Selby swing bridge will be static in high temperatures

23rd June 2020

Due to the hot weather predicted for Wednesday and Thursday 24/25 June 2020, Network Rail issued a statement that the Grade II-listed railway swing bridge in Selby will not be swung on those days.

Instead, the bridge will remain in the railway position. This is necessary as hot weather can impact on the operation of the bridge.

Steel rails in direct sunshine can be as much as 20°C hotter than air temperature and they naturally expand as they get hotter. If this happens on the bridge, it means that the rails cannot line back up properly, meaning the bridge can’t close again if it has already opened to waterway traffic. This would mean disruption to rail services on the route between York, Selby and Hull.

In 2014, Network Rail invested £14 million to improve the bridge and make it more reliable. The work included track upgrades, repairing steel work and improvements to the hydraulics and were the most significant improvements made to the bridge since its construction.

Repair work taking place to Selby bridge in 2014.

Chris Gee, head of operations for Network Rail’s North and East Route, said: “This has been a difficult decision and not one which we take lightly as we know this is a much loved and used waterway.

“It’s really important that we keep those who need to travel by train moving reliably and keeping this bridge in the railway position is one proactive measure we can take to do this.

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience this caused and thank people for their patience for any disruption caused.”

Whilst the bridge is expected to reopen to waterway traffic on Friday, this decision will be reviewed in line with forecast temperatures.

Network Rail promotes inspirational women on International Women in Engineering Day

23rd June 2020

New research, conducted by Savanta ComRes for Network Rail, has highlighted a lack of female role models within Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) sectors.

As a result, Network Rail is promoting the contributions of women in engineering to mark International Women in Engineering Day (Tuesday 23 June).

The survey, of more than 2,000 16-21 year-olds in Great Britain, showed that two-thirds (64%) of total participants and three quarters (77%) of young women asked felt there were not enough female role models within STEM, and just 26% of females intended to pursue careers in STEM fields (though 27% did intend to study further in a STEM area).

Participants were asked if they recognised famous names and faces of STEM figures. More than 80% were familiar with male figures such as Steven Hawking and Sir Isaac Newton, but just 18% knew of Ada Lovelace, who is credited as the first computer programmer for her visionary work in computer science in the 19th century.

Network Rail has therefore launched a new competition, open to everyone aged between 5 and 14, aimed at promoting the work of female engineers and inspiring the next generation with the fantastic inventions and feats of engineering from women through history.

Loraine Martins, director of diversity and inclusion for Network Rail, said: “We know that more diverse gender-balanced teams are more engaged, more collaborative, more motivated and safer. The ambitions to develop our infrastructure and the skills shortage that our industry faces means that encouraging girls and young women to pursue careers in engineering is vital. Promoting positive female role models is a great way of providing inspiration for future generations to join us.

“From Mary Anderson, inventor of the windscreen wiper, to Marie Van Brittan Brown, who invented the home security system, there’s a host of women who have come up with inventions and engineering solutions which we simply couldn’t live without.

“I’m delighted we’re running this competition to promote their work, and I hope this will inspire young people, change perceptions and make these positive female role models more visible and relatable to the next generation of engineers.”

Children are invited to consider what our world would be like without the work of a female engineer and create a poster, poem or story to explain their findings.

Entries will be displayed on screens at Network Rail’s stations in a celebration of the impact female engineers have had on our world. Two winners of different genders will also be selected by an independent judging panel from each of the three age groups (5 to 8, 9 to 11 and 12 to 14) to win amazing and unique prizes.

All winners will have the chance to be inspired and ask questions to female role models in engineering. Winners from the youngest age category will also be turned into cartoon characters for a starring role in an Emily the Engineer activity book, whilst winners from the older age categories will be presented with a one-of-a-kind VIP Golden Ticket experience day* at Network Rail.

To find out more, visit Network Rail’s website.

HS2 opens procurement for operational telecoms

22nd June 2020

High Speed Two (HS2) has begun the search for a specialist contractor to deliver 230km of state-of-the-art telecommunications systems which will connect up the UK’s new high speed rail link between London, Birmingham and the north of England.

The contract – worth around £300 million – will be to design, manufacture, supply, install the operational telecommunication systems and the route wide security systems on Phase One and 2a, between London and Crewe. It will include obtaining safety authorisation, testing, commissioning and initial maintenance.

The work detailed in the contract will include 2,760 km of fibre optic cabling, 140 trackside cabinets, dozens of equipment cabins and radio coverage across 230km, including:

Data transmission network
Operational telephony system
Tunnel radio system
Gsm-r radio network, including base transmission stations, antenna, etc.
Relocatable equipment buildings
Route wide security systems
Passive provision for airwave

The winning bidder will also be asked to deliver a separate contract for the provision of technical support services.

This announcement signifies the start of the formal procurement process for this third set of ‘rail systems’ contracts, following on from the recent launch of the contests for track systems and for command and control systems.

HS2 procurement and commercial director David Poole said: “HS2’s operational telecoms systems will be the railway’s communications backbone – linking up the men and women who will run the railway and stretching across 230km of bridges, tunnels, stations, depots and other facilities. It will play a vital role in keeping everyone safe and ensuring we can deliver fast, reliable and frequent services.

“I look forward to our team working with the suppliers who come forward and together ensuring that we deliver best quality and value for the project.”

Separate contract opportunities – expected to be announced next year – will cover third party communications including mobile phone coverage for passengers on trains and in stations, Wi-Fi and an emergency services network.

The Operational Telecommunications Contractor will be expected to take a leading role in the managing of interfaces between the telecommunications and other contracts.

Government to fund digital signalling on East Coast main line

22nd June 2020

The government has announced that it will invest £350 million to make the East Coast main line into Britain’s first mainline digital rail link by installing state-of-the art electronic signalling designed to cut journey times and slash delays.

This investment is on top of £1.2 billion already earmarked to upgrade one of the country’s most important rail arteries. It will fund the replacement of conventional signalling with a digital system that allows trains to talk to the track, smoothing the flow of trains, making journeys safer and reducing signal failures that every year result in thousands of hours of delays.

The new technology allows signallers to know exactly where each train is at every minute of every journey. The East Coast Main Line is a mixed-use railway, with trains of different sizes and speeds, both passenger and freight, all using the same tracks. This smart signalling recognises these different trains, allowing train and track to talk to each other continuously in real-time. This ‘in-cab’ system will mean an end to conventional signalling at the side of tracks – first used in the Victorian era.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has accelerated the roll-out of digital signalling to speed up Britain’s economic recovery as it climbs out of the COVID-19 crisis. It’s part of a wider national plan aimed at introducing digital signalling on to the entire rail network in Great Britain. The introduction of digital signalling is also set to create high-skilled jobs across the supply chain, helping boost the economy as the country builds out of COVID-19.

This upgrade of the line is just one element of the government’s plan for a 21st century rail network that will help spread prosperity to all parts of the country. More than 80 million journeys are made each year on the East Coast main line, linking London with Edinburgh. One third of the United Kingdom’s population lives within 20 minutes of an East Coast main line station and together they produce 41 per cent of GDP.

The route is congested, due to the number of passenger and freight trains using it, compounded by signalling nearing the end of its useful life. The upgrade, between London King’s Cross and Stoke Tunnel in Lincolnshire, will ensure that more travellers reach their destinations on time. Delays in the south of the route have a knock-on effect further north, so the modernisation work will make life easier for people along the entire length of this vital national asset.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “As the country recovers from COVID-19, we want to speed up our economy and reap the benefits of new transport technology. The Victorians gave us the world’s first great rail network and now it’s our turn to be modern transport pioneers and build on that great tradition.

“Upgrading this country’s conventional signalling system, and giving drivers technology fit for the 21st century, will boost train performance, cut delays, improve safety and support the supply chain.

“This is just the beginning. In time, we will digitise signalling right across the country to make good on our promise of better reliability and punctuality for passengers.

“Passengers shouldn’t have to worry about missing connections or being late home to see their children, and I’ve been clear that getting the trains to run on time is a personal priority.”

The new funding comes on top of the government’s investment of £1.2 billion between 2014 and 2024 to improve passenger journeys on the East Coast Main Line, creating capacity for up to 10,000 extra seats a day on long-distance services, speeding up journeys and improving reliability for passengers.

Development work is already underway with Network Rail to roll out digital signalling on further routes including sections of the West Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and Anglia from 2026, leading to safer, more reliable, more resilient railways. The government also announced today that £12 million is being invested in fitting out 33 new trains for the Midland Main Line with digital signalling equipment.

Toufic Machnouk, programme director of the East Coast Digital Programme, said: Today’s announcement is a big step towards transforming the network for the millions of passengers that use the East Coast Main Line and a welcome endorsement of the partnership approach that the rail industry has adopted to deliver Britain’s first inter-city digital railway. The funding detailed by the Secretary of State is very significant and will enable the vital building blocks needed to build a modern, right time railway.”

David Horne, London North East Railway (LNER) managing director and Chair of the East Coast Digital Programme’s Industry Steering Board, added: “After LNER and other operators on the East Coast successfully introduced brand new fleets, in-cab signalling will be the next exciting step we take to maximise the benefits of the technology that Azuma and all the trains on this route offer. This investment is good news for all customers, who will see even more improvements in services, reliability and sustainability.”

The rail industry is ready to take up the challenge. Darren Caplan, chief executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “Today’s commitment of funding for the East Coast Mainline’s digital signalling is very welcome, as is the announcement of the fitment of in-cab signalling for the Midlands Mainline and development work on other lines.

“Over the coming 15 years, 60 per cent of the UK’s signalling equipment units require replacing, posing both a significant challenge, but also an opportunity to revolutionise our rail network’s signalling systems through digital technology. So, today’s announcement is an important step for UK rail and for realising the vision of the Rail Sector Deal to deliver a pipeline of cost-effective digital signalling.

“For businesses supplying the UK’s rail network with digital signalling, including schemes like ECML, it is vital there is a smooth and consistent build-up of work over the coming years, so that the sector can develop the capacity and capabilities to deliver this programme of investment. The Railway Industry Association and its supplier members look forward to working with the government to explore how this investment can be sped up further, increasing the roll out of digital signalling, whilst also boosting investment and jobs at such a critical time for the UK economy.”