by rail engineers for rail engineers NOVEMBER 2018 –– ISSUE

OCTOBER 2018 ISSUE 168

169

derby 79
days
https://t.me/Digital_eLibrary

later

THE FUTURE
RETURN OF
OF THE RAIL UK RAILAWARDS
PARTNERSHIP
New Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines gives
his early thoughts on the state of the railways. ENVIRONMENT

FLOODSTATION
DERBY RESILIENCE SCHEMES
REMODELLING CHALLENGES
CP6: A GAME OF
ANDTWO HALVES
POLITICS
flood
Two very similar flood prevention projects, The UK supply chain met at the Rail Industry
but on different routes and with different Association annual conference to hear from
contractors. politicians and infrastructure owners.

www.railengineer.uk
 https://t.me/Digital_eLibrary

Take a closer look at how we

preserve infrastructure and natural habitats
wspforthefuture.co.uk
RAIL ENGINEER MAGAZINE CONTENTS 3

44 Feature

06
News
Railtex, greenhouse gases, George Stephenson,
brake dust.

10
Derby 79 days later
Peter Stanton looks back at a major project as the East
Midlands station reopens.

18
The future of UK Rail
New Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines speaks
to parliamentarians.

Environment

22 32
Flood resilience schemes in southwest England The UK rail supply chain – challenges and politics
Mark Phillips compares two very similar projects on The Rail Industry Association’s annual conference raised
different routes. some interesting questions.

28 38
Rebuilding nature’s networks with the railway
Midland Metro update
Jenny Merriman and Anne Dugdale from WSP discuss the
Grahame Taylor revisits construction of the West Midlands
concept of Natural Capital.
Metro extension.

22 44
Autonomous trams demonstrated in public
Keith Fender rides on a driverless tram in Potsdam,
Germany.

48
The Digital Railway progresses to the East Coast main line
David Bickell considers Network Rail’s plans for train
control at King’s Cross.

54
Advances in railway cybersecurity
Paul Darlington learns how Nokia is combatting the threat
of cyber attack.

38
58
Crossrails considered
Clive Kessell on the highs and lows of Crossrail and the
prospects for Crossrail 2.

54

62
Waterloo new platforms
Mark Phillips visits the London terminus as its remodelling
nears completion.

66
Liverpool Lime Street completion
The extensive remodelling of this important station is
successfully delivered.

74
Eu5t0n

74
Graeme Bickerdike introduces Tony Freschini’s 1971
study of Euston station.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

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 RAIL ENGINEER MAGAZINE
Under new management
Andrew Haines became Network Rail’s new
chief executive in August. In this month’s
magazine, he gives his thoughts on where
the railway needs to go, as expressed to
the All-Party Parliamentary Rail Group. This
follows his questioning by the Commons
Transport Committee in September about his
key priorities.
No doubt, his views reflect his experience as
managing director of South West trains, when
he felt that Network Rail was too centralised
and so was detached from its passengers and
freight users. Hence his view that passengers
“have to be at the front of the agenda for
every one of our employees” and that more
devolution is needed.
At the Transport Committee hearing, its
chair, Lillian Greenwood, expressed the
view that previously there had a lack of
candour from Network Rail. This was not
the case on this occasion when Haines, for
example, expressed his candid view that the
centralisation of timetable planning a decade
ago was a short-sighted decision, resulting
in a loss of skills. He also felt that the current
timetable process, developed in the 1990s
when passenger numbers were declining,
was never designed to introduce large-scale
changes.
He also expressed a more nuanced
approach to electrification. Whilst Mark Carne
is on record as saying: “We’ve discovered
the cost of electrification is very expensive”
and that “in the meantime the trains are
getting better”, Haines made it clear to the
committee that he is not anti-electrification.
However, he feels that the right solution
depends on the required outcome. He
considered that electrification does very
little if the requirement is increased capacity
https://t.me/Digital_eLibrary
with no reduction in journey time. However,
if better whole life costs, journey time
improvements and a reduced carbon footprint
are required, he advised that “you might well
choose electrification”.
Haines was also quizzed about the
digital signalling, which he feels had
been significantly oversold. Nevertheless,
with two-thirds of the signalling system
requiring renewal in the next fifteen years,
it is important to avoid its replacement
by conventional equipment. This needs a
business case based on digital signalling’s
maintenance savings and capacity
improvements. Acknowledging concerns
about the continuing increase in signalling
replacement costs, he stressed the
importance of early contractor involvement to
keep costs down.
Although both his Westminster appearances
indicate some changes of approach, Haines
has much in common with his predecessor.
These include his conviction that the focus on
safety must not change and the importance
of attracting private finance. He also feels
that Network Rail has made huge progress
in some areas, with many successful projects
delivered.
As Mark Phillips describes, two such projects
are the flood resilience schemes at Cowley
Bridge junction and Axminster. These deliver
significant benefits to passengers, who are
unlikely to be aware of this work. In contrast,
users of Derby and Liverpool Lime Street
stations were well aware of the work at these
stations. Our reports from Peter Stanton and
Paul Darlington show that the planning and
execution of the blockade work (or partial
closure as Network Rail prefers to term it),
which kept these stations open during the
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
EDITORIAL 5
major work at and around them, was seriously
impressive.
The work to modify Waterloo’s former
international terminal for domestic services is
also quite complex. As Mark Phillips explains,
this includes infill roofing, orchestra pit
refurbishment and a new link bridge.
Looking back fifty years, Graeme Bickerdike
considers the design of the ‘new’ Euston
station which opened in 1968 and now carries
more than twice the passengers that it was
designed for. Looking to the future, Clive
Kessell, reports on the case for Crossrail 2 in
an article that also highlights the frustration
and unanswered questions about the delay in
opening the Elizabeth line.
In his feature, David Bickell reiterates the
point Andrew Haines made about the need
for digital signalling to replace life expired
signalling equipment, in this case that installed
in the 1970s at the southern end of the East
Coast main line. With the introduction of
digital signalling, cyber security becomes
increasingly important. This month, we also
explain how cyber-attacks can be prevented.
The digital technologies used in self-driving
cars have now been applied to trams, as Keith
Fender explains in his report from Potsdam,
near Berlin, on what is claimed to be the
world’s first self-driving tram. Closer to home,
Grahame Taylor reports on progress with
the West Midlands Metro extension, which
is to have battery operated trams and a link
to HS2. He also highlights the challenges of
installing its permanent way in Birmingham’s
congested city centre.
With over 300,000 employees, the rail
industry’s annual contribution to the UK
economy is £36 billion. Much of its supply
chain is represented by the Railway Industry
Association, which recently had its annual
conference. As we describe, this featured
high-profile speakers and highlighted
concerns about the ‘boom and bust’ with
project funding, lack of funding for rolling
stock innovations, the need for a satisfactory
Brexit and co-ordination between prestige
projects such as HS2, Crossrail 2 and the
digital railway. There was also a consensus
that the travel experience of rail passengers
needs to be improved.
In this, and other respects, Network Rail’s
new CEO seems to be in tune with the voice
of the industry.
DAVID
RAIL ENGINEER EDITOR SHIRRES
6 THE TEAM
Editor
David Shirres
david.shirres@railengineer.uk
Production Editor
Nigel Wordsworth
nigel.wordsworth@railengineer.uk
Production and design
Adam O’Connor
adam@rail-media.com
Matthew Stokes
matt@rail-media.com
Engineering writers
bob.wright@railengineer.uk
chris.parker@railengineer.uk
clive.kessell@railengineer.uk
collin.carr@railengineer.uk
david.bickell@railengineer.uk
graeme.bickerdike@railengineer.uk
grahame.taylor@railengineer.uk
lesley.brown@railengineer.uk
malcolm.dobell@railengineer.uk
mark.phillips@railengineer.uk
paul.darlington@railengineer.uk
peter.stanton@railengineer.uk
stuart.marsh@railengineer.uk
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Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
NEWS
Exhibitors rolling in to Railtex
The world's biggest and most respected rolling
stock manufacturers are confirming their stands
at next year's Railtex 2019, the UK's premier rail
industry exhibition.
Already confirmed is French depot simulator, as well as an ETCS
transport giant Alstom, which used driver’s desk.
Railtex 2017 to unveil plans to introduce These manufacturers will join a host
a new regional EMU platform for the of other national and international
UK, as well as launching its new CLever organisations from across the
cantilever for the country’s rail network, infrastructure and rolling stock sectors, all
which will be returning to Birmingham coming together at an event that will help
for 2019, when the company will exhibit shape the future of UK rail.
new designs and innovations, to be Railtex 2019 takes place at
confirmed closer to the show. Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre
Stadler Rail, which is supplying UK between May 14-16 2019. Demand is
operator Greater Anglia with a new fleet set to be high again, following 2017’s
of Flirt electric inter-city and electro-diesel impressive showing, and companies are
regional multiple-units, and supplying a urged to book their stand space early to
fleet of 17 driverless metro trains for the avoid disappointment.
10,5km Glasgow Subway, will also be
using Railtex 2019 as a platform for its For more information,
latest product range. The company made see www.railtex.co.uk
its Railtex debut in 2017 and will make a
highly anticipated return.
Also confirmed for 2019 is Chinese
manufacturer CRRC, the world’s largest
supplier of rail transit equipment. The
company has recently developed a hybrid
shunting locomotive for Deutsche Bahn
and, at Railtex 2017, showcased vehicles
for the Bejing Metro Line 14 and Malaysia
ETS Intercity EMU, amongst others.
Other exhibitors with stand
reservations include Hitachi Rail Europe,
showcasing its wide range of rolling
stock innovations, train maintenance,
predictive maintenance, signalling and
traffic management systems, and also
reality solutions at Railtex 2017, including
a metro configurator and an innovative
 NEWS 7

Greenhouse gas is 25,000 coming

times worse than CO2
As the electrification debate grows,
along with the (some would say
painfully slow) increase in electrification
route miles, comes a warning that the
equipment used could be adding to the
global warming problem.
The components inside
high-voltage switchgear need
to be insulated, one from
another, so that electricity
can’t jump the gap. This is
achieved by either having
large gaps between them - air
insulated switchgear - or by
flooding the space between
the components with an
insulating gas.
One of the gases used is
sulphur hexafluoride - SF6.
Hopefully, this gas stays inside
the equipment and isn’t
released to the atmosphere,
but if, for example, there is
an accident, or life-expired
equipment is being scrapped
and care is not taken, then
DECEMBER 2018
there is always a chance that a
little may escape.
The railway industry is always
portrayed as being keen to
reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions. However, just one
kilogramme of SF6 has the
equivalent greenhouse effect
of over 25 tonnes of CO2 - and
this synthetic gas persists in the
environment for up to 3,200
years. For this reason, the
design and development of
substations that replace SF6 is a
goal in Network Rail’s challenge
statement on smarter, more
efficient electrification.
NOJA Power, which supplies
equipment to the Australian
railways, is supporting this goal
through its advances in solid
dielectric insulation (which do
not use gas of any type) that
offer equivalent performance
to SF6 across the medium
voltage range (1kV to 52kV).
“NOJA Power has always
applied a policy not to use SF6
in any of our products,” said
NOJA Power Group managing
director Neil O’Sullivan, who has
the ambition to make SF6 go the
way of CFCs in the 1990s.
soon...
ELECTRIFICATION & POWER
As the UK rail network is one of the biggest
consumers of electricity in the UK, it is always
investigating ways to innovate, reduce costs,
introduce new power alternatives and reduce
carbon.
Cabinets, Components, Connectors, Control Equipment
and Systems, Cables, Distribution Networks, Earthing,
Fasteners, Generators, Housings, Insulation, Lamps,
Lightning Protection, Monitoring, OLE, Pantographs,
Power Supplies, Security, Substations, Transformers.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE
This issue looks back at the 2018 Christmas works
and previews infrastructure projects happening in
2019. Rail Engineer’s expert writers look at what’s
involved in maintaining and renewing the railway’s
infrastructure and at advances in technology aimed at
making it faster, easier and more cost effective.
Asset Management, Bridges, Cable Hangers, Concrete,
Construction, Drainage, Examinations, Lifting, Modular
Systems, Painting, Plant & Equipment, Precast Sections,
Refurbishment, Replacement, Rope Access, Scaffolding,
Spray Concrete, Surveying Equipment, Surveying
Techniques, Tunnelling, Tunnel Boring, Ventilation,
Waterproofing.
MARCH 2019
DIGITAL RAILWAY,
SIGNALLING & TELECOMS
Three of Rail Engineer’s writers specialise in this
complex field that keeps the railway running and
will provide the key to increased capacity, improved
punctuality, quicker journey times and safer running
in the future. Reports on the Digital Railway are
balanced with others on more traditional forms of
control and communications.
Barriers, Broadband, CCTV, Displays, Driverless
Systems, Equipment, ERTMS, GSM-R, Gantries, Hazard
Warnings, IP Networks, Information Systems, Level
Crossing Surfaces, Loudspeakers, Operating Systems,
Protection Systems, Radio, Resignalling Schemes,

Enchanted
Signalling Power, Software, Training, Warning Systems,
WiFi

RailStaff Awards 2018

WH ER E P EOP L E' S D R E A M S BE C O M E R E A LI T Y. . .

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Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

8 NEWS

George Stephenson notebook turns up in York

A records assistant at Network Rail's archive in York has stumbled across a notebook containing
George Stephenson's plans for the world's first locomotive-driven passenger railway.

John Page discovered what a thrill it was to find.”

the notebook by chance while
looking for another document
in the archive’s deeds room
in April this year. It includes
Stephenson’s redesign and
budget for the Stockton and
Sir Peter Hendy CBE, chair of
Network Rail, added: “George
Stephenson’s original survey of
the Stockton and Darlington
Railway ushered in the railway
age, not only in Britain, but

Key Clamp Darlington Railway, which

opened in 1825, and was signed
around the world. Network Rail
is delighted and proud to have
Handrail System by G Stephenson at Killingworth
Colliery on 18 January 1822.
found this astonishing artefact,
and very pleased to have it
The notebook, which shows displayed by our friends at the
Manufactured with simplicity Stephenson’s survey of George National Railway Museum.”
and ease of installation in mind Overton’s original plans for the
line and recommendations, has
With only an Allen key or ratchet key now gone on display at the
required to assemble and tighten grub National Railway Museum in York.
screws or join galvanised tubes, you can John Page said: “Because it is
install this handrail system in a matter of a historical document it would
seconds! Available in a range of polyester
never have been loaned out or
powder coated colours and finished with
a weather resistant galvanised coating. requested as it didn’t impact the
GOT A PROJECT running of the railway, so, since
• Handrails
IN MIND? the 1950s, it has sat on a shelf
• Pedestrian & safety barriers
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“I was looking for a deed for
one of our internal colleagues
Visit us online today at and, purely out of curiosity,
eziklampsystems.com decided to look through the
packets, and there it was, and
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
 NEWS 9

SNCF trial to tackle brake dust emissions

Technology designed to suck up the particles emitted by trains during braking is to be
trialled by SNCF.
Working with Tallano Technologie, SNCF will fit the TAMIC® According to SNCF, the particles produced during braking are a
system to trains in the Ile-de-France region as part of an experiment significant pollutant in underground stations. Although less than
which aims to improve air quality at stations. seven per cent of the 391 stations operated by SNCF Transilien in
SNCF believes the trial, which is financed by the regional government the Ile-de-France region are located underground, SNCF said it felt
and will run for two and a half years, is the first of its kind in the world. it was still important to find a solution.
A small turbine, installed next to the brake disc, activates during As well as its applications in rail, Tallano Technologie has developed
braking and sucks particles from grooves within the brake pad. a similar solution for the automotive sector.

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Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

10 FEATURE

derby
79
days
later

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

 FEATURE 11

SHEFFIELD

PETER CHESTERFIELD

STANTON
CHESTERFIELD
WORKSTATION
(EMCC)

D
erby station has just undergone a major remodelling, one that the CLAY CROSS

)
IL

CK
JUNCTION

RA

LO
K
project’s sponsor has described as “perhaps THE biggest remodelling

EA

AT

KI SH
(P

RK F
A

BY IEL
scheme of its type in recent years”. Rail Engineer published a preview

-IN D
-
of the works planned for Derby (issue 155, September 2017) and also
reported on progress partway through (issue 165, July 2018). AMBERGATE JNC

With the major work complete, and the Ambitious project

station reopened, it is time to reflect on The high-level project objectives were: DUFFIELD
what has taken place and the significance »» To reduce journey times, improve LITTLE EATON
JUNCTION
of a scheme that has completely changed performance, increase the line speed

NOTTINGHAM
C
JN
the operational methodology at the station and segregate services;

RD

N
TO
N
N

EA
O

D
DERBY

D
junctions and has also spread its impact »» To remodel the station for a simplified

G
N

N
LO

LO
SP
some distance from the station itself. and compliant track and signalling EMCC
PSB TRENT
To start, it is worth reviewing the outline layout; PEARTREE WORKST’N
(EMCC)

of the scheme to allow the second phase of »» To renew life-expiring signalling and SUNNY HILL
LOOPS
the works to be understood in context. track infrastructure in the area (including
LEICESTER/
The station was previously remodelled Spondon level crossing); ST PANCRAS

STOKE/
CREWE
in the late 1960s as part of a major East »» To deliver a layout ready for future
Midlands-related Derby remodelling, electrification.
EGGINGTON
when the now to be superseded power In summary, achieving those objectives JUNCTION SB

box was brought into service. Equipment involved a £200 million investment to MOIRA WEST
JUNCTION SB

in that power signal box was approaching reconfigure both track and signalling in
its end of effective life and the control the Derby station and surrounding area, BURTON-ON-TRENT

COALVILLE
would become the last portion of East delivering a more efficient and reliable
Midlands signalling to migrate onto the layout.
adjacent East Midlands Rail Operating Crucial to the planning was the timing of
Centre (EMROC). main work: the partial closure would run EMCC EAST MIDLANDS
CONTROL CENTRE

Similarly, the permanent way and switch from 22 of July to 7 of October and could ALREWAS SB
PSB POWER SIGNAL BOX

and crossing units had also reached their be split into two distinct phases. SB SIGNAL BOX

DERBY PSB
end-of-life condition. Regular maintenance Phase one, from 22 July to 2 September,
RT L

CONTROL AREA
O M
H
N C
W

DERBY STATION
had kept the station performing well since was of six weeks’ duration. This was REMODELLING AREA

LICHFIELD FRINGE CONTROL

the 1960s but, with passenger numbers followed by phase two, 2 September to AREA TO DERBY PSB
BI

doubling in the past twenty years, the 7 October, was five weeks. In the whole
RM
IN
G
H

Derby resignalling project represented period, there was to be only one day with TAMWORTH
A
M

a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to no trains, on 2 September, to facilitate

replace and upgrade the infrastructure. essential testing and commissioning
U ML
TH

WEST MIDS
2018, therefore, was an opportune time activities.
SO C

SIGNALLING
W

CENTRE

to redevelop the station and associated An overview of the work content is

layouts driven by that requirement to impressive, with a baseline of laying BIRMINGHAM

replace existing signalling equipment. The
main station buildings and concourse were
replaced in the 1980s, and was further
modernised in 2013, resulting in very little
heritage to concern designers who could
have a free reign to produce the most
modern facilities.
fifteen kilometres of new track, which was
to be replaced and laid in a completely
new configuration. As an adjunct to the
core physical works were the tasks of
installing, testing and commissioning a
considerable signalling upgrade, related
closely to the upgrading of Spondon level
crossing, south of the station area on the
London main line. This would result in
reduced barrier downtime at the crossing,
bringing benefits to all.
As well as the operating railway, there
were to be improvements to nearly all the
existing platforms, including the provision
of a completely new island platform in the
location of the old goods lines. Platforms
improvements would include new
canopies on the renumbered Platforms 4
and 5, the old bay Platform 5 having been
dispensed with, while the new platform
would be connected to the existing
station footbridge by lifts and stairs.
Close cooperation
The 79-day partial closure, the longest
ever continuous partial closure of an
operational railway, featured a great many
individual milestones, but the programme
was essentially divided into four key stages:
»» Days 1-9: possession of the Birmingham
line was taken while the North-South
line remained fully operational;
»» Days 9-44: work was extended to
include the south lines towards Trent;
»» Days 44-79: Day 44 was a major

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

12 FEATURE
programme milestone, with the station
becoming a temporary terminus from
the South and West (with no trains to
the North) - remodelling and signalling
re-control led to the closure of the old
Derby power box;
»» Day 79: The signalling system, all lines
and platforms became fully operational.
Despite the long temporary closure, the
sheer number of workers, engineering
trains (240 were used during the 79-day
period, bringing in materials, including
150,000 tonnes of ballast, and removing
waste), road/rail vehicles and the amount
of equipment on site, meant that each
contractor’s work programme involved
a great deal of preparation and a huge
amount of collaboration, with detailed
planning taking place months in advance.
The project was managed under a ‘hub
and spoke’ arrangement, with Galliford
Try undertaking the station work, Amey
Sersa looking after the track while
Siemens was responsible for all signalling
and telecoms, including the control
centre, signalling power and civils works
associated with it.
A number of major subcontractors took
care of significant elements of the project
- operational telecommunications were
progressed by Optima, building services
by Kemada, steelwork by Carver and
structural work by MPB.
Close collaboration throughout the
programme was a key element of its
success, with the spoke contractors
working closely with each other,
their supply chains and Network Rail
Operations to ensure the smooth running
of the work.
The co-location of Network Rail and
its contractors was also a critical success
factor, enabling daily meetings to be
held throughout the partial closure
(this increased to twice-daily during the
project’s critical periods). Co-location
also meant that issues were quickly and
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
New pointwork in place, simplifying the southern approach to Derby station.
efficiently resolved by the project team
as they arose, without them having to be
escalated within individual organisations.
This close cooperation meant that a good
deal of parallel working was possible,
while the integrity of engineering safety
processes was maintained at all times.
Improved track layout
Among the major plus points of the
scheme was the delivery of an efficient
track layout, enabling services to be
segregated and journey times reduced,
facilitated by modern electronic signalling
with remote condition monitoring of the
vital operating equipment.
Through the platforms, the station has
gained an increased line speed, rising
from fifteen miles per hour through the
old layout to thirty and forty miles an
hour in the new format. Although most
trains stop at Derby, there is a real gain
for freight passing through, and modern
high-performance trains are also able to
accelerate and take advantage of the
higher speed condition.
The way that the platforms are used has
completely changed.
The original layout of the lines round the
station was developed for the patterns
of freight traffic in the late 1960s. The
high concentration of freight traffic at
the time, of course, was coal flows, an
example being the regular shuttling of
coal train working from Ripley through
Derby, to Willington power station on the
Birmingham line. This coal traffic, together
with other freight flows such as steel
billets, passed through the station with
capacity assisted by the multiple goods
lines to the east of the station.
With the heavy focus on freight
heading towards Birmingham, rather
than London, the layout tended to favour
the West Midlands’ routeing. Similarly,
with northbound flows, the bias tended
towards this cross-country route.
The net result was that London line
trains, coming north, were held as they
had to effectively cross the northeast -
southwest route to gain platform space,
creating a high percentage of delays while
waiting for platform access.
A vital philosophy of the new layout
is the ability to segregate train flows;
London services use the east-side
Platforms 5 and 6 while northeast -
southwest services concentrate on the
west-side Platforms 1 and 2.
Other services, such as those serving
Nottingham and Cardiff, will use the
centre roads of Platforms 3 and 4, whilst
freight, at its current pattern, will be able
to use the roads through Platforms 1 and
2, taking advantage of the higher line
speeds.
The redundant goods lines have
disappeared, to make way for the new
island platform incorporating the new
Platform 6. The eastern face of the new
island, in theory Platform 7, flanks the
 FEATURE 13

approach lines to Etches Park depot

and will not normally be available for
passenger service use.
That remodelling has resulted in traffic
flows being effectively shifted from the
south end of the station to the north. The
necessary major trackwork alterations,
therefore, drove the project staging, as the
south end was renewed and remodelled
in the first part, blocking direct access
to the cross country and Crewe routes.
Cross-country traffic was able to use the
Erewash Valley route and the line from
Trent Junction to Sinfin, to allow northeast -
southwest services to continue.
The second phase involve the renewal,
and substitution by new junctions, of the
permanent way north of the station. This
again cut the route but allowed northeast
- southwest services to come into the
station from the south before reversing
and heading off to the West Midlands.
A casualty of this part of the staging
was the suspension of the Matlock branch
service. However, this was served in the
Probably the first time there has been no track down here for over a hundred years.
interim by a bus substitution between
Derby and Matlock, serving all stations
on the route. Indeed, much of the access
to train services for Derby passengers
was maintained by a complex system of
bus substitution which, while perhaps not
ideal, enabled access to the rail network
from the city to be maintained.
Many of the existing switch and crossing
units replaced were a reliability threat to
the station working. The new pointwork
used standard items throughout, avoiding
known reliability challenges such as
switched diamonds. During the last
weeks of the programme, track renewal
continued north of the station towards
Little Eaton and the Chaddesden curve.
Chaddesden curve had originally been
part of the route that allowed trains to
pass Derby station and access the main
goods yard at Chaddesen sidings. The
north end approach to the yard had been
retained, allowing access from the station
to some residual engineer’s sidings and
acting as a headshunt for stock coming
into service from Etches Park maintenance
depot. The curve has now been double
tracked and a portion of the sidings
signalled, to give increased flexibility of
working and some extra stabling room.

SUNNY HILL
DERBY 2017 LAYOUT
LOOPS PEARTREE LNW
JNC 1

WEST
2 3 NORTH

5 4 6

BOMBARDIER DERBY
ROLLS ROYCE JNC

MCB
CCTV UP & DOWN
SPONDON
RTC
LONDON MAIN WEST
ROAD
JNC UP & DOWN
SOUTH CHADDESDEN GOODS
MANUALLY-CONTROLLED MCB
BARRIER WITH CCTV CCTV

SUNNY HILL
DERBY NEW LAYOUT FROM OCT 2018
LOOPS PEARTREE
1
UTF
WEST
DTF
2 3
UTS
NORTH
DTS
4 5
BOMBARDIER
ROLLS ROYCE 6

NEW TRACK
MCB
OD
SPONDON UP TAMWORTH FAST UTF
RTC
DOWN TAMWORTH FAST DTF
SOUTH ETCHES PARK CHADDESDEN
UP TAMWORTH SLOW UTS

DOWN TAMWORTH SLOW DTS

MANUALLY-CONTROLLED MCB
BARRIER WITH OD
OBSTACLE DETECTION

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

14 FEATURE
Signalling recontrol
In preparation for the main partial closure,
the first major tranche of track enabling
work took place during a two-day disruptive
possession over Christmas 2016, with
Siemens installing a five- and four-track
under track crossing (UTX), in readiness
for the signalling and telecoms and power
cables being laid.
A three-day disruptive possession over
Christmas 2017 enabled the signalling
project team to undertake two key
phases of work. The first supported track
alterations, with the up and down goods
line and an existing signal gantry within
the station area being removed, and the
signalling infrastructure to accommodate
the new fuel and inspection line laid in.
Temporary points were also laid in to
facilitate access to and from the rolling stock
transportation works in Derby. The second
tranche of work saw the installation of a new
six-track signal gantry (consisting of three
legs and two booms) at the south end of
the station.
During January 2018, the new telecoms
and power systems were made available,
with soak testing starting six months later.
The main programme, covering 283
signalling equivalent units, was not only
technically complex, given the significant
changes to the track layout and the changes
in data that were therefore required, but
also logistically extremely complex.
In all, the scope of the signalling
work included the installation and
commissioning of the following elements:
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
Looking south, with the London Road bridge in the background.
»» Controlguide Westcad workstation at
the EMROC in Derby;
»» Three Central Interlocking Processors
(CIPs) to enable the resignalling of
the wider Derby station area and the
recontrol of Derby North;
»» A Relay Interface TDM Application
(RITA) to enable the recontrol of the
Derby North area;
»» 35 kilometres of re-signalled railway, with
a further 30 kilometres of recontrol area;
»» Auto-reconfigurable power supply, 124
signals and 89 point ends;
»» Westrace Trackside System (WTS)
‘zone controllers’ and Frauscher axle
counters;
»» 11 relocatable equipment buildings
(REBs) and 26 signalling location cases;
»» One modular equipment housing for
the re-built level crossing at Spondon,
which is now a manually-controlled
barrier with object detection crossing.
The remote interlockings at Duffield and
Ambergate, to the north of Derby, were
re-controlled to the Derby workstation at
EMROC during days 44-79 of the partial
closure, with the existing TDM (Time
Division Multiplex) systems being replaced
by the Siemens RITA solution, which has
allowed automatic route setting capability
to be added to the existing interlockings
- negating the need to completely replace
the existing equipment and resignal the
area.
Part of Siemens control systems
portfolio, TDM brings train-operated
route release (TORR) and anti-bobbing
functionality to the interlocking. Both
of these are required to allow the
implementation of automatic route setting
and both are functions not found on older
interlockings.
The programme was also the first
application in the East Midlands of
Siemens’ WTS (Westrace Trackside
System) technology. Already deployed
on projects including Thameslink,
Liverpool Lime Street and Weaver to
Wavertree, WTS is a high-performance,
high-availability trackside controller that is
rapidly becoming the norm on resignalling
programmes.
As an internet protocol (IP) network-
based solution, the system can replace
traditional trackside functional modules
(TFMs), relays, and other legacy
equipment. Being a digital-ready solution,
it also provides sufficient excess capacity
in the signal operating modules (SOMs)
to ensure Derby is effectively ‘future-
proofed’ for the next 30 years.
Derby station

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16 FEATURE
Visible improvements
Visitors to the station will notice the
improved passenger facilities that have been
gained with the remodelling and revised
philosophy on the segregation of services.
Galliford Try were responsible for the
island platform 6/7 construction and the
extensions to the existing platforms. The
new island platform gives much improved
facilities for passengers joining London
services with a new first-class lounge,
waiting room, refreshment room and staff
facilities. Access to the station footbridge
has been facilitated by more effective
stairways and, as the station subway does
not serve that platform, two, rather than
one, new disabled access lifts have been
installed. The general design of the new
platform and accoutrements matches the
appearance of earlier work on the other
platforms, carried out in 2013, to give an
architecturally cohesive appearance.
Looking back over the project, sponsor
Kevin Newman explained that, in his
view, the success of the project rested on
good planning, an excellent team and a
pragmatic view of contingency. There were
three major contractors on site (as well
as others) and the coordination between
them had made a significant contribution to
progress, regular interface meetings having
facilitated that cooperation and ensured
that the project management team were
aware of any challenges that might occur.
This complex task was also put into
motion during some of the hottest weather
seen for ages - an important welfare issue
was to ensure staff on-site were suitably
hydrated. The dry weather also made
the spreading of ballast a dusty process,
needing its own mitigation.
As well as the climate-related
challenges, it had been important to
remember that the project had taken
place right in the centre of a large city,
and Kevin was pleasing to note that
effective stakeholder and neighbour
consultation had apparently resulted in
Reworking the roof over Platforms 4
and 5, as seen from the new Platform 6.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
very little disruption to the residents from
the project construction efforts.
The major train operating companies
working through the station had also
encouraged progress, doubtless taking
note of the improved conditions for their
operation after the project was complete.
CrossCountry had built diversions into its
schedule whilst the East Midlands Trains’
timetable had been set to allow access
but retain a reasonable service to the
capital.
Further cooperation from East Midlands
Trains had also allowed access to the
station worksite by accepting and
enabling alternative maintenance sites for
its trains, while planning moves on and off
the Etches Park depot at Derby, to allow
station works to progress.
Whilst the station project was underway,
East Midlands Trains was also carrying
out modification works to that depot to
take care of maintenance plans for its
expanded High-Speed Train fleet.
Further acceptance of perturbation
and careful planning had also allowed
the movement of trains in and out of the
Bombardier works and the tripping of
aviation fuel for Rolls Royce.
Open for business
As 8 of October dawned, the city of
Derby could once again enjoy a full rail
service, boosted by a much more flexible
and effective layout and operations control,
taking full advantage of that quoted ‘once
in a generation’ opportunity. In the early
hours of that morning, the final pieces of
equipment and machinery were removed
and the lines to the north of Derby station
were handed back to East Midlands Trains
and CrossCountry to allow the full train
service to resume for the first time since
Sunday, 22 July.
To thank customers for their patience
and understanding over the previous 79
days, thousands of free reusable coffee
cups (including a voucher for a free coffee),
cupcakes and other treats and surprises
were being handed out throughout the
week. Although the project finished on
time, there was some disruption to services
due to issues elsewhere on the railway.
However, this does not overshadow the
incredible project achievement.
Summing up, Rail Minister Jo Johnson
said: “This is a key milestone in the
Government’s rail upgrade programme and
is part of the £1.5 billion modernisation of
the Midland main line.
“Passengers have been incredibly
patient during the summer while the huge
engineering work has taken place and
they will now start to take advantage of
the improvements which will deliver more
reliable, faster services, with more seats.”
Thanks to Barry Pearson for his input on
the Siemens work on this project, and to
the Network Rail media and engineering
teams, and to East Midlands Trains, for their
help with this article.
RAILWAY DIVISION
ANNUAL LUNCHEON

1 MARCH 2019
Grosvenor House
Park Lane, London
imeche.org/railwayluncheon

Hosted by:
ANDY MELLORS
Chair, Railway Division

Keynote speaker:
ANDREW HAINES OBE
Chief Executive, Network Rail

Sponsored by

Improving the world through engineering

18 FEATURE

UK rail
ANDREW
HAINES The future of

A
ndrew Haines recently
joined Network Rail as
its new chief executive,
replacing Mark Carne who
had held the post since January 2014.
In his last role, Andrew had been a
board member and chief executive of
the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) since
August. Prior to this, he had a wide-
ranging career in the rail industry, both
as managing director of South West
Trains, and then as managing director
of the Rail Division for First Group plc.
Andrew received the OBE in 2016, for
services to transport.

For his first external speaking

engagement, Andrew Haines spoke
on the future of UK rail - structures,
timetabling, renewals, enhancements, cost
control - to the All-Party Parliamentary Rail
Group at Westminster.
Having interviewed Mark Carne on his
departure from Network Rail’s top job
(issue 168, October 2018), Rail Engineer
went along to meet the new ‘boss’ and
hear what he had to say.
On a very warm early-October evening
in Committee Room 18, Andrew looked
relaxed. With shirtsleeves rolled up, he
was both casual and focussed. He clearly
knew several of the parliamentarians
around the table from his former role at
the CAA.
Speaking from notes, he appeared well
informed and covered topics that others
might have shied away from. He did, on
occasion, seem to be choosing his words
with care, but that was unsurprising
considering his newness in the role and
the audience in front of him.
So here are Andrew Haines’ views on the
railway today, and where it needs to go.

It’s great to be back - it’s a really bizarre

sensation to be back in the rail industry.
I was at the CAA for nine years, so it’s
almost 10 years to the day since I left the
railway, and I’m one of those guys who
doesn’t spend the whole time looking
back, so I’d moved on.
However, when this opportunity came
up I thought long and hard about it. I’m
very passionate about what the railway
can do for the economic prosperity of this

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018


country - what it can do for people’s lives -
and so it was an opportunity that was too
good to be missed.
Having been away for ten years, a lot
has changed. But there’s a lot that hasn’t
changed as well, and I thought that it
would be useful to consider some of the
things I observe as being quite different
now, and then also look at some of the
residual issues that remain unresolved,
some of the old chestnuts if you like,
which I think the events of the last year or
so really compel us to tackle head-on.
What’s changed?
The first thing is, let’s not forget the
sheer scale of growth, particularly in the
passenger railway.
Every year, passengers make 100 million
extra journeys compared with 10 years
ago. Something like 430 million people
made journeys between April and June
this year - in the same period 10 years ago
that would have been around 300 million.
That is a very significant scale of change.
Now safety. The record on safety is one
we ought to be proud of. We are now
pretty clearly the safest large railway in
Europe. That has come, not through fluke,
not through providence, but through
some basic disciplines which are now
fundamentally different to what they were
when I joined the railway some 30 years
ago.
Actually, they are also different from
what they might have been just 10 years
ago, not just in terms of workforce safety
but also passenger and public safety.
Investment - it’s been pretty staggering,
actually, whatever the colour of your
political cloth. It’s hard to deny that
something like £74 billion has been
invested in the UK rail network in the last
10 years, over the course of CP4 and CP5.
We’re still spending around about
£130 million every week on renewal and
upgrade projects. Alongside the big
schemes, Reading, King’s Cross, London
Bridge, Birmingham New Street, the
Thameslink Programme and Borders
Railway, one of the big surprises for me
has been the amount of resignalling
that’s been done, the rationalisation of
signalling to regional operating centres
(ROCs). A surprise, because it’s gone
largely unnoticed.
For all the big schemes people hear
about having gone wrong or been
delayed, there are many, many more
that have actually been delivered very
smoothly and very seamlessly and, I
think, in a transformative way - something
gets a safety briefing during a visit to Wembley North junction.
we’ve not historically been able to
accommodate. Now there are downsides
to that, we can talk forever about the
costs and the value for money, but we
should at least recognise the scale of the
change that’s taking place around us.
Not least, because I think that leads us to
some thoughts on the future.
Franchising and the DfT
I want to make a positive pitch for some
of the benefits of franchising. I’m not here
as an advocate of franchising or to defend
it, but if we are going to have a real
debate about today’s railway we should
recognise that the passenger railway
has grown very significantly but has also
driven very significant value to taxpayers.
Bluntly, franchises are now delivering a
lot more, for a lot lower burden on the
taxpayer, compared with the costs of the
system 10 years ago.
In addition, we’re in the midst of one
of the biggest rolling stock changes in
my lifetime, and at prices that look like
extremely good value. If you look at the
cost of bringing a new piece of rolling
stock on to the railway today, it’s actually
considerably cheaper than it would have
been for a generation.
My last observation about what has
changed is the level of DfT (Department
for Transport) involvement. I think I can
say this without too much consternation
from our Secretary of State, because I
think he himself has recognised this.
Sometimes people talk to me about the
foolishness of this policy, but I don’t think
it’s a policy at all. I think a lot of it has
happened by chance.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
FEATURE 19
Andrew Haines, in the blue helmet,
It was a policy decision to abolish the
Strategic Rail Authority. But I don’t think
the change in franchising that took place
following the West Coast franchising
issue was a policy intention - I think it
was something we slipped into. And,
frankly, the reclassification of Network
Rail was actually a consequence of the
work of the Office of National Statistics,
not something I suspect the Treasury
welcomed with open arms.
But the net effect of those three different
characteristics has meant that we now have
ministers taking decisions at a very, very
granular level, and I know they wouldn’t
disagree with that. We have a level of
proximity that I don’t think is helpful in
terms of good governance, good decision
making or indeed good politics.
Lack of progress
So, I think we’ve made huge progress in
some areas in the last 10 years, but I want
to move on now to some of the areas
that I think we haven’t really tackled and
indeed some areas where I think we’ve
gone backwards.
The timetable difficulties of the summer,
and the Stephen Glaister review for the
ORR (Office of Rail and Road), have
shown that, despite huge ambition and
commitment, the railway has not been
sufficiently focused on the needs of rail
users, both passengers and freight.
When the railway was being broken up
and privatised, I was a very junior middle
manager. I was sad enough to do my MBA
thesis on “Incentivisation in the privatised
railway”. This summer, I took some time to
read it for the first time in 24 years.
20 FEATURE
Back then, I was enthusiastic about the
benefits that competition for franchising
could bring, the ability of clear incentives
to drive efficiency and performance
improvement and the power of breaking
away from annual spending cuts that had
been the almost relentless reality of BR for
a generation. The big question I flagged
was, what would happen if, against all the
odds as it seemed then, the railway was to
grow again, how would we deal with the
investment that would be necessary?
I don’t mention that now because
I’m some sort of ‘smart Alec’ that
identified these issues all those years
ago, but because my most fundamental
observation of what hasn’t changed in my
time away is that, as an industry, we have
not adapted our model to cope with the
level of change that is necessitated by the
phenomenal growth that we have seen.
We have timetable procedures that were
designed before privatisation to facilitate
a model of operation that has never
seriously materialised.
We have incentive regimes that are, in
essence, operating exactly as negotiated
in 1994, without any real review to
see whether or not they drive and
reward the right behaviours. We have
not collaborated to build the industry
mechanisms to ensure that system
change can be dealt with effectively and
efficiently.
We have not regulated the pace of
change to reflect our collective capacity
to deliver, nor have we regulated our
capacity to reflect the necessary pace of
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
change. We have to do one or the other,
but, in doing neither of those things, we
have ended up with a disconnect.
We have underestimated the impact of
imposing change on a congested, leaner
operation and, in doing so, we have
devalued the fundamental task of running
the railway for passengers and freight
users whilst rebuilding it for tomorrow’s
users.
And, if I could be very blunt, I think we
have come perilously close to creating an
industry of victims where it is too easy to
obsess about the speck in our neighbour’s
eye. And for neighbour read TOC, or
Network Rail, or DfT, or ORR or ROSCO,
than deal with the log in our own eyes. All
the time you have a log in your eye, then
it’s rather hard to focus your sight on the
end customer.
So those are some of the key
reasons why I believe that train service
performance has declined for the last
seven years consecutively, why we have
had electrification schemes whose costs
and delivery targets have been missed,
why some of our costs and behaviours
have made innovation prohibitive,
and why we appear to sleepwalk into
impending problems.
Some brilliant work
Now they are all really sweeping
generalisations and, day after day,
operators and Network Rail buck this
trend. There are parts of this country
delivering best in class, best ever
performance in that context. Routes have
been generating exceptional growth in
customer satisfaction and organisations
have been working collaboratively to build
a better railway.
I’ve seen genuinely brilliant work in the
last eight weeks, by route and project
within Network Rail, and by operators. If
ever you feel depressed about the state
of Britain’s railways, then I’d encourage
you to join me for a day out to meet some
of the fantastic people committed to
doing their very best, day in day out. I had
honestly forgotten how inspirational they
are. There is a huge, tremendous loyalty
and passion to do the right thing in the
railway still. They compel us, as industry
leaders, to configure our system better.
I am really excited to be re-joining
this industry at this juncture, because
it is a time of real opportunity. There is
consensus that we must change, even if
there is not yet consensus on what that
change should look like. And I don’t
believe that many, if any, of the problems
we face are impossible to solve. Sir Peter
Hendy, Network Rail‘s chair, I and our
board are committed to participating fully
and transparently in the rail review which
Keith Williams will lead.
One of the benefits of reclassification is
that Network Rail has no agenda, other
than doing what is best for rail users and
taxpayers.
It was interesting to hear Andrew Haines
set out his stall on this way. Rail Engineer
wishes him good fortune in carrying these
ideas through the five years of CP6.
“Excellence in
Engineering”

Lundy Projects Limited

195 Chestergate
Stockport
SK3 0BQ
Tel: 0161 476 2996
Email: mail@lundy-projects.co.uk
Website: www.lundy-projects.co.uk
22 ENVIRONMENT

Flood
RESILIENCE SCHEMES IN SOUTHWEST ENGLAND

MARK
PHILLIPS

River Exe project

The scheme to protect the
railway from the effects of the
River Exe is at Cowley Bridge
junction, and is one of ten
sites forming Great Western’s
resilience plan, a significant
suite of investments projected
over the next few years. The
site at Cowley Bridge is the first
of these to be commissioned,
another site at Chipping
Sodbury, on the South Wales

O
Cowley Bridge ver recent years, the increasing frequency of main line, being the next.
junction team. flood events causing disruption and closure of the As the Great Western main
railway in the southwest of England should have line approaches Exeter from the
caused even hardened climate-change deniers to London direction it runs across
begin to question their beliefs. the flood plain of the River
Exe for just over a mile. The
Investment in several projects Both projects share similar branch line from Barnstaple also
designed to reduce the features, though they have been crosses the flood plain to join
frequency and/or severity of devised independently from the main line at Cowley Bridge
such railway disruption is now each other. In each case, relief junction.
being rolled out. Two of these, from flooding damage has been The positioning of this
and ones that have recently provided by the removal of junction and the associated
been successfully completed, sections of embankment and the railway embankments were
are on the Great Western main installation of precast reinforced- perhaps not seen as critical at
line near to Exeter and on the concrete box culvert units. The the time of their construction,
South Western main line near to two rivers with regular flood but they have created a literal
Axminster. There are similarities events are the Exe and the Axe, bottleneck. When the river
between the two schemes that both names derived from the overtopped its banks and made
lend themselves to a combined ancient Brithonnic word “iska”, full use of the flood plain, the
report. meaning abounding in fish. floodwaters had nowhere to go

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

 ENVIRONMENT 23

at the junction, except straight

through and over the railway.
This has caused closure of the
line on several occasions in
recent years as a result of the
washing away of the ballast and
damage to signalling cables.
Sometimes these closures
have lasted for several days
whilst the infrastructure was
restored, with London trains
being diverted via the Yeovil
single line or replaced by
buses to pick up a train again
at Tiverton or Taunton. This
was clearly an unacceptable
situation.
At this particular location,
there have been severe flood
events, which could not be
mitigated, no less than 22 times
in the past 10 years.
One particularly bad event in
autumn 2012 prompted a study
of better remedial options.
This work commenced in 2013
and has become known as
the “Resilience Study”, also
encompassing proposals for
another nine sites on Great
Western.
A special case
In the sphere of railway flood
events, Cowley Bridge junction
is a special case due to its
geographical location and the
topography surrounding it.
When the floodwaters reach
this location, they have built up
considerable speed and cause
ballast mobilisation, which
leads to extensive infrastructure
damage and large-scale wash
out. In the past, after the
floodwaters had subsided, an
inspection would take place
with the line remaining closed
until it had been extensively
repaired, requiring the use of
heavy machinery, engineering
New culverts at Cowley
Bridge junction.
trains and many tonnes of new
ballast. Sometimes, repairs
to signalling cables were also
necessary.
Prior to the construction
of the railway, the River Exe
flowed directly to the site of
the junction. It now takes a
meandering course over the
flood plain, with the railway
crossing it on two major
bridges. In times of flood,
the excess floodwater heads
straight down the abandoned
river course and encounters the
railway embankment. In 2000,
after a flood event closed the
railway, a new culvert of large
concrete pipes was installed to

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Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

24 ENVIRONMENT
Gabion mattresses and cater for this flow. A decade
Salix mats at Cowley later, this capacity was found
Bridge junction. to be inadequate and further
cross-sectional opening was
provided.
However, it was apparent
from even more recent events,
and from the Resilience
Study, that a more radical
solution was required. The
study recommended selective
lowering of the flood plain
on its approach to the
embankment, removal of the
concrete pipework and the
replacement of a significant
extent of the embankment
with twin concrete box culvert
sections. The objective of
the proposal was to provide
sufficient flow capacity to
prevent any erosion of the
embankment or ballast and to
equalise the water pressure on
both sides of the embankment.
Design development
To confirm the design and
dimensions of the box culvert
sections, hydraulic modelling
was carried out. This was also
to ensure that scour patterns
would not be altered. A
topographical survey of the
flood plain was made on a
five-metre grid with the use of
LiDAR data. This then enabled
Aerial view of embankment design of the profiles of the
excavated at Cowley flood plain lowering in the
Bridge junction. approach to the embankment.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
The main works were
designed by AmcoGiffen,
utilising Ove Arup as design
consultant. Twin culverts, sitting
side by side, cross beneath
the railway at a skew angle
to suit the natural flow of the
watercourse. Each culvert
consists of 12 box units, each
unit being 4.8 metres wide,
2.1 meters high and 1.5
meters in depth. The run of 12
units are tensioned together
longitudinally with Macalloy
bars. The flow capacity of the
new culvert units is 4,000 litres
per second.
To provide further dissipation
of the energy within the
floodwaters and a robust
channel out to the river, Salix
pre-filled rock mattresses
were specified as these are
quicker to install and are
an environmentally friendly
alternative to gabions, concrete
and blockstone. Salix also
supplied Vmax P550 turf-
reinforcement mats to be
used on the slopes for erosion
control.
Tony Gee and Partners was
responsible for the design of all
temporary works, including a
bridge to carry signalling cables
during the works to excavate
the embankment and install the
culverts.
New flood-relief
The precast reinforced-
concrete box sections were
manufactured in Ireland by Shay
Murtagh before being shipped
to Wales and then transferred
to the site by road. The main
contractor for the works was
AmcoGiffen. Access to the
site required construction of a
substantial access road from the
adjacent public road and across
the flood plain.
Ground stabilisation trials
were undertaken ahead of the
possession, as soon as access
could be obtained to the
 ENVIRONMENT 25

24 box culvert units ready

for placement at Cowley
Bridge junction.

adjacent field. Soft alluviums was selected in agreement with recreate the embankment after
were present in the ground, the train operating companies installation of the box culvert
so two trials were undertaken so as to not disrupt Monday units.
to decide on the most suitable morning and Friday evening The cost of the project, which
foundations for the culvert Cross Country passengers, who included the two new flood
units. make particularly long journeys. relief culverts, 70 metres of
One trial was of a shallow London-bound services were new track, river embankments
excavation, whilst the other diverted. and spill ways, and also some
was deeper, removing the soft At the same time, the repointing to another culvert
material. Fill, including large local delivery unit took the nearby, was approximately £3.6
boulders measuring a minimum opportunity of this generous million.
of 500mm, was pushed into the line closure to undertake some Deborah Elliott, project
ground and surrounded with track renewal works and some manager for Network
smaller, gabion stone. Backfill works to a number of level Rail Infrastructure Project
was then installed on top of crossings. Enhancements, told Rail
this, which was compacted In total, 1,300 tonnes of Engineer: “AmcoGiffen has
and rolled in layers. Both trials excavation was undertaken, 450 provided a quality installation
passed the California Bearing tonnes of ground stabilisation of two new flood relief culverts, Temporary cable bridge
Ratio tests and a suitable materials imported, and 600 delivered within a 75-hour at Cowley Bridge
combination of the two trial tonnes of backfill used to blockade of the Great Western junction.
methods was recommended
by the designer, Arup, for use
underneath the new culvert
units.
Each individual box culvert
unit weighs 13.8 tonnes. The
culverts were designed to be
composed of the 12 small units,
so that they could be handled
by a large 80-tonne excavator.
This avoided the use of any
craneage, minimising weather-
related risks, and also ensured a
safer worksite with its restricted
working space.
The main possession for
the installation work was of
75 hours duration, from early
on a Tuesday to early on the
Friday morning in mid-June.
This unusually timed possession

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

26 ENVIRONMENT
Axe valley culvert main line despite challenges
installation. with ground conditions. These
culverts have been designed
to provide improved flood
resilience at this strategic
location to help us to keep
trains operating more of
the time and to enable the
infrastructure to recover quicker
during prolonged periods of
flooding.”
River Axe project
Interestingly, the project
near to Axminster shares
many similarities with the work
near Exeter - apart from the
derivation of the river names.
The South Western main
line from London Waterloo
to Exeter follows the valley of
the River Axe as it approaches
Axminster. Problems with
flooding affecting the railway
in this area have called for the
installation of concrete culverts
at two separate locations, one
is known as Axe and the other
as Broom, these being the local
names of the level crossings
adjacent to each of the new
structures.
Early development for the
scheme was undertaken by
Mott MacDonald, working
jointly for Network Rail, the
Environment Agency and
Devon County Council with
input from East Devon District
Council, and was funded in
part by a fund created to
help East Devon recover from
severe flooding that occurred
Axe valley culvert in 2012. The relationship
installation. between the four statutory
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
bodies was formalised through
a partnership agreement, and
was set up, in no small part,
to ensure that the complex
environmental controls that had
to be complied with to deliver
a project in a protected riverine
site were met with minimal
inter-body disagreement, and
therefore minimal cost to the
public purse.
The structures were designed
by Arcadis, with continued
involvement from Mott
MacDonald for hydraulic
modelling. At each site, the
structure consists of seven box
culvert openings, each opening
consisting of a male and female
unit, joined together along the
centre line of the railway. Each
unit at the Broom site weighs
38 tonnes while those at the
Axe site weigh slightly more
at 40 tonnes, essentially being
a larger version of the same
design to give a greater cross-
sectional flow area.
In addition to these 28 precast
culvert units, there are precast
concrete “restraint” units,
placed throughout the length of
each structure on each side, to
prevent any lateral movement
that might occur over time.
Finally, there are precast wing
wall units. All of this added
up to a significant quantity of
material to be conveyed to site.
Construction
Shay Murtagh, as at the
River Exe project, was the
manufacturer of the precast
units, which were shipped from
Ireland to Liverpool and then
brought to site by road.
Stephen Carr, project
manager for main contractor
Osborne, told Rail Engineer
that, in anticipation of the
disruption to a local village by
these intensive lorry deliveries,
a lot of effort went into liaison
with the inhabitants regarding
mitigation. It was planned
that the delivery of all the
units would require nine days,
with five low-loaders passing
through the village each day.
Having involved themselves in
the local community, Osborne
installed a soft play area for
the local primary school,
repaired an Armco barrier
and did some planting. These
generous goodwill initiatives
 ENVIRONMENT 27

were motivated by the fact that,

apart from coming through
the village, the only other way
to site was over a minor road
bridge with a three-tonne
weight restriction.
However, at the eleventh
hour, the local council enabled
this other route to be used by
strengthening the bridge to
40 tonnes! However, the word
strengthening is not quite
accurate - what was actually
done was to install a completely
separate new truss bridge
spanning above the old arch
bridge and founded above account of the flood plain soil Prevention not cure New Axe valley
the original abutments. Quite conditions. It consists of four Returning once more to structures.
an unusual but useful first aid layers: Terram T1000 textile, the similarities between both
measure! followed by 575mm of 6F4 projects, they can each be
Work on-site started in mid- (50mm to dust) material, then visualised as valiant attempts
May, leading up to the main two 150mm layers of DoT to provide fast-filling bathtubs
possession, which was to be a Type 1 material and finishing with larger outlets than
nine-day closure of the line in with 75mm of a small single- previously. But, recognising
September. Fixed-jib cranes sized gravel. After placement the great forces of nature, the
were brought onto each site of the restraint units, riprap message is “prevention not
two weeks prior to the main rock armour was provided cure”, and occasionally there
possession. Once rigged, their as further protection against will remain the risk of a closure.
first task was offloading the scour. For the River Exe site, the
concrete units as they were During the works, temporary project team estimates that a
delivered. Trial placement scaffolding bridges were severe event, maybe closing
and coupling up of a pair provided at both sites the railway, will now occur only
of units, male and female, to carry signalling and once every 10 years instead of
was then carried out on a telecommunications cables. once every two. And, for the
hardstanding area, clear of the There was a fibre-optic River Axe, Mott MacDonald, on
railway, to check the ease and cable joint which had to be behalf of the project team, has
manoeuvrability of the units particularly carefully managed estimated that the new culverts
for this process before having to avoid disturbance. will have extended the severe
to do it ‘for real’ in the main Impressively, at both Axe and event frequency from 1 in 5
possession. Broom sites, the contractor’s years to 1 in 20.
Removal of the embankments office, stores and messing Nevertheless, in terms of
and placement of the box facilities were powered solely confident operation of the
culvert units went well at by frames of solar panels, on railway and with minimal
both sites during the main hire from Speedy Hire. disruption, these are very
possession, with only a slight The cost of this project was significant gains achieved by
stoppage as high winds above £9.5 million. these two similar projects.
35 mph prevented the cranes
from working. In fact, despite Solar panels at Osborne
this, the overall work finished site offices.
with almost a day in hand.
The joint between the male
and female units is sealed
by a Denso strip while the
waterproofing on top of
the culvert units, applied
before reinstatement of the
track ballast, is Wolfin, with
installation sub-contracted to
Waterseal.
The foundation specified
for the box culvert units was
quite a thorough one, to take

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

28 ENVIRONMENT

Rebuilding
Nature’s Networks with the Railway

JENNY ANNE
MERRIMAN & DUGDALE

R
ail’s role in securing a more sustainable future has never been clearer or Natural capital is not a new concept;
more important. The sector is already embedding sustainability values the idea that the natural environment
into everyday decisions to deliver wider societal benefits through better provides us with benefits from which
management of the natural environment. However, the rail sector can still we derive value has been around for
integrate sustainability values further into its business and create opportunities to centuries. But economic systems have not
enhance natural capital. reflected its value in decision-making. This
needs to change fast, with our societal
One concept that is now gaining materials that we use every day. Our and economic success depending on the
favour in helping understanding of the natural environment also gives us very capital that we have been degrading.
natural environment is the term Natural benefits in less obvious ways, such as As the Government’s ‘Making Space
Capital. This incorporates the air, water, the regulation of water flows, pollinating for Nature’ review emphasised in 2010,
soil and ecosystems that support all insects and the mental and physical “Our natural world is not a luxury: it is
forms of life and which provide us with wellbeing that we get from spending fundamental to our wellbeing, health and
the renewable and non-renewable time outside in nature. economy”.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018


A way forward
‘A Green Future: our 25 Year Plan to
Improve the Environment’, was published
by the government in January this year
and represents a real shift in how nature
is perceived and valued. The goals
of cleaner air and water, sustainable
resource use, plants and animals which
are thriving, and better engagement with
nature are underpinned by a delivery
plan centred around a natural capital
approach - incorporating nature’s values
into decision-making processes.
This requires a radical shift in the way
we approach infrastructure development
and there is an expectation that the
transport and infrastructure sector will
contribute to rebuilding the UK’s natural
capital and lead on mitigating against
climate change. Indeed, rail figures large
in the government’s sister document,
‘The Clean Growth Strategy - leading the
way to a low carbon future’. Published
last October, this report targets higher
growth with lower carbon emissions and
identifies low carbon transport solutions
as an important element of increasing
everyone’s earning potential.
Halving carbon emissions is one of four
strategic goals for the railway set out in
the 2017 Rail Technical Strategy Capability
Delivery Plan, which has been endorsed
by both the Rail Delivery Group and the
Rail Supply Group.
The role of rail
Shifting freight from road to rail, and
decarbonising and optimising energy
efficiency in rail, are clearly part of the
solution for clean growth, but how are we
addressing natural capital?
Traditionally, the environment has
appeared at odds with development,
with extensive environmental impact
assessments addressing negative
impacts. However, rail has embraced
the concept of no net biodiversity
loss and shown sector leadership in
delivering compensatory habitat through
development.
Take the Thameslink programme and
London Bridge station redevelopment
for example; WSP helped Network Rail
achieve net positive gain for biodiversity
by developing robust protocols for
biodiversity offsetting and partnering with
the London Wildlife Trust. WSP developed
the station’s sustainability delivery strategy
and it went on to achieve the highest ever
CEEQUAL rating for sustainability in civil
engineering.
But what if rail development could
work with the environment at the outset
to enhance natural capital beyond
biodiversity gain?
Environmental net gain
The 25 Year Environment Plan
introduced the idea of embedding an
‘environmental net gain’ principle for
development across the UK. From a
natural capital perspective, this involves
considering the environment in an
integrated way, making it central to the
development process.
Rail has already made significant
progress in deriving multiple economic,
environmental and social benefits from
the way it delivers infrastructure projects.
Network Rail’s combined environmental
and social performance policy - enshrined
in mandated standard NR/L1/ENV/100
- exemplifies that understanding and
approach.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
ENVIRONMENT 29
WSP is supporting Network Rail in
delivering low-carbon electrified routes
by conducting robust sustainability
option appraisals in design, championing
social value and pioneering biodiversity
accounting to quantify changes as a
result of development. High-profile
commitments to achieve a biodiversity
net gain as part of major infrastructure
development have created project-
specific compensatory habitats, which are,
in turn, enhancing natural capital.
Network Rail’s recently launched
Environmental and Social Appraisal
Tool places the impact on environment
and society at the forefront of decision-
making. This WSP-designed tool offers
an opportunity to embed a natural capital
approach.
The Network Rail property estate, much
of which was recently sold to Telereal
Trillium and Blackstone Property Partners,
generates over £200 million per year. Just
as space in stations and railway arches has
been repurposed to become a lucrative
source of income, reserves of natural
capital could be created to attract third
party investment by embedding natural
capital accounting in asset management
and design feasibility.
Given this strong starting point, there
is opportunity for rail to demonstrate,
through everyday decision-making,
maintenance and operational activities,
how its activities can enhance the natural
environment and deliver cost-effective
solutions to today’s challenges. This
requires the use of innovative methods
and metrics to better measure natural
capital.
Biodiversity net gain is fundamental
to this process and the 2012 Defra
(Department for Environment, Food &
Rural Affairs) biodiversity accounting
metric is about to be updated and
improved. Beyond this, other tools
30 ENVIRONMENT
and methods are being developed
that consider wider economic and
environmental benefits, such as ‘natural
capital accounts’ which assess baseline
value for natural capital, monitor change
over time, economic costs and benefits
to society, and enable informed decision
making.
Currently undergoing piloting by Oxford
University, with support from WSP and
others, the Eco-metric is a habitats-based
tool for valuing the wider goods and
services delivered by biodiversity net gain.
It is based on a scoring matrix adjusted for
condition and spatial factors, connectivity
and time lag, much like the Defra
biodiversity metric, and is designed to
support users to deliver both biodiversity
and environmental net gain.
Driving better outcomes
The rail sector is well positioned
to deliver ‘future ready’ schemes by
scaling-up the effort to tackle the global
environmental challenges of climate
change, biodiversity loss, pollution,
resource depletion and waste, and to
address the lack of reinvestment in natural
capital. By collaborating with developers,
asset management providers, sector
partners and other players in transit-
oriented development, we can drive these
outcomes even further.
Rail will be a key player in the
transit-orientated development of the
Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Growth
Arc, and the Heathrow expansion plan.
Collaboration between key parties to
deliver natural capital as an integral part
of those development opportunities will
be a critical success factor.
In the Natural Capital Committee’s
recent fifth annual report to the Economic
Affairs Committee, the independent
advisory body to government highlighted
that “a willingness to pool existing
resources and funding in new ways and
to modify prior plans, including through
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
more integrated approaches” will be
vital to determining success. A holistic
approach to embedding environmental
value will also appeal to increasingly
sustainability-savvy passengers and freight
transporters who want to contribute to
a clean economy and to natural capital.
In turn, expertise and experience in
successfully rebuilding natural capital will
attract investors.
As we have seen with HS2, and that WSP
anticipates will also be a key factor in the
Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Growth
Arc, rail shapes the spatial distribution of
investment in development. The business
case for rail and, ultimately, its funding
approval, is not simply about journey
time improvement, it’s about maximising
broader economic development and
social value opportunities for the public
good. Integrated programmes of work, as
well as multi-investor collaborative design
and delivery, have the potential to create
even greater reservoirs of natural capital
and larger havens for flora and fauna,
while better connecting communities and
stimulating investment.
By taking a more integrated
approach to the design and
delivery of major infrastructure
projects, rail can help realise the
Lawton Principles for ‘Making
space for nature’ - ‘More, Bigger,
Better and Joined’.
Focussed on the future
‘Future Ready’ is WSP’s global
innovation and sustainability programme
to design projects that are ready for
our future world as well as today. This
programme anticipates future trends,
staying ahead of regulation and creating
greater value for projects and clients.
WSP’s integrated consents,
environmental assessment and land
referencing teams are dedicated
to making the case for sustainable
development, with a focus on innovation,
economic prosperity and environmental
quality. Their multi-disciplinary expertise
enables them to function as one single,
integrated project delivery team, working
together to ensure best practice is
followed throughout a project lifecycle.
This means that WSP can embed the
latest thinking on natural capital and value
creation right at the start of a project,
saving time and money further down the
line.
An industry leader on the development
and application of the Biodiversity
Net Gain process, WSP is currently
undertaking biodiversity assessments
at national and local level for a number
of organisations including Highways
England.
As work on biodiversity net gain
matures within the UK, WSP is at the
forefront of ensuring that it’s delivered
in the most appropriate way and that
opportunities to rebuild our natural
capital are explored. This includes
expanding ecology services beyond
biodiversity net gain to include natural
capital assessments and expertise,
benefiting from strong ecological
foundations and a diversity of experts in
air quality, water, economics, consents,
environmental impact assessment, social
impact evaluation and sustainability.
Protecting and replenishing natural
capital is critical to future economic
prosperity and wellbeing. Through
sensitive management of nature’s assets
and delivery of rail infrastructure projects
that work with the environment, the sector
has enormous potential to demonstrate
leadership in rebuilding natural capital
and providing society with a sustainable
future.
Jenny Merriman is natural capital technical
lead and Anne Dugdale is technical
director, town planning, with WSP.
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32 FEATURE

CLIVE
KESSELL

The UK Rail Supply

CHALLENGES AND POLITICS
Chain

W
ithout doubt, the Railway Industry Association (RIA) represents a David suggested that doubts may still exist
significant membership of companies engaged in supplying the rail with stage 2b to Leeds and Manchester.
industry, covering a multitude of different engineering disciplines. Darren Having the Secretary of State for
Caplan, the chief executive of RIA, stated at its recent annual conference Transport, Chris Grayling, as a speaker
that the industry contributes £36 billion to the economy with over 300,000 employees, was a real bonus in these uncertain times.
both of which are impressive numbers. His enthusiasm for transport in general
came across, but he is adamant that value
A short introductory video showcased by 2040 will require continued investment for money has to be achieved. No more
a number of companies that contribute in electrification (although the cost of so is this reflected than in electrification
with design, project and implementation achieving this has to be brought down) projects, where both costs and timescale
activities and demonstrated the need for a and innovative new rolling stock - not only have spiralled out of control, on the Great
pro-active and innovative supply chain to bi-mode of electric/diesel but battery Western in particular.
meet the increasing technological demands technology and hydrogen as well. Some Chris Grayling (above and below) was
of an expanding and busy railway. However, companies are already engaged in this, but pleased that many good things are coming
as Darren explained in his opening address, very much as a speculative venture with no out of the industry, as witnessed by UK
four factors make these uncertain times. certainty of end-user acceptability. showings at the recent InnoTrans exhibition
Firstly, the big message coming across Fourthly, a satisfactory Brexit is crucial for in Berlin. However, more new thinking
from RIA member companies is the problem the rail industry to continue close ongoing is required for the whole railway. New
of ‘boom and bust’ with project funding. technical co-operation with Europe. Around propulsion methods cannot be ignored,
Not having a steady work stream leads to 20 per cent of the UK workforce is made witness hydrogen and hybrid train projects
recruitment uncertainty and the knock-on up of mainland European employees and in Germany, which could be ideal for
effect of having to acquire the right calibre their expertise must not be lost. The UK has
of people when contracts are awarded excellent export potential and frictionless
only to make them redundant again when trade is essential.
contracts are completed, all causing an
increase in cost and delivery delay. The political dimension
Secondly, whilst prestige projects such The compere for the conference was
as HS2, Crossrail, National Electrification, David Begg, now the chief executive of
Digital Railway and others are welcome, Transport Times but well known for his
there is little in the way of co-ordination transport thinking at Edinburgh University
between them to ensure the available over many years. He recalled the success
resources and skills are effectively of the ‘Save our Railway’ campaign in
distributed. the 1990s, when retrenchment of the
Thirdly, whilst funding is given to R&D network was a real threat. Privatisation
for infrastructure innovation, no equivalent has brought an increase in ridership and
money is available for rolling stock the resulting big investment projects. HS2
development. The goal of decarbonisation to Birmingham is just about assured, but

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

 FEATURE 33

the East - West Railway from Oxford to

Cambridge, essentially a commuter railway
in the making.
Digital railway techniques should provide
a solution to many of the current capacity
problems. The money is there - but the
processes for spending it must be speeded
up to ensure investment in new technology
and innovation is spent wisely.
The forthcoming Rail Review, whilst
concentrating on the franchising model,
will aim to produce a joined-up railway,
something that has to be a team effort. The
industry will change shape and the supply
chain must be part of that, and there is a Alternative politics of the existing one to ensure the relevant
danger that the customers - the travelling Andy McDonald, the shadow secretary feedback and lessons are understood.
public and freight users - have become for transport, exposed some of the The ceasing of the electrification schemes
forgotten with too much focus being myths about the opposition’s view on rail. is viewed as a major error, although the
placed on engineering for its own sake. Nationalisation will only apply to the TOCs, cost for new projects must be reduced.
The Trans Pennine upgrade from Leeds to and only then on franchise expiry. He Key to part of this is the continuance of
Manchester is predicting line closures of claimed that the evidence in support of this the National Skills Academy for Rail with
39 weeks per year for the next five years, is overwhelming, using Virgin East Coast measures put in to retain skilled staff within
which is unacceptable. and the forthcoming bailout of Anglia to the industry.
The clamour for ‘boom and bust’ removal demonstrate that the system is not fit for On Brexit, Labour respects the
is noted but the industry should not expect purpose. referendum result despite the appalling
safe and secure business for all time from The announced Rail Review will not look handling of subsequent negotiations, but
government. While there is no shortage at Network Rail, existing franchises or the would maintain a customs union with the
of work in the UK at present, with many ORR, and Andy MacDonald (above with rest of Europe.
schemes underway (Trans Pennine, Ely David Begg and below) doesn’t believe it is Whilst not advocating a return to British
Junction, Dawlish consolidation, East-West needed to show up the main shortcomings. Rail, that era of industry did achieve results
rail to name but a few), huge opportunities Labour has no intention to nationalise any with minimum money. Some lessons from
also exist in other countries around the part of the supply chain, indeed a strong the past need re-learning. Railways need
world and the government will support supply industry is recognised as vital. A less political interference and should be
companies that engage with this - Chris joined-up railway is the prime objective, left to the rail experts. Network Rail is far
Grayling even offered to make ministerial with timetable compilation and regular asset from perfect, with costs being too high, not
visits if the situation merited it. Despite the maintenance being the mainstay of this. helped by the industry fragmentation. The
problems of 2018 - electrification delay, A Labour government will create a public Digital Railway vision is supported, but the
timetable introduction, Crossrail - all caused company to run the railways, with the remit digital platforms must be much more than
by ‘it will be alright on the night’ thinking - of less expensive fares, easier through- just the roll out of ETCS.
more opportunities exist for rail than at any journeys and close co-operation with local Conference attendees reflecting on
time in the past with considerable private authorities. Control periods will be of seven the two political viewpoints might even
investment adding to central funding of years duration, with planning for the next consider that they are not so very different,
£48 billion for CP6. period taking place two years before expiry at least for the longer-term vision.
HS2 is crucial, but it should be viewed
as a series of bypasses to free up space
on the existing railway rather than having
high speed as its primary aim. The industry
has to be better at making the case for
HS2, where state of the art technology
and increased speed is only sensible. The
project will not be micromanaged by
government and it is up to big companies
to support smaller firms down the supply
chain.
Calls for a vertically integrated railway will
be considered in the current Rail Review,
led by Keith Williams, but wholesale
nationalisation will only suck private
investment out of the industry. Greater
employee participation in the industry’s
future will help de-militarise the present
conflicts.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

34 FEATURE
The regional panel - (l-r) Barry White, Maria Machancoses, James Price, Bill Reeve.
Regional considerations
Regional clamour for a less London-
centric investment approach is often
vocal, but is this factual, or even fair? Four
speakers from different parts of the country
gave their view.
Bill Reeve, the director of rail for Transport
Scotland and an engineer by background,
had perhaps the easiest task as the results
of Scottish rail investment are there for all
to see. New lines, improved journey times,
reduced emissions, better accessibility
and affordability are all part of this. The
electrification of the Shotts line is running
ahead of time and within budget.
Scotland recognises that a steady
workload to avoid peaks and troughs yields
a secure industry employment base, which
in turn leads to an alignment of customer
and supplier. Developing new projects with
Network Rail in CP6 is proving something
of a challenge.
Whilst Scotland is only 11 per cent of
the UK railway, it has 358 stations and
93.8 million passenger journeys each
year, demonstrating how a devolved
government can succeed.
Wales is different, as the Welsh Assembly
does not have the same devolved powers
as Scotland. Nonetheless, James Price
from Transport for Wales stated that 100
per cent of the trains in Wales will be
renewed by 2023, 50 per cent of them
being assembled in the province. Coupled
with 600 new jobs and £194 million of
investment, this will yield 65 per cent more
capacity.
Novel ideas will be free travel for under-
11s, half fare for 12-18 year olds and free
travel for up to 16 year olds off peak.
The big project will be the development
of the Cardiff Metro operation, with
a minimum of four services per hour
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
on all routes, vertically integrated as
much as possible and with better-value
electrification. Improvements to information
systems and closures of level crossings will
be progressed.
Maria Machancoses, a director on the
Midlands Connect body, explained the
vision for much improved integration
between east and west, from Hereford
through to Nottingham. Foreseen is a
£575 million boost in annual investment
to achieve six million more passengers
per year and many more freight paths.
Connectivity with HS2 will be vital, but it
needs to be influenced and integrated.
The North is perhaps the most vociferous
of the regions with Barry White, the chief
executive of Transport for the North,
wanting increasing devolution. Current
expansion is mainly rolling stock-based
plus the Leeds-Manchester upgrade. More
is needed, but this will need simplified
procurement rules and an avoidance of
projects going wrong so as to build a track
record for future work.
All agree that funding for CP6 will be
different, with Network Rail no longer
pulling down debt. Scottish-style
devolution would be welcomed, although
it is recognised that Metro operation in the
North and Midlands has already achieved
this. Neither of these regions has seen
major improvement to inter-city routes,
maybe because the Network Rail situation
restricts the freedom to act.
Crossrail and HS2
A discussion session with Sir Terry Morgan
(below), chairman of both Crossrail and
HS2, revealed his frustration and annoyance
with the Crossrail delay, but lessons must
be learned so a similar situation does not
emerge with HS2. The importance of a fully
functional executive board and a constant
peer review group are vital, but three main
points emerge: the management team
must be capable of delivering the project;
getting the appropriate funding and the
need to get value for money is vital; and
the business case must be continuously
reviewed to ensure it is still appropriate. The
late announcement of the Crossrail delay
is an embarrassment and may have been
caused by a ‘can do’ culture being lacking,
something which needs putting right.
For HS2, stage 2b (the lines from Crewe
to Leeds and Manchester) still needs a
selling job, with the business case being
based on opening up the midland and
northern economies. The harsh reality is
that, without stage 2b, the business case
for stage 1 to Birmingham is negated, so
business support is crucial and must be
improved.
Key to successful delivery is building
up the skills base, a subject that Sir Terry
is passionate about. The apprentice levy
scheme has not worked and people
within companies have to find the

solutions. Crossrail planned to take on
400 apprentices and actually ended up
creating over 1,000 new apprenticeships,
but HS2 is barely off the starting blocks.
Making the job more attractive to young
people has to gather importance, with no
more talk of just employing bricklayers
and electricians. Using the ‘greybeards’ to
capture their experiences was a message to
the audience.
The National Infrastructure Commission
So where does the NIC fit in with the
needs of the rail industry? Sir John Armitt
(above), who is its chair and a former chief
executive of Network Rail, explained its
purpose of looking for a strategic 25-30
year view of the country’s need with a
check every five years to ensure continued
relevance. A report is produced every six
months and some projects are already
prioritised, these being Crossrail 2,
connectivity of Northern Cities, data for
use in smart infrastructure, smart energy
and the Oxford-Cambridge corridor. The
latter involves rail, road and housing along
the route, but there is little evidence of any
co-ordination.
Some targets are already set: fibre to
every household by 2023, devolution to
cities of £43 billion over five years and a
transport focus on electric vehicles with
charging points to support this.
Road pricing remains controversial, but
electric cars may be the trigger for this
as the government’s income from road
duty declines. The aim is to track every
vehicle every day and a public debate
will be needed on how to pay for road
usage in the future. The intent to devolve
expenditure to cities is flawed, as they do
not have the resources to deliver.
The NIC is supportive of rail, in particular
Crossrail 2 and HS2, with rail getting
a dominant percentage of funding -
£13 billion compared to the strategic
road network’s £4 billion, despite rail
representing only seven per cent of all
journeys made.
A reiteration that HS2 is only worth doing
if phase 2b proceeds gave comfort to
many. The combination of a nationalised
infrastructure and private train companies
will never be easy to manage, with some
form of vertical integration being needed.
There is concern that the cost of high-
speed rail in the UK compares badly with
Europe. It seems the UK always has to ‘gold
plate’ such projects, an example of always
needing a new depot whereas France tries
to use existing ones. Sir John was mindful
of the old adage for an engineer - someone
who can do for £1 what it costs others £5
to do.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
FEATURE 35
Strangely, Sir John didn’t mention the
UK’s appetite to have its high-speed
network running in tunnels rather than
above ground - something that adds to the
cost but does appease Chiltern MPs.
A view from Network Rail
At the final count, it is Network Rail that
will determine the need and programme
for infrastructure spending over the next
few years and Andrew Haines (below),
its new chief executive, shared his first
thoughts on priorities and future direction.
He recently spent a night out with a track
gang in Leeds, which demonstrated to
him the dedication and commitment of
the workforce at the sharp end. Visiting,
and listening intently to, all players in the
industry - staff, suppliers, stakeholders,
politicians - will be an important exercise in
understanding how the industry operates
and some of its shortcomings, and
Andrew Haines has set himself 100 days to
understand the railway’s current situation.
Learning from the TOCs will be part of
that, noting that South Eastern Trains is
now one of the best performers, having
a good management team that yields
a stable situation delivering 97 per cent
performance.
Network Rail is much more than an
engineering capability provider, it is a
service provision company. It is poor
at project delivery, with an uncertain
organisational structure. Evidence from the
past indicates that the centralist approach
favoured by former chief executive Iain
Coucher (deputy chief executive of
Network Rail 2002-2007 under Sir John
Armitt and chief executive 2007-2010)
yielded the best results. Since then, other
models of organisation have been tried
36 FEATURE
with no conclusive results, maybe reminding
people of the long-ago statement from Sir
Peter Parker that “the railway falls flat on
its interfaces”. Rail alliances do help, the
Scottish one being a good example, but it
can be a hard learning curve.
The digital railway does not yet have a
consensual understanding as to how it
can be achieved, but traffic management
systems should be seen as all-important.
The Williams Review must not be used
as an excuse to do nothing while its
conclusions are awaited, and Brexit must
not mean a free for all on new standards.
The UK is linked to Europe by the Channel
Tunnel and the supply industry is geared to
provide products and systems that meet EU
standards - to deviate from this would be
extremely risky.
It is obvious that Network Rail is going
to have to change, primarily to reduce its
costs, but it is too early to say how this will
be achieved. Perhaps Andrew Haines will
have more idea after his 100-day review?
The Rail Supply Industry View
A discussion panel of Rosco, freight,
operations, installation & maintenance
and manufacturing interests considered
the ‘Future of Rail’. The view was that rail
growth will continue, but the industry must
be mindful of the expansion of on-line
business activity. Panel members stated
that the travel experience of rail passengers
still needs improving and should be
transformed in the digital age, but the
digital railway must be much more than
just ETCS provision. Freight operations
are also buoyant, despite the loss of coal
traffic, but the threat of competition from
driverless cars and trucks must not be
underestimated.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
Discussing diversity: (l-r) Adeline Ginne, Women in Rail; Mohanad Ismail, YRP;
Shamit Gaiger, DfT; Mark Lomas, HS2; and David Begg.
The delivery of 7,000 new carriages in the
last five years has been remarkable, as it
took 21 years to achieve this previously. The
knock-on is that around 1,500 vehicles will
become redundant in the short term, all of
which have useful life left in them, and it is
a myth to think that customers necessarily
want new trains to improve service.
The various members of the panel came
up with a list of items for conference
delegates to consider:
»» Co-ordination of track and train interests
- a move to vertical integration;
»» The need for a guiding mind in the
overall industry;
»» Poor passenger performance and lack
of fare integration is not down to the
industry structure;
»» Access to the industry by SMEs must be
improved;
»» A low carbon railway must be pursued
more vigorously.
On the vexed question of possessions
and blockades, the present situation is
untenable and much improved planning
and co-ordination is necessary. Also, real
doubt exists as to whether ETCS can deliver
the required capacity benefits.
Skills and diversity
There is a deficit of people wishing to join
the infrastructure and transport industries,
so said a panel made up of representatives
of Young Rail Professionals, Women in
Rail, DfT and HS2. They stated that rail is
around 15 years behind industries such as
media, finance and IT, and companies need
to change their recruitment models and
remove unconscious bias, often apparent
by judging initial CV applications. Whilst
graduate recruitment has its place, the
attractiveness of engineering and diversity
remains a problem.
Broadening the age range in schools
to focus on non-graduate careers and
create multiple routes into the industry -
apprentice, student, graduate - would be a
step forward. Universities should introduce
non-graduate courses (Southampton is
already doing this) and studying how the
armed forces operate would be useful.
Having quotas can be a double-edged
sword - they distort reality as well as
being illegal - but targets are acceptable.
Overcoming the cultural legacy that rail is
a male dominated industry is, however, the
biggest challenge.
All in all, the Railway Industry Association
organised a fascinating day with strong
pointers emerging for all to note. Vertical
integration, the removal of boom and
bust, remembering the end customer and
building the appropriate skill base were the
main messages, and the supply industry can
influence all of these.
The outcome of Brexit is a worry, and the
government needs to ensure UK rail has a
secure future in an international world.
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38 FEATURE

Battery traction
Before we go any further it is perhaps
worth recapping on what has happened
with the West Midlands Metro so far.
The original system began operation in
1999 with a fleet of 16 trams supplied
by AnsaldoBreda. The 20.1km track,
serving locations such as the Jewellery
Quarter, West Bromwich, Wednesbury
and Bilston, ran mainly along the former
railway line between Birmingham Snow
Hill and Wolverhampton, with a short
section of on-street running along
Bilston Road to the terminus at St.

I
t was just under two years ago that the Rail Engineer went to Birmingham to Georges.
look at the Midland Metro Alliance programme (issue 146, December 2016). In May 2016, the Birmingham city-centre
This was a time of preparation with corporate structures bedding down and extension fully opened, which brought
a long ‘to do’ list. There were also signs of an emerging buoyant construction the tram right into the heart of the city
industry working all over the City. along busy retail and commercial streets.
This extension was part of a £128 million
Two years later, and we’ve returned pedestrian wayfinding signage from project that saw the purchase of a new
to meet Alejandro Moreno, director of Birmingham City Council, Transport for 21-strong fleet of CAF Urbos 3 trams,
the Midland Metro Alliance, and Steve West Midlands and the Midland Metro a refurbished depot at Wednesbury
Grimes, the alliance’s project director Alliance certainly does help. and new stops at St Chads, Bull Street,
for the Birmingham Westside Metro Everyone and everything has arrived - Corporation Street and Grand Central for
extension. even, for a brief period, the Tory party New Street station.
The city centre is now almost conference with its associated high The line stops abruptly in Pinfold
unrecognisable and is a challenge to security and friendly policemen with Street, just round the corner from
navigate - even on foot - although machine guns. Grand Central, and aims at the logical

GRAHAME
TAYLOR

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018


extension to Victoria and Centenary
Squares and beyond to Edgbaston via
Five Ways.
Victoria Square is an area of great
architectural significance and it was
deemed that catenary wires would not
be desirable. Thus, 840 metres of twin
track will have no overhead structures
and the Urbos trams will run on battery
power, an option specified at the time
of purchase. The batteries are installed
in the roof and, at the time of writing, a
number of units have had batteries fitted
and one unit now carries the new blue
livery of West Midlands Metro (left).
There is another location where battery
power is required - this time for more
mundane structural clearance reasons.
This is where the tram uses the existing
underpass at the vast Five Ways road
junction.
Elsewhere on the network…
Work is underway on other parts of
the network. The extension from the
existing main line to Wolverhampton
railway station, currently being
demolished and rebuilt, is due for
completion by 2020.
West Midlands Metro
To the east, an application has been
made for a Transport and Works
Act Order to build and operate the
Birmingham Eastside Metro extension
from Bull Street to Digbeth.
When granted, the order would allow
work to start on the 1.05 mile (1.7km)
extension which will serve the proposed
HS2 station at Curzon Street, offering
connections to New Street, Moor Street
and Snow Hill railway stations.
A local public inquiry was closed
without objection after a day and a half in
November 2017. Pending a decision from
the Secretary of State, work is scheduled
to begin in 2019 and the line could open
by 2023.
In the early stages of development is a
scheme for the system to be extended
past High Street Deritend, via Birmingham
City Football Club and Heartlands
Hospital to Birmingham Airport/NEC/
International station, terminating at the
HS2 interchange station in north Solihull.
A business case has been prepared
and was presented to government in
June 2017 to extend the Metro from
Wednesbury to Brierley Hill. This is
an 11km route that runs largely along
update
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
FEATURE 39
an existing heavy-rail corridor which,
although it has not been used since March
1993, could still carry full-sized trains. As
a result, there is a strategic need for the
infrastructure design - the track geometry,
gauge clearance, substructure and ballast
depth - all being able to accommodate
heavy rail in the future.
Footpath possessions
All of this is being managed both day-to-
day and strategically by the Midland Metro
Alliance and Transport for West Midlands.
This is basically an agreement between
three parties - the client, the construction
contractor and the designer. The alliance is
not a legal entity like a joint venture.
The client is the West Midlands
Combined Authority, which is also a
partner in the alliance. The contractor
is Colas Rail, (supported by sub-alliance
partners Colas Limited, Barhale, Bouygues
UK and Auctus Management Group). The
designer is Egis Rail UK supported by Tony
Gee and Partners and Pell Frischmann.
Whatever may be happening with
the strategic issues, it is the ‘here and
now’ that is very much to the fore. The
‘here and now’ involves constructing
40 FEATURE
modules of tram track through a city centre
that has at least four other independent
major infrastructure projects on the go.
All of these are competing for space, for
resources and for access. None of them
have an easy job and none of them would
be able to insist on operating in isolation.
There has to be close cooperation on a
daily basis.
As well as space/resources/access issues,
there are the interests of the travelling
public to be considered. It is not unusual
for vehicular rights to be restricted but,
in the case of Birmingham City centre, it
is pedestrians that are most affected. As
the work progresses, so do the footpath
diversions. In addition, there is a need
to maintain some public meeting places
for events such as the busy and long-
established Christmas Market.
It is unusual for an urban tramway to be
constructed as a continuous worksite. There
are too many conflicting road and foot
traffic movements.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
As a result, the tram way is constructed
in sections, and the sections are, in part,
determined by the rail lengths involved
and the bending of the rail. The design of
the slab track is one that has been used for
decades in France and allows a variety of
infill options, such as concrete, asphalt or
even grass. The road finish is completely
independent of the structural support.
The rail is a grooved section - 41 GPU -
with concrete sleepers supplied by Stanton
Bonna. The traction current is DC and so
there has to be a mechanism to eliminate
stray return currents. This is achieved by
encapsulating the rail sections with an
insulating layer provided by Trelleborg.
Each rail has the layer factory applied,
except for the end 500mm. This allows
site welding to be carried out, after which
the welded area is coated with a dielectric
paint and a site-applied insulating coating.
The encapsulation of the rails also assists
with the reduction of vibrations from the
tramway.
The sections are surrounded and isolated
by hoardings. Access is maintained around
these islands of activity, but at some stage
the sections have to be joined up - an
operation that Steve admits can be “tricky
- very tricky”. If the window of opportunity
for the joining of sections is very limited,
then there is the option of constructing
precast modules that can be lifted into
position.
The original programme of sectional
construction has had to be amended in
the central area because of the impact of
adjoining major developments. As a result,
a complete road closure of Paradise Circus
is in force.
‘Roman Road’
Although the tramway is run on line-of-
sight, and thus does not need continuous
signalling, cabling for the information
systems for the stops along the route will
be fed through dedicated cabling ducts.
Cabling only becomes continuous once all
the ducting is installed, but there is no such
option for rail.
Much of the work is visible - the
construction of the slab for the tracks for
example. But, before this can happen,
there have been extensive service
diversions and upgrades. In Pinfold Street,
where some of the cellars associated with
the properties on one side of the street
extended out under the carriageway,
these have been reduced in size and
strengthened so as to support the track
slab.
There was a brief period of media
attention when a ‘Roman road’
was uncovered in the area close to
Birmingham’s imposing Town Hall. After
analysis by archaeologists, ‘Roman
road’ turned out to be ‘late 18th century
footpath’, but there were interesting
Egis
Lead designer for the six extensions
of the Midland Metro Alliance

Contact:
Egis Rail UK
115 Baker Street, Marylebone
London, W1U6RT
Tel: +44 203 763 7100
marketing.egis-rail@egis.fr

www.egis-group.com
2018 © Egis © Egis
42 FEATURE
archaeological finds nonetheless which
went on display at the nearby Birmingham
Museum and Art Gallery this summer.
An example of high tech cooperation
was the blending of drawing data relating
to the track details with data associated
Extension to Stephenson Street, opened 2016
Extension to Centenary Square (2019)
Extension to Five Ways and Edgbaston (2021)
Extension to Digbeth, coach station and Custard Factory (2023)
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
with adjacent developments. With the
surrounding schemes in the city agreeing
a common datum, and by preparing their
drawings in accordance with ISO 44001,
the true value of BIM (building information
modelling) becomes obvious. Collaboration
is not only people talking to each other, the
drawings need to talk with each other too!
The whole scheme acts as a conduit to
channel funds into the local economy and
there have been some impressive results.
A large percentage of materials for the
construction projects was sourced locally
and, last year, 26 young people previously
not in education, employment or training
were recruited from the local community to
the project.
Suggestions
Part of the alliance model requires all
parties to share pain and to share gain. If
works are carried out in a way that creates
savings then some of those savings can be
used to expand efficiency initiatives.
Alejandro explained the ‘matching-up’
project, which reaches out to start-up
companies that have proposed ways
of helping the Metro solve specific
problems. Currently there are more than
180 different ideas, some of which have
become a reality. Eighty companies in the
West Midlands have said that they have
ideas they want to develop - a review
process has started and eleven of those
eighty could be useful.
At a detailed level, QR codes have been
fitted onto machinery and equipment so
that it’s possible to track and manage each
item. This is an existing tool in the market
but it’s new to the alliance.
“Find a good idea somebody already has
and bring it here!” said Alejandro.
A good example that is keeping the
workforce and public safe is the SMS
barrier, which has a very quick deployment
from a trailer. It is a new and innovative
steel barrier system from Colas Aximum
that has been deployed on alliance projects
Looking forward, the alliance has to
consider the complexities of working
alongside the HS2 project. Preliminary
designs for the section from Bull Street to
the HS2 terminus are underway and HS2 is
preparing its drawings.
The alliance has considerable credibility
when it comes to working with and
alongside some very major projects -
it’s doing it on a daily basis. It will be
interesting to see how the Metro and the
high-speed line can blend their efforts.
 FEATURE 43

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Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

44 FEATURE

KEITH
FENDER

demonstrated in public
AU TO N O M O U S TRAMS

T
axi firm Addison Lee announced in mid October that it would be Potsdam pioneer
introducing driverless autonomous cars in London by 2021 (its über- Siemens presented what it called
competitor Uber has previously announced similar plans). That’s all very the “world’s first autonomous tram”
interesting, but, apart from delivering passengers to stations and then in Potsdam, just west of Berlin, on the
collecting them again, what has it got to do with rail? morning the InnoTrans show started
on 18 September. Siemens has worked
Autonomous driving for road vehicles, challenge for light rail will be to remain with Potsdam transport operator
when it happens - experts differ as to cost effective, especially in terms of Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam (ViP) to develop
whether it is as imminent as Addison Lee running costs. If, in the future, both buses an autonomous self-driving tram using
think or a decade or more away - will have and trams are electrically powered, they a Siemens-built Combino prototype/
a big impact on the relative economics of will both share the ‘green’ credentials. demonstrator vehicle dating from 1996.
existing urban rail services, especially light The move to autonomous vehicles The autonomous light-rail technology
rail (trams). is not just something that is being is a combination of software and
Historically, light rail has been seen as driven by high-tech firms in the USA algorithms, created by Siemens and
‘greener’ and more effective that its main (Tesla and Google being well known housed onboard the trial vehicle in a
on-street competitor - the bus. Light rail proponents, along with Uber). In the UK, large computer cabinet, plus a range of
is, after all, (normally) electric powered the Department for Transport funds the hardware, much supplied by automotive
and so doesn’t have emissions problems Centre for Connected and Autonomous parts specialists, attached to the tram
from internal combustion engines. In Vehicles and, since 2014, the UK and linked to the computer.
addition, by running on track, whether government has invested £120 million in Some parts of the system (the high
dedicated or shared with road vehicles, autonomous (road) vehicle projects (with resolution cameras and radar) have
light rail is seen as both safer and more a further £68 million coming from industry already been used by Siemens in its
productive, offering higher capacity for its contributions). ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
footprint of road space than any bus.
Left: LIDAR tram front corner sensor and radar (square below),
However, things are changing. Sales
(Right) Tram front LIDAR (big rectangle) and radar sensor (square below).
of electric buses increase month-on-
month in cities around the world and
autonomous self-driving buses exist -
they are mostly small shuttle vehicles at
present but they are in use on test in cities
in many countries right now.
Bus manufacturers are working hard
to develop autonomous buses that can
handle city streets and, potentially, be
more productive in use of road space. The

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018


Autonomous tram camera array at top of windscreen.
System), now in service as “Siemens Tram
Assistant” in Ulm in southern Germany
in new Avenio trams and on order for
use in several other European cities
including Den Haag in the Netherlands.
In addition to the cameras and radar, the
other key hardware items are LIDAR (Light
Detection and Ranging ) laser-based
measurement systems, a very precise GPS
system and actuators to control functions
such as braking and power control based
upon the computer’s analysis of the data
from the sensors.
The system uses a digital map of
the network and the software relies
on the vehicle (or more precisely its
onboard computer) being ‘trained’ to
know a specific route. When in use, it
continuously uses various sensors and
GPS to establish where it is, where it is
going, at what speed and where it should
stop - either for passenger stops or, in
emergencies, stopping immediately if the
track is blocked by people, vehicles or
other obstructions.
Using its cameras, the system even
reads lineside signals, the images
being processed by the computer into
actionable data - to stop or to proceed
- as the tram signalling system only has
these two options.
The tram’s stopping accuracy is worth
mentioning. The system is designed so
the vehicle, which is 26.4 metres long,
will stop within a 50cm tolerance at tram
stops. In practice, Siemens reported that
tests have shown the tram can stop to the
50cm accuracy at stops and then drive
from one stop to the next without human
intervention.
The autonomous tram prototype has
been tested by Siemens and ViP since
the summer, operating at up to 50km/h
on a section of normal tramway in the
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
FEATURE 45
southern suburbs of Potsdam, based at
the Babelsberg depot. The six-kilometre
section chosen includes multiple level
road and footpath crossings and tests
have operated with a human driver in the
cab for supervision of the computers for
legal reasons. ViP says the tram driver has
not yet had to intervene as the sensors
have detected obstructions such as cars,
people or cyclists and, via the computer
system, used the trams’ braking and
power control system to stop it safely.
Successful demonstration
The autonomous Combino
demonstrated it can travel at 50km/h
without a driver and proved able to
stop precisely in platforms whilst also
detecting and, where necessary, braking
for pedestrians and vehicles in its path,
including some deliberately ‘foolish’
pedestrians with prams arranged by ViP
especially to prove this!
The system aims to detect all possible
obstructions at 100 metres and can stop
the vehicle in less than 80 metres, even
at full speed.
The system has been ‘taught’ what
requires immediate reaction and what
doesn’t. This was demonstrated on the
test run when, completely by chance, a
fairly large bird (a Hooded Crow) landed
on the rails about 50 metres in front of the
moving tram - the system did not react
as its been taught that items this small do
not merit attention (the crow sensed the
tram and flew off just in time).
46 FEATURE
Siemens provided onboard screens so
the various data from the sensors being
analysed by the onboard computer were
presented visually for the benefit of the
humans onboard.
Unlike traditional communications-
based train control (CBTC) type systems
(as used on the DLR for example), which
send operating signals to the train, the
Siemens autonomous tram is ‘intelligent’
enough to know where it is going
(having been ‘taught’ the routes) and
can ‘read’ signals provided for human
operators using its cameras, so does not
need signalling information transmitted
to it (as CBTC does).
Many cities have automated metros
using CBTC but these have dedicated
infrastructure and, in many cases,
segregated platform spaces (with
platform edge doors), so the Potsdam
test is a very different operating
environment.
Looking forward
Siemens and ViP plan to expand the trial
area to more of the Potsdam network,
including the city centre, and may, as a
first stage, trial completely unmanned
operation in the tram depot.
The current legal framework under
which trams operate in Germany (BOStrab
rules) makes passenger operation without
a driver unlikely (although not impossible
- automated U-Bahn metro trains already
operate under the same legal framework
in Nuremburg) and this test vehicle is not
designed for public use.
Legal changes to permit autonomous
operation of light rail systems would
probably follow similar legal changes
currently being considered in many
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
countries, including the UK, to permit
autonomous self-driving cars and other
road vehicles - in most countries light rail
regulations are a hybrid mix of road traffic
and railway operating rules.
Siemens may have separately
developed the Potsdam autonomous
tram and sold its ADAS driver-assistance
package to several operators, but there
is competition emerging for rail drivers’
assistance systems. Bombardier has been
supplying Frankfurt’s tram operator VFG
with a ‘Driver Assistance System’ using
forward looking cameras since 2015.
In addition, German equipment supplier
ZF launched a passive collision-avoidance
driver-assistance system for trams using
artificial intelligence at Innotrans. ZF
claims that its ProAI computer system
is capable of ‘deep learning’ and using
data from onboard radar, cameras and
LIDAR to identify and warn the driver
about potentially dangerous situations at
tram stops, where many people are often
moving around the exterior of the tram.
Driver assistance (or replacement?)
Fully autonomous trains are already in
operation - in the largely unpopulated
Pilbara region of Western Australia
where mining company Rio Tinto has
been operating 28,000 tonne freight
trains without drivers since the summer
of 2018. This solution uses an ATO over
ETCS L2 solution from Ansaldo STS,
combined with onboard sensors for
location and speed plus lineside cameras
fed to a central control centre for the
few locations where human activity may
intersect with the railway, such as at level
crossings.
The same overlay of ETCS and ATO (as
used for the Thameslink ‘core’ in London)
is seen by many as the approach for main
line rail automation to make it possible in
densely populated cities rather than the
Australian outback, although many issues
remain unresolved.
The Potsdam trial certainly shows
the technology has the potential to
act as a supervisor for human drivers,
preventing, for example, over-speed
operation on curves or avoiding collisions
with pedestrians or vehicles which, for
whatever reason, stray into the path of the
vehicle at the last minute.
Whether the technology demonstrated
in Potsdam could actually safely replace
human drivers/supervisors for unfenced
light rail systems anytime in the near
future is not clear; however drivers make
up the largest part of a light rail operators
wage bill (in Potsdam ViP has 116 tram
drivers for 53 trams). If buses and taxis
migrate to autonomous operation in
cities, light rail will probably need to as
well so as to avoid being substantially
more expensive to operate (and therefore
unlikely to attract capital expenditure for
fleet or infrastructure renewals).
Arguably, if future legislation and
technology permits autonomous buses
and cars to share roads with pedestrians
and cyclists, then a rail guided vehicle -
such as a tram - should be easier to drive
autonomously in safety. Unlike a self
driving bus, its route is fixed by the rails
and pedestrians and other road users are
able to see them and thus be aware of the
potential for a tram to appear.
 FEATURE 47

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Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

48 FEATURE

DAVID
BICKELL

THE DIGITAL RAILWAY

PROGRESSES TO THE EAST COAST MAIN LINE

F
ollowing on from the successful, world-first deployment of Automatic Train This functionality is termed Automatic
Operation (ATO) with the European Train Control System (ETCS) on the mainline Train Protection (ATP), providing
railway in passenger service through the Thameslink core, the focus moves to continuous monitoring of the train. It
the planned £1.8 billion East Coast main line (ECML) installation of ETCS. therefore offers a higher level of safety
than the current system-wide analogue
Rail Engineer was invited to a Network Why ETCS? Train Protection and Warning System
Rail briefing describing how the LNE & ETCS is not a complete signalling system (TPWS), which is not continuous, not
East Midlands route, in conjunction with in its own right, but provides an interface provided at every signal, and not fail-
the Digital Railway, is going out to tender between signalling trackside infrastructure safe.
with a radical new approach for renewal and individual trains. The Driver-Machine At ETCS Level 2, the onboard
of the train control systems on the ECML Interface (DMI) in the driving cab displays equipment transmits and receives
north from King’s Cross. the distance for which the train is data from the signalling centre via the
This event was hosted by Toufic authorised to travel, and the maximum GSM-R radio network and the Radio
Machnouk, route programme director speed allowed. If the onboard computer Block Centre. Balises in the four-foot
LNE&EM, who explained that the predicts that these values are likely to communicate with the train to provide
intention is to achieve meaningful, feasible be exceeded, the system intervenes to position references. All other conventional
and sustained benefits that can be felt safeguard operation of the train. signalling equipment is provided,
by passengers and freight users. The key
ingredients of this will be closer working York ROC will supersede existing NX signalling control panels.
within the industry and a commitment
from the supplier to maintain the product
throughout its life, ensuring that everyone
involved is immersed in the operational
railway.
Furthermore, the Early Contractor
Involvement programme (ECI), has
established the need for contractor
engagement starting very early in the
development phase, looking closely
at how technology can benefit the
operational railway.
Phil Bennett, commercial director of the
Digital Railway programme, elucidated
the ‘design, build and maintain’ delivery
model, which is very different to the
way in which the industry has hitherto
procured signalling, or indeed almost any
activity.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018


Alstom ETCS DMI on test train.
including train detection, point-operating
machines, interlocking, and signaller
interface.
Lineside signals may or may not be
provided, but retaining them allows
trains to run on the route, whether or not
they are fitted with ETCS. Not providing
lineside signals, as on the Cambrian
lines early deployment scheme, means
than only trains with a healthy ETCS may
operate on the line. Removing signals will
reduce the resources otherwise needed to
undertake signal faulting and maintenance
on the line, although modern LED signals
are generally maintenance free, compared
with filament bulbs that require regular
technician visits to check lamp voltages
and replace faulty bulbs.
The important difference, compared with
conventional multiple aspect signalling, is
that braking distances are continuously re-
calculated by the onboard European Vital
Computer (EVC) in accordance with the
movement authority (MA) received from
the interlocking. To achieve an accurate
stopping position, the driver will look out of
the cab window and observe the physical
location of the end of MA.
This is achieved by the provision of
either conventional colour light signals
(if fitted) and/or non-illuminated,
reflectorised block markers. The
positioning of block markers, unlike colour
light signals, is not constrained by braking
distance and, in conjunction with extra
train detection sections, additional block
markers may be provided to allow trains
to close up, thereby increasing capacity.
The MA is continuously updated on the
DMI, allowing the driver to accelerate
immediately should conditions ahead
improve, rather than having to wait for
the next signal to come into view, thereby
considerably improving performance and
capacity.
FEATURE 49
Toufic Machnouk said the route is keen
to exploit the benefits of TM at an early
stage of the programme and, if it were
to be deployed all the way to York and
across the Pennines to Manchester, would
bring substantial benefits.
The ETCS programme
The first installation of ETCS in the UK
was in 2010 on the Cambrian lines in
Wales, known as the early deployment
scheme (EDS) and intended to be a lesson
learning exercise. This was followed by
the Thameslink core installation. The
third installation of ETCS is on the short
Heathrow airport spur and, when testing
has been completed, will be used by the
ATO, if provided, adds a further layer of new Elizabeth line (Crossrail) Class 345
performance and capacity enhancement. trains and Heathrow Express Class 387s.
Train operators’ professional driving policies ETCS is very expensive, and making a
are designed to reduce the signal passed at case for further installations has not been
danger (SPAD) risk but this can also result in easy. However, at the southern end of the
cautious braking on the approach to signals ECML, all the key factors are in phase,
displaying caution and stop aspects. making one of most compelling cases to
Although the ETCS DMI provides the organise for the deployment of the digital
driver with a visual display of maximum railway in this area:
permitted speed and target speed, »» Once in a generation renewal cycle;
controlling the actual speed and »» Signalling assets are nearing end of life;
braking is still in the hands of the driver. »» Physical constraints of a two-track
Consistent driving, with actual braking mixed-traffic railway at Welwyn;
that closely aligns with the calculated »» Southern end of the ECML is operating
curve, will be achieved by the provision at limits of timetabling capacity;
of ATO. ETCS is a pre-requisite for the »» Investment in new trains means 70 per
adoption of ATO. cent of passenger trains come fitted with
ETCS (new Hitachi and Siemens trains).
Traffic management
Today, the effectiveness of traffic On-board train ETCS processor
regulation depends upon human (European Vital Computer).
intervention by signallers and train
controllers adopting a proactive
approach to reducing overall delay.
This is where TM comes in - providing
suitable tools to facilitate decision
making that optimises the flow of traffic
over a wide area, minimising delay
minutes when there is perturbation and
thereby ensuring the best outcomes for
passengers and freight.
TM is not dependent upon having ETCS
and may therefore now be deployed
at any signalling centre. TM may be
integrated with Automatic Route Setting
(ARS) in order to optimise built-in
regulating strategies, or it may just output
recommendations for signallers.
Further optimisation of train regulation
is achieved by giving live speed advice
to train drivers, ensuring the trains arrive
at points of conflict at the right time to
avoid a capacity eating dead stand. This is
achieved by linking TM to the Connected
Driver Advice System (C-DAS).
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
50 FEATURE

Profile of signalling technology and age on the whole of the ECML

Signal Box In service Signaller interface Interlockings
Kings Cross 1976 NX panel; Siemens WESTCAD Relays, SSI at Finsbury Park, Alstom
workstation for Hertford North; Smartlock CBI at Hertford North

Peterborough 1972 NX panel Relays, SSI in PB station area

Doncaster 1979 NX panel Relays

York 1989 IECC workstations SSI

Tyneside 1991 IECC workstations SSI

Morpeth 1991 NX panel SSI

Almouth 1990 NX panel SSI

Tweedmouth 1990 NX panel SSI

Edinburgh 2006 IECC workstations Relays, SSI at Waverley station

As can be seen from the box (right), the signalling between NX = Push button route setting from entrance to exit
King’s Cross and Peterborough mostly dates from the Great SSI = Solid State Interlocking
Principles of approach
Northern Suburban Electrification programme of the 1970s and is CBI = Computer Based Interlocking
ready for total renewal, whilst the installations north thereof relate IECC = Integrated Electronic Control Centre
to the East Coast electrification scheme of around 1990.
• Industry transformation programme bringing track and train closer together throughout 
Fundamentally different delivery model
Various life extension works have been carried out over the
programme and benefits cycle
years, including the Peterborough station area interlocking
In service, conventional signalling control systems utilise
renewal with Alstom MkIIa SSI in 2004, and complete
the skills of signallers, mobile operations managers, line
• Greater proximity in working between operators and technology providers
refurbishment of the NX panel with new mosaic tiles supplied by
controllers, maintenance technicians and engineers employed
• Based on industry Concept of Operations & Asset Management
Unipart Rail at Kings Cross in 2006/7. by Network Rail, working in the control centres and lineside.
• Transfer of risk to private sector where best placed to manage it
Hence it is envisaged that provision of ETCS will align with
Maintenance and faulting of train-borne AWS/TPWS is a
renewal priorities, progressing north from King’s Cross and
separate process involving staff from train operators and
• Technology partnership procured on outcome basis to support transformation 
Moorgate to Peterborough North. This initial scheme will be a
leasing companies.
throughout lifecycle
huge catalyst for renewals onwards to Doncaster and, beyond
With ETCS, more vital equipment associated with the safe
• Based on lessons learnt and best practices from multiple industries, UK and aboard
that, will naturally become ETCS with the progression of separate
movement of trains moves from the lineside into to the train
train fitment contracts. Continuity of work will ensure retention of itself. So, the organisational structure and roles will evolve with
knowledge as technical teams move from project to project. the process. For example, signallers and controllers will need

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

 FEATURE 51

to embrace traffic management techniques, drivers will need to

learn in-cab signalling and signal technicians may need to gain
synergy with rolling stock engineers.
The delivery model is depicted in the self-explanatory V
diagram. Suppliers bid to satisfy customer outcomes rather than
ECML Digital Outcomes for Customers
technical specifications. While the business case agreed with the
DfT is based on ETCS Level 2 Baseline 3, the door is open for
• 20% improvement in system capacity
innovation, such as the additional flexibilityachieving high 
that ETCS Level 3
hybrid would facilitate, but other options like this will only be
performance mixed traffic railway
considered if the technology is ready.
• =8tph high performance long distance high speed 
services to and from Lincolnshire, Leeds, Newcastle, 
Approach and outcomes
Scotland and the North East 
This delivery model will be based on the following approach:
»» Industry transformation programme bringing track and train
• +2tph commuter services to relieve crowding
closer together throughout programme and benefits cycle;
• =20tph through Welwyn ‐
»» Greater proximity in workingtwo track constraint
between operators and
technology providers;
• Route and network wide catalyst, once ECML south is 
»» Based on industry concept of operations and asset
done, all renewal further north will naturally be ETCS 
management;
and significantly more efficient
»» Transfer of risk to private sector, which is best placed to
• Reduced delays to passengers through improved system 
manage it;
reliability
»» Technology partnership procured on an outcome basis to
support transformation throughout the lifecycle;
• Improved passenger safety
»» Based on lessons learnt andfrom continuous automatic 
best practices from multiple
train protection and improved workforce safety by 
industries, UK and abroad.
reducing maintenance requirement
This is intended to bring about the following outcomes, for the
• benefit of passengers and customers: re‐plan capability, 
Traffic Management providing plan /
»» 20 per cent improvement in system capacity on a high
enabling integration with Stock and Crew, and 
performance, mixed traffic railway;
Connected Driver Advisory System
»» Eight trains per hour (tph) provide a high performance, long
• Enabler for bringing track and train closer together
distance high-speed services to and from Lincolnshire, Leeds,
Newcastle, Scotland and the North East;
»» Addition two commuter services per hour to relieve crowding;
»» 20tph through the Welwyn two-track constraint;
»» Route and network-wide catalyst - once ECML south is
complete, all renewal further north will naturally be ETCS and Thirty years later, and ETCS is bringing that in-cab signalling
significantly more efficient; to the ECML, but the world has moved on. Higher speeds mean
»» Reduced delays to passengers through improved system fewer paths will be available on this mixed traffic railway for
reliability; stopping and freight trains. While increasing capacity on the
»» Improved passenger safety from continuous automatic train ECML is crucial to help meet the burgeoning demand, reducing
protection and improved workforce safety by reducing the journey time by a few minutes may not be as important for
maintenance requirement; passengers as it was in BR days, given today’s mobile connectivity
»» Traffic Management providing plan/re-plan capability, enabling with office, home, friends and family that was undreamt of in the
integration with stock and crew, and with C-DAS; 1980s.
»» Enabler for bringing track and train closer together. Of course, high-speed rail is important for long distance
journeys, but this role is migrating from the classic main lines
125mph maximum speed to new, dedicated, purpose built, very high-speed routes such
Intriguingly, missing from the list of outcomes is the ability as HS2, leaving the existing network to provide more capacity
to operate trains in excess of 125mph (200km/h). With the and journey opportunities at intermediate towns and cities.
electrification of the ECML in the late 1980s, a new fleet of Class Accordingly, speeds above 125 mph are not on the agenda for
91 locomotives was built with a capability of 140mph (225km/h). this phase of work on the ECML.
To provide the additional braking distance required by the
higher speed, an experiment was conducted in 1988 between Procurement strategy
Peterborough and Stoke Tunnel, deploying flashing green aspects The strategy is focussed around:
which gave authority to exceed 125 mph. A steady green meant »» Establishing long term collaborative partnerships (three for this
reduce speed to 125 mph. For all other trains, a flashing green scheme);
had the same meaning as a steady green. »» Only by delivering outcomes do partners get rewarded;
However, faster trains require a higher level of concentration »» Bringing in supply chain partners very much earlier in the
in the driving cab. Test running revealed that 125 mph was the process;
maximum speed at which a driver could safely observe a signal »» Establishing a longer-term relationship;
aspect, assimilate its meaning and act appropriately. Speeds »» Focussing on defining, delivering and thereafter maintaining
above 125 mph would therefore require in-cab signalling. support throughout the life of the assets of those solutions;

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

52 FEATURE

Existing NX panels at King’s Cross and Peterborough will be replaced by workstations like this one at Rugby ROC.

»» Linking reward to those supply chain Two further partners are sought suppliers in this market place. For the
partners through those contract through separate contracts. A railway TCP, bidders can be consortia, giving the
mechanisms to successfully achieve system integration partner, most likely a opportunity for suppliers to come together.
those outcomes. consultancy with experience in change
In order to do this, Network Rail management, will be appointed to A look to the future
has moved to a different contract provide services supporting the route Business cases are being worked up
model and introduced NEC4, a widely client in managing cross-industry for the provision of ETCS to other routes
recognised collaborative form of interfaces. Technical systems integration including Anglia, TransPennine, Wessex
standard construction industry contract, will remain the responsibility of the TCP. and Western. The Castlefield corridor
in particular the ‘design, build, maintain’ In addition, a traffic management in Manchester is likely to receive early
model, contracting for the whole of the partner will be appointed for the attention to address some of the pressing
asset life. Bids to determine the successful procurement of traffic management capacity issues there, following opening of
supplier will be evaluated based on whole systems from King’s Cross to Doncaster the new Ordsall chord.
life provision of service. South. These TM systems will be required Converting the whole rail network to a
To support the outcomes of a digital to interface with C-DAS. digital train control platform is very much
railway on the ECML, Network Rail So as not to disadvantage smaller a long-term project, but the first big steps
Digital Railway is seeking to establish a suppliers, TM is a separate contract, as it are now being taken to commence inter-
single supplier framework agreement is perceived that there are several small city main line roll-out.
to deliver Digital Train Control Systems
on the ECML from King’s Cross/ NX panel at King’s Cross.
Moorgate to Peterborough North. This
framework agreement will include call-off
contracts both for the outline design
of the system and/or for the detailed
design, build, supply and installation
of the system together with ancillary
conventional signalling, as required, to
facilitate delivery of the digital system
and long term (envisaged to be 30 years)
maintenance of the system.
This train control partner (TCP) is
expected to be selected in Spring 2019.
Network Rail will call off packets of activity
with the Moorgate branch forming one
package, east coast south the second
package and north of Peterborough
the third package, all of which will be
of 30 years duration. £1-1.8 billion is
the anticipated aggregate value of the
call-off over the thirty-year life, including
long term service arrangement as well as
physical delivery.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

ASPECT2019
Institution of Railway Signal Engineers | Delft University of Technology | IRSE Nederland

CALL FOR PAPERS

Disrupt
Critical
Threat
Performance
Change

Human Telecoms

Unplanned
Impact Management

Adapting Standardisation
Condition monitoring
Future Network
Best practice Environment
Protection

Defence Combined
Error
Vulnerable Safety
Failure

Maintained
Legislation
Delivery

Security Attack
Communications
Control

Unexpected

Resilience

Durability
Jamming

Services System

Disruption Cyber Infrastructure

Intelligence Operations Respond
Monitoring Technology
Minimise

Signalling Standards
Asset Risk Disaster

ASPECT 2019, the international conference organised by the Institution

of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE), will be held on 23-24 October 2019 at
the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
IRSE has now issued a call for papers with a particular emphasis on the 2019 conference theme of resilience.
Visit irse.info/abstract before 30 November 2018 to register an interest.

@IRSEHQ
irse.info/aspect
54 FEATURE

cybersecurity
ADVANCES IN RAILWAY

I
t’s a fact that no organisation is safe from cyber-attack. Threats are evolving
minute-by-minute and are becoming increasingly complex. As railways become
increasingly dependant on digital technologies, with IP (internet protocol) used PAUL
for devices from CCTV cameras to mission-critical train control systems, they DARLINGTON
also need to protect themselves by ensuring they have robust cyber security.

Railway networks are becoming more able to give online help. So, when an Many infrastructure managers require a
open and more interconnected. They intervention is required on a remotely whole-life partnership with the OEM, but
have to be, in order to deliver the located asset, the railway asset manager this can only be efficiently delivered if the
integrated digital railway and to make may not have the competent resource OEM can access the network and assets
the most of ‘big data’. Some control available to send to site and, even if remotely. This is why an IP-connected
engineers are understandably tempted resource is available, sending someone infrastructure has many benefits, but it
to stick with traditional closed networks to a remote lineside location may put needs to be secure and safe, with robust
to maintain security. But this is not as them at risk. cybersecurity management in place.
easy as it sounds and is not without risk.
It would also miss out on many of the
benefits of a modern IP communications
network.
Traditional serial-based
communications networks are now
nearly impossible to procure, support
and change. Even with no connection
to other networks, the traditional
‘secure’ closed network has always been
vulnerable to attacks from removable
media, from the ‘man in the middle’
and from replacement servers and
components, which might themselves
be infected.
In addition, due to the outdated nature
of these networks, if help or assistance
is required from specialists, they may be
hours or days away rather than being

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

 FEATURE 55

Project Honeytrain
Some may think that a railway network is low down on a
hacker’s priority list of networks to attack, but that is not the case.
In 2015, project Honeytrain was created. A model was set up of
a mythical, virtual rail transport control and operating system as a
‘honeypot’ to hackers, in order to assess the cyber-attack risk to
rail.
A virtual rail infrastructure was reproduced with real hardware
including computer systems and communication protocols.
Software components of automation and control systems,
identical to those used on existing railway networks, and CCTV
videos of real stations and train operator workstations were
simulated, including a mythical customised website with general
information, timetables, ticketing and information about train
disruption. Logins and passwords were left at their defaults and
no security measures were enabled. To hackers around the world,
though, it appeared to be a real railway.
The results were alarming. The project was in operation for
only 6 weeks, but a total of 2.7 million attacks were identified.
The majority (61 per cent) of attempted attacks occurred on the
media server and firewall components. It was believed that the
majority were carried out as automated dictionary attacks, with a
hacker trying to identify an unknown password using a dictionary
list. Often, whole dictionaries, as well as known or commonly
successful combinations, are used to create such a list. This is
why a simple text word on its own should never be used as a However, there are many examples of how even the most
password. basic of security recommendations are not being followed - such
It was observed that one hacker tried to control a mythical signal as revealing login details. In the UK, a 2015 TV documentary
using another dictionary attack. The attack was not successful, revealed how one railway operations centre employee had
but it was identified that the attacker had a deep knowledge written down username and password details on a monitor. In
of the industrial control systems involved, and that the actions other industries and businesses, more sophisticated attacks on
were performed deliberately. Another attack was on the mythical critical infrastructures are being detected around the world, so
railway media server. Valid login credentials were determined and railway infrastructure managers need to remain one step ahead
the aim of the attack was to change the content of the railway and deploy the best security available.
website. In some enterprise networks, it is reported that:
The analysis of the results concluded that relatively small every 4 seconds - an unknown malware is downloaded,
measures (for example robust passwords and firewalls) would every 53 seconds - a bot communicates with its command and
have been sufficient to prevent unauthorised access to railway control centre,
systems, or to avoid their visibility within the internet. every 81 seconds - a known malware is downloaded,
every 4 minutes - a high-risk application is used,
Hacked passenger-information screen at Frankfurt am and every 32 minutes - sensitive data is sent outside the
Main station, Germany, May 2017. organisation.
In February 2016, the Department for Transport stated in its
PHOTO: PA

rail cyber security guidance to industry: “Railway systems are

becoming vulnerable to cyber attack due to the move away from
bespoke stand-alone systems to open-platform, standardised
equipment built using commercial, off the shelf (COTS)
components, and the increasing use of networked control and
automation systems that can be accessed remotely via public and
private (communications) networks.”
Security agencies around the world recognise the risks. In the
US, cyber-security is seen as a serious economic and national
threat, with the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-
CERT) creating a framework to support the protection of critical
infrastructure. In Europe, the EU has proposed a cyber-security
strategy outlining its vision, clarifying roles and responsibilities,
and defining actions required to protect citizens. In Asia, some
governments have established national cyber-security policies.
Consequently, railway security must be stepped up with a multi-
layered and active security approach to provide the right balance
of costs with the in-depth protection needed to defend against
today’s security threats.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

56 FEATURE
Cybersecurity risks
Breaching an organisation’s cyber defences doesn’t always
take a sophisticated attack by a foreign government or crime
syndicate. Security breaches may be caused by human error, from
lack of compliance with good practise or by configuration errors.
Unfortunately, even the most competent and prepared staff can
be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of threats that that need
to be addressed. Cybersecurity management is made even more
difficult as there is a cybersecurity skillset shortage, which makes a
human-centric and manually intensive incident response difficult.
The key, though, is automation, which can enhance both the
investigation and mitigation of threats.
Capabilities that can efficiently protect networks include security
automation, incident response plans, standards and policies,
end-to-end security, security in depth (and not just at the edges),
analytics to correlate security-related information, devices and
cloud layers to spot suspicious activity and threats. Machine
learning enables the identification of potential compromises by
using threat intelligence information across the network and an
active defence-in-depth approach.
Rail infrastructure managers need to deploy equally
sophisticated protection measures as those used by hackers.
These need to include:
»» Detecting, mitigating and using AI to predict new threats;
»» Reducing the vulnerable areas;
»» Improving analytics to correlate data from multiple domains
and to help identify suspicious, malicious, or inadvertent
anomalies;
»» Combining threat intelligence data and security analytics in
order to prescribe appropriate response more effectively and
provide strategic mitigation to threats.
End-to-end protection
Global communications group Nokia has extensive expertise
and experience in the development of cybersecurity best
practices for the railway. Over the years, it has worked with many
networks to ascertain the risks and the underlying operational
processes required. This enables the scope and appropriate level
of protection to be defined.
The latest security principle is based upon SOAR - Security
Orchestration Analytics and Response. It is a methodology that
continuously assesses and learns with predictive capability.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
Diagram of the SOAR methodology.
Nokia advocates ‘defence in depth’ as a balanced, economically
feasible approach to security. It aims to build cyber defences
aligned with a company’s network operational objectives
and its network capabilities. The focus is always on processes
and technologies that achieve a layered security model that
spans across networks, applications, data, identity and access
management, the principle being a layered series of defences
that close off any attempts to exploit security gaps.
Game changer
Adopting an in-depth security approach can bring many
advantages:
Automation meets the avalanche of threats: Automating
incident response ensures defences are not overwhelmed by
thousands of daily alerts. Security automation that encompasses
business processes, regulations and security policies keeps pace
with the rapid rise in attacks.
End-to-end security protects all network technologies: End-
to-end security encompasses the entire network and its security
processes, such as access management and audit compliance;
network security; and security management for IoT (Internet of
Things) devices.
Network segmentation and firewall confine threats: Network
segmentation with IP/MPLS (multiprotocol label switching) virtual
private networks, based on rail applications or other policies,
provides traffic isolation and hampers lateral movement of
hackers as they scout the network.
Analytics for continuous improvement: Security analytics
correlates data from across the network, devices and cloud
layers to spot and provide insight into suspicious anomalies.
With machine learning, the effectiveness of security increases
continuously.
Encryption protects data: With multi-layer encryption, even
should a perpetrator tap into the communication channels,
confidentiality, integrity and authenticity are still protected.
Nokia’s security expertise is rooted in its strong presence in
the public safety segment and as a trusted partner for public
network operators around the world. With more than 30 years
of experience in the rail industry, the company is confident
that it can offer an advanced and comprehensive approach. Its
mission-critical network products, for IP/MPLS and LTE (long-
term evolution), feature strong, built-in security mechanisms.
Combined with the end-to-end security architecture of its
NetGuard portfolio of products, infrastructure managers can be
provided with industry-best protection, with the right balance
of costs and the in-depth protection needed to defend railways
against today’s security threats.

IP-based networks
Fundamentally, there are two areas
to address. Data transmitted across
transmission infrastructure, be it
fibre, microwave or copper, and data
transmitted across wireless access
infrastructure - GSM, LTE or WiFi.
Ultimately, the payload is IP-based,
regardless of the layers below.
Looking at the first area, fixed
infrastructure, all layers of transmission
need to be addressed. These are,
typically, optical and microwave. These
are considered to be the ‘Layer 0’
transmission. It does not understand the
data but simply pushes it from one point
to another.
Layer 1 is typically an electrical switching
layer. At this layer, there is more flexibility
to package the data (by using OTN -
optical transport networks - for example)
but it is still blind to its contents.
Layer 2 is now into Ethernet, where data
contents are understood - this is typically
called the switching layer. Layer 3 is the IP
layer, where data is seen and understood -
this is the routing layer.
Nokia provides secure key encryption
at all communication layers, with all
keys (used to encrypt and decrypt data)
managed by the Nokia Encryption
Platform.
By including the wireless access part of
the end-to-end railway connectivity story,
then LTE connectivity adds further security
to an already very secure transmission.
One of the world’s largest providers
of GSM-R, Nokia is in the forefront of
development on the next generation
of wireless network technologies for
rail, in the shape of LTE and future 5G
technologies. LTE security is based
on two layers of protection instead of
one-layer perimeter security as in earlier
generations of GSM. The first layer deals
with security in the radio access network,
while the second layer provides security in
the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network.
Ultimately, LTE access, coupled with
the secure transmission, means that data
integrity is maintained at all times.
In practice, the implementation of this
two-layer security architecture is subject
to vendors’ interpretation and, therefore,
may expose a mission-critical network to
threats if not engineered properly. The
encryption of all traffic between base
station and core network is essential.
In railway networks, emergency
voice services depend on group
communications in which users can
simultaneously communicate with
groups of other users. These require
specific arrangements to secure group
call communication and direct mode of
operation, as well as ensuring the security
of both device and back end control
servers.
Effective cybersecurity is essential
for the safe adoption of new IP-
based applications for train control,
traffic management, maintenance,
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
FEATURE 57
monitoring, video protection and
passenger information systems. Security
incidents can cost railway operators in
many ways - not just the loss of train
paths from disrupted services, but the
recovery and restoration costs, potential
lawsuits, damage to brand reputation,
compensation to users and non-
compliance penalties.
Railways face increasingly stringent legal,
regulatory and compliance requirements,
making them directly accountable for
ensuring effective information security
and data privacy. End-to-end security
enables rail managers to focus on their
mission-critical responsibilities without
being distracted by the daily operation of
a telecom business or by having to work
with multiple security vendors.
Nokia combines its world-class expertise
in both GSM-R, LTE Optical and IP to
achieve mission-critical security that
addresses the vulnerabilities specific
to these technologies. Mission-critical
network solutions (IP/MPLS, optical,
LTE) not only deliver network reliability,
performance and scalability, but can
also defend against security threats and
attacks if engineered correctly.
58 FEATURE
Construction train parked in tunnel at Fisher Street crossover.

CLIVE
KESSELL

Crossrails considered
T
he confident prediction that Crossrail (the Elizabeth line) would open Once complete, Farringdon will be a
its central core in December this year has been shattered by the recent major interchange station linking to both
announcement that a nine-month delay will be incurred, with the line now Thameslink and the Underground, with
not expected to open until autumn 2019. expectations that it will become busier
than Clapham Junction. The fare structure
In parallel, the Policy Forum for London Harlington (this augmenting the Heathrow will be fully integrated to the London
(under its Westminster Forum Projects Connect service). Performance figures Oyster card structure, with Heathrow
organisation) recently organised a seminar for these sections are 95.8 and 96.1 per Airport being added to the zone
to publicise the huge impact that Crossrail cent PPM (public performance measure) perimeters. National rail point-to-point
will have for London and to promote respectively. The trains are proving fares will remain.
the need for Crossrail 2 to cope with the popular, with air conditioning and walk By autumn 2019, the line should be
general growth and expansion of the city. through carriage connections. operating as three separate sections:
This took place in front of an audience The Elizabeth line stations will be Paddington to Heathrow, Liverpool Street
made up of London business interests, continuously staffed, have 24-hour patrols to Shenfield, Paddington to Abbey Wood.
transport and engineering consultants, at weekends and will be accredited under Integration of these into multi route
Department of Transport officials, the the British Transport Police’s secure destinations including Reading will come
engineering community, politicians and stations scheme. later with no date given.
the press. The assembled gathering was A high-level specification for Not covered in this seminar was how
there to primarily learn what had gone maintenance and cleaning will be put in the line will be controlled for train
wrong. place for both trains and stations. The movements - the signalling. This is
Old Oak Common depot is complete, complex and involves three different
Elizabeth line update employing 140 new recruits to the systems. The current signalling between
A trifle embarrassed by being the industry as well as transferring engineers Liverpool St and Shenfield is TPWS/AWS
opening speaker, Howard Smith, the and technicians in from other rail (train protection and warning system/
director of operations for the Elizabeth companies. automatic warning system), inherited
line under TfL (Transport for London),
skirted round the recent delay controversy
and concentrated on the positive benefits
that Crossrail will bring. A boost to the
UK economy of £42 billion is predicted.
London’s rail capacity will be increased
by 10 per cent and an extra 1.5 million
people will be within 45 minutes of their
main employment base. An estimated 200
million passengers will use the line every
year.
A new fleet of trains is being built (the
Class 345), with some already in service
on the Liverpool Street - Shenfield line
and from Paddington to Hayes and

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018


from Network Rail. Westwards, from
Paddington to Reading, is similar, but
this does not include the Heathrow spur
which will be ETCS Level 2 (European train
control system) from Airport Junction and
is expected to be commissioned in early
2019, hence the augmented Crossrail
Heathrow Connect service is currently
terminating at Hayes and Harlington.
The central core is a CBTC system
(computer-based train control) with
automatic train operation (ATO) being
provided by Siemens, and this will
extend also to Abbey Wood. Thus, when
fully commissioned, trains will have to
change to a different signalling system
at the respective boundaries. Not an
ideal situation but considered necessary
to achieve the 32tph (trains per hour)
throughput in the central core section.
The business impact
A number of subsequent speakers
expressed their disappointment at the
delay to the opening. David Leam from
London First, who had been anticipating
the improved connectivity between
Canary Wharf, the City and Heathrow,
recognised that London will have to bear
the costs of the delay, but certainty and
clarity are now needed on future dates
and costs.
More positively, Martyn Saunders, the
director for regeneration and spatial
planning at real-estate advisory consultant
GVA, informed that business values are
already 30 per cent higher than forecast,
with seven million square metres of
development land being announced,
of which Canary Wharf and Liverpool
Street areas are the biggest. The retail
area of Tottenham Court Road has been
revitalised and the Museum of London at
Smithfield has been expanded.
For outer London areas, the position
is more complex but Stratford, Custom
House and Abbey Wood are all expected
to benefit. New affordable housing of
around 23,000 units with a possible
42,000 additional jobs are anticipated, all
on brown field sites.
Elizabeth line trains at Old Oak Common depot.
Engineers install lighting above platform screen doors at Liverpool Street station.
Impact on airports
Airport connectivity needs to be
improved in order to to get more
travellers using public transport, so said
Chris Joyce, the head of surface access
at Heathrow. The Elizabeth line is a key
ingredient of this, bringing many more
direct journey opportunities to Heathrow
plus its easy interchanges for Gatwick
and Luton at Farringdon. The longer-term
interchange at Old Oak Common for HS2
will be important.
He asked why Crossrail does not link in
to London City airport, when it is only 180
metres away, and maybe a station will be
provided here if funding is made available.
For Heathrow, a western link to Reading
and beyond, plus a southern access from
Woking and Basingstoke, are seen as vital
in lifting the public transport usage.
Line extensions
Restricting the line to a terminus at
Abbey Wood seemed short sighted,
according to Paul Moore, the chief
executive of the London Borough of
Bexley, as this did little for strategic
connectivity into Kent. The obvious
extension would be to Ebbsfleet, where
connections to HS1 would be achieved,
with a further eight Crossrail stations in
between. This was being developed as
the C2E project (City to Europe,) for which
a submission was being drawn up.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
FEATURE 59
One of the challenges would be how
to deal with an interface to the third
rail 750V DC traction system when the
Class 345s are not equipped for this and
retro fitting would not be an option. A
dual electrification system eastwards of
Abbey Wood would be one solution,
but quadrupling the existing line to give
two tracks of 25kV is more likely to be
favoured. Any solution has significant
cost implications.
So why the delay?
John Crosfield, from AECOM
but acting as the head of technical
assurance for Crossrail, attempted to
explain what had happened. The need
for ‘dynamic assurance’ and thorough
testing was essential if the central core
is to open without any operational
difficulties. This process is complex,
even though it is restricted to only the
central section, and needs full buy-in
from the infrastructure manager and the
operators.
Some design deficiencies have been
found. An integration of all the design
work has proved to be more difficult
than anticipated, this being the prime
reason for the delay. The goal of
achieving a railway that is operationally
reliable, is safe, is maintainable and can
deliver the required performance, must
be assured from Day One.
60 FEATURE
Not all of this rang true with the
assembled gathering and Crossrail
admitted that the project did not contain
any significant innovation. The tunnels
and station facilities engineering had all
been done before, the track was laid and
being used by test trains, the trains were
already in daily service on the Liverpool
Street and Paddington outer routes and
the signalling system was a well proven
product on other metro railways.
Couple this to the fact that the
Paddington to Abbey Wood section is
essentially a self-contained railway, the
testing and assurance process ought to be
relatively straightforward.
The methodology being used for
assurance appeared very bureaucratic
and overly risk averse. Could there be
other factors behind this enigma? Maybe
there exists a lack of trained station staff
and train crew and getting the necessary
staffing levels agreed with the Unions?
If all is well on this front, what are the
staff going to be doing for the next 12
months? This session left a degree of
unease as to whether the reasons stated
were entirely true.
Crossrail 2
The problems of the Elizabeth line have
not helped the case for developing the
Crossrail 2 scheme, so acknowledged
Michèle Dix, the managing director
for the project, but nonetheless the
inexorable growth of London means that
planning its future transport needs have
to be faced.
The city’s population is expected to
be 10.5 million by 2041, a 22 per cent
increase from 2015, and significant
congestion on London Underground’s
Victoria, Jubilee, District and Northern
lines and on South West routes into
Waterloo will be experienced if nothing
is done.
OLE installed above Elizabeth line heading down towards Pudding Mill Lane portal.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
Fitting overhead catenary in westbound tunnel at Royal Oak portal.
The SW-NE corridor capacity increase is
the reasoning behind Crossrail 2, which,
when built, will ease congestion at several
of the existing interchanges and will
link around 800 stations with only one
interchange. The line will basically connect
Broxbourne on the GE line Cambridge
route (and by implication Stansted
Airport) to the Epsom, Chessington and
Shepperton lines in SW London. The
latter will complicate the electrification
arrangements as this is 3rd Rail territory
and dual voltage trains may become
necessary. That’s not really a problem,
as Thameslink already lives with this
constraint.
Funding is crucial and ‘London’ will
be expected to pay half. At a current
estimate of £30 billion, it is acknowledged
to be too expensive and ways of reducing
the cost are urgently being investigated.
Savings in the engineering will be possible
by using digital technology, optimised
engagement with the supply chain and
by manufacturing as much as possible off
site.
The property value uplift is expected
to be £87 billion, which might be tapped
into along with private sector borrowing.
The route is expected to be finalised in
2019 with the early 2020s for a Hybrid Bill
in Parliament, construction to start in the
mid 2020s and an opening in 2030.
Network Rail interfacing
Crossrail 2 will interface with, and
may take over, some Network Rail lines.
Chris Curtis, the head of Crossrail 2 in
Network Rail, said that lessons from
the Elizabeth line and Thameslink are
invaluable as it is not just about building
an underground railway. To succeed, a
joint team of Crossrail 2, Network Rail
and the supply chain will be set up. The
resources and skill base built up for
Crossrail 1 are already being tapped
into and the existence of the Tunnelling
Academy is a vital asset that must not
be lost.
The engineering of the line will follow
standard practice but land space, utility
diversion and access issues will always
be challenging. The complication of
three signalling systems experienced on
the Elizabeth line will be avoided and
it is expected that ETCS will be used
throughout.
The standard methodology of risk,
benchmarking, assurance and unified
management will be used in the
development of the service specification
and the design for both operation and
maintenance.
National Infrastructure implications
Crossrail 2 is a big element of the National
Infrastructure Commission’s plans for the
whole of the UK, so said Greg McClymont
from the NIC. Seen as a priority back in
2016, with a Hybrid Bill due by 2019, the
project has clearly slipped, but continuance
with Crossrail 2 was re-affirmed in 2018.
The funding has been set at £27.7 billion
over the 2023 - 2036 period, which roughly
aligns with the project plans.
However, many other projects come
within the NIC portfolio - suburban
railways, bus networks, cycling pathways
to name but a few - with £43 billion being
allocated for cities outside of London. The
demands of others can be very vocal, and
Crossrail 2 is not immune from funding
competition.

Getting the people
Engineers are in short supply, particularly
home-grown ones. Neil Robertson,
the chief executive of the National
Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR), told of
the dominance of non-UK people in
offshore wind turbine projects and the
heavy reliance on overseas engineers for
Crossrail 1. This situation could worsen if
the wrong deal on Brexit results.
Overcoming the engineering deficiency
is a challenge for everyone, and much is
happening to recruit young people into
the industry. However, ways of easing
the present difficulties are there to be
had, which include avoiding the stop/
start culture by having a long-term project
rollout programme that ensures continuity
of people, taking the right risks to avoid
excessive design redundancy, use of
digital technology wherever applicable
and planning projects with a whole life
asset management philosophy.
Overall impressions
This seminar was inevitably
overshadowed by the delay and cost
increases associated with Crossrail 1,
which was a pity as the importance of
having fast cross-city rail links is vital to the
business continuity of London.
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FEATURE 61
The reasons for the delay to the opening
of the Elizabeth line central core have
to be taken with a degree of scepticism.
Yes, assurance and design finalisation are
important, but for these to emerge as
deficient with only four months before
service introduction is hard to believe.
Maybe a postponement until early 2019
would have been accepted without too
much comment, but a whole year?
The bad press from the timetable
problems of Thameslink back in May,
which incidentally had very little to do
with the infrastructure or its engineering
but was all about late timetable
compilation and train crew rostering, may
be a factor in declaring the delay so as
‘not to have this happen to us’.
That the Elizabeth line will be a success
is not in doubt, and fortunately people
have short memories. When the line is up Bronze cladding installed at
and running, the troubles of 2018 will be Farringdon eastern ticket hall.
forgotten.
Crossrail 2 must not be stigmatised Another factor, not really explored, is the
as a result of the recent problems, but impact of Brexit, whatever this may mean
does it need to take so long when other for the UK, London and major projects in
European cities appear to build these general. It can only be hoped that the UK
types of links in a quicker timeframe? will ultimately benefit from Brexit, so that
Some may dispute this, but just look at its impact will not negate the need for
the Paris RER network to see what can be Crossrail 2. A subject for a further article
achieved. in due course no doubt…
+44(0)1270 445 777
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
62 FEATURE

MARK
PHILLIPS

T
he final phase of the major investment by Network Rail to increase capacity The gap between the two roof structures
on the routes in and out of London Waterloo station is nearing completion arose as a result of the desire to develop
with the refurbishment and modification of the former Waterloo and utilise the ‘orchestra pit’, of which
International Terminal (WIT), originally used by Eurostar trains but closed more later.
since November 2007 when the service was transferred to St. Pancras International. The gap to be infilled is approximately
The work is being project managed by the Wessex Capacity Alliance, a partnership 15 metres wide by 60 metres in extent.
of Network Rail, Skanska, AECOM, Colas Rail and Mott MacDonald. The accepted design is a series of
inverted triangular steel trusses,
During August 2017, Platforms 20 to 24 Infill roofing supported on two tall and tapering steel
were put to temporary use for domestic The design and finish of the ‘infill’ columns and also partially on the top
services, but without the full functionality roofing has obviously been a major member of the ‘gable-end’ truss roof
now being provided, to allow closure of architectural challenge. The original structure. This arrangement is intended
Platforms 1 to 10 for the lengthening and station roof is a fairly conventional to hopefully blend the two roofs, but
reconstruction of Platforms 1 to 4 (issue arrangement of main long-span trusses will, in reality, only be seen by those
156, October 2017). After that temporary supporting smaller apex bays carrying the observers keen to look skywards with
closure, Platform 20 remained in use for glazing. The WIT roof is an iconic structure craned necks.
Windsor line services, but Platforms 21 in the form of three-pinned arches Externally viewed, however, planning
to 24 were closed again to allow for the arranged at right angles to the track/ stipulations by Lambeth Council required
major works now nearing completion. platforms. the infill to be in the form of a rectangular
Work is taking place below, on and
above these platforms with a complex mix
of activities. The most apparent of these
activities is the provision of a major new
structure - the ‘infill’ roofing between the
original station roof and the WIT roof. But,
apart from this, there is modernisation
of the platforms, repairs to the WIT roof,
installation of lifts, escalators, stairways,
ramps, emergency exits and gatelines,
refurbishment of the ‘orchestra pit’,
completion of the permanent features
of the new link bridge and fitting of all
mechanical and electrical services. That’s
quite a list!

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018


box, being the outer and upper shell of
glazing. This is what local residents in
adjacent high-rise blocks of flats will see.
The ‘foundations’ for the new roofing
supports required extending the
steelwork down well below concourse
level. The roof is supported by the
original station masonry arch structures
to the east (Platform 19), by the WIT
structure in the centre, and on new
foundations over the Waterloo & City
lines to the west (Platform 24). The reuse
of the existing structures around the
London Underground control room had
to be suitably tested and reinforced to
withstand these new loads.
The roof infill was designed by the
Wessex Capacity Alliance. The placing
and fixing of the steelwork, which was
fabricated by Bourne Steel, is being
facilitated by a significant temporary steel
structure, a kind of falsework (painted
yellow for distinction - see photographs)
and the ingenious use of a range of long
reach mobile platforms for access to
locate and bolt and/or weld connections.
Leading specialist building envelope
contractor Prater is carrying out the
glazing.
Passenger facilities and circulation
The ‘orchestra pit’ referred to earlier is
a development of the sunken area below
the main concourse level, which was
originally used as the Eurostar passenger
waiting area. At the rear was the booking
office and Eurostar offices/stores. At the
front were the check-in, security and
passport controls. This whole sunken
area has been enlarged by modification
of the floor slab (more accurately, the
platform support structure) to create a
larger passenger circulation space - the
Coleman Group carried out all the general
demolition work, RGL Services the
specialist hydrodemolition and the Kelly
Group did all the new concrete works.
The creation of the ‘orchestra pit’ is
key to the provision of great flexibility
for passenger transfer and circulation.
For passengers wishing to gain access to
the new platforms, either from any other
platform or from concourse level, there
is a new broad link bridge (constructed
by Kilnbridge) taking them straight to
the new Platform 20/24 concourse with
its gateline, train information boards and
other services.
For those transferring to/from London
Underground, there is a broad, new
flight of steps from concourse level to
the orchestra pit level and then three
new escalators leading to the London
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
FEATURE 63
Underground subway level. And for those
transferring directly between national
rail services on Platforms 21/24, there
are escalators between platform and
orchestra pit levels.
There are also lifts between these levels,
making use of old WIT lift shafts but with
new equipment installed by Stannah Lifts,
which is also providing two completely
new lifts between the orchestra pit and LU
subway levels.
At the foot of the island platform
escalators, gatelines enable access/
egress directly to orchestra pit level and
thence on through to LU subway level.
All of this new equipment and structural
alterations, including the very imaginative
development of the orchestra pit, will
enable smooth and flexible passenger
circulation while minimising any further
congestion to the original main station
concourse.
To facilitate direct access between
Platforms 19 and Platform 20, a two-
section ramp and a stairway have been
64 FEATURE
provided. This is effectively a new island
platform, but with one half at the original
old station level and the other at WIT
level. This is the only location where the
new interface has had to be addressed in
this way.
Platform alterations
Some modifications to Platforms 20 to
24 have been necessary in putting them
to their new use.
These platforms have been shortened
by 50 metres at their country ends so
as to accommodate a new switch and
crossing layout, installation of which
also necessitated major structural
modifications of the viaduct beneath. This
new layout gives the flexibility to operate
a service of 20 trains per hour, compared
to the five or six trains per hour in the
time of Eurostar operation.
Add to this increase in trains per hour
the fact that a fully occupied commuter
train will have around 1,500-1,600
passengers aboard, wheras a Eurostar
train has a capacity of 750 passengers,
and it can readily be appreciated what a
step change in capacity the WIT work is
providing
As well as being shortened at the
country end, the London ends of
Platforms 20 to 23 have also been
shortened by 50 metres to create the
passenger concourse area. Even with
these length reductions, all the new
platforms can take 12-car trains.
In the location vacated by the shortening
of Platforms 20 to 23, a spacious
50-metre-long new concourse has been
formed using a voided concrete slab with
polystyrene infill.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
Each new island platform (21/22 and
23/24) has new escalator wells and
stairwells. All of these have required
significant structural modification and
reconstruction of the original platform
slabs. Conversely, some platform
openings from WIT days that are not
now required have had to be structurally
infilled. The works to modify various
concrete structures are being carried out
by Kelly Formwork (UK).
Although the platform edges originally
had tactile strips, these were not of the
standard now required to warn visually
impaired passengers of the edge risk.
Previously, passengers would only have had
access to the platforms whilst a stationary
Eurostar was already platformed. Now,
they will be exposed to the greater hazard
of moving trains. Therefore, all the coping
slabs have been replaced with an integral
tactile strip to the correct standard. Despite
the platform shortenings, this work has still
amounted to the placement of 1.5km. of
new copings.
Other works
Rail Engineer was escorted on a route
through the impressive catacombs, a
network of major brick arches, beneath
Waterloo station to view the works. Old
WIT mechanical and electrical services
are being stripped out and being
replaced by new cabling and ducting
for communications infrastructure, fire
systems, public address, lighting and
ventilation.
There are extensive plans for releasing
large areas under the new platforms for
retail uses by private developers. It is
understood that this will commence soon
after the current project to open the new
platforms is completed.
Tiling of all walkway and concourse
areas is ongoing and the finishes and
parapets for the link bridge are being
worked on.
The new platforms are scheduled to
open for passenger use on 9 December.
This will provide immediate benefit to
the operation of the station with the
existing services. No doubt, when a new
timetable comes into force next May, the
full flexibility and capacity improvement
gained from the new platforms will
become even more apparent. The
Southwestern train planners will have
a major new asset, enabling them to
diversify and improve the train service
pattern optimally.
Prior to these capacity improvement
works, Waterloo station was handling
approximately 96 million passengers a
year. After commissioning of the WIT
platforms in their new role, which will be
the final element of the overall project,
that capacity will have been increased to
120 million passengers.
To achieve this, the cost of the change
in use of the WIT platforms to their new
future role is estimated at £170 million.
That sounds like very good value.
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T 01962 711642 E info@totalrailsolutions.co.uk W totalrailsolutions.co.uk

66 FEATURE

completion
Liverpool Lime Street

I
n September 2016 (issue 143), Rail Engineer reported The scheme has delivered
on the development and the proposed designs for the a capacity increase of three
extensive remodelling and resignalling of Liverpool Lime extra services per hour by
PAUL Street station. At the time, the project had not obtained creating two new platforms
DARLINGTON
all the required funding and was still subject to gaining all while extending Platform 10 to
the necessary approvals and consents. Rail Engineer is now accommodate eleven-car units
pleased to report that all the planned work has indeed taken and Platforms 1 and 2 for eight
place, and that the challenges have all been overcome to car units (previously four car).
deliver a successful project. At the same time, Platforms
3 to 6 have been realigned to
Collaboration with all Modelling increase turnout speed and to
stakeholders, including The need for the project provide safer, wider access for
several train operators, was poor asset condition and passengers.
the City of Liverpool and the growing region - by 2043, All of the signalling has been
other organisations in the the number of morning peak renewed, with signalling control
North West, was key to commuters is expected to moved to the Manchester Rail
negotiating and securing the double to more than 40,000 Operating Centre (MROC).
required disruptive access. It each day. Liverpool Lime This equates to a 100 signalling
stimulated the production of Street is also a key part of the equivalent unit (SEU) renewal,
a comprehensive and detailed Northern Hub programme, which is a sizeable scheme.
transport strategy, with which which is a regulatory milestone Four kilometres of plain line
the project staging strategy for Network Rail. track and 24 point ends have
aligned. It also identified works
PHOTO: MATTHEWNICHOLPHOTOGRAPHY

Lime Street cutting. required to manage passenger

flow during key blockades.
The strategy called for
Liverpool to be ‘kept open for
business’ during stages 2 and
5 of the project, with trains
terminating at Liverpool South
Parkway. It was also the catalyst
for a bi-directional signalling
solution in order to retain some
services into Lime Street while
the significant reconstruction
work continued.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

 FEATURE 67

plus station electrical, CCTV

and customer information
systems. Buckingham was
supported by Motion Rail,
which supplied the station
Before. information and security
systems, while PICOW
Engineering Group undertook
the mechanical and electrical
works.
A separate principal
contractor organisation (also
via Buckingham) coordinated
the safe interface of all site
works as well as delivering
and managing the project site
After. establishment and welfare
facilities. S&C North Alliance
been renewed, along with various spokes and manages delivered track and overhead
the associated overhead line the overall delivery strategy, line work, with design by
equipment. providing sufficient process and Amey Consulting. Siemens
Building Information assurance to enable effective Rail Automation delivered
Management (BIM), video working between spokes. all of the signalling control,
simulation, and 4D modelling In this case, the ‘hub’ was led E&P, SCADA and operational
have all been used extensively by Network Rail IP Signalling, telecommunications.
as part of the planning and which was responsible Acting as subcontractors to
implementation process, for signalling, operational Buckingham, SNC-Lavalin’s
which included ‘virtual route telecoms, electrification and Atkins business delivered
learning’ for Stage 5 to plant (E&P) and SCADA works, the detailed design for the
highlight safety risks to workers supported by Network Rail IP track, the majority of the
during the construction and for Northern Programmes (civil civil engineering inclusive
stakeholder management. BIM engineering and station works). of all platform re-modelling
modelling was invaluable in Buckingham Group and all station electrical and
interdisciplinary design reviews, Contracting planned and telecoms works. Atkins also
identifying potential clashes delivered all worksite addressed the track and
on site and obtaining accurate management for the delivery of platform interfaces, together
measurements within the the project, including the eight with providing the formal BIM
constricted Lime Street cutting blockades to deliver each key coordination role, while Arcadis
to inform equipment siting and stage. This included all the civil provided a specialist role in
elevated cable route position. engineering, platform works, the design of the civils and South shed.
The model was used
PHOTO: MATTHEWNICHOLPHOTOGRAPHY

extensively for signal sighting

and identified the requirement
for several sighting screens.
This enabled the exact
dimensions of the screens to
be modelled for formal design
and build, well in advance of
the signals being installed and
commissioned.

Hub and spoke

The project was delivered
using a hub and spoke
arrangement, in which
organisations build a successful
procurement strategy by
integrating all the elements
that are responsible for the
delivery. The central hub
facilitates communications and
collaboration between the

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

68 FEATURE
The platform layout before (left) and after. Note all sidings have been removed.
geotechnical interface for the OLE brackets required to support
the new structures within the cutting and tunnels.
SPI, the creators of the virtual reality model, provided resources
for 4D-modelling, model Integration within the hub team and
produced the driver training video. Within Network Rail, the
Signalling Design Group and Works Delivery organisations
also delivered packages of work for the project, together with
Babcock.
Starting position
The platform layout was, and is, somewhat confusing so it is
worth taking a moment to clarify it.
Looking from the city centre entrance into the station, prior to
the re-modelling, platforms were numbered from left to right and
from 1 to 9. Platforms 1 to 6 were used predominantly for local
services with Platforms 7 to 9 for longer distance services and
longer trains.
The wide bay that contained Platforms 1 and 2 had an
additional stabling siding - ‘A’ - running in between the two
platform-facing tracks. Similarly, the bay for Platforms 3 and 4
included siding ‘B’.
There were originally two sidings between Platforms 5 and 6 -
‘C’ and ‘D’ - but siding C was removed in 1948. Platform 6 had
quite a kink in it, which causes problems with signal sightings.
In the South Shed, what would logically be Platform 7 was, in
fact, just siding ‘E’ - the support columns for the station roof,
close to the platform edge, precluded it from being used for
passengers. So Platform 7 was where one would expect to find
Platform 8.
There was a wide space between Platform 7 and the last bay
for Platforms 8 and 9. Formerly, this space was used for an access
road, with a short bay platform at the top end protruding through
a small bridge. This had also been removed, as had the bay on
the far right that used to be Platforms 10 and 11. Since then,
PHOTO: MATTHEWNICHOLPHOTOGRAPHY
the space between platform faces 7 and 8 was used for waiting
rooms and a redundant Post Office building.
Major changes
Platform 1 has been taken out of use, which has allowed the
remaining platforms to be lengthened to allow for a minimum of
six-car trains. The original Platform 6 has been straightened to
improve signal sighting and reclassified as Platform 5.
The project removed waiting rooms, left luggage facilities and
the redundant post office mail handling building between the
existing Platforms 7 and 8 to create two new platform faces. The
post office building removal itself was a major exercise due to
redundant machinery and asbestos. Demolished by Buckingham’s
own internal demolition team, the process required extensive
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
excavation through sandstone rock together with infill of the
former post office shaft tower and service tunnel. Some of the
spoil was used to fill the voids, the remaining was removed from
site by a combination of road and rail transport.
At the same time, the former Virgin Trains ticket office and
waiting lounge buildings were carefully dismantled and placed in
storage for future re-use.
The high level of ballast contamination in the Liverpool Lime
Street station area, with asbestos and train discharge prominent
in its make up, required safe removal and transportation to a
waste facility. This was achieved successfully with no issues.
The new layout has provided five platforms on each side of the
station, known as ‘North Shed’ and ‘South Shed’. Platform 10
(previously 9) has been extended from 246 to 267 metres. This
is both to increase the number of platforms available for 11-car
services from two to three and to increase the flexibility of train
operations. Platforms 8, 9 and 10 have been resurfaced to match
the newer paving in the North Shed, and all the platform coping
edges have been changed to match the new track alignment.
The layout now allows trains using the slow lines to be
predominantly routed to and from Platforms 1 to 5, while
platforms 6 to 10 will serve the Fast lines. Departure speeds
have been increased from 15 to 25 mph and the switches and
crossings are now spaced further away from one another to
enable independent tamping. The home signals are closer to
the platforms ends and most platform-to-platform moves can be
done under a main route, rather than as a shunt move.
New Mk3D fixed tension overhead line equipment (OLE)
and new motorised operating switches have been provided to
support the new track layout, but the proposal for motorised
earthing switches for the OLE was removed from the scope of
the scheme, as it was concluded the product was not sufficiently
developed in time.
Old trackside building.
 FEATURE 69

PHOTO: MATTHEWNICHOLPHOTOGRAPHY
Signalling changes
The previous London, Midland & Scottish Railway Type 13
signalbox contained a 95-lever Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co
Ltd Style ‘L’ miniature leaver frame, commissioned on 25 January
1948. It is being carefully removed and will be used to support
the one remaining Style ‘L’ frame still operated by Network Rail,
at Maidstone East. The signal box itself, located within the station
throat and standing in a deep cutting, will be retained and may
be reused for office space and storage.
New signalling equipment includes Frauscher wheel sensors,
standard strength AWS (Automatic Warning System) magnets
(permanent, electro and suppressed), TPWS (Train Protection
and Warning System) transmitters, LED signals and indicators,
miniature banners, and ‘right away’ and ‘train ready to start’
switches. All the points operating equipment is in-bearer Clamp
Locks (IBCL) with condition monitoring.
The signalling is connected via the telecommunication FTNx New signals and extended platforms.
Internet-protocol (IP) transmission network to a single workstation
in the MROC. Traditionally, remote signalling was controlled During detailed design, a decision was made for Liverpool Lime
via a telecom point to point link with a diverse routed back up Street to be controlled from a single dedicated workstation. An
link, possibly via another telecoms service provider, to provide assessment of signaller workload confirmed that Automatic Route
continuity of service in the event of a failure. With an IP packet- Setting (ARS) was not required. This meant that the Lime Street
based telecom network, however, the data messages are broken Control could not be provided as part of the ARS and, therefore,
into individual packets of information and routed around a mesh Lime Street Control has been provided in a conventional manner
network of routers and links. In the event of cable or equipment within the interlocking.
failure, multiple paths are available for the packets. Once all the With LED signals, the access requirements for maintenance
packets are received, the data message is reassembled with any are significantly reduced and, due to the limited clearances in
missing or corrupt packets resent. This all takes place in a few the Lime Street cutting, ladders and walkways to the new signal
milliseconds. gantries have not been installed. Instead, a tower work-platform
‘Lime Street Control’ is a signalling control method in operation scaffold from LOBO Systems has been provided, which can
at a number of terminal stations. It uses the configuration of the quickly be installed should access be required.
train detection system to check that a platform has sufficient To further improve safe maintenance access into the cutting,
length before allowing the protecting signal to clear. As the a new access point has been created at Crown Street, midpoint
name suggests, it was first provided at Liverpool, as part of the between Lime Street and Edge Hill. However, the planned
resignalling of the station in 1948. trackside lockout device systems have not been provided,

PHOTO: MATTHEWNICHOLPHOTOGRAPHY

Manchester ROC workstation controlling Lime Street.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

70 FEATURE
PHOTO: MATTHEWNICHOLPHOTOGRAPHY
Lime Street cutting.
New signals in cutting.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
following a justification
accepted by the Network Rail
Safety Review Panel and the
Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
Lockout devices have been
provided for all the platforms.
One innovation introduced
by the project were combined
alphanumeric route indicators
(CARI) from Variable Message
Signs (VMS), a Hill and Smith
business. These can be used
as a replacement for both
standard alphanumeric route
indicators (SARI), which have
to have a readability of up to
250 metres, and miniature
alphanumeric route indicators
(MARI), which have a reduced
readable distance of 65 metres.
The new CARI indicators have
been installed as ‘first of type’
at signals LL3067, LL5071
and LL9073 under a product
acceptance trial certificate.
The re-control of the adjacent
Edge Hill signal box to the
Manchester ROC is now
planned for 2019 and will be
re-controlled onto the existing
Liverpool (Huyton) workstation,
leaving Lime Street with its own
dedicated workstation.
Equipment locations
The project team was tasked
with finding space with safe,
easy and maintainable access
for equipment to be located on
the surface. Six multi-discipline
equipment compounds were
identified - five of these were
on redundant bridges and areas
of land above the cutting and
were available for leaseback or
purchase. The former bridge
owners and tenants were, in
general, pleased to help, so the
inspection and maintenance
of the structures, and the
associated risk that may affect
the operational railway, is now
wholly in the control of the
infrastructure manager. A sixth,
multi-disciplinary equipment
compound is situated on
Liverpool Lime Street Platform 5.
Emergency spare cable ducts
have been provided from the
top of the cutting to track level.
These are fitted with a draw
rope to allow a failed cable
to be replaced quickly and
safely without the need for an
isolation and disruptive track
access for a work platform.
At St Andrews Street, an
equipment compound has
been located behind a new St
Andrews ‘The Bullring’ mural,
as part of a curved security wall
around the compound. The
original mural was unveiled
by HRH Queen Elizabeth and
Prince Phillip in July 1989 and
commemorates the life and
times of people who lived in
nearby St Andrews Gardens,
which opened in 1935 under a
city housing programme.
In the same area, the project
also undertook voluntary
works within the local Bronte
Youth Centre, investing almost
£40,000 in improving the
facilities there for local people.
The equipment within the
compound itself consists of the
signal relocatable equipment
building (REB), 650V signalling
power supply, point-heating
control, telecoms transmission,
SCADA (supervisory control and
data acquisition) and junction
lighting controls equipment.
Project stages
A comprehensive staging
strategy gave stakeholders
confidence in the successful
delivery of the project and
allowed the possession
access requirements to be
demonstrated, justified and
agreed.
The new crossover ladder
at Crown Street was installed
early in the project but not
commissioned until later.
Likewise, switches and crossing
units were installed at the
entrance to the station to
enable platform phasing in/
out during the lead up to final
commissioning. Bringing the
points into service in stages
allowed the significant platform
alteration works to be carried
 FEATURE 71

remodelled, lengthened and

widened to create additional
space for longer trains and
more passengers. The bi-
directional signalling for trains
running in and out of Platforms
1 and 2 was recommissioned
and used for almost five weeks
of the blockade. Full train
services resumed at Liverpool
Lime Street on Monday 30 July.
The existing Platform 1 was
abandoned; enabling the
existing Platforms 2 and 3 to
be extended. The existing
sidings within the platforms
were recovered to enable
wider platforms to be achieved.
A new Siemens Westlock
interlocking was commissioned Rubble on tracks.
at MROC to control the
out in a phased manner, which The incident did not affect Liverpool Lime Street area,
kept the overall blockade and the project and, in fact, the with the control of signals and
station closure requirements to opportunity was taken to points via an IP-linked Westlock
a minimum. deliver some work that had Trackside System (WTS).
In October 2017, the been planned to take place During stage 5a, from 01:00
bi-directional signalling later in the year. This included Saturday 2 June until 06:00
system was installed and demolishment of many old on Monday 11 June, Babcock,
commissioned, which enabled buildings near the station and working for Siemens, installed
trains to run in and out of installing several undertrack temporary bidirectional
Platforms 1 and 2 for much crossings from one side of the signalling that would remain in
of the programme. For a station to the other. service until the end of Stage
number of smaller closures of The second major phase of 5b. Recovery of all trackside
Lime Street, and during the the station’s transformation equipment was undertaken
main blockades, long-distance was an eight-week (2 June - to facilitate track renewals.
trains terminated at Liverpool 29 July 2018) blockade. This Siemens also worked within the
South Parkway with Merseyrail was known as stage 5, during Manchester ROC to relocate
running additional services which all station platforms were the Huyton workstation in order OLE work in the cutting.
on the Northern Line to assist
PHOTO: MATTHEWNICHOLPHOTOGRAPHY

customers travelling to and

from Liverpool.

Wall collapse
On Tuesday 28 February 2018,
a section of the wall above
the cutting collapsed, sending
200 tonnes of debris across
four lines in the deep cutting
approaching Lime Street
station. The cause was not
associated with the Lime Street
project - the ground above the
cutting had been overloaded,
pushing the wall out and onto
the railway - and fortunately no
one was hurt. Other Network
Rail teams worked 24/7 to clear
a total of 4,000 tonnes of debris
and to repair damage to the
track, signalling and overhead
wires. The line reopened on 8
March.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

72 FEATURE

to facilitate the installation of the new Lime Street workstation.

Stage 5b (06:00 Monday 11 June - 20:00 Friday 13 July)
delivered the reconnection of the signalling following the track
works. Siemens undertook significant installation and local testing
of all the new signalling equipment during this time.
Stage 5c 20:00 Friday 13 July - 04:45 Monday 30 July was
the fringe changeover stage with principles and wheels-free
testing as all track works were now complete. Siemens carried
out changeovers within Edge Hill relay room, including a power
re-feed from a new supply point. Additional works to the Edge

PHOTO: MATTHEWNICHOLPHOTOGRAPHY
Hill signalling panel were also undertaken so as to reflect the Lime
Street changes and fringe to the Manchester ROC.
In total, stage 5 delivered:
»» The new workstation at the ROC;
»» One Westlock Interlocking;
»» One power supply point
»» Three combined alphanumeric route indicator signals (on);
»» Six REBs containing new-technology Westlock Trackside System
(WTS);
»» 16 AWS magnets;
»» 24 point ends;
»» 38 TPWS transmitters;
»» 84 Frauscher axle-counter heads; The rail industry sometimes has a poor reputation for
»» 85 new/altered signals (including 14 lightweight signals, eight delivering major projects, but the Lime Street remodelling
on gantry, 10 off right away, nine miniature banner, nine ground was a complicated and significant project with many interfaces
position light signals); and risks. It has, however, been successfully delivered and has
»» More than 120 signalling available routes; provided the opportunity to provide a much better layout to suit
»» Over 135km of miscellaneous cable. todays railway, and one that is maintainable, sustainable and is
Some additional, final works took place on Sunday 2 September able to support the Northern Power House.
and Sunday 14 October with the new Platforms 1 and 2 in full
passenger use. This now allows for the extra three services per Thanks to Ian Fury and Claire Hulstone of Network Rail, Fergal
hour in and out of Lime Street station, including new direct Kiernan of Buckingham Group Contracting and James Davies of
services to Scotland. Siemens for their help with this article.

PHOTO: MATTHEWNICHOLPHOTOGRAPHY
Restricted line side access for equipment and staff.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

 FEATURE 73

Multi-Disciplinary Rail construction services include:

• Rail engineering; civil & structural engineering
• Stations and Passenger Area construction and refurbishment
• Platform construction and extensions
• Permanent Way, Construction, Raising & Lowering
• Bridge Structures & Retaining Walls, including Piling
• Lineside Structures, Foundations, Culverts
• Earthworks, Embankments & Cuttings
• Embankment construction, stabilisation & protection
• Railway track beds & ballast operations
• Major re-signalling schemes
• Troughing Route
• Station car parks; at grade, decked & multi-storey
• Depots & Trainwash facilities

All Operations are undertaken under a full, Network Rail approved,

Principal Contractors Licence (PCL) and all appropriate Link-Up product
code registrations.

Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd.

Silverstone Road, Stowe, Buckingham, MK18 5LJ
Tel: 01280 823355; E-mail: bd@buckinghamgroup.co.uk

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Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

74 FEATURE

EU5T0N
PHOTOGRAPHS: TONY FRESCHINI COLLECTION

GRAEME
BICKERDIKE

T
ransport transforms - socially, The parcels depot Virtually all of the inbound traffic
economically, topographically. It Heavy parcels traffic has been a passes through the depot, apart
also evolves, reflecting our changing feature of Euston from its earliest from the PO parcels post and letter
needs. Crossrail - though mostly days. The latest figures show that, mail which is taken through the main
underground - has made its mark on the during each four-weekly period in building basement area for direct
capital’s landscape with ten unique stations, 1969/1970, an average of 2,160,000 transhipment by road to external PO
each conceived by different architects. packages were handled, although sorting depots. Complete PO parcels
And soon HS2 will act as a catalyst for the depot has sufficient flexibility to trains are unloaded on the long
regeneration around Euston as the station handle almost double this number. bay - Platform 18 - permitting road
embarks on its third life. Outbound, all BR ordinary parcels vehicles to access both sides.
London’s first railway terminus has been and Red Star traffic is handled within Red Star traffic normally consists
at the heart of our transport system since the depot, together with South- of small consignments brought
passengers walked through the doors on North transfers and a considerable to the depot by the consignor for
20 July 1837. But it’s the station’s second proportion of the periodical traffic. forwarding on a nominated train.
incarnation we’ll focus on here, marking Newspapers are handled directly This has proved a very successful
the 50th anniversary of the Queen officially from the platforms. Post Office (PO) service, with the number of parcels
opening it on 14 October 1968. Costing parcels post is delivered to, and forwarded from Euston having risen
£15 million, ‘New Euston’ was designed to handled within, the depot before from 2,886 parcels in 1967 - the first
cater for 20 million passengers annually; in being transhipped to the week of the service - to about 8,500
2016/17, 44 million used it. Few would have trains. per week average last year.
predicted such demand at a time when rail
was in decline.
Back in the 1980s, Tony Freschini led
the team credited with saving Ribblehead
Viaduct on the majestic Settle-Carlisle line.
His railway career had taken him to Euston
in 1966, serving as the project’s resident
engineer from 1968-1970. Whilst there, he
undertook an extramural course in Transport
Studies at the University of London, which,
in 1971, culminated in the preparation of a
thesis entitled Euston Station: its function and
method of operation.
What follows is a very condensed version
of that paper, examining principal areas of
the station. As you’ll observe, it sometimes
reflects a very different time.
Resident Engineer Tony Freschini - then and now.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

 FEATURE 75

Organisation and routing

The parcels depot is situated on a
concrete deck about nine acres in area
and constructed some 30 feet above the
platform and track areas. Its southern
side is approximately 350 feet north of
the main station buildings and spans
the 15 passenger platforms, the parcels
platforms and two sidings roads. The
depot itself consists of a central raised
area - roughly rectangular in shape - with
a wide roadway traversing the perimeter
and a loading/unloading dock for
handling the various traffics.
There are two main ramps from the
depot to platform level which are
designed to facilitate the bulk transfer of
parcels using wheeled trolleys - known
as BRUTEs (British Rail Utilitarian Trolley
Equipment) - coupled together to form
trains hauled by tractor units. (Above) Consruction of the station's west wing and underground car park.
The principal ramp serves Platforms
18-20, but access is also possible to the Passenger traffic and facilities via the eastern or western colonnades.
basement area of the main building, from New Euston’s main building spans Access from the south is across the paved
which all of the platforms can be reached. the area between Eversholt Street and forecourt area situated above the car park.
The second ramp gives direct access to Cardington Street - a distance of about From the Underground, the concourse
Platforms 1-3, which can also be reached 600 feet. The nature of the station site is reached by means of a large escalator
directly by road vehicles from Eversholt allowed the planners to adopt a functional situated centrally on the southern side.
Street. Lifts are provided to serve layout and the building is divided into The station is able to handle 50,000-
individual pairs of platforms, suitable for the East wing, concourse, West wing, 60,000 passengers per day, of which some
carrying staff or a single trolley. basement service area and underground 20,000-22,000 arrivals and departures are
During the day, Platforms 1-3 are car park. by main line and semi-fast services, and
generally dedicated for passenger use; To avoid the severe congestion between about 8,500 by commuter services. Both
however at night considerable parcels passenger and parcels traffics from which traffics have increased by around 50 per
traffic movements take place with the old station suffered, the designers cent since electrification.
Platform 1 being used extensively for were commissioned to provide a layout On the north face of the concourse, a
outbound newspaper trains and inbound that, as far as possible, enabled the two large electro-mechanical train indicator
periodical traffic. PO parcels trains use traffics to be segregated. To accomplish gives full details of train arrivals and
Platforms 2/3. this, they raised the main passenger departures.
Outgoing parcels are delivered to the concourse 10 feet above the platforms; Access to the platforms is gained
northeast side of the depot, where they its chosen level being determined by the directly from the north side of this area,
are offloaded manually, placed directly roof level of the London Transport (LT) the section between the concourse and
onto a ground-based conveyor system for Underground station and the need to the passenger ramps being termed the
transportation to the sorting area, then provide sufficient headroom within the Passenger Dispersal area. This forms a
loaded onto the BRUTEs for despatch. basement area. corridor about 30 feet wide, running East-
Incoming parcels are taken to the south Passengers arriving on foot approach West through the main buildings.
side of the depot for sorting before going the station from Eversholt Street and
by road to their destinations. Melton Street respectively and enter (Below) A model of New Euston.

Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

76 FEATURE
Platform layout
Prior to the reconstruction, the track
layout often impaired the station’s
operational flexibility due to the lack of
platform space and suitable points and
crossings. It was decided therefore to
increase the number of platforms from 12
to 15 and remodel the permanent way
for a distance of about one mile north of
the platforms. Combined with the new
signalling scheme, this has allowed the
operators to path trains into the station
more easily.
»» Platforms 1, 2 and 3 cater generally
for main line arrivals, with passengers
entering the concourse via the narrow
ramp from Platform 3.
»» Platforms 4, 5, 6 and 7 cater for main
line and semi-fast services, access to
the concourse being via a wide ramp.
»» Platforms 8, 9, 10 and 11 cater mainly
for the outer suburban services, with
tracks 9 and 10 also being fitted with
DC rails for use by the local Watford
service.
»» Platforms 12-15 serve main line and
semi fast services, with access provided
by a ramp towards the northwest side
of the concourse (Platforms 13-15 also
cater for sleeping car services).
»» Tracks 16 and 17 are normally used as
stabling sidings.
»» Platforms 18, 19 and 20 are used for
parcel train services.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
East and West wings
The East wing
building is a
three-story block
containing the main
catering facilities
which presently
consist of a restaurant, bar and
small cafeteria/waiting room, with a self-
service tea bar in the eastern dispersal
area. At first floor level is a more exclusive
restaurant and small bar, as well as the
Superloo area comprising superior toilet
accommodation with baths and showers.
Currently, 220 catering staff are employed
in the building and, on an average day,
some 1,500 meals are served at concourse
level and 400 at first floor level. A further
40 work in the basement, preparing food
for the train restaurant services.
The West wing houses the general
station facilities, the principal feature
being the Travel Centre. This is a new
concept, the main purpose of which is
to offer passengers tickets, reservations
and enquiries within one centrally
located office. During an average week,
45,000 tickets are issued to main line
destinations. All the ticket machines are
mechanised using the Westinghouse
multi-printer model.
The basement
The basement service roadway runs the
full length of the main buildings and is a
minimum of 24 feet in width, although
headroom restricts use to vehicles up
to 13 feet 6 inches in height. A loading
dock - which forms the roof of the LT
Underground ticket office - is raised
three feet above the roadway with 22
vehicle bays, two for newspapers and 20
for PO traffic.
All traffic movement outside the
service roadway is by BRUTE trolley train
and a dedicated route traverses the
perimeter of the main building, passing
beneath the service roadway, allowing
all platforms to be served without
interfering with road traffic.
The car park
The station car park is beneath the
forecourt at the southern side of the main
building and is accessed via a ramp from
Melton Street. Parking is controlled by
National Car Parks on concession from BR.
The old station had no provision for
private parking and the designers were
faced with the problem of how many
cars to accommodate. A figure of 240
was initially agreed upon, with a view to
expanding this in future if justified on
economic grounds.
Parking charges provide a short waiting
period of two hours for 2/- per hour,
rising steeply to 30/- for the whole day.
A concession is made for passengers,
amounting to a 50 per cent reduction. The
parking area was opened in December
1968 and initially was not fully utilised;
however, it has since gained steadily in
popularity and is now frequently full.
Signal box
The new power signal box is located
to the north of Platform 20 and plays
an important part in the operational
efficiency of the new terminal. It was
built in conjunction with the station
reconstruction scheme and was
completed in 1965 at a cost of about £2
million. The box controls 2.5 miles of line
from Euston-South Hampstead, a distance
of 18 single-track miles comprising 488
signal routes.
 FEATURE 77

Two signalmen are employed on each shift and

use a push-button system located in a 25 feet long
signalling console. the area controller supervises
the operation, assisted by a train recorder, and
each is provided with a telephone keyboard to
enable them to contact all signal boxes, stations
and depots, as well as train control.

An appraisal of the facilities

In general, I consider that the new station
functions well, allowing the various traffics to be
handled efficiently. However certain parts could
have been better designed and several working
practices should be improved.
Having examined the handling of the parcels
traffics, the main fault I observed arises from the
provision of insufficient direct supervision of the
operatives. The effect of this often gives rise
to careless or occasionally very rough handling to assist the flow of passengers between the (Above) Preparatory
of the traffic. On many occasions, I observed various transport modes. However I consider works for the concourse
parcels lying in the roadways having fallen from the interchange facilities between rail and roof's insitu concrete
overloaded trolleys. Steps should be taken Underground services to be excellent and it is support beams.
to ensure that the BRUTE drivers observe the unlikely these could be improved.
specified 5mph speed limit and that the trains are The considerable east-west flow of passengers (Left, top) Road vehicle
limited to the recommended 12 trolleys. through the dispersal area to the toilets, left access to the basement
In respect of passenger handling, it is my view luggage lockers and the catering premises from Eversholt Street.
that despite the great improvements made conflicts with the flows using the ramp to
following the reconstruction work, Euston still Platforms 1-3. The fact that the ramp is only about (Left, inset) The first part
requires additional works to enable it to fulfil a sixth of the width of the others adds to the of the underground car
its function as a major interchange terminal congestion. park roof and forecourt.

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Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018

78 FEATURE
A further problem arises from the lack
of seating on the concourse, although
belatedly some has been provided -
totalling about 90 - with a further 24
being placed near the central columns.
The main objection to providing more
seating arises from the probability that
they would be used by undesirables.
The postal facilities are poor, although
a central postal suite has been provided
within the concourse with two letterboxes
and stamp machines. Telephone facilities
are plentiful and well located.
A labour force of around 1,900
persons (including 142 train drivers,
42 guards and 53 conductor guards) is
employed to run the normal activities of
the terminal, with a three-shift system to
cover the full working day. The direction
and control of the labour force is
undertaken by a team of four managers.
It should be noted that the salary of
the station manager does not exceed
£3,000 pa, and those of the principal
assistants are less than £2,500.
(Below) Erecting a platform awning
in front of the entry ramp to the
parcels depot from Barnaby Street.
(Bottom) Constructing the reinforced
concrete base slab for a Godwin
Warren sliding bufferstop.
Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
Future developments
The numbers of passengers using the
Outer Suburban services are sure to
expand quickly as the towns between
Watford and Northampton grow and the
expansion of Northampton takes place,
together with construction of the new
city of Milton Keynes. Long-distance
traffic is also expected to expand with
the electrification of the line between
Weaver Junction and Glasgow.
As a consequence, I believe that a
further extension of many of the station
facilities will be required during the
next decade, although current platform
capacity seems adequate to cope with
foreseeable traffic growth.
Following completion of the
reconstruction, BR has decided to
retain the interdepartmental committee
originally set up to plan and coordinate
the development of the new station. At
present, it is considering the pressing
need to develop the two vacant sites
south of the main building - currently
utilised as temporary car parks - into an
office block and hotel.
It is desirable that future commercial
development should seek to
compliment this, retaining the broad
area at concourse level for the outward
expansion of the passenger facilities if
and when these
are required.
Tony’s final two paragraphs allude
to Euston’s greatest failing, one
that has thankfully been recognised
and rectified in subsequent station
redevelopments: the need to fully
exploit a site’s commercial potential
to ensure maximum return on the
investment.
On its official opening day,
Michael Baily, The Times’ transport
correspondent, remarked: “As a piece
of urban planning, [New Euston]
stands as a monument to ignorance
and bureaucratic bungling.”
The problem stemmed from central
and local government’s thwarting of
British Railways’ plan to include shops
and offices which would have soon
paid for the station. Instead a financial
blow was imparted costing BR - and
the taxpayer - an estimated £4 million
every year. And this squandered
opportunity brought a social loss,
too, as thousands of commuters were
compelled to embark on secondary
journeys to their places of work.
Baily went on: “With growing
understanding and skills in transport/
land planning in bodies such as the
Greater London Council, one would
hope eventually at Euston, not for just
a crude office-block-on-station such as
British Railways originally proposed,
but for a properly engineered
transport centre with travelators,
minibuses and the like running
through, and a development complex
incorporating the massive office, hotel,
shopping and leisure facilities such a
key site in the urban fabric justifies.”
Let’s hope we get it right next time.
Enter HS2.
 EA

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CAREER
OPPORTUNITIES
Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) is the national railway system operator
of Ireland. We operate all internal intercity, commuter and
freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly
with Northern Ireland Railways, the Enterprise service between
Dublin and Belfast.
We are responsible for the construction and maintenance of all
elements of the railway in Ireland.
Our Network extends to 1700 miles of track, over 4400 bridges,
970 level crossings, 372 platforms and 13 tunnels.
We have 33 miles of electrified railway and we plan to electrify a
significant section of critical areas of the network.
At the same time we have major capital projects that we are
embarking on and a total projected investment reaching into the
billions of Euros.
This programme will increase capacity in the heavy rail network
with expansion of the Dublin Area Transit system (DART). The
DART expansion will include electrification, resignalling and
adding tracks to branch lines.
We are driven by values that provide safe, customer focused
journeys every day. We are one dedicated team. We believe in
our people, we are proud of our past and passionate about our
future.
 ELECTRIFICATION
MANAGER
We have an exciting new opportunity for an experienced and
knowledgeable Railway Electrification professional to be a part
of our future.
We have 33 miles of electrified railway and we plan to
electrify a significant section of critical areas of the network.

Purpose of the role

The Electrification Manager is specifically accountable for
the management of all aspects of the electrification business
unit. You will be responsible to ensure that all electrification
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of the electrification discipline.

Experience
Have you got extensive railway Electrification and Power
Distribution experience?
Do you know how to deliver projects and maintenance regimes
on an operational railway?
Are you a manager of others and someone who can be a true
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CHIEF ENGINEER Are you an innovator, that is dynamic and self-motivated?

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We are able to put together a first class package, first class
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We require a dedicated and resourceful Chief Engineer to be
involved in the most exciting period of growth for Irish Rail
since its conception. Our Chief engineer will be involved in our
strategic vision and committed project portfolio. We require a
self-motivated, self-starting, resilient leader.
Our goal is to operate the safest, most efficient railway possible.
A safe and reliable today with a pioneering and efficient
tomorrow.
We are looking for a leader with energy, drive, determination
and focus!
If you have proven experience in the specification,
maintenance, renewal and enhancements of Signalling,
Electrification and/or Telecommunications, we want to talk to
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Have you got proven experience managing major contracts and
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We require applicants with not just a high level of business
acumen, but people that can influence policy and change. Our
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a first class service to all our customers.
Our vision is for Irish Rail to be the employer of choice and for
this to happen we need to attract the very best to be part of
our executive management team.

TO APPLY
Fission Recruitment Services are working in partnership with Irish Rail to identify and support
successful applicants into these career opportunities.
For more information and support, please contact Fission via email on irishrail@fission.co.uk
or to discuss further please call +44 (0) 151 356 5610.
82 CAREERS

Examiner
North West of England
Competitive Salary dependant on Qualifications and Experience

XEIAD is a Civil Engineering Consultancy Requirements

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Rail Engineer | Issue 169 | November 2018
Are you an experienced Rail Professional
looking for a new career opportunity?
At Colas Rail UK we work on some of the most
exciting projects to keep the nation moving with
operations spread across three divisions, Rail
Services, Infrastructure and Urban.
From turnkey multi-disciplinary projects, rail
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We are always on the lookout for talented people
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» Goods Inwards Inspector » Maintenance Supervisors
» Driver / Route Conductors x 4 » Freight Train Driver
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