (€1 million).

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SUPPLEMENT

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Total renewal in Denmarkis on time and on budget

Henrik Holtermann, Banedanmark

The European railindustry’s commitment to

ERTMS implementationPhilippe Citroën and Michel Van Liefferinge, UNISIG

The signalling sectoropens the door to the

Spanish industry Pedro Fortea, MAFEX

Telecommunications:ringing in the new

Éric Le Moal, RFF

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The best and the most economical solution The strategy envisages an investment of €2.5 billion and includes a total replacementmeaning that all existing equipment is to be replaced – regardless of age or level of technology.

The programme represents a major change intechnology intended to maximise the possibilitiesand benefits of re-signalling the Danish railwaynetwork. In the rail sector, it is unique in its

approach of focusing on the economies of scaleand creating a competitive market solution toensure optimised price and quality. This approachhas resulted in a €0.6 billion saving compared tothe 2008 benchmark.

Customer benefitsAll Fjernbane lines in Denmark will be equippedwith ERTMS level 2 baseline 3 which securesinteroperability. Across the network, pass -engers can expect better punctuality, increased

line speed with higher capacity on selected linesand shorter journey times on some routes.

Nationwide there will be a higher and morehomogenous level of safety. Future maintenancewill be more economical and the system willprovide an unprecedented foundation for bettercentralised traffic control, energy optimisation,and on-time passenger information.

All this is a major step in the implementationof the political vision to double the number ofpassengers by 2030.

In 2009, a broad political majority decided to fund a total replacement of the entire signalling system on theDanish national network with ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) and all the signalling on the Copenhagen S-bane with a CBTC system (Communication Based Train Control). So far, progress is on timeand on budget and with this, Denmark will be the first country to carry out a nationwide implementation ofERTMS level 2 baseline 3 – the newest European standard.

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SIGNALLING &TELECOMMUNICATIONS

SUPPLEMENT

Total renewal inDenmark is on time

and on budgetHenrik Holtermann Head of Secretariat in the SignallingProgramme, Banedanmark

Major projects status at September 2013S-baneIn August 2011, Banedanmark signed thecontract for the CBTC system with Siemens forthe supply and installation of the fullyautomatic Siemens Trainguard TM train controlsystem, Sicas type electronic interlocking andswitch machines.

Siemens is to equip 170km of Copenhagendouble-track S-bane for CBTC with an automatic,radio-based train control system and fitment of the 135 S-bane trains with the CBTC on-board equipment.

The equipment also includes a new opera -tions control centre and a Wi-Fi radiotransmission network along the network as theprimary communication channel between trainand infrastructure. Finally the contract includesmaintenance services for 25 years.

Instalment on the early deployment line ison-going. Serial installation of on-boardequipment has started and the first seven trainsare installed and back in service. The aim is tohave 61 S-trains from a total of 135 fitted with theCBTC on-board system before the end of 2014.


SUPPLEMENT

The S-bane roll-out map

CLEAR SIGNALS TO EUROPEPunctuality, capacity and safety are at the heart of the Danish signalling programme. With a total renewal of the signalling systems on more than 3,000 km of tracks by 2021, the programme will make Denmark the only country in Europe to have carried out a total migration to the new signalling technologies.

Fjernbane East and West

The Fjernbane consists of a West and an Eastproject covering 1,200km and 800km of linerespectively. In January 2012, the contractswere signed with the Thales and Balfour BeattyRail consortium (West) and Alstom (East).

The contracts encompass the full design,manufacture and supply of a ERTMS Level 2baseline 3 signalling solution but also inter -locking combined with rail field equipment (e.g. train detection and point machines) and atraffic management system with two new controlcentres. The contract also includes maintenanceservices for 25 years.

The two projects are to have completed theirpreliminary design phase in November 2013 thenshifting to the final design phase parallel withpreparing the early deployment.

On-board equipment

In March 2012, Alstom and Banedanmark signed the contract to deliver on-boardequipment to 41 railway operators in Denmarkand install its Atlas ERTMS on-board equipmentsystem on more than 700 trains, includingpassenger train sets, locomotives and relevantmaintenance vehicles.

The project is responsible for ensuring thatthe new train control system fulfils therequirements to ERTMS standard for ETCS on-board equipment. The on-board projectcoordinates the contact to all train operationcompanies and contractors who will implementthe new train control system on their vehicles.

The current preliminary design stage is planned to end late-November 2013 and the detailed surveys of all types of train have now begun.

Training

The project will provide education and trainingof between 5,000 and 6,000 employees, most ofwhom are drivers and traffic management staff,so that they are able to operate under the newsignalling equipment and operate within thenew operational rules.

For the S-bane, the safety documents as well as the training specifications for safety critical and safety related roles have been forwarded to the National Safety Agency(NSA) for acceptance. Furthermore, the develop -ment of course modules and materials for a number of training pilots are almostcomplete. With respect to Fjernbane, theoperators have received a presentation

of the training concept, method ology, andduration etc.

Traffic Control Centres

The Signalling Programme includes two newbuildings needed for the new Traffic Manage -ment Systems for both Fjernbane and S-bane.These Traffic Control Centres (TCCs) will replacethe existing 15 TCCs across the country.

The TCC buildings will have a modern andintelligent design with high architecturalstandards, a high security level and future prooflevels of sustainability. The buildings will not onlyhouse the control rooms but also the workplacesfor relevant support functions, training facilities,a number of auxiliary facilities and technicalequipment rooms.

The first TCC is under construction inCopenhagen and construction of the second TCCwill start in late-2013.

GSM-R voice and data infrastructure

Denmark is one of the last European countries

to change from a national proprietary radiosystem to the ERTMS standard GSM-R.

The implementation is carried out in two phases: ● A voice network (completed in 2012) and

implementation of voice GSM-R radios in all

trains (due to be completed by 2014)

● An upgrade of the network to cater for anationwide GSM-R network as the communi -cation carrier for the ERTMS level 2 roll-out,due to be completed by 2017. The prelimin -ary design is currently being reviewed.

It has been decided to base the ERTMS roll-outon a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)solution, to overcome radio capacity problemsin bigger nodes such as stations and verydensely trafficked areas. Hence Banedanmark is driving this development with other ERTMSusers in Europe to ensure this eventuallybecomes a part of the ERTMS standard. A UICEoG (ECTS over GPRS) test was completed in week 24.



SUPPLEMENT

The Fjernbane roll-out map

SPOR20

SPOR20 (Signalling Programme OperationalRules 2020) are developing a complete new set ofoperational rules for the Infrastructure Manager(IM) replacing all existing IM operational rules onBanedanmark’s network, which is aligned withfor the new signalling technology.

The new technology brings new possibilitieswhich results in a number of improvementscompared to the existing set of rules:● The new rule set will be approximately

60% the number of specific rules todaymeaning simpler and safer rules andreduced training time

● Shunting is not a separate set of signallingprinciples anymore but included as normaltrain movements, which saves investment inseparate shunting signalling.

The rules for the S-bane are expected to beapproved by the (NSA) in late-October 2013. The Fjernbane Operational Rules version 6.0 (inline with the supplier preliminary design docu -mentation) is being prepared for review.

Organisational implementation

Realisation of the benefits from the newsignalling systems depends on a successfulachievement and anchoring of the changes inthe Banedanmark organisation.

The changes vary in form and impact butinclude changes in e.g. technical skills, comp -etences, working processes, corporate andorganisational structures.

These changes are the responsibility of eachunit in Banedanmark’s organisation. TheSignalling Programme are overseeing that this iscoordinated on the programme plan and thatnecessary information flows back and forth.Furthermore the programme facilitates and actsas a catalyst for the change.

Test and Roll-out For the entire signalling infrastructure a longdesign and test period has been chosenfollowed by a relatively aggressive roll-out.

Joint Test Lab

Joint Test Lab (JTL) is Banedanmark’s testinglaboratory where suppliers must test theirsystems against each other and against existing systems to ensure that they comm -unicate satisfactorily. The vast majority ofinteraction problems are thus expected foundand corrected before installation on early

deploy ment lines. Hence the JTL is one of moretools to mitigate the substantial risk of systemintegration between many contracts andexisting system, which is a consequence of thetotal roll-out.

Early deployment

The early deployment scheme includes the first lines to be fitted and tested. The schemewill build-up experience for both the suppliersand Banedanmark.

The early deployment scheme outlinesimplementation on the Roskilde–Køge–Næstvedline on Zealand and the Frederikshavn–Aalborg–Langå line in Jutland as the first lines to mature baseline 3 and prove the comm-ercial operation of the new systems on the Fjernbane. These lines are planned forsupervised operation in 2016.

For the S-bane, the line Jægersborg–Hillerød is selected as the early deployment line. Since May 2013 the installation on the early deployment line has been on-going,including cable laying, instalment of balises and axle counters, and placement of technicalobject buildings. The installation is expected to be completed by the end of 2013. Headwaysimulation for the line has been approved andsupervised operation is planned to start at theend of 2014.

After reliability growth and type approvals,the installation process moves on.

Roll-out

Roll-out will, as a principle, first take place onthe early deployment line then the main lines,then on the regional lines and finally on the lowdensity lines.

As infrastructure signalling renewal is thedriving force for the programme, doubling-upequipment of infrastructure is not feasible. As aconsequence the roll-out is based on Fjernbanerolling stock fitted with ERTMS and a specifictransmission module (STM) that can interpret the existing Danish ATC system. The S-bane trains will be equipped for both the HKT and CBTC systems.

According to the plan, S-bane roll-out is to becompleted by 2018 and the Fjernbane is to be completed by 2021.


SUPPLEMENT

Henrik Holtermann is Head ofSecretariat in the SignallingProgramme at Banedanmark.Before his current role, Henrikheld positions as Head ofRailway Division in the Ministry of Transport and as Personal

Secretary to two Ministers of Transport. Henrik has a degree in political science and administration.


Installation of CBTC equipment in an S-bane train

In 2013 the trend was continued by Germany, acountry at the heart of Europe with the greatestnumber of freight corridors that announced that all their rail freight corridors will beequipped with ERTMS. The first priority is toequip Corridor A, which traverses four countries,by 2018.

However, the ERTMS promoters can’t becomplacent with these evolutions. The ERTMSDeployment Plan adopted by the EuropeanCommission targets full implementation ofERTMS on the core network by 2030 and ERTMSequipment on the comprehensive network by2050. The plan should result in the creation ofseveral fully-equipped corridors, which accountfor the major share of European’s rail freighttraffic. In order to achieve this goal, MemberStates need to accelerate the implementation ofERTMS in their networks.

ERTMS deployment statisticsThe UNIFE World Rail Market Study published in

2012, forecasts market growth for ERTMS inWestern Europe and predicted substantialincrease worldwide, in Africa, the Middle Eastand the Asia Pacific regions. Nevertheless,figures show that in 2012, the share of linekilometres in Europe compared to outsideEurope slightly increased.

The UNIFE statistics show that today, almost68,000km of railway tracks and 9,150 vehicles arealready running or contracted to be equippedwith ERTMS. Europe increased its share oftrackside investment to more than 57%;nonetheless significant investments have beenon-going in Asia (26% of the total ERTMStrackside investments) and in Africa and theMiddle East (14%).

The latest statistics also demonstrate thatthere is a constant, stable rate of increase inERTMS investments in Europe. The smallerMember States are continuously introducing,extending and implementing ERTMS in theirnetwork. A significant investment plan has

started in the UK, which is already testinginteroperability status by infrastructure suppliersand the on-board equipment retrofit pro -grammes for both passenger and freight vehicleshas commenced. The on-board fitting time planis linked to and in advance of the infrastructurerollout focused on the TEN lines in the UK. SomeCentral and Eastern European Member Stateshave also made progress on deploying ERTMS in their network. Nonetheless, a rather slowuptake is visible in CEE Member States despite the availability of European funds. Countries in the Magreb region of North Africa are alsoshowing a clear appetite to deploy ERTMS.

ERTMS in EuropeThe ERTMS MoU, signed in April 2012, foresees a number of measures to further facilitateERTMS deployment, in terms of maintenanceand stability of the specifications, technicalharmonisation, homologation and testing of the equipment. UNIFE – with its members from


2012 was a major milestone year for the further commitment and deployment of ERTMS in the European Union,when a new ERTMS Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the European Commission and therailway sector. This MoU makes a strong case for the strict implementation of the ERTMS Deployment Plan. In addition, historic and strategic decisions were taken by Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands to carry outcountrywide implementation of ERTMS.


SUPPLEMENT

Philippe CitroënDirector General, UNIFE

Michel Van LiefferingeGeneral Manager, UNISIG

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The European railindustry’s commitment toERTMS implementation

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the rail supply industry – fully support theinitiative by delivering technical expertise toadvise and guide the European Railway Agency.The introduction of Baselines 3 providesstability and increased confidence to a systemthat encourages future ERTMS deployment.

One of the industry commitments includedin the ERTMS MoU has been recently achieved byUNISIG members. UNISIG is an AssociatedMember of UNIFE and was created to develop the ERTMS/ETCS technical specifications. TheEuropean ETCS suppliers have signed a frame -work agreement to enhance the collaboration of the industry to carry out interoperability tests for interested third parties, typically rail-way operators, infrastructure managers, national authorities or public institutions. This agreement strengthens the cooperationamong the industry members to create a strongcase for interoperability.

As planned in the ERTMS MoU, the firstmaintenance release of the Baseline 3 specifica -tions is under preparation by the EuropeanRailway Agency with the strong support ofUNISIG. Some important additional specifica -tions have been delivered by UNISIG to theAgency, among others the Train Interface and

the RBC-RBC Interface specifications (RBC – Radio Based Communication).

ERTMS as a global standardEven though ERTMS was originally designed tobe the unique but ubiquitous signalling systemfor Europe and support full interoperabilityacross the EU, the world’s increasing demandsfor advanced, sustainable and safe railwaytransport offered a further opportunity toprovide a modern, standardised and multi-supplier sourced system for signalling.ERTMS/ETCS was perfectly positioned toaddress this fundamental requirement and it isnow regarded as the single, global, and the most

advanced railway signalling, automatic traincontrol and protection system for high-speed,freight, urban and mixed traffic conditions.

ERTMS is indeed being implemented in agrowing number of countries worldwide. TheUNIFE figures also indicate that ERTMS is beingused in 37 countries and the number of trackkilometres equipped with ETCS outside Europeexceeds 29,000km.

The conclusion is that non-Europeancustomers have been just as committed, or insome cases more committed, to adoptingERTMS. The committed mileages nearly reachthe European levels. However, in 2012, a slightslowdown was detected outside Europe, possibly


SUPPLEMENT

Figure 1 ERTMS investments worldwide by geographical area, trackside (km) – Sept 2013 Source: UNIFE

reflecting the world economic slowdown andfunding availability. Fortunately, China has takena clear lead in adopting ERTMS on its new high-speed lines and appears to be intending todeploy their system on all future high-speed linesin a huge national build plan.

SHIFT2RAILThe first European rail joint technology initiativepromoted and driven by the railway industryhas a strong focus on control-command andsignalling systems. SHIFT2RAIL seeks focusedresearch and innovation (R&I) and market-driven solutions by accelerating the integrationof new and advanced technologies intoinnovative rail product solutions and willpromote the competitiveness of the EuropeanRail Industry. This large-scale multi-annualresearch programme will be under Horizon2020, the EU’s multi-annual R&I programme.

Among the five Innovative Programmes (IPs)in SHIFT2RAIL, IP2 deals with advanced trafficmanagement system and control systems. The objective of this pillar is to extend synergiesand interoperability with the urban and masstransit railway sectors while maintaining thedominance of ERTMS as a solution for railwaysignalling and control systems across the world.The technology demonstrators will support theoverall goal of developing a new generation ofsignalling and control systems in order to enableintelligent traffic management with auto -matically driven trains. This new systemevolution will aim at optimising capacity andreliability while minimising Life Cycle Costs.

The technology innovations in SHIFT2RAILwill also enhance the signalling system by takinginto consideration worldwide requirements andfocusing on advanced future solutions such assatellite positioning, Automatic Train Operationand future communication systems that willreplace GSM-R.

Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)UNIFE strongly believes that EU funding has acritical role to play in ensuring the deploymentof ERTMS technology along the Europeanrailway network. As the full benefits of ERTMS are realised only when a significantnumber of neighbouring countries have madethe necessary investments to upgrade theirnetwork, EU funding is pivotal in increasing thepace of ERTMS deployment along the Europeanrailway network.

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), amulti-annual financial framework will kick off on1 January 2014. ERTMS is considered as one ofthe main priorities to be tackled within the CEF.For the 7-year period, an expected budgetbetween €700 million and €1.1 billion could be allocated for financing ERTMS deployment.The available planned budget is twice as high as the current ERTMS budget in TEN-T and three times higher than the budget spent on ERTMS deployment during the last multi-annual financial period.

Conclusion UNIFE fully supports and promotes thedeployment of ERTMS which will bring signifi -cant benefits in terms of interoperability, safetyand performance, thus contributing to theobjective of a single European railway area. The European Commission’s provision formanda tory ERTMS implementation on the totalEuropean rail network is therefore an essentialstep in the right direction. In this respect, thefast migration towards ERTMS will provideconsiderable benefits not only for rail transport,but also the environment and quality of life forall Europeans.

The European railway industry is committedand provides its full support to make ERTMS asuccess and the role of the industry is to deliver a stable system which is Baseline 3.

ERTMS is now a globally accepted traincontrol solution and is clearly becoming the system of choice. Moreover, SHIFT2RAIL

will further reinforce this position by bracingtechnical solutions to enhance the system toencompass the worldwide needs. There shouldbe every confidence that ERTMS is THE solutionfor a global signalling system.



SUPPLEMENT

Philippe Citroën joined UNIFEin June 2011. He began hiscareer as a Transport Advisor atthe French Permanent Repre -sentation to the EU in 1986 andthen became Member of theCabinet of the French Transport

Minister in 1990. In 1993, Philippe becameManager and Chief of Staff at RATP Paris, and thenjoined the SNCF as Strategy Director in 1999. Priorto assuming his position at UNIFE, Philippeserved for eight years as CEO of Systra – one of theworld’s leading public transport engineeringcompanies. Philippe is a graduate of Paris IIUniversity in Public Law, holds a Diploma fromthe Paris Institute of Political Studies (SciencesPo) and also studied at the Ecole Nationaled'Administration (ENA), where he also lecturedabout rail and urban transport.

Michel Van Liefferinge has abackground in telecommuni -cation engineering. During 20 years, he has built a solidexperience in the signallingdivision of Alstom where he hasoccupied several managerialpositions including VP Railways, VP Technical, VPERTMS and Managing Director of Alstom BelgiumCharleroi, the Alstom development centre ofERTMS solution and projects. Since April 2011,Michel has been working as a consultant and is currently acting as UNISIG General Manager for UNIFE.

Figure 2 Figure 2: ERTMS investments in Europe, trackside (km) Source: UNIFE


All products and solutions follow the EUstandards and regulations related to the SIL and RAMS norms. The advantage with theWaveTrain® Systems Level Crossing WarningSystem is that all components are installed inthe vicinity of the level crossing – normallywithin 15m. The solution from WaveTrain®Systems does not require long distance cablingbetween the level crossing and the sensors, asthe prevalent conventional solutions do.

WaveTrain® Systems has installations onvarious continents, such as Europe, Africa andAustralia. Our biggest and most important clientat present is Network Rail in the UK. WaveTrain®Systems has currently installed more than 40 miniature level crossing systems, and a recent statement from Network Rail said: “The traditional way to install a miniature levelcrossing warning system is to hard-wire it into thesignalling system. That takes about two yearsand would likely involve a 29-hour blockade to install. The WaveTrain® Systems solutionprovides all the same benefits and can be up andrunning within hours, and can be installed nextday when required. The system is really helpingus reduce the risk at level crossings.”

During the whole process – from initialconversations through to today’s status –Network Rail has been very helpful and supp -ortive knowing this is new territory andequipment for the Railway Authorities.

“The eager support from Network Rail’sAnglia Route (from the Managing Director and the Route Infrastructure Maintenance Director)to key resources out in the field has been amaz -ing,” says Richard Aaroe, CEO of WaveTrain®Systems. “A process involving new tech-

nology, which normally takes between four and six years, has now been completed by us in 18 months. This is extraordinarily quick,” says Richard.

Following Network Rail, railway authoritiesin both Africa and Australia have been followingthe process and progress with the Anglia Route in the UK and WaveTrain® Systems are now alsorunning trial projects in these countries.

“We like to see ourselves as the ‘GameChanger’ in the rail industry – a name, in fact, that our clients have given us,” says Richard. “A Game Changer – since we are changing both the current suppliers costs and approachregard ing protection at level crossings, but alsothe fact that there will be a change in userbehaviour from pedestrians and road traffic. The old phone process will now be secondary forgetting access to cross an unprotected crossingin the future.”

Apart from the Anglia Route, several of

the other routes in the UK are also now asking‘when can we get hold of the solution fromWaveTrain® Systems.’

WaveTrain® Systems is a company dedicated to railway safety, and in particular safety at level cross-ings. WaveTrain® Systems has developed a robust and reliable warning and safety solution for level crossingsbased on innovational technology. The solution provides substantial savings to our clients, compared to currentsystems, without compromising on quality. WaveTrain® Systems helps railroad authorities meet their strategictarget of zero tolerance in the field of safety and accidents at level crossings.

WaveTrain® Systems AS – the ‘Game Changer’ in the railway industry

ADVERTORIAL

SIGNALLING &TELECOMMUNICAITONS

SUPPLEMENT

www.wavetrain.no

Solutions from WaveTrain® Systems ASare present in Europe, Africa and Australia

Richard Aaroe is CEO ofWaveTrain® Systems AS. He received his education fromthe Norwegian Military Academy(‘the National Centre ofExcellence for Leadership’), theNorwegian Business School of

Administration as well as from GeorgeWashington University in the United States –specialising in leadership, management andadministration. Richard has 26 years of experiencein project management and chief of operation invarious companies, and has held several positionsas Board Member. Prior to WaveTrain, Richardheld senior management positions in nationaland international companies.


In Europe, industry-contribution to signalling isespecially useful to achieve the goal of technicalinteroperability through the implementation of a common European system, compared to the 20 systems that exist today. In this way, thecurrent operational barriers along differentcorridors could be completely eliminated.These developments play a key role to allowrailways to compete more successfully againstother means of transport. In the last decade, thegrowing use of modern high-speed lines inmany European countries has been madepossible by the techniques used – among these we must highlight the mobile radio

system GSM-R as a communications support forvoice and data to the European signallingsystem ERTMS.

On 19 May 2006 – a milestone date in Spain –the first circulations took place between the citiesof Madrid and Lerida with series 102 trainsrunning at 250km/h operating ETCS level 1. Since then, the high degree of progress made inthis area, and specifically the ERTMS system in this country, is having an exponent of firstorders that makes its rail network a true exampleof interoperability.

At present, Spain has 1,974km of trackequipped with ERTMS in service, of which

656km are also equipped with Level 2 and it is thesystem that is implemented in new lines.

Apart from the great achievements in high-speed, networks such as the Madrid commuterline is also a pioneer at European level with theimplementation of an ERTMS signalling system – a facility which results in improved safety.

We must highlight that the operation ofsystems such as ERTMS/ETCS offer a number of advantages based on its versatility, allowingoperation in the same line with different levels,with different scenarios of occupation and theability to adapt to each case. Nevertheless, itsimplementation is a delicate process that

Signalling and telecommunications systems represent key technological support for rail operations in a numberof ways including both the management and control of traffic signals and remote controls. Technologicaldevelopments in these fields contribute in an essential way to the advancement of modern railway lines,especially in high-speed operations.


SUPPLEMENT

The signalling sectoropens the door to theSpanish industry

Pedro Fortea Director, MAFEX – the Spanish Railway Association

requires special planning and the intervention ofhighly specialised companies.

Indeed, the adaptation and coexistence ofthe signalling and communication systems thatare registered in Spain has provided the industrywith a unique experience that is now exported to Europe and those emerging markets where there exists a commitment to rail as a means ofterritorial and interurban mobility. Bulgaria,Romania, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey,Morocco and Algeria are just some of thecountries that have taken this great know-how toimprove traffic management and traffic safety.

Spanish advances in worldwide railway signalling projectsThe engineering sector has created specialisedteams that have allowed them to work in themost important high-speed lines developed inSpain and around the world, with an intenseactivity on railway systems, primarily focusedon the management, supervision and monitor -ing of GSM-R projects, as well as signalling andtrain protection projects.

Getinsa Ingeniería, after providing itsexperience in numerous high-speed sections inSpain, is at present active in internationalprojects such as on lines 1 and 2 from the branch‘Dammam-Hofuf-Riyadh/Dammam-Hofuf-AlKharj-Riyadh’ in Saudi Arabia – the first networkof its kind in the area.

Ardanuy Ingeniería has also made its wayinternationally. Among the most prominentworks, this Spanish company is responsible forthe study report of the high-speed railway lineproject between Qued Tlelat and the Moroccanborder on the branch Tlemcen-Akkid Abbas – areport which includes signalling through ERTMSsystems, levels 1 and 2.

The high specialisation in the field ofsignalling and telecommunications has alsoopened the door to Spanish renowned groups

such as Idom ingeniería y consultoría and TYPSA.After their leading roles in the national networksuch as the high-speed Madrid–Barcelona line orthe Madrid–Galicia line, they also carry out worksabroad of special magnitude in terms of technicalassistance, planning and coordination offacilities, etc.

With them, companies like Invensys RailDimetronic have contributed to the imple -mentation of signage solutions in manycountries. Invensys Rail Dimetronic has co -ordinated associated signalling systems of thenew high-speed railway line between Ankara andKonya (Turkey), equipped with ERTMS Level 1. It is also present in the Spanish consortium incharge of the high-speed network betweenMecca and Medina (Saudi Arabia), which includesthe implementation of ERTMS Level 2 in track to the 34 trains on the line, the Traffic ControlCentre, electronic interlocks and LED signals.

Beyond high-speed, awards have been madefor relevant projects such as the signalling of themetropolitan area of Auckland (New Zealand),with the installation of ERTMS.

Another technological exponent is CAFSignalling who has carried out works in this field for the upgrade of signalling with ERTMSLevel 1 for the new rail corridor between Bulgariaand Romania, as well as the section around thecity of Pehlivankoy within the by-pass linkingseveral lines between Turkey and Greece.

Thales Spain has also managed tostrengthen their presence worldwide withnumerous contracts – for instance winning arecent award for the signalling modernisation ofthe railway line between Cairo and Alexandria. Inthis area of activity the company is already

present in Turkey, Algeria, Slovenia, Morocco and Malaysia.

Bombardier Spain and SEMI provide otherexamples of technological strength in railwaysignalling and communications that join this long list. Along with on-going projects, we must highlight the role of Public-Private Partner -ship in R & D. The company Indra have signedagreements with the Railway InfrastructureAdministrator (ADIF) to create specialised GSM-Rlaboratories for the communications technologyRBC-Train and the development of engineeringdata for ERTMS, among others.

MAFEXThe greatest technological bet of the railindustry to become a leader in the fields ofsignalling and communications is supported by the intense international outreach of theSpanish Railway Association – MAFEX. In itsprogramme of activities, the most important arethe trade delegations and visits to the mainforums for industry professionals to publicisethe contributions of member companies in this field, as well as the range of services and products with which these companies have contributed to the development of rail inrecent years.



SUPPLEMENT

A CAF Signalling CTC system

After spending some years as theAssistant Manager at Fundigex – the Castings Exporter’s Associ -a tion of Spain – Pedro Forteabecame the Director of MAFEX in2004 and has helped to developits professional activity. Pedro

has studied at ESADE Business School, EscuelaUniversitaria (Cámara de Comercio de Bilbao)and Deusto University.

About MAFEX:

The objective of the Spanish Railway Association(MAFEX) is to carry out promotional activities inother countries, as well as to defend their generalinterests. Created in 2004, MAFEX currently has 71 members representing more than 85% of Spanishrail industry’s exports, according to official figures in2012. Known as the official collaborating organisa -tion of the Spanish Ministry of Economy andCompetitiveness through its Subsecretariat of Trade,the Association is supported by GRUPO AGEX, towhich it belongs, and by different national andinternational organisations and institutions.

www.mafex.es

As part of its general rail network upgradingprogramme, RFF therefore began to explore anumber of avenues to make the French network‘more intelligent’ by adopting information andcommunications technologies conducive togreater safety, punctuality and also capacity.

It was decided that infrastructure would be replaced using technologies available on the market – in other words the IP protocol (the international Internet standard), optical fibre cables (now used by telecom networksthroughout the world), and the latest generationrailway wireless communication standard (GSM-Rail) as the main features of the modernisa -tion process.

The idea is to develop a backbone that canthen be fleshed out with the various dedicatedapplications ensuring the different rail systemand control/command functions. This backbonewill also be used by RFF to develop a number ofadded-value functionalities.

Optical fibre cablesRFF is responsible for developing and main -taining a physical transmission networkdedicated to railway equipment and applica -tions – for example – signalling, operations andpower supplies. The network originallyconsisted of copper cables but these are nowcoming to the end of their useful life, to say

nothing of the problems of theft so regularlybesetting the network. Copper cables aretherefore being replaced by optical fibre cableswhich have the dual advantage of being morereliable and better-suited to the latest systems.Replacement operations are being conductedas line upgrading and new line constructionprogrammes progress.

RFF’s ‘fibre’ plan is designed to give greaterdefinition and scope to the current roll-outprogramme. Approximately 4,500km of opticalfibre cables are scheduled for installationbetween 2012 and 2015 as a matter of priority –basically to cater to the GSM-R telephonenetwork and to first operations under the


Over the years, telecommunications systems have become a vital factor in rail network reliability. A mere boonin the past, they are now essential to railway operating safety and network coordination. Modern telecomssystems have to combine ever higher throughput with exemplary reliability and with that other key factor:mobility. Although there are technologies on the market capable of meeting these needs, modernising a hugenetwork in constant operation represents a major challenge. In 2009, recognising the importance of telecoms inthe railway system, Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) joined forces with SNCF to draw-up an overall inventory of allrailway telecom equipment and came to the conclusion that looming obsolescence called for urgent action.

Telecommunications:ringing in the new


SUPPLEMENT

Éric Le Moal Head of ERTMS and Telecom Services, RFF

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centralised network control project (groupingtogether the 1,500 most important signal boxesto form 16 regional traffic control centres). A further 12,000km will then be installed to coverall main rail network needs, also putting RFF in aposition to market optical fibres to telecomoperators. Whereas in the past some 100-200kmof cables were installed each year, it is nownecessary to up the pace to over 1,000km. Thewhole process from organisation to industrialroll-out has had to be completely re-thought.

InfraNet networkPerformance achieved with optical fibre cablesis such that several separate transmissionnetworks can be accommodated at the sametime: Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH);Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM); Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing(DWDM); and the InfraNet network.

With a backbone comprising 90 routers and atarget service network of some 1,000 routers,InfraNet provides the different applications withmore reliable data communications. It is basedon the Internet Protocol (IP) which is a stable andlasting standard, and on Multi Protocol LabelSwitching (MPLS). The performance offered bythese protocols is streets ahead of anything thatcould be achieved with the old point-to-pointnetworks now on their way out.

Since continuous transmission is vital,InfraNet offers fail-safe guarantees thanks to itsfault-tolerant network architecture. In addition,the whole network and its equipment arecentrally monitored and controlled from Paris.

InfraNet is already used for railway operatingapplications linked to the new generation ofcomputer-controlled signal boxes (crucial tocentralised network/traffic control) and forinfrastructure component monitoring applica -tions. Very shortly, new generation railwaytelephone equipment will be added to this list.

New generation railway telephone equipment‘Railway telephone equipment’ encompassesall the telecom facilities used by operatorsworking trains on the rail network, dispatchers,traffic controllers and drivers (via the ground-to-train radio transmission system). Terminalequipment – in other words the different task-specific control panels – is linked to dedicatedswitches processing railway-specific commandinterfaces. There are some 4,000 operatorworkstations for the national network.

RFF is planning to use InfraNet infrastructureas a means of modernising this equipment. ‘IP switches’ are well on their way to becomingthe new standard. This new approach of blanketconnection to the InfraNet network will make iteasier to migrate towards standard productswith IP interfaces, foster an architecture thatseparates call processing from fixed terminal

functions and make it simpler to combine dataand voice communications services. Not only areIP solutions synonymous with technologicalprogress, their general use should also sub -stantially drive down Life-Cycle Costs.

GSM-R – the new ground-to-train radio transmission systemAs the communications systems used betweentrain operators and train drivers, ground-to-train radio has long been a key factor in ensuringsafe and efficient train operations. The GlobalSystem for Mobile communication for Railways(GSM-R) is gradually being introduced to replacethe old analogue ground-to-train radio trans -mission system fast coming to the end of itsuseful life. The new digital communicationstechnology will enable the system to offer acombination of voice and data transmission viaa single platform and will boost rail systemreliability and responsiveness. Another benefitis that most of Europe’s railways have decidedto forge ahead with the introduction of the newsystem for reasons of uniformity. Train radio will

be able to operate across borders as easily asGSM mobile phone systems today. Last but notleast, GSM-Rail is needed to support theEuropean Rail Traffic Management System(ERTMS) for, without it, equipping high-speedlines in France with ERTMS Level 2 would be impossible.

Since 2003, 3,000km of main lines have beenequipped with GSM-R. In 2010, in order to speed-up roll-out through to 2015, RFF signed a PPPagreement with SYNERAIL – a company ownedby VINCI (30%), SFR (30%), AXA (30%) and TDF(10%) – for the installation of the GSM-Railnetwork on 14,500km of track and its operationover 15 years.

This last example of telecom systemmodernisation is illustrative of the significanceand complexity of the programme in-hand.Optical fibre cables, InfraNet, new generationrailway telephone equipment and the newground-to-train radio system all have the sametarget – namely that of making communicationsbetter and more reliable, given their vitalimportance for the safety and successfulmanagement of the rail network as a whole.Changes have been prompted by numerousoutside agents and the operations involved arehuge. Today’s efforts to upgrade networktechnology herald the entry of railway communi -cations into the digital era.



SUPPLEMENT

Éric Le Moal is Head of RFF’sERTMS and Telecom ServicesDepartment, responsible for out -sourcing and managing telecominfrastructure projects for thewhole of the railway network, with the assistance of SNCF foroperation and maintenance.

Driver using GSM-R

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‘‘Today’s efforts to upgrade networktechnology herald the entry of railwaycommuni cations into the digital era’’

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The FLEXX Compact platform is characterised bya modular approach for maximum designflexibility. The FLEXX Compact bogie family isversatile in its range of features and perform -ance due to wide use of adaptable modules andproven standardised components. This gives

the advantages of a flexible bogie concept that can be cost-effectively adapted to meetspecific operational requirements. FLEXX

Compact bogies offer high quality runningperformance and are easy to maintain with lowmaintenance costs.

Bogies of the FLEXX Compact family are light-weight and have a torsionally elastic frame foroptimal safety against derailment. The bogies arecompact and therefore highly suitable for low-floor vehicles where space for under-floorequipment is limited or for double-deck vehicles


BOMBARDIER1 FLEXX1 Compact is now a well-established name in the worldof bogies for railway vehicles. There are currently more than 7,000 FLEXXCompact bogies in service or on order worldwide. Recently, the productionof the 1,000th FLEXX Compact bogie for SNCF’s commuter train – BOMBARDIER1 SPACIUM1 – was celebrated at Bombardier’s site in Crespin, France. Simultaneously, the 1,400thFLEXX Compact bogie for BOMBARDIER1 TALENT12 trains for Deutsche Bahn left Bombardier’s factory in Siegen,Germany. The latest version of this type of bogie takes advantage of Bombardier’s extensive experience in thissegment, with roots dating back to the 1990s with the bogies developed for BOMBARDIER1 TALENT1 vehicles.

FLEXX Compact – themost successful bogieplatform for regionaland commuter trains

BOGIES

Frederik Allert Product Engineer, Bombardier Transport France S.A.S.

FLEXX Compact motor bogie for TALENT 2

where reduced height of the side beam isrequired to accommodate the compact bogie tocarbody interface.

A wide and coherent family of bogies FLEXX Compact is a family of bogies includingJakobs and conventional bogies, which aredeveloped on a common base. Currently, both types of bogies are available as trailer and motor versions which optimise the use ofcommon elements and provides advantages interms of ease of maintenance.

Modular approach for maximum design flexibilityAs mentioned , the Jakobs and conventionalbogie are designed taking into account thesame design principle and maximise the use ofshared components, but this also applies to the

complete FLEXX Compact family as a largepercentage of the components can be used fordifferent applications. This also means that thesupply chain for subcomponents can beextended and assured.

An enduring success story:From single-deck DMU to double-deck EMU,and from regional to commuter trains, from coaches to tilting articulated vehiclesInitially the FLEXX Compact bogies were mainlyused as a set of bogies with conventional bogiesused as front or end bogies and Jakobs bogies as the intermediate bogie of articulatedtrains. These bogies were used in DMU and EMUTALENT trains (for Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB) andin the widest fleet of EMUs ordered by SNCF and currently in revenue service: AGC (AutorailGrande Capacité).

In a similar way, it was feasible to share acommon design when developing the runninggear for the TALENT 2 EMU used for regionalapplication in Germany and the BOMBARDIER1

SPACIUM1 articulated train for commuter applica tions in the Parisian region. Naturally,specific requirements of the final customer andtrain characteristics were taken into account butthe common base design enabled sharedpractices, such as validation planning, toolingetc. It also permitted sharing of experience and the ability to apply a proactive productintroduction plan.

One of the main evolutions between theFLEXX Compact motor bogie generation used inthe AGC and the most recent generation is the useof the semi-suspended gearbox coupled with afully-suspended motor.

It should be mentioned that FLEXX

Compact bogies are also used for coachapplications. For example, JUMBO coaches of BLS, INOVA1 coaches for the DOMINO2

trains in Switzerland and coaches for LVSMarschbahn in Germany are equipped withFLEXX Compact Bogies.

The TALENT tilting trains delivered to NSB(Norwegian State Railways) are equipped withFLEXX Compact bogies adapted to the higher axle loads, higher speed and to the harshScandinavian winter conditions. These specificFLEXX Compact bogies are equipped with the unique ContRoll type of tilting system: noswinging bolster is required between the bogieand the car body, but hydraulic cylinders, fittedbetween the anti roll bar system and the carbody,directly actuate the tilting.

BOGIES

FLEXX Compact Heavy Do 2010

FLEXX Compact front motor bogie for Regio2N


From asynchronous to permanent

magnet motors, and from wheel-mounted

discs to tread brakes

Our FLEXX Compact bogies are also fitted to theRegio2N train BOMBARDIER1 OMNEO1 – the latestvehicle developed by Bombardier for SNCF whichis very innovative from a design per spectivebeing an articulated train set mixing single-deckand double-deck sections. One of the challengesof this application was to be able to offer aplatform of bogies that were compatible, yetoperating under a very large number of train setvariants (including regional and commuterapplication with axle loads up to 20,5 T andperformance requirements of 160km/h withoption up to 200km/h). For this application, themotor bogie integrates a compact BOMBARDIER1

MITRAC1 TM 1510PS self-ventilated permanentmagnet motor with reliable electro-dynamicbraking allowing the use of tread brakes (andalso in this case the integration of a cast irontread brake for shunting purposes as required bythe final customer).

Latest developments More recently, the architecture for mass-

optimised design was used in order to developthe FLEXX Compact Heavy (FCH) bogie which willequip the TWINDEXX1 Vario Double DeckPowerhead produced for the DO2010 contractwith Deutsche Bahn, Germany. This bogie allowsthe integration of the powerful MITRAC TM1800AF forced ventilated asynchroneous motorand is able to bear up to 21T/ axle with a bogiemass lower than 10T (interface bolster andmotorisation included). In contrast to theoriginal FLEXX Compact family which uses awheel diameter smaller than 840mm, in thisinstance a wheel diameter of 920mm was used in order to cope with the high tractionforce, loads and the Life-Cycle Cost require -ments. In this case, the interface with thecarbody was standardised with anotherBombardier bogie family: the FLEXX Load GIXBogie (Trailer Bogie) used for double-deck coachapplication in Germany.

Another variant of the FLEXX Compactfamily is the mechatronic bogie developed for TWINDEXX Express double-deck trains for SBB, Switzerland and integrating the FLEXX

Tronic WAKO active suspension (roll compensa-tion device).

Perspective Today, the FLEXX Compact family is firmlyestablished in the major segments of regionaland commuter applications. We are expectingto further develop the platform in order to coveradditional needs, such as:● Higher motorisation performance

● Increased speed range up to 250km/h ● Extended load range● Validation for specific weather conditions

and regional requirements.

A continuous improvement programme is alsoin place in order to collect information on theperformance of our products in our differentmarkets and applications; this will enable us tofurther optimise our design assumptions,optimise our Life-Cycle Cost and guide our new developments.

References1. BOMBARDIER, TALENT, TWINDEXX, MITRAC, SPACIUM,

OMNEO, FLEXX and INOVA are trademarks of BombardierInc. or its subsidiaries

2. Trademarks of Third Parties


BOGIES

FLEXX Compact end motorbogie for SPACIUM

FLEXX Compact trailerJakobs bogie for SPACIUM

FLEXX Compact Bogie equipped with FLEXX Tronic WAKO for SBB

Frederik Allert studied at theFaculté Polytechnique de Monsin Belgium where he acquiredthe grade of Civil Engineer inMechanics. Frederik started hiscareer in 1994 as a StructuralEngineer in the Engineering

Office of the Belgian Subsidiary of Bombardierwhere he collaborated in the development ofseveral bogies for LRVs and Metro applications.Frederik joined the French site of Bombardier inCrespin in 1999 as Project Engineer for thedevelopment of the tilting HVP bogie of the Class221 for the UK and continued with severalprojects such as the Light Tyre Metro for Taipeiand the MF2000 for the Paris Metro. Frederik iscurrently acting as Product Engineer in charge ofthe management and development of the FLEXXCompact Bogie Platform.

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Noise & Vibrations


SUPPLEMENT

SPONSORED BY:

58

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Reducing vibrationsnear railway lines – ways for finding

effective measuresWolfgang Behr and

Isabelle De Keyzer, UIC

Industry cooperationneeded for a less

noisy railwaySiv Leth and Nicolas Furio, UNIFE Noise Mirror Group

Speech intelligibilityin trains

Jesús Otero Yugat and Igor Alonso Portillo, CETEST

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Transport policy of the European UnionSince future transport requires a system that isable to move a lot more passengers and freight than it is today, a high-capacity, efficient,cost-effective and environmentally-friendlytransport system is necessary across Europe.The Strategic Rail Research Agenda 20202 of theEuropean Rail Research Advisory Council(ERRAC) expects rail transport to double.However, an increasing number of people livingnear railway lines are annoyed by noise andvibrations as side-effects of rail transport and itis therefore necessary to find ways to reducethose effects.

Finding mitigation measures to reducevibrations near railway linesThe two main causes of annoyance induced byrailway traffic are noise and vibration. Whilenoise is an issue for nearly all kinds of transport

by car, train and plane, vibrations are relevantespecially to rail transport. Therefore during thelast three years, the RIVAS project tackled the challenge of developing and analysingvibration mitigation measures – under the


Launched in 2011, RIVAS1 is a collaborative rail research project co-funded by the European Commissioncomprised of 27 partners from all over Europe and is aimed at finding Railway Induced Vibration AbatementSolutions. The research leading to the results of the project has received funding from the European UnionSeventh Framework Programme under grant agreement 26574.

NOISE & VIBRATIONS SUPPLEMENT

Reducing vibrationsnear railway lines –ways for findingeffective measures

Wolfgang BehrRIVAS Coordinator, UIC

Isabelle De KeyzerDissemination of EU Co-Funded R&D Projects, UIC

Figure 2 Some examples of real measured types of wheel out-of-roundness

Figure 1 The source of vibrations induced in the vicinity of a railway track is the interaction forcecreated at the wheel-rail contact point when a train passes on the track

CITIES INMOTION

inorganic resilient technologies are Common SenseA member of the ROCKWOOL Group www.rockdelta.com

patronage of the European Commission (FP 7).The 27 partners, led by the International Unionof Railways (UIC), represent end-users(infrastructure managers and train operatingcompanies – ADIF, DB, RATP SBB, SNCF andTrafikverket), associations, manufactures and suppliers (Alstom, Bombardier, EiffageRail,Keller, Lucchini, Pandrol, RailOne, Sateba),universities and research institutes (BAM,CEDEX, Chalmers University, CSTB, ISVR, KULeuven) as well as consultants and associations(D2S, Satis, TÜV Rheinland, Vibratec, Prose).

The source of vibration – the backboneof individual work packages of theRIVAS projectThe source of vibrations induced in the vicinityof a railway track is the interaction force createdat the wheel-rail contact point when a trainpasses on the track (see Figure 1, page 58). This force is strongly influenced by the wheeland rail irregularities. Irregularities resultingfrom track evenness can be isolated defects,insulated joints, corrugation of the rail, andhanging sleepers etc. Irregularities of the wheelcan be flats or different types of out-of-round -

ness. Figure 2 (page 58) shows some examplesof real measured types of wheel out-of-roundness. A classification of the wheel andtrack defects with respect to vibration emissionwas discussed during the project throughnumerical simulations and measurements. The generation of vibration and its influence on the interaction force can by simulated usingexperienced calculation tools based on springand damping models (see Figure 3).

The vibration which citizens feel in theirhouses depends not only on the resultinginteraction force due to the wheel-rail contactand the properties of the track, but also on

the propagation path (see Figure 4, page 60)which can be simulated by mathematicalmethods. Figure 5 (page 60) shows the effect of a barrier in the propagation path for afrequency of 30 Hz. But such calculations requireknowledge on the soil conditions which are often poorly known.

As shown in Figure 4 (page 60) even the typeof building and its construction plays a role inhow the vibration will induce noise in it.Therefore different types of houses and alsodifferent types of soil conditions have beeninvestigated within the work of RIVAS (see Figure 6, page 60).


Figure 3 The generation of vibration and its influence on the interaction force can by simulated usingexperienced calculation tools based on spring and damping models

Based on the factors that are influencingvibrations induced by rail traffic, the project hasbeen divided into the following five scientificwork packages (see Figure 7, page 61):● WP1 establishes the test procedures

to monitor and control the performance

of vibration mitigation measures under

realistic conditions

● WP2 develops and evaluates mitigationmeasures based on reducing the excitationof vibration at the vehicle-track interface byimproved maintenance

● WP3 develops and evaluates mitigationmeasures for ballasted and slab tracks

● WP4 will develop and evaluate miti-gation measures based on sub-gradeimprovement and ground barriers within therailway infrastructure

● WP5 addresses the impact of the vehicle.Evaluating the efficiency of a measureto reduce the effects of rail trafficinduced vibrationAt first sight, it seems easy to measure the effectof a solution to reduce vibration effects, i.e. withunder sleeper pads (USPs).

An under sleeper pad is a soft materialmounted under a concrete sleeper (see Figure 8,page 61). So measuring the vibration level at a

certain distance from the track before and afterinstalling the USPs (that means exchangingexisting sleepers without USPs with new sleeperswith USPs) leads to a correct result under thefollowing conditions:● Nothing has been changed at the track

system except the sleeper (that is notrealistic since the status of the trackset andthe rail will change during the constructionby changing sleepers; even the roughness of the rail can change slightly betweenmeasurements)

● For both measurements, the same train has to be running on the track due to theimperative of having the same wheels withthe same out-of-roundness status. However,this is not realistic since a test train is very

difficult to run several times on a given trackfor management and financial reasons; alsousing one test train is not a good idea due tothe known fact that the effect of a measurewill differ depending on the running traindue to the different static and dynamicforces of each class of train (unsprungmasses of the wheels, distance of the wheelswithin a bogie, distance of the bogies from

each other, etc.). Another method is tomeasure a certain number of trains in orderto evaluate the average value of each class oftrain. But also such measurement will take along time to carry out.



Estimating vibrations and structural noiseThe need for increased rail infrastructure in denselypopulated urban areas has over recent yearsextended the use of light-rail, metros and mainlines, often using shallow tunnels for alignment dueto the high costs of acquiring right of way. This hasin many European countries often turned out toconflict with environmental regulations forvibrations and structural borne noise in neigh -bouring buildings. When designing railways wherea demand for track damping measures can beexpected, the design challenge is to determine theminimum damping solutions ensuring allenvironmental regulations are met, as dampingmeasures are expensive to install.

Currently, several research activities withindeveloping better methods for estimatingvibrations and structural noise from railways is on-going. Within the 7th EU research frameworkthe project RIVAS entertaining the problems ofdeveloping such models to better accuracy andoutlining goals for harmonising limits is nowcoming to an end.

In parallel with RIVAS, several rail networkowners have been working on their own indeveloping more accurate models serving moreoperational aims than theoretical. One of those isBanedanmark who have engaged COWI A/S todevelop an accurate model for estimatingvibrations and structural noise within buildings in close proximity to other buildings. Here theapproach has been an empirical model based upona probabilistic approach towards summarisingtransfer functions measured from a high quantity oflocations and train types calibrated towards typicalgeological situations for Denmark. The model willbe presented at EuroDyn 2014 in Porto.

www.cowi.dk

Figure 4 The vibration which citizens feel in their houses depends not only on the resulting interactionforce due to the wheel-rail contact and the properties of the track, but also on the propagation pathwhich can be simulated by mathematical methods

Figure 5 The effect of a barrier in the propagation path for a frequency of 30 Hz

Figure 6 Different types of houses and alsodifferent types of soil conditions have beeninvestigated within the work of RIVAS

Therefore a certain measurement method wasdeveloped and used for all measurementscarried out within RIVAS (see Figure 9). Using acombined procedure, the vibration levels aremeasured at a certain distance from the track

(usually at a distance of 8m and 16m minimum)for each train separately before and after theinstallation of the mitigation measure (i.e.installing of sleepers with USP). Differencesbetween the vibration levels at the test section and the reference section at themeasurement before installing the mitiga-tion measure may be caused by different

conditions (ballast parameters, stiffening of thesubsoil, soil parameters; possibly also rough -ness and unevenness of the rail). In order tominimise errors due to the measurement itself,three different sensors positioned close to eachother at each measurement point are used. Also additional measurements of the soilconditions can be made.

Differences of the results in the unchangedreference section before and after the installationof the mitigation measure may be caused bydifferent track conditions itself (i.e. status oftamping of the ballast) or by the running trains.But these differences can be taken into accountby comparing the vibration results in the testsection before and after the installation of themitigation measure in order to decide whicheffect is caused by the mitigation measure, andwhich effect has other causes.

The detailed description how to use thatmeasurement protocol in order to obtain correctresults for the real effect of a measure to reducevibrations by a measurement campaign is givenin the deliverable D1.2 which can be downloadedfrom the RIVAS project public website1.

ConclusionsFigure 4 (page 60) makes it very clear that the same mitigation measures can havecompletely different efficiencies depending onthe type of train and its velocity, the type oftrack system, the soil conditions and even thetype of buildings.

Therefore all results from each single workpackage within RIVAS will be evaluated withrespect to the need of decision criteria regardingwhich measure will work best in specificsituations and conditions where annoyance due to vibration occurs. This process is still on-going and all results will be made public on theRIVAS website1.

References1. For further information, visit: www.rivas-project.eu

2. Strategic Rail Research Agenda 2020; European RailResearch Advisory Council, May 2007



Dr Wolfgang Behr is Co -ordinator of the RIVAS project,ensuring that the project comesto exploitable and imple -mentable results in 2013. For theRIVAS project, he was secondedto the UIC from the Department

of Acoustics and Vibrations of DB SystemtechnikGmbH in order to provide his long-standingexpertise in the field of vibration and vibrationmitigation from railways.

Isabelle De Keyzer has beenworking for the UIC sinceJanuary 2008 where she is incharge of the dissemination ofcollaborative R&D projects co-funded by the EuropeanCommission under the FP7.Isabelle holds a Master I degree in translationfrom the Institut Supérieur de Traducteurs etInterprètes (ISTI) of Brussels (promotion 1992). Within RIVAS, Isabelle is in charge of the Work Package 6 ‘Dissemination, exploitationand training’.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the followingpeople for contributing to this article: Dr. DorothéeStiebel, Expert in Acoustics and Vibrations, DBSystemtechnik; Ms Lise Pesqueux, ProjectManager in Acoustics, Alstom Transport SA; DrEstelle Bongini, Project Manager in Acoustics,SNCF; Dr. Geert Lombaert, Professor, KU Leuven;and Mr. Adam Mirza, Noise and VibrationEngineer, Bombardier Transportation Sweden.

Figure 9 RIVAS measurements

Figure 7 Based on the factors that are influencing vibrations induced by rail traffic, the project has beendivided into five scientific work packages

Figure 8 An under sleeper pad is a soft materialmounted under a concrete sleeper


If the European Union’s (EU) ambitious goal is toimprove interoperability, increase the capacityand create future competitiveness in the railindustry, noise is one of the key concerns thatmust be addressed. The noise issue has, in manyprevious studies, been identified as one of the most important obstacles to win publicacceptance for new lines or increased traffic ofexisting lines – not least for freight traffic whichgenerally creates more noise than other trafficand often also operates at night. The greening ofthe transport sector is another EU objectivewhich goes hand-in-hand with the noisemitigation initiatives. Therefore, there is a needto improve European railway standardisationand research activities regarding noise in theupcoming years.

Improve standardisation: vehicle track separation techniqueNoise limits for pass-by are an essential part ofthe Noise TSI, with the purpose of assuringinteroperability. Hence a vehicle cannot berefused by a Member State because of its noiseperformance. This must be compatible withmaintaining the competiveness of the railwaysector and with improving the environmentalprotection. However, the present Noise TSI testprocedures for pass-by noise are not well relatedto traffic noise emission in Europe because of thedefinition of the reference track. Furthermore,neither acoustical aspects of the infrastructurenor maintenance or retrofit of cast iron blockbrakes can be included in the Noise TSI.

This is an unwanted complication when it

comes to noise limit setting since there is a splitresponsibility between rolling stock andinfrastructure. If Europe wants to have morequiet rolling stock than the current Noise TSI canassure, there is a need to further develop anassessment procedure that can separate tracknoise from vehicle noise.

The original purpose of the reference trackwas to define it so that vehicle noise and not track noise was measured. A reference trackshould however also be easily accessible in allEuropean Member States and not too differentfrom standard track design. The final referencetrack definition was a compromise meaning the track noise contribution compared to thevehicle noise contribution was higher thandesired and this is today the fact that restricts

The UNIFE Noise Mirror Group (MG) brings together experts from European rolling stock manufacturers andaims to steer UNIFE work on standardisation, regulation and research of railway noise. The UNIFE Noise MG isinvolved in the activities of the Noise Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI) revision managed by theEuropean Railway Agency (ERA) and is driving UNIFE research activities for noise issues.

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Industry cooperationneeded for a less noisy railway Siv Leth

Chairwoman, UNIFE Noise Mirror Group

Nicolas FurioCoordinator, UNIFE Noise Mirror Group

Figure 1 Noise sources and separation of noise sources through the use of beamforming techniques

MODELING VIBRATION NUISANCE

Explore us at www.cowi.com

We have developed a new approach for modeling vibration nuisance and structural noise in buildings exposed to railway traffic.

This new emperical model is based upon a probabilistic approach towards summating frequency response functions obtained by thousands of measurements at various locations passed by the most common train types; all calibrated towards typical ground conditions.

The model works seamless with GIS software and can provide results with uncertainties less than 3 dB.

Test the demo version of the model set up for a Danish environment: webgis.gis-hotel.dk:8080/UI_Main_v2.1.html

further progress. The definition of the referencetrack as set out in ISO 3095:2013 is a spectraldefinition of an envelope curve, setting maxi -mum rail roughness limits and minimum track decay rate limits. Any track with a lowerroughness and/or a higher decay rate than thelimit curve is accepted as reference track. Withthe current reference track definition, reductionsof Noise TSI limits for pass-by will have small orno impact on noise exposure of people.

One option would be to reduce the tracknoise by tightening the reference track definition.However, this option is not acceptable as it wouldlead to even lower accessibility to test tracks andincreases the complexity and cost of today, whilstalready today, time and cost for certifying rollingstock according to Noise TSI is a big issue for thesector as a whole.

Another option would be to develop avehicle-track separation technique. It is import -ant to have a consensus among railwaystakeholders around such a method. Taking into account the cost aspect, this separationtech nique must be simple to not lead to a more complicated procedure than exists today.As this method is not yet standardised, it wouldbe interesting to start a European researchproject, dedicated to the definition of such a

method, with the objective to standardise it in the future.

Step-change in European railway researchThere are two aspects of noise; exterior andinterior. For the exterior noise, the disturbanceto nearby residents should be minimised. On some lines, the capacity is restricted because of noise regulations for noisereception. In such cases there is a tangibleeconomic drive to reduce the noise emission ofthe passing trains to allow more of them to pass.Exterior noise has been the focus of previouspublic funded research.

For interior noise, the comfort and attractive -ness for passengers and working conditions foron-board staff is a complex challenge. It will becrucial to offer an attractive product, in which thenoise and vibration performance is oneimportant feature, to revitalise the railway sectorand drastically increase the market sharecompared to other transport modes. In par -ticular, the introduction of light-weight materialand new design concepts to reduce energyconsumption and wear, will call for increasedattention to be paid to the acoustic design of arail vehicle. Also, the rapid development in IT and

infotainment systems should be utilised in futuregeneration passenger trains.

The competitiveness in the rail industrybecomes stronger with the presence of more andmore global players. In particular, the immenseexpansion of Asian markets has led to a rapiddevelopment of the Asian railway industry.

The European industry must speed up theefforts to stay in front of the global competition. It is important to combine high efficiency andnoise comfort through innovative and tech -nological state-of-the-art products. The impacton future railway systems will be important, sincea system approach considering the combinationof low noise rolling stock and low noise infra -structure will assure the competiveness for agreen high capacity European railway system.

Therefore, the European rail sector is readyto commit to major step changes in order to fightnoise issues in Europe and achieve the objectivesset out in the Transport White Paper and in theEurope 2020 strategy. In order to make thisreality, railway stakeholders, including suppliers,operators, infrastructure managers, rail clustersand academia and research institutes areteaming up in the SHIFT2RAIL proposal for aflagship Joint Technology Initiative underHorizon 2020. SHIFT2RAIL is one coherent and


flexible research instrument managed in a JointUndertaking within Horizon 2020. A dedicatedoverall budget is estimated at around €1 billionover a six to seven year period – co-financed bythe private sector and the European Comm -ission. The Rail Joint Technological Initiative –called SHIFT2RAIL – is a sector-wide initiative todevelop European rail innovation and com -petitiveness on a large scale and therebystrengthen the position of the European industryin the global competition. The CEOs of the largest

rail suppliers in Europe committed to this, untilnow unprecedented initiative, to step upcommon rail research and develop the railsystems of the future. In particular, the focus willbe on improving capacity to absorb a biggershare of traffic, increasing efficiency andsustainability, and developing the mostcustomer-friendly, safe vehicles.

SHIFT2RAIL will develop and implement anew way of addressing the challenges forinnovation in railway technology. Two key

objectives have been identified by the initiative;the first one is increasing capacity so as to enablerail to absorb a greater share of traffic growth;and the second is to attract business and improvethe efficiency of the rail transportation mode as awhole. The initiative will contribute to anincrease in the overall efficiency of the railtransport system, satisfy transport user’s needs,and at the same time help to foster thecompetitiveness of the European manufacturingindustry, through the implementation oftechnological innovation.

ConclusionThe future of railways in Europe and thecompetitiveness of the European railwayindustry are strongly linked to the acousticperformance of the railway system. UNIFEmembers – through the UNIFE Noise MirrorGroup – will dedicate their efforts in stand -ardisation of separation techniques for vehicleversus infrastructure noise together with astrong and transversal participation in thefuture SHIFT2RAIL Joint Technology Initiative.The challenge is important but the cooperationwill lead to a less noisy and sustainable railway.



Siv Leth is Director for the Global Centre of CompetenceAcoustics and Vibration atBombardier Transportation andcertified Bombardier FellowExpert. She has industrial experi -ence of vehicle noise control

from the aerospace, naval, mining, automotiveand railway industry for over 30 years. Siv is Chairwoman of the UNIFE Noise MirrorGroup, plus Adjunct Professor at the RoyalInstitute of Technology (KTH) Stockholm, MarcusWallenberg Laboratory for Sound and VibrationResearch. Siv is the author of numerous paperspublished in international journals andconferences on acoustics of trains and aircraft and is holder of patents in the area of active noise control.

Nicolas Furio is a Civil WorksEngineer and has been theInfrastructure Manager at UNIFEsince 2010. Nicolas is respons -ible for UNIFE’s technicalactivities in the field of railinfrastructure, energy and noiseand is also in charge of current and futureinfrastructure, energy and noise research projects. Before joining UNIFE, Nicolas was ProjectManager for Egis Rail. Nicolas holds a Civil WorksEngineering degree from the Engineering SchoolINSA in Lyon and a Master’s degree in IndustrialMarketing and International Strategy from the EMLyon Business School.

RockDelta and RAIL.ONE launch the RHEDA RX™ metro track systemRockDelta, a company in the Rockwool Group,together with RAIL.ONE has developed the RHEDA RX™ solution for metro track systemswhich assures effective attenuation of vibrationsproduced by passing trains.

The solution was developed on the basis of the proven RHEDA family of ballastless tracksystems. These systems are chiefly characterised byan in-situ concrete slab with integrated bi-blocksleepers. Since its initial application in 1972 at theGerman train station Rheda, the namesake of the system, this solution has been systematicallyfurther developed by RAIL.ONE GmbH and adaptedto changing requirements.

Within the track system, RockXolid® stone woolmats perform a dual function. Firstly, they representtotal decoupling of the track superstructure from thetunnel, thereby providing the desired isolation level.Secondly, they assure the likewise-desired elasticityof the overall system. The required mat thickness isselected in accordance with the design of the mass-spring system and with the resulting relationshipbetween the required mass and spring. Available matsinclude: RockXolid® MFS 30mm; RockXolid®

50-50mm; and RockXolid® 80-80mm.

RockXolid® mats demonstrate numerous uniquematerial properties. Many of these characteristicsresult from the stone wool core material, which isinorganic and chemically inactive, and include thefollowing:● Outstanding static and dynamic properties and an

optimal force-deflection plot● Exceptionally long service life, virtually without

modification of functional performance● Extremely great resistance to environmental factors

such as water, light, ultraviolet radiation, etc.● Complete re-usability● Resistance to fire and smoke, e.g. more

than 1,000°C● Internal drainage system.

With its modular configuration and its end-to-endsystems engineering, the RHEDA RX™ ballastlesstrack represents a technologically mature andcustomer-oriented solution for urban rail transport.

www.rockdelta.com

Figure 2 EMU example – Pass-by-noise influence of the track

Recent projects where CETEST has performedspeech intelligibility tests include the newtramway units for Stockholm in Sweden andZaragoza in Spain, and Electrical Multiple Unitsfor Trieste in Italy. Furthermore, CETEST iscurrently preparing future speech intelligibility

tests for a dual tramway-train project for the cityof Cádiz in Spain.

What is speech intelligibility?First of all, it must not be confused with speechquality. Speech intelligibility is related to the

amount of speech items recognised correctly,while speech quality is related to the quality of areproduced speech signal with respect to theamount of audible distortions.

Tests are designed using the SpeechTransmission Index (STI) method. Besides


Speech intelligibility between passengers and the intelligibility of acoustical messages are an important matterconcerning the acoustic comfort inside a train. Passengers of high-speed vehicles, conventional trains andtramways might be exposed to relatively high sound levels due to auxiliary equipment in operation such as theHVAC system as well as general rolling noise. In this situation, speech intelligibility can be decreased by the transmission path between the talker and the listener, or even between the communication and PublicAddress (PA) systems of the train and the passengers. In recent years, CETEST has evaluated the speechintelligibility inside railway vehicles by means of on-track dynamic tests. Customers of this acoustic testing notonly include vehicle manufacturers and train operators, but also infrastructure managers if we think of theacoustic characterisation of stations.


Jesús Otero YugatSenior Test Engineer, CETEST

Igor Alonso PortilloDirector – Strategy and BusinessDevelopment, CETEST

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Speech intelligibilityin trains

validating the tested trains from the point-of-view of intelligibility, measurements of this indexcan be used in order to improve the speechintelligibility in new rail vehicle designs.

Testing on track is performed according tothe international standard IEC 60268-16.Previous versions of this standard alloweddetermining the Room Acoustics SpeechTransmission Index (RASTI) which focused ondirect communication between people withoutmaking use of a communication system. The lastrevision of this standard included a morecomprehensive methodology for evaluatingspeech. Also, track tests are carried out in order toobtain Speech Transmission Index for PublicAddress systems (STIPA). Results of the tests are summarised with a numeric index whichclassifies the intelligibility (see Figure 1).

Figure 1 describes the quantification of thedeterioration of the speech intelligibilityproduced by the transmission path. The STImethod applies a specific test signal to thetransmission path and by analysing the receivedtest signal, the STI index is determined andexpressed in a value between 0 and 1. Using thisvalue the speech intelligibility is modeled.

Test procedureThe test set-up needed for the evaluation ofspeech intelligibility includes the instrumenta -tion of the train by means of loud speakers andsound metres, which represent respectively thetalker and the listener (see Figure 2).

There are two factors that determine thespeech intelligibility which are considered duringtrack tests. The first is the background noise,

or rather the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). Thesecond is the acoustics of the passengers’ room,which are related with the sound reflections andthe reverberation time in the room.

Several locations of each tested vehicle

are considered, with the purpose of charact -erising the acoustic comfort. CETEST typicallyevaluates the following motion and station-ary conditions:● Conversations between adjacent pass -

engers are the most common tests, where

the aim is to obtain at least a good speech

index (see Figure 3)

● Tests between remote passengers arecarried out in order to verify that a singleperson does not hear the conversationbetween distant passengers. In this case apoor or bad speech index is required

● Tests between driver’s cab and seatsimmediately behind the wall adjacent tocabin, which purpose is to obtain a badspeech index. This evaluation case is neededto confirm that passengers close to this

wall do not listen to what happens inside the cabin

● Measurements using the communica-tion and PA systems are also performed. The reaction from passengers to acousticalinformation is faster and stronger than theone displayed on the screens located in the interior of the vehicle, especially in caseof traffic problems.

In addition, several tramways and trains have acommunication system located outside thevehicle which is used to notify information toincoming passengers waiting in platforms.CETEST also analyses this specific situationplacing sound metres at different locations of the station (see Figure 4 opposite). Theevaluation signal is emitted by the PA system ofthe vehicle.

Tests on platforms and stations can be usefulfor train manufactures in order to design andoptimise the communication systems of thefuture and actual units, taking into account that volumes of very large stations have a high reverberation time. These tests are


NOISE & VIRBATIONSSUPPLEMENT

Figure 1 The numeric scale used for Speech Transmission Index (STI) tests

Figure 2 The test set-up for speech intelligibility tests Credit: Brüel and Kjaer

Figure 3 Evaluation of speech intelligibility between adjacent passengers

also useful for operators and infrastructuremanagers to understand and better designplatform operation.

Measuring speech: a useful toolAlthough there are limitations to the STImethod, the use of this procedure has proveduseful in many situations and is gaininginternational acceptance. In fact, the EuropeanCommission through the European Railway

Agency (ERA) included in 2007 a new acousticregulation point in the Technical Specifica-tion of Interoperability relating to people with reduced mobility in the conventional and high-speed rail system. This regulationdefines a minimum value of speech intelli-gibility for spoken information in all areas of the vehicle.

In conclusion, it is evident that each railway unit must guarantee the intelligi-

bility during commercial service. CETEST – as a leader in railway testing – has devel-oped measurement solutions and know-how for evaluating intelligibility and helping itscustomers in ultimately providing better comfortto the passengers.

NOISE & VIRBATIONSSUPPLEMENT

Jesús Otero Yugat holds a Ph.Din Mechanical Engineering,Fluids and Aeronautics from the Polytechnic University ofCatalonia, Spain. He currentlyworks as a Senior Test Engineerin the area of field testing at

CETEST and his main areas of involvementinclude the verification of the behaviour of railwaydesigns from the point-of-view of noise,acoustics, vibrations, running safety, track fatigueand ride comfort.

Igor Alonso-Portillo is Directorfor Strategy and BusinessDevelopment at CETEST. Heholds a Masters degree inAerospace Engineering and hasworked in railways, aerospace,defense and renewable energy.His career in the railways includes positions suchas test engineer and researcher at Spanishmanufacturer CAF. He also worked at UNIFE asCoordinator for joint research projects co-fundedby the European Commission.

Figure 4 Determination of speech intelligibility between the PA system and incoming passengers

Exchange information, ideas & opportunities

on

LET’S CONNECT!Network online with your industry peers Members and

non-members arewelcome to jointhe discussionshttp://linkd.in/eurorailreview

The EU Commission has addressed thischallenge by means of two key legislativeinitiatives:● Passengers’ Rights Regulation (EC No

1371/2007): Concerned with the rights of

rail passengers to receive adequate

information before and during the journey

so they can make an informed purchasing

choice and feel reassured during the

journey as regards on-board services,

disruptions, connecting services, etc.

● Interoperability Directive (2008/57/EC),setting out the conditions for achievingcommon technical specifications within theEU rail system.

Both are at the roots of the new regulation onTelematics Applications for Passenger Services– Technical Specifications for Interoperability(TAP TSI1), which entered into force in May 2011as Commission Regulation (EU) No 454/2011.

A key technical enablerTAP TSI defines European-wide procedures andinterfaces between all types of railway industrystakeholders. These stakeholders are notablypassengers, railway undertakings, infra -structure managers, station managers, thirdparty ticket vendors and public bodies. TAP TSIcontributes to an interoperable informationexchange eco-system for the provision ofquality journey information and ticket issuing in

a cost effective manner, yet inviting businessesto innovate and ‘do better’. The regulationrequires, amongst other things, that railwaysmake their timetable data broadly available in agiven format and level of quality. To achieve itsends, the TAP TSI builds upon various pillars ofthe railways’ legacy, notably UIC standards(‘leaflets’) and established rail sector databases.

Implementation now entering thedevelopment phaseThe regulation is being implemented in three phases:

Phase One

Phase One ‘implementation preparation’ wasrun between May 2011 and May 2012 by aproject team of railway and ticket vendorrepresentatives. A multi-stakeholder SteeringCommittee, co-chaired and co-funded by the EUCommission and the rail sector, supervised theproject. It resulted in implementation conceptsthat take the railways’ legacy into account asbest as possible and a master plan that showswhen the RUs and IMs will be compliant with theregulation. Following a positive recomm -endation by ERA, the EU Commission hasmeanwhile accepted these deliverables.

Phase Two

Implementation development, formally startingtowards the end of 2013, continues to be run

in the same set-up. One of the key tasks issetting up a sustainable long-term governancestructure that respects the rights of non-railways and non-UIC members at large, whilst ensuring minimal additional costs for the stakeholders.

Phase Three

Deployment of the data exchange eco-systemand on-going operations.

Operations and ticket distributionThe provisions of the TAP TSI embrace two mainareas: communication between RUs and IMsand functions related to ticketing.

The TAP TSI operational part (‘RU/IM comm -unication’ for short) defines standards for theelectronic communication between RailwayUndertakings, Station Managers and Infra -structure Managers. The purpose of thesestandards is to enable railways – by means ofstandardised interfaces and messages forinteroperable services – to order train paths,control and manage their train services as well asimprove customer information. The RU/IM part isclosely related to the Telematics Applications forFreight – Technical Specifications for Inter -operability (TAF TSI), for which reason bothprojects collaborate closely and seek to realisemaximum synergies when it comes to imple -menting both regulations. On the basis of thesolid expertise provided and the committed work


Not too long ago, travelling abroad by rail was a privilege reserved for a selected few.With poor telecommunications, reservations made by telephone and recorded onmanual reservation coupons, journeys had to be arranged well in advance. Likewise, the

focus of the former national railway administrations was on domestic travellers. With the opening of the railwaymarkets and the emergence of cross-border high-speed services, a single European railway area has started toevolve. Rail is set to become the backbone of the European passenger transport system. Substantialinfrastructure investments have been made over the past 20 years to overcome legacy signalling and controlsystems, for instance. In the area of passenger information, distribution and ticketing, the emphasis has been ondomestic customers and services. The needs of international travellers in a competitive, multi-carrier andintermodal environment, however, require new answers. Some experts claim that this is nearly as big a task asharmonising the rail infrastructure across Europe.

TAP TSI – improving thecustomer experience ofEuropean rail journeys

INTEROPERABILITY

Rütger Fenkes Project Leader, TAP TSI

performed, stakeholders in RU/IM communi -cation are enabled to implement TAP and TAF ona solid basis and with least impact on businesswhile providing the expected improvements forcompanies and passengers alike.

TAP TSI obligations concerning ticketing aimat improving the data exchange betweenpassenger RUs and between passenger RUs andthird parties – ultimately providing travellers withquality information. The focus is on makingtimetable data widely available. Additionally,there are provisions on tariff data, reservation,ticket formats and the exchange of informationrelated to booking PRM assistance.

A long-term governance structure needed TAP TSI places an obligation on the railways toestablish and run in perpetuity a governancestructure that will be responsible for providingthose services that are needed for stake-holders to be compliant with and to benefitfrom the regulation. The main objective is toensure that regulatory services are available in anon-discriminatory way. Such regulatoryservices include:● An electronic registry, facilitating search

requests such as ‘Where do I find railway X’stimetable data?’

● Reference data such as standardisedlocation information and code lists

● Data quality checking, allowing railways tohave their timetable and tariff data checkedagainst the regulatory quality requirements.

Over the past six months, a working group ofrailway and ticket vendor representativestogether with the project team has assessedstructural options for such governance and for an appropriate hosting environment to ensure synergies can be found with exist-ing processes.

Subject to further analyses, a positive vote of the Steering Committee and ultimateapproval by the European Commission, theworking group favours the establishment of anew legal entity such as a Belgian AISBL. This way, the rights and obligations of partiesthat are not members of any existing stake -holder organi sation are respected and financingand liability issues can be managed properly.The entity would be very lean with a limitedbudget and headcount. As recommended by theworking group, it would otherwise draw onexisting sector working structures.

Master plan to implement theregulation across EuropeIn the last quarter of 2012 the railways haveestablished their individual implementationplans, summarising by when they expect tomeet the TAP TSI obligations. The individualplans were subsequently consolidated by theproject into an overall master plan, which wasdelivered to the EU Commission by the end ofApril 2013.

More than 70 licensed railways participatedin the exercise. The turnout represents a good mix of RUs and IMs, covering the majority of the EU rail network both in terms of pass-enger kilometres and network length, thusdemonstrating the sector’s commitment to afunctioning TAP TSI.

The evaluation of the individual master plansshowed that a number of RU/IM functions arealready implemented on some networks, butcomplete implementation of all functions acrossRUs and IMs is expected to take until 2021. Also, asregards the ticketing functions, a number offunctions have already been implemented byseveral RUs. The general time band for complianceis mid-2015 to mid-2017. Full implementation is totake until end-2017 or somewhat later. The targetdate for compliance with the mandatorytimetable data exchange obligation, for instance,is Q3 2016. The target date indicates that by then atleast 80% of submitters plan to be compliant withthe regulation. Overall, the target dates for TAP TSIimplementation underline the willingness toimplement the regulation as soon as possiblewhilst respecting economic considerations such as funding systems modifications. In line with TAF TSI implementation principles, the EU Commission considers the target dates binding for all railways falling under the TAP TSI.However, companies that have submitted their individual plans with implementation dates beyond the target dates can expect to be granted permission to follow their ownsubmitted planning.

The Master Plan Report provides the route map for the development of the TAP TSIand the target dates defining when stake-holders will meet their regulatory obligations.National Contact Points will also be nominated in each country to supervise and facilitate the implementation.

TAP TSI improves the railways system sustainablyIn a nutshell, TAP TSI offers numerous advant -

ages if fully adopted by the stakeholders. It defines a framework for interoperability in passenger rail with tangible passengerbenefits and a solid degree of business freedomto go beyond. TAP TSI has also succeeded in bringing together the actors involved inpassenger rail travel, including third party ticketvendors and passenger organisations.

The ‘Full Service Model’ industry initiativeWhile TAP TSI has set the grounds for inter -operability, technical developments in rail ITaccelerate at an ever increasing pace. Stake -holders involved in passenger rail are facingmultiple challenges when it comes to keepingup with customer needs and market demands.The TAP TSI ticketing standards are based on anoff-line legacy data exchange, whereas real-time connectivity is increasingly needed toprovide customers with choice and modernretail channels. This will also affect processessuch as after sales, which are not covered by the regulation.

Therefore, both the railways and theticketing vendors have agreed to launch avoluntary industry initiative, the Full ServiceModel (FSM), in which solutions for tomorrow’schallenges will be explored.

This initiative intends to specify and designan open IT framework for an end-to-end servicemodel. This will provide technical inter -operability for the distribution of rail productswhile ensuring that individual businesses retain the freedom to design and market theirproducts as best as in line with their individualbusiness strategies.

Reference1. http://tap-tsi.uic.org/


INTEROPERABILITY

Since spring 2011, RütgerFenkes has been leading theTAP TSI regulation imple -mentation project. Rütgerstarted his career in 1997 inmanagement consulting with a focus on advising newly

liberalised industries in strategic and distributionissues. In 2006 Rütger joined Deutsche Bahn’sCorporate Development Department and from2007 to 2010 Deutsche Bahn seconded Rütger tothe Railteam alliance where he was in charge ofdistribution and travel information initiatives. In spring 2013, Rütger became Head of Project &Programme Management of Deutsche Bahn’sPassenger Transport Division.

Heat Trace Limited (HTL) is a British manufacturer ofspecialist heat tracing cables and associated equipment.Although the majority of products are originallydesigned for use in industrial plants, refineries andprocess plants, the range of specialised heating cablesare frequently used within the rail transport industry toprovide safe, reliable and energy efficient winterprotection solutions.

These applications include points heating and 3rdrail heating for main rail networks, light rapid transitsystems, tramways and monorails. Applications mayalso include freeze protection solutions for water anddiesel fuel lines, rolling stock couplings, door thresholdheaters, as well as snow and ice prevention systems forplatforms, access ramps, walkways, steps, pedestrianbridges, platform canopies and tunnels.

In addition to the heaters, HTL also supply a rangeof energy efficient control and monitoring systems,from simple ambient temperature thermostats to fullautomatic weather monitoring systems with remotecontrol and data access from a central control room.

Working in partnership with the University ofBirmingham, in association with the UK TechnologyStrategy Board, HTL has been developing a range ofmain rail and live rail energy efficient heating systems.Not only will these innovative systems ensure fewerdelays caused by winter weather, they will helpcontribute to significant energy savings and reductionsin operating costs, as well as reducing annual CO2

emissions across the UK rail network.

www.heat-trace.com

Europe’s largestre-signallingproject

Network Rail has signed a deal with three steelmanufacturers to supply rail for the next five years asthe company continues its work to renew andenhance Britain’s 20,000 miles of railway.

The largest part – about 95% – of the frameworkagreement will see Tata Steel’s Scunthorpe plantsupply approximately 140,000 tonnes of rail per year,depending on consumption. ArcelorMittal andVoestAlpine are also part of the deal, which will see avariety of rail types supplied to keep Network Rail’sprogramme of improvements rolling for the next fiveyears with an option to extend for a further five years.

On signing the contracts, Patrick Butcher,Network Rail’s Group Finance Director, said: “We are renewing and enhancing more and more of

Britain’s railway over the next five years and it’scrucial that we have a trusted and secure supply chainto help us achieve that safely and efficiently.”

Network Rail’s plans for control period 5 (2014-19) include £10 billion of core renewals and afurther £10 billion of enhancements.

Henrik Adam, Chief Commercial Officer of TataSteel, said: “This is fantastic news. I am delighted therail network in Britain will continue to be made andmaintained with our UK rail.”

The latest Network Rail deal will account foraround 5% of the annual steel output from TataSteel’s Scunthorpe site and will include some of thelatest, harder-wearing high performance rail.

www.networkrail.co.uk

Network Rail signs new 5-year rail supply deal


NEWSTRACK

Further Reading:Want to know more about Denmark’s re-signallingprogramme? Turn to page 40 in this issue ofEuropean Railway Review to read an article fromHenrik Holternmann, Head of Secretariat in theSignalling Programme at Banedanmark.

Points Heating System in Milan, Italy

There is no precedence for upgrading an entirecountry’s railway signalling infrastructure.Nevertheless, this is the task facing a consortiumled by Ramboll and comprising Atkins,Emch+Berger and Parsons that is currentlydesigning and planning Denmark’s new signallingsystem – one of the most significant and ambitiousinfrastructure projects in Europe today.

Denmark is the first country in Europe toupgrade its entire signalling system to the EuropeanRail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) – afirst step towards a total reorganisation of the trans-European train operation, with an investment ofapproximately €3.2 billion.

“Internationally, there is no precedence for anupgrade of an entire country’s signalling system.However, the rest of Europe will be taking onsimilar projects in the coming years, and we areexcited to be the first to take on the challenge, inessence setting a standard for how this can be done.We undoubtedly have the most technicallyinteresting work-environment within railwaycontrol-systems in Europe,” says Torben Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Project Director in Ramboll and Head ofthe Consortium Team.

Replacing analogue with digital The programme covers 2,100km of lines and3,200km of tracks and encompasses all signallingequipment – from basic train detection and pointmachines to the overall traffic management systemand on-board systems. By implementing thecommon European ERTMS Level 2 system onintercity and regional lines, all existing analogueradio systems will be replaced by digital GSM-Rtechnology for data communication between thetrains and the signal control systems. In addition, allsignalling on the Copenhagen S-train network will bereplaced by a CBTC metro/urban railway signallingsystem that is customised for driverless operation.

A strong expert teamTo accomplish the task, Ramboll, Atkins,Emch+Berger and Parsons have created a team ofmore than 100 experts originating from Denmark,Switzerland, the UK and the USA, to combine localknowledge of the existing system with inter -national railway expertise. The team is placed in anintegrated organisation with the customer,Banedanmark, at the customer’s offices inCopenhagen. Together, the consortium partnershave 35,000 experts and have worked on some ofthe world’s most advanced transportation andsignal-control projects. The new signalling systemis scheduled to be fully implemented by 2021.

www.ramboll.dk

Energy efficient electrical heattracing for rail network applications

As winter approaches, it is time to consider one of themajor problems that the railways face. Ice becomes asignificant factor affecting many aspects of railoperation and hindering the efficient functioning ofboth rolling stock and infrastructure in a number of ways.

With an extensive product range and a long -standing experience of de/anti-icing solutions, Kilfrostis able to address the wide variety of challenges posedby harsh winter conditions and provide its support tothe railway industry with specialised products.

Put through stringent testing procedures byuniversities and independent laboratories dom-estically and overseas, the Kilfrost product range isapproved for use on the UK network as well as being approved by operators such as SNCF in France or ProRail in the Netherlands who have fullconfidence in the company’s ability to treat and prevent ice forming.

With over 80 years of global experience, to meetthe needs of the industry and play its part in keeping railservices performing efficiently, Kilfrost is investingheavily in the development of sustainable andinnovative solutions.

Its team of engineers and research chemistsworking at the company’s in-house laboratory facilitiesis focusing on advancing de/anti-icing fluids. Researchin the dedicated Winter Division is concentrating on thedevelopment of fluids that meet and exceed the ever-increasing environmental demands of customers,whilst also working to enhance the adherence qualitiesof products against precipitation and increase theirrobustness for use at high-speed.

Kilfrost products show that severe weatherconditions can be dealt with safely and effectively.

www.kilfrost.com

Kilfrost productshelp railways moveduring harsh winterconditions

The company founded by Theodore Goldschmidt inBerlin to supply chemicals to the textile industry, and establish a facility for the development ofprocesses for refining metals and their oxides, set themould for a company that prises innovation as one of its prime drivers to be a major partner to railwayinfrastructure companies.

As a result of two years of intensivedevelopment, one of Goldschmidt-Thermit Group’s most innovative companies, ThermitWelding (GB) Ltd, can announce the launch of‘Smartweld Monitor’.

The Smartweld Monitor gives a robustmeasuring and recording device, designed for usewith any Thermit welding process. The welder, hiscompany and the client can monitor the installationthroughout, including recording the portion andmoulds to be used, and by transmitting theinformation to our secure server can provide the client or user with an immediate electronic recordof the complete process.

The welding manager can plan the work andtransmit the information direct to the welding teamwho will use the plan to record every stage of the

weld, even confirming the correct area of trackthrough the in-built GPS. On completion of the weld,all appropriate weld data may be uploaded back to theserver from which numerous reports may be preparedusing a selection of systems tools available throughthe secure website.

The system is being trialled on Network Railand will be available commercially at the start of2014. What is more – the system offers a completepaperless weld process for weld installation.

www.thermit-welding.com

Smartweld Monitor – cutting edge technology for the 21st century rail welder

Eversholt Rail has awarded Bombardier Transportation a two-year contract worth in excess of £30 million toundertake the enhancement and heavy maintenance of its fleet of Class 365 trains which are leased to First CapitalConnect (FCC).

The work to upgrade the fleet, which carries passengers on FCC’s Great Northern Route, will be undertaken atBombardier’s Ilford site in Essex, ensuring that the work will remain in the UK.

Eversholt Rail had originally placed an order to maintain Class 365 trains with Railcare. However, the workwas put out to re-tender after Railcare enteredadministration on 31 July 2013.

Reaching this agreement enables work on theClass 365 fleet to resume, with a view to recovering the programme as quickly as possible and deliver-ing the first refreshed train back to FCC. Eversholt Rail took the opportunity to include under-frame heavymaintenance within the scope of the contract tomaximise the availability of the 40 four-car fleet.

This significant investment will see the trainstransformed with refreshed interiors and fullyautomated passenger information systems. The firsttrain is expected to enter service by early-2014delivering significant improvements to the passengerenvironment. Additional accessibility work will beundertaken from spring 2014 bringing the trains in linewith the latest disability regulations.

Mary Kenny, Chief Executive Officer of EversholtRail, said: “We are pleased to have selectedBombardier Transportation. This means that we cancontinue with our programme to refresh the Class 365trains, enabling passengers to enjoy the benefits of theimproved fleet. We will continue to look at futureopportunities to work with Knorr-Bremse RailServices, the new owners of Railcare.”

www.eversholtrail.co.uk

Eversholt Rail awards £30 millioncontract to Bombardier


NEWSTRACK

Kapsch wins second major order thisyear for train radio in Poland Kapsch CarrierCom has won another order from thePolish railway company PKP S.A. Kapsch willhandle the design, delivery and installation of theGSM-R train radio system on the stretch of line E20 from Kunowice to Terespol. The 26-monthproject will be implemented in cooperation with the local partner Torpol S.A. The total order volumefor the consortium Kapsch/Torpol amounts to €41.5 million.

Following the award for the expansion of theGSM-R train radio on the E30 route in spring of2013, this is already the second major order Kapsch has received from the Polish railwaycompany within a year.

“Poland has one of the largest railway networksin Europe. It is a great success for us that ourcompetence and experience in digital train radio ledto success in this tender,” explains Horst Kaufmann,Managing Director of Kapsch CarrierCom S.p.s.o.o.in Poland and Sales Manager for the CEE region at

Kapsch. “With Torpol, we have a strong local partnerwith expertise that ideally complements our own.”

Digital train radio technology and technical supportIn this project, the GSM-R core network will beexpanded on the line E20 connection betweenKunowice and Terespol. The radio access networkbetween Kunowice and Lowicz will also be installed.For this, Kapsch will install 114 base transceiverstations (BTS) at 57 locations. In addition, basestation controllers (BSC), transcoder units (TCU) andpacket control unit support nodes (PCUSN) will besupplied and integrated. Kapsch will be responsiblefor the design and implementation of the GSM-Rproject. Torpol will provide infrastructure and a fiber-optic network. After completion of the 26-monthproject, Kapsch will provide the expanded 5-yearguarantee requested by PKP S.A. while also handlingthe technical support. www.kapschcarrier.com

Harsco Rail is well-known formaintaining rail track structures; how does your novel technology differ from other track maintenancetechnology in the industry?Technology differentiation is evident in each ofour products, with the common differentiatorbeing our Jupiter Control System which isflexible, intuitive, and simple to operate andmaintain. It is a platform for continued innova -tion for us and is recognised globally as aleading vehicle control system. Our technologyis supported by unique algorithms specificallydesigned to increase the machine’s efficiencyand accuracy so our customers achieve the bestpossible result during operation.

Our aftermarket service offering is anotherpoint of differentiation. Our products oftenremain in our customer’s fleet for more than twodecades. We want to be with the customerthroughout the equipment lifecycle, offeringvalue added services, upgrades, and support.

In a tough global economic climate, railways are seeking cost effective solutions which still meet safety standards; how doesHarsco Rail accomplish this?We see complementary, not contradictory,opportunities in the areas of safety and lifecyclecost reduction. A comprehensive view of life -cycle cost includes the cost associated withsafety incidents. That is, the safer a machine isto operate and maintain, the lower the total costof ownership.

Furthermore, we are beginning to see anincrease in tenders across the globe calling forlifecycle cost as criteria for purchase. This is agood sign for OEMs focusing on customer

intimacy and technology development, bothcore to Harsco Rail’s business. By moving awayfrom first price as the single purchasing decision-making criteria, we are in a favourable position towork with our customers in understanding howthe products are used, what the cost drivers are,and what improvements will best impact theirbottom lines. The resulting innovations will rangefrom minor iterations in component design to thedeployment of major technological changes.

The perfect alignment in cooperative inno -vation is achieved when product performancedata is collected, analysed, and subsequentlyutilised by both parties to identify improve-ment opportunities. This is exactly what ourCOMPASS™ technology is designed to accomp -lish. COMPASS is an option on Harsco Railequipment, integrated with the Jupiter ControlSystem, or sold as a standalone technology on non-Harsco Rail equipment. COMPASScollects product performance data and thentransfers it to the customer for further analysis.Harsco Rail, as an expert in vehicle design andmanufacture, adds a level of value to the data analysis the customer finds difficult toachieve alone. We are currently demonstratingCOMPASS in the USA and UK and are confidentthe technology will be standard on Harsco Railequipment in the near-term.

What has been the biggestbreakthrough in 2013 for Harsco Railthat establishes you as a leader within your field?It is difficult not to immediately point to the winin Switzerland as our biggest 2013 break -through. Harsco Rail has focused a significantamount of time since 2011 on strengthening ourbusiness in Europe and preparing to bid for and

execute on a major tender like the one fromSBB. There is certainly excitement through-out the company about the win and what itrepresents to the future of Harsco Rail and our industry. We are also excited to perform for a globally well-respected railway authoritylike SBB.

In addition to Switzerland, we’ve had majornew product development achievements as aresult of our continued R&D. Two of theseprojects have applications in large productcategories globally. Both will come to market in2014. If we speak again this time next year, I willbe in a position to elaborate further.

We continue to see breakthroughs in Chinain the areas of follow-on orders of Production Rail Grinders and growth in our rail grindingservice offering. China’s railway authority is in theprocess of manufacturing another 10 ProductionRailway Grinders based on the Harsco Railtechnology. We have also accumulated morethan 10 rail grinding service customers; a clear indication the market values our uniqueservice offering.

What are the core long-term goals for Harsco Rail?Harsco Rail will celebrate 105 years of operationin 2014 – a major achievement for any companyin any industry. Deploying our unique tech -nology globally and continuing to create valueat the local level has been and will continue tobe core goals of our company...it is vital for thenext 105 years.


www.harscorail.com

Joe Dougherty – Vice President at Harsco Rail – talks to European Railway Review about how their technologyperforms in the industry, their recent breakthrough into Switzerland’s marketplace, and looking ahead to the next 105 years in operation. Joe Dougherty

INTERVIEWSPOTLIGHT

ADVERTORIAL

Harsco RailA world class solution for track maintenance and construction.

Harsco Rail is a global leader for railway track maintenance and construction. Harsco Rail engineers high quality equipment, cutting-edge technology, and global support, taking care of customers’ needs for virtually all major aspects of track maintenance and construction for over 100 years. Engineering innovation and performance, Harsco Rail meets the demands of the track every day.

For more information contact:

Americas

T (803) 822-9160 F (803) 822-8107International

T +49 2102 937200 F +49 2102 37651E [email protected]

To see our solutions:www.harscorail.com

ENGINEERING INNOVATION AND PERFORMANCE

Leading-edge control for traction systems?

Absolutely.

ABB Switzerland Ltd, Traction ConvertersTel. +41 58 585 00 00E-mail: [email protected]

In close partnership with vehicle builders, refurbishers, and rail operators, ABB develops innovative and reliable complete traction chain solutions. Best-in-class control hardware and software ensures perfect adhesion control and power management, optimizing the energy efficiency and traction chain effectiveness. ABB’s powerful traction packages excel in optimum overall performance and high energy efficiency. Interested in optimizing the performance of your fleet? www.abb.com/railway

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