Bombardier Transportation has announced that it has signed an agreement with Motherson Rolling Stock Systems GB, a wholly owned subsidiary of Motherson Sumi Systems, transferring Bombardier’s assets in connection with the production and installation of electrical components and systems for applications in the rail industry, comprising, among others, the manufacturing of wiring harnesses, panel and cabinet build and electromechanical assemblies in Derby.
MRSS intends to continue to operate the business with its
current employees and will lease agreement that part of Bombardier’s Derby site
currently occupied to do so.
The transaction is valued at approximately £10.87 million
and is likely to be completed between April and June 2019.
Through its acquisition of the PKC Group in March 2017, Motherson
Sumi Systems is already engaged with the manufacturing of wiring harnesses for
rolling stock, mainly in Europe and North America.
PKC Group itself entered the rolling stock business by
acquiring Kabel-Technik-Polska in 2015 and has since entered into a global
partnership agreement with Bombardier Transportation. Now, with this agreement
between MRSS and BTROS, the relationship will expand to the United Kingdom.
President of Bombardier Transportation Rolling Stock Equipment Bart Vantorre said: “This milestone is testament to the progress we continue to make on the Bombardier Transportation transformation agenda. Our long-standing relationship with Motherson and their deep expertise in electrical distribution make them the ideal partner for us as we continue to tirelessly serve our UK customers.”
Bombardier has a second BTROS business – BTROS Electronics in Sutton-in-Ashfield, near Mansfield, which designs, manufactures and supplies specialist real-time passenger information systems and customer information systems, primarily for the transportation and aerospace sectors. A Bombardier spokesman stressed that this business was NOT involved in the sale of the Derby cabling business to Motherson Sumi Systems.
Extended platforms at Edinburgh Waverley. (Network Rail)
Platforms 5 and 6 at Edinburgh Waverley, recently extended
to 275 metres in length to accommodate new 10-car trains due to be introduced
on the main line between Edinburgh and London later this year, have now re-entered
service.
An LNER train heading south was the first to use the freshly refurbished platforms, extended for the new Hitachi-built Class 800/801 ‘Azuma’ trains that were hoped to be in service by December 2018, although the introduction has now been put back to later this year.
LNER ‘Azuma’ train sits at King’s Cross before starting its journey north to Scotland. (Hitachi)
Built as five-car and nine-car sets, the operator can, of course, couple two five-car trains together to form a single 10-car train and, at 26 metres per car, that’s 260 metres (more precisely, 259.4 metres according to Hitachi’s engineers), hence the need for the longer platforms.
It was major undertaking for station-owner Network Rail. Around 16,000 tons of material had to be removed to create the platforms, then, once the tracks had been laid on top of 7,000 tonnes of fresh ballast, new signalling and overhead powerlines were installed.
This is not the first platform extension at Edinburgh
Waverley in recent times. Platform 12, which entered service in December 2017,
was lengthened as part of EGIP (Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme) to
accommodate ScotRail’s new Class 385 trains – coincidentally, also built by
Hitachi.
Network Rail route delivery director Kevin McClelland was
pleased with the result: “Successfully delivering this work has been a
logistical challenge for our engineers and contractors who have constructed the
new infrastructure in Scotland’s second-busiest station with a minimum of
disruption to the tens of thousands of customers who use Waverley every day.
“The new platforms, and the modern trains they have been
designed to accommodate, will greatly improve the service we can offer to
passengers travelling on this key route between the two capitals.”
Mark Southwell has been announced as the new managing
director of civil engineering for the UK and Ireland at AECOM, the global infrastructure
consultant.
Formerly head of the signalling programme at Network Rail,
which he joined from Atkins, Mark went on to become European rail director, and
later global director for rail and transit at CH2M. That firm was acquired by
Jacobs at the end of 2017, and Mark became vice president of the rail and
geotechnical unit.
In his new role at AECOM, Mark will be responsible for all aspects of its civil infrastructure business in the UK and Ireland, which includes the transportation and water, ports and power teams.
Commenting on his latest challenge, Mark Southwell said:
“AECOM has a great track record with a strong diverse portfolio, I’m looking
forward to working with David and his team to deliver excellence for our
clients.”
AECOM’s chief executive for the UK and Ireland, David
Barwell, welcomed Mark to the business: “We’re delighted that Mark is joining
AECOM, his strong market presence and passion for organisational development
will be a real asset for our integrated Civil Infrastructure business. His
initial focus will be to ensure we have a clear and executable vision and
appropriate growth strategy for the UK and Ireland.
“With a history of working on major projects such as HS2,
Crossrail, Thames Tideway and the Lower Thames crossing, I look forward to
seeing the positive impact his experience and leadership has on our teams,
inspiring our people to reach their full potential and driving growth for our
organisation.”
Proposed new station at Darlaston. (West Midlands Rail Executive)
Plans to reopen the Walsall to Wolverhampton railway line for passenger trains have taken a step forward as designs have been published for new stations on the route at Willenhall and Darlaston.
Passenger services last ran between Walsall and
Wolverhampton in 2008, although the intermediate stations at Darlaston James
Bridge and Willenhall Bilston Street had closed in 1965. A direct service
between Walsall and Wolverhampton was restarted on 1998, but it ended ten years
later amid reports of low passenger numbers and a lack of rolling stock. Since
then, the line has been used for freight movements and as a diversionary route.
Now, the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) are looking at proposals to reopen the line to passenger services and reinstate the two intermediate stations. The Willenhall station will be close to the old Bilston Street site, while the one at Darlaston (shown above) is proposed to be built on derelict land next to the Kendricks Road bridge, also not far from the original station.
Plans are being developed in close collaboration with train
operator West Midlands Railway, the City of Wolverhampton Council, Walsall
Council and Network Rail, with the majority of the costs covered by the
region’s HS2 Connectivity Fund.
It is proposed that each station will have:
Two platforms capable of accommodating six-car
trains;
A pedestrian footbridge, with stairs and lifts,
for access between platforms;
Long-stay car parks, with 300 spaces at
Darlaston and 150 at Willenhall;
Pick-up/drop-off areas;
Secure cycle storage.
A public consultation, commencing on Monday 4 March will seek responses from local residents and others.
Proposed new station at Willenhall. (West Midlands Rail Executive)
Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “The
publication of these plans is the next major step towards bringing passenger
rail services back to the Wolverhampton to Walsall line.
“The opening of these stations is just one part of our plans
to regenerate and revitalise this part of the Black Country. They will help
unlock swathes of land for industrial, commercial and housing development
between Wolverhampton and Walsall.”
Following the consultation period, formal planning
applications will be submitted during the summer and it is hoped work will
start on site towards the end of 2020, with trains running by 2022. These could
take the form of an hourly all-stations service between Wolverhampton and
Walsall and another between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street.
South Western Railway train operator FirstGroup and Blu
Wireless have announced a project that will significantly boost the quality of
connectivity on trains, pioneering the use of 5G technology on the railway.
Several recent articles in Rail Engineer have looked at 5G
for rail telecommunications purposes. Usually, these revolve around a
replacement for the railway’s own GSM-R network, which handles voice communications,
text messaging and support for digital signalling using 2G technology.
However, the first use of 5G will come in normal, public telephone
systems where it will enable reliable streaming, rapid browsing and
connectivity to cloud-based applications, so keeping pace with the requirements
of devices that many customers take for granted.
Train passengers are, of course, members of the public and
they will expect this new connectivity when they are on board. They are heavy
users of Wi-Fi and mobile data, not only for catching up on social media and watching
movies but also for planning their onward journey, checking and replying to emails
and running through meeting plans.
Achieving this level of availability has been a constant
battle for train operators – the metal walls of the carriage, combined with the
metallised (tinted) windows, make great Faraday cages and so prevent phone signals
coming in from outside. Distributing a dedicated signal within the train has
its own problems, with external aerials, cell coverage along the route, train
speed and bandwidth limitations all causing problems.
Now, Blu Wireless, First Group and other strategic partners,
including Network Rail, the Department for Transport and the Department for
Culture Media and Sport, have developed an economically viable, end-to-end 5G
solution that they claim will transform customers’ journeys. The new technology
can process volumes of data 100 times greater than currently possible with 4G
technology, meaning it will be much easier for customers to enjoy consistent
and fast Wi-Fi connectivity on their train.
The partnership will also be a market first for the UK, with
FirstGroup’s Rail Division becoming the exclusive supplier of Blu Wireless’s
new 5G rail system for customers and rail infrastructure providers. FirstGroup and
Blu Wireless will work to roll out the technology, initially on the South
Western Railway franchise. It will also work with Network Rail to harness 5G to
improve railway infrastructure.
FirstGroup’s head of digital communication Simon Holmes
explained: “We have worked hard over the last two-and-a-half years to reach
this point, which will enable us to deploy 5G technology for the benefit of
customers and railway infrastructure. Our partnership with Blu Wireless marks a
step change for connectivity on customer trains and we look forward to working
with them and our other partners to ensure the success of this project.”
Blu Wireless chief marketing officer Mark Barrett added:
“This partnership will revolutionise commuter connectivity in an innovative and
economical way.
“The system is based on Blu Wireless’s unique ‘mmWave’
communication technology, which does not require the hugely complex and
expensive infrastructure of cellular systems. We believe that the combination
of gigabit grade data rate with cost-effective and low power operation will be
instrumental in delivering FirstGroup’s customers with best in class on train
Wi-Fi services.”
Blu Wireless’s rail 5G radio system is designed for high-speed transport applications such as railways. Electronic beamforming on transmit and receive antennas can create a moving point-to-point connection of greater than 1Gbps per antenna. Having up to three on-train antennas ‘in-beam’ at any one moment gives a combined multi-gigabit capability.
Blu Wireless ‘mmWave’ demonstration trackside radio unit. (Blu Wireless)
However, this new on-board distribution system needs to be
paired with the appropriate lineside infrastructure. Blu Wireless’ trackside
radio unit is designed to be exceptionally small, making it simple to deploy in
a variety of locations, whether on simple short trackside poles, on a gantry, a
stanchion or even a platform lighting pole.
The millimetre-wave radio operates at exceptionally low
power (approximately one per cent of the power of a typical 4G base station)
and, as communications regulator Ofcom has recently concluded, this is the only
realistic spectrum with sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the multi-gigabit rail
requirement.
Blu Wireless’ unique 5G radio system, combined with
trackside networking, new deployment methods and specialist poles and mounts
(trackside and on train), all go towards making a viable rail communications
solution that can be deployed at speed almost anywhere in the world.
First Group plans to deploy the new technology for the first
time on South Western Railway, which will become the UK’s first 5G railway.
The Brighton main line in Sussex has reopened following a
nine-day closure while Network Rail and its contractors carried out major improvement
work.
The Three Bridges station car park was turned into a bus station as the rail-replacement bus services were supported with toilets, a customer information point, refreshments and extra staff on hand to help passengers.
The Bridges station car park was turned into a temporary bus terminal.
On the closed line to Brighton, more than 250 engineers worked at 26 sites on the biggest upgrade of the railway between Brighton and Three Bridges in more than 30 years, the major part of a £67 million improvement programme to this stretch of railway. Partly funded by the Department for Transport, as one element of a wider £300 million programme, the project set out to tackle delay hotspots and boost reliability on one of the busiest and most unreliable parts of the network.
Over the nine days, track junctions and signalling were renewed and upgraded. In addition, engineers shored-up embankments to reduce the risk of landslides and introduced new technology that not only detects potential problems before they occur but can also help the railway recover faster if there is a fault.
In particular, Balcombe Tunnel junction was renewed and upgraded, with 600 metres of track replaced, improving the layout of the junction and replacing switches and crossings.
Using a Force One Ballast Sucker to extract ballast. (Network Rail)
The signalling control and power system between Haywards Heath and Preston Park, which was last renewed in 1982, was upgraded with equipment that will be more robust and allow any issues that do arise to be identified and rectified more quickly, reducing both the incidents of service disruption and the time it takes to fix them.
Engineers from the S&C South Alliance at work on the Brighton main line. (Network Rail)
Extensive work also took place within four Victorian tunnels
to stop leaks and drainage issues, which have caused significant delays for
passengers in the past
The Victorian brick culvert drainage system in Balcombe tunnel,
one of the South East’s longest railway tunnels, had a build-up of silt and
other debris, along with damage to brickwork. This compromised the drainage
system and led to flooding, which in turn caused signalling and power supply
problems.
Drainage work was also carried out at Haywards Heath tunnel, which is also known as Folly Hill tunnel, and conductor rail was replaced in the area. Clayton tunnel was inspected, its brickwork patch-repaired brickwork and 1,400 metres of cable secured.
Ouse Valley viaduct on the Brighton main line. (Network Rail @TG_Website)
The drainage on the Ouse Valley viaduct, which was built in
1848 and lies just south of Balcombe, was refurbished – the conductor rail had
been renewed and the parapet repaired during previous weekend closures.
While the railway was closed, Network Rail and Govia
Thameslink Railway (GTR) took the opportunity to improve stations along the
route. Platform line markings were repainted, handrails and fences repaired and
stations deep-cleaned.
In addition, a completely new footbridge was installed at
Balcombe to replace the 1970s-built Exmouth footbridge, the coping stones at
the platform edges were replaced at Wivelsfield and the footbridges refurbished
at Plumpton and Cooksbridge.
Throughout the closure, Network Rail’s helicopter provided support, inspecting the railway using thermal and visual imaging equipment to identity faults quickly, particularly in the electrical system.
The extent of the 9-day closure on the Brighton main line. (Network Rail)
Network Rail South East’s managing director John Halsall was
conscious that passengers had been inconvenienced during the work, despite the 240
buses and coaches, hired in from 45 different operators, that had been laid on to
keep travellers moving.
“I know it’s been difficult for them and I am really
grateful that so many changed their plans for the week to enable us to
concentrate the work in this way,” he said. “The alternative would have been 84
separate weekend closures, so this has been much more effective for them as
well as for us.
“It will be worth it in the long run as we’ve been able to
complete major work to the ageing infrastructure which has caused so many
delays in the past, as well as repairs in the Victorian-era tunnels which were
prone to flooding.”
GTR Infrastructure Director Keith Jipps added his thanks,
saying: “”Working with our partners at Network Rail and our contractors
and suppliers, together we have successfully overseen one of the biggest rail
replacement services ever.
“Members of staff across both organisations and our
suppliers have been a great credit to the rail industry and the great feedback
our passengers have given us recognises what a great job our people have done.
The amount of work that has been carried out whilst the line was blocked has
been massive and we will see the benefits by providing better punctuality and
reliable services for our passengers.”
Yorkstone being positioned at Liverpool Lime street
Liverpool Lime Street station
has had a thorough overhaul recently, with new platforms, signalling and track.
But its heritage has not been forgotten as three slabs from the original
station platforms, dating from 1836, have been included as part of the rebuild.
The recent £140 million scheme has delivered a capacity increase of three extra services per hour by creating two new platforms, extending three others and realigning another three.
has delivered a capacity increase of three extra services per hour by creating two new platforms, extending three others and realigning another three.
All of the signalling has been
renewed and four kilometres of plain line track and 24 point ends have been replaced,
along with the associated overhead line equipment. So it was a major project,
very much looking to the needs of the future.
During the two years of work on the historic grade-II listed station, three of the stone slabs that had formed part of the original 1836 platform surface were recovered. Made from Yorkstone supplied by a local quarry, the 19th century slabs were kept in safe storage until the station rebuild was complete.
Close up of the inscription on one of the historic Yorkstone slabs. (Network Rail)
The slabs were then brought out, cleaned up and inscribed with a message to explain their special significance. They were then installed on Platforms 1,3 and 5 to become, as senior Network Rail programme manager Sean Hyland described them, “a small reminder of the station’s rich heritage”.
Passengers on the Cross City
line in the West Midlands (Lichfield – Birmingham – Redditch/Bromsgrove) are
starting to experience an improvement in their on-train comfort as the first of
West Midlands Trains’ Class 323 units re-enters service after a substantial
refit.
West Midlands Trains and fleet owner Porterbrook approached Jacobs to oversee the design of a fresh new look for the fleet. This included the provision of fully accessible toilets, passenger information displays and a modified seating arrangement to improve access to the priority seating, an area where space was quite limited.
The fresh interior of West Midlands Trains’ Class 323 units now includes a fully accessible toilet. (West Midlands Trains)
Jacobs brought Transcal
Engineering into the project to supply the universal access toilet modules and
TrainFX for the passenger information system. New seats backs and bases were
procured from Diamond Seating and covered with new seat moquette manufactured
by Camira.
The first revised train, 323217, has now been rolled out of Wolverton Works, where staff employed by Gemini Rail Services UK have carried out the upgrade, project managed by Porterbrook and West Midlands Trains. The rest of the fleet will undergo the same refurbishment, which will be complete by the end of 2020.
Revised seat layout and a smart new look. (West Midlands Trains)
The improvements will help make
travelling on the route easier for those requiring accessible facilities, bringing
the trains’ interiors up to modern standards, after having operated the route
for the last 25 years.
Photographer Ian Georgeson, 07921 567360
Former Scotland Rugby Simon Taylor
Edinburgh’s tram network could be extended to Newhaven, depending on the result of a Council meeting on 14 March.
Councillors will consider the Final Business Case (FBC) which sets out the strategic, economic, financial, commercial and management case for taking trams to Newhaven and outlines the project cost at £196 million. This figure includes a significant additional risk allocation as well as funding to support local business through the construction process.
The project would be funded
through future tram fare revenues, along with a special dividend from Lothian
Buses. The FBC predicts that “The project is forecast to generate an
incremental demand of seven million passenger journeys in its opening year”, on
top of the 7.4 million journeys that were made on the current network in 2018.
Even when the recommended
percentage of ‘optimism bias’ is added, which would take the project total to
£207.3 million, the FBC states that the project remains affordable and
self-financing, and would not divert funds from other Council services.
If the project is approved,
passenger journeys to and from Newhaven could commence in early 2023, following
a six-month period of testing and commissioning on the new 4.69km route between
York Place and Newhaven. Further, “it unlocks a large swathe of the city for
housing development and employment opportunities that would not be possible
without high capacity public transport”.
Construction is planned to use
a ‘one-dig’ approach, with each work site closing only once and then reopening
only when all works (archaeology, pre-infrastructure works and construction of
the tram route itself) are complete.
This approach reflects lessons learned from the previous tram project, which incurred significant overruns. As a result, in 2009, two years after construction started, the decision was taken to curtail the original Phase 1a route from Edinburgh Airport to Newhaven at the temporary York Place stop, just after St Andrew Square.
Map of the proposed extension of Edinburgh Tram to Newhaven.
The new proposals will see the
York Place stop removed and complete Phase 1a as it was originally envisaged.
This extension will benefit from the utility clearance work done by the
original project before phase 1a was curtailed and will not require purchase of
any further trams as the 2007 contract for 27 trams was sufficient for the full
phase 1a route.
Engineers about to board the final electric test train between Preston and Manchester Victoria. (Network Rail)
High-speed testing has now been
completed on the Manchester to Preston route, which was recently electrified,
so that the line speed can be increased to 100mph.
The last electric test run took place early in the morning of 22 February 2019, completing checks in preparation for the commencement of 100mph passenger services. Currently, trains are restricted to a maximum speed of 75mph.
Data being collected and analysed on board the electric test train between Preston and Manchester Victoria. (Network Rail)
Network Rail engineers were on
board the test train on its run from Preston to Manchester Victoria. They were
making their final high-speed checks of the track and new overhead lines, the
results of which will be thoroughly checked and then verified by the Office of
Rail and Road (ORR).
The new 100mph services will be
introduced as part of the new timetables that come into effect in May, bringing
faster and more frequent services to passengers.
Network Rail sponsor Mark
Ashton said: “Following the successful introduction of electric passenger
trains on the Manchester to Preston railway last week, last night we completed
our last test as part of the project to allow trains to run up to 100mph.
“High speed testing of the
overhead wires will support the introduction of greener, faster and more
frequent trains – a key aim of the Great North Rail Project to help transform
rail travel across the North.”
