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New train protection system for Irish Rail

CPC commercial manager John Mogridge and Egis systems integration lead François Pignard looking at the in-cab display for the Iarnrod Eireann Train Protection System. (CPC Project Services)
Above – CPC commercial manager John Mogridge and Egis systems integration lead François Pignard looking at the in-cab display for the Iarnród Éireann Train Protection System. (CPC Project Services)

Turas, a joint venture between CPC Project Services (CPC), Deutsche Bahn and Egis, has been appointed by Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) to deliver a new train protection system across its network.

More than 50 per cent of the Irish network currently has no automatic train protection, and the existing train protection systems that are in operation – Continuous Automatic Warning System (CAWS) and Automatic Train Protection (ATP) – are nearing the end of their life expectancy.

The newly announced programme, which will take seven years to deliver, will result insafety and reliability improvements for the 45 million passengers that travel on the network each year.

The Turas joint venture, which was appointed in January 2019 following a competitive OJEU selection process, will act as Irish Rail’s delivery partner, providing a range of consultancy and technical services including project and programme management, commercial and cost management, systems integration and safety case management.

The new Train Protection System (TPS), which will be deployed across the network over the next seven years, will be a hybrid system based on the existing CAWS and ATP systems and ETCS (European Train Control System) Level 1. It will provide automatic train stop, set train-regulated line speed and ensure compliance with speed restrictions.

CPC programme manager Tim Cooper said: “We are delighted to bring to Irish Rail our extensive experience of delivering modern signalling systems, as they embark on this major infrastructure upgrade. This appointment marks an important milestone for CPC as we seek to become a key supplier to the European rail sector.”

Geophysical consultancy Zetica expands with help from HSBC UK

Zetica, the engineering and environmental geophysics consultancy, has renovated a 21,500 sq.ft. building to accommodate up to 80 staff, as well as provide additional storage space for high tech equipment.

The company, based in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, carries out geophysical surveys on green field and brownfield sites to identify hidden hazards and characterise the properties of soils and bedrock. Surveys are also carried out on transport infrastructure to map buried services, archaeology, geological and man-made hazards as well as to monitor roadbed and trackbed condition.

The consultancy’s unexploded ordnance (UXO) risk mitigation team advises on how to deal with UXO affecting construction projects and submarine cable and pipe laying. The utilities teams map buried services on projects across the UK, while the rail team measures the condition of track across the UK, USA, and Australia, as well as in China and Japan.

Zetica carries out geophysical surveys on several continents, including here in Queensland, Australia.

Established in 1991, Zetica is one of the UK’s largest specialist engineering geophysics companies and has projects underway in five continents. Notable clients in the UK include HS2, Homes England, Network Rail and HS2.

Having obtained a £500,000 funding package from HSBC UK to refurbish the newly purchased building, CEO and owner Dr Asger Eriksen said: “As our company continues to grow and respond to increasing demand for our services, we needed more space to accommodate new employees, service our high-tech equipment and provide extra storage for our survey vehicles and platforms. Thanks to HSBC UK, we have a fantastic new facility which is fit for the future and will enable us to continue on our growth path.”

In response, HSBC area director for Thames Valley Business Banking Ian Nash commented: “Zetica’s services are used widely by the transport sector and construction industry so it’s vital the company keeps a pace as demand increases. Their work is very much valued by asset owners aiming for condition-based maintenance and by developers wanting to reduce the risk of the unknown. We are delighted to have supported them as they continue to grow.”

Birmingham: Washwood Heath train factory demolished

The former Alstom factory at Washwood Heath, Birmingham, where Virgin’s Pendolinos were built, has been demolished to make way for an HS2 maintenance depot.

Underground-train manufacturer Metro Cammell, which owned the site before Alstom, built trains for countries across the world at Washwood Heath, including British Rail’s iconic Blue Pullman as well as most of London’s Underground trains.

The disused train factory, as well as the adjoining former LDV van factory, is making way for a new depot that will include cleaning, servicing, and routine repairs of HS2’s new high-speed fleet. It will employ up to 500 staff working in shifts, either in jobs within the depot, maintenance and support workers, or train drivers who will start and finish their day there.

Washwood Heath will be HS2’s only rolling stock maintenance depot for Phases One and 2a of the UK’s new high-speed rail network. It is the preferred location for HS2’s future depot because it is centrally located in relation to the completed HS2 network, which will extend to Leeds and Manchester.

The 110,000 square-metre site, which originally included 782,622 cubic metres of buildings and structures, is being demolished by HS2’s early works contractor LM JV (Laing O’Rourke/J Murphy & Sons).  Demolition has yielded a total of 412,464 tonnes of waste materials that will be predominantly reused on site, significantly reducing the need for landfill and lorry movements.

The former train factory at Washwood Heath, Birmingham, has been demolished to make way for an HS2 depot. (HS2)

HS2 programme director Mike Lyons said: “As we prepare for the construction of HS2, there is a huge amount of work going on at sites in the Midlands, including land clearance, habitat creation, tree planting, demolitions, archaeology, road improvement works and utility diversions.

“We currently have 62 live sites across the whole Phase One route, servicing over 250 work locations. Over 7,000 jobs are supported by HS2, and over 300 companies in the Midlands are already working on the project.”

Barnehurst cutting reopened after landslip closes the Bexleyheath line for a week

Caption

The cutting at Barnehurst, on the Bexleyheath line between Lewisham and Dartford, Kent, reopened on Monday 18 February after being closed for a week.

When the cutting face slipped at around 03:30 on the morning of Monday 11 February, it was the fourth time it had done so since 2010.

A landslip at Barnehurst cutting closed the railway . (Network Rail)

Opened in 1895, the cutting faces are steep, which lays them open to problems with slips. As Derek Butcher, Network Rail’s route asset manager for geotechnical engineering, explained, the cutting was already monitored using both CCTV and remote condition monitoring.

So when the cutting face slipped without warning, the monitoring alarms allowed the railway to be closed with no risk to passengers.

After examination by engineers, the decision was taken to clear the site and then to make the cutting safe by using H piling – H-shaped steel beams driven into the ground with concrete panels between them to build a wall that will prevent slippage in the future.

H-posts were installed along with concrete infill panels. (Network Rail)

300 tonnes of earth and trees were removed and then work could start on the 30 metres of wall.

Piling was finished by Friday 15 February and the wall infill panels completed over the weekend. 

Work was also undertaken to ensure the track was safe, replacing and replenishing contaminated ballast, and after test trains ran through on Sunday evening to check the repairs and test the signalling, the railway was ready to open on Monday.

West Coast main line reopens after lorry strikes bridge

Overnight bridge work at Worston Lane, Stafford, after a lorry strike.

Network Rail has reopened the West Coast main line through the Stafford area after more than 24 hours of disruption caused by a lorry hitting a bridge.

The bridge, which carries Worston Lane over the busy railway north of Stafford, was badly damaged when a lorry struck it at 10:00 on Thursday 14 February 2019, dislodging brickwork and leaving it hanging over the railway tracks below.

One line was closed immediately and a temporary speed restriction imposed on the other three. Work took place throughout the night to carry out repairs and make the bridge safe, with the bridge reopening just before 3pm on 15 February.

Martin Colmey, Network Rail’s operations manager, said: “We worked through the night to make the bridge safe so trains could continue to run. We made ongoing repairs today so we could fully reopen as quickly as possible without any speed restrictions.

“The bridge did what it was designed to do and prevented a potential major incident of a lorry crashing onto the railway. However, it is hugely frustrating as the incident was entirely avoidable. Thousands of passengers have been disrupted as a result of this driver not driving responsibly or carefully.”

The driver failed to stop at the scene and is being sought by police.

UGL Unipart JV wins Sydney contract extension worth AU$395m

UGL Unipart JV wins Sydney contract extensions worth AU$395m

UGL Unipart, a 70:30 joint venture between UGL, a member of CIMIC Group, and Unipart Rail, has been awarded a two-year extension to its contract with Sydney Trains for the delivery of maintenance and logistics services for a section of Sydney’s metropolitan passenger rail fleet.

The two-year extension will be effective from July 2019 and provide heavy maintenance and supply chain services to more than 1,050 passenger rail cars in Sydney’s metropolitan rail fleet and is worth AU$395 million to the joint venture.

The partnership draws upon UGL’s asset management and maintenance capability, together with its intimate knowledge of Sydney’s metropolitan passenger rail fleet, and Unipart Rail’s expertise in inventory, purchasing and logistics management. The joint venture’s maintenance services, supply chain and value engineering initiatives are designed to increase safety, reliability and availability of Sydney’s rail fleet.

Unipart’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Glen Everett, said: “When we commenced the joint venture seven years ago, we knew that the combination of UGL’s heavy maintenance skills and Unipart’s deep supply chain and lean expertise – using our Unipart Way tools and systems – would deliver world-class service to Sydney Trains.

“We are extremely pleased that the successes of the last seven years have led to this significant extension.”

Ambergate junction reopens on schedule – train services resume between Derby and Matlock

Network Rail has completed the remodelling of Ambergate junction in Derbyshire.

Network Rail has reopened Ambergate junction in the Derwent Valley – where the branch to Matlock leaves the Midland main line – after a £13 million remodel and a six-day closure. All services between Derby and Matlock have resumed on schedule.

The work, part of the Midland main line upgrade, both renewed and relocated the junction, and incorporated some associated upgrades and alterations to the signalling, so that line speeds in the area could be increased.

This work was actually phase two of the project – the initial work was carried out during the recent closure of Derby station for 79 days over the summer of 2018.

Network Rail route managing director Rob McIntosh said: “We are delighted that this vital work, which will allow trains to travel at an increased speed, is now complete.

“This work is the latest stage of the Midland Main Line Upgrade, which is the biggest investment into the railway in this area since it was built in the Victorian era. This major project will improve journeys for all passengers using the line and will ensure we can continue to provide a service which meets the needs of the communities and economies that our railway serves.”

Dawlish to get new sea wall

Government funding of £80 million has been announced to provide a new sea wall at Dawlish that will improve protection both for the railway and the town behind it.

The announcement was made by the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, as he visited Dawlish to meet with Network Rail and local businesses and discuss government investment in modern, reliable train services across the South West.

In February 2014, the sea wall collapsed during heavy storms, closing the railway and cutting Cornwall and western Devon off from the rest of the railway network for eight weeks. Those repairs cost £40 million.

Dawlish – February 2014. (Network Rail)

Since then, a further £15 million has been provided for Network Rail, working with coastal, tunnel, cliff and railway engineers at Arup, to design a new, higher sea wall

Earlier this month, plans were submitted to Teignbridge District Council for upgrades to the sea wall that would increase its height by 2.5 metres and include wave returns to reduce the impact of waves and the likelihood of the line being closed during adverse weather.

Commenting on those plans, Network Rail’s senior commercial scheme sponsor Julie Gregory said that the new wall would help avoid disruption to train services following extreme weather.

“The bit that’s most vulnerable is the bit we’re addressing first, to the west of Dawlish Station,” she said. “That’s called Marine Parade and it’s about a 360-metre section of sea wall that we’re raising using pre-cast concrete panels. It will make the wall about 2.5 metres higher.

“We want to do the job once, shore up the railway to protect it through the next century, taking into account sea level rise as a result of climate change.”

Today, Chris Grayling confirmed funding for the scheme, stating: “We cannot allow the disruption and damage endured by Dawlish and the South West to happen again. This significant investment demonstrates our cast-iron commitment to delivering a resilient and safe railway, giving passengers, businesses and residents confidence in a reliable service.

“With up to £80 million of funding available to create a rigorous set of defences, this new sea wall will help protect this vital route, building on our ambitious plans to grow this region’s economy and prosperity through stronger transport connections.”

The Dawlish sea wall is not the only problem area on that line. Using detailed geological surveys, Network Rail is developing solutions for the cliffs along the coast immediately northeast of Teignmouth, in the area of Holcombe and Parson’s tunnel, using the £15 million previously announced.

Unusual bridge strike closes one track of West Coast main line

An unusual bridge strike closed one track on the West Coast main line and caused a speed restriction to be imposed across the whole route.

Normally, a bridge strike is caused when a vehicle attempts to go under a bridge that is too low for it. We’ve all seen the photos – crushed lorries, buses with the top deck knocked off, containers on their sides.

The impact can move the bridge, meaning the line above has to be closed while repairs take place.

But the bridge strike at Worston Lane, north of Stafford, was different. Here, the road runs above the railway, so there is no low bridge deck to hit.  There’s all the room in the world.

Except, at 10:00 on Thursday 14 February, an errant motorist hit the bridge structure – the brickwork above the abutment – knocking it out of place so it was in danger of coming down onto the track below. The vehicle then drove off, although how the driver could have been unaware of the damage both to the vehicle and the bridge is a mystery.

Close up of the damage to Worston Lane bridge. (Network Rail)

The track immediately under the damage was closed, and a temporary speed restriction imposed across the other tracks of the West Coast main line.

Network Rail engineers plan to carry out repairs overnight, and the road will remain closed while the work takes place.

There are around 2,000 bridge strikes a year on the railway network, the vast majority of them caused by high vehicles striking a bridge they are passing underneath. Each costs an average of £10,000 to repair and Network Rail pays £13 million in compensation to train operators for services they can’t run.

Stuart Calvert to be new Digital Railway head

Stuart Calvert, director of programme technical services and supply chain at Network Rail’s Group Digital Railway (GDR), has been announced as its new managing director following the retirement of David Waboso.

When he takes up his new post, on an interim basis, in April 2019, Stuart ‘s main task will be to ensure the delivery of GDR activities while overseeing the changes that affect the way GDR is organised as a result of new chief executive Andrew Haines’ 100-day review. These include:

  • Asset Information Services (AIS) moving to Route Services;
  • Digital Railway Programme (DRP) moving to Network Services, which will be established later this year;
  • Elements of Network Rail Telecom (NRT) being devolved to Routes, with other parts moving to Network Services.

In a message to colleagues, Andre Haines said: “I would like to take this opportunity to repeat my thanks to David Waboso for all he’s done at Network Rail and for the industry in spearheading the Digital Railway, and I am grateful to Stuart for picking up the baton.”

Stuart, who started his career as an engineering sponsored student with British Rail before specialising in project management, holds a bachelor’s degree in civil and structural engineering and a masters degree in project management. He has over 30 years experience in major rail and infrastructure projects throughout the UK and Europe, having held senior executive roles with Railtrack, Bombardier Transportation and Jacobs Engineering.

A board member of the National Skills Academy for Rail, Stuart joined the Digital Railway team in September 2016.

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