HAKI, the manufacturer and supplier of modular scaffolding & tailored access solutions for temporary works, has entered an exclusive agreement with Enigma Industrial Services, which will in future be the sole distributor of HAKI modular scaffolding systems within the UK.
Under this agreement, customers can collect stock from seven strategically located depots based in Erith (South East), Kenfig (South West), Derby (Midlands), Preston (North West), Newcastle (North East), Edinburgh and Glasgow (Scotland). Utilising Enigma’s existing network of locations across the UK. Increasing stock availability nationwide will simplify logistics and shorten lead times for customers.
Waterloo station.
Existing HAKI customers will continue to order stock through the usual channels but can select a preferred Enigma depot for collection or to arrange delivery. Enigma customers will also benefit from HAKI’s expansion into the network, with access to a wider range of systems than has previously been available.
Extending beyond the provision of stock, HAKI and Enigma will also continue to collaborate on support services. Knowledge and resource sharing practices will improve technical support, training, and product development; enhancing the overall offering for all stakeholders.
Thomas Schüller, CEO of HAKI, said of the new partnership: “We have, over the last few years, built a very strong relationship with Enigma Industrial Services; leading to them being the largest user of HAKI Universal System Scaffold in the UK.
“During the past 12 months, we have continued to build stronger ties, which has resulted in the development of a joint plan for Enigma to distribute HAKI products nationally. Enigma currently operates one of the UK’s largest scaffolding asset bases with nationwide coverage and shares the joint belief that together, we can provide a better service for our customers and improve safety within the industry. This makes Enigma the natural choice to be HAKI’s UK distribution partner and we are excited about this venture.”
Temporary footbridge at Swindon.
Scott Hardie, managing director of Enigma Industrial Services, also commented: “Enigma’s relationship with HAKI has been developing over a number of years. It’s very satisfying that we can now go forward in partnership. I firmly believe that existing and new clients will benefit.
“We are partners who are focussed on delivering safe access solutions, improving availability of HAKI product for sale and hire via Enigma’s network of locations and thereby supporting improved safety and productivity on projects throughout the UK.”
Work to rebuild and improve the sea wall at Dawlish has resulted in £3 million being spent locally in south Devon between June 2019 and May 2020 by Network Rail and its contractors.
By the time the first section of the new sea wall is completed in summer this year Network Rail and main contractor BAM Nuttall expect to spend a further £1.56 million in south Devon on local labour, materials and accommodation bringing the total spend in the local economy to nearly £5 million.
This boost to the local economy of Dawlish and Teignbridge comes as a result of Network Rail and BAM Nuttall committing to spend as much money locally as possible whilst they build the new sea wall, which will help protect the railway and town from rising sea levels and extreme weather for generations to come.
In addition, the team building the sea wall estimates that it will spend a further £5m locally as part of the plans to complete the second section of the new sea wall. Network Rail’s plans for this second phase, which will be 410 metres in length from Colonnade underpass towards Dawlish Warren, are expected to be submitted to Teignbridge District Council in the next month. The government has committed £80 million of funding to complete the upgrade of the Dawlish sea wall.
Network Rail’s Western route director Mike Gallop said: “I am delighted that we’ve spent nearly £5m with local suppliers and businesses in the Dawlish and Teignbridge area as a result of the first section of the new sea wall.
“We are committed to continuing to support the local economy, particularly in these difficult times. The proposed second section, which would continue the new sea wall north-eastwards adjacent to the station, is likely to bring in another £5m to be spent locally with contractors, suppliers and accommodation providers. I know how vital this will be for many businesses struggling to cope with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.”
Phil Bowcock, operations manager at BAM Nuttall, added: “BAM Nuttall have a history of working at Dawlish since 2014. We are proud to continue this association with the area and help secure this vital piece of the UK railway. We have and will continue, through close collaboration, engage with local people, suppliers and stakeholders to support the local economy.
“This project is of great benefit to local people and the South West Region. BAM are really proud to be involved in such a great legacy.”
From June 2019 to May 2020 a total of £3,012,112 was spent locally. This includes a spend of £689,865 on local labour and £170,000 on accommodation, hotels, restaurants and in local shops.
Between now and first phase of the new sea wall being complete this summer, it is estimated a further £1.22 million will be spent with local businesses and suppliers. A further £250,000 will be spent on local labour and £80,000 on local accommodation, hotels, restaurants and in local shops.
This would bring the final spend locally during the first phase of the sea wall to £4.56m.
HS2 has begun its procurement process to determine which specialist contractor will deliver the state-of-the-art signalling and control systems that will allow the UK to run some of the world’s most frequent and reliable high-speed rail services.
The start of the formal procurement process for this second set of ‘rail systems’ contracts follows on from the recent launch of the track systems contest and the government’s go ahead for the start of civils work, including tunnels, bridges and viaducts.
The new contract will cover the design and build of the in-cab signalling systems that will control trains travelling at speeds of up to 360km/h between London, Birmingham and Crewe – where HS2 trains will join the existing West Coast main line – and up to 25 years of technical support.
HS2 procurement and commercial director David Poole said: “Our state-of-the-art Command and Control Systems and Traffic Management systems will allow HS2 to offer fast, frequent and reliable low carbon journeys for millions of people every year.
“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.”
The Control, Command, Signalling (CCS) and Traffic Management (TM) Systems contracts will require the winning bidder to deliver the work with a combined value of £540 million, including:
the design, manufacture, supply, installation, supervision, inspection, safety authorisation, testing, commissioning and maintenance until handover to trial operations of the Phase One and Phase 2a CCS & TM systems;
the potential extension of the Phase One / 2a TM system to cover Phase 2b;
the CCS & TM works required for the Phase 2b alterations at Euston station; and
the provision of technical support services for the CCS & TM systems for up to 25 years.
The CCS & TM systems provided on HS2 will utilise European Train Control System (ETCS) signalling and the latest TM technology.
Shortlists are set to be announced next year with contract award around 2022.
The government has pledged financial support to Transport for London (TfL) to help its finances during the coronavirus crisis. A total of £1.6 billion of financial aid will help the tube and the buses keep running as income from ticket sales has plummeted.
Despite having closed some stations and reduced train frequency, TfL has still been running 70 per cent of its peak tube timetable and 80 per cent of its buses, all with almost no ticket revenue.
To alleviate this problem, the Department for Transport has now agreed to supply additional funding, based on the assumption that the funding shortfall will be £1.6 billion for the period 1 April 2020 to 17 October 2020. This figure consists of an Extraordinary Support Grant of £1.095 billion and incremental borrowing by TfL from the Public Works Loan Board of £505 million.
However, given the uncertainties in predicting demand, if the actual funding shortfall for such period is greater or less than £1.6 billion, then the amount of the grant and the PWLB loan will increase or decrease proportionately, up to a maximum of £1.9 billion in aggregate.
Mike Brown.
London’s Transport Commissioner Mike Brown said: “I welcome this support from government which will help us continue to get London moving and working again, safely and sustainably.
“London’s transport network is absolutely fundamental to the economic, social and environmental health of the Capital. Throughout the pandemic, transport workers have played a heroic role in the response to the virus – ensuring NHS and care staff have been able to get to work and save lives.
“We have worked closely with the Government and Mayor as part of the national effort to fight the virus, rapidly reducing passenger numbers to levels not seen for 100 years. This has meant that our fare and other revenue has fallen by 90 per cent.
“We now need to help London recover as restrictions on movement are gradually eased, with public health and more active forms of travel at the forefront of our thinking.
“We have been operating up to 70 per cent of peak Tube services and over 80 percent of bus services with many of our staff ill, shielding or in self isolation. From next week we will further increase services beyond this as we progressively build towards restoring services to pre-covid levels. “Enormous challenges remain, including agreeing longer term sustainable funding for transport in the Capital. In the meantime, we will continue to do everything in our power to help deliver a successful recovery for our great city.”
Parliament’s Transport Committee is conducting an inquiry into ‘Coronavirus: implications for transport’. It is asking transport workers, stakeholders and members of the public to write to them about the transport issues they face during the coronavirus outbreak.
This will enable MPs to explore the impact felt by the industry, its workers and passengers in a rolling programme of work to monitor the impact of coronavirus on UK transport, sector by sector.
The Committee has already received submissions and verbal reports from a number of interested parties, including the Minister of State for Transport and Willie Walsh, chief executive of the International Airlines Group.
Now, the Railway Industry Association (RIA) has published the submission that it has made. This sets out that:
Darren Caplan.
Whilst there has been positive engagement between rail suppliers and Government, Network Rail and HS2 Ltd, rail suppliers would like to see stronger engagement with clients like Transport for London and also the Train Operating Companies;
Suppliers have welcomed the assurance that rail work should go ahead, where it is safe to do so;
The industry’s main concern is a hiatus or drying up of work; and
Continued effective communication and engagement throughout the railway industry will be essential as the UK moves to the next stage of tackling the virus.
RIA chief executive Darren Caplan said: “The past few months have been incredibly challenging for many in rail, and it is noticeable and welcome that the railway industry has received such strong support from the Government and clients like Network Rail and HS2 Ltd.
“As our submission to the Transport Committee’s consultation shows, the twin priorities of the Railway Industry Association and our members has been to ensure the railway network can enable key workers and resources to be able to move around the country, whilst also ensuring the work suppliers do – working of course within the safety guidelines – helps rail play its part in spearheading economic recovery.
“We now welcome the opportunity to work with the Transport Select Committee, the Government, client bodies and other rail stakeholders, to accelerate work and ensure the railway industry can build even better world-class rail at home and abroad – with rail supply being a leading sector in helping the UK bounce back from the Coronavirus lockdown – in the months ahead.”
When the Prime Minister stated that those people who can’t successfully work from home – workers in the construction and manufacturing industries for example – should, return to work but avoid public transport so as to maintain social distancing, he didn’t fill in much detail as to the alternatives. He suggested ravelling by car, or bike, or walking, but, for some workers, their only method of transport is by bus or train.
Transport for London (TfL) has set out its initial plan to support this and help Londoners who need to travel do so safely and sustainably. This will be supplemented over the coming days following advice on travel to be issued by Government and will require significant changes to the way in which people travel in London.
During the crisis, TfL has been able to operate up to 60 per cent of Tube services and more than 80 per cent of bus services to support essential journeys. This is while managing the impact of the virus on the transport workforce with staff ill, shielding or self-isolating.
Now, in keeping with plans on the national rail network, TfL is working to safely and gradually build up service levels to where they were before the pandemic and will return the number of buses and trains running to as close to 100 per cent as soon as possible. TfL is working closely with staff and the trade unions with the intention of, by 18 May, increasing service levels to around 85 per cent on the bus network, at least 70 per cent on the Tube and London Overground (in line with national rail services), 80 per cent on the DLR and a full service on TfL Rail.
Step-free access at Tfl rail station.
On the Underground. TFL aims to restore the Circle line and to re-open some of the 37 stations that have been closed for several weeks. However, some stations will stay closed for now so that staff can be deployed to help manage any congestion at busier stations. Some stations with lift-only access may need to remain closed as social distancing is not possible.
However, as is the case with national rail services, this does not mean a return to the transport network that existed before the crisis. The national requirement to maintain two metres for social distancing wherever possible means that TfL will only be able to carry around 13-15 per cent of the normal number of passengers on the Tube and bus networks, even when 100 per cent of services are operating once again over time.
The need for social distancing creates a challenge far greater even than that experienced during the 2012 Olympic games. During that period, it was necessary to reduce normal travel demand by 20 per cent to keep travel safe. Now, demand will have to be reduced by more than 85 per cent compared to normal, to enable social distancing to be maintained wherever possible.
Even with the lockdown in place, and with only five per cent of journeys currently being made on the Tube, there are certain times and locations where social distancing is already very difficult. The challenge in managing social distancing will become greater as, over time, more people who cannot work from home return to using the network.
The government is expected to issue detailed guidance shortly that should be followed by businesses, Londoners and others as they consider whether they need to travel and, if so, how. It is already clear that this will include the message that where people can work from home they should continue to do so and that public transport should be avoided wherever possible.
Everyone is being asked to stay home as much as possible, work from home if possible, maintain social distancing of two metres where possible and ensure hands are washed regularly. Everyone is asked to consider if their journey is necessary before travelling, and to think about the times, routes and ways they travel so that everyone has more space to stay safe. This will ensure the transport network can keep running safely for those who have no alternative means of making their journey.
Reflecting these national messages, TfL has set out the following advice for Londoners:
If you can work from home, please continue to do so. Please avoid public transport wherever possible. Social distancing on public transport will not be possible unless we radically reduce the overall number of people travelling to work;
Do not expect to return to the transport network you were used to before. The number of people TfL can safely transport on buses and trains is severely constrained to enable social distancing;
If you need to travel, please reimagine how you do so. Walk and cycle if you can. New walking and cycling space is being created through the London Streetspace programme to further support this;
Please shop locally and use local leisure facilities to help keep demand on roads, buses and tubes down;
If using public transport, or taxi and private hire services, please travel outside of peak times and use a facial covering, carry a hand sanitizer and wash your hands before and after you travel. The latest Government advice is that, although face coverings are unlikely to prevent you from getting the virus, they could help prevent you from giving it to others. Face coverings are particularly important where 2m social distancing is hard to maintain;
Advice on maintaining social distancing will be given across the transport network and further measures to prevent crowding through new queuing systems will be in operation. This includes new social-distancing posters on display at bus stops, stations and in shelters, and two-metre floor markings on platforms at stations. Please respect each other’s space and try to maintain social distancing wherever possible;
Our hardworking staff are there to help: please act on their instructions and respect them at all times;
If you have to drive, please avoid peak times and obey speed limits and traffic laws at all times.
To support the higher levels of walking and cycling that will be needed and support social distancing on streets, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and TfL have begun the ‘London Streetspace’ programme. Working with London’s boroughs, this will rapidly transform London’s streets to accommodate a possible ten-fold increase in cycling and five-fold increase in walking as lockdown restrictions are eased.
Streetspace includes the rapid construction of a strategic cycling network, using temporary materials, including new routes aimed at reducing crowding on underground and train lines and on busy bus corridors. Work to widen footways in town centres across London and to reduce traffic on residential streets is also underway.
New London Overground trains interior.
TfL is introducing a range of further measures. Hand sanitizer points will start to be introduced across the transport network over the coming weeks, with points to be installed at every Tube and TfL rail station. They will also be installed in all bus stations and the Victoria Coach Station, and at TfL River Piers, the Woolwich Ferry, Emirates Air Line and at all London Overground and DLR stations where it’s safe and secure to do so. The rigorous cleaning regime for buses, trains and stations will continue.
All taxi and private hire companies and drivers are being asked by TfL to put protective measures in place including ensuring face coverings are worn by drivers.
As the Mayor has set out, Londoners are being asked to play their part in the national effort against the virus and will be asked to wear facial coverings whenever travelling on public transport or by taxi or private hire vehicle. This could help reduce the rate of infection. TfL front line staff, cleaners, and London’s bus drivers will also be offered face masks, should they wish to use them.
TfL introduced an enhanced cleaning regime on its network earlier this year. This includes additional hospital-grade cleaning substances that kill viruses and bacteria on contact, new anti-viral disinfectant that protects for up to 30 days, key interchanges being cleaned more frequently including during the day and all regular ‘touch point’ areas on buses, such as poles and doors being wiped down with a strong disinfectant every day.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Coronavirus has had a profound impact on public transport in London and will continue to do so long into the future. All public transport providers face huge challenges around social distancing – with the number of passengers TfL can safely accommodate on Tubes and buses reduced by over 85 per cent.
“We will all have to continue playing our part in reducing demand on services by working from home if we possibly can. Please avoid public transport wherever possible. I urge all Londoners to rethink the way they travel. Please avoid peak times, wear a non-medical covering over your nose and mouth and carry a hand sanitizer.
“By rapidly rolling out more space for walking and cycling through our London Streetspace plan we are enabling many more journeys to be made through these sustainable means which is crucial to our city’s recovery.”
Network Rail has announced that repairs will soon be complete on a section of the Cumbrian Coast line left badly damaged by three consecutive storms earlier this year.
The high tides, strong winds and heavy rain caused by Storms Ciara, Dennis and Jorge severely damaged a bridge carrying the railway at Parton. Both lines have been closed since March so the bridge could be completely replaced to make the railway safe and reliable again.
Parton inspection.
More than 36,000 tonnes of rock armour is being placed to protect the railway from being pounded by powerful waves.
The large boulders, sourced from a Cumbrian quarry, will better protect the exposed section of coastal railway and mean more reliable journeys for passengers and freight in the future.
Phil James, Network Rail’s route director for the North West route, said: “Repairs at Parton are progressing well, and I look forward to the whole of the Cumbrian Coast line – a key passenger and freight route being open to services once more.
Parton aerial view.
“I’m especially impressed that our teams have been able to undertake all of this work while following social distancing guidelines introduced by government.
“It demonstrates just how well we can work together, even in such testing times.”
Network Rail’s repair work at Parton is due to complete by the end of May, when train services will resume between Whitehaven and Workington.
Taking advantage of the full railway closure, work on sea defences scheduled for later this year has been brought forward. Later in June, the line between Millom and Sellafield will be closed for 9 days due to work planned work to renew the track at Eskmeals, near Ravenglass for Eskdale station.
In a television address to the country on 10 May 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that, now that “the death rate is coming down and hospital admissions are coming down” from the Coronavirus epidemic, there are “millions of people who are both fearful of this terrible disease, and at the same time also fearful of what this long period of enforced inactivity will do to their livelihoods and their mental and physical wellbeing”.
He therefore aimed to lay out “the shape of a plan to address both fears – both to beat the virus and provide the first sketch of a road map for reopening society – a sense of the way ahead, and when and how and on what basis we will take the decisions to proceed”.
He gave some details, although he did say that he would be setting out more details in Parliament on Monday 11 May and taking questions from the public in the evening.
“This is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week,” he said. “Instead, we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures and the first step is a change of emphasis that we hope that people will act on this week.
“We said that you should work from home if you can, and only go to work if you must. We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work.
”And we want it to be safe for you to get to work. So, you should avoid public transport if at all possible – because we must and will maintain social distancing, and capacity will therefore be limited.
“So, work from home if you can, but you should go to work if you can’t work from home – to ensure you are safe at work we have been working to establish new guidance for employers to make workplaces COVID-secure.
“And when you do go to work, if possible do so by car or, even better, by walking or bicycle. But, just as with workplaces, public transport operators will also be following COVID-secure standards.”
With no new train services planned to start on Monday 11 May – train operators had been looking at plans for a resumption of increased services from 18 May – there was naturally some concern as to what should happen if many more people turned up at stations hoping to travel. Maintaining social distancing – two metres between passengers at all times, in the booking office, on the platform, boarding and alighting and seated on the train itself.
While a typical railway carriage might seat 72 people in 18 rows, four wide (two seats each side of the gangway), social distancing might cut this down to just two passengers per block of eight seats, or just 18 people per carriage – 144 per eight-car train. How will that cope in a resumed rush hour?
As no plans are in place, the rail unions were quick to protect their members. TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “There won’t be more rail services running tomorrow, so only key workers should be using these services as has been the case since the lockdown began.
“If government won’t keep our members and our travelling public safe, then I am calling on rail bosses to close down services and/or stations if physical distancing of at least two metres can’t be maintained. The British Transport Police must be deployed at all stations to avoid overcrowding and to ensure that only key workers are using our public transport network.
“We won’t allow our members to be used as Covid-19 cannon fodder so that Tory donors in the building industry can make a quick buck at their expense and that of our key worker heroes who need safe access to our public transport network to keep people alive.”
The RMT’s Mick Cash was equally blunt, commenting: “This trade union will not sit back while confused and conflicting messaging from the government raises the prospect of a surge in passengers on our transport services, making a mockery of the social distancing rules with potentially lethal consequences.”
In a circular to its members, RMT stated: “Given the confusion and mixed messaging generated by the government in recent days, RMT has no confidence in the ability of the government to manage lockdown or its easing.
“To be clear no agreement has been made to change any working practices or social distancing arrangements from tomorrow (11 May).
“Therefore, if two metre social distancing cannot be maintained, we consider it to be unsafe and members have the legal right to use the worksafe process. On LUL they have the legal right to use the refusal to work policy.
“RMT will fully back any member who uses this process to ensure their safety.”
So, the confusion continues. Hopefully, the PM’s statement to parliament will bring more clarity.
UK suppliers looking to win overseas contracts or export opportunities will, from 1 May, be able to obtain a reference from Network Rail.
Network Rail’s move to provide references for UK suppliers with overseas growth ambitions reflects its commitment to the Rail Sector Deal, a government and rail industry commitment to work together to ensure the UK capitalises on emerging opportunities in the global rail sector.
The move means that Network Rail suppliers will have the option to request a reference in writing, either on completion of a contract or following a period of 12 months of continuous work.
Clive Berrington, Network Rail commercial and procurement director, said: “Supporting the UK’s railway supply chain win overseas contracts will help suppliers develop their businesses and ultimately help boost the British economy. This may also help accelerate innovation and drive competitiveness in the sector.
“We have always worked collaboratively with our supply chain and by offering this support, we are helping unlock the rail supply chain’s future potential overseas.”
Welcoming today’s announcement, Minister for Exports Graham Stuart MP said: “The UK has an array of excellent supply chain companies who have proven their capabilities through Network Rail and international projects across the globe.
“This new reference scheme will help to showcase UK firms’ experience and expertise to buyers around the world and I am delighted that Network Rail is now offering this support for UK exports. More trade is essential if the UK is to overcome the unprecedented economic challenge posed by coronavirus, and this new scheme will help boost the UK rail sector further.”
Darren Caplan, chief executive of the Railway Industry Association, added: “This is welcome news that UK rail suppliers will now be able to get a reference from Network Rail to support them in winning business overseas.
“Rail is already a vital part of the UK’s export offer – with UK rail goods and services traded across the world – and this support from Network Rail will help the railway industry do even more. As a key delivery partner of the Rail Sector Deal, RIA and our members will clearly support this work.”
The Secretary of State for Transport has approved the Development Consent Order for the proposed new West Midlands Interchange (WMI) in Staffordshire.
There is now a six-week period in which the decision may be challenged in the High Court, a legal process known as a Judicial Review.
The WMI is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project that will be located at Junction 12 of the M6. The development will include:
An intermodal freight terminal with direct connections to the West Coast Main Line, capable of accommodating up to 10 trains per day and trains of up to 775m long, including container storage, Heavy Goods Vehicle (‘HGV’) parking, rail control building and staff facilities;
Up to 743,200 square metres (gross internal area) of rail served warehousing and ancillary service buildings;
New road infrastructure and works to the existing road infrastructure;
Demolition of existing structures and earthworks to create development plots and landscape zones;
Reconfiguring and burying of existing overhead power lines and pylons;
Strategic landscaping and open space, including alterations to public rights of way and the creation of new ecological enhancement areas and publicly accessible open areas.
West Midlands Interchange.
The project is being led by Kilbride Holdings along with Grosvenor Group and local landowner Piers Monckton. The partners of Four Ashes Limited are committed to delivering a rail-served development which will bring significant sustainable social and economic benefits to South Staffordshire, the Black Country and the wider region, through responsible design and by taking into account community interests and environmental considerations.
