The magazine for our people

December 2016

04
Family
affair:
Brothers
working
on the
railway this
Christmas

06

EYE
TECH
Virtual reality is bringing lineside
hazards into focus

Risky
business:
New approach
helps identify
road hazards

12
Two tales:
Spotlight
on suicide
prevention

19
One team:
Patrick
Verwer
discusses
devolution

WELCOME AND NEWS

CONTRIBUTORS WELCOME
Andrew Smith,
Signaller

Im four months into my new role and Im loving it.

Being a signaller is a challenging job, especially
when something unexpected happens. The trust and
communication that I have with the drivers is so
important. You can read more about my journey on
page 18.
Robin Morel, a first responder at suicide sites, and
Chris Parker, who tried to take his life on the railway,
share their stories on page 12.
Gary and Dean Desmond have 60-years combined
experience working on the railway, and theyll be
among thousands of colleagues who will be working
on more than 200 project this Christmas period. You
can find out more on page four.
Also, on page eight, Brian Doolin explains how
virtual reality is helping us identify dangers on the
railway, without even going on track.
Theres plenty more inside. We hope you enjoy
the read.

In the spotlight
Your Voice in action is making a
positive impact in teams across
the business, says Smita Patel,
employee engagement manager
Since the 2015 Your Voice survey, a lot of
improvements have been made across
the business; from smaller, continuous
improvements to larger changes, which
are making Network Rail an even better
place to work.
Weve developed a campaign
which will help teams to identify where
improvements are being made as a result
of their feedback.
If you dont have a team action plan in
place, now is a great opportunity to create
one. If you do have an action plan, dont
forget to regularly revisit it.
Your voice really matters your
feedback has the potential to make life at
work better every day and teams that
turn that into action are the most engaged
across our workforce.
Whats your teams story? To join the
conversation, visit the You Said We Did
(Your Voice) group on Yammer using
#YouSaidWeDid. To find out more visit
Connect/YourVoice.

Get in touch:
December 2016
View this issue online: http://goo.gl/pfCyK5
Published by: The internal communications team
and beetroot. www.beetroot.co.uk
Network is a carbon neutral publication
printed on Cocoon Silk (130gsm) 100%
recycled stock.
Do your bit and recycle Network.

DECEMBER 2016

internal.communications
@networkrail.co.uk

On the cover: Virtual reality is bringing lineside

hazards into focus. Read the full story on page
eight.

See
page
08-10

Disclaimer: Photography featured in Network has

been specially commissioned and undertaken
in a place of safety. Always be aware of your
surroundings and do your part in making sure you
and your colleagues get Home Safe Every Day.

02

NETWORK

WELCOME AND NEWS

NETWORK
KNOWLEDGE
Whats making news across the business

VTS introduced

The first Vehicle Telematics

System (VTS) was fitted in
Network Rail fleet vehicles in
December to improve driver safety
on the roads.
VTS will give drivers real-time
feedback via an in-car display,
letting them know if they are
speeding and encouraging them to
change their driving behaviour.
Find out more on Safety Central.

Breaking down barriers

Professor Peter Hansford is to

chair an independent review into
breaking down the obstacles to
competition in all elements of
project delivery.
This follows chief executive
Mark Carnes speech at The Future
of Rail conference in London,
where he pledged his commitment
to removing any barriers in all
elements of delivering projects.
Mark said: We have to open our
doors, cut through the red tape and
look for new ways of delivering a
better railway for a better Britain.
This will further encourage
our own teams to innovate and
push aside the barriers holding
them back.

Happy
birthday:
London Bridge
station is
celebrating
its 180th
anniversary
with a pop-up
exhibition.
Break the ice:
The Network
Rail Weather
Service has
developed a
tool that can
accurately
forecast the
likelihood of
ice build-up on
overhead line
equipment,
giving teams
the chance to
tackle it before
it causes
delays.
Top of the tracks:
London
Waterloo
remains
Britains
busiest station
as its 800
million upgrade
continues.

One team

Chris Grayling, the Secretary

of State for Transport, has
announced a plan to bring the
management of tracks and
trains closer together.
New arrangements will start as
and when franchises for running
the trains come up for renewal.
Introducing the changes as
a process of evolution and not
revolution, Mr Grayling said: The
entire network is run by decent
hard-working people who feel
passionately about the services
they operate.
Whether its planning
essential repairs, putting in place
improvements that can squeeze

an extra service in on a crowded

route, or responding quickly to
a problem on the network, our
railway is much better run by one
team of people.
Mr Grayling also announced
the set-up of East West Rail
- Britains first integrated rail
operation for decades and
a separate organisation to
Network Rail.
Its main task will be
accelerating the permissions
needed to reopen the Oxford to
Cambridge route, and secure
private sector involvement to
design, build and operate the
route.

>>> Read these articles in full, plus more, on Connect and Connect Mobile <<<

NETWORK

03

DECEMBER 2016

R A I LWAY U P G R A D E P L A N

Christmas with
the Desmonds
Meet the brothers working through the festive season

With an impressive 60
years clocked-up on the
railway between them,
the Desmond brothers are railway
through and through.
Fathers of five grown-up daughters,
both have spent their entire careers
providing a faster and fitter railway, never
flicking an eyelid to being on track on
the days that many count as precious
family time.
This year Gary will be working his
16th-consecutive Christmas. As project
manager of the overhead-line conditions
renewal team (OCR), hell be working
on the Great Eastern Main Line over
the 10-days of Christmas. He said: Ill
be overseeing the complete renewal of
overhead wires for electrification on the
Great Eastern overhead-line renewal
project at Gidea Park. This will involve 12
wire-runs over the 10-days of Christmas.
Its just normal now working over
Christmas. The trains arent running
so we get unrestricted access to the
railway, meaning we get more done in a
DECEMBER 2016

matter of days than we would in a matter

of weeks of possessions.
We just accept it and our families
understand.
Dean, construction manager for
the Wessex Capacity Alliance, will
be working on the Waterloo platform
upgrade. He said: Without the
maintenance and the effort we put in
there wouldnt be a railway to run.
My kids are older now and theyve
always understood theres never been
an issue.
The brothers will be working
numerous days over the Christmas
period, including Christmas Eve night
and Christmas Day night. On Christmas
Day Im looking forward to getting home
and having a couple of hours sleep
before spending the afternoon with my
wife and children, said Dean.
Both try to bring the festive spirit
to work during the Christmas period.
Gary said: Me and the team go out for
a Christmas celebration a few weeks
before the work begins.

04

Dean says his team will mark

Christmas in some way, possibly mince
pies in the canteen area.
When asked what attracted them
to the railway in the first place, Gary
said: Its stable and regular work and
no two days are the same. One day
were working on track, then were in the
middle of nowhere, and the next day in
a city.
Dean added: Theres never a dull
moment; theres lots of different things
to see and do. n

Without the
maintenance and the
effort we put in there
wouldnt be a railway
to run
NETWORK

R A I LWAY U P G R A D E P L A N

CHRISTMAS
FAST FACTS

St Pancras
Internationals
Amaluna Christmas
Tree by Cirque du Soleil
in partnership with
Oxfam. The Amaluna
show heads to Londons
Royal Albert Hall this
January

200

projects are being delivered

over the holiday period.

50%

larger pieces of work are

planned for bank holidays with 50 per cent
fewer passengers travelling by rail.

Crossrail West:

There will be remodelling of the west end

of Maidenhead Station and critical points
installations at Stockley and Hayes, and
on the Old Oak Common and Paddington
approaches.

Crossrail East:

Track, signalling and overhead line work will

be happening as part of the Crossrail project
in and around the Shenfield area.

Northern Hub:

Enhancements continue with new track,

bridges and overhead line equipment being
installed.

Do you hear what I hear?

Listen out on Absolute, Heart and
Heart SX local radio for Garys voice
coming across the airwaves. Gary was
picked to be the voice of South East
and London routes Check Before You
Travel campaign. For the first-time
ever, colleague voices have been used
for the campaign.
Gary said: Im over the moon I was
chosen. Ill be representing all the
front liners in Anglia this Christmas.
Its important to have our voice heard
as we are the ones out on track in all
weather at all times of year.

NETWORK

05

DECEMBER 2016

S A F E TY A N D P E R F O R M A N C E

Have I reduced
my speed?

Where is that ball

going to bounce?

That dog is not

under control

Has this limit

just changed?

Is the cat about to

make a dash?

SAY WHAT YOU SEE

Risk-based commentary is helping make teams safer on the road

There have been more than
600 unsafe road acts among
Network Rails workforce in
the past year.
Thats 600 times that one of our
colleagues put their lives and others
at risk of serious harm while driving.
Speeding, mobile phone use and not
driving to road conditions are just some
of dangers that can be avoided. The
companys Lifesaving Rules are there for
a reason to get everyone home safe,
every day.
Rupert Lown, head of occupational
safety strategy, said: We have seen a
DECEMBER 2016

dramatic decrease in the frequency

of unsafe road acts this summer,
during which the Safety Stand Down
took place and people from across the
business took time out to focus on
safe driving.
In the four months since the stand
down, there has been a 40 per cent
reduction in speeding incidents.
Every one of us has the responsibility
to ensure this reduction continues.
Every one of us can, and must, be a
safety leader working together to
prevent deaths, accidents and injuries
from happening.

06

Rising to the challenge

The Anglia health and safety team is

using a technique called risk-based
commentary. It helps people become
more aware of risks by verbalising
hazards they see around them, while
driving with an instructor.
Brian Doolin, health and safety advisor
from Romford delivery unit, said: I
recently completed an investigation for
a speeding offence and thought riskbased commentary could help the
colleagues involved become more aware
of their surroundings.
They were asked to complete a
NETWORK

S A F E TY A N D P E R F O R M A N C E

Is that rider expecting

me to brake?

Ill need to put my sun

visor down soon

Ill need to slow down

for those works

Will the cyclist swerve

the puddle?

Has that driver

seen me coming?

That chap will need

extra time to cross

This pothole could

damage the suspension

three-mile drive and after the journey I

asked them to name the risks they had
spotted they only managed to name two.
I explained how risk-based
commentary could help and asked
them to make the same journey again
using the method. They managed to
name a page worth of hazards.

Becoming risk aware

One of the participants said: On the

second journey we became more aware
of the risks that we previously didnt
notice or think about.
NETWORK

These included vehicles pulling out,

pedestrians, signage, cameras, road
layouts, speed limits and road markings.
Using risk-based commentary really
made a difference as we were more
visually aware of the threats we face and
our poor driving habits. Well continue to
use this method and let others know of
the technique and its benefits.
Mark Carne, chief executive, added:
Our people are our most valuable asset.
Nothing is more important than their

07

safety and wellbeing. When it comes to

it the only thing stopping a colleague
from making a life-changing mistake, like
driving without a seat belt on or pushing
the speed limit, could be the person sat
next to them.
Were also committed to decreasing
the safety risk for all other motorists too.
What we do in those moments can be
life-changing and we must all commit
to supporting each other to follow the
Lifesaving Rules. n
DECEMBER 2016

S A F E TY A N D P E R F O R M A N C E

VIRTUALLY SAFE
Virtual reality is helping prepare for site risks ahead of track work

DECEMBER 2016

08

NETWORK

S A F E TY A N D P E R F O R M A N C E

Brian Doolin was introduced

to virtual reality when looking
to buy a house. He was given
a virtual tour of a property and it felt so
real that as he approached a bannister
in the virtual house, he felt like he was
going to fall over. At that moment he
realised that this technology could
help improve safety on the railway.
His aim is to improve risk awareness
and to allow people to experience real
track environment hazards in a virtual
world without putting them at risk.
Using virtual reality headsets people
can spot site risks before they go out
on track.
Brian, a workforce health and
safety advisor at Romford Delivery
Unit, approached VisTech studios,
the company that is now producing
360-degree videos of specific scenarios
at various track locations.
People can experience first-hand the
dangers associated with the railway,

including passing trains, access

points and hazardous items that could
lead to slips, trips and falls, in a safe
environment, said Brian.
In addition to safety and training
benefits, this state-of-the-art technology
also allows us to visualise our sites to
plan works. Its potential is endless.

View the future

The headset is being used on the

Anglia route, and Stephen OConnell,
infrastructure maintenance delivery
manager at Romford DU and Gavin
Scott, infrastructure maintenance
engineer, have been supporting Brians
project from the start.
Gavin said: For training, virtual reality
creates a lineside environment that is
completely safe but feels real, and its
more powerful than a mission room
because its fully immersive.
Continued overleaf >>

Example views of the

virtual reality track.
Users must spot all
hazards before the
video highlights them
as part of their training
NETWORK

09

DECEMBER 2016

S A F E TY A N D P E R F O R M A N C E

is
y
t
li
a
e
r
l
a
u
t
ir
V

l than
u
f
r
e
w
o
p
e
r
o
m
a mission room
ll y
u
f
s
t
i
e
s
u
a
c
e
b
immersive.
Gavin Scott
trains passing to simulate a real track
environment.
So far, more than 80 people have tried
the virtual track experience and weve
received very positive feedback. The
next step will be to install elevated 360
cameras in certain areas of the railway
to provide live feeds. These will show
people what is happening out on the
railway in order to get familiarised with an
area from the safety of a meeting room
ahead of starting track work. n

For colleagues, virtual reality will

give teams the opportunity to look
at access points where there may be
complex junctions or infrastructure
and assess the risks in the area before
getting on site. Currently, we have to go
on track and evaluate the risks in a live
environment. With virtual reality well
be able to get a 360-degree view of the
railway and plan ahead in a risk-free way.
This is the future and the way that
the company should be going.

The next dimension

Jake Elies (pictured left), director of

VisTech studios, explained: Weve
produced 360-films for 16 different
access points and 14 sites to train
people on hazard awareness. All films
show a real lineside section where
people wearing the headset will see a
countdown, by the end of which they
should have identified all the hazards.
Once the countdown gets to zero, the
risks scrap rail, cables, vegetation,
other discarded objects are highlighted
and people can evaluate how well they
did in spotting them.
The advantage is that people can
walk and turn around to explore the
virtual area, which is something they
cant do in a mission room. This is
closer to the real experience of being
on track, because the films even have
DECEMBER 2016

Steady improvement
The rail industry is a high-risk industry
that historically saw multiple fatalities
each period. Progress has improved
significantly over the past 10 years
and our safety performance is steadily
improving. But we have more to do. Our
most prolific risk of injury involves slips,
trips and falls, and manual handling.
Graham Hopkins (pictured),
group safety,
technical and
engineering
director, giving
evidence to the
transport select
committee inquiry
into rail safety.

10

NETWORK

Talking Business

PULL
OUT

U
Businse this Ta
lkin
es
in yous supplemg
r
r
team egular ent
briefi
ng

PPM

Public performance measure

Welcome to Talking
Business the team
briefing guide for
everyone in the organisation.
Its included with every issue of
Network magazine and available on
Connect and Connect Mobile.
Each month the Talking Business
team brief will focus on one of Network
Rails scorecard measures and ask
how can you make a difference?
Our corporate scorecard (right)
shows us how we are doing against
our targets for the year. Using it to
discuss how we can be better every
day can really make a difference to our
performance. Additional information
and materials for line managers is on
connect/talkingbusiness.
Mark Carne, chief executive, said:
Talking Business is about having

a quality conversation, as a team, to

understand how you can focus on the
most important improvements you can
make together to be safer at work and
to improve performance.

THIS ISSUES TOPIC: Public performance measure

Public performance measure (PPM) is a locally-driven metric on Network Rails

scorecard and gives the percentage of all passenger train journeys that run and
arrive on time (within 10 minutes for long distance trains, within five minutes for
others). See inside and page four of this section.

How to use
Talking Business:
1. The centre-spread is the
focus for your discussion. A
copy of this pull-out can be
electronically displayed for
the team
2. At the start of the meeting,
line managers should
nominate a team member to
make a note of the discussion
and, at the end of the session,
send in the teams response to
question four
3. The featured topic should be
introduced and the team then
discuss questions one to four
in the centre-fold
4. The teams response to
question four should be
submitted by the date
requested. The best examples
will be highlighted
on Connect.

PUBLIC PERFORMANCE MEASURE

01

Scorecard metric: Public

Q1:What is PPM?
How do we use
this measure?

Q2:Why is it
important?
Trains need to run,
and on time. What can
affect that?

Q3:How are
we doing?

What are the key issues

that are causing longer
delays?

PUBLIC PERFORMANCE MEASURE

02

performance measure
INF MORE
ORM
ATIO
Log
N
talk on to co
in
nn
d
own gbus
e
in ct/
lo
and ad usef ess to
ul gu
tool
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brie for you ides
fing
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s

TURN TO NEXT
PAGE TO READ
MORE ABOUT
PPM >>>

Q4: What can my

team do to make a
difference and be
better every day?
We will:

--------------------------------------Write your answer here.

--------------------------------------Manager name and contact number.

---------------------------------------

Send your teams response...

Nominate one team member to share your
response by Friday 13 January, using one of the
following:

Go to Connect: Enter your response directly on the

page at connect/talkingbusiness
Email: Type out your response and send to
talkingbusiness@networkrail.co.uk

The best of these will be highlighted as best practice.

PUBLIC PERFORMANCE MEASURE
03

Talking Business

Public performance measure (PPM) is

a locally-driven metric on Network Rails
scorecard and gives the percentage of all
passenger train journeys that run and arrive
on time (within 10 minutes for long distance
trains, within five minutes for others).
Journeys that dont run to time are
analysed as to why, with any recordable
incidents (typically creating three-plus
minutes of delay) attributed, which are
split into three sections:
Network Rail (eg track and signal
failures, acts of god, weather and
railway suicides)
Delays caused by an affected Train
Operating Company (TOC) themselves
eg driver shortages and train failures
etc.
TOC on TOC (TOC delays caused by
another TOC).
Between 50 and 60 per cent of PPM
failures are attributed to Network Rail.
Delays are measured in minutes and
Network Rail calculates the delay
minutes by all trains affected by a single
incident, including the effect of the
delay across the network after the initial
incident is resolved.
PUBLIC PERFORMANCE MEASURE
04

The price of success

There are more trains on the

railway than ever before and
significantly more passengers.
The consequences of this success
is that there is more congestion,
and so delays have a much further
and immediate reach across the
network. Faults do happen and can
be fixed quickly by colleagues on the
front line, but once the trains start
moving again the effect can last for
hours.
Typical incidents that can affect
PPM and cause delays:
Signalling system and power
supply failures
Overhead line equipment/third
rail faults
External fatalities and trespass
Track circuit failures
Track faults
External causes (train operator)
Technical fleet delays
Signalling faults
Train crew causes
Station delays
Level crossing failures

Must win

Trains today are more reliable, the

infrastructure is more reliable, but the
delay for each incident is getting longer
and longer and this is the place where
we need to work together, with the train
operating companies to focus on how
can we, more quickly, recover the
railway and get it back into operation.
Consider these issues:
Access to the railway
Time to site/Time to fix
Relationships across the industry
Service recovery
Poor prediction and prevention
of incidents
The culture and behaviours
needed to improve.

B E T T E R E V E RY D AY

TOPPINGTHETRACK LIST
Network Rail is a world-leader in measuring and managing cyclic top faults
Robert Ampomah,
safety, technical and
engineering (STE)
reliability improvement manager
track and lineside, sheds some
light on these costly dips.

What are cyclic top faults and

what causes them?

Cyclic top faults are a series of evenlyspaced dips in the track often caused
by bad drainage, poor ballast conditions
and associated with impact from
freight trains.
Empty or unevenly-loaded freight
trains can often bounce up and down
on the track, causing the ballast to move
and little dips being created as the train
hits weak points along the track.

Why is it important to fix them?

Cyclic top faults are the single biggest

cause of temporary speed restrictions
(TSRs) on the rail network.
In the past 18 months alone we have
seen the highest number of TSRs in eight
years, with the cause of the increase
associated with cyclic top faults.
TSRs of 30mph for freight trains are
imposed when three or more consecutive
dips are found by Network Rails fleet of

Cyclic top faults along the track

track measurement vehicles. Each time

a freight train travelling at normal speed
comes into contact with a dip or weak
point on the track, it could create another
dip, which if left untreated, could result
in further consecutive dips, potentially
leading to freight train derailments.

What impact do they have on

the network?

They mainly affect freight vehicles

because of their suspension stiffness,
however in Britain, because we run a mix
of freight and passenger trains on most
of our tracks, a slowing freight service can
slow down passenger services.

How are we addressing them?

Weve implemented clearer controls to

minimise the risk of incidents following
derailments in Gloucester and at
Heworth, in Gateshead.
A national TSR summit group has
helped to increase focus by conducting
robust and sustainable repairs, along
with regular reviews on all routes in
collaboration with train operators.
Weve also increased the frequency
of track measurement to every four
weeks across most of the network, using
our fleet of measurement trains. This
will help to provide us with good data
that will support our maintenance
regimes towards a more proactive
approach to repairs.
These controls have resulted in no
freight derailments due to cyclic top
faults in the past two years.

Are there any other projects

coming up?

STE and asset information services are

working with Balfour Beatty to create
a predictive report produced from data
from our measurement trains.
This will aim to make us aware of
cyclic top faults earlier, instead of waiting
for three actionable dips to appear. This
will make us more proactive in fixing
the track ahead of imposing a TSR
or a derailment happening. n
NETWORK

11

DECEMBER 2016

CARING

HELP IS
AT HAND

Two colleagues, one who tried to take his life on

the railway and one who has been first response at suicide
sites, share their experiences of suicide prevention
DECEMBER 2016

12

NETWORK

CARING

Over the past year there have

been 253 suicides on Britains
railway. Thats 12 per cent
fewer than the previous year. While the
decrease in incidents is good news,
suicides continue to impact railway
colleagues emotionally, delay customer
journeys and cost the industry millions of
pound each year.
Robin Morel, local operations
manager on the East Midlands route,
looks after the line from London
St Pancras to Bedford. He said: Ive
been on the railway for 28 years and
Ive attended too many fatalities I
dont count them anymore but I know
its into double figures.
When theres an incident on the line,
the first person to receive a call is the
signaller via an emergency call, then
thats passed on to the mobile operations
managers and to us, the local operations
managers. So my timeline at an incident
starts when the suicidal persons timeline
unfortunately ends.

Often forgotten

When we get to the track the first thing

we have to do is make the scene safe
so that the emergency services can
deal with the incident. Then we can
take care of the welfare of the train
crew and any witnesses.
Signallers are often forgotten in
these situations. They answer the
initial emergency call when the driver is
distraught and that trauma is passed to
the signaller.
Front line and operational staff on

Nine-point plan

Ian Stevens, programme manager, Suicide

Prevention, said: Suicides on the railway
are tragic events for all concerned; staff,
passengers and the loved ones of the
deceased alike. The industry continues
to work together to find new ways of
reducing the risk of suicides occurring.
The latest initiative is to have all our
industry stakeholders adopt a common
strategy for their reduction through what
has become known as the nine-point
plan, which will be available on Connect.
However there is no substitute as Robin
says for approaching someone who is in
obvious distress on the railway and asking
if theyre OK.

NETWORK

the ground are doing the Samaritans

managing suicidal contacts training.
Now were introducing it to signallers
during their safety briefs to prepare them
for those emergency calls.
Chris Parker, operational planner
based in Milton Keynes, promotes mental
health awareness in Network Rail. He
knows more than most about what goes
on in a suicidal persons mind, and hopes
that sharing his experience will help
prevent tragedies on the railway.
Chris said: A series of events pushed
me over the edge and it was like a
computer programme running in my
mind with the only goal of jumping in
front of a train. Its a feeling as though
youre on a path but you dont really
know what youre doing.
The only thing that stopped me was
that there were works on the railway and
due to a temporary speed restriction,
there were no fast trains. This interrupted
my state of mind and prevented me
from going ahead, and it shows that
its possible, even when someone is as
close as I was, to reach out and help
them change their mind.

Dangerous misconceptions

Robin said: Physical mitigation

measures like barriers, Samaritans
posters and yellow lines on platforms
are installed at stations for the same
reason to disrupt suicidal thinking and
give people a chance to get out of that
state of mind.
In April I attended a fatality. The

13

person involved was a well-known

barrister who had a wife and two kids. I
found it really hard to understand why he
had chosen to take his own life.
Theres a dangerous misconception
that if someone appears to be successful
it cant happen to them. But thats
misguided because mental health
doesnt discriminate.
Chris added: People who take their
lives dont want to harm others, but
theyre in a situation where they cant
appreciate the impact their death will
have on those involved in it.
Robin said: It takes a lot of courage
for people like Chris to share their
stories, and the main message we want
to put out there is that if colleagues see
someone in distress close to the railway,
to approach them and talk to them. That
could potentially save a life. n

HERE
TO HELP
Samaritans can listen to colleagues
who have been affected by a railway
incident in any way.
Free number: 116 123
jo@samaritans.org
www.samaritans.org

DECEMBER 2016

B E T T E R E V E RY D AY

A bridge to the future

New technology thats raising the roof when it comes to modernising the railway
With an estimated 500 masonry
arch bridges over lines that are
due to undergo electrification
upgrades, Network Rail is trialling brandnew technology that could save these old
and often heritage structures.
A bridge-jacking system was recently
trialled on a mothballed section of the
East-West Rail route between Bicester
and Bletchley.
The first-of-its-kind technology,
provided by Freyssinet, lifted a disused
160-year-old masonry arch bridge
900mm in less than six hours. The
reason; to make way for electrification
works without demolishing the bridge.
Jane Osayimwen, project manager,
said: Previously this electrification work
DECEMBER 2016

would have meant a six-week possession

of the track to dig up, lower and relay it.
The rail electrification programme
will improve journey experience and
reliability. Yet approximately 25 per
cent of the cost of electrification is due
to providing enough clearance for
overhead lines.
The bridge-jacking technology not
only saves time and money but reduces
passenger disruption as well. Its
definitely a win-win for all.

Electrifying solutions

This trial came about thanks to an

industry callout for solutions.
The Avoidance of Bridge Reconstruction
Project was developed by Network Rail,

14

How to lift a bridge

1 The 220-tonne bridge was jacked
900mm using 10 50-tonne jacks
2 As the jacks lifted, hardwood
timber was inserted beneath to
support the bridge each time
the jack retracted constant
monitoring verified that the arch
was behaving as predicted
3 The arch was then lowered to
435mm higher than the starting
position
4 The gap where the bridge had
been lifted was flooded with
concrete to restore permanent
support.

NETWORK

B E T T E R E V E RY D AY

Jacking skywards

Jane Osayimwen, project manager

Three thinking
The callout has seen three other innovative
ideas surface which could save Network
Rail, and the rail industry, time and money:
Dgauge PanSpace software calculates
the headroom needed for electrification
to take place without the need for bridge
demolition.
To do this, it considers the forces acting
on a train and the contact wire, the effect
of track maintenance and deterioration,
and the electrical clearance required by
domestic and European standards.
The software has been tested at
Network Rails Rail Innovation and
Development Centre (RIDC) with a trial
due early next year.

Initial lift stage of 300mm

AECOM has proposed lowering the track

and using a layer of asphalt as a subballast layer.
Asphalt acts as a stiffer beam and gives
better structural support to the track bed.
The project team is currently developing
the asphalt track bed that will form
the blueprint for trials on Network Rail
infrastructure. This is currently scheduled
for the end of 2016.
Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB)
and the Department for Transport (DfT)
to meet the challenges associated with
clearance problems involving bridges
where electrification is to be installed.
Mark Benton, lead project manager
RSSB, said: We are delighted that
this collaboration has yielded a
successful outcome and has resulted
in a world first.
NETWORK

Where clearances are too tight,

there are three possible options: lower
the track under the structure, lift the
structure, or rebuild the bridge - which
is the most costly option.
Following its successful trial, the
final findings report of the Freyssinet
bridge-jacking innovation is due out later
this month, with a view to rollout the
technology next year. n

15

Electren UK has developed a panel that

goes inside the bridge to provide electrical
insulation.
The material and installation costs
will be assessed during the demonstration
of this prototype, which is anticipated
to take place next year. The panels
are removable for inspections and
maintenance.

DECEMBER 2016

S A F E TY A N D P E R F O R M A N C E

WARNING SIGNS
A new alarm system is in place
to alert colleagues to potential hazards

In 2004 four colleagues, Colin

Buckley, Darren Burgess,
Gary Tindall and Chris
Waters, were killed while working in
a possession when a faulty trailer
ran away at Tebay in Cumbria. Six
others were seriously injured.
Since the tragedy, those involved, along
with members of the National Union of
Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT), have
campaigned to put in place a solution that
means history never repeats itself.

New system

The Vortok system gives workers a

visual and audible warning should a
runaway vehicle approach them
giving them time to get out of harms
way. This is triggered by a treadle
attached to the track 200 metres in
advance of the workgroup.
This additional layer of protection
is to be used in a possession where

teams are working downhill from plant

that could potentially run away.
Network Rail has worked with the
supply chain to develop and refine the
design, which led to successful trials
in Carlisle a year ago.
Guidance on how and when the kit
should be used has been agreed
and rolled out.

Honouring colleagues

Jonjo Carruthers, maintenance manager,

remembers the Tebay incident only too
well. He said: Weve never stopped
pushing for a solution, and weve done
this for the families of the colleagues
we lost. There have been some very
similar incidents since Tebay where
other people could have been killed,
and so far weve been very lucky.
When we met with Mark Carne and
told him our story, something clicked, and
we got the extra support we needed. We

were never going to give up. We couldnt.

Mark Carne, chief executive, added:
When I met those involved in the
Tebay incident, their passion to honour
their colleagues by making our railway
safer really hit me. It shouldnt have
taken this long to help them make this
happen, but Im really pleased this is
now being done.
I am immensely proud of the team
at Carlisle and their determination to
protect others. Colin Buckley, Darren
Burgess, Gary Tindall and Chris Waters
may be gone, but this work means they
will never be forgotten.

Local champions

Dave Allen, project manager, explained

the plan: Weve now got champions
in every route who have built
implementation plans based on local
needs. Kits are now in place and being
used across the country. n

I am immensely proud of the team at Carlisle and their

determination to protect others. Colin Buckley, Darren
Burgess, Gary Tindall and Chris Waters may be gone,
but this work means they will never be forgotten.
Mark Carne

DECEMBER 2016

16

NETWORK

S A F E TY A N D P E R F O R M A N C E

How does the Vortok

system work?

An alarm box is positioned near the people

working on the line downhill from the
potential hazard (such as a trailer). The
alarm box gives an audible and visual
warning if triggered, creating a ten second
opportunity for workers to move to safety.
A set of cables connects the alarm box to a
treadle fixed to the railway tracks near the
potential hazard. A runaway triggers the
treadle, and the alarms fire.

NETWORK

17

DECEMBER 2016

C E L E B R AT I N G O U R P E O P L E

Catching up with

Mr Smith
The former voice of Birmingham
New Street shares the new
chapter of his railway story

Aston signal box sits next to

a section of track that it
doesnt control, which strikes
Andrew Smith, recently qualified
signaller, as odd.
I look after a line thats two miles
away, so some of these trains are
mine, he says, pointing at the window.
But most of them are controlled from
Birmingham New Street signal box.
I take over the line at Aston, which is
the next train station.
Having finished his school training
in May, Andrew came to Aston signal
box for some on-site training with a
fellow signaller.
With him, I learned more about line
blockages and engineering possessions
as you dont get to see them for real at
school. You can only fully experience
them in a signal box.
At the Rail Operating Centre they
try to simulate the real thing but you
cant fully appreciate it until youre here.
Now Im dealing with real people, real
lives. You cant make a mistake: the
people in all these trains and the people
out on track depend on the signaller to
keep them safe.
DECEMBER 2016

From the voice of the station

to the eyes of the railway

Andrew left Birmingham New Street

to be trained to become a signaller.
I interviewed several times for signalling
jobs and it took a few attempts to pass
the tests to be accepted in the training
programme, but I made it and Im very
happy about it, he says.
I was concerned that the isolation
and the strict regulations of the signal
box would be too much for me, but
Ive been formally on the job for four
months now and I love it. Ive taken
to it like a duck to water.
Ive already had some challenging
shifts. By my fourth or sixth shift I
had to operate trains on the wrong
direction against the flow of traffic
because there was a problem at Aston
with the overhead line equipment.
I had to direct trains to their closest
station to allow people to get off,
because the last thing you want is
people stuck in trains in the middle
of nowhere.
Communication and trust is key
for this job and especially when these
irregular things happen: I have to trust

18

a driver when they tell me their train

has come to a stand and wont move,
and the next driver has to trust me
that Ill take them to their destination
safely. In cases like this, I have lead
responsibility. n

Sound and vision

Andy was the voice of Birmingham New

Street station for 25 years, from November
1990 to April 2016, before changing track
on his railway story to become a signaller.
Read more about his story in the May
2016 issue of Network magazine.
https://issuu.com/nrnetwork/docs/
network_may2016

Andy or Bobby?

Drivers call us bobbies, its a colloquial

term that dates back to when we used to
use flags to signal. If a train has stopped
next to the box, the driver will say alright
Bob, how are you?

NETWORK

CARING

CUSTOMER FOCUS:

Fast facts

One team

Routes will now be able to approve:

London Midlands Patrick Verwer explains what

he expects from Network Rail through devolution
Changes are afoot at Network
Rail as the process of devolution
continues across the business.
As the company evolves, routes are
establishing more authority over their
local decisions, to work closer with train
and freight operating companies.
And it couldnt come at a better
time too, according to Patrick Verwer,
managing director, London Midland.
At this years leadership conference
Patrick said: I want Network Rail to
move away from this supplier/customer
principle because were one team and
were perceived to be one company by
the public, delivering one service for our
end customers passengers.

One company

As long as the constraint of weve

got a supply chain and youre our
customer so what do you want us to do?
remains, were really missing a trick.

NETWORK

Its not about that, its about working

very closely together, virtually as one
company and collectively having the
customer in mind. Thats what we need
to focus on.
At the conference in November,
Patrick said: Network Rail talks about
devolution but when push comes to
shove I cant really do a deal or get to
an agreement with my partner, Martin
Frobisher, London North Western route
managing director, without him having to
go through panels and committees Ive
never heard of.

Step in the right direction

At the end of November it was

announced routes will now take on
more financial responsibilities and
accountabilities as part of Network Rails
transformation plan.
As Martin Frobisher explained: There
have been significant changes designed

19

98 per cent of renewals projects

(previously 83 per cent), giving greater
autonomy of investment decisions
aligned to route priorities
99 per cent of purchase orders
(previously 95 per cent) allowing
faster approvals and payments where
required for critical high-value works
96 per cent of customer contractual
claims (previously 72 per cent)
Route-specific goods and services
contracts, with flexibility in local
contracting strategies, while
benefiting from national deals
where such exist.

to give more powers to routes. That

means we can make our own financial
choices and respond better and quicker
to our partners needs.
We now dont need to refer to a central
panel or decision-maker for approval.
Instead we can progress the majority of
our decisions directly, working closely
with people like Patrick. Better for us.
Better for customers. n

DECEMBER 2016

NETWORK RAIL PERFORMANCE:

PUBLIC PERFORMANCE MEASURE

PPM is a locally-driven metric on Network Rails scorecard and gives the
percentage of all passenger train journeys that run and arrive on time
(within 10 minutes for long distance trains, within five minutes for others).

Station
delays

Technical
fleet
delays

Signalling
faults

Signalling
system
and power
supply
failures

Fatalities
and
trespass

TYPICAL
INCIDENTS
THAT CAN AFFECT
PPM AND CAUSE
DELAYS

Train
crew
causes

Overhead
line
equipment/
third rail
faults

External
causes
(train
operator)

Track
faults
Level
crossing
failures

Track
circuit
failures

BETWEEN 50 AND 60 PER CENT OF PPM FAILURES

ARE ATTRIBUTED TO NETWORK RAIL
Delays are measured in minutes and Network Rail calculates the delay minutes
by all trains affected by a single incident, including the effect of the delay
across the network after the initial incident is resolved.
A delay in one area of the network can have lasting affects in
other areas, delaying other services for hours across Britain.