the rail engineer - issue 93 - july 2012

July 2012

i s s u e

written by rail engineers for rail engineers available online at www.therailengineer.com

UpstairsDownstairsImprovement works atLiverpool Central, Britain’s 37th

busiest underground station.

Wheels areturningAxles, Wheelsets andBearings - Balancing Safety,Performance and Cost.

Farringdon platformextensionsComplying with GroupStandards, whilst extendingplatforms at Farringdon.

Flying HighPARTNERS AND SUPPLIERS RECEIVERECOGNITION FROM NETWORK RAIL

93

july 2012 | the rail engineer | 3welcome

Operating noticeGrahame Taylor’s

EditorGrahame [email protected]

Production EditorNigel [email protected]

Production and designAdam O'[email protected]

Engineering [email protected]@[email protected]@therailengineer.comgraeme.bickerdike@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]

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Flying High 6Partners and suppliers receive recognition fromNetwork Rail.

100 Not Out 13Clive Kessell speaks with Francis How, President ofthe IRSE in its centenary year.

Mission Statement 18Balfour Beatty Rail tests the three-dimensionalMission Room Arena on a live railway project.

Getting a GRIP on BIM 20Building Information Modelling (BIM) is quicklybecoming the buzz word in infrastructure.

Upstairs Downstairs 24Improvement works at Liverpool Central, Britain’s37th busiest underground station.

Farringdon Platform Extensions 30Complying with Railway Group Standards, whilstextending platforms at Grade 2 listed Farringdon.

Delivering Collaboration 40The National Railway Museum in York was thevenue for Westermo Data Communications’ secondannual conference.

Wheels are Turning 43Axles, Wheelsets and Bearings - Balancing Safety,Performance and Cost.

Bridges & Tunnels; Level Crossings August

Signalling & Telecoms; Innotrans September

in this issue

forthcomingfeatures

Tables laid between rows of pensioned off aircraft,a BBC sports columnist and Kevin Keegan. It can onlybe......the Network Rail Partnership Awards. Despitethis rather curious disjuncture, here was a prestigiousevent which gave Network Rail the opportunity tothank its partners and suppliers for all their hardwork over the past year, and to recognise thoseprojects which had gone particularly well. Our ownNigel Wordsworth was there to soak up theatmosphere and anything else on offer.

Paul Curtis has been to a couple of conferencesthis month. The first, to discover all aboutcollaborative working and the machinations ofBS11000, was hosted by Westermo at the NationalRailway Museum. The second, at London’s ExCeLoverlooking Canary Wharf, covered the FOSD(Future of Sustainable Design). This year the ‘S’ hadseamlessly metamorphosed from Station intoSustainable so that transport hubs and gatewayscould be included.

Clive Kessell has had the opportunity to interviewFrancis How in this the Institution of Railway SignalEngineers centenary year. In a wide rangingdiscussion they were able to assess just what theIRSE, having survived two world wars and a numberof signalling crises along the way, has achieved forthe industry and the profession.

“Rules are for the obedience of fools and theguidance of wise men.” So wrote Douglas Bader, orwas it Oscar Wilde? No matter, substitute“standards” for “rules”, mix it up a bit and the quotecan be attributed to Chris Parker, our very ownstandards expert, who has been looking at the waya bit of common sense can be applied to even thetrickiest of locations. And Farringdon Station in thecentre of London can’t be much trickier.

I travelled on the Liverpool Loop recently. Out of

the blue, a fellow traveller harangued me withassorted expletives and “They’ve shut it for 6months”. After further growls it became apparentthat “it” referred to Liverpool Central station. He wasnot suited, but he seems to have been in a minorityas Graeme Bickerdike explains. Life in Liverpool hasgone on despite the temporary closure of one of itsmain transport hubs. But I’ll watch out when it’s theturn of Lime Street and James Street.

Stuart Marsh’s fascinating piece this month givesus an insight into the design, production,inspection and maintenance of some of the mostexpensive consumables found on rail vehicles - thewheel set assemblies. And with over 144,000wheelsets in use in the UK, this is a huge topic.Fortunately, strict safety regimes result in a verylow failure rate, but the consequences of gettingthings wrong can be disastrous. Stuart will alsoexplain this subtlety of axle technology, “When is ahole not a hole?”

Dating back to the 1940s and 50s, the kit holdingup the overhead line equipment betweenLiverpool Street and Chelmsford was pretty tired. Ithad grown like Topsy with bits added on andvoltages tweaked ever upwards. If one bit wasbrought down there was a very good chance ofeverything coming with it. It was time for anupgrade - although this was much easier said thandone. I’ve been speaking to Network Rail about theperils of cutting the wire.

Look out for a couple of commercial pieces thattread into an amazing futuristic world. The MissionRoom is a place where you can scare the livingdaylights out of yourself without getting hurt andToronto has demonstrated passenger flows for thenext nine years using computer “agents” that thinkfor themselves!

Network Rail is under pressure from the ORR toimprove the punctuality of long distance services. Higherusage of the WCML, ECML and other routes is exposingweaknesses in the infrastructure that need to becorrected quickly.

To assist in identifying and targeting the problem areas,who better to ask than the person who is experiencingall the problems? To that end, Network Rail hasannounced the secondment of Virgin’s chief operatingofficer, Chris Gibb, to the company.

Virgin Trains has agreed to this secondment for theremainder of this year to work with the Network Railteam on improving the performance of theinfrastructure on the southern end of the WCML.

David Higgins, chief executive, Network Rail, said: “Wewarmly welcome this collaborative approach by Virgin towork with us and the other train operators to drive upperformance on this key part of our network.”

During his secondment, Chris will report to RobinGisby, Network Rail’s managing director of networkoperations, and will work closely with Jo Kaye, routemanaging director of the London North Western Routeand her team.

4 | the rail engineer | july 2012 news

Crossrail has announced that itspreferred bidder to construct thenew western ticket hall atTottenham Court Road is LaingO’Rourke Construction.

Tottenham Court Road Crossrailstation will be directly connected tothe neighbouring Tube stationallowing passengers to interchangebetween Crossrail and LondonUnderground services. The newstreet level ticket hall will beconstructed at Dean Street, with thestation box continuing five levels

below ground at a depth of around25m, providing access to the newCrossrail platforms.

The station main works contractincludes the major structural workand fit-out of the station’s westernticket hall and fit-out of the stationtunnels and Goslett Yard box,which will link the Crossrail stationto Tottenham Court Road tubestation.

Under separate contracts, BalfourBeatty Morgan Vinci Joint Venturehas completed the construction of

the foundations for the new westernticket hall while excavation is beingundertaken by BAM Nuttall /Ferrovial Agroman /Kier JV.

Buildings have been demolishedfrom the area bounded by DeanStreet, Diadem Court, Great ChapelStreet and Oxford Street to makeway for the modern looking tickethall.

Following completion of theworks, a major over-sitedevelopment will be constructedabove the Crossrail station.

Ask the customerINFRASTRUCTURE

IN BRIEF

Eurotunnel ferriesCross-channel railway tunnel operator

Eurotunnel now has three ferry boats!After SeaFrance went into

administration, the Paris CommercialCourt accepted a €65 million offer fromGroupe Eurotunnel to acquire threeships, Berlioz, Rodin and Nord-Pas-de-Calais, along with their related assets.The acquisition will be made via a groupsubsidiary named Eurotransmanche.This company, independent ofEurotunnel, will be able to create 500jobs in the Calais region and about ahundred in the UK.

The ferries will need a technicaloverhaul before being brought intocommercial service, as SeaFrance wasunable to complete necessarymaintenance work before being placedinto administration.

Improved AbertaweSwansea is the latest station to benefit

from a refurbishment. Upgraded byArriva Trains Wales as part of theNational Stations ImprovementProgramme, it now enjoys a largerconcourse area with better and moreaccessible passenger facilities and a newbooking office.

The station environment is alsosignificantly improved with refurbishedplatforms and modernised fittings thatblend in with existing architecture. Thepreviously introverted stationenvironment is reversed with the trainsvisible from the concourse through aglass screen, and the main entrance isopened up with a new landmark canopyidentifying the station in itssurroundings.

Freight is up againJustifying the money spent recently

on route and gauge enhancements, railfreight traffic in the UK has recordedanother strong year, according tostatistics published by the Office of RailRegulation (ORR).

For the year to April 2012, the amountof rail freight moved, measured intonne-km, was up 10% on the previousyear, and freight lifted, measured intonnes, was up by 13% over the sameperiod.

Tottenham Court Road contractSTATIONS

Network Rail on the move

july 2012 | the rail engineer | 5news

Founded in 1912, the Institution ofLocomotive Engineers merged withthe Institution of MechanicalEngineers in 1969, becoming thelatter’s Railway Division. This year istherefore the centenary of theInstitution of Locomotive Engineers,so members gathered at the NationalRailway Museum, York, during therecent Railfest to celebrate theoccasion.

Hosted by Bill Reeve, currentchairman of the Railway Division andproudly wearing the old chain ofoffice of the President of theInstitution of Locomotive Engineers,members of the current IMechE and

of the former ILocoE renewed oldacquaintances and enjoyed the day.

The culmination of the celebrationswas the naming of a GBRf class 92locomotive “IMechE Railway Division”.John Smith, Managing Director ofGBRf, generously made thelocomotive and nameplates availableand he was joined at the ceremonyby Bill Reeve and Bridget Eickhoff,who takes over as chairman later inthe year. There was also generoussupport from the museum and fromRailfest’s organisers and sponsors.

Following the naming, memberswere invited up to see the newnameplate for themselves.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Locomotive namingROLLING STOCK

Network Rail’s new national centrein Milton Keynes is open for businessas the first of 3,000 employees arerelocated to Buckinghamshire.

The Quadrant:MK, as the newbuilding is called, brings togetherteams from across the country underone roof, improving the way NetworkRail coordinates its activities. Sitting atthe centre of Network Rail’soperations, the national centre willprovide support to the routes andregions based in places such as York,Glasgow, Cardiff and Birmingham.

Despite the high cost of thebuilding and of relocating staff, in thelong run moving so many people to a

single location will actually saveNetwork Rail tens of millions ofpounds a year in office rental costs.

The new building sits on the site ofthe former national hockey stadium,revitalising an underused corner ofcentral Milton Keynes and providing aboost to the local economy.

Many of the 3,000 people movingto the Quadrant:MK are existingemployees who are relocating to thearea. In addition, Network Rail isrecruiting 700 new roles at all levelsand across all functions. Half of thesuccessful candidates to date comefrom Milton Keynes andNorthampton postcodes.

6 | the rail engineer | july 2012 feature

Flying High

etwork Rail’s annual Partnership Awardsmoved out of London again this year, to

the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, justsouth of Cambridge. The evening gaveNetwork Rail the opportunity to thank itspartners and suppliers for all their hard workover the previous year, and to recognise thoseprojects which had gone particularly well.

Guests were welcomed into an impressivedisplay hall where they were able to have adrink while standing underneath Concordeand next to a Sunderland flying boat. Thewhole aircraft display was lit by multi-coloured lights while a jazz band playednext to a large aero engine on a floor stand.It was all most impressive.

Dinner was served in the conservation hall.Two large aircraft dominated the sides of theroom, while the 500 guests took their seatsin the space between them.

Sir David Higgins, Network Rail chiefexecutive, welcomed the company’s gueststo the fourth Partnership Awards. As he toldhis audience: “They offer an opportunity forNetwork Rail to recognise and reward ourbusiness partners and suppliers.

“This has been an exciting and challengingyear for the rail industry. I’m proud of what’sbeen achieved, hope you are too. The future,as we start to plan for CP5, sees rail as havinga central role in the nation’s infrastructure -which is good news for us all. With your helpand dedication we continue to improveBritain’s railway for the future.”

Dinner was then served,

before the hosts for theevening took the stage. BBC Radio 4 sportspresenter Gary Richardson regaled dinerswith some stories from his years as a sportsreporter, before he asked England footballplayer and former manager Kevin Keegan tojoin him. Kevin was “interviewed” about histime in the sport, and was asked for somepredictions as to England’s performance inthe current European competition.

Then it was time for the awards, whichwere announced by Gary Richardson andpresented by Kevin Keegan. Gary started bycongratulating all who had been shortlisted,calling it a “Major achievement in itself”.

InnovationThis year Innovation was the first award to

be presented, and Neil Thompson, regionaldirector, joined Kevin Keegan to make thepresentation. The award was for “Workingwith Network Rail to create smarter andmore efficient ways of working and

delivering for the passenger.”

Neil announcedthat the winner was Omnicom EngineeringLtd with PLPR: OmniVision Plain Line PatternRecognition Pilot Project. He commented:“Through this company’s innovation, astandardised approach to track inspectionhas been delivered across the networkwhich has not only reduced costs, but moreimportantly has improved safety foremployees working on the live network.”

The PLPR system, which is calledOmniVision®, consists of an imageacquisition system called OmniInspector®linked to a track geometry measurementsystem. The captured data is processed usingmachine vision technology and a supportingrules database to output assets and potentialdefects for validation on the inspection train.The outputs of the system are also used toprovide improved understanding of theactual condition and deteriorationcharacteristics of the inspected assets.

The judges also chose to highly commendFutronics Rail Ltd for the Sudbury UserWorked Crossing Phase 1 - Train ApproachWarning System.

Community EngagementThe Community Engagement award

recognises companies who have made aclear impact on society and localcommunities through community orcharitable giving programmes. PatrickHallgate, route managing director, took thestage to announce the winner as Sole Eventsfor the Sole Sports Community Project.

“This project has not only continued forover four years but has progressivelyexpanded from six to over eighty sites, anddelivers education programs focusing on theimplications of negative and antisocialbehaviour around the railway. This is anexcellent example of turning negativeattitudes and behaviour into positive ones.”

Skanska Civil Engineering was highlycommended for its work on Borough Viaduct.

N(Right)Kevin Keegan andSir David Higgins.

Innovation winnerOmnicomEngineering Ltd.

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Sustainable ExcellenceRobin Gisby, managing director of network

operations, announced the award forsustainable excellence. “We are becomingincreasingly aware of the need forsustainable resources and our effect on theenvironment. This winner’s approachdemonstrates an excellent understanding ofthe social, environmental and financialdimensions of sustainability and hasimplemented this clearly.”

The award was presented to ScotRail,which has made remarkable progresstowards its green goals during the last year.The introduction of a diverse range of newinitiatives - from gardening and recycling torenewable energy and eco-driving projects -has led to the most impressive set ofenvironmental results in the company’shistory.

For this category the judges highlycommended Costain/Laing O’Rourke forFarringdon Station.

Information TechnologyThis award, recognising ways in which

some of the problems Network Rail faceshave been overcome by the application ofInformation Technology, was presented bychief information officer Susan Cooklin. Shehad an interesting announcement to make.

“This was an outstanding year forcontributions in this category and as such,the judges have chosen to award twowinners for this category.

“Our first winner delivered a large scalecomplex and challenging project on timeand to budget. We were impressed with theapproach that was used, not because it wasnecessarily ground breaking but because ithad been well executed, showed strongpartnership and also controlled the scopewell. Our first winner for this category isCSC with Oracle EBS R12 Upgrade.”

The ERP system is a business critical toolfor the whole of Network Rail. By workingas partners, Network Rail and CSCaccelerated the start of the upgrade,absorbed ongoing changes and minimisedrisk and cost.

“Our second winner for the InformationTechnology award exemplifies the need todeliver at pace, and at a low cost. The judgespicked out the innovative approach taken - asolution that represents a simple buteffective way of explaining the majorinvestment projects to the general public.Our second winner in this category isFurther for Network Rail Interactive Maps.”

Network Rail needs to communicate with a

wideaudience about how travel will bedisrupted during planned works and alsoexplain the long-term benefits. Further wasasked to design and deliver an intuitive andhighly visual online tool that highlights theongoing scope of work. The result is asimple, yet engaging isometric mapinterface. Users are able to learn what ishappening through various levels ofinteraction, as well as link to separate projectpages for additional information.

HeritageThe Heritage Award recognises

organisations and projects that have made aconcerted effort to restore the heritage ofBritain’s railway. Jerry Swift, head ofcommunity rail, commented that one entryreally stood out to the judges for thecomplexity, quality, craftsmanship andbeauty in a single project. He was pleased tomake the award to ARUP, John McAslan &Partners and VINCI Construction UK Limitedfor the King’s Cross Station Western RangeBuilding & Western Concourse.

The Western Range consists mainly of theoriginal 1852 railway offices designed byLewis Cubitt, as well as some later additions.Careful assessment, planning and executionby the project team have resulted in athoughtful and coherent conservation ofsignificant elements, and reinstatement ofpart of the building which was destroyed in1941, giving clarity to the architecture of theWestern Range building.

The judges also chose to highly commendthe Costain/ Laing O’Rourke Joint Venturefor Thameslink - N222 Farringdon StationUpgrade.

Investing in peopleThe heart of any business is its people, and

this award recognises an organisation thathas demonstrated excellence in investing inpeople; for example in talent, skills,apprenticeship schemes, training, leadershipand development. Robbie Burns, regionaldirector for Western and Wales, announcedthat the award was going to ScotRail fortheir drive to boost talent, ambition andskills.

Benchmark Training Ltd was highlycommended for behavioural changetraining for front line staff.

Team ContributionTeams are similarly important, so Nick

Elliott, regional director, Southern, was nextup to present an award which recognisesthose who have shown how teamwork hasmade a clear difference to the railway andbrought benefits to Network Rail.

Balfour Beatty Major Civil EngineeringLtd was the winner of this prestigiousaward for the Blackfriars Station andBridge Reconstruction Scheme. Nickexplained that the project hasdemonstrated outstanding teamwork withall parties involved, delivering achallenging project that successfullyresulted in no delays to the service andnot a single complaint from customersand stakeholders.

The judges also wanted to highlycommend ScotRail for its Inverness Team:Partnerships That Work.

(Left) - InformationTechnology winner- CSC and(Right) Heritagewinner - ARUP,John McAslan &Partners, and VINCIConstruction.

Team Contributionwinner - BalfourBeatty Major CivilEngineering.

Babcock International GroupKintail House 3 Lister WayHamilton International ParkBlantyre G72 0FT United KingdomTelephone +44 (0)1698 203005Fax +44 (0)1698 203006 Email [email protected]

www.babcock.co.uk/rail

Babcock is a leading player in the UK rail infrastructure market. We provide track renewals, signalling, power, telecommunications, plant, professional services, training and integrated rail system solutions for our customers. We have built a reputation for delivering quality engineering projects by championing innovation and introducing new technologies into the rail industry, underpinned by the highest standards of safety.

feature

SafetySafety is central to the foundations of

Network Rail. Nothing would be possiblewithout sound safety practices and thesupport to implement these.

Gareth Llewellyn, safety and sustainabledevelopment director, Network Rail, whospoke at the RailStaff Rail Safety Summitearlier in the year, was on stage for thisaward.

“This award highlights an organisation whichhas demonstrated that safety should never betaken for granted, one which not only sustainssafety in the workplace but whichcontinuously tries to understand safety cultureand improve it through commitment,behaviours and by successfully demonstratingthe benefits. The judges were particularlyimpressed by the comprehensive and wellthought-out approach to safety on thisproject.”

The winner was Skanska Civil Engineeringand the Borough Viaduct, ThameslinkProgramme. Borough Viaduct is located in aconservation area in central London andinterfaces with the Borough Market, localresidents, businesses, Southwark Cathedral, thepublic highway, the operational railway andLUL infrastructure.

The key to the success of the project was theengagement of the site team to become partof the community with the main priority ofpublic, site and operational railway safety. Thisengagement extended past the site boundaryto the families of the site team to apply thesame mindset used in working life formanaging potentially harmful situations athome.

Omnicom Engineering Ltd, for OmniVisionPlain Line Pattern Recognition Pilot Project,was highly commended in this category.

Best project - smallThe awards for best project are split into

three. Best Project-Small is for projects valuedat under £3 million that have benefitedBritain’s railway.

Simon Kirby, managing director, investmentprojects, went up on stage to present all threeproject awards. The winner for the Best SmallProject was May Gurney for Bishop’s GrangeUnderbridge Reconstruction.

Following a procurement strategy thatopenly encouraged innovation, the contractwas awarded to May Gurney on the basis of achallenging alternative design which reducedcosts and simplified future maintenance. Theexcellent working relationship between allparties enabled works to be completed aheadof schedule. There were no accidents orincidents during the works, and the scheme isbelieved to be the fastest mainline bridgereconstruction carried out in the LNE area.

Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd washighly commended for the Napier Road MDUproject.

Best project - mediumSimon Kirby remained on stage for the next

award, which was for projects valued between£3 million and £20 million. This one went to a“Ground breaking project which deliveredmultiple innovative solutions from reducingcost and environmental impact to minimaldisruption to passenger flow”. With recordbreaking output, the winner was Babcock forthe Boston to Skegness Track RenewalsCampaign.

Emphasising the importance of teamwork, intheir entry Babcock credited the support it hadreceived from SES, Hydrex, Balfour Beatty RailPlant, VolkerRail, DB Schenker and otherindustry partners.

May Gurney were highly commended in thiscategory for the reconstruction of Arnside Viaduct.

10 | the rail engineer | july 2012

www.skanska.co.uk

Proud winners of the Network Rail Safety Award for our work on Borough Viaduct, part of the Thameslink programme.

(Top) Best ProjectMedium winner -Babcock and(below) Safetywinner Skanska.

Incorporated in 1993 as WA Developments by

Andrew Tinkler, now Chief Executive Officer of

Stobart Group, Stobart Rail represents the

civil engineering and rail-based freight

elements of the UK’s leading multimodal

transport business.

Stobart Rail is one of the UK's leading names

in rail network maintenance, repair and

improvement.

The company is active throughout the

earthworks, structures, permanent way,

drainage and lineside infrastructure sectors of

the rail industry and offers a presence

throughout the UK.

Stobart Rail holds a Network Rail Principal

Contractor's Licence and Rail Plant Operating

Company Licence, as well as a comprehensive

list of Link-up accreditations.

The Company's wide-ranging expertise,

innovative approach, experienced workforce

and extensive fleet of plant is also deployed

undertaking development projects and

delivering improvement works at a number

of major Stobart Group facilities.

Stobart Rail operates an award winning

training school, ensuring all operatives and

staff are qualified to the very highest

standards.

‘’Stobart Rail are extremely proud of the part we played in assisting in the delivery of this time criticalscheme. The plaudits May Gurney and Network Rail are receiving for designing, planning and the

implementation of this project are well deserved.” Kirk Taylor, Managing Director

BISHOPS GRANGE Bridge Underpass

David Richardson

t. 01228 518 150e. [email protected]

Kirk Taylor


Liam Martin


Plant Hire

Managing Director

Rail Freight Director

stobartrail.com

WINNERBEST PROJECT- SMALL (UNDER £3MILLION)

NETWORK RAILPARTNERSHIPAWARDS 2012


Best project - largeThe best large project award is

usually awarded to a flagshipproject. This year has seen severalcome to fruition, so Simonpresented two awards in thiscategory.

The first was for King’s Cross StationWestern Range Building & WesternConcourse with the award going to Arup,John McAslan + Partners and VINCIConstruction UK Limited.

Farringdon Station upgrade, as part of theoverall Thameslink project, won the otheraward for Costain/Laing O’Rourke.

As Simon said, “London’s transportationsystem has seen huge investment overrecent years. In the last year alone we haveseen a major transport hub completelymodernised and one of London’s keyinterchange stations spectacularlytransformed with improved facilities forpassengers and stakeholders. Both projects

represent Network Rail’s plans forimproving transportationfacilities in London and the UK,improving the travellingexperience for millions of people

every year.”

Special awardThere was now a bit of a surprise, as David

Higgins came back on stage to present aSpecial Award to an organisation which thejudges felt could not be overlooked.

“This group is a springboard for membersto tackle industry issues in a collaborativeway, delivering demonstrable results not justfor Network Rail but throughout the supplychain. A key forum in leading the industrythrough change, their greatest achievementto date is the Fair Payment Charter. Ratifiedby all members, the charter will speed uppayment and increase liquidity throughoutthe supply chain - a positive step inparticularly hard economic times.

“This special award is given to all membersof the Commercial Directors Forum for theoutstanding contribution to driving changein the rail industry.”

Supplier of the yearIt was now time for the highlight

of the evening, the announcementof the Supplier of the Year. As anintroduction, David stated: “Thiscompany has demonstrated bestpractice, excellent working practiceand a dedication to deliveringcomplex projects to challengingdeadlines. They have madesignificant improvements to trackrenewals as well as championingother Network Rail initiatives.”

He then announced that thecompany Network Rail had chosen asits supplier of the year 2012 wasBabcock.

After all the applause, the guestsgathered to listen to the Joe ThompsonQuartet, discuss the events of the evening,and line up to ask Kevin Keegan for anautograph. He was a real trooper, and stayedon for quite some time, chatting and havinghis photograph taken.

So it was another successful evening. As SirDavid Higgins said during the ceremony, allthose companies shortlisted were winnersand should be proud of what they hadachieved. the rail engineer would like tocongratulate all who were there, and to lookforward to reporting on another year ofinteresting and successful engineeringprojects.

May Gurney is working in collaborative partnership with Network Rail to deliver infrastructure support services across the entire UK rail network. We have an enviable safety record and take pride in our proven track record of improved access, quality of service and safety for everyone who travels by rail.

Collaboration

www.maygurney.co.uk May Gurney is an infrastructure services company. We are committed to helping our clients in the public and regulated sectors deliver sustainable improvements to front-line services across the UK.

May Gurney The Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR14 8SZT: 01603 727272 F: 01603 727400

Perfect partnership

(Above) BestProject Largewinner - Costain,Laing O’Rouke and(right) Supplier ofthe Year winner-Babcock.

he Institution of Railway SignalEngineers (IRSE) celebrates its

centenary in 2012, a remarkableachievement. the rail engineerinterviewed Francis How, recentlyelected as President for the Centenaryyear, to discuss what had beenachieved over the 100 years and theoutlook for both the Institution andsignalling into the future. Theconversation ranged far and wideacross issues of concern both to S&Tengineers and the wider railcommunity.

The Institution was formallyconstituted in 1912 with aMemorandum of Association statingthe purpose as:• The advancement for the public

benefit of the science and practice ofrailway signalling (which shall meanthe whole of the apparatus, electrical,mechanical or otherwise, methods,regulations and principles wherebythe

movement of trains or other traffic iscontrolled) by the promotion ofresearch, the collection andpublication of educational materialand the holding of conferences,seminars and meetings.

• The maintenance of high standardsof practice and professional careamongst those working within theindustry and the promotion ofimproved safety standards for theprotection of the general public.

These two objectives have stood thetest of time and are as relevant todayas they were then. So, having survivedtwo world wars and a number ofsignalling crises along the way, justwhat has the IRSE achieved for theindustry and profession?

DevelopmentsNot surprisingly, individual members

of the IRSE have been at the forefront ofmany developments. However, as acorporate body, the IRSE has operatedmainly in a responsive mode totechnology advancement, providingwise counsel on various initiatives thathave emerged down the years. Therehave been exceptions such as theInstitution’s leading role in thedevelopment of the BR930 series relays.

When asked, the IRSE has givenimpartial advice on signalling,sometimes in the aftermath of anaccident, where its independence andobjectivity has been valued. The IRSE’sSignalling Philosophy Review in 2001 isstill used as a reference work formatters relating to signallingprinciples and human factors in thedesign of signalling systems.

T

july 2012 | the rail engineer | 13feature

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To help members and others with theirprofessional development, the IRSE hasproduced many publications over the years.Initially, there were a series of “greenbooklets” on signalling principles andvarious types of signalling equipment. Thesehave been followed by a number of textbooks ranging from the Introduction toBasic Signalling through to subjects such asERTMS, Metro Signalling and RailwayTelecommunications. These are probably thebest source of information on UK S&Tpractice, although they also cover Europeanand North American signalling systems.

The IRSE has an International TechnicalCommittee, formed of leading experts inS&T technology, which meets regularly toconsider signalling issues that are of concernto railways around the world. Several usefulreports have been published by the ITC thatcan be viewed on the website. Theapplication of ERTMS continues to be one ofthe main topics for discussion.

Above all else, the IRSE has enabled themeeting of minds on signalling mattersacross the globe, facilitating knowledgeexchange and professional developmentthrough meetings, seminars andconferences as well as its publications. Inearlier years it was perceived by manyyounger members as having an almostforbidding formality that gave an impressionof the Institution being principally for theelder statesmen of the profession. Happily,over the years and in line with societalchanges, this has been replaced by a muchmore inclusive style with the President andofficials being far more approachable.

International dimensionThe IRSE has always endeavoured to be

the “voice of railway signalling andtelecommunications” on the world stage.The present membership is nearly 5,000 -almost 50% of which have a non UK address.Separate sections exist in Australasia, SouthAfrica, Hong Kong, North America, the

Netherlands and, more recently, Singaporeand Switzerland. Almost every country inthe world with a railway of any significancehas at least one IRSE member.

Communicating with and serving thiswidespread community is a challenge, andthe IRSE’s governing Council works hard toensure that its discussions take into accountthe need and interests of members aroundthe world. Council meetings includeparticipation via conferencing facilities withrepresentatives outside the UK and themonthly publication “IRSE NEWS” regularlycontains features and articles on subjectmatters from members who reside overseas.

Despite these efforts, it is arguable that theIRSE remains too UK orientated and Francissees a possible solution by adopting a morefederated model, allowing individualcountry sections to have greater autonomyand freedom to operate independently. Heis also clear that the IRSE must remain asingle worldwide body, the benefits ofwhich are the envy of other professionalengineering bodies.

Safety and accidentsOver the hundred years, signalling has

rarely been an immediate and direct cause ofrailway accidents. Clapham was perhaps theworst of these and Francis considers that thechanges made to signalling practise in theaftermath were absolutely right for thecircumstances of the time. However, there hasbeen a stagnation in the further evolution ofgood practice since then. The reluctance tomove on and improve working processes toaddress matters other than just safety hasbeen to the detriment of the UK railway.

When asked if safety can ever be overstated,the response from Francis was that signalengineers need to devote as much passionand energy to reliability as they do to safety,so to enhance the reputation of theprofession as well as creating a better railway.In a rapidly changing world, signalling controlsystems have a great deal to offer in areas

such as reducing traction energyconsumption, reducing operating costs,increasing network capacity and reducingwear and tear on rolling stock andinfrastructure. The need for signal engineersto apply effort to these challenges isparamount, but without ignoring safety.

Other than the few occasions of being adirect cause, signalling (or the lack of it) hasbeen implicated in many other rail accidents,the principal ones being signaller error andsignals passed at danger (SPAD). Theaccident at Quintinshill in 1915 cost 227 liveswith another 245 injured and was entirelydue to a signalman forgetting a train hadbeen shunted to another line. The use oftrack circuits was accelerated and signallerreminder devices were introduced toprevent such lapses happening. SPADs have,however, continued to be a major cause ofaccidents with Harrow (1952) and Lewisham(1957) claiming 112 and 90 lives; morerecently Southall (1997) and Ladbroke Grove(1999) cost 7 and 35 lives respectively.

The UK was slower than many otherdeveloped nations in introducing driverprotection systems. The introduction ofAutomatic Warning Systems (AWS), forced inafter Harrow, took many decades tocomplete and TPWS (Train Protection andWarning System) has been a relatively recentintroduction. Whilst signal engineers wereinitially divided as to whether introducingTPWS (rather than full Automatic TrainProtection) was the right decision, there isnow widespread recognition that it hasbeen highly effective and the problem ofSPADs is much reduced as a consequence.

Many European countries adopted moresophisticated systems during the twentiethcentury, but these were of many differentdesigns with resulting problems for crossborder operation. The introduction of ERTMSwill provide a Europe-wide ATP system but itis evident that it will take decades for itsapplication to become widespread onexisting networks.

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Level crossings now present thebiggest remaining risk to rail safety in termsof fatalities (including pedestrians struck bytrains), although Great Britain has the bestsafety record of the European memberstates as measured by National ReferenceValues. Major rail accidents at level crossingsare rare, although Lockington (1986) andUfton Nervet (2004), with multiple fatalities,stand out as particularly serious. It is theroad or footpath user who is most at risk.Most accidents occur at the lightly usedminor road, pedestrian or farm crossingswhere controls are minimal, often atelephone at best. More could be done byusing satellite positioning and navigationsystems to warn crossing users that they areapproaching a crossing and, possibly,whether or not a train is approaching.

Signalling principles andoperating rules

Differing rules for operating railways havebeen devised around the world over manyyears with correspondingly different designrequirements. Signalling is therefore, insome ways, a prisoner of history. This leadsto the undesirable situation whereby new“standard” systems have to be customised orcompromised to fit a particular country’srules.

ERTMS is a prominent example where thefunctional and system specifications havehad to incorporate options to meet therequirements of individual member states.There is a chance that achieving theseamless operational use of ERTMS acrossborders will not be as easy as originallyintended.

Can the IRSE help to address this problem?Francis How thinks it could, but he observesthat the IRSE is not as well known inmainland Europe as in the UK, makingrecognition of a potential contribution tobodies such as the European RailwayAgency and the ERTMS Users Group more ofa challenge.

Systems issuesA characteristic of modern signalling

systems is that they will have as muchequipment on the train as at the lineside.How does the IRSE handle this, particularlyin the UK where there is a strong separationof ownership between track and train? Thiscan be a sensitive issue as the train ownersand operators are responsible for theintegrity and operation of rolling stock andeverything on it. Understandably, they want

to take a ‘black box’approach to train borne ERTMS equipment.However, signalling is a system and needs tobe specified, designed and managed with asystems approach.

Perhaps more significantly for theprofessional institutions, theinterdependencies between signallingsystems and other parts of the railway,including rolling stock, are becomingstronger. The growing complexity ofsoftware and data dependency alsopresents increasing challenges. Francisbelieves that much greater collaboration inthe UK with the Institution of MechanicalEngineers Railway Division, the Institution ofRailway Operators (IRO), the Institution ofEngineering and Technology (IET) andINCOSE (International Council n SystemsEngineering) is needed.

One step in the right direction could be toestablish regular meetings at which thepresidents of all institutions which caninfluence railway technology come togetherto debate issues of common concern and toseek greater synergy between their annualprogrammes of papers, meetings andevents. Francis detects a certain willingnessto do this in some quarters. Apart from thedirect value to members, it would be astrong message to the wider rail technicalcommunity. Just how this would comeabout will require careful thought. TheRailway Engineers Forum is alreadyestablished as an informal liaison groupbetween eight main rail orientatedinstitutions. If it were to take a moreprominent co-ordinating role, it would needthe active support of the present institutionsfor such a move.

Competence and licensingThe Clapham accident (1985 - 35 dead, 500

injured) was a wakeup call to the signallingprofession in the UK with much notice beingtaken by many other rail administrations aswell. One of the outcomes was theformation of the IRSE Licensing scheme,which has become the most universallyrecognised competence standard foranyone working on safety critical signallingequipment. Since the scheme’s introductionin 1990, the categories of licence have beenexpanded to cover a broader range of bothsignalling and telecommunicationsactivities, thus recognising the value inhaving a competence qualification foranyone working in the industry.

Whilst not appreciated byeveryone, largely because ofperceptions that it is overlybureaucratic and expensive, theIRSE Licensing Scheme continuesto be the de-facto standard forS&T competence in the UK.Possession of a licence is valued asan independent qualification topractice in the signalling professionregardless of employer. Otherengineering professions view theIRSE Scheme with a degree of envyand admiration.

Will the scheme survive in thelonger term? Francis is ambivalentabout that but counsels that the valueof a scheme with independent UKASaccreditation of competence should

not be under-estimated. The National SkillsAcademy for Railway Engineering (NSARE)may be the catalyst for transitioning thescheme into a wider rail competencemanagement system under the umbrella ofNSARE itself, taking the best that licensinghas to offer and combining it with othermethodologies that would suit all railwayengineering professions.

The future for the IRSE and signallingMuch of the underpinning technology for

railway signalling and communications ischanging more rapidly now than it has everdone before. Powerful computing capability,massive data storage and high speedcommunications present hugeopportunities for railway control systems.Francis foresees a revolution in these areasover the coming years providing theprofession is prepared to grasp theopportunity.

With that opportunity will comechallenges, including that of system security.The dependence on systems outside theconfines of the railway will continue to growand it is now technically possible to managea country’s railway traffic from anywhere inthe world, operating over third partynetworks or the internet. If it were ever truethat signalling systems were “closed off”from the outside world, certainly it is nolonger so. The use of IP addressing isbecoming the norm for many industrialapplications and it is beginning to beapplied to signalling. The idea of a set ofpoints being called by IP addressing is notfanciful. Understanding and combating bothmalicious and unintentional disruption willbe a challenge and although these couldpresent safety risks, in practice attacks aremore likely to be in the form of “denial ofservice”, causing widespread disruption tothe operation of the railway.

In closing the discussion, Francis was askedwhether the IRSE would exist in 2112. Hewould like to think so but says the moreimportant thing is that the correctprofessional engineering institutions exist toserve the railway engineering andoperations arena as a whole, thus providinga platform to support the development ofthe engineers and technicians that will beneeded for the railway of the future. Thisdoes not necessarily mean preserving theIRSE, or any other Institution, in exactly theform they are in now.


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Mission statement

he Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace(F2A) project, which is being delivered

by Network Rail and its principal contractorBalfour Beatty Rail, will create additionalcapacity for high speed train services on theEast Coast Main Line by upgrading theexisting route and removing the currentbottleneck in this area. The upgrade involvesjunction remodelling, renewal of switchesand crossings, track slews and all theassociated OLE and signalling modifications.It will also see station improvements at bothFinsbury Park and Alexandra Palace,including new platforms and modificationsand extensions to existing platforms.

The issuesThe complexity of the area, as well as the

need for construction to take placealongside operational lines, promptedNetwork Rail and Balfour Beatty Rail to

look for innovative solutions which wouldensure that the works were deliveredsafely.

The team’s objective was to reduce theamount of Red Zone working and therequirement for site surveys while improvingworkforce engagement and providingclearer briefings. To do this, a newtechnology called Mission Room wasselected. Developed by a spin-off from theUniversity of Nottingham, Mission Room isan “immersive” graphic system, so named asit gives the viewer the ability to be immersed,or to stand inside, the location concerned.

In this particular application, the F2AProject installed a customised version ofMission Room to allow staff rapid and safevirtual access to key parts of the four milelength of the project. This was to ensure thateveryone had the same mental picturebefore going out on site.

The technologyMission Room consists of an integrated set

of components which can be configured toprovide immersive experiences bysurrounding viewers with visual and audio,giving them a true understanding of what itis like to be actually on site.

The main elements of the technologyinclude a set of four, custom built, highdefinition cameras, capable of filming 360°video at 30 frames per second, supported bya software system to create, edit andmanage the projects.

For the best three-dimensional experience,the Mission Room Arena is used to play backthe video. This is a three-metre cube whichusers stand inside while surrounded by 360°video projection and multi-channel sound.For classroom training, a 270° system usingthree 60” screens provides partialimmersion. Both versions of the system arecontrolled by a wireless handset whichallows users to interact and control theimmersive experience.

So, for example, once the Mission Camvideo system has captured 360° video oftrackside operations, this is then edited toselect sections and produce key clips whichcan be experienced inside a Mission RoomArena delivery system. Users can choosewhich clips to view and can select variousoverlays of important information placed inits correct spatial context.

The installationAs Mission Room was new to the rail

sector, it was decided to produce ademonstrator application based on a smallpart of the project area around Finsbury ParkStation. To address the differing objectives ofthe design team for virtual site surveys,while accommodating large team briefings,it was decided to use both a 360° arena anda 270° three-screen system. A special camera

TFor classroomtraining, a 270°system using three60” screens,provides partialimmersion.


system was also proposed to meet thespecific demands of regular on-site filmingand this would interface via a special buildof the editing software.

Due to space constraints, a 2.5 metreversion of the arena cube was constructed,along with a 3 x 60” open system for largergroup activities. Special hardwareinterfacing was integrated to allow the twosystems to run simultaneously from the

same processor. The bespoke 360° camerasystem was also designed and built tointeract with a specifically configuredediting software.

Physical installation of the Mission Roominfrastructure into the project offices tookplace over three days. Meanwhile, the initialcapture of images of the site was undertakenusing the new cameras. Project users weretrained in using the special softwareconfiguration of the editing system.

Project management understood that, forthe benefits to be realised, team memberswould need to adapt their existing methodsto incorporate the new technology.Therefore, plans were drawn up to introducethe system into regular project processes,meetings and communication sessions.

The benefitsThe F2A Project team has been able to use

Mission Room for visual surveys of the site,reducing the need for site surveys andplacing people in the proximity of openlines. It has enhanced the project’s ability toplan by aiding understanding of the site inmuch greater detail, including the capacityto identify potential hazards orcomplexities.

The immersive 360° Mission Room Arenahas been used to take stakeholders, includingFirst Capital Connect and station managers atthe stations being enhanced, direct to thesites in the comfort of the project offices andat the click of a button. Details of the workscan easily be explained by virtually “walking”visitors through worksites and explaining thechanges that are being made. Feedback hasbeen highly positive and has supported agreater buy-in to the works.

The Mission Room has also enhancedcommunications to the workforce in pre-possession briefings and planning meetings.Further value has been gained by using theimmersive 360° environment to raise theawareness of site conditions and, inparticular, by being able to emphasise theclose proximity to open lines and live OLE (akey safety risk on the project).

The F2A project still has over a year to run.Based on this early success, projectmanagers are confident that use of the newMission Room installation will not only fulfiltheir original objectives of reducing redzone working and site surveys, but they willalso gain many other valuable benefits.

(Left and below)Mission RoomArena. Theimmersive graphicsystem is evident.

20 | the rail engineer | july 2012 surveying

ith the UK Government’sannouncement in the summer of

2011, Building Information Modelling(BIM) is quickly becoming the buzzword in infrastructure for 2012.

Paul Morrell, the UK Government’sChief Construction Officer, publicly toldthe construction sector to work morecollaboratively and to use informationtechnology such as BIM to support thedesign, construction and long-termoperation and maintenance of its builtassets. In the Government’sConstruction Strategy, published inMay 2011, it is stated that BIM ismandatory for all public sectorconstruction projects over £5 million.

What is BIM?To define BIM is very difficult, but it

can be thought of as the process ofcreating, managing and sharing data tosupport decision making on a facilitythroughout its lifecycle. Much of thisdata can be centred on an intelligent3D CAD model, which acts as arepository or database for all thisinformation. This allows users to easilyunderstand and interact with an almostendless amount of information and toplan and manage construction projectswith greater flexibility for scope changeand predictability on cost. Mostimportantly, BIM acts as a focus forongoing management or maintenanceof the assets for their useful life cycle. Itis moving towards maintaining andupdating one master record, utilised bymultidisciplinary teams.

The benefits of storing all thisinformation in a single BIM and sharingit with all stakeholders involved are thatinformed decisions can be madequickly and shared amongst everyoneinvolved in the project. An examplewould be that, when an architect alters

the type of window designed into abuilding, this amendment can be seenby the project engineer working on thesame BIM in almost real-time and canbe checked for any potential structuralclashes. This approved alteration canthen be quickly sent to the projectteam for final approval.

Severn Partnership has invested inthe hardware and software to be fullyBIM enabled. This entailed reviewingworking practices, defining bespokeBIM survey specifications and testingcompatibility with programs such asAutodesk Revit and ArchiCAD. Withthis, an upgrade in IT systems has alsobeen achieved, improving software andhardware packages, to run large anddetailed 3D point clouds and Revit fileswhich can be a very computer-intensive process.

BIM in BrightonWith the cost of new construction

rising, companies are turning to existingbuildings for large scale refurbishmentas a more cost effective alternative. As asurvey company, Severn’s ability to laserscan and accurately 3D model existingfacilities acts as the first stage in anyretro-fit, refurbishment or renovationBIM project. Projects such as the 3T’sdevelopment at West Sussex Hospital,Brighton, have based all new designsand engineering work on the as-builtBIM created from scan data due to thelack of any existing digital CAD plans.Other industry sectors, such as sportsand leisure, are making use of BIM and

W

Getting aGRIP

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Projects such as the developmentat West Sussex Hospital havebased all new designs on the as-built BIM created from scan data.

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22 | the rail engineer | july 2012 surveying

understand that running costs of structuresacross the whole lifespan of a building suchas football stadiums can be reduced andmade safer for the paying public.

A key element of BIM in railwayinfrastructure is its continuous use in themanagement and operation of the rail asset,especially with defined targets related toTOC’s timetables. The data requirement forthe operation and management of railshould be clearly defined in the BIM projectplan so that the necessary information canbe gathered during the projectin order tobe ready once the construction phase hasbeen completed.

Most BIM formats have been designed forbuilding projects and much of the rail assetsare in the form of stations, depots andstorage facilities. The concept of BIM for therail infrastructure track itself is fastdeveloping and, although some argue thereare issues that need to be overcome, thelarge expenditure in rail on projects such asHigh Speed 2 (HS2) and Crossrail areaccelerating the development in BIMmaking it a “must” for the future.

Point cloudsLaser scanner technology and

associated software has developedquickly in the twenty-first century, andthe rail industry in recent years has seenthe benefits. Laser scanned “point cloud”data, collected and processed bysurveyors, has become a recognisedformat for the multi disciplined teams ofrail design engineers. One advantage ofpoint cloud data is its ability to be 3D

modelled more efficiently than 2D surveydata. BIM software vendors such asAutodesk and Bentley are realising thegrowing importance of point cloud datawithin the process and have begunincorporating point clouds directly withintheir software. This saw Autodesk launchRevit 2012 with its own point cloud

engine and saw Bentley purchase thepopular point cloud software Pointoolstowards the end of 2011. Using the scancloud directly within the BIM softwareenables building information models tobe created faster and more accuratelywithout the need for any reference to 2Ddrawings.

One example is the laser scanned pointcloud data from Crewe railway station,turned into a building information modelthat can be modelled in Autodesk Revitsoftware and populated with all theinformation important for the continuedfacilities management of the station asset.This is an example of a project that hasbeen typically “Scanned to BIM” and willbecome more common across the railindustry with the development ofspecifications to suit.

Ultimately BIM will become thepreferred vehicle through the variousGRIP stages for survey, planning, design, construction, as-built and facilitiesmanagement in rail.

Laser scannedPoint Cloud datafrom Crewestation.

Making use of BIMare footballstadiums such asShrewsbury.

24 | the rail engineer | july 2012 stations

It could only be London - the energy, thedin, the bustling humanity. One of the

city’s red double-deckers plots a coursethrough the traffic; half-a-dozen folk wait inline for it. A thirty-something woman,tanned by Cuprinol, perches on inexplicableheels. Her partner shoulders the spoils ofshopping: four assorted bags. She jabs him -“Youz gorra cob on?” Others look around. Hefeigns a smile, clearly unnerved by an AnnSummers purchase. If only the undergroundwas open - less conspicuous down there;anonymity in the shadows. But the station’sshut for refurbishment. They board the bus -a perilous operation - and vanish. Show’sover.

It could only be London. Britain’s 37thbusiest underground station. 17.9 millionpassengers in 2010/11 - more than MarbleArch, Warren Street, Tooting Broadway. A£20 million investment transforms anothercrucial gateway. The price - a four-monthshutdown; August will bring the firstbenefits. It must be London. But the bus wasa red herring, exported from the capital tokeep people on the move. “Heels” spokefluent Scouse. It could only be LiverpoolCentral.

Capital gainsThe station began life above ground on 2

March 1874, becoming the Cheshire LinesCommittee’s (CLC) city centre terminus andheadquarters. From its six platforms,travellers could journey to London, Hull,Harwich or Southport, and reachManchester Central in 45 minutes. InJanuary 1892, Low Level platforms wereadded to serve trains arriving from the Wirralvia an extended Mersey Tunnel.

The 1960s brought Beeching’s “reshaping”to Liverpool, with many services refocusedon Lime Street. Central High Level closed in1972. But Merseyrail emerged, integrating a

collection of lines into a single system vianew tunnels driven under the city. Onebrought the former CLC route down toCentral’s Low Level platforms; a secondbranched off the Mersey Tunnel, pushingnorthwards to join the approach lines intothe former Liverpool Exchange, creating athrough route from Hunts Cross toSouthport; a third took Wirral trains in aclockwise loop, serving a single deep-levelplatform at Central. Although some granderplans have not yet been realised,subsequent expansion has pushed thenetwork’s route-mile count upwards to 75,featuring 67 stations.

Liverpool Central was resurrected in itscurrent configuration on 9 May 1977.Passenger use climbed rapidly through theNoughties, peaking at 19.6 million in 2008/9.A major overhaul of the Loop Line stationswas pledged late in 2007 with the aim ofraising passenger capacity and easing flows.Coalition cuts put the scheme in jeopardy,but an alternative funding package of £40million - coming from Network Rail,Merseytravel and the European RailDevelopment Fund - was secured lastSeptember, allowing improvement works toproceed at James Street, Lime Street and,most substantively, at Central.

I DownstairsUpstairs

(Right) More lightand space willimprove thepassengerexperience on theconcourse.

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GraemeBickerdike

w r i t e r

july 2012 | the rail engineer | 25stations

(Right) A London bus serves some ofCentral’s displaced passengers.

(Inset) Piece by piece, the escalator to theWirral line platform is taken out.

Access is everythingMustard no longer cuts it as a colour

scheme; the Seventies have much to answerfor. But the benefits of Central’s project -well, two projects actually - will go farbeyond aesthetics, bringing light and spaceto the concourse, more room on theNorthern Line platforms and compliancewith today’s fire regulations, specifically theFire Precautions (Sub-surface RailwayStations) England Regulations 2009 whichwere made in exercise of the powersconferred by article 24 of the RegulatoryReform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. You’ll betested later.

Upstairs, the transformation of theconcourse is being delivered by Merseyrailthrough its contractor Strategic Team Group.Downstairs, Morgan Sindall is forging aheadwith the Network Rail-led scheme on theplatforms, escalators and passageways.Given the physical constraints here, accessarrangements are critical and the teamshave invested a great deal of time gettingthem right. All the equipment and materialshave to go through the concourse wheredesignated routes have been established tofacilitate this. There’s a handover periodevery evening when the 24-hour NetworkRail operation takes temporary ownership ofthe concourse until the Merseyrail site startsup again the following morning. Mattersarising are sorted out at a daily interfacemeeting.

Around all this trains continue to run,separated from the worksite by Herasfencing which offers passengers a glimpseinto the future as they trundle past. Creatinga high street environment has allowed theproject to benefit from non-rail techniquesand specialists, working around-the-clockrather than being restricted to four hoursovernight. For most activities, this cutsthrough the need for Sentinel competencies,lessening both the training burden and theassociated costs.

Within the wider railway community,there had been some initial difficulty withthe concept that this is no longer a sub-surface station with all the attendantregulations. For the next few months it’s abuilding site. But that mindset has beenreshaped through positivecommunication. The knowledge andexperience accrued by Morgan Sindallundertaking similar works on LondonUnderground has also proved invaluable.No-one had ever seen a worksite beinghoovered before!

Continued access to the operationalrailway clearly remains vital, requiring thebriefing and induction of maintenance staffin fair numbers before the site wasmobilised. Provision has also been made forthe emergency detraining of passengersthrough the station, something they hadchance to practice in the first week followinga power failure. All went as it should.

Move along nowClosing Central - which serves as the

city’s main shopper and commutergateway - is obviously a big deal, but fearsexpressed in the run-up have not generallycome to fruition. The publicity machinewas in overdrive as D-day approached.Timings were set with landmark events inmind - avoiding the Grand National andreopening to Wirral Line trains in time forthis August’s Mathew Street Music Festival.October sees the Northern Line’s return. Ata micro commercial level, Central bringsfootfall to the adjoining shops so eventshave been staged to coax people backthrough their doors. And beyond, thereplacement bus service continues to dogood business, relieving the pain byfeeding travellers seamlessly to alternativeservices nearby.

One of the works’ key aims is to easepassenger management by creating extraspace. During April’s Titaniccommemorations, three giant marionettesvisited Liverpool attracting crowds in excessof 250,000. This led to an hour-long queuejust to get into the station. So the singleticket line is being staggered and walls arecoming down to increase the concoursefootprint, with staff accommodation movingto a new building on the former High Levelstation site.

Glazed walls, courtesy of System Glazing,and an ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene)roof from Novum Structures will transformthe outlook of this formerly dingy place.Access to the lift is being brought indoorswhich should encourage more use of it.There’ll be bigger and better toilet facilities.Although all this involves everydayfabrication processes, getting cabins andcomponents into the heart of the stationwas a head-scratcher that could only beovercome with cranes - and big ones at that.

Along with new wayfinder signage, thesiting and number of information screens isbeing addressed to hopefully stifle the urgeof some passengers to run for their trains.The Northern Line platforms will be openedup by removing redundant infrastructure

and relocating equipment. This will enabletwo plant rooms to be demolished.Removable seating will offer even morecapacity during the city’s bigger events. Byresolving the pinch points, the overall affectshould be to improve passenger flows.

Ups and downsThe 35-year-old escalators have a role to

play in this: of the station’s ten, four arebeing replaced. These will come by road,brought through the concourse, except forthe longest - connecting the Northern andWirral lines - which an RRV is due to deliver.The existing one disappeared by rail duringa 29-hour possession on 17 June.

The escalator’s skeleton has to be jacked offits support plinths onto specially installedtrackways and is then winched out in 4 metresections. Posing the most substantial test isthe main motor, weighing 1½ tonnes, whichsits under the floor at the bottom. Itsreplacement is smaller and more efficient,and placed at the top. Size wise, the othernew components have been designed tomimic the old, easing the installation process.

But inserted into the works is a smallEurocode spanner. Three level treads arenow specified for both entry and egressrather than two previously, meaning thatthe base dimension of the new escalators isabout a metre longer. To minimise thephysical implications, existing foundationsand connections are being retained at thetop whilst the bottom end is to beextended further into the undercroft.Although this will eat into the spaceavailable, with modern escalators there isno longer any need to send manpowerunderneath; they are maintained entirelyfrom the surface.


All fired upCellactite is a ubiquitous product in sub-

surface stations, comprising corrugated steelsheeting coated in bitumen and reinforcedwith asbestos fibres. It’s used as a wall-mounted barrier that enables penetratingwater to be collected and managed. ButCellactite was implicated in the devastatingfire that claimed 31 victims at King’s CrossUnderground Station in 1987. Today,whenever such stations are refurbished, therequirement is to remove, neutralise orprotect it.

Throughout Liverpool Central, all theexisting fire doors and floor tiles are beingstripped out; so too is the wall claddingalthough its sub-frame is being retained.Specialist contractor Firesafe is then fittingRiblath, a keying and anti-cracking mesh,above the Cellactite before applying a20mm coating of Mandolite to give 60minutes fire resistance at 300°C. This worksin conjunction with other systems (fireblankets or boarding) for cable protection.Over that is going new powder-coated steelcladding or, alongside passenger areas,vitreous enamel. SAS International isfulfilling this element.

Maintenance possessions are exploitedto access the Wirral Line tunnel, providingnightly work periods of about 3½ hours. TheRiblath goes up one night; the spraying isdone the next - both require scaffolding.Time wise, considerable discipline isdemanded as the Mandolite has to besprayed and set before the morning’s firsttrain comes through. Fortunately, theexisting Northern Line fire protection isrelatively new and doesn’t need substantiveattention.

More of the sameIt’s not only Liverpool Central. When the

work here is done, the Network Rail teamwill move on to James Street Station,finishing in April 2013, and thereafter toLime Street. Both projects involve fireprotection measures only, the latter havingto close fully as it just hosts a singleplatform.

Making judgements about a scheme partway through it is fraught with danger. It’sbest not to tempt fate. But externally,Liverpool seems not to have missed a beat

despite Central being rightat the heart of its transport network.Proactive communications keep passengersin the loop whilst well-planned bus servicesget them where they need to be. Andinternally, the close working relationshipdeveloped by the two teams ensures bothcan do what they need to without undulyimpacting on each other, despite thephysical constraints. There’s a clearcommitment to make things work.

It could only be London - the capital’sUnderground system is unique. But theapproach adopted by contractors to deliverimprovements in its sub-surface stations haswider logistical and budgetary value. Inthese days of heightened scrutiny, theindustry is wise to learn lessons fromwherever it can. They’re doing just that atLiverpool Central.

Many thanks to Lucianne Lord of NetworkRail, Merseyrail’s Simon Olorenshaw andJohn Boothman from Morgan Sindall fortheir technical help with this article.

(Above left)Progress is madewith removal of theold flooring.

(Above right)Mandolite, sprayedonto Riblath, willprovide 60 minutesfire protection at300°C.

(Below) CGI image ofthe new concourse/platform.

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nion Station is Toronto’s busiesttransportation hub. Situated in the

downtown district, it is the main terminusfor the GO regional rail network, aconnection into the city’s streetcar andsubway networks, plus a gateway into theDowntown Toronto Underground Walkway.

The station currently handles over 30,000passengers during the morning peak hourand more than 250,000 passengers over atypical business day. These numbers areexpected to more than double over the nextten years, including over 70,000 passengersduring the peak morning hour in 2021, asGO Transit’s expansion program is put intooperation.

Assessing pedestrian demandDue to the predicted increase in passenger

numbers at what is already a very busylocation, the historic station buildingrequires refurbishing. Its passenger handlingcapacity also needs expanding, and thesurrounding streets must be improved tomake them safer and better for both

pedestrians and cyclists. The City of Toronto’smaster plan was adopted in 2004 and Arupwas awarded the contract to assess thepedestrian flows through Union Stationduring refurbishment and in the predictedconditions of 2021, thus informing andsupporting the planning and design of therevised station.

The first phase was to survey the peakpedestrian conditions in and around theUnion Station and use these to createquantitative forecasts for passenger flowsboth during renovation and in 2021. Thisanalysis focused on the peak hour and peak15 minute pedestrian volumes during themorning and afternoon peaks, plus specialevents at the Air Canada and Roger’sCentres. The study revealed a number ofopportunities and constraints for therefurbishment project. It also gathered datafor the second phase, which was for detailedpedestrian simulation of the station to checkpedestrian flows and discover the bestlocations of retail, commercial and transit-related facilities.

Arup’s work was required to answer fourfundamental questions:1. How would the proposed Concept Plan

support or otherwise impact pedestrianflows?

2. Was the Union Station Concept Planappropriate from a pedestrian flowperspective?

3. What are the internal and externalcongestion points, and what conditionsmay be causing congestion?

4. Where are areas of flexibility that provideopportunities for other precinct andstation revitalisation initiatives?

This planning study involved the creationof agent-based simulation models of thestation and surrounding streets. To ensurethat the model results were accurate, thecurrent conditions in the station weremodelled using the survey information fromthe first phase, including minute by minutebreakdown of where the pedestrians enterthe study area (origin) and to whatdestinations they were going to. Each agentwas assigned a train platform either as anorigin or destination, with distribution basedon the train schedule. The resultant

U Erin Morrow & Peter Debneyw r i t e r s

Senior Consultant at Arup & Senior Consultant at Oasys Software Ltd

Pedestrian simulation in Toronto

(Above) Detailedrendering ofMassMotionSimulation resultsduring the eveningpeak period.

(Left) Mainconcourse ofToronto Station.


pedestrian model was then calibratedagainst actual flows within the station andadjusted so that the analysis was consistentwith observations.

This model was then modified to analysethe 2021 predicted passenger flows and toalso check each stage of the refurbishmentto ensure that the station would continue tofunction while the rebuilding work closedoff parts of the concourses.

MassMotionHaving previously tried the existing

pedestrian modelling packages on themarket and found that they were insufficientfor its purposes, Arup created its ownprogram, MassMotion, to address theshortcomings of the available programs.MassMotion is based on intelligent agents, afull 3D model of the environment, and JohnFruin’s industry standard planning anddesign guidelines for pedestrian behaviour.

Agent navigation The principal differentiator between

MassMotion and other pedestriansimulation tools is that it actually modelspedestrian behaviour rather than testing a

user’s preconceptions about pedestrianbehaviour: it is non-deterministic andemergent. This means that the individualagents in the simulation make their ownchoices about appropriate actions based onthe dynamics of their environment and theiraction’s effect on other agents.

For example, if a room has doors on all foursides, other pedestrian simulation toolsrequire the user to input what percentage ofthe room’s population will use each door. Ina MassMotion simulation each agentdecides which door to use based on what itknows about the distance to its goal andhow long the queue is for each door.

There are two noteworthy advantages tosuch a system:1. A MassMotion agent only needs to be

assigned an origin and a destination: itthen navigates its own way through theenvironment without requiring the user toinput percentage splits at all potential

branching points and for all sub groupswithin a simulated environment. Thismeans that the more complex anenvironment becomes, the quicker it is toset up or modify a MassMotion model incomparison to other programs.

2. Unlike other tools, MassMotion actuallypredicts how rational pedestrians willnavigate through an environment andhow they will respond dynamically tochanging conditions within the simulation:for example agents will change their routeif congestion becomes too great.

Model creationThe 3D MassMotion environments are

created using CAD tools such as AutoCAD orSketchUp and are based on architecturaldrawings or imported direct from BIMmodels. The information contained in thedrawings is used to create a number of

polygons representing the walkable areas ofthe environment, plus solids representingobstacles within those environments. Thewalkable areas are further broken down intocirculation spaces such as floors, pavements,and platforms, and into connection elementssuch as doors, stairs, escalators, etc.

The arrangement of circulation areas andconnection elements forms an implicitnetwork, defined by geometric proximity,which defines possible route permutationsfor the simulation agents to navigate. For theUnion Station environment, the platformsand station were modelled in detail, whilethe network of adjacent streets andwalkways were modelled within the samefile in a more abstract fashion.

ResultsAfter extensive simulation of the proposed

concept plan, Arup concluded that itsproposed configuration would support theestimated pedestrian volumes for 2021. Also,while there will be some areas thatexperience high densities of commutersduring the morning peak 15 minutes, thetraffic should continue to flow. Likewise theexternal pedestrian routes were providingsufficient capacity with just a fewexceptions. The model also revealed someunderutilised areas within the station. Byadjusting stair, retail and service locations,the team developed layout modifications toimprove the balance of flows as well as theuser experience.

Tim Laspa of Toronto City planningdepartment spoke highly of the project.“The pedestrian planning initiatives at UnionStation have broken new ground for the waythe city of Toronto will plan for pedestrianactivities in the future. From a modelling andsimulation perspective, the Phase 2 studywas an exceptional test of the MassMotiontoolset that Arup has developed. The veryhigh volumes of pedestrians beingsimulated in combination with the complexlayout of the station facility demonstratedthe usefulness of an agent-based approachto pedestrian simulation and analysis.”

Arup has continued to develop MassMotionby improving the software based on lessonslearned from simulation work done for theCity of Toronto at Union Station, withimproved model creation tools, BIMinterfaces, and additional functions such asevacuation events for fire engineering.MassMotion is now commercially available.

w www.oasys-software.com/massmotion

(Below) Overviewof the simulationenvironmentlooking Northeasttowards Toronto’sCentral BusinessDistrict.

(Below) Overviewof the majorcomponents of theUnion Stationenvironment andhow they fittogether.

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n the last few years of employment withNetwork Rail, I spent a large proportion of

my time dealing with standards for trackengineering. In addition to dealing with thecompany’s own track standards and workingwith RSSB and other stakeholders onRailway Group Standards, the work includedrepresentation of the company, and onoccasion the UK, at relevant Europeanstandards meetings.

One of the regular challenges fromstandards users was the suggestion thatstandards, whether company, Railway Groupor international, restricted innovation andcommercial activity to an unacceptabledegree. The answer to such views was thesame then as it is now. Standards are notthere to be an obstruction to anything. Theirpurpose is to offer guidance about how bestto achieve the desired outcomes.

Applied properly, standards assist peopleto avoid past mistakes and the trapsinherent in conducting complex operations.Standards are intended to help people andorganisations benefit from collectivewisdom and experience.

Non-complianceTo misquote the old saying, standards are

there for the guidance of wise men and themindless obedience of fools. Both NetworkRail and RSSB have established ways fordealing with non-standard situations.

When it is clearly impossible orimpracticable to comply with a standard,then the way to deal with a commerciallydriven standard is usually within the gift ofthe company or standard owner. Thecommercial risks of the possible options areassessed, and the most acceptablealternative selected. When the issue is asafety matter, the way to proceed is lessobvious but must still be based upon therisks involved. RSSB will agree derogationsor temporary non-compliances (TNCs)against standards where it is possible toagree an alternative approach to thatspecified but which still delivers a safetylevel equivalent to ordinary compliance.Companies such as Network Rail willemploy a similar process.

The Group Standard derogation/TNCprocess is administered on behalf of theindustry by RSSB standards committees.These are cross-industry bodies that reflectthe broad interests of all stakeholders. Eachcommittee specialises in a particular area,such as infrastructure or rolling stock.

Because the circumstances that lead to theneed for a TNC or derogation are usuallydriven by unique or unusual factors, they areusually dealt with individually on a case-by-case basis. Whilst this may seembureaucratic to some, in fact, if theprocedures are managed and used correctly,it makes for a very flexible system. It willallow even the most arcane set ofcircumstances to be dealt with so as todeliver an economic, practical and safeoutcome.

I

Platform extensionsChris Parkerw r i t e r

Farringdon


Of course, if it becomes clear that aparticular set of circumstances is not asunusual as originally thought, resulting in arequirement for an excessive number ofTNCs or derogations, that does call thestandard concerned into question. In suchcases the standard owner should doubtlessreview the document and revise itappropriately.

The essential approach to compilingstandards and administering the TNC andderogation processes is a risk-based one. ForGroup Standards the major consideration issafety risk, of course, but even here there is arequirement to consider economic factorstoo. For company standards, commercial orfinancial risks will be considered a biggerfactor, whilst safety still remains a toppriority. Thus a Group Standard might laydown generic requirements for a trackfastening to ensure that they are safe whilethe company standard might specify specificfastening types. Other types might complywith the Group Standard requirements butbe rejected by the company on the basis ofcommercial considerations such as first costor whole life cost.

Farringdon for examplePerhaps that still sounds complicated, but

in fact it works. RSSB has many examples ofprojects which have, by agreement,successfully implemented solutions that donot comply with the relevant standard. Onesuch example is the recently completedproject to extend the platforms atFarringdon Station in central London.

The object was, as regular readers of therail engineer will know, to provide for 12 cartrains on the Thameslink route as opposedto the original 8 car capability. Farringdon isan old station in a cramped location in acutting. It is Grade 2 listed, which makesmatters more interesting, and finally andcompleting the list of challenges nicely, it isused by both mainline trains and those ofLondon Underground (LUL).

As Network Rail senior project engineerPaul Mitchison explained, the consequenceof all these factors was that it was just notpracticable to construct the new station intotal compliance with either Railway GroupStandards or LUL’s somewhat differentstandards.

A critical question affected by standardswas the choice of location for the platformextensions. At the north end of the station isone of the steepest gradients on a Britishmainline railway, 1 in 29. To the south thereis a curve with a radius down to 200 metres.Normally the Railway Group Standard wouldrequire that a station site would be selectedto avoid both these features. This was not

practicable in this case and so it was decidedto assess the risks of each problem, both toaid the decision about whether to extend tothe north or to the south, and to allow aderogation from the standard to besuccessfully applied for, for the chosensolution.

By involving the standards committeesfrom the outset, and communicating closelywith them throughout the process, theproject was able to obtain the requiredderogation for the construction of theplatform extension on the curved site at thesouth end of the station. It wasdemonstrated that the infrastructurestandard requirements for platform gaugecould be met even on the tightest curvaturepresent. Unfortunately, the operationalstandard requirement outlining thestepping distance from train running boardto platform edge could not quite be met.However, it was successfully argued that, asthe non-compliance was small, this was amuch smaller risk than that of havingplatforms on a 1 in 29 gradient. Additionally,it was shown that the situation would beimproved in future. The new Class 700rolling stock for Thameslink was to havelower running boards than the Class 319 and377 units to be replaced, meaning that theirstepping distance was going to be muchimproved and possibly even compliant withthe standard. The problem was thus goingto reduce in severity significantly as the newunits came into service.

Farringdon Station.(Above) South endof platform 3looking north.(Right) Curve atsouth end ofplatform 4 lookingnorth.


Close columnsAnother potential non-compliance issue

concerned the columns supporting the trainshed roof. In certain areas of the platforms itwas not feasible to maintain a 4.5 metreclearance between these and the nearestrail. This meant that the Railway GroupStandard required hefty collision protectionstructures around the columns; impracticaland excessively costly to provide in thecircumstances.

Discussion with the standards committeesled to derogations, on the basis that theplatform structures themselves gaveadequate collision protection to thecolumns for the prevailing situation. The factthat trains would be passing at relatively lowspeed made it easier to reach agreement onthis.

A third question arose over the matter ofminimum headroom in public areas of thestation. The Railway Group Standardheadroom requirement was impracticableto achieve in certain areas of platforms 3 & 4.The Grade 2 listing was obviously oneconstraint, and additionally the Transportand Works Act enabling the works made noprovision for the alterations needed toincrease the headroom. The time and costimplications of obtaining the necessaryconsents and carrying out the works wereprohibitive by anybody’s measure.

Again, a derogation was granted, this timeon the basis of the installation of “flow-by”structures at relevant points, to directpedestrians around the areas of lowheadroom. Given that modelling had shown

that the pedestrian flow capacity of theareas concerned would remain adequatewith these structures in place, thederogation was granted.

Quite a number of other civil and trackengineering standards issues weresuccessfully managed in analogous ways bythe project, RSSB and LUL, as were othersaffecting S&T and M&E engineering.

Despite the complexity of the project, theshared use of the station and the Grade 2listing, all of the standards issues weresuccessfully resolved, and in November 2011the final “sign-off” was agreed by both RSSBand LUL. The extended station was openedfor public use on time in December 2011.

Farringdon Station. (Above) Compliant width platform 3looking south. (Inset) North arm of interchange footbridgelooking north from platform 4 with 1 in 29 gradient in thedistance.

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New wires for old

“ hen, and only then do we cut thewire....” Words of caution - deliberately

spoken. The wire in question is the overheadline wire, the cutting of which completelystops the running of electric trains andindeed most trains. It’s not like a piece of rail.You can’t change your mind, bar in a closurerail and put on a couple of clamps to get thetraffic moving again. No, you have to bereally sure before you “cut the wire”.

This is, of course, common to anyoverhead line operation. It’s a decisionthat’s been made ever since the systemwas invented. But when you’re dealingwith the upgrade of the overhead linesystem from Liverpool Street out toChelmsford with traffic coming in (and out)from all over Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk,cutting the wire can prompt just that littlebit of extra nervousness.

Historical backgroundSo, why the upgrade? The suburban

network out of Liverpool Street has alwaysseen an intense service and so was an earlycandidate for electrification. The LNERstarted to electrify the Shenfield toLiverpool Street line during the 1930s butthe war delayed completion until 1949. Theroute was extended to Chelmsford in 1956.Originally the system used the then-standard 1500V DC. In the mid 1950s, theBritish Railways Modernisation Plan pressedfor 25kv AC, but there were areas with low

structural clearances where 6.25kv was used- and the route out to Shenfield was one ofthem. By the mid 1970s it was found that25kv could be suitable even in locationswith low clearances and so the whole routewas converted to 25kv by 1980.

But underlying all of the presentelectrification setup in this densely usedpart of the railway network is kit that goesback 70 years.

Network Rail is now replacing everythingwith a modern equivalent - an auto tensionsystem - right the way from Liverpool Streetall the way through to Chelmsford in aproject that originally kicked off back in 2007.

Understandably, living with a heritagesystem has had its issues. A lot of thecomponents are very hard to come by. Somehave to be manufactured specially and thesystem is complex and heavy to work with. Ithas many problematic and complex failuremodes so that, because of the way that thewires interlink with each other, if there’s a de-wirement on one road there’s a strongpotential of other roads being taken down aswell. The system that is being put in simplifieseverything significantly.

T

Grahame Taylorw r i t e r


Logistic problemsClive Woods, Network Rail’s project manager for the upgrade,

explains: “What we’re doing at the moment is replacing about 40% ofthe structures to take the new equipment. It’s quite a substantiallydifferent design.

“We’re using what we can where it is suitable - where it’s not takingparticularly high forces. But on the areas where forces are high we’reusing the new Autotension equipment - which is fundamentally abalance weight system.”

The system is known as the “Great Eastern Furrer and Frey”, namedafter Electrification specialist Furrer and Frey which is predominantlythe designer and also the manufacturer of most of the equipment.

There are huge logistic problems. Everything is done on apiecemeal basis. “It’s not like a green field site where you can go in,put your structures in, wire it.... it’s very much more complex.”

All the new equipment has to be installed in and around theexisting which has to remain in operation until switchover.

“It’s one of the big problems we have in delivering this workbecause we’re here in this very busy route and we have to put theservice back into operation when the first trains start running -usually at 04.00 on a Monday morning.”

New foundationsThe new equipment is lighter - it’s physically smaller than the

existing - and as a result in some areas there can be improvementswhere signal sighting has been an issue.

None of the old foundations are being used. There are newfoundations for each new structure. Some are concrete slabs - sidebearing foundations. Most supports are tubular piles which areeither vibrated in or driven. It all depends on the area and on thesoil conditions. The vast majority go in without any issues at all but,inevitably, in some of the areas involved - especially those incuttings where the space is extremely limited and in areas withcomplex soil conditions - there are occasional problems with pilerefusals.

Screw piles have been used and mostly they’ve been verysuccessful, but occasionally they’ve led to problems because theyhave a higher tendency to refuse. If there are obstructions in the soil

(Above) Wiring atIngatestoneStation. (Below) Rewiringat Bethnall Green.


which maybe the ground investigationsurvey hasn’t picked up - even tree roots -the piling operation can stall.

Being an area with a very long history ofrailway development it’s always wise to takeout trial holes where it is anticipated that‘someone has been there before’.

New kitAll the contact wire will be brand new. The

old wire, catenaries and structures all go offto scrap. Bases are broken out as well, downto about a metre below ground level exceptwhere a structure base is acting usefully aspart of another structure!

The scheme doesn’t involve replacing anyfeeds from the national grid to thetransformers themselves, but all the feedsare being replaced where they go fromtransformers to the overhead line. Inaddition, all switching arrangements arebeing upgraded.

Signalling is not affected although signalsighting is part of the interdisciplinarychecks undertaken in the design process.

But how about hidden major structures?“We’re free now, but prior to getting out tothe London side of Stratford station we didhave to be aware of the LondonUnderground system beneath - especiallywith piling! We were communicating withthem just about all the time in this area. Andit was the same with the Docklands LightRailway. We were adjacent to theirinfrastructure for much of the way going outto Stratford.”

State of play?By last Christmas, Marylands and Forest

Gate had been completed, as had thesection from Shenfield to about three milescountry-side of Chelmsford. The last bit ofmajor work prior to the Olympics was thewiring of Ingatestone station.

The tracks between Ingatestone throughto Chelmsford and in Chelmsford itself willbe done after the Olympic embargo throughto the end of the calendar year.

Historically there has been one principalmajor contractor - Carillion. Their work hascome to an end. What Network Rail has beendoing is engaging with the market aboutdifferent alliancing models that would bemutually acceptable. They are going backout to the market, probably at the beginningof the Olympic embargo, to start bringingon partners for future works.

The go-live pointClive, who has a background in the

Nuclear Industry where he was involved inthe decommissioning of the Magnoxreactors, acknowledges that this project hasbeen a huge logistical challenge. “There is avery robust planning system that starts way,way back in the project. As the go-live pointgets closer there are a series of go/no-gopoints so that unless we are absolutely surewe have all the resources available then, andonly then, do we cut the wire.”

Ping!

(Right) Rewiring atBethnall Green.(Below) Sectionwork fromShenfield toClelmsford.

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A look into the futureA look into the future


Paul Curtisw r i t e r

he third annual FOSD conferencehad a new venue for 2012, and a

new title. Future of Station Designbecame Future of Sustainable Design,which allowed transport hubs andgateways to be included, and the eventtook place at London’s ExCeL on 25 May.

Mike Goggin, formerly director ofstations and customer service forNetwork Rail and now with SteerDavies Gleave, opened the day’sproceedings by commenting howrecent improvements to Kings Cross,Paddington and the Gatwick Express

service welcomed visitors to Britain.The first formal speaker was David

Biggs, Network Rail’s head of property,who outlined the challenge of creatingstations that invited and inspiredpeople to use them. He remarked thatmany Network Rail stations are nowout-performing the high street in termsof retail sales, and that property valuesaround stations had recently jumpedby up to 30% as a result.

One example that David gave was theJunction Health Centre in the formerrailway arches at Clapham Junction. Byasking the community what theywanted, and working with the localauthority, Network Rail have delivereda valuable and useful local amenity.

Hubs and orbitalsHuw Thomas of Foster & Partners

used the widened scope of this year’sconference to look at transport hubsand facilities in general. In a well-received presentation, Huw talkedabout how Heathrow Airport hasdefined Global Transport for 70 years. Itis still the third busiest airport in theworld, having handled 69 millionpassengers last year, but is currentlyoperating at 98% of its capacity.

He also addressed the HS2 project.HS2 is not needed, nor required, to getBirmingham businessmen to London10 minutes quicker, but it is essential tofree up vital capacity that the WestCoast Main Line needs and will offer adirect link with HS1 and into Europe.During construction, by dropping HS2down a metre into the ground, therewill be the opportunity to build newpower lines, water lines andtelecommunications into theembankments at the same time,building a new intelligentinfrastructure network without havingto dig up more roads.

Looking further forward, building anew rail orbital around London couldtake 4,000 lorries a day off the M25 andfree up the blockages caused byeverything having to go in and out of

London. The Thames Barrier will needupgrading by 2035 and the energycreated naturally by the River Thamescould help to power a new tunnelcrossing and a third global hub airporton the Thames estuary.

The third scheduled speaker was tohave been Norman Baker MP,Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Statefor Transport. He wasn’t able to attendin person, but he did send a pre-recorded message. In it, he commentedon the £150 million that has beeninvested in the National StationImprovement Programme, the £370million Access for All scheme that hasseen over 1,000 stations improved, anda project close to his heart, the £15million cycle improvementprogramme.

City centresAfter a short break, the second

session of the day focussed on CityCentre Hubs. Graham Tomlinson andPaul McGlone launched theirVandalism Control Organisation. This isa networking website for public sectororganisations, which can use it toaccess information on suppliers of anti-vandalism products and solutions.

The design of Crossrail stations camenext, with Stuart Croucher describinghow they are intended to enhance theurban area within which they arelocated. He used the new Farringdonstation as an example, describing howsubtle design changes would have alarge effect on the thousands ofpassengers who will be using thestation once it has 140 trains an hourrunning through it.

A panel session on the topics coveredso far followed, and discussions tookplace on the subject of controllinggraffiti and vandalism, which cost theLondon Boroughs £950 million a year.Delegates also considered thatinvolving local residents in a designencourages them to take ownership ofthe finished project and see it as part oftheir community.

T

Future possibilitiesAfter lunch, Tony Lacy of ATOS looked into

the future and the next level ofinfrastructure investment. In his current role,Tony is looking at his company’s approach tothe global transportation market and how itis looking at rebalancing the transportequation by use of integrated sustainablenetworks.

Airports were the next topic, covered byGatwick Airport CEO, Stewart Wingate.Gatwick has the world’s busiest single userunway with up to 53 planes an hour and upto 900 planes in any one day. Employingsome 25,000 people, it contributes £26billion to the UK economy. Stewart talkedabout investments in the new NorthTerminal’s £80m extension and the £45mnightly resurfacing of the runway. He wasnaturally positive about global infrastructureinvestment funds wanting to invest in theUK, but said that the critical rail links fromairport to city had to have express serviceswith dedicated rolling stock.

The communityThe last topic to be covered at FOSD 2012

was the Community and Rural Hubs. GeoffHobbs of Transport for London started thisone off by commenting that Londoners relyon railways six times more than the rest ofthe UK. With responsibility for 300overground and 250 underground stations,Geoff described how 50 stations had beenupgraded as part of the Access for Allprogramme and 50 stations had receivedhelp from the National Station Improvement

Programme. In addition, over 2,500 cycleparking spaces had been installed, 70stations had received deep cleans, 44upgrades had been applied to the LOROLstations and seven new stations hadbeen created.

Finally, the conference was introducedto modular stations. Feras Alshaker ofSouthern and Paul Beaty-Pownall of BPRArchitects continued the theme ofconsulting with the community andasking them what they wanted from astation. It isn’t a new concept, after all AdrianShooter of Chiltern Railways said “Railwaysare a simple business, ask the customer whatthey want and need and give it them”.

A short panel session was followed by asummary of the day given by Mike Goggin.Then Gavin McMurray of Merson Signsjoined Jon Bentley from TV’s Gadget Showto present the FOSD Awards for Innovationin Design (Foster & Partners), Innovation inEngineering (First Capital Connect) and

Innovation in Hub Retail (Marks andSpencer). Finally, an award for OutstandingAchievement in Station Design andConstruction was presented to Mike Gogginon behalf of Steer Davies Gleave.

Then it was time for networking on thebalcony overlooking Canary Wharf, and forreflection on the presentations given duringthe day.


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Gavin McMurray ofMerson Signspresenting one ofthe FOSD Awardsto Elaine Stewartof Atos with JonBentley oftelevision’s TheGadget Show.


he National Railway Museum in Yorkwas the venue for the second annual

railway conference organised by WestermoData Communications. This year’s themewas very topical - “Delivering ProjectsThrough Partnerships”.

Opening the day, Westermo’s Phil Mounteroutlined how both the McNulty report onDelivering a Better Value Railway, and thecreation of a British Standard strategicframework for collaborative working,enabling organisations to partner moreeffectively, had led Westermo to look at itsown collaboration and partnerships.

However, Phil emphasised that BS11000 isnot a “one size fits all” badge of accreditationand there are many things a company needsto consider beforehand. For example, who isthere in the marketplace or supply chain tocollaborate with? Every company needs tofully understand its own area of expertiseand what it can bring to a collaborationbefore proceeding.

Westermo managing director Alan Bollardintroduced the audience to his company,and the range of robust datacommunication devices that itmanufactures. Founded in Sweden in 1975,in 2011 it had a worldwide turnover of €36million and invested €5 million in researchand development, an increase of 20% overthree years.

DevelopmentAndy Harrison, managing director of

consultants DB&CS, addressed delegates onBS11000 - An Introduction To Suppliers. Heoutlined the history of BS11000 and how ithad initially been developed by PartnershipSourcing Ltd, a joint initiative of thedepartment of Trade and Industry and theCBI. Now renamed the Institute forCollaborative Working, its role is to helporganisations, large and small, in both thepublic and private sectors, to build anddevelop effective competitive businessrelationships based upon a collaborativeapproach.

The next speaker gave some practicalexamples of collaborative working inaction. Richard Graham is head of strategic

development at Balfour Beatty Rail. Hispresentation, entitled Supplier Integrationwith Collaborative Frameworks, coveredfour subjects - a look at collaborativeengagement and its importance, a reviewof Balfour Beatty’s progress, and histhoughts on issues that the supply chainwill face.

As a case study, Richard looked at theFinsbury Park to Alexandra Palace capacityimprovement works being carried out forNetwork Rail, along with the Crossrail southeast section from Plumstead to AbbeyWood.

The project includes a new Crossrailterminus station, two new platforms and atwo mile stretch of track with improvementsto five bridges and two new overheadelectrified lines. Balfour Beatty was asked toapply a collaborative approach from thestart. This resulted in developing a GRIP 4preliminary design within 8 months, leadingto a joint construction methodology and avalidated fixed price contract of around £35million.

Network Rail’s experienceThat work was conducted for Network Rail.

So it next fell to Neill Carruthers, head ofcontracting strategy for Network Rail, toexplain what collaborative working meansto him. His opening statement, “The wholeindustry’s costs are too high and the wholeindustry needs to change”, set the tone forhis presentation.

Network Rail is working on a partneringstrategy which drives down unit costs. Thiswill be achieved by improving safeconstruction methods through aligning riskmanagement and integration and byintroducing innovative solutions at an earlierstage. Scope variations will be reduced byaligning the client, constructor and designerat an earlier stage and by reducingduplication in resources.

The first five projects for which NetworkRail will be using BS11000 as a strategicframework have a combined value ofapproximately £1 billion. They are

TPaul Curtisw r i t e r

Delivering collaboration


• Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palacecapacity project

• Hitchin grade separation• Reading Station (IMP 1 & 2 Packages)• Crossrail South East section project• Edinburgh to Glasgow improvement

programme.

Further projects are now beingidentified for potential expansion intothe BS11000 portfolio. These includethe London Bridge area partneringprogramme, Crossrail/Reading project,the Stafford area improvement projectand other ECML and signallingschemes which would take the total ofBS11000 projects to nearer £3 billion.

Co-operation or collaboration?Westermo’s Phil Mounter returned to

the podium after lunch. He comparedthe normal working practice of co-operating with suppliers to the newconcept of collaborating with them,which requires a cultural change

throughout the company. As anexample, he mentioned a trial projectwith Network Rail to replace oldanalogue voice recorders with digitalones. This project is at a very earlystage but, by early engagement,companies are able to bring ideas tothe table that previously wouldn’t havebeen considered.

Another example of collaborativeworking came from Kevin Stringer ofFirstco. The longstanding project tocool London Underground’s tubenetwork is now also being undertakencollaboratively. Three differentstrategies are being adopted:introducing airflow through shafts intotunnels using ventilation fans, stationforced air cooling using Platform AirHandling Units (PAHUs), and smallstation fan cooling systems.

Mid Tunnel Ventilation Shafts (MTVs)operate by drawing air through thetunnel to maintain airflow and bypushing air into the tunnel.

Firstco is also installing PAHUs atOxford Circus and Green Park whichwork off chilled water. That water issupplied to the units by a chilled waterloop. Collaborative working betweenall concerned is achieving the desiredresults.

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Leading the way in IP networking

What you hear from many technology integratorsConvergence, rationalisation, reduce cost of ownership, improved service, speed of deploying new services

And what you don’t…How to design and deploy an IP network whilst still running a railwayHow to integrate with existing assets with minimum disruptionWhat systems can be supported and what need special considerationAt what point do I choose to interface into the existing infrastructure

Wouldn’t it make sense to use a technology partner who has done it all before?

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Eurotransport_halfpage-advert:Eurotransport_halfpage-advert 04/04/2012 13:56 Page 1

Platform announcementsPaul Dobbins, chief technical officer with

telent, stayed on the London Undergroundtheme. The company’s relationship withLondon Underground goes back to theDocklands Light Railway in 1980 and theNorthern and Jubilee contract in the mid1990s.

In 2005, telent won the Tube Lines stationupgrade contact which involved 100 Jubilee,Northern & Piccadilly Line stations. The 13year contract encouraged innovation andthis continued into the most recent contractwith LU to maintain communications at theremaining stations, including voiceannouncement systems.

All stations have a Station ManagementSystem that allows selection of pre-recordedannouncements and has the ability to makelive recordings from the platform. In 2010,London Underground started a series ofefficiency work streams to improve stationoperations which specifically includes givingthe correct information to passengers.Working closely with London Underground,telent has developed a system thatautomatically makes serviceannouncements based on informationentered at the National Operations Centre(NOC).

As part of the collaboration, LondonUnderground invited telent to participate inteam meetings, while LU staff have visitedtelent’s creative studios. Both parties areenthusiastic that this is having beneficialresults. Millions of London Undergroundcommuters will soon hear co-ordinatedannouncements on a daily basis and muchof the credit for this goes to Paul Crook,

senior clientengineer for LondonUndergroundStrategy and Serviceand Chris Hooper thelead system engineerfor telent Rail, whobetween them havemade thisprogramme work.

The technical director of Westermo, RayLock, rounded off the day by looking at howstrategic framework partnerships work forthird and fourth tier suppliers. Westermo hasbuilt up both their onboard and tracksideproduct portfolios by working withsuppliers, while collaboration withcustomers such as Bombardier has resultedin the Westermo IP train concept. This is acomplete ethernet switch and routing

solution that provides a robust networkinfrastructure for creating intelligent trains.

Delegates found the day useful as anintroduction to collaborative working. Asurvey after the event identified that 38% ofall attendees had not heard of BS11000beforehand, but 86% said they would belooking seriously at it following this event.Westermo’s conference seems to have hadthe desired result.



Wheels

Stuart Marshw r i t e r

id you hear about the Christmas Evetrain crash near Oxford? It occurred at

Shipton-on-Cherwell to be exact. Thirty fourpeople died and sixty nine were injured. Youdidn’t? Well, you do have an excuse, as ithappened in 1874. It was the worst disasterto befall the Great Western Railway and thecause was a broken tyre on the leadingcarriage. It initiated reforms that werepivotal in the advancement of railway safety,particularly in wheelset design.

This was how Railway Consultant AdrianShooter commenced his keynote address ata seminar held on 30 May at the Institutionof Mechanical Engineers in London. Entitled“Axles, Wheelsets and Bearings - BalancingSafety, Performance and Cost” the IMechEevent hosted presentations from eminentengineers, consultants and industry experts.

So are we safe?It has been 16 years since a defective

wheelset caused a major accident in the UK.At Rickerscote near Stafford on 8 March 1996a freight train was derailed because of abroken axle on a tank wagon. A postal train

hauled by a Class 86 locomotive ran into it. Amail sorter was killed and 22 others wereinjured, including the driver of thelocomotive, which came to rest against theend wall of a house.

Wheelsets are some of the most expensiveconsumables on rail vehicles. They accountfor a significant proportion of an operator’smaintenance budget and are critical tovehicle availability. They can also be keycomponents in causing damage toinfrastructure. The rail industry is under greatpressure to reduce costs and increase itsvalue to customers, but this must bebalanced against operational performanceand above all, safety.

It is estimated that there are in excess of144,000 wheelsets in use in the UK and theymust all be

maintained, inspected and tested toexacting standards. As Adrian Shooter put it,“We must be assiduous in making sure thatthe right standards are adhered to.Procurement is driven by cost, but only bystrict adherence to standards can it beensured that we can all go about ourbusiness safely.”

Safety managementSo what is the risk to be managed? Cliff

Cork, head of infrastructure and rolling stockat the RSSB, posed this question and wenton to discuss the applicable Standardsframework and the ways in which Europeanlegislation impacts upon it. Risk and harmare measured in terms of fatalities and

weighted injuries (FWI). Theshort answer to the abovequestion is that the riskattributable to rolling stockis 2.2 FWI/year (out of a totalof 140.9 FWI/year). Of this,axle and bearing riskaccounts for 0.64 FWI/yearand wheels 0.066 FWI/year.In other words, the riskfrom wheelsets can becalculated to cause 13deaths in 100 years. Thisamounts to 6% of rolling

stock risk. Cliff said: “We would all agree that the low

level of risk that such a high population ofwheelsets impose is due to having anagreed set of rules or standards in place,which we all follow.” The risk may be small,but the consequences of getting thingswrong can be disastrous.

Within the UK, wheelset and bearingdesign is governed by TechnicalSpecifications for Interoperability (TSIs) withsupporting standards, typically EuroNorms(EN), and Railway Group Standards. Theessential requirements are safety, reliabilityand availability, environmental protectionand technical compatibility.

D

are turning

PHOTO: SIEMENS MOBILITY


Wheel lathe at EastMidlands Trains’Etches Park Depot.

`

Setting standardsRoger Deuce, senior project engineer,

bogies at Bombardier, also began hispresentation with a question: “When is ahole not a hole?” To illustrate how ENstandards definitions are reached hedescribed how an axle that has a centralhole to facilitate ultrasonic testing may bedefined as ‘solid’. The axle is ‘solid’ if the

journal diameter is more than three timesthe bore diameter and the wheel seatdiameter is more than four times the borediameter. EN wheelset standards are farreaching and include both designstandards and product and processstandards. They govern such things asmaterial grades, permissible stresses,testing and batch testing, vacuum

degassing, residual stress surveys, surfacefinish and fatigue testing.

A typical EN process related wheelsetfatigue test will involve resonance testingin a jig. The axle is mounted vertically,clamped at its lower end and fitted with amotor driven mass imbalance at the upperend.

The introduction of EN wheelset standardsis seen as a significant step forward. But, asRoger Deuce pointed out, “They are not asubstitute for good engineering practiceand the experience of a competent designauthority. EN standards have helped toimprove standardisation across Europe,although there are still operator/networkvariations.”

Shared systemAt the sharp end of railway operation, it is

incumbent upon every operator to ensurethat its vehicles are maintained adequately.The roles and responsibilities in a sharedEuropean system were outlined by RichardLockett, head of Cross Acceptance Unit,European Railway Agency. Based in France,the ERA has responsibility for enhancing thelevel of interoperability of railway systems anddeveloping a common approach to safety onthe European railway system. Member statesmust ensure that railway safety is generallymaintained and, where reasonablypracticable, continuously improved.

The use of vehicles (such as wagons) andwheelsets may be shared between differentoperators. The safety management systemsof all the users must manage this, but asRichard Lockett pointed out: “The

Drive motor withmass imbalance

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Axle under test

Test rig

DB Systemtechnikaxle fatigue testrig in Minden,Germany.

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management tools previouslyemployed by BR, SNCF, DB, etc tomanage their own single actorsystems are not fit for purpose for ashared system. Old andinappropriate roles andresponsibilities remain, such asNetwork Rail ‘approving’ privatewagons and safety authoritiesspecifying maintenanceschedules and testingprocedures.”

The use of shared componentsrequires complex contractsagreed by many parties.Maintenance, checking andoverhaul specs are also acompromise and again manyparties need to agree. AcrossEurope, conformity with EN standards isvoluntary, whereas in the UK we haveRailway Group Standards. Richard Lockettasks: “How can a RGS fit in where TSI’ssupported by EN’s cover the wholenetwork?”

Perhaps lessons can be learned from theUSA where there are many operators, manyowners and many repairers. There arehowever only five designs of wagonwheelset and one safety authority. In Europethere are thousands of wheelset designs and25 safety authorities.

Roger Lockett summed up: “Wheelsets area technical challenge. Maybe diversity ofdesign and incomplete implementation ofthe directives roles and responsibilitiesmakes the logistics and managementcontrol an even bigger challenge!”

ResearchDr Alan Lawton is an independent

engineering consultant. His research intowheel lathe best practice has revealed largedifferences in the average depth of cutbetween lathe operators. He also discoveredsignificant variations between depots, withSlade Green making lighter cuts than otherdepots in the study. He explained: “Withineach depot, if all operators could do whatthe best operator does, it would giveanother ‘turn’ for each wheelset, i.e. 25%longer wheel life.” Furthermore, “If eachdepot were able to exploit the same ‘lightcut’ that works for Slade Green, there wouldbe an extra two ‘turns’ on each wheelset!”That would equate to 45% longer wheel life.Alan suggested this could be achieved

through closermanagement and support for latheoperators by analysing wheel turnrecords and trials of lower cut depths.

On trialWheel tyres of ‘Superlos’ steel,

manufactured by Lucchini in Italy, offersignificant improvements in wheel life. A trialhas been undertaken on Alstom Class 175DMUs, which normally have their wheelsturned at approximately 75,000 miles toeliminate surface cracks caused by RollingContact Fatigue (RCF). Alstom removes 5mmradius as standard, allowing six cuts perwheel over its lifetime, i.e. 525,000 miles intotal. The Superlos wheelsets have run over200,000 miles before visiting the wheel lathe,giving an expected total mileage of1,000,000 miles. It is clear that Superlos iseffective in inhibiting or even preventingRCF, although the mechanism behind RCFpropagation and growth needs moreresearch.

(Left) Coradia Class175 R8T wheelafter 88,000 milesshowing RCFdamage and(Right) CoradiaClass 175 Superloswheel after152,000 miles.

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july 2012 | the rail engineer | 45

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Axle SafetyThere were 37 UK in-service axle failures

between 1975 and 2002. In the final tenyears of this period there were only ninefailures, and that trend continues. Fatiguecracks initiated by surface defects are themain cause of cracking, with corrosion beingthe chief culprit. Alan Lawton explained howaxle design standards assume an infinitefatigue life and presume that axles retain asmooth round surface.

“They cannot deal with surface damage orvariations in maintenance and inspection,”he said. “Nor can they identify appropriateprocesses for axle maintenance andinspection. There is no knowledge base fromwhich to identify sound, logicalmaintenance and inspection processes foraxles.” It is recognised that money is wastedlooking after axles, although this ensures ofcourse that we stay safe.

Alan Lawton suggests that we need tounderstand real axle loads, how corrosionassists fatigue cracks to initiate, howeffective non-destructive testing (NDT)really is, and how axle surfaces becomedamaged. This would help us to identifymore economic maintenance andinspection rules, without compromisingsafety.

To this end, the RSSB has been workingwith DeltaRail to understand real axle loadson Class 319 EMUs and on Mk IV coaches. Atthe

same time, innovative work from Prof.Stefano Beretta, Politecnico di Milano, hasprovided new understanding of theinitiation and growth of corrosion assistedfatigue cracks in axles.

The RSSB has partly funded an EUresearch project known as WIDEM, whichaims to optimise the design andmaintenance of wheelsets, reduce wholelife costs, reduce un-sprung masses andextend maintenance intervals. This workcould in time provide the engineeringscience to justify elimination of depot NDT,the elimination of axle painting and theintroduction of axle skimming.

Smaller wheels, higher loadsUK and UIC standards limit the ratio of

wheel load to wheel diameter (Q/d) toaround 0.13. Alan Lawton explained thatthis limit can be linked back to 19th centurycalculations of “Hertzian contact stress”.RSSB Project “T889 Q/d” attempts toestablish the current population of Q/dvalues and calculate the distribution ofHertzian contact stress on the railway. Italso uses Hertzian stress based computermodels of rail damage to assess the effectsof increased Q/d. Questions remainhowever, such as the real nature of stressesin wheels and rails and how damage canaccumulate.

Alan Lawson thinks we need tounderstand better the mechanism for theinitiation and growth of damage indifferent wheel and rail steels, but headmits there is no real business case for theresearch. But does this mean it shouldn’t bedone? Predictions of how wheel and raildamage might grow could bring benefitssuch as 30 ton axle-loads, commonplace inthe USA.

CorrosionFunded by RSSB and WOLAXIM (a

collaboration between EU SMEs andresearch organisations to develop novel NDTsolutions for the assessment of railwayaxles), the Politecnico di Milano, under Prof.Stefano Beretta, has attempted to produce acorrosion fatigue model for a railway axleand assess its impact on safety. Results haveshown a continuous decrease of fatigue lifeas corrosion continues.

Testing involved dropping artificial rain(pH6) onto test axles rotating under load.Surface cracks were observed to grow from

corrosion pits, eventually coalescing anddeepening. The phenomenon is known asHoddinott cracking, after Dudley S.Hoddinott, an HMRI Inspector who firstobserved the phenomenon during aninvestigation into a derailment at ShieldsJunction. It is characterised by a surfacepattern of micro cracks, all lying in roughlyone direction. The effect is worst in transitionareas, e.g. where the axle meets the wheelseat.

The research concluded that crack growthrate under corrosion-fatigue can bedescribed with a simple mathematicalmodel. This enables a ‘nucleation lifetime’ tobe calculated for an axle under given serviceconditions. An argument follows from thisfor not painting axles and instead applying asimple surface grinding process in axletransition areas.

ReclamationA large number of axles are scrapped

every year due to corrosion. Pools of spareaxles are therefore integral to the smoothrunning of the industry, but industryfragmentation resulted in multiple partnumbers, drawings and numerous pools ofaxles for different fleets.

David Wilson of Porterbrook describedhow rationalisation has now allowed acommon pool to be established. Permittedcorrosion limits are strict, hence the highscrap rates, but there has been littledocumented guidance on wheelsetreclamation. David Wilson would like to seean agreed approach in developingprocedures for the removal of corrosion andlight damage. Removal of material will havestructural implications, but of whatsignificance? Studies on Mk IV wheelsetshave shown that reclamation is possible, butthere are limitations (on axle loading) and itmust be controlled.

Common ROSCO (ROlling Stock LeasingCOmpany ) procedures have now beendrawn up and packaged into a useablespecification, giving guidance oninspections, repairs and branding of axles.Ultimately this should bring significant costbenefits to the industry.

Out on the real railway, pragmatic problemsolving is the order of the day. In the secondpart of this article we will see howmanufacturers, maintainers and TOCs havealready excelled in balancing wheelsetsafety, performance and cost.

Picture insetThis axle fatiguefracture in the USAwas caused byrough riding dueto wheel treaddamage caused byRCF .

july 2012 | the rail engineer | 47senior appointments

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