railstaff february 2015

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS its The Ambassadors Programme.

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StaffTHE MOST POPULAR PUBLICATION IN THE UK RAIL INDUSTRY

Issue 207 | February 2015 www.railstaff.uk

UNLIMITED POTENTIAL Special focus on training and development

MARTIN JONES TAKES UP STORYStory Contracting has hired its 400th employee.

Page 8Page 40Page 32

Faced with weeks of disruption following a landslip at Harbury Tunnel between Banbury and Leamington Spa, Network Rail suspended works on the WCML at weekends to keep Birmingham rail services running.

London Midland and Virgin Trains will honour Chiltern Railway tickets and London Underground will carry displaced Chiltern passengers for free between Euston and Marylebone. Meanwhile the Orange Army is preparing to mount a round-the-clock rescue operation once the 30 metre deep cutting stabilises.

RAILWAYRALLIES ROUND

@StobartRailLtd

MARK CAMPBELL – TRAINER ASSESSOR

Stobart Rail 15,000m railway training facility– what you may or may not know…Stobart Rail’s training department have been training railway staff for 15+ years. In that time we have trained 1000’s of railway people through track induction PTS Personal Track Safety, site supervisor, engineering supervisor, plant and small tools training, machine/crane controlling and tandem lift courses. Completing their training within Stobart Rail has ensured 1000’s of railway people have advanced to some of the best positions within the rail industry.

Our 15,000m2 railway training ground, on a former MOD storage facility near Carlisle, is as closeto real railway site conditions as possible whilst still maintaining a safe controlled environment. We have over 500m of track c/w points, 150mm of cant, 1:25 gradient, platforms, rail to thimble and restricted overhead clearance, where we practice for work we carry out.

If you need to book your employees on training courses, book them with an outstanding training facility by calling us NOW.

Jeff Broadhurst Training Manager t. 01228 882 300e. Jeff [email protected]

Claire Bainbridge Training Co-ordinatort. 01228 882 300e. [email protected]

or [email protected]

stobartrail.com

Mark joined Stobart Rail in 2004 as a trackman, having spent the previous 12 months working for a couple of agencies. With a background in fabrication and engineering, Mark has always shown a keen eye for detail and is meticulous in any role that he has turned his hand to.

He very quickly picked up the skills and competencies needed to be a successful p-way engineer, which shone through when the training department was looking for a new skills and track safety trainer.

Through succession planning, Mark was quickly shortlisted as an ideal candidate for this role and since January 2014, Mark has gone from strength to strength, as both a trainer and as an assessor. Putting his own stamp on his training delivery, knowing that not all learners are alike, he has been quick to adapt to diff erent styles to consolidate learning with excellent results.

We would like to congratulate Mark on his achievements over the past year and also on recently completing the three-week ‘Safe Work Leader Train the Trainer’ event in Bristol with Network Rail.

Mark said: “Since joining the company in 2004 the career opportunities and journey have been so rewarding, picking up new skills and then being given the chance to join the training team. This has allowed me to put something back into the industry that has supported me over the years.”

One of the most enduring pictures from last year is of the Orange Army at work at Dawlish. The story of these men and women restoring the railway against a vivid backdrop of high seas and storms caught the imagination of the public. Local business leaders, politicians and passengers queued up to thank them.

Public opinion is a fickle beast at best. The media reflects an unschooled mob mentality content to shout and jeer at over-running possessions and train failures. Soaring customer satisfaction ratings remain oddly overlooked. The great engineering achievements wrought over the last three months inspire hardly a mention in the learned columns of the so-called fourth estate.

Truth to tell, the Orange Army never went away. The host of engineers, track workers and surveyors continues to brave darkness and danger every day

as the re-calibration of Britain’s railway network continues.

Already diligent squadrons are being assembled to address the Harbury landslip. Rail staff of every persuasion are making common cause to bridge the gap, helping passengers on their way, re-organising works on other lines to ensure continuity of service. This is in marked contrast to other transport modes: think budget airlines or stoppages on the roads. Disdain for flyers and motorists seems almost routine.

The commitment of people in this industry is its single greatest strength. Hard to put a value on the camaraderie of the workplace, trackside and depot or the diligence of signallers, drivers and guards, and the kindness of so many

platform staff and train crew. Rail staff and supporters deserve far

wider recognition. The Orange Army might be loosely defined as all those in HiVis - regardless of the logo on the back - who actually do the work.

Supporters of railways should bend the logic of every negative criticism, fight down ill-informed comment and popular prejudice. Britain’s rail industry is now recognised as a surging economic phenomenon in its own right. This transport phenomenon is among the top-performing, fastest growing and talent-attracting railways in Europe. The future is of no particular colour - it’s railway.

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Operations Focus in March

Punctuality is the number one priority for the operators that run trains on Britain’s rail network, but there is more to running a successful service. High levels of customer satisfaction rely on quality customer service and great facilities. In March, we will look at what’s new in operations.Please call us today on 01530 816440 or email: [email protected]

Return of the Railway

The Middle East is embarking on a remarkable run of railway construction. It is estimated that around $200 billion was being invested in building more than 10,000 kilometres of railway.

In the Driver’s Seat

Andy Milne talks to John Sheehy, one-time London Underground train driver, the general manager of the Transport Benevolent Fund who works with a team based in the heart of London’s East End.

“Rail staff and supporters deserve far wider recognition...”

18 36

Onward March

Staff

February 2015 | RailStaff | 3COMMENT

Network Rail bosses are asking engineers participating in the National Electrification Programme (NEP) to help reduce accidents and make the railway safer.

Roger Dickinson (pictured) is regional director, Infrastructure Projects Southern and is the national lead within Infrastructure Projects for the coordination of work to deliver electrification and plant (E&P), including all new electrification schemes.

Speaking to RailStaff at a recent NEP conference, he commented: ‘Engineering is not just about driving efficiency, it’s very much also about creating a working environment where people can be safe.

‘We have safe by design, we have lots of processes and procedures to try to keep people safe and engineering I think plays a big part in that.

‘That is why my message to the electrification community is “Don’t just use the conference as an opportunity to network around innovation and engineering to drive cost benefits, it also has to be about thinking about how we make the whole process safer as well.”

‘Over the last few days, we’ve had

two serious burn injuries. For example, a worker who was creating an isolation within a possession for people to carry out work went out to site and applied a strap to the third rail, effectively to make the third rail safe. During that activity the individual was very badly burnt; the third rail was live.

‘There were lots of protective mechanisms that should’ve prevented that happening - the live line testing, the earthing - before the individual actually got near applying the strap. We also supply gloves as a last line of defence and we need to understand how all of that failed and how the individual got so badly burnt.

‘In the second incident, at Basingstoke, a team of three individuals - a digger driver, a supervisor and an operative - were erecting a lighting column and during that activity the lighting column came into contact with the 11kV distribution network. The individual was working at the base of the lighting column to locate it and then the digger driver would lower the lighting column into position. During that activity, because the lamppost came into contact with the overhead line, the individual was very, very badly burnt and hospitalised.

‘Again, there are a lot of protective

mechanisms that could’ve been used, should’ve been used, and we need to understand what happened. We need to understand why the individual was working in such a way that the lighting column was so close to the overhead line that it was effectively allowed to come into contact with such devastating results.’

Engineers who support the design and construction processes and can recognise these risks are therefore well placed to help to improve safe working practices for our construction and maintenance staff. And that’s what Roger was encouraging them to do.

Engineering for safety

The first battery-powered train to run on Britain’s rail network in more than half a century is now operating on a 10-mile stretch of railway in north Essex.

The battery-operated Electrostar is running along the Mayflower Line between Manningtree and Harwich. The plan is to create a fleet of Class 397 Electrostars that can run off overhead electric wires - charging the batteries as they go - and then complete a journey that involves using non-electrified branch lines.

Says Network Rail’s principal engineer James Ambrose, ‘We’ve made terrific progress with this project so far

and seeing the battery-powered train in timetabled service is a huge step forward. After months of engineering and testing, the train is running just as we would like it. We’ll be using this five-week period to gather data on how it handles during passenger service – most travellers will recognise how quiet and smooth the ride is compared to a diesel-powered train.

‘We are always looking for ways to reduce the cost of running the railway and make it greener too. This project has the potential to contribute significantly towards both those goals.’

379013 was fitted and tested by staff at Bombardier last year.

Batteries Included

NEWS4 | RailStaff | February 2015

Deep under the City of London as TBM Elizabeth broke into the eastern end of Liverpool Street Crossrail station, a tunneller waved to workers on the other side.

Crossrail tunnelling is on track to be completed in the spring of this year. The focus will then shift towards fitting out tunnels and stations.

Eight 1,000-tonne TBMs have bored over 39 kilometres of new, 6.2-metre diameter, rail tunnels under London. with tunnelling due to complete in spring 2015.

Construction is progressing well on the 10 new Crossrail stations and on works above ground west of Paddington and east of Stratford.

Over 10,000 people are currently working on

Crossrail, including nearly 400 apprentices. Many jobs remain, among them a plan to excavate

the former Bedlam burial ground in Liverpool Street. This will commence in March 2015 and will enable

construction of the Broadgate ticket hall. The dig will exhume thousands of bodies and artefacts dating from Roman times through to the 18th century.

Further afield, the Wallasea Island nature reserve in Essex, constructed using Crossrail-excavated material, will be flooded with sea water this summer. The idea is to create new wetlands for bird and marine life. Construction of the major new Crossrail depot at Old Oak Common is underway and will continue throughout 2015.

Starting on 31 May 2015, Transport for London (TfL) will begin operating the existing train services between Shenfield and Liverpool Street. Ahead of the new Crossrail trains arriving on the Shenfield to Liverpool Street services in 2017, TfL will clean up the existing trains and refresh them inside and out.

Says Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail chief executive, ‘Crossrail is being delivered on time and within budget. While we are over 60 per cent complete there is still a huge amount of work to be undertaken as the challenge shifts to the complicated and substantial task of fitting out the stations and tunnels with the necessary systems and equipment to enable Crossrail services to operate.’

Spring Breakthrough for Crossrail

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Graham MannProject Engineer Network Rail

February 2015 | RailStaff | 5NEWS

Christmas retail trading - between 29 November and 27 December 2014 - at Network Rail’s 18 managed stations was the busiest on record.

Sales shot up 15.8 per cent, with like-for-like sales growing by 10.7 per cent. This contrasts sharply with the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index which recorded growth of only 2.6 per cent for the five-week period.

Delighted rail chiefs believe the new data confirms people are opting for convenience shopping and dining at travel hubs.

Says managing director of Network Rail Property David Biggs, ‘We’re bringing retailers to our stations to give customers what they want in the time they have available and our results are

showing this strategy is working. ‘At Christmas time in particular,

when people are balancing work and home life, our stations offer the right mix of retail options and food and

beverage offers to complement the high street.’

King’s Cross was the best performing station across the network, with Christmas-period sales growth of

almost 50 per cent. Stations outside of London also mirrored the festive trend, with Glasgow and Birmingham growing by 26 per cent and 22 per cent respectively.

Ho ho ho for Retail Rail

One of the earliest successful management employee buyouts after the privatisation of British Rail (BR) is to be sold off.

Eversholt Rail is being purchased by a Chinese concern. The rolling stock leasing company, one of three formed to take over BR’s fleet at privatisation, was originally a management employee buyout, criticised at the time for being sold at under its market value.

It was sold on after a year. Parent company, Eversholt

Investment Group S.C.S., a consortium of 3i Infrastructure plc, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and STAR Capital Partners is selling Eversholt Rail Group (Eversholt Rail) to CK Investments S.A R.L.

Eversholt Rail owns approximately 28 per cent of Britain’s passenger rolling stock and has been under the consortium’s ownership since 2010.

Says Mary Kenny, chief executive officer of Eversholt Rail, ‘Eversholt Rail has performed strongly, both operationally and financially, under its current ownership providing, managing and maintaining key UK rail assets.

‘We look forward to continuing our success with CKI, who have extensive experience in managing infrastructure assets and are highly supportive of our strategy and approach.’

Slow Boat for Eversholt

C2c has been named as the most punctual train operator in 2014 and it is largely down to the staff says managing director Julian Drury.

The rail industry performance results published by Network Rail shows that 96.6 per cent of National Express c2c trains arrived on time last year.

Says Drury, ‘All of our staff can be proud of their efforts over the past year, as they have all contributed to this achievement.

‘We are aiming to build on this record in 2015 by running even more trains on time, as well as delivering other improvements for passengers such as the new c2c Smartcard, discounted tickets and our new c2c Live app.’

Staff Effort


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Ministers and officials admit they don’t know what volume of HUMAN SEWAGE is being dumped on Britain’s railways!

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Story Contracting has hired its 400th employee as it expands nationally to cope with demand.

Martin Jones joins as a project agent working in the rail division based in the Uddingston office in Glasgow. Story Contracting is building strong teams in Carlisle, Yorkshire, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

As project agent, Martin’s day-to-day responsibility will be to support delivery of projects, including health and safety, programme management and planning, monitoring project financial performance and quality of works. An important part of Martin’s role is liaising with clients on site and off site.

120 top grade staff joined Story Contracting in 2014. This takes the

workforce to 400 for the first time in the firm’s 27-year history.

The expansion at Story Contracting supports new work for Network Rail’s contractual frameworks.

Says Fred Story, chief executive, ‘These impressive figures for staff recruitment demonstrate our commitment to attracting new people. The calibre of people joining us has been tremendous and on the back of some landmark contract successes and awards, 2014 has created a great platform for Story Contracting to grow.

‘2015 is going to be an exciting year and I am looking forward to seeing how some of the brand new roles we’ve created will help develop our business operations.’

Martin Jones Takes Up Story

ASLEF’s new president Tosh McDonald has succeeded Alan Donnelly at the head of the train driver’s union.

Tosh McDonald joined British Rail 35 years ago as a freight guard at Doncaster in 1979. McDonald was brought up by his father, a fitter and part time bouncer at the Top Rank in Doncaster. Sadly he died when Tosh was 11 years old.

McDonald was then looked after by his grandparents. His grandfather Davie McDonald, a miner, instilled an appreciation of working class politics in his grandson with vivid stories of the General Strike, the Spanish Civil War and the struggle for trade union rights and full employment.

Tosh McDonald to head ASLEF

Jon Lamonte has been appointed as chairman of the Passenger Transport Executive Group (PTEG) which represents the transport authorities of Greater Manchester (TfGM), Merseyside (Merseytravel), South Yorkshire (SYPTE), Tyne and Wear (Nexus), West Midlands (Centro) and West Yorkshire (West Yorkshire Combined Authority).

Lamonte is chief executive of TfGM.Jon Lamonte was the chief

executive of Tube Lines from 2011-12. Tube Lines, as part of Transport for London (TfL), was responsible for the maintenance, renewal and upgrade of the Underground infrastructure on the

Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. Lamonte joined from the Royal Air

Force. He served in the Falklands, Iraq and the former Yugoslavia. Lamonte is an active member of the Institute of Directors and achieved a PhD in History from Birmingham University in 2011.

Lamonte to lead PTEG

Phil Whittingham has been promoted to managing director of Virgin Trains West Coast.

Phil has been leading Virgin Trains in negotiations with the Department for Transport (DfT) over the new West Coast main line franchise which concluded successfully in June. He has also overseen the launch of the new services to Shrewsbury and Blackpool and been involved with the successful bid by the Virgin/Stagecoach partnership to run the East Coast franchise.

Whittingham left university with a chemistry degree and decided to become an accountant. He worked for Sibbald and Co - a small, two-partner practice in Derby - and once qualified moved on to KPMG in Birmingham.

Phil has worked for Virgin Trains since 1999 when he joined

as a management accountant. He was made head of strategy and planning before becoming the finance director and subsequently lead executive.

Phil’s role as managing director will see him continue to lead a team of six executive directors and work in parallel with David Horne, who has been confirmed as managing director of Virgin Trains East Coast.

Says Patrick McCall, co-chairman of Virgin Trains, ‘I’m delighted Phil has been appointed as managing director of our West Coast franchise.

‘Phil has worked hard leading Virgin Trains over the last 12 months. We have launched new services and a host of improvements and enhancements are coming soon. I know he will do a terrific job.’

Phil Heads West

PEOPLE8 | RailStaff | February 2015

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recruitment-lg_Layout 1 09/01/2014 12:49 Page 1

Konecranes UK has appointed its first female field service technician, Natasha Cairns.

A former electrical apprentice and welding specialist, Natasha has a BTech 2 and 3 in electronics from South West Durham Training College and an HNC and HND in mechatronics from Teeside University.

Mechatronics combines the study of precision engineering, mechanics, electronics, robotics and computing.

Natasha works at the company’s North East Service District in Gateshead. She has now successfully completed the Konecranes Techmasters 1 induction course at the company’s training headquarters in Castle Donington.

The 24-year-old is in the process of undertaking further intensive hands-on training prior to fulfilling her role in the field as a fully competent service technician.

Says Konecranes director Pat Campbell, ‘Whilst Natasha’s appointment marks a milestone in the history of Konecranes here in the UK, it reaffirms the company’s commitment to recruiting only the highest calibre engineers.

‘Indeed as our product and service offering continues to develop, so too must the human resource that is dedicated to support it. Our team of

field service technicians is therefore set to go from strength-to-strength, as we already have plans to bring onboard more new members in 2015. As a leading employer in our field, we are keen to promote and support the recruitment of female engineers, whether qualified or those possibly looking to embark on our established apprenticeship programme.’Natasha with Konecranes’ service district manager Mike McGarry.

Career Lift for Natasha

Mott MacDonald continues to strengthen its light rail team and has confirmed the appointment of Clive Pennington as principal light rail engineer.

Clive Pennington - originally from Ormskirk - is based at the company’s Altrincham office. He was formally head of engineering at Manchester Metrolink for seven years.

Pennington joined British Rail as an apprentice in 1976 and worked his way up, studying for City and Guilds qualifications at Birkenhead Technical College and taking an HTC in electrical engineering at Derby Lonsdale College.

Later he read for a BSc in electrical and electronic engineering at Nottingham University. He worked for InterCity West Coast at Longsight depot, Manchester, and later Edge Hill depot, Liverpool.

Pennington also worked for First Great Western in Bristol. In 1999, he joined WS Atkins. In 2002, he moved to the Nottingham Tram Consortium, the light rail system was then under construction, where he worked as engineering manager. He is a chartered engineer with the IET and former chair of the Light Rail Engineers Group.

Says Mark Terry, technical director at Mott MacDonald, ‘We are always looking to grow our team and it is not often that an opportunity to recruit someone of Clive’s extensive experience comes along. We were delighted that he agreed to join us as I know his experience will add a lot to the team.’

Light Rail Job for Clive PenningtonPhilip Harrison is to be the new

chief financial officer at Balfour Beatty plc.

Harrison will take up his new position and join the board later in the year. Harrison, 53, joins chief executive Leo Quinn in a mission to turn around the group after a series of board departures, profit warnings and a dip in the share price.

A qualified accountant (FCMA), Harrison’s career includes senior roles in large and complex international businesses. Prior to his current role as

group finance director at Hogg Robinson Group plc, Philip was the group finance director at VT Group plc, the £1.3 billion turnover government support services business, and at Hewlett-Packard where he was the VP Finance for the $43 billion turnover Europe, Middle East and Africa region and a member of the EMEA board.

Says Leo Quinn, ‘We are delighted to have found and attracted a candidate of Philip’s experience and calibre, and he will be joining a leadership team committed to restoring Balfour Beatty to strength.

‘His strong understanding of businesses that bid and deliver major contracts globally and his track record in embedding strong financial controls across complex companies are essential in our drive to improve cash generation and reduce overheads. At the same time, the board would like to thank Duncan Magrath for his continued commitment and support until the appropriate handover is concluded.’

The previously announced search for a new chairman is progressing well, says Balfour Betty, and an announcement will be made in due course.

Philip Harrison Mounts International Rescue

February 2015 | RailStaff | 9PEOPLE

Busy Start for Rail Alliance

log on to www.railalliance.co.ukemail [email protected]

or call 01789 720026.

Join the Rail Alliance nowRail Alliance membership startsfrom just £500 per year

Aquarius Railroad Technologies Ltd (Suppliers of highway-based Road2Rail vehicles and trailers to provide efficient, flexible transport solutions from road to rail to site) www.railrover.com

PCC.eu(Rail interiors designer/developer/manufacturer/installer/maintainer specialising in toilets, hand dryers, water heaters, soap dispensers, powered sliding door system and supply of phenolic panels. Includes proven PRM compliant UAT toilet pod with small footprint and ultra low energy demand) www.pcc.eu.com

ABG Ltd(market leader in the design, development, manufacture and technical support of high performance geosynthetic systems for use in a wide range civil engineering, environmental and sustainable building projects) www.abgltd.com

Newcastle College – Rail Academy(New £5m facility offering a unique training environment that supports the rail sector by addressing the current and predicted skill shortages by providing vocationally trained students ready to start a career in the rail industry) www.newcastlecollege.co.uk

Vivarail(Vivarail is a company totally focussed on delivering local rail solutions. With

a development team benefitting from almost 200 years’ experience in railway engineering and operations, Vivarail is able to deliver innovative rolling stock for urban and rural railways across Britain) www.vivarail.co.uk

I M Kelly Rail Ltd(One of the UK’s premier designers of train seating for the underground and over ground systems. Also supplying interior products such as tables, doors, panels and blinds etc) www.imkelly.co.uk

University of Huddersfield – Institute of Railway Research (Internationally leading research group in the field of railway vehicle dynamics and vehicle-track interaction) www.hud.ac.uk/irr

Arriva UK Trains (Operating a wide range of passenger businesses including Arriva Trains Wales, CrossCountry Trains, London Overground, Chiltern Railways, Grand Central (open access operator) and Tyne & Wear Metro. Looking for companies who have interesting innovations which could deliver business benefits in the short or longer term to the rail business and who need partners for testing and development purposes) www.arriva.co.uk

Hydro International(Suppliers of innovative products for the cost-effective control of stormwater) www.hydro-int.com

New MembersIt’s been a very busy start to 2015 at the

Rail Alliance, reports Eli Rees-King. Our networking event in Doncaster went extremely well with great feedback from everyone attending. We also have a lot of new events planned, covering a variety of subjects and in locations accessible from all areas of the country.

The informative day was attended by over 70 Rail Alliance members and prospective members from a wide variety of businesses and academia.

Presentations were delivered by key industry representatives. First to speak was Kevin Orton, head of business development (Europe) of Unipart Rail in Doncaster, who focussed on the assistance available for companies to access external product development expertise and funding. Then we heard from Adam Beagle from the University of Sheffield, informing companies on how they can access R&D support through the university, followed by Roy Freeland who is part of the SME Consultative Group (Rail Supply Group) and what it means to the SME and the opportunities available to rail SMEs, and finally, Tony Corby, Business Doncaster marketing manager who gave an update on developments and progress being made regarding the High Speed Rail College that is targeted for completion in September 2017.

After lunch, delegates were given the opportunity to visit Unipart Rail’s factory warehouse. It was a real behind-the-scenes visit which proved both interesting, educational and informative to all who attended. All presentation slides and pictures from the day are available to view on the Rail Alliance Website: www.railalliance.co.uk (Rail Alliance Events section)

Rail visionIndustry and government came together to

set the strategic vision for the strengthening of the UK’s rail supply chain. At an event hosted by Business Secretary Vince Cable, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and Terence Watson, president of Alstom UK, the RSG presented a vision statement outlining how it will meet the demands of tomorrow’s railways, create more jobs and boost UK exports.

January saw us attending the launch of the Rail Supply Group (RSG) vision, as the Rail Alliance is one of the key contributing organisations, and

we will be sharing news on how our members can get involved in this exciting initiative in addition to opportunities to meet the buyers in HS2 and Crossrail projects.

Look out for information on this and all our forthcoming events in our next email newsletter.

TopHatWe’d also like to congratulate TruckTrain

Developments. In a collaboration between NewRail and TruckTrain Developments Ltd, Conor O’Neill and Philip Mortimer were winners at the 2nd UIC Research & Innovation awards, presented at the General Assembly of the worldwide railway association in Paris for their TopHat concept, which aims to make the transport of full sized tri-axle semi-trailers a more attractive and cost effective European rail option.

The innovation is in the use of ISO lifting equipment to place trailers on and off rail wagons faster, and more safely, than current methods, thus expanding their service and capability portfolio without the need for capital investment at terminals. NewRail director Mark Robinson collected a trophy and certificate, plus €5,000 of funding to take the project to its next stage.

Wishing you all a very successful month and hopefully we will get to meet some of you at the “Light after Dark” event here at the Quinton Rail Technology Centre on the 25 February. Our very best wishes, all the team at Rail Alliance.

Rail Alliance Networking Event for March 2015

Supplying Innovation to the Train Operating Companies (TOCs)Date: 19 March 2015Location: The Union Jack Club, Sandell St., Waterloo, London SE1 8UJTime: 1000 to 1500 hrs

This event will include information on the new franchising arrangements that incorporate a 1 per cent Innovation Quota. Speakers will include representatives from TOCs and the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC). As with all of our events, there will be valuable opportunities to network and find out about critical industry information direct from the people who know. Please email [email protected] or call Rhona on 01789 720026 to provisionally book your place at this event.

New Year Resolution for 2015 Join the Rail Alliance

RAIL ALLIANCE10 | RailStaff | February 2015

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Every year, we spend hours filling out forms to take out and renew the complex series of policies we need to protect our homes, cars and health. It is often done without talking to another human being - sometimes with the aid of a talking meerkat - and for many of us, when the worst happens and we need to make a claim, we’re often caught out by the small print.

For an industry such as rail, detail is everything. No business is alike and no quote fits all. As the rail industry improves its safety performance, more and more insurers are starting to look again at the opportunities that exist in rail.

‘The rail industry has changed a lot and insurance premiums have fallen a heck of a lot in the last three or four years,’ says Keven Parker, director of Jobson James Rail - Insurance Brokers & Risk Advisors. ‘But only if the broker has the skills to present the client professionally in this sort of way. If the broker just says ‘here’s a bunch of numbers, here’s the wages and turnover. Go and get me some quotes’. It’s not enough information to get those very low insurance premiums because you’re not giving the underwriter a proper understanding of the quality of the business.’

Jobson James Rail, which was established four-and-a-half years ago, works with rail companies across the sector to ensure that their cover properly reflects their business. Typically a client will require cover for assets, such as rolling stock, premises, machinery, tools, stock, materials, as well as statutory risks like employers’ liability and third-party liability. They may also require professional indemnity insurance, which covers a customer’s financial loss.

‘To be honest it’s all off the top of my head,’ says Keven, describing his bespoke approach to brokering. ‘Most insurance brokers will ask their clients to fill out forms and paperwork and I don’t do any of that. I listen. I ask a lot of questions and I listen.’

Lifelong enthusiastKeven, who lives in Worcester, grew up with a

railway at the end of his garden. Since then, he’s been a keen railway supporter. Several decades on and he now owns a stake in four Class 47 locomotives. He’s also a proponent of the Vivarail project - an initiative to re-engineer District line diesel multiple units (DMUs) for use across other parts of Britain’s non-electrified main line rail network. It is this understanding of the rail industry that Keven believes helps him to properly assess and represent businesses in the sector.

What sets Jobson James apart from other providers, says Keven, are the relationships it builds with clients, particularly with health and safety directors. As a NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) qualified broker, Keven is better placed than most to properly assess a company’s risk and work with the company to ensure there is a strong culture of safety running through it. And if that culture isn’t nurtured, Keven says he isn’t afraid to walk away from a customer.

Says Keven, ‘For a finance director of a rail company to change insurance broker that is, and it should be, quite a big deal because it’s the equivalent of changing your accountant or your bank and you don’t do it lightly.

‘For it to work, the client has got to have confidence that the quote is right, that the cover is correct. He’s got to have confidence that the broker has professionally portrayed their business to the insurers and, of course, the client has the benefit with us of knowing that’s the case because he actually gets to see the final broking presentation.’

Specialist not generalistJobson James prides itself on the knowledge

of its employees. The claims team is headed up by a qualified barrister to ensure customers feel confident that the process it being properly managed.

‘Where a client has an injury claim, they can be confident that actually we won’t just let the insurers deal with it we’ll properly manage it,’ says Keven, who is a member of the PWI Institution, Derby & Derbyshire Rail Forum (DDRF) and Rail Alliance.

Keven’s background is in international broking, working for clients with annual turnovers of up to $3 billion. Looking to the other end of the scale, he also manages the insurance for beer festivals run by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) - an association he has been a member of since he was 18.

Jobson James currently employs around 40 members of staff spread across offices in London and Birmingham. The company, which is RISQS audited, is now aiming to take on more clients in the UK rail sector and continue its rapid growth.

Says Keven, ‘We’ve grown very, very quickly and basically we’ve grown through quality. Quality of advice, quality of the contracts that we’ve negotiated in terms of cover and price and also just the quality of our people.

‘It’s a very exciting time for our business. I’m very excited about the future. We’re involved in lots of different rail business and without exception they are all growing so I feel that we’re doing our little bit very much to help the success of the rail industry.’

Jobson JamesRail Industry Broker

FEATURE12 | RailStaff | February 2015

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Eurotunnel has announced it is procuring another three freight shuttles to help meet its target of transporting two million trucks under the Channel per year in 2020.

The three new shuttles will join the existing 15-strong fleet and enable Eurotunnel to increase its capacity by 20 per cent.

The new €40 million order has been placed with WBN Waggonbrau Niesky GmbH, an historic railway manufacturing company based in south-east Saxony close to the Polish border.

The new trains are half-a-mile long (800 metres) and include a carriage for truck drivers. The new trains will be fully compatible with the existing shuttles.

Delivery is set for the end of 2016 and early 2017. The order for three new shuttles caps a €30 million expansion of terminals in Folkestone and Coquelles.

Eurotunnel’s 20-20 Vision

To take advantage of the huge projected rise in intermodal rail freight, DB Schenker Rail UK has doubled the number of intermodal services it runs from London Gateway to Trafford Park in Manchester.

‘Intermodal looks set to increase at a staggering rate,’ says Adrian Fleming, head of intermodal at DB Schenker Rail UK.

‘It currently represents 27 per cent of rail freight business and this is predicted to rise to 68 per cent by 2033.

The Network Rail long-term freight market study suggests a 6.4 per cent per annum growth in intermodal rail freight from ports until the year 2023. The impact on rail freight will be dramatic.’

The company has increased its services between the two terminals from two a week to four.

Service Doubles at London Gateway


This month Transport for London (TfL) plans to start developing its capital-wide property portfolio.

TfL owns a plethora of disused Tube stations, adjoining land, depots and yards. There is scope for above-site development and the 5,700 acre estate is one of the largest in London.

In the past redundant land and buildings were sold off. Now TfL plans to press the property into service as part of its wider programme to generate £3.4 billion of non-fare revenue over the next 10 years.

Property development partners will be appointed to help bring forward up to 50 sites with around 10 million square foot of development potential.

Says Graeme Craig, TfL’s director of commercial development, ‘Forming joint venture partnerships with property development experts will enable us to generate long-term income that we can invest in improving our network, which carries over 30 million journeys every day. We will be launching a tender process in the

coming weeks to identify the best organisations in the world that will help us to achieve this. We’ve already established a successful partnership on the Earl’s Court development and look forward to establishing more for the benefit of Londoners.’

Many of TfL’s properties are in central London in prime locations. Developing

them will help answer London’s chronic residential housing shortage as well as fuelling jobs and economic growth.

TfL has already appointed Francis Salway, the former chief executive of developer, Land Securities, as the chairman of its new property advisory group.

TfL Opens Property Oyster

Mott MacDonald is helping introduce the European Train Control System (ETCS) in Belgium.

Says Joost Bolck, Mott MacDonald’s project manager, ‘ETCS is the European standard for future train control and will contribute to more sustainable future travel by improving safety, enabling energy savings, providing

higher capacity and creating more durable systems. We’re delighted to be supporting its successful implementation.’

ETCS is currently being rolled out across Europe to standardise train control and simplify cross-border travel.

Infrabel, the Belgian railway infrastructure manager, plans to implement ETCS across Belgium’s entire rail network by 2022. Train

operator, SNCB plans to migrate its fleet to ETCS standards. During phase one of the project, Mott MacDonald will review the masterplan and migration plan. This will include investigating how well placed Infrabel and SNCB/NMBS are to deliver the roll out of the new system.

Phase two will see the consultancy follow up audits and share findings with the Mobility and Transport FPS.

Belgian Project for Mott MacDonald

Amey and Network Rail are supporting a competition led by Innovate UK, formerly the Technology Strategy Board, to find ingenious wearable digital technology which could be adapted and rolled out onto the rail network. The winner will receive £35,000 to develop the technology ahead of a possible trial in 2016 on the Great Western Electrification Programme.

The competition is looking for products such as PPE that can monitor the levels of toxic gas and dust, safety glasses that alert workers to the hazards around them or hard hats that measure a worker’s fatigue levels.

Organisers hope the winning solution could not only improve safety performance in the rail industry but have applications to the construction industry as a whole.

Entries must be received by noon on 10 March 2015. More information can be found at: bit.ly/wearablescontest

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Advance registration to visit Railtex 2015 free of charge is now open via the show website www.railtex.co.uk.

Pre-registering for the event, which takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham from 12 to 14 May, means you avoid payment of a £20 entry fee on the door. Better still it gives visitors much quicker access to the exhibition.

There will be plenty to interest and inspire visitors at this year’s show. Well over 300 firms will be ready to explain their latest developments and successes, with participants ranging from the industry’s best known names to more than 80 exhibitors taking part in the event for the first time. All will be keen to engage with visiting engineers, managers and buyers to discuss their capabilities.

As well as learning about technical developments at exhibitors’ stands, everyone attending Railtex will be able to hear presentations offering valuable pointers to the future direction of the rail sector, including keynote speeches by leading figures helping to shape

the industry. These, together with industry seminars, project updates and discussion forums, will be open to all, free of charge.

Railtex will also provide a great opportunity for meeting colleagues and renewing acquaintances, with plenty of networking opportunities including the second Railtex Awards dinner, where achievements by exhibitors will be celebrated.

More on the latest plans for this busy programme of supporting events as they take shape is available on the show website, together with a regularly updated list of exhibitors.

Railtex - Free Visit Mark Carne, chief executive

of Network Rail, has urged business leaders to campaign for more investment in railways. Speaking at the Scottish Council for Development and Industry in Aberdeen he said investment goes where it is perceived to generate the most benefit.

‘It is a little bit of a challenge. We need your help in order to build the economic cases that support the kinds of investments you’d like to see,’ he said.

Carne joined Network Rail a year ago from the oil and gas industry where he spent 30 years.

Originally from Helensburgh, he knows Aberdeen well and confirmed the planned £170 million investment in the Aberdeen - Inverness line would be starting later this year and would be completed in 2019.

Local leaders and entrepreneurs have

a leading role to play in defining the value of better transport infrastructure.

‘We don’t understand fully what the benefits will be for local businesses,’ he added. ‘Having strong representation from business and trade bodies that articulate clearly what those benefits could be (means) we build them into a business case that might generate great opportunities.’

Carne Urges Rail Campaign

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin interrupted a busy schedule to meet staff and check out Rochester’s new station.

The impressive structure is fast taking shape with new platforms, stairs and an underpass already in place on the town centre site.

Says McLoughlin, ‘We are investing record amounts to build a world-class railway. Better transport is all part of delivering the government’s long-term economic plan.

‘Rochester’s new station will be a big

improvement for this historic town. It will benefit commuters and visitors thanks to longer trains and more seats for passengers.’

The new Rochester station is being built as part of a major scheme to replace and improve signalling on the railway lines from Longfield to Sittingbourne and Strood to Beltring. Longer platforms will accommodate 12-car trains. The project should be completed by the end of this year.

The overall resignalling project will be complete in 2016, when control will move to Gillingham.

New Station for Rochester


The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) has taken a supporting role in the movie The Black Prince, based on the real-life story of the last king of Punjab.

The film has been written and directed by Los Angeles-based Indian filmmaker Kavi Raz and stars Satinder Sartaaj. The film tells the story of the last Sikh Maharaja – the son of the powerful ruler Ranjit Singh – who inherited the throne at the age of five following the death of his father.

In 1849, Punjab was annexed by British India and the young prince was removed from the throne and sent to England. His attempts to return to India and reclaim his throne were thwarted by the British and he ended up a pauper, dying in Paris in 1893.

Bewdley Station was used for part of the filming. Over 60 crew members from India and Los Angeles and principal cast members and extras spent the day at the railway.

Says Bill Griffiths, SVR’s duty officer, ‘The film crew started arriving from 8 o’clock with filming starting just

after 10am. During the day, aside from meal breaks, the crew moved from scene to scene without much of a pause. Those we spoke to were quite appreciative of the railway and its facilities. Many of them were surprised by its size and the fact it is operated by volunteers.

‘They filmed around the station at Bewdley on a static train and on the train in the section between Bewdley and Kidderminster. It was certainly odd to see Bewdley doubling as an entirely different location and how the crew managed to achieve this by making it look different.’ The film is scheduled for release next year.

Bewdley Backdrop for Punjab Prince

A former engineer who has been volunteering at York’s National Railway Museum (NRM) for almost 40 years has been awarded the British Empire Medal.

Dave Thomas, who lives in Bolton Percy near York, was recognised in the New Year’s Honours list for his years of service at the museum, stretching all the way back to 1977.

During his time at NRM, the 77 year old has been particularly influential in improving access to information for visitors and is now overseeing the recruitment of new volunteers. More than 300 people currently give up over 36,000 hours of their own time each year to support the upkeep of Britain’s national rail collection.

Dave was told he had been nominated for the honour in November last year. In March, he will receive the award before attending a Royal garden party at Buckingham Palace in May.

Says Dave, ‘To me it’s a great honour. I’m totally flattered by it. I was really quite surprised and at the same time I regard it as being a symbol of recognition for all

the volunteering that goes on here.’A chartered engineer, Dave comes

from a family of railwaymen, dating back to 1889.

‘It’s a lifelong thing,’ says Dave. ‘I was

born into a second-generation railway family. I grew up in the mucky end of railways. My father was a driver here at York and his was father was also, so they had a York footplateman’s history.’

British Empire Medal for Dave Thomas

Fed up with bridge bashing problems, Network Rail is to install collision protection beams on a railway bridge on Stoke Road in Shelton, Stoke on Trent.

Lorry drivers who fail to observe height restrictions have become an all too regular feature of call outs.

While damage is often minimal, the beams will provide protection for the bridge and reduce the risk of structural damage and potential disruption to rail services.

Collision Course


Railtex is the all-encompassing showcase for technological innovation across all sectors of the rail supply market - the platform for people from throughout the industry to meet face to face, make connections and do business.

Hundreds of exhibitors will present thousands of products and services to the industry. See the latest innovations and hear updates on key projects and developments within the industry from high profile speakers.

www.railtex.co.uk

12 – 14 MAY 2015 • NEC, BIRMINGHAM, UK12th INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF RAILWAY EQUIPMENT SYSTEMS & SERVICES

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Set up shortly after the end of the First World War, the Transport Benevolent Fund (TBF) signifies what can be achieved when the wider transport industry comes together to serve its own people.

On the face of it, a get together of the patrons would be entertaining to say the least. Patrons come from every part of the transport industry. Mick Cash,

head of the RMT, rubs shoulders with genial American Tim O’Toole, head of FirstGroup, and Transport for London (TfL) chief Peter Hendy - arriving by train not cab no doubt - sits alongside Len McCluskey of Unite whilst Brian Souter and Lew Adams compare notes.

The patrons all support the work of what has become an exemplary industry alliance. Almost 100 years on, the charity is busier than before and TBF membership is increasing. The work it does is now perceived to add real value to employers and staff alike. In a labour-intensive industry like public transport, staff welfare is the responsibility of all.

John Sheehy, one-time London Underground train driver, is the general manager and works with a tight team based in an old silk weaving warehouse off Commercial Road in Whitechapel, at the heart of London’s East End.

Series of reforms Membership is now 44,000,’ says

John. ‘And it is largely down to the series of reforms put in place by my predecessor, Chris Godbold.’

Chris is already familiar to a generation of railwaymen for organising the annual Rail Staff Christmas Carol Service over at Eversholt Street, Euston. Faced

with falling revenue and dwindling membership, Godbold cut costs, wound up several loss-making aspects of the fund - convalescent hotels for one - and set about driving up membership. In its way, the success of the TBF parallels the wider fortunes of the transport industry it serves.

‘Chris streamlined the fund, cut costs and introduced cost-effective management. Back then there was no recruitment programme and very few new members,’ says John. In fact membership had dwindled to 9,000. Chris Godbold was two years into his rescue role at TBF when John showed up. This was back in 1998 - a particularly dark time for John Sheehy.

How did an Arsenal-supporting train driver come to be running the TBF? John’s story illustrates that - in railways at least - career adversity and medical drama can be overcome. When John had to stop driving, he literally thought he’d reached the end of the line.

‘I left school in 1986 and got a job as a stock taker for dispensaries - pharmacies,’ says Sheehy. Originally from Shoreditch, John was initially pleased to be working. But the job was repetitive and he was hard pushed to stick it for three years. Dispensaries are important but stock taking is routine, a basic 9-5 existence.

In the Driver’s SeatAndy Milne talks to John Sheehy,

general manager of the Transport Benevolent Fund.

INTERVIEW18 | RailStaff | February 2015

John Sheehy left with George Warriner winner of station staff of the year award at the 2014 RailStaff Awards.

Chris Godbold far left with the 40,000th member of the

Transport Benevolent Fund.

Call the Fire Brigade ‘The money was low and there was

nothing in the way of career prospects.’ John decided to look around. ‘I applied for two jobs; one with the London Fire Brigade and one with London Underground (LUL),’ says John. LUL called back quite soon and John was off for the first of series of interviews at Baker Street. The Fire Brigade, with an uncharacteristic lack of alacrity, did not get back to him for several weeks. By this time John had signed up with LUL to train as a guard.

‘We were tested on speaking English, basic arithmetic and thought process - how you handle information. Then I was sent to White City to do a direct-entry recruit course. It took nine weeks and we were out on the roads.’ John worked on the Northern line. The staff depots were at Golders Green, Morden, High Barnet, Edgware and Kennington. Staff regularly book on at 4.20. John always liked earlies. ‘I get up early anyway, always have, and only need five or six hours sleep.

Nights were OK but not evenings,’ he says. Evenings means you miss out on the most social part of the day. The clientele must be a problem on late night trains. ‘Passengers late at night can be abusive but you learn to manage it,’ says John, with a philosophical shrug.

Brake Dust In 1994, John applied to be a driver

and was accepted. He studied Rules and Regs 2 and various aspects of train equipment and procedure. Back then the trains on the Northern line were old 1959 and 1972 stock. ‘These trains were old, no mistake, and they generated a lot of brake dust. As a guard, brake dust is a real problem - it gets into your nostrils and when you blow your nose - anyway, you can always tell how good a driver is by the amount of brake dust he generates - just look at your handkerchief.’

Pursuant to his training, Sheehy passed out as a driver after a three-hour oral exam. Aspiring drivers have to answer questions out loud talking through procedures and equipment. Determined to drive well, John left his kleenex in the messroom and drove quietly and carefully for several years. However, he noticed in 1997 that he was losing weight. ‘It creeps up on you gradually, weight loss at first and then this terrific thirst. Worst of all was the tiredness. I felt exhausted all the time.’

Early starts and the added responsibility of driving could affect a relatively new driver with fatigue - what doctors term chronic fatigue syndrome. Sheehy soldiered on, unconvinced, and then went to see his GP.

‘He went through my symptoms, did a series of blood tests. I went home. Then you get the phone call - can you come in and see me. When? Soon as you can…’

All I KnewJohn Sheehy, still in his late twenties,

had been diagnosed with Type I diabetes. Although relieved to have figured out what was causing his weight loss and tiredness, John had a bigger problem to face. As a diabetic, dependent on insulin injections, he knew he could no longer drive.

‘My main worry was that I’d been on LUL for 10 years and all the skills and knowledge I had was bound up with the Underground. It was not as if I was working on building sites and could just go off to another one somewhere else. All I knew was railways, and I could not work anywhere near the track. So that meant I was looking at low-skilled work. I reckoned whatever I found I’d have to start at the bottom of the heap.’

John paused looking around the modern office with its exposed brick work and polished wood. ‘It was a scary time, very frightening. At LUL when something like that happens you can go on redeployment courses but it’s a bit wishy washy. I went to my

local college to learn computing, Excel, spreadsheets and all that. I hoped I might be able to get a job as a DSM’s (Duty Station Manager) assistant, logging info onto a computer.’

Saving Grace One day as he was working his way

through another computer exercise, he noticed a job as benefits assistant at TBF. ‘I went to see Chris Godbold and yes, he was very helpful.’ John told Godbold his story. TfL agreed to part fund the post - the money on offer was much less than a driver would earn. The upshot was John started work at TBF.

‘There is no doubt in my mind that he was the sort of guy who would give you a chance if he felt there was something about you. I mean, he is always helping people. I know he felt I could offer something to TBF and I was immediately available.’

Godbold’s reforms were cutting in fast and he needed help. Sheehy had several advantages apart from availability. He knew the world of public transport in London inside out and as part of that understood the pressures on transport staff. Moreover, he now had first-hand experience of what it is like to fall through the career floor. The job is demanding. Sheehy took over a year ago when Chris Godbold retired.

February 2015 | RailStaff | 19INTERVIEW

‘Until you work for TBF, you don’t realise how little help there is out there for people. Social welfare can take forever to come through.’ TBF will offer cash-help to the newly bereaved, medical equipment and living aids, scans and tests - again avoiding undue delay - second opinions for the sick, help with recuperation and convalescence. TBF also helps with osteopathy, physiotherapy, and alternative therapies like acupuncture. However, it is also heavily involved in debt counselling

Debt the big problem‘Debt is a big problem. We see a lot

of debt. We help towards arrears on a priority bill and bankruptcy fees. Bankruptcy fees total £705.00 and we have to make the cheque out to HMCTS - Her Majesty’s Court & Tribunal Services. The whole thing goes to court. These are quite often working people. It’s a growing problem. Over the last 15 years, people have been able to get money too easily.’

No member’s case is turned away at

TBF - there is no ceiling on payments. Every case is sympathetically evaluated on its merits. John heads a small team which includes secretary Vicky Jennings, benefits adviser Kitty Lyons, and husband and wife team Darryn and Claire Lapham. There is also Linda Hearn and Shaun Hearn - a mother and son combo, and Hayley Cook and Laura Perry who between them mastermind the admin systems.

A year into his new career at TBF, John met his future wife, Frances. The couple have been together 15 years and plan to get married later this year - no risk of generating excessive brake dust on this engagement. The couple have a son, Calum, 13, still at school. For several years, John was a football coach at the school but, Arsenal notwithstanding, he admits to watching rugby more and more now.

Going to Barbados Frances works freelance in accounts

having worked in banking for RBS. The family had a memorable holiday last year in Barbados. Frances had had a

brush with cancer - successfully dealt with - and this has precipitated the nuptials. ‘We had a brilliant time in Barbados. I have met many Barbadians and it’s true they are always friendly and welcoming - I never met a bad one either on the Underground or over in the Caribbean,’ says John.

No day is ever the same at TBF and it is far from being the dreaded 9-5 dispensary business John escaped all those years ago. Still an early riser he gets in at 7.30 and keeps fit by exercising and eating sensibly. TBF had to move quite quickly from its old offices when City of London planning rules changed and the area was zoned for redevelopment. TBF is now based in New Loom House, Back Church Lane in London E1.

Cable Street The area is redolent with history.

French Huguenots fled here and started silk weaving businesses. Jewish refugees from the pogroms in Russia settled locally. Just down the road is Cable Street. Here working class people, trade unionists and immigrants fought Oswald Moseley’s fascists to a standstill in 1936 as they attempted to march through the East End. The day-long struggle against police and Blackshirts became known as the Battle of Cable Street.

Later that year, the government, under the widely under-valued Stanley Baldwin, passed the Public Order Act which banned the wearing of political uniforms. Effectively this meant the Blackshirts could no longer march and the unnerving pageantry of German and Italian fascism never sullied the United Kingdom.

The poverty was unimaginable by today’s standards. Prostitution was rife. Jack the Ripper once stalked these streets. John Merrick, the Elephant Man, lived nearby.

On a more cheerful note, one of the country’s last surviving music halls, Wilton’s, still stands at Grace’s Alley directly below Back Church Lane, regularly staging ‘a little jiving on a Saturday night’. Over on Leman Street stands an impressive pub. The Dispensary, once the Eastern Dispensary Hospital, erected in 1859 to provide cheap medication and health care for the poorest Eastenders. For John Sheehy it might almost be a full circle.

Clarity of Purpose The poverty of the area certainly

echoes the origins and necessity of the TBF. Although officially founded in 1923, the fund dates back to the early part of the First World War.

Transport workers who volunteered for the services found there was a gap between what they were now paid - the King’s Shilling - and the wage they’d left behind. A fund was set up, the Train, Omnibus and Tramway Group of London Mutual Aid Fund. Subscriptions were paid on a voluntary basis and were matched penny for penny by participating companies. This enabled the service pay of employees to be supplemented so their families would not suffer undue hardship.

The meeting of minds eloquently illustrated by the TBF patrons listed above is not as far fetched as it sounds. Back then employers and staff combined with an inspired clarity of purpose to serve the men who served their country.

Looking after those less fortunate than ourselves informs almost every moral system in the world. It takes strength and sensitivity to run. John Sheehy may not be piloting trains on the Northern line anymore but TBF supporters and beneficiaries alike are grateful he’s still in the driver’s seat.

& 0300 333 2000 8 www.tbf.org.uk e [email protected] Transport Benevolent Fund (known as TBF) is a registered charity in England and Wales (1058032) and in Scotland (SC040013)

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INTERVIEW20 | RailStaff | February 2015

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Rail and Construction Sectors

Old Dalby Test Track now has its own supplementary power supply and will no longer be dependent on the national grid.

UK Power Reserve (UKPR) is supplying Network Rail’s test track in Melton Mowbray - the test site for the next generation of Britain’s train fleet.

Based in Solihull, UKPR’s new partnership with Network Rail provides an enduring, cost-effective solution for the continued testing of new stock, including the IEP trains and new London Underground stock.

Says Tim Emrich, UKPR chief operating officer, ‘UK Power Reserve is really pleased to be working with Network Rail through this partnership.

‘Our company plays a vital role in

delivering electricity security of supply in the UK, and we’re delighted to be able to support another critically

important part of UK infrastructure.’ During peak winter periods, major

plant failures or severe outages,

Network Rail can now import its electricity directly from UKPR. Tests at Old Dalby will continue uninterrupted.

Independence for Old Dalby

Proposals to extend the London Overground Gospel Oak to Barking line to a new station at the heart of the Barking Riverside development have been given a big thumbs up by the public.

Ninety per cent of respondents back the scheme. The Barking Riverside development is the largest housing development site in east London with planning consent for up to 10,800 homes.

The Government will provide a loan of £55 million to support the railway’s

extension to Barking Riverside. The provision of this loan means that funding is available to cover the full cost of the scheme.

Says Michèle Dix CBE, Transport for London’s (TfL) managing director of Planning, ‘This public consultation has demonstrated there is overwhelming support for this extension.

‘Its introduction will directly unlock over 10,000 new homes. We will continue to develop the plans as quickly as possible.’

Subject to approval, construction on the new link will commence in 2017 with the extension opening by 2020.

New Rail Link For Barking

The new 15-stop Metrolink line to Manchester Airport is off to a flying start with more than 266,000 passengers using the route in its first few months.

Metrolink, now the largest light rail network in the UK, covers almost 60 miles, with a fleet of close to 100 trams running to 92 stops across Greater Manchester.

The light rail operation clocked up a record-breaking 30 million journeys by tram in 2014. Work is now well under way on the Second City Crossing

through Manchester, due to open in 2017 when the Metrolink fleet will be 120-vehicles strong.

Says Andrew Fender, chair of Transport for Greater Manchester, ‘2014 was a landmark year for Metrolink, with the launch of three new lines meaning local residents and visitors chose to make well over 30 million journeys a year by tram, which is a staggering number.

‘We opened the new airport extension through Wythenshawe over a year early, and I’m not surprised to see it doing so well, offering a first class way to get around to 15 new stops.’

Airport Line Takes Off


Community Rail Partnerships are making a big difference to local passenger volumes, according to a new report.

The rise in ridership has been firmly attributed to the unstinting efforts of volunteers, improved local services and smarter stations. The research was commissioned by the National Community Rail Development Steering Group - a partnership between local government, the Department for Transport (DfT), Network Rail, ATOC and the Association for Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP). The report says community railways enjoyed 2.8 per cent additional growth compared to regional lines.

The formula of getting local people involved in railways is working well and everyone benefits. Local communities take back the railway, brightening up stations and platforms and equally importantly developing an awareness of what is on offer. Thus more people

take the train and the train itself is pleasanter to take.

Local train companies help with better leaflets and posters - all passed on and made good use of by CRPs. The numbers of volunteers, hours and effort put in are impressive. Over 3,200 community rail volunteers give 250,000 hours of their time to improve local railways. CRPs add value to the railway and, in effect, pay for themselves by revenue boost.

Welcoming the report, transport minister Baroness Kramer said,

‘Community Rail Partnerships have a vital role to play in building a stronger economy and a fairer society, as demonstrated powerfully by this research.

‘By encouraging more people to travel by train, they bring real economic, social and environmental benefits to their areas, and support the record investment we are making in the rail network. I hope this inspires more people to set up partnerships and develop their own community railways.’

Community Rail Delivers More PassengersThe new 2,000-metre viaduct

built by Network Rail at Reading is proving a success with the public and rail staff alike.

The £100 million viaduct removes a major bottleneck and means fast trains can overtake slow or stopped services around Reading.

Says First Great Western’s managing director, Mark Hopwood, ‘The Reading Viaduct is a fantastic feat of engineering that unblocks a major bottleneck on the Great Western mainline. It will bring immediate results to our train service performance and deliver longer-term benefits for customers between now and the summer.’

The structure is part of the £895 million Reading Redevelopment project which started in 2008 and is being implemented in phases.

The new-look station, with five extra platforms, was officially opened by HRH The Queen in July 2014. The project is due for completion in Summer 2015.

Up and Away

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9-11 March 2015Olympia West, London, UK

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LinbrookeTotal Network Solutions

Day 1: A meeting of rail safety minds How do we continue to make sense of safety?

Day 2: CIRAS - Confi dential Reporting for Safety Are we addressing the concerns of the workforce?

Book your tickets now at www.railsafetysummit.com

Following the success of last year’s Rail Safety Summit, we are delighted to announce that our sixth event is now expanded to two days, and will be held on Thursday 30th April and Friday 1st May at the Royal College of Physicians, London.

The Rail Safety Summit has become THE conference for rail safety executives, infrastructure owners, train operators, rail stakeholders

and training professionals, with leading fi gures from the rail safety, security, risk assessment and training professions all in attendance.

An Advisory Board has been developed for the 2015 Safety Summit. This esteemed group of people come from all areas of the Rail Industry and are best placed to know what the current burning questions in the industry are that need to be answered.

Rail SafetySummit 2015 LONDON

30/04/15 - 01/05/15

KEYNOTE SPEAKER, DAY 1

Mark Carne

Chief Executive

Network Rail

Charles Horton

Chief Executive

Govia Thameslink Railway

KEYNOTE SPEAKER, DAY 2

SafetySummit

Preparing to write this article I re-read sections of a report written by Graham Eccles for the then British Railways Board back in February 1993.

Its title, “An investigation into the causes of fatal accidents to railway staff and contractors with recommendations for improvement”. It is still relevant. I commend its author, in acknowledging all the help he received he comments, “Most of the recommendations are not mine, they belong to the people who work out on the track day in and day out. They are the best people to know what they need to make their job as safe as we can.

All I have done is acted as a focus for their ideas and enthusiasm”. I hope one of the outcomes from this year’s Rail Safety Summit and CIRAS Conference will be a resolution for better listening to those who “work on the track day in and day out”. Zero I believe will then be attainable once again.

Network Rail’s web page headed “Workforce Safety” is focussed. Under

the heading “Workforce Safety (Fatality and Weighted Average Rate)” it explains the use of this measure to help monitor and control accidents and injuries to the workforce. For 2013/14 it lists 3 fatalities - the highest since 2009/10 and 122 major injuries compared to 96, 101, 101, and 104 in the four preceding years.

Two workers suffer severe electrification burns in January

Already this year there have been two serious electrification accidents both resulting in staff being badly burnt. On Sunday 25th January at three in

the morning a Block Road man was applying a third rail strap as part of the taking of the isolation. The third rail was still live and he suffered severe burns as a result. The investigation will look at why the third rail was still live.

The following afternoon on January 26th at Gresley Road Basingstoke around 4pm a supervisor, digger driver and another worker were erecting a lighting column onto its base. The 50 year old man moved to locate the column base but as he did so the column came into contact with an 11KV overhead line. He suffered severe burns as a result and was taken to Southampton General Hospital.

“This was very close to being a multiple fatality”

Not my words but those of Network Rail’s Safety Bulletin NRB 15/02 headed “Heathrow Express Train Collision with Trolley Airport Junction, Stockley”. The Bulletin says that the work being done, laying out troughing was unplanned and had not been addressed in the Task Briefing Statement.

The near miss with two workers occurred at 1005 on the morning of Sunday 28th December when the 0948 from Heathrow Terminal 5 (a Class 332 Electrical Multiple Unit) travelling at 36

mph ran into a small engineer’s trolley that they had placed on the line.

The two workers who jumped clear were part of a larger gang working on the approach to a new bridge built recently adjacent to Stockley Flyover. (It will carry the tracks over the main Paddington to Reading line and is part of the Crossrail surface works.) According to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) initial notification, parts of the railway had been closed for varying periods prior to the accident.

The two workers were unaware that the Up Airport line had been returned to operational use a few hours before they started work and placed a trolley on it. The gang of 8 included a Controller of Site Safety (COSS). However this COSS and the rest of the gang were not with the two who placed the trolley on the line. Temporary fencing provided a barrier between construction activities and the running railway, but did not deter them from accessing the operational line.

Take personal responsibility! The Safety Bulletin says that the

workers who jumped clear had not been briefed by the COSS and goes on to cite “poor communication

ZERO AND BEYOND ZERO!BUT ARE WE EVEN GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

WHO ARE THE BEST PEOPLE TO KNOW?SAFETYColin [email protected]

TRACK SAFETY26 | RailStaff | February 2015

between the Engineering Supervisor, COSS, Supervisor and workers” as a contributory factor to the incident.

Under a subheading of “Immediate Action Required” it states that “Individuals must take personal responsibility to not start work if they have not been adequately briefed by their Supervisor and the COSS or if they doubt the competency of either”.

It adds “If the Safe System of Work requires a COSS then the works do not start without the COSS being present”. To my mind this reads as an attempt to divert the reader’s thinking away from the apparent lack of detailed planning, supervision and management?

And so was this!In addition to staff management

and work planning RAIB say they will “consider whether there is any overlap between this incident and another described as an “irregular dangerous occurrence that occurred at the same site the previous day!

That one involved a gang of workers who walked along an operational line without any form of protection until other construction workers told them that the line was open to traffic. If some workers knew the line was open, how come others did not?

Channel Tunnel FireThe January 17th Channel Tunnel

rail link fire was handled and appears to confirm the adequacy of their emergency procedures. The Bureau

d’Enquettes sur les Accidents de Transport Terrestre (BEA-TT) is leading the investigation with our RAIB. The fire caused serious damage to two trucks in the on-board freight shuttle.

All the passengers and three staff were travelling in the amenity coach immediately behind the locomotive. It was 1223 when Freight Shuttle 7340 travelling towards France in Running Tunnel North activated its on-board fire alarm system. The driver reported this to his Control Centre. Shortly afterwards the Centre received a second fire alarm warning from a detector within the tunnel and the power to the overhead line was lost.

Stopped at a cross passageThe driver made a controlled stop at

cross-passage 4418 approximately 10 miles from the French Tunnel portal. Evacuation of the train began at 1230 and was completed by all 42 people on board just seven minutes later. By 1335 all other trains had exited the tunnels and the fire-fighting had begun.

Two trucks were found to be on fire and the fire was reported to be under control by 1640 hours. Judging by the report the necessary systems were in place, people knew what to do, and their subsequent actions were effective. Doubtless there will be lessons to be learnt nonetheless.

Croydon Tram derails on pointsA derailment on Croydon Tramlink

on December 29th is yet another new

investigation for RAIB. The Addington to Wimbledon tram had just left Mitcham Junction tram-stop with 20 passengers and the driver on board.

It was travelling at around 7 mph when it derailed. As he was leaving

the tram-stop the driver saw that the indicator for the spring operated points onto the double line section was not showing them as set correctly. He stopped, contacted the Control Room by radio and then used an operating lever to manually move the points over until the indicator showed them to be correctly set.

Nevertheless as he drove over them the middle bogie and one wheel-set of the trailing bogie derailed. The initial RAIB report gives no clue as to the cause of this derailment.

Systems, planning, equipment and plant are all merely support for those who work on track. Their commitment and understanding are the most important factor when it comes to working safely.

I am firmly of the belief that local people working together regularly in areas they know is always the safest option. Whether you agree or not I hope to see and hear you at the two day rail safety event on March 30th/April 1st. It is high time our industry enjoyed a full fatality free year.

February 2015 | RailStaff | 27TRACK SAFETY

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Three of the most charismatic leaders in the new rail industry have been confirmed as speakers at this year’s first Rail Exec Club lunch in London on 5 March.

Network Rail’s chief executive, Mark Carne (left), joins Bombardier vice president, Per Allmer (centre), and Jeremy Long (right), chief executive of MTR in Europe to explore the current and future dynamics of the rail industry.

Mark Carne became chief executive of Network Rail in February 2014, having previously worked for Royal Dutch Shell in the Middle East and North Africa. Despite a media feeding frenzy after the overrun at Christmas, Mark Carne is helping orchestrate the biggest investment in railways in a generation.

Jeremy Long leads the European

business of Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation. He oversees the company’s London Overground operation. In Sweden MTR runs the Stockholm Metro and in March launches the open access MTR Express between Stockholm and Gothenburg. Jeremy Long pioneered open access services in Britain, where he founded

Hull Trains in 2000.In January, Per Allmer was

appointed president of Western Europe, Middle East and Africa for Bombardier Transportation, covering the manufacturer’s vast rolling stock and services business. He was formerly president propulsion and controls for Bombardier and has first-hand

experience of the global rail market. This year Rail Media is holding four

Rail Exec Club networking lunches, starting in March at Drapers’ Hall, London. Further events will be held in Birmingham in April and back in London in September, culminating with a Gala Dinner at the end of November.

Top Speakers for Rail Exec

Nominations for the Wing Award for Safety are now open. Any employee of a railway business or railway supplier is eligible for consideration for the award.

Nominations close on 20 March 2015. The award includes a certificate and £500 to be devoted to personal development. The winner will be an individual who has made an outstanding personal contribution to railway line-side track safety.

Judges are looking for individuals who developed a novel idea for improving safety at the line-side or are long-term champions of improving track safety standards. Those who have made a significant contribution to the awareness of track safety in their business are equally eligible.

The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers administers the award which will be made to the successful nominee at the Rail Safety Summit on 30 April and 1 May 2015 - organised by Rail Media. Nominations should be sent to Colin Porter at the IRSE and should not exceed 250 words.

The Wing Award for Safety was introduced in 1994 to commemorate the life and work of the late Peter Wing, a Fellow of the IRSE and an employee of British Rail (BR). During his career he made a major contribution to the cause of line-side safety. Peter Wing, whose career in BR spanned 31years, spent much of his working life dedicated to the safety of his colleagues. It was his care and concern that became the driving force behind the national campaign in 1992/3 called, ‘Dead Serious About Safety’. This had a major impact in reducing the numbers of line side fatalities in subsequent years.

Know who deserves to win? Send your nomination to [email protected] or write to Colin at the the IRSE, 4th Floor, 1 Birdcage Walk, London, SW1H 9JJ

Nominations for Wing AwardAs if it didn’t already have

enough, the railway now has a new acronym - PTI. Any ideas? Here’s a clue - it’s the most dangerous area of a station and is responsible for the most fatalities. Still stumped? Here’s another clue - ‘Mind The Gap!’

PTI is the Platform Train Interface - in other words, the gap between platform edge and the train.

Statistically, there is a risk of 8.3 fatalities at stations every year. 48 per cent of them take place at the platform edge.

Passengers most at risk are females between 50 and 71 years old, and young men who are intoxicated.

To combat this problem, and reduce that risk of serious injury and death, the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has recently launched a platform train interface strategy.

A 70-page report has been prepared on the risks and their causes. Accidents have been categorised into boarding events, alighting events, those where a train was stationary, or moving, or

not even present - such as a fall onto the tracks.

Staff at stations are being briefed and the risks highlighted in a series of press adverts and posters.

Some actions are pretty obvious. Many accidents happen when passengers are running to catch a train, so shut platforms some time before departure. Others are not so clear-cut.

Work is being done to look at optimising the clearances between trains and the platform and the height of steps. Other factors include door design, provision for luggage, and dwell times.

A series of immediate, short, medium and long-term PTI risk reduction targets have been established. These stem from cross-industry workshops where the problems have been discussed in detail.

But the most obvious face of the strategy will be the publicity campaign. With the catch-phrase ‘Lend a Helping Hand’ it urges passengers and staff to be aware of the risks, to take care and to help each other, which is a good philosophy for life really.

Stay safe on platforms

SAFETY28 | RailStaff | February 2015

The exclusive club for senior rail industry executives.

5th March 2015 – Drapers’ Hall Visit the website to book your place

@railexec [email protected] www.railexec.com

MEET DISCUSS INNOVATE

Exec

The history of Siberian railways, their engineering and operational challenges and future development is to be the subject of a presentation “Siberian Railways – Past, Present and Future” by RailStaff’s special correspondent, David Shirres.

David has been invited to several press tours led by Russian Railways and travelled on a commemorative train in July last year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the decision to complete the Baikal Amur Main Line (BAM). Prior to this announcement, part of the BAM had been built by prisoners at great human cost until its construction was abandoned after the death of Stalin.

Arranged by the Railway Civil Engineer’s Association (RCEA), David Shirres will be speaking at the Institution of Civil Engineers, Great George Street, London on Thursday 26, February at 18.00.

Clean hands In 1974, Leonid Brezhnev announced

that the BAM was to be completed “with clean hands”. As a result, throughout the Soviet Union around 100,000 young people moved to Siberia to build the railway in difficult conditions. Apart from the extreme climate, 40 per cent of the

line was constructed over Permafrost and tunnelling presented unique problems. One tunnel in an earthquake zone had four tectonic faults and took 27 years to build.

The 4,324-km long BAM was perhaps the world’s most expensive railway construction project. It was also completed as the Soviet Union collapsed and so did not realise its potential even though it is in an area rich in natural resources. Now, however, the line is almost at capacity and is the subject of a significant investment programme.

Also at capacity is the BAM’s more famous southerly neighbour, the Trans-Siberian Railway - sections of which have 6,000-tonne one-kilometre long freight trains every five minutes, a track maintenance challenge indeed.

Tayshet marshalling yard, at the junction of the BAM and Trans-Siberian Railways, has 169 sidings totalling 116 km and yet is almost at capacity.

Permafrost construction This presents a real constraint to

Russia’s economic growth. Hence by 2018, £9.4 billion is to be invested on the BAM and the Trans-Siberian Railway, 46 per cent of which is directly funded by the Russian Government. The strategy

is to increase passenger and container traffic on the Trans-Siberian whilst the BAM will carry increasing amounts of heavy freight traffic.

Meanwhile in North West Siberia, thousands of kilometres from the BAM, the world’s most northerly railway line, at 70 degrees North, services northern Siberia’s natural gas fields. This 572-km line was opened in 2011 and required special permafrost construction techniques.

The future development of Siberian railways is an interesting subject, but so is their past. For example in 1896, two icebreaking ships in kit form were

constructed for the Trans-Siberian Railway. These were built in Newcastle and then transported to Siberia’s Lake Baikal, reassembled and launched there in 1899. This was because the lake presented the line’s most difficult construction challenge, necessitating the use of a train ferry for its first four years of operation.

This much and more will be the subject of David’s presentation to which all are welcome. However, those wishing to attend must reserve their place at least two days beforehand on the RCEA website: http://www.rcea.org.uk/Events

The History of Siberian Railways


Aaron Taffera, former morning man at WZYY radio in Renovo, Pennsylvania, has been appointed chairman of the East Suffolk Line Community Rail Partnership.

Aaron, 47, has worked in broadcasting in the US since he was 16 and now lives in Tunstall, Suffolk, where he runs a secure lighting company.

Says Aaron, ‘My father was in the US Air Force and stationed here where he met my mother. Although they moved back to the States where I was born, my mum, myself and sisters later moved over and I have always regarded East Anglia as home.’

Aaron started out in radio as an intern later graduating to writing news bulletins and scripts. Originally, he joined WKRZ in Pennsylvania. Among

the jobs he did at the station included setting up the tapes of the legendary disc jockey Wolfman Jack.

‘The Wolfman would put in quotes relating to the local area he was being broadcast in - it was a syndicated show.’ Jack was based in Los Angeles. ‘Trouble was the Wolfman pronounced local names so badly, so we couldn’t use half the things he recorded.’

After a few months Aaron was hired full time and became a DJ on the Oldies format station. He also worked in TV news before deciding to relocate to Britain.

‘I had happy memories of travelling by train and had been bitten by the rail bug quite early on. I remember standing on Halesworth station on the Ipswich - Lowestoft line with my mother. We would have been going to Beccles.’

Aaron is still involved in TV and radio

broadcasting. He recently helped out with Park Radio in Diss which had a temporary license. The station hopes to be back on the air permanently later this year. Railways remain a passion for Aaron. ‘I am looking forward to continuing the excellent work already done by the CRP and Abellio Greater Anglia in improving and promoting the East Suffolk Line.

The Community Rail Partnership will continue to be a driving force promoting rail transport in Suffolk.’

Back in 2005, Aaron started www.eastsuffolkline.co.uk to promote the East Suffolk Line. Aaron Taffera, formerly the partnership’s vice chair, replaces Geof Butterwick, who stepped down in October. Aaron’s involvement with the CRP began in 2008 and he is also the adopter for Melton station.

Radio Man Heads Suffolk CRP

Huddersfield University’s Institute of Railway Research (IRR) has recruited leading European safety specialist Dr Coen Van Gulijk.

The IRR’s new reader in Railway Safety has held several academic posts in his native Netherlands. Dr Van Gulijk will head a rail safety and risk research programme, part of the strategic partnership formed between the IRR

and the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB).

Before his arrival at the University of Huddersfield, Dr Van Gulijk was an assistant professor in safety science at the Delft University of Technology. His early academic training was in chemical engineering and his PhD research dealt with diesel exhaust emissions.

At the Dutch scientific research organisation TNO, he worked on the improvement of gas masks for military use.

Dr Van Gulijk believes his research could help to speed up the adoption of new rail technologies.

‘Because of the very stringent safety

requirements in railways, it can be difficult to introduce new technology,’ he said. ‘Railways are traditionally conservative, which is not a bad thing, because you want to use equipment that you are sure of.’

Now it is hoped that the process of demonstrating the safety and reliability of a new technology can be streamlined as a result of the IRR’s work. RSSB already maintains a safety risk model that the rail industry uses to monitor risk and support decision making. The research taking place at the University of Huddersfield, headed by Dr Van Gulijk, aims to improve the industry’s risk modelling capability.

Safety Post for Van Gulijk

Seven military veterans are joining Virgin Trains in Manchester Piccadilly thanks to a new scheme operated by the Armed Forces Community Support Hub, based in Warrington.

Davy Potter, Alban Chennells, Lee Bellingham, Andrew Watkins, Danny Mulgrew, Tom Clark and David Bramham will join front line staff in customer services roles at Manchester Piccadilly.

Says Davy Potter, ‘When I moved to Warrington, I did not know anybody but once I came here it allowed me to bond and is like a networking system.

‘I hate to think what would have happened if I had not come here. I was really down at the time and did not have many options of what I could do. As we are all ex-military personnel here, we bond very well and it is easy to speak to everyone.’

Service personnel prove popular recruits to the expanding rail industry and Virgin Trains plans to recruit a further 20 veterans. The Support Hub in Warrington is partially funded by the local borough council.

Magnificent 7

Mott MacDonald has appointed Julian Howes as head of its transport modelling business.

Julian will co-ordinate and manage modelling strategies and services as part of the consultancy’s integrated transport team. He has over 25 years transport planning experience.

Howes joins from Atkins where he was business manager for 12 years. He led major modelling projects for HS2 Ltd and local authorities. Before that he was an associate at KBR and has also worked for Gibb Transport and Halcrow.

Says Tom van Vuren, divisional director for Mott MacDonald, ‘Julian will be based in London, where Mott MacDonald is experiencing substantial growth. With his track record in modelling and business management, Julian is a great addition to the company.’

Model Role for Julian

February 2015 | RailStaff | 31PEOPLE

Following last month’s introduction to Young Rail Professionals (YRP), this month will feature a more in-depth profile of YRP’s valuable deliverable for the rail industry, its Ambassadors Programme.

The YRP Ambassadors provide a positive and insightful outreach presence in schools, colleges and universities on behalf of the rail industry.

Leading the effort as the Ambassadors co-ordinator is Jodi Savage, a bright spark in both YRP and Women in Rail. Among her many roles, Jodi is responsible for initiating and coordinating the YRP university presentations for the Joint Universities Presentation Programme (JUPP), which YRP leads on behalf of the Routes into Rail collaboration group, which also includes the professional institutions.

As a model of collaboration across groups, Jodi extols the enjoyment of her role, ‘Last year Women in Rail pledged its support to the YRP Ambassadors scheme. At the time I was hopeful that the collaboration would be a success and, almost a year on, I’m delighted to say that it is.

‘The Ambassadors scheme really has gone from strength to strength over the last year and the JUPP is a key part of this success. We currently have over 120 registered Ambassadors - these are volunteers who have heard about us and have put themselves forward to help support the scheme and deliver our programme of events.

The Ambassadors Committee is a great group of people, led by Stephen Head and May-Ann Lew, who set the strategic agenda for the Ambassadors Programme, but without our volunteers we would not be able to achieve our vision, which is to promote the rail industry and inspire the next generation to become a part of it. I’m so proud of our Ambassadors.’

Volunteers are still needed for the remaining JUPP events this year, which will come to an ambitious total of 40

universities. The universities are located widely across England, Scotland, and Wales, so YRP is making the appeal to the rail industry to inform its young people of this great opportunity to have fun and deliver value for the industry.

Julianna Moats, YRP public relations and communications manager, explains the aims for the public profile of the Ambassadors programme, ‘Young employees represent the face of their respective companies and of the wider industry, as they are shining examples of diversity and enthusiasm. It is hoped that employers will see the value in committing their graduates and apprentices to the YRP Ambassadors programme, as it offers companies a way to engage with their young staff, providing them with an opportunity to share their career experiences and to represent their company as a leader in the rail market in front of an audience of potential future employees.’

5 February 2015, marked a large-scale YRP-STEMNET Ambassador induction event, which saw 20 YRP members undergo a STEMNET induction, to allow them to provide outreach in schools. Network Rail, a committed collaborator with YRP, also provided 10 graduates

WHO ARE WE?

Young Rail Professionals are a professional network of 1900 young people from across the rail industry, from engineers, to operators, lawyers, marketing, HR, and commercial. Our mission is to promote, inspire and develop the next generation of railway talent.

YOUNG RAILPROFESSIONALS

WHY JOIN?

We are free to join. Simply register on our website and membership will allow you to:• Attend our free evening seminars• Learn about upcoming workshops and conferences• Join our community of likeminded professionals• Become an ambassador for the rail industry.

Networking & DevelopmentBroaden your wider industry awareness and meet new people at inspiring Seminars, Workshops and Networking events

Railway AmbassadorsInspire the next generation by helping to promote the rail industry in Schools, Colleges and Unis

youngrailpro.com

@youngrailpro

/youngrailwaypro

/young-railway-professionals

Young Rail ProfessionalsThe Ambassadors Programme

© SH

UTTERSTO

CK.COM

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS32 | RailStaff | February 2015

on the day as part of their ongoing skills sustainability efforts in conjunction with YRP.

Over the course of the next year, YRP will be expanding its reach further into schools and colleges, building on its current support of the Go4Set STEM initiatives at the Year 8/9 level, as well as developing engagement activities for even younger children. On 6 February 2015, Jodi and Julianna spent a fun afternoon at the Lea Valley Primary School Careers Fair in Tottenham, engaging with children from ages 5 to 11 about careers in the railway industry. Women in Rail and YRP were contacted directly by the school’s STEM coordinator, who highlighted that they were especially keen to provide role models for girls at the school.

To support the regional expansion

of YRP networking, development, and promotion efforts, YRP will have two regional branch launches in March, premiering the West Midlands Regional YRP Branch on the 11 March and in the North West Regional YRP Branch on 19 March.

On 16 April, 2015, the YRP Annual Black Tie Dinner will provide a special showcase and celebration of the Ambassadors activities from the year.

Quite a number of Ambassadors will also be in attendance to engage with potential future Ambassadors, as well as the generous YRP Corporate Members, to share their enthusiasm for promoting the rail industry. To learn more about the YRP Ambassadors Programme, or to become a YRP Ambassador yourself, please contact May-Ann Lew at: [email protected]

Don’t forget the YRP’s Sixth Annual Black Tie Dinner and Dance, Grand Connaught Rooms, London, 16th April 2015.

© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

DVV Media (Railway Gazette)

TREMorson ATOC University of Birmingham

YOUNG RAILPROFESSIONALSMARCH

19

YRP EVENT

NORTH WEST LAUNCH

Young Rail Professionals welcomes you to the launch party of our latest UK region, that of the North West. • 6-9pm, Thursday 19th March 2015, Free entry• Garratt Suite, Museum of Science and Industry, (MOSI), Liverpool Road, Manchester M3 4FP

Book online: www.YoungRailPro.com

YOUNG RAILPROFESSIONALS

February 2015 | RailStaff | 33YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS


In case you hadn’t noticed, there is a bit of a boom on our railways at the moment. Investment is running at a higher level in real terms than at any time since the Victorians first built them.

With a general election due to take place on 7 May, will that continue into the next Parliament? True, a lot of spending is already committed, no Government would cancel Crossrail with the tunnels already built, but changes can be made to other programmes.

The three main political parties vary widely in their policies across the board, but how different are they in regard to rail? The manifestoes haven’t yet been published, but RailStaff has talked exclusively with the senior rail politicians from each party who all attended the recent Rail Delivery Group Industry Day.

Conservative: Steady ProgressSecretary of State Patrick McLoughlin

(Conservative) is proud of the Government’s record over the last five years.

‘I reflect on the fact that, twenty-five years ago, most people thought that the railways were yesterday’s business,’ he said, ‘and now they are an absolutely vital part of the economy.

‘One of the things that’s been very important for me as Secretary of State since I’ve arrived was to rebuild confidence in the franchising system because I really think it works - different companies providing different services. In certain areas we get it better than others, so if you look for example at

London to Birmingham you’ve got three different companies operating on that line. Perhaps that’s something we’ve got to look at a bit more with open access, but that’s in the future.

‘I think the Labour Party are slightly misguided in some of their policies about having a directly-operated railway which competes with the private sector. I think that’s a difficult thing to do. There’ll always be the suspicion that the Secretary of State might be helping or influencing - I think it could be very difficult to govern that, to get confidence in the industry.’

Over Christmas, Network Rail did a lot of good work but two projects,

particularly the ones that affected King’s Cross and Finsbury Park, went very-visibly wrong. ‘The annoying thing to me was that was not the biggest project, but it did the most reputational damage. The work that was going on at Reading was far more complicated than the King’s Cross work. But we’ve got to learn from those things.

‘Things will always go wrong, we’re dealing with that kind of industry where things go wrong, things happen. But you can have a better contingency, and we should have had a better contingency. I’m not trying to make excuses for it but I’m determined that we learn the lessons from it.’

After 30 months in the job, Patrick McLaughlin is the longest serving Secretary of State since Alistair Darling departed in 2006. Does he feel it is time he moved on?

‘There’s so much going on - it’s such an exciting time with the things that are going through. I started the bill process for HS2. But that is up to the electorate and then the Prime Minister. There are two hurdles to go but all I’d say is that I have immensely enjoyed going back to the Department.

‘When I first went there (as a junior minister in 1989), transport was not even debated at the Conservative party conference or, if it was, it was late on

Party Politics

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Tuesday afternoon. Transport now has the slot immediately before the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

‘I can’t recall the time when the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have gone to a rail conference, which David Cameron and George Osborne did in Leeds.

‘That just shows how transport has gone up the economic agenda, how much more important the logistics industry is. Getting people from A to B is so much more lifted up the agenda over those 25 years and it has been a great privilege and honour to be Secretary of State for Transport.’

Liberal-Democrat: Better Access for All

Baroness Kramer is Minister of State for Transport. ‘As a Liberal-Democrat I have long been committed to the rail investment strategy, as has my party, and that’s before coming into coalition. And I think you’ve seen that come through in the decisions that have been made, particularly the improvements in the Midlands and the North to underpin economic growth in that area.

‘I have found, working across the aisle with the opposition as well as the coalition, that there is a very common agenda to commit to rail investment, and that’s been important for the industry to have the confidence to then respond.

‘I can say categorically, as a Lib-Dem, that, in any Government in which we would have influence, that continuation of significant investment into infrastructure to take us into a proper twenty-first century railway would be one of the high priorities.

‘I think there’s a lot of common ground between all three political parties around this issue, because there’s an understanding now that investment is necessary. I regard that as a success, frankly, because I think we had a lot of convincing to do that infrastructure, and rail in particular, underpins economic prosperity.

‘It can’t be a solution just for London and the South-East but it must also be taken on significantly for the Midlands and the North. So I can assure you of what we would do as a party but I also have to say that, from the experience of the last two years, I find a lot of common ground on these issues.

‘The eleven million people with disabilities in this country are an absolutely core part of our communities and a core part of our travelling public. The system has to work for them. A lot of what we have is Victorian and it wasn’t built with people with disabilities in mind, we have to tackle that.

‘I’m grateful that we’ve got so much new rolling stock coming in - 3,700 new carriages by 2019 - that’s the new Inter-City Express trains, new rolling stock on Thameslink and Crossrail - all of that matters but I do think we’ve also got to work out effective ways to upgrade the rest of the rolling stock.

‘The North has been particularly neglected both in terms of infrastructure and, historically, with rolling stock. Now we’re starting to change that and you can see the momentum already in place but I do believe that passengers’ expectations are of high-quality rolling stock that meets their needs. They want a comfortable ride, they want to be able to use wi-fi, they expect reliability and all of that means that we have to make sure that we continue that focus on delivering rolling stock that is modern and capable.’

Labour: Lower fares, increased capacity and more coordination

For Labour, Shadow Minister of Transport Lilian Greenwood wants more oversight and coordination.

‘One of the things we are in agreement about is the importance of investing in our railways, and the consensus around vital projects such as HS2 has been one of the very welcome things in transport policy in this parliament.

‘We are committed to enabling more people to travel on our railways but there are real concerns about people’s ability to do so when fares have increased over five times faster than wages over the last five years but I recognise that certainty and long term planning are things that are absolutely vital to the rail industry. That’s why Ed Balls’ comments about the priority we attach to implementing John Armitt’s infrastructure commission is so important and I think so welcome to our rail industry.

‘We are in very demanding fiscal times, we put £4 billion a year into our

railways. Making sure that passengers and taxpayers are getting good value for that investment is absolutely vital and quite rightly we are being scrutinised on those issues and that’s what I think is the priority - it’s about getting good value for money, it’s delivering good services at an affordable cost.

‘Lack of capacity on our railway is clearly one of the most important issues out there - they have to go hand in hand. If you cut the level of fares more people will want to travel and you have to be able to accommodate them. You can’t have one without the other and that’s why the investment in the railway is so important, it’s why certainty is important, it’s why long-term planning is important.

‘We’ve seen some real problems on the railway in the last few years. We saw the collapse of franchising, we’ve seen huge problems in relation to rolling stock. These need to be addressed. And that’s part of the reason why I think the “guiding mind” is so important.

‘If electrification projects continue to

be delayed and over budget we need somebody who’s got an overall vision, who is looking at all these different aspects of the industry and able to bring them together, and that’s why I think there’s a need for more coordination and that’s why creating a new guiding mind is one of our priorities.’

The run-up to the election will be interesting, and the result is currently uncertain. But whichever party (or coalition) wins, it seems that investment in the railways will continue at a substantial level. But what strings are attached to that investment will depend on who sits in number 10.

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On the eve of the First World War, a passenger at Haydarpaşa Station in Istanbul could board a train to Syria and travel across the Middle East. From Damascus, the Hejaz Railway threaded through what would become the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to Medina in what is now Saudi Arabia. Feeder lines ran through to Beirut and Haifa on the Mediterranean coast.

Plans were afoot to extend the railway to Baghdad and Basra on the Persian Gulf. The Ottoman Empire held sway over much of the Middle East meaning railways in the region were frontier-free.

The Ottoman Empire came late to railways. The Jaffa - Jerusalem line, recognised as being the first railway to be built in the Middle East, opened in 1892. Like most railways built at this time, Europe played a substantial role in its development. Selah Merrill, a United States Consul in Jerusalem at the time, described the project as being highly symbolic. It was an example of British engineering in a region which had fought

hard to prevent Western influences. The end of the Ottoman Empire and the subsequent fractionalising of the region put back the cause of railways by a generation.

Fast forward a hundred years and the Middle East is embarking on a remarkable run of railway construction. Involvement from overseas is welcomed fully. His Excellency Dr Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Salim Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications in Oman, recently estimated that around $200 billion was being invested in building more than 10,000 kilometres of railway in the Middle East.

The level of rail investment in the Middle East is quite simply staggering. Major cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah and Doha are building complete metro systems from scratch and as a whole, the region has grand plans to construct and link national rail networks as part of a much wider railway project connecting all of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries plan to construct national rail networks which all connect forming an international rail network.

Beyond the technical challenges of

laying tracks in the desert, the GCC rail project is as much of a political exercise as a challenging infrastructure project, as it relies on the cooperation of all member states. With some schemes developing quicker than others, the problem is ensuring it all links up. This very issue was raised at Middle East Rail 2014. As this year’s event draws near it is worth considering how the rail initiative has moved on over the past 12 months.

GCCThe GCC is made up of six member

states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Each of the states are contributing to the project, building a section of the line each. In addition to this, many city’s are pursuing plans for new metro networks. Dubai is extending its fully automated metro system. Abu Dhabi hopes to build a light rail network

The Return of the RailwayEastern Promise

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Qasr Al Hokm Downtown Metro Station, Riyadh. Images: Snøhetta & MIR.

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that will link the central business district with the island suburbs surrounding the city.

The total length of the GCC railway is estimated to be 2,117 km, starting from Kuwait, passing through Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and ending in Oman. Middle East Rail 2015 will discuss and seek to find solutions to some of the growing pains the Middle East is encountering. Seminars will consider

the need for harmonisation of safety and technical standards between the countries and the importance of training in creating a skilled rail workforce in the region. The day-to-day challenges like how to speed up the turnaround with cleaning trains between journeys will be raised.

High-SpeedSaudi Arabia’s railway is developing at

an exceptional rate. The SAR project, also known as the

North South Railway Network, is a 2,750-kilometre mixed-traffic railway stretching from Riyadh to Al Haditha near the Jordanian border. It also includes a second line from the Al-Jalamid mine to Ras AlKhair on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. The line is already open to freight traffic and passenger services are planned to begin this year.

Another substantial development is the 950-kilometre Landbridge Line between Jeddah and Riyadh. But in

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Qasr Al Hokm Downtown Metro Station, Riyadh. Images: Snøhetta & MIR.

February 2015 | RailStaff | 37MIDDLE EAST FOCUS

terms of sheer publicity, both of these projects struggle to detract attention away from the 460-kilometre Haramain High-Speed Rail Line, which from next year should be transporting pilgrims between the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Around two million pilgrims make the expedition each year, putting a substantial strain on the roads between Mecca, Medina and Jeddah.

The first of 36 train sets being built by Spanish manufacturer Talgo was shipped from Barcelona to Jeddah in December last year. The 300 km/h trains are specially designed to cope with desert running where temperatures can reach 55 degrees celsius. The challenging conditions require the trains to be covered with special films and coatings designed to keep sand particles out.

The entire project has a mediterranean tone. A consortium comprising 12 Spanish companies was awarded the €6.7 billion contract in November 2011 for phase two, while a French/Chinese consortium is delivering the project’s first phase. Spanish operator Renfe and infrastructure manager Adif are both connected to the project alongside engineering firms OHL and Ineco. Adif sees the project as an opportunity to demonstrate its abilities on a global platform. Saudi Arabia will be relying on Renfe’s experience of running high-speed rail services as the line’s operator. Renfe will also be responsible for recruiting staff and building maintenance depots in both Mecca and Medina.

Jewel in the CrownAnother GCC member making strides

with its national rail network is the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For the GCC network to work, all members

need to be onboard. The UAE is building a 1,200-kilometre line from the border with Saudi Arabia to the border of Oman.

Trial freight services are already in operation on phase one of the line between Shah, Habshan and the Port of Ruwais. The line will soon be used to transport seven million tonnes of granulated sulphur a year for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). An official announcement for the phase two contracts are imminent. This length of the line will complete the section of the railway in the Abu Dhabi emirate. Like the Haramain High-Speed Rail Line, Etihad Rail has also enlisted the help of a European rail market leader, with Deutsche Bahn contracted to run the line’s freight activities.

Other than a surprisingly modern narrow-gauge tourist railway transporting tourists to and from the Al Hoota Cave near Muscat, Oman, is currently railway-less. The Al Hoota Cave railway system was designed by British company Severn Lamb, which is now developing an ‘ultra light rail’ system for Turkey. A national railway system is planned and the Government of Oman is confident it can begin work soon and meet deadlines to connect it up to the wider GCC system.

Of all of the GCC projects, Oman is expected to be the most expensive per-kilometre due to the mountainous terrain between Muscat and the Emirates border. In total, the network will stretch for over 2,000 kilometres and include 20 stations. As well as connecting Muscat and the UAE, the railway will travel south to the ports of Duqm and Salalah and to the border with Yemen.

More MetrosDubai is a record-breaking city,

boasting the world’s tallest building - the 2,716-foot Khalifa Tower - and the world’s longest automated metro. Dubai’s infrastructure planning is geared towards the arrival of the World Expo in 2020 - the first time the event has been held in the region. This includes doubling the length of the Green Line and building 21 new stations across the entire network.

Among its accolades, the Dubai Metro was also the first urban rail system to be built in the Middle East. Over the next decade, many more will start to appear on the Arabian Peninsular. Abu Dhabi is proposing to construct a metro line and two new light rail lines, the first phase of which should be completed by 2017.

A year ago, Prince Khalid bin Bandar broke ground on Line 4 of Riyadh’s new £15 billion metro system, which will include six automated lines and 25 stations, some of which feature incredibly lavish exterior designs.

The project is a who’s who of major international rail companies. Siemens, Alstom, Bombardier, Strukton, Ansaldo STS, Bechtel, Parsons and Systra are all involved. Saudi Arabia’s second city, Jeddah, is also developing an urban rail system. Design contracts were awarded last year and the entire system is scheduled for completion in the early 2020s.

Elsewhere, Qatar has created a single body, Qatar Rail,

to manage the country’s rail strategy. Plans for long-distance, freight and metro systems are all being handled by the organisation. Qatar’s main line rail network will connect Doha with the Saudi Arabian border and support high-speed services. A second line will then also link Doha with Hamad International Airport and Bahrain.

On the dayIn 2014, more than 3,000 people

attended Middle East Rail. Launched in 2007, the show has grown to become the largest of its kind in the Middle East region. In 2015, the exhibition and conference expects to attract 6,000 attendees, more exhibitors and put more focus on the GCC and North Africa. Last year marked the beginning of a three-year partnership with the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Ministry of Public Works in the UAE.

The opening keynote address this year will be given by His Excellency Abdulla Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the UAE’s Minister of Public Works, who holds a PhD in construction management from the University of Reading.

For international rail suppliers, it is an opportunity to try and crack the Middle East or further existing relationships. For the region itself, it is an opportunity to tap into the hundreds of years of railway expertise from countries like the UK as it did 120 years ago.

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If education is a lifelong quest for the eternal answer then training and development are its journeymen. The one surefire way of increasing the value of a company is to expand its skills base.

Training and development makes employees feel valued, happier, better qualified. Every staff member should be able to look back on their career and remember company encouragement, new challenges explored and valuable skills learned.

It’s a lifelong process. Exposure to training and development make the truly professional among us hunger for more. As Johnny Nash sang, there are more questions than answers and the more I find out the less I know. Training develops the individual and retains staff. It is the responsibility of us all and it’s never too late to catch up.

Iain Coucher, erstwhile head of Network Rail, once candidly admitted to putting himself through an Open University arts degree. Coucher spent much of his professional life in aeronautical engineering, finance and railways. Writer John Connolly admits to working through one Charles

Dickens novel a year; as a writer, he says, he does not want to go to his grave never having read Dickens.

Lateral education ups your game right across the board. Moreover it adds value to your organisation. It’s

not just a case of knowing your Renoir from your RISQS or the four foot from Franz Schubert. Training and education make us better people, better professionals. Horizons broaden and contributions expand.

How do we attract and retain people to railways? Engage the imagination and retain commitment by mining the potential of every individual ploughing his or her charisma into the fastest growing railway in Europe.

Unlimited Potential

TRAINING FOCUS40 | RailStaff | February 2015

advert-feb-2015.indd 1 06/02/2015 12:26

TES Training has an exciting new year in prospect, continuing its growth and expansion in all its locations throughout the UK.

The Essex-based training provider has announced the opening of an interior training area for signalling courses at its Colchester headquarters. The new facility will support the established exterior training areas and testing centre and is fully equipped to cover a wide range of signalling and telecommunications training.

This is another milestone in the continued expansion and increasing portfolio of training options that TES can offer.

TES Training Ltd is an established training provider offering a

comprehensive range of courses to meet the rail industry’s burgeoning training needs.

In recent months, TES Training has made significant improvements to its training centre in Sunderland with the addition of an outside track layout, complete with level crossing barriers and points. The next phase of the facility’s expansion will see opening of an overhead line training area, with work well underway for launch in the next six months.

TES Training, which boasts an experienced training team, is NSARE accredited, with ‘Outstanding Training Provider’ status. In addition to its technical training facilities, TES Training is Highfields and Maybo accredited to deliver health, safety and security training.

TES Training also operates premium apprenticeship schemes supporting young and enthusiastic individuals nationwide, successfully preparing them for their future careers within the railway industry.

National expansion for TES Training

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Rail Safety Signalling Permanent Way Overhead Line Small Plant Health, Safety

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The need for train drivers in the capital is great. By joining with Southern in July and implementing the Thameslink Programme, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) will connect the East Coast main line and the Bedford to Brighton route at St Pancras and create many new cross-London journeys.

Coupled with this substation increase in services, GTR is introducing the new Class 700 fleet as well as three other new classes of train across the expanded franchise. With the introduction of the enhanced Thameslink timetable in 2018 there will be new routes to learn and ERTMS and automatic train operation in the central Thameslink ‘core’. All this requires one of the biggest driver recruitment and training programmes in the rail industry.

In 2015 alone, more than 190 drivers will be recruited and take part in over 24 training courses. To support this, additional operational training managers and driver managers are being employed.

The trainee driver course itself has also been revamped, borrowing best practice from other train operating companies, including London Overground.

Trainees are issued with iPads which hold all their course material, the rule book and all other relevant publications. There then follows a focus on experience-based learning with trainees going out in the cab with a driver-instructor and their own logbook, to observe and record live working situations. The trainees will

then discuss and feed back on their experiences in the classroom with their fellow trainees.

Professional head of operations Steve Wright said, ‘We have a huge challenge ahead of us to make sure we are properly resourced for the introduction of new trains, routes and technology.

‘We’re determined to get this right and recognise that we can do this only by bringing in more drivers, and training those we already have in the new technology and signalling systems which will drive the transformation of our passengers’ services.

’In doing this, we’ve stolen with pride the great ideas put into practice by London Overground who I’d like to thank along with Rail Professional Development whose expertise we also used to develop this new trainee driver course.’

As part of the process of new learning, over 300 drivers and driver team managers have already gone through over 900 days of training, learning new routes to accommodate changes at London Bridge and being familiarised with new Class 387s now operating on Bedford to Brighton routes.

Spring 2016 heralds the arrival into service of the brand new Class 700s on the Thameslink route. In preparation for this GTR is taking its drivers over to Siemens’ depot in Wildenrath Germany for technical knowledge and practical handling on the test circuit there. These drivers will be the commissioning drivers when the new stock arrives in the UK ready for testing.

‘It’s an exciting journey and one we’re well prepared to deliver,’ said Steve.

Thameslink Training


Fatima Alghali is Crossrail’s 400th apprenticeship.

From Denmark Hill in South East London, Fatima Alghali, 23, previously worked for an estate agent. She has now joined contractors BBMV as a commercial apprentice at Whitechapel and Liverpool Street stations.

Says Fatima, ‘I can’t recommend apprenticeships more highly.

‘Working on Europe’s largest construction project has given me an unforgettable introduction. No two days are the same, and not only am I learning from some of the best engineers in the industry, I will end up with a qualification that will give me a great start to a career. It’s also a huge help that you earn a salary as I’ll be debt free when I qualify.’

Marking the milestone, Fatima met Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin

on site. ‘Crossrail is the biggest construction

project in Europe and shows UK engineering at its best. I am delighted it has created so many opportunities for young people in civil engineering and construction,’ McLoughlin said.

Fatima Alghali Joins CrossrailStaff and trainers at Abellio

Greater Anglia have long been renowned for professional excellence and the company has now received accreditation from the Institute of Customer Service for its ‘Inspire’ training programme.

Says Abellio Greater Anglia’s customer service director Andrew Goodrum, ‘Delivering excellent customer service is a priority for Abellio Greater Anglia and since the franchise began, we have invested in our ‘Inspire’

training programme that has seen all front-line staff taking part in a two-day customer service course.

‘I am pleased that our approach and commitment to customer service training has received external recognition and congratulate our team of trainers and staff at our dedicated training academy on achieving TrainingMark accreditation.’

Mystery shopping surveys show that the ‘Inspire’ programme is having a positive effect with many staff achieving perfect scores of 100 per cent.

Inspire - Training Mark Gained

The Rail Industry First Aid Association (RIFAA) is proud of its role and the long history of first aid provision that has existed within the rail industry for over 147 years.

This has not been in response to any statutory requirements or obligations but simply to provide first aid training amongst rail staff, helping them develop vital lifesaving skills.

This provision has continued throughout successive generations, with further developments in response to industry changes. The rail industry has responded positively to the arrival of statutory obligations to provide first aid in the work place, something staff

have taken in their stride.RIFAA provides support and guidance

to help companies formulate their first aid provision.

The high quality training that RIFAA provides is also specific to the rail industry and helps staff members to cope with the unique challenges faced when carrying out first aid on the railway. RIFAA has also continued to offer many supporting events to encourage staff and give them the opportunity to practise and apply their first aid skills in a safe and risk-free environment, such as the National First Aid Competition, now in its 107th year, and railway community projects for staff and their families through the “Save a Life” scheme.

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February 2015 | RailStaff | 43TRAINING FOCUS

With all of the work going on around Britain’s railways, it’s not surprising that it is exposing some skill shortages. Starved of funding for some time, a career in rail was not as attractive as it had been in former years.

As a result, now that infrastructure investment has not only been restored but enhanced, many contractors find themselves fighting to recruit the talent and expertise that they need.

One of these is Sheffield-based Linbrooke Services, specialist supplier of network infrastructure solutions to the telecommunications, power and signalling sectors. Committed to the highest standards of professional competence and safety in all that it does, the company has developed enduring working partnerships with its clients and is a licensed principal contractor to Network Rail.

This brought the company face-to-face with that skill shortage. So Linbrooke set up ntrs (network training & resource solutions) as its training and recruitment partner to supply well-trained, experienced and highly motivated engineers for its own projects.

Ex-forces personnelThis initiative worked well. Using advanced training

methods, a wide-ranging training portfolio and state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, ntrs fulfilled Linbrooke Services’ training and resource needs. Many ex-forces personnel were trained to develop new skills along with civilian engineers and students from further and higher education.

As a result, Linbrooke now has a staff of over 450 based at its Sheffield headquarters and at regional offices around the UK. Most recently, the company

has opened a new rail design office in Station Square, Swindon. With state-of-the-art design equipment and facilities, the new office has brought Linbrooke’s support and right-first-time ethos to the heart of the Great Western.

However, it doesn’t end there. Continuing its quest to train recruits and existing staff to the highest possible standards, Linbrooke and ntrs have now opened a National Training Academy at their Sheffield base. An investment of over £500,000 has resulted in a facility which includes an authentic track layout with a simulated rail platform and a live fibre-optic network of around 240km which incorporates both legacy and 21st century equipment.

The new technical academy stands to deliver world-class training and accreditation across multiple disciplines and industry sectors, not just for Linbrooke but also for commercial customers worldwide. It is an impressive facility which can offer students hands-on practical experience on the latest telecommunications, signalling and power equipment.

Safe and practical trainingOperational communication systems training

includes Station Information and Surveillance Systems (SISS), Driver Only Operations (DOO) systems, concentrators, transmissions and lineside equipment. Courses cover the installation, testing and commissioning of both fibre-optic high-speed Multiprotocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) and traditional copper networks.

The new site’s realistic platform and tracks incorporate various styles of signals, point operating equipment and train detection and protection equipment which provide a realistic and accessible set-up for safe and practical training from basic appreciation right through to high level modular testing competence. In order to enhance the learning experience, the signalling facility also incorporates associated power and communications equipment.

An established capability for electrical and power training for both rail and DNO (distribution network operator) networks is being expanded, with a view to delivering courses on both low voltage (LV) and high voltage (HV) installation and commissioning.

Opening the new facility, music entrepreneur Pete Waterman, who is both a rail enthusiast and also a Patron of NSARE (the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering) praised Linbrooke’s commitment and investment.

‘We need more training centres like this one,’ he said. ‘Just look at all the modern equipment here. We don’t give enough time for training. We need to take training a lot more seriously. If you don’t train people then everything steps backwards because you need young people constantly coming to the forefront.’

The Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, was also enthusiastic about this new addition to the city’s training facilities. ‘In order to build a world-class rail network, you need a world-class workforce,’ he said, ‘and with an engineering industry that is recognised around the globe, South Yorkshire is the perfect home for the ntrs National Training Academy. I congratulate Lee Hallam and everyone involved in bringing this project to fruition.’

It won’t be long before the impressive ntrs National Training Academy will start to graduate the next generation of telecommunications, signalling and power engineers both for Linbrooke and for the railway industry at large, helping to fill the skills gap.

Linbrooke’s new NATIONAL TRAINING ACADEMY


For more information on our telecoms, power and signalling capabilities, please call 0844 800 0983 or email [email protected]

Offering unique, 21st century technical training and resource solutions through our state of the art National Training Academy.

Renowned for delivering mission critical network infrastructure solutions, Linbrooke & ntrs develop collaborative working partnerships with all our clients - providing exceptional time and cost savings on multifunctional projects.

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To gain specialist skills and source the finest people, please call 0844 809 9902

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Telecommunications • Power • Signalling • Civils • Training • ResourcesDesign • Installation • Test • Commission

a4 linbrooke-ntrs ad.indd 1 03/02/2015 14:52

The distress and upset which can follow a fatality on the railway can have a profound effect on those who drive the trains and work on the infrastructure. They may feel responsbile and find it difficult to return to work. Sometimes, however, trauma isn’t so clear and if not approached properly can lead to long-term problems for individuals and the businesses they work for.

Following an incident, Samaritans volunteers often attend the scene to offer emotional support to station staff. It’s a valuable service, but the upset these events can cause sometimes might not manifest itself until days or weeks later.

Network Rail and the Samaritans, with input from train drivers’ union ASLEF, have developed the Trauma Support Training (TST) course to try and address this issue and teach individuals to recognise if a colleague is suffering from some kind of trauma and help them to come to terms with it. The course is one of several initiatives developed by Network Rail and Samaritans. The partnership, which was formed in 2010, is perhaps better known for its Managing Suicidal

Contacts course which aims to give rail staff the tools to approach and counsel distressed members of the public they encounter on the network.

Network Rail training officer, Rob Christopher, a member of the 2014 RailStaff Awards Training Team of the Year, explains how the Network Rail and Samaritans’ TST programme is trying to help the industry better manage this challenge.

What are some of the signs that someone is suffering from trauma?

When someone has been exposed to a traumatic event, at work or elsewhere there are a number of symptoms they may experience. It’s important to note, however, that this is not an exhaustive list and by no means everyone will experience all of these. In some cases people will show no signs at all, either because they feel they will be thought less of than if they were to show them or because they have been able to rationalise what has happened.

Some signs to look out for include:• Having trouble functioning at home

or at work – keeping up with day-to-day tasks, changes to time keeping, loss of interest and motivation;

• Suffering from severe fear, anxiety or depression – not wanting to

leave the house, not taking care of appearance;

• Unable to maintain relationships – tension, arguments etc both at work and at home;

• Experiencing terrifying memories, nightmares or flashbacks – reliving the moment, seeing it happen from a different angle or perspective;

• Avoiding more and more things that remind you of it – not wanting to pass through the location of an incident, returning to a station;

• Using alcohol or drugs to feel better – often trying to mask the memory of the incident and the feelings being experienced.

What is the Trauma Support Training (TST) course?

In collaboration with ASLEF and the rail industry, Samaritans has developed and delivers a trauma support course relevant for all managers of people, working within the rail industry. Train drivers and driver managers have contributed to the course. However, it is appropriate for anyone who may be involved with managing people involved in traumatic rail incidents.

Having trained over 1,000 rail personnel and British Transport Police (BTP) officers to date, the course receives an average feedback score of 4.8 out of 5.

Trauma Support TrainingWhat, why and how to take part?


What does the TST course involve?

During the course, we take a look at an account from a driver who was affected by an incident in which a young woman took her own life in front of the train he was driving. We look at his experience and see what we can learn about how to support someone who has experienced a traumatic incident.

One important factor we focus on is how everyone responds to trauma slightly differently and that the support we all require can also be different. We take some time to look at how different personality types appreciate different types of contact from a manager/supervisor/TU rep and why.

At every stage the emphasis is on understanding the person being supported and the support that is appropriate for them.

Do you have any recommendations for how companies can better support individuals suffering from trauma?

The crucial point is that every person affected by trauma will respond in a

way that is unique to them. Therefore there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Some find that returning to work fairly soon can be helpful, others need more time to come to terms with what has happened – it’s only by talking to the person affected and understanding their needs that the right support can

be provided. For many a talking therapy can be

very helpful, this can be arranged through the Employee Assistance programme provided by their employer. In some cases other forms of therapy, such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and

Reprocessing) may be needed to help someone process what they have experienced.

For further info on the course content and objectives, and to express an interest on booking yourself on a course, please e-mail [email protected]

Freepost CIRASText 07507 285887www.ciras.org.uk

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Birmingham-based Auctus Management Group has expanded its rail apprenticeship programme with 12 new recruits.

The influx of apprentices, all recruited from the Birmingham area, are already hard at work gaining on-site experience with Amey Colas High Output Track Renewals, a major client of Auctus.

The latest intake brings the total number of rail apprentices employed by Auctus Apprentice Training Agency to 33. The programme supports

apprentices and helps them achieve either a Level 2 or Level 3 National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in railway engineering or track maintenance.

Says Mandy Harrison, apprenticeship academy manager, ‘We are very pleased with our latest intake of apprentices, they have proved to be very enthusiastic about a career in the rail industry.

‘We give a firm commitment to our apprentices that as much practical time as possible will be spent working on real live rail situations. I am very happy to report that all our recruits are now out

on site gaining hands-on experience with Amey Colas High Output Track Renewals and other clients at various locations nationwide.’

Auctus, which was founded in 2012 with help from Finance Birmingham, also has plans to begin offering a traineeship programme in 2015, which will act as one of the progression routes into the company’s apprenticeship scheme.Auctus Apprentice Training Agency rail apprentices gaining on-site experience in the West Midlands.

Enthusiastic Apprentices

Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) has recruited its first team of apprentices for over 20 years.

Careers on the railway are popular in Ireland. Almost 1,900 young people applied and 66 were called for interview before hard pressed recruitment experts at Irish Rail made the final choice of 13.

The apprentices will spend four years learning a variety of skills.

Irish Rail is enjoying renewed good fortune this year and the new team marks a confident statement of faith in the future.

Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe joined Irish Rail chief executive David Franks (right) to welcome the new apprentices.

New Generation for Iarnród Éireann

A new training carriage for Hitachi Rail’s assembly plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, rolled off the 229-metre long ship Höegh London at the Port of Tyne on Sunday, 18 January.

The part-assembled train carriage will become Hitachi’s training unit and was built at the manufacturer’s factory in Kasado, Japan.

The carriage was shipped from Kobe Japan, travelling 52 days and 12,880 nautical miles to reach Tyneside.

Says Darren Cumner, manufacturing plant manager, Hitachi Rail Europe, ‘The arrival of the training carriage is a significant step for Hitachi Rail Europe’s plans to train our manufacturing staff. Apprentices, technicians and engineers will use this train carriage to gain in-depth knowledge of how to build trains.’

Hoegh on the TyneSchool pupils from

Birmingham and the Black Country are taking part in a challenge to create a new onboard aid for visually and audibly impaired passengers.

Twenty students turned up at Centro’s Birmingham headquarters and took part in a workshop focussing on the Department for Transport’s (DfT) All Aboard competition.

During the day the students, aged 14 to 18, tried blindfolds and glasses which replicate different visual impairments and were given a talk by representatives from sight loss charity Guide Dogs for the Blind.

The workshop was hosted by Transport Systems Catapult, which aims to find ways to use technology to improve public transport across the country.

Schools Help Visually Impaired


Outstanding

OutstandingOutstandingOutstanding

Outstanding

OutstandingOutstanding

Outstanding

Outstanding

“The NSARE framework

measures continuous

improvement and innovation.

I’m really pleased that the

Bridgeway Learning and

Development team have once

again surpassed themselves in once again

achieving the OUTSTANDING status.

Steve Diksa

Corporate Development & Sustainability Director

Training & Assessment services include:• Sentinel• Industry Common Induction• Small Tools & Plant• Permanent Way Engineering• First Aid• PASMA• Key Railway Principles

“This OUTSTANDING accolade is welcome and I’m sure that individuals that attend Bridgeway events will continue to receive high quality, innovative and

training that reflects today’s operational

railway. Bridgeway will play an active

part in developing the next generation

of individuals and provide them with the

skills and attributes needed to help the UK

develop a world class railway”

Steve Baker-MasonLearning & Development Manager

CONTACT DETAILS:

[email protected] 0115 919 1111

“We believe that investing in people is one of the most effective ways of improving the safety, reliability and efficiency of the railway. We know that it’s vital to get each individual’s training programme just right.

The OUTSTANDING grading supported by our continued Investors in People accreditation reinforces the pride we take in developing our staff.”

Pino De RosaManaging Director

Operational Training Practical Training Thought Provoking Training

BRIDGEWAY ACHIEVES 2 OUT OF 2

OUTSTANDING GRADES FOR TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Our Learning and Development team use innovative and modern learning methods with practical demonstrations; resulting in a high quality learning experience being delivered by operationally active Trainers and Assessors. We have a successful record for finding unique solutions for clients who want to find more efficient ways of managing their rail training and assessments.

In October 2014 we were inspected by the National Skills Academy Rail Engineering and graded OUTSTANDING in all categories for the second consecutive time:

• Capacity to Improve OUTSTANDING • Learner outcomes OUTSTANDING • Quality of Provision OUTSTANDING • Leadership and Management OUTSTANDING

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xpec

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tand

ing

Outstanding

Outstanding

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tand

ing

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Innovative

Supporting Learners

Committed to excellence Career developmentFlexible service

Developing skills

Enthusiastic staff

Great facilities24/7

Cons

isten

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Collaborative

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Asse

ssm

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Passionate

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Outstanding

OUTS

TAND

ING

Informative

Engaging

Rele

vant

Energetic Diverse

BCL Railstaff Feb 2015 V1A.indd 1 2/4/2015 10:18:11 AM

New partnerships with local colleges and Trackwork Training are developing young people and second careerists into the rail industry. Over the last 12 months, Trackwork has seen powerful changes and improvements within its respected Training Department. Initiatives by Trackwork Training are helping bridge the rail industry skills gap.

Excellent relationships with partners have significantly increased the range of the diverse training available. Doncaster-based Trackwork prides itself on being a local company for local people, as well as making high quality training available across the country.

A new partnership with Doncaster College is creating further opportunities to support both the current and future rail workforces. To enable Trackwork to meet high demand the company has over 30 highly skilled, dedicated team members working full time.

Trackwork is also in the process of upskilling railway engineers to meet the industry standards required in order to help address a shortage of qualified trainer/assessors. This is a major commitment by Trackwork which should benefit the industry.

Trackwork Limited regularly seeks to employ young people who have completed their education and are seeking employment. Recent recruits include Rachel, an apprentice rail plant technician and Steven, an integral part of the team at Trackwork.

What can we do for you? Trackwork Limited works very

closely with local Job Centres, work programme providers and employers. Experience shows that there is very little funding available to help the over 19 year olds gain a foothold in the job market. Likewise there are difficulties finding support for people who require, for whatever reason, a career change later during their working lives.

To address this, Trackwork approached Dearne Valley College to work in partnership on a Skills Support for the unemployed (SSU) contract. This has enabled Trackwork to provide a new focus and qualifications for local people who want or require a change of career or a chance to make a future for themselves in the rail industry.

On successful completion of the course, Trackwork’s employment engagement officer will support potential rail staff as they look for work, introducing them to employers and helping them through the complex procedure of rail industry recruitment.

Partner employers include SWGR and Ballycommon both of which have assisted in the development and upskilling of individuals. Trackwork is in partnership with SWGR and Vision

West Nottinghamshire College, which have all been recognised by the House of Lords for their commitment to support the apprenticeship scheme. This was acknowledged in June 2014 at a presentation ceremony at the House of Lords, where two Trackwork apprentices, Liam and Adrian, were awarded the Celebrating Apprentices Award 2014.

‘This is recognised as a fantastic achievement and also demonstrated SWGR’s commitment to the development and training of our apprentices,’ says Fiona Baggley, HR director, SWGR. ’The apprentices’ development and training was done in partnership with Trackwork Limited.’

Says Joe Carrol, regional operations manager, SWGR, ‘Due to the high standard, we are as committed as you are to ensure the younger generation have opportunities with the rail industry due to the shortfall of skills and ageing workforce we currently have. The support received from yourselves with the updating and progression of the apprentices has been second to none. We have currently sponsored 48 apprentices within the last year and are looking to sponsor an additional 200 over the next 12 months.’

Changing livesTrackwork, based in Doncaster, is a

significant contributor to the UK’s rail infrastructure, providing a wide range of rail construction and maintenance, track material supply and disposal, rail plant and labour hire, signalling and training services.

For the past three years, Milton Keynes College and Trackwork have been working together to provide a seven-week course enabling ex-offenders to achieve a full NVQ level 2 trade standard qualification. Upon completing the course, ex-offenders also achieve the Track Induction Certificate and Personal Track Safety Licence, all of which are mandatory to work on the railways.

Says Rob Parkin, training manager, Trackwork, ‘With Milton Keynes College, we are striving to ensure that ex-offenders are given the same opportunities within the rail sector as anybody else. The participation and dedication of those joining from custodial establishments is second to none. High achievement grades along with the enthusiasm and commitment shown can only lead to ex-offenders gaining employment on release from custody.’

Says Kevin Straughan, deputy

Partnership Progress with Trackwork Training


director for ex-offender learning, East Midland Region, at Milton Keynes College, ‘The course provides a great employment opportunity in a growing sector. Already 30 ex-offenders who have completed the course are actively employed in the railway sector. This number will only continue to increase, which is testament to the success of the course provided by the college and Trackwork, and the willingness of Trackwork to invest in ex-offenders and create employment opportunities in a sector which is willing to employ ex-offenders.’

Trackwork is currently developing a railway specific employability course to support all offenders into the complex world of the railway Industry.

‘Vision West Nottinghamshire College has worked in partnership with Trackwork since 2004. Partnerships are of vital importance to us and building a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship remains a key strategy for both our organisations,’ says Sacha McCarthy, director: employer engagement, Vision West Nottinghamshire College.

‘This partnership is successful as we share the same ambition and goals, to provide young people with the necessary skills and opportunities for a career in the rail industry. Over the years, hundreds of apprenticeship job roles have been created and an even greater number of pre-employment skills programmes for those who want to enter the rail sector.

‘The college recognises the expert training that Trackwork can offer in their field of expertise and the outcomes are evident with some of the highest success rates across the country.’

Says Pat Meadows, assistant principal external partnerships and employer engagement, Doncaster College and University Centre, ’Doncaster College and University Centre are delighted to be working in partnership with Trackwork and hopes to develop the partnership over the next year and into the future to meet the local demand for staff in the railway industry, both locally and nationality with the prospect of the National Rail College being located in Doncaster in 2017.’

Trackwork Training are growing to facilitate the ever-changing needs of the industry. Its objective is to ensure that the rail industry’s needs are catered for by the development and timely progression of a new and current workforce, and to assist our partners to meet their needs.

Looking for additional training?Trackwork is currently in the process

of developing, along with its partner colleges, the following qualifications:

• Fork Lift Truck (Counterbalance) City & Guilds Level 1 & 2 (in conjunction with NPORS standards).

• Streetworks (Signing, Lights and Guarding) Unit 1 & 2.

Due to a significant increase in productivity we are now offering existing and new customers a 20% reduction in our 2014/2015 Sentinel based course fees. Please contact the Training Operations Team on 01302 888 666 for your requirements.


‘Ours is a people company, the continued success of which is reliant on the capabilities, competencies and calibre of our workforce,’ said Tricia O’Neill, Chief Executive Officer of the CCS Group – parent company of Cleshar, speaking at the launch of the new Cleshar Academy.

The Cleshar academy’s no-nonsense avowed aim is : Aspire to Achieve, Inspire to Grow.

‘We are committed to and passionate about investing in the future by providing this - and the next generation - with the academic and manual skills and competencies required to work and succeed in the rail industry,’ she continued.

The purpose-built Cleshar Academy is at Stonebridge Park right at the heart of the railway industry in North West London - just up the road from Old Oak Common and across the tracks from the nerve centres of the West Coast Main Line at the Brent itself.

O’Neill and her team are driving forward a new three pronged strategy aimed at getting people into the rail industry, developing their full potential and encouraging them to stay and build worth while careers.

Finite Number ‘One of the major challenges facing

our industry today is dealing with

the skills shortage. There are only a finite number of individuals with the required skills to work on the rail infrastructure. There are only a finite number of Handbacks, Welders, Skilled Platelayers.

‘Our solution is simple: Recruit : Train and Retain. We can only deal with skills shortage by increasing the overall pool. We can only fill the gaps caused by retirement by recruiting the next generation.’

The Cleshar Academy underlines Cleshar’s commitment to building a workforce fit to support the future railways of London and the South East. It further supports Cleshar’s focus on strong corporate responsibility and is an integral part of the Mayor of London’s Strategic Labour Needs and Training Targets - a strategy aimed at developing a sustainable future for the railway industry.

‘By promoting the industry and recruiting, training and continually developing our own people our company can play a part in dealing with the shortage. Indeed, we feel strongly that it is incumbent on every contracting company privileged enough to work in the rail industry to provide training schemes for their own workforces,’ says Tricia O’Neill.

Career Paths Core importance is attached to

retaining staff by investing in their

careers. ‘Once recruited and trained we can retain our scarce resources by providing structured career paths for each individual and opportunities for their ambitions to be realised. By recruiting, training and promoting individuals irrespective of their race, religion or sex we can ensure that our company is representative of the diverse city we serve, argues O’Neill.

Apprenticeship training and up skilling of those already deployed is a key part of Cleshar culture and is embedded in every part of the company with programmes in rail engineering, warehousing, administration, IT, quantity surveying, training and management. Apprenticeship recruitment is targeted at disadvantaged and underrepresented groups to demonstrate the company’s commitment to inclusion.

Fit for Rail’s FutureCleshar’s future strategy is simple -

to attract, invest and retain the best people to ensure it is “Fit for Rail’s Future” by:• Training, developing and nurturing

men and women of all ages and skill levels from grassroots to fully qualified technicians or graduate level engineers

• Promoting the railway to children from primary school level upwards, through junior workshops

• Engaging with school leavers and unemployed people in the community looking for an opportunity to make a difference

• Encouraging and developing those with unique skills and talents to achieve sustainable goals for their future and the future of the railway industry.

The Cleshar Academy is a purpose built training facility designed to accommodate all in-house training and development programmes and facilitate its Apprenticeship Scheme. It has been designed to provide an innovative, inclusive, engaging and dynamic space for learning and development and is supported by a replica track tunnel and track welding training area.

Partners Cleshar is working closely with

the following partners to deliver a sustainable future in rail:• Transport for London and the

London Transport Museum• Network Rail• A Fairer Chance• Four Counties Training• Leap.

Said Tricia, ‘Cleshar is committed to the continuing and enhanced development of our workforce to meet the future needs of the rail industry. I am delighted to announce the launch of the Cleshar Academy, which is the core of the company’s training, educational and personal development programmes.

‘Our business is dedicated to offering the opportunity of development to all and to building a strong culture of continuous learning. The Cleshar Academy also offers our existing staff opportunity to both be mentored and to mentor and contribute to the next generation. Our academy will play a key part in delivering our objective of meeting the future needs of the industry’.

Tricia O’Neill thanked everyone on the Cleshar event team including Alicia, Eileen and Patricia and the ambassadors representing Cleshar’s Apprenticeship and Graduate Programmes. ‘We are extremely proud of each and every one of you,’ she said.

Cleshar Academy - Recruit, Train and Retain


TQ has been rated ‘outstanding’ following an inspection by the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE).

The inspection considered TQ’s capacity to improve learner outcomes, quality of provision, leadership and management. All proved winning elements in gaining NSARE’s quality-setting outstanding classification.

NSARE was established to help tackle current and future skills requirements within the railway engineering industry. NSARE works with businesses to understand their demand for technical skills in the workplace and ensures that training providers are delivering what the industry needs.

NSARE described TQ’s training offering as ‘consistently of the highest quality’.

Bruce Cantrill, head of TQ Technical and Vocational, praised the company for its commitment to training quality.

‘We are delighted to have been graded as ‘outstanding’ in every single category with the latest NSARE inspection,’ says Bruce Cantrill. ‘This included our assessment capability, which also received an

‘outstanding’ classification and we feel these results vindicate our claim to be a leading provider of rail training in the UK. We will continue to work hard to commit to these fantastic achievements and maintain them.’

TQ has been providing training solutions to thousands of businesses and contractors in the rail sector for over 20 years, ensuring engineers have the right knowledge, skills and legal certification required to work in the rail industry. Training courses focus on

signalling, electrical, automation and track safety, as well as other generic rail training.

Adds Bruce, ‘As TQ progresses in the years to come it will always aim to achieve the outstanding level, making it a constant quality component, ensuring TQ’s training delivery is of the highest standard and remains the industry leader across the board.’

Find out more about TQ’s outstanding training delivery by visiting Railtex 2015, where their experienced team will be available on stand T16.

TQ- An Outstanding Training Provider

TQ Catalis offers a complete range of training which provides businesses and contractors with the right knowledge, skills and legal certification required to work in rail, ensuring rail standards and crucial contract deadlines are met, and workers and passengers are protected.

We provide an open programme of courses scheduled at our training centres in Derby and Clapham and are able to design, develop and deliver bespoke solutions to meet specific customer requirements.

Graded OUTSTANDING in ALL areas

0845 880 8108 www.tq.com/technical

Pearson Academy of Vocational Training, Bangrave Road South, Corby NN17 1NN


The rail industry is, arguably, an enlightened place in 2015. Equality and diversity isn’t just a doctrine lowered down from head office. The pace of change means the railway needs more people, better qualified, motivated and adaptable. It capitalises the skills of its newcomers: young people, second careerists and increasingly women.

Railway engineering, signalling and civil and built-environment engineering all anticipate a shortfall in available professionals. The race is on to close the gap. Getting more women into railways is now regarded as essential.

Across the whole sector women make up close to 20 per cent of all employees. Although more women are entering the rail industry, some areas still remain something of a boys’ club. Unfortunately where women have been able to balance out the stats, they still face discrimination in the workplace. One female driver said there had been times where passengers had refused to board her train because she was a woman. These reactions, thankfully, don’t reflect the majority of fare-paying passengers.

Engineering a SolutionMeeting the forecasted demand for

engineers over the next 10 years is a daunting challenge. Women currently make up less than 10 per cent of the UK’s engineering workforce but in its 2015 report, Engineering UK painted a positive picture for women in the field. Of 2.56 million new engineering positions expected to be created between 2012 and 2022, over a third will be taken by women. Of the brand new jobs created more than half are forecast to be filled by female engineers. The rail industry is already starting to see this shift. Around one in three people working on the Crossrail project is female.

The message from business leaders and government is that schools need to encourage girls to pursue STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) at A level and on to higher education. Engineering UK points to

a study published by the Institute of Physics in 2012 that tried to shed some light on why girls were less likely to study physics post-GCSE. One thing it found was that girls were four times more likely to choose physics at A-level if they attended either a single-sex or independent schools. The study also supported other research suggesting that girls are generally more sensitive to the quality of teaching. Where their teaching experience is good it can have a real impact on their decision to continue studying STEM subjects.

It’s important that this encouragement is carried forward into the work place. Organisations like Women in Rail offer mentoring programmes and support to improve diversity across the industry. The aim is to ensure that women are being given the same opportunities, encouragement and access to training as male colleagues.

MIND THE GENDER GAP

Heathrow Express has generally had an above average number

of female drivers. Currently 34 (40.5 per cent) of Heathrow

Express drivers are women, four of six driver instructors are

women and two of three trainee drivers are women.


The rail training experts

To book call 01277 811300 or email [email protected] Limited, Unit 22, Horndon Industrial Park, Station Road, West Horndon Essex CM13 3XD

Providers of safety critical and technical training. Courses include;

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Driving ChangeMen continue to make up the

majority of train drivers in the UK. Little boys aspire to be train drivers and firemen. It’s an outdated stereotype but it’s one that many people recognise. Some operators challenge this head on.

Heathrow Express has generally had an above average number of female drivers. Currently 34 (40.5 per cent) of Heathrow Express drivers are women, four of six driver instructors are women and two of three trainee drivers are women.

Kirsty Sando, 28, joined Heathrow Express in the customer service department and was encouraged to progress through the driver training programme. Having trained to become a teacher, she now ferries passengers between Heathrow and Paddington.

‘I went to university and did a very girly degree and went to train to be a primary school teacher; that’s what I always wanted to do,’ says Kirsty.

‘It’s not really thought about. It’s the natural thing that there’s lots of women train drivers. It’s a modern company, it’s not old school so females at Heathrow Express don’t see themselves as any different and they’re not treated any differently.

She added, ‘I’m up for getting as many women involved in the rail industry as I can.’

Megan Runs Fleet Encouragement and the support of

colleagues is essential. Megan Bowne, fleet planning engineer, at London South Eastern Railway (LSER) in London, joined the railway at 16 and has no regrets. Her story is one of several interviews published online by Women in Rail to tell the stories of its members.

‘Shortly after starting at LSER, I fell in love with the rail sector and have never looked back,’ says Megan. ’I met many very experienced engineers, many of whom had been in rail from their teenage years, and I quickly realised that it was an environment I could see myself in looking ahead 20 years. I felt comfortable with the close-knit, almost family-like team I quickly became a part of.’

Megan served an apprenticeship and has been in her current position for over two years. It’s a tough job

involving 12-hour shifts and night work as she organises the maintenance and overhauls of Class 465s, 466s, 376s and 375s. What’s the best part of it?

‘The excitement! Every day is different, it is a constant challenge but the people I work with are great, we all care deeply about the railway, we care that it goes well,’ says Megan.

Engineering FamilyNisrine Chartouny, another Women

in Rail member, works on the Crossrail project and puts her involvement down to a family of engineers. Nisrine read a degree in civil engineering at the American University of Beirut and pursued further engineering studies at the University of Texas. She worked in Romania, Qatar and the USA before joining Bechtel in London. As a project manager at Farringdon, leading a team of 500 people, the work is full on. The

site operates 24/7 and she puts in long hours. Like Megan Bowne, Nisrine places great value on the people who make up the team and an industry that is both socially and environmentally worthwhile.

‘I like the the nature of the work we are doing and its overall positive impact on the community... and also the people I work with and the daily interaction I have with them all. In our industry you’re often working with passionate and motivated people which is great.’

Nisrine echoes the message put out by Women in Rail - get girls interested in railways and engineering when they’re young.

‘We need to address the perception that young girls have of what engineering is all about and this needs to start at a young age, particularly as it is between the ages of seven and 12 that children start to make their minds up about what they want to do,’ says Nisrine.

The gap is still much too big but attitudes are changing fast. What perhaps needs to be more generally acknowledged is the commitment and dedication of new women working in the industry. The modern rail industry is a great success and the fact it flourishes is down in no small measure to the thousands of women who have invested their careers and expertise in the railway.

Heathrow Express drivers (L-R) Gemma Stanners, Karen James and Kirsty Sando.


Formed in 2014 to provide Training and Assessment Services to Railway, Construction and Civil Engineering organisations within the Rail Industry.

Thompsons Training Services are Accredited by the National Skills Academy Rail Engineering (NSARE) as an External Network Rail Training and Assessment Provider offering open programme, reserved events and bespoke Railway Training solutions for rail maintenance and infrastructure renewals companies throughout the United Kingdom.

Thompsons Training Services is organised to deliver Training, Mentoring, Familiarisation, and Assessment services to the satisfaction of Network Rail and its customers in a manner which complies with Network Rail requirements.

We supply the requisite professional and technical expertise, supervision, trained, competent and experienced Trainers, Mentors and Assessors and administrative backup staff.

Our company is also organised to supply all the necessary facilities, materials, plant and equipment required to deliver our service.

We deliver high quality professional training programmes on budget enabling you to meet the ever increasing pressure to provide evidence of staff competency, flexibility and safety in line with national standards.

At Thompsons Training Services we offer a wide range of training and assessment solutions. All courses bridge the void from classroom training to experiential learning and real life experience through the extensive track facilities we have on site.

Primarily West Ham, London based, with indoor and outdoor track training facilities, Supported by additional out based Training facilities throughout the United Kingdom. We are therefore able to provide locally based Training and Assessment.

Our East London located (and easily accessed) Training Centre with a purpose built Track Training Layout is at Cody Road, London E16 4TG.

The Training Centre is easily accessed by Rail from West Ham, Tube from either Canning Town or West Ham and is just a short walk from the Star Lane DLR station.

It is in close proximity to Central London and the North Circular Road make for easy and quick journeys for personnel to get to and from their training course.

• Personal Track Safety (PTS)• Working Near or Adjacent to DC Conductor Rails (DCCR)• Lookout - Site Warden (LKT/SW)• Individual Working Alone (IWA)• Controller Of Site Safety (COSS) • Protection Controller (PC)• Engineering Supervisor (ES)

• Handsignaller (HS) • Points Operator (PO)• Possession Assistant (PS)• Level Crossing Attendant (LXA)

• Track Induction (TIC)

• Slinger• Machine Controller (MC)• Crane Controller (CC)• Machine/Crane Controller Attachments• Crane Controller Tandem Lift (CC-TL)

• Lift Planner – Single Lift (OTP-SLP)• Lift Planner – Tandem Lift (OTP-TLP)

• Manual handling• Introduction and use of Basic Hand Tools• Small Pant and Equipment Safety Awareness• Mounting and Safe use Abrasive Wheels• Safe use of Trolleys and Ironman• Impact Wrench (Bance)• Atlas Copco – Ballast Tamper (Cobra TT)• Friction Disc Cutter (including abrasive wheels) • Rail Drill (cembre)• Cold Bolt Hole Expansion (CX) New and Existing works

• In addition, we offer a full range of Permanent Way, Bespoke, Small Plant and Equipment Initial and Recertification Training, Workplace Mentoring and Workplace Assessments.

If you cannot find the course you are looking for in the above list? Just email us or give us a call.

Telephone: 0207 551 0455 ■ Mobile: 0778 603 7731 ■ Email: [email protected] ■ Web: www.trsl.org.ukThompsons Training Services Ltd, 1d North Crescent, Cody Road, West Ham, London, E16 4TG.

Thompsons Training Services Limitedwww.trsl.org.uk

Advertisement

How Siemens is investing in, and expanding, its expertise in Wales and the South West.

There’s never been a better time to get on board

Britain’s railways are busier now than at any other time in the last 100 years. More than a billion passenger journeys are made each year on the UK rail network. To keep up with demand, the UK government has green lit plans to improve our rail network through CP5 and beyond.

In Wales, Siemens – working with Network Rail as part of the awarded framework agreement – has two important signalling projects that will progress to the implementation phase this year. Port Talbot West and North Wales Coast (Chester to Llandudno) are both significant projects. North Wales Coast will further extend the roll out of the Siemens Modular Signalling System and Port Talbot West is critical to the Network Rail electrification programme from London to Wales. Elsewhere Siemens is embarking on the Oxford resignalling project following the overwhelming success of its teams and technology at Reading.

David Attmere, Head of Delivery, Region Wales and Western at Siemens, explains the importance of the technology that has been and will continue to be used in the region: “North Wales Coast will see further deployment of our Modular system that has been deployed previously on the GNGE and Crewe to Shrewsbury project. Whereas Oxford and Port Talbot will employ our successful and reliable Westlock system. Every technological element of the project is important – and none more so than the signalling.”

To support the growing work in the region, Siemens has opened a new office in Newport to act as a base for its Welsh projects. The office currently houses a small design team that is working on projects in collaboration with the Chippenham office. As the UK centre for Siemens Rail Automation, Chippenham has a growing R&D team supporting key UK developments associated with modular/ ETCS and CBTC technologies. It is also home to Siemens’ Mass Transit delivery, which is a key area of expansion with a growing portfolio centred around flagship projects associated with London Underground, Crossrail and overseas.

Adrian Stubbs, Delivery Director for Mass Transit and International at Siemens explains: “The cross section of activities undertaken at our sites offers a unique opportunity for those seeking a diverse and varied career.”

David adds: “Here at Siemens we have a whole catalogue of products no one else has access to – we’re a one stop shop for signalling and to deploy this we need the best people.”

There are currently a number of opportunities for people to join Siemens’ expert teams in Newport and Chippenham. The company is looking for intelligent, proactive, qualified signalling engineers for

design, installation and testing, as well as project managers and support functions including planning and commercial management. In return, you’ll have the opportunity to use the latest technology while working for the biggest signalling control system supplier in the world with an attractive salary and benefits package.

“The technology and size and scale of everything at Siemens is very inspiring. And it’s certainly an eye opener working here” says David. “Siemens plans 20 years ahead – it’s not like anywhere else in the world in terms of project potential.”

siemens.co.uk/careers

Open daysIf you’re looking for the opportunity to be challenged, while working on some of the largest projects in the industry, come to one of our recruitment open days.

Venue:25 February, 1pm-8pm, Jury’s Inn, Fleming Way, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 2NG

26 February, 1pm-8pm, Royal Marriot, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TA

Roles available:Design Engineers and Managers – all levels

Planners – all levels

Project Managers and Engineers – all levels

Contract Responsible Engineer

– Civils & Construction

Test & Commissioning Manager

Materials Interface Engineer

Commercial Manager

Quantity Surveyor

Systems Engineer – all levels

Senior Software Engineer

Safety Assurance/ RAMS Engineer

Opportunities also exist within systems engineering and product development providing innovative signalling solutions for the future.

If you’re unable to make it to either of our open days but would like a confidential chat about potential opportunities, please contact Katherine Wilson [email protected]

We are now seeking experienced and enthusiastic candidates for a key role in taking the rail team forward to the next step of our development.

Rail Contracts Manager£46,910 - £56,009This role will lead on the development and management of concessions and franchises including the Merseyrail Concession and contributing to the management of the Northern Rail Franchise. We are seeking a suitable candidate with a degree in a transport or engineering related field or equivalent extensive experience, who will have a demonstrable background in contract or franchise management covering all aspects of contractual performance management including the establishment and monitoring against performance indicators. You will have knowledge of financial management and control of budgets as well risk management and in the development of assurance led processes and procedures.

The successful candidate will lead a dedicated team to work with the concessionaires and franchise holders, as well as colleagues and partners in the wider railway industry and the city region. Excellent communication, analytical and presentational skills will be key to success in this role along with the ability to develop robust stakeholder relationships.

If you have a proven track record within the rail or transport industry we would like to hear from you.

For information pack and application form please visit our website - www.merseytravel.gov.uk

Closing date for applications is Friday 6 March 2015 @ 4pm.

Completed application forms can be sent to: [email protected]

Merseytravel is committed to equal opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Only factors directly related to the job are taken into account.

Global Scale. Local Focus.

– Rail and Infrastructure Vacancies Currently Available –

Project Manager London, Glasgow, Swindon and Milton Keynes £40K - £55K or £325 - £450/day Projects civils, Signallingand M+E enabling works Experience.

Senior Pway Engineer Birmingham and Manchester £35K - £55K or £250 - £400/day Experience of Network Rail Projects, Horizontal and Vertical Alignment and Track Renewals.

Senior Quantity Surveyors/ Commercial Managers London, Glasgow and Midlands£40K - £65K or £300 - £400/day Experience of Network Rail/LUL Projects, NEC contract experience essential.

P6 Project Planners London, Midlands and Swindon £40K - £65K Experience of Network Rail Projects, Primavera experience essential .

Please email your CV to rail@trssta� ng.comor if you’d prefer to discuss any roles call +44 (0)20 7419 5800

www.trssta� ng.com

Asset Project Managers Qatar £80 - 120K Degree educated, O&M, Mainline Railor metro experience.

TRS Sta� ng Solutions are international engineering recruitment specialists. We recruit for major national and international projects for leading national rail organisations, main contractors and consultancies.

URGENT URGENT Senior Civil and Structural EngineersBristol, Birmingham, Reading and London £30K - £60K or £300 - £350/day Bridges, Station and Buildings- Rail Project Experience.

URGENT

www.scot-train.com

Overhead Lines Trainer Glasgow, Scotland ALL

Scot-Train, an NSARE recognised “Outstanding Training Provider”, is looking to recruit a NSARE accredited Overhead Lines Trainer to join the training team.

This requirement is due to the need to maintain our recognised high quality of service for our existing and ever-increasing client base within the rail industry.

It would be desirable for the successful candidate to be competent to deliver AP, NP and OLEC 1-3, however personal development training will be provided.

IPAF MCWP Training Instructor Throughout UK

We are also looking to further strengthen our IPAF training delivery team and are therefore looking for an IPAF MCWP Training Instructor:• The successful candidate must be a proven trainer with prior

experience in Mast Climbing Work Platforms• Personal development training will be provided to enable the

successful candidate to deliver other course delivery competences required within the role.

Attractive package available to successful candidates.

Please submit a CV to [email protected]

training careers

Thousands and thousands of RAIL OPPORTUNITIESof RAIL OPPORTUNITIES

www.railwaypeople.com

February 2015 | RailStaff | 59CAREERS

Production Manager Location: Longport Depot, Stoke-on-Trent Position Type: Permanent Salary: Negotiable

Company IntroductionElectro-Motive Diesel Limited is a subsidiary of Progress Rail, a Caterpillar Company. Electro-Motive Diesel is a growing power in its market here in the UK and increasingly, around the world. For more than half a century, Electro-Motive Diesel have hauled freight and passengers, powered ships, and generated electricity for over 100 countries around the globe. Becoming a part of Electro-Motive Diesel means becoming a part of a challenging and bright future in our global marketplace.

EMDL now have an excellent opportunity for an experienced Production Manager based at our Longport Depot inStoke-on-Trent – Top 10 Requirements

>> Signifi cant experience, knowledge and understanding of the rail industry from a vehicle or component maintenance perspective

>> Proven track record of production management in an engineering environment (preferably rail)

>> Contribute to the planning of long and medium term strategic direction of the business ensuring growth and fi nancial success

>> Interact and communicate with the client on a regular basis to discuss progress on jobs and agree arising work or communicate issues

>> Strong motivation and a positive approach dealing with issues or confl icts in deliverables

>> Ability to make decisions and prioritise tasks proactively, communicating with internal account managers and external customers or suppliers

>> Create a culture of strategic excellence and encourage others to think

longer terms, developing strategic advantage and seeking opportunities for future development of engineering capability

>> Ability to motivate and lead the Longport team, upskilling the supervisory team, as required

>> Bring a sense of urgency to situations, demonstrate an active approach

and be able to get involved, if required, in order to increase the pace and achieve goals and objectives

>> Interact with commercial and quotations team in order to formulate bidsor quotes and secure future opportunities for EMDL

To apply, please submit a CV and Covering Letter to: [email protected] or contact +44 (0) 01782 562900 for more information

01483 361061www.advancerailwayjobs.com NEC Birmingham, UK • 12-14 May 2015

Find us on Stand D50

ELECTRIFICATION • P-WAY • CIVILSJAMES CULSHAWCIVILS & PERMANENT WAY07931 815 [email protected]

DANIEL FORTH-RUMLEYELECTRIFICATION & POWER07572 533 [email protected]

M&E • TELECOMSBEN SHAYEGANDESIGN & CONSTRUCTION07572 533 [email protected]

PAUL MERTONENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT07932 076 [email protected]

PROJECT SERVICESCLAUDIA MAYHSQE, PLANNING & COMMERCIAL07572 519 [email protected]

SIGNALLINGSAM JENNINGSTEST & INSTALLATION07961 805 [email protected]

ANDY RIDOUTENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT07786 968 [email protected]

JAMES AYRESDESIGN & ENGINEERING07951 977 [email protected]

CONSIDERING A NEW CAREER IN 2015?

TALK TO THE EXPERTS

CAREERS60 | RailStaff | February 2015

Join our awardwinning team

We have successfully secured CP5 Workbank for the supply of contract staff to Infrastructure Owners and Tier 1 Contractors. We are offering long-term agency contracts with immediate starts.

You will be working with an award winning resource team who will guide you through the next five years of agency work. You will enjoy job security, a lucrative pay offer and be supported by SQE and Compliance professionals. We are looking forexperienced railway personnel. If you are experienced in the following sectors, please get in touch for a confidential discussion:

Signalling - Installation and Maintenance (SMTH) Overhead Line - Isolations (NP/AP) and Construction (OLEC 2,3,4) Permanent Way - TO,STO,PTO/Handback Technical - Project and Design Engineers, PM, Commercial, Planning etc.

Send your CV to: [email protected] or call us on: 0845 8949 020

Search all jobs or find out more about Vital at www.vital.uk.com. Vital is part of the Morson Group.

Vital Solutions

CHIEF ENGINEER

Crossrail is among the most significant infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK. From improving journey times across London, to easing congestion and offering better connections, Crossrail will change the way people travel around the capital. But it’s more than a railway. It will support regeneration across the capital and add an estimated £42 billion to the economy.

The RoleYou will lead the engineering function of the £14.8 billion Crossrail project. You will inspire a multidisciplinary team of engineering professionals to manage and integrate the design and deliver engineering solutions to ensure Crossrail achieves its objective of delivering a world class railway to the highest engineering standards, safely, on time and within budget.

You will play a leading role in working with Crossrail’s designers, project teams and contractors in the supply chain, whilst collaborating with engineers from London Underground, Rail for London and Network Rail. By giving you the chance to work with some of the best people in the construction and rail industries, we’ll help you enhance your career too.

The Person• A proven expert in their field, professionally qualified in an engineering

discipline who has led multidisciplinary design teams successfully on large, complex engineering projects.

• Substantial experience of MEP, Rail Systems, architecture and Civil engineering, with a natural, pragmatic focus on collaboration and partnership.

• Analytically strong and able to structure advice and guidance in a way that is meaningful for a wide range of audiences up to Board level.

• Able to work effectively in a matrixed organisation through influence and collaboration, managing internal and external stakeholders.

• A track record of leading and developing teams of engineering professionals.

For further details, please contact our retained consultants Harvey Nash Executive Search by email at [email protected] quoting Reference No. HN8230CRL.

For more information on this role and how to apply please visit: www.crossrail.co.uk/careersWe value the diversity that exists in London and aspire to this being reflected in our workforce.Closing date: 22 February 2015.

February 2015 | RailStaff | 61CAREERS

[email protected]

SAFETY CRITICAL STAFF & P’WAY GANGS(MUST HAVE SMALL PLANT & TRACK INDUCTION)

WEST LONDON to READING AREA, DERBY & MIDLANDS

Ganymede is a leading labour supply agency, specialising in the provision and management of contingent labour to clients operating in safety critical environments. We are able to provide a range of contract opportunities that are suited to your skill, location and capabilities. Ganymede work with employers throughout the UK and safety is always at the forefront of everything we do. Our contractors benefit from great rates of pay, safety initiatives and bonus schemes as applicable. We pride ourselves on being a contractors’ recruitment agency of choice. We are currently looking to increase our current workforce and have vacancies for Rail operatives that hold PTS, LKT, COSS, MC/CC, ES or LXA in Derby, Midlands, West London and Reading. Applicants must hold a valid PTS Card, be track inducted and ideally sat an A&D screen within the last 3 months. Rates of pay will be disclosed upon application, immediate starts are available.

To apply please send your up to date CV along with two checkable references to [email protected] or alternatively call 0333 011 2048 and ask to speak to a member of the resource team

[email protected]

SAFETY CRITICAL STAFF & P’WAY GANGS(MUST HAVE SMALL PLANT & TRACK INDUCTION)

WEST LONDON to READING AREA, DERBY & MIDLANDS

Ganymede is a leading labour supply agency, specialising in the provision and management of contingent labour to clients operating in safety critical environments. We are able to provide a range of contract opportunities that are suited to your skill, location and capabilities. Ganymede work with employers throughout the UK and safety is always at the forefront of everything we do. Our contractors benefit from great rates of pay, safety initiatives and bonus schemes as applicable. We pride ourselves on being a contractors’ recruitment agency of choice. We are currently looking to increase our current workforce and have vacancies for Rail operatives that hold PTS, LKT, COSS, MC/CC, ES or LXA in Derby, Midlands, West London and Reading. Applicants must hold a valid PTS Card, be track inducted and ideally sat an A&D screen within the last 3 months. Rates of pay will be disclosed upon application, immediate starts are available.

To apply please send your up to date CV along with two checkable references to [email protected] or alternatively call 0333 011 2048 and ask to speak to a member of the resource team

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halfpage_ganymede.pdf 1 02/02/2015 10:29

Job ID: 191391

Engineering Manager – Civil EngineeringSiemens Rail Automation | Flexible location

Siemens Rail Automation is the biggest signalling control system supplier in the world. Offering a wide range of systems for control and communication for main line, metro and light rail, we provide a one-stop shop of integrated mobility solutions to our customers.

Working with our national civil engineering team, the Engineering Manager – Civil Engineering is responsible for ensuring that we have the capability and capacity to deliver our portfolio of projects on time, on budget and to quality standards. Reporting to the Head of Engineering in the UK, this role will be key to the continued growth of our Civils design function.

What are my responsibilities?

• Manage the national portfolio of civil engineering design work-packages across a number of projects.

• Ensure the consistent implementation of company engineering standards and processes.

• Driving forward efficiency changes and ensuring that a high level of knowledge and skill is maintained within our team.

What do I need to qualify for this job?

• Established professional status within the signaling and/or civil engineering industry.

• Previous experience in Systems Engineering, Project Engineering and Design.

• Significant experience of engineering implementation on large railway schemes in the UK.

• Experience of managing large multidisciplinary teams.

What else do I need to know?

We offer a comprehensive reward package, which includes a competitive basic salary, bonus scheme, generous holiday allowance and pension. Through our flexible benefits scheme you can select benefits that best suit your lifestyle, including private healthcare.

Apply

To find out more about the role and to apply please visit our website, click ‘search’ in the drop down menu box and then add Job ID 191391 to the Job ID field.

siemens.co.uk/careers

CAREERS62 | RailStaff | February 2015

Outstanding career development opportunities

We operate the country’s busiest railway network, moving 500,000 people daily throughout London and the south west using 370 trains which are supported by eight depots. In 2017, we are introducing a brand new fleet of trains and this has created exciting opportunities within our Fleet team, each attracting a competitive salary and benefits including free travel on all SWT

services, valuable travel discounts with other train operators, a final-salary pension and a plethora of opportunities to realise your full potential while being immersed in a challenging, stimulating, valuable and valued role, making a tangible difference to our

passengers, our services and our success as a progressive and innovative enterprise.

New Trains Acceptance Engineer Wimbledon-based with significant international travel particularly to Germany

If you have substantial experience in an audit or quality- checking role where checks are against detailed and complex specifications; strong supplier management skills; and a thorough, determined, confident and authoritative approach, then this is your chance to manage the build-quality of the Siemens Class 707 trains critical to our capacity-improvement plan and valued at around £200m. Job search reference SWT03410.

Compliance Engineer Wimbledon

You will be ensuring compliance of maintenance standards using your in-depth knowledge of product, safety and quality audit processes and ISO quality systems; your significant experience in a technical management role; and your familiarity with root-cause analysis techniques. Job search reference SWT03305.

Specialist Engineer (mechanical) rolling stockWimbledon

You will be carrying out in-depth investigations following safety and performance affecting incidents; a technically challenging role calling for significant technical management experience supported by HNC, and ideally degree, qualifications and either Chartered status or working towards it. Job search reference SWT03285.

Engineering Graduate (mechanical) Wimbledon

This role starts with an 18-month training programme that covers all the challenges involved with maintaining a modern rail fleet. You need at least 2:1 B.Eng or M.Eng accredited by the IMechE or IET; a passion for customer service; and a positive, flexible approach. Job search reference SWT03362

For more information and to apply, please search relevant job reference atwww.southwesttrains.co.uk/job-search.aspx

Fleet Facilities ManagerWimbledon

Your in-depth experience of p-way, track renewals and facilities management, will be crucial to success in leading and directing our Fleet Facilities function. Job search reference SWT03431.

Fleet Safety & Competence Manager Wimbledon or Eastleigh

Make the most of your service operations, fleet maintenance and day-to-day management experience; your in-depth understanding of safety legislation, codes of practice and procedures; and your ability to assess staff by becoming our centre of expertise on safety and environmental issues. Job search reference SWT03357.

Rolling Stock & Plant Competency Manager Wimbledon

With your fleet maintenance experience; knowledge of fleet activities, the rolling stock being maintained and plant used; assessor D32/A1 and / or verifier D33/V1 qualifications; and the ability to assess staff, you are ideal for this central role in which you will formulate and implement our formal action and assessment plan.Job search reference SWT03381.

Contracts & Procurement Manager Wimbledon

As a degree-qualified MCIPS or RICS procurement specialist with experience of high-value, complex contracts gained within a commercial organisation, you will be the prime point of contact for all capital projects contractual and commercial matters and develop and implement commercial strategies and lead the tender process. Job search reference SWT03295.

Marketing and Sales Team020 7500 6901www.expressmedicals.co.uk

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICESFROM EXPRESS MEDICALS

Express Medicals provides a full range of occupational health services. We will help you to manage absenteeism within your company and tackle major issues such as stress and musculoskeletal problems.

Contact us now to discuss your occupational health needs.

ONGOING SUPPORT

PROMPTSERVICE

MEDICALEXPERTS

MARKETLEADERS

COUNSELLING

DRUG ANDALCOHOL SERVICES

HEALTH SURVEILLANCE

OCCUPATIONALHEALTH

PHYSIOTHERAPY

RAIL MEDICALS

TRAVEL HEALTH

VACCINATIONS

WELLBEING

BLOOD TESTS



020 7500 6900www.expressmedicals.co.uk

KEEPING YOU RIGHT ON TRACKKEEPING YOURIGHT ON TRACK

railstaff february 2015

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