Voting opens for RailStaff Awards 2012

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Voting has now opened for the RailStaff Awards 2012. Who has the X factor? Who will be your next Rail Hero? Only you can decide.

With so many deserving people, it will be hard to choose our finalists, but with your help we can ensure a true hero is crowned in every category.

So how does voting work? Well it’s easy, just go to the RailStaff Awards website and vote for your favourite in each category. The people with the most votes will become our finalists.

Then, the list of finalists will be sent to our panel of esteemed judges and they will choose the ultimate winners, who will be announced at the RailStaff Awards on October 20, 2012.

But hurry as voting is only open until the September 13.

Forgotten to nominate? Don’t worry as you can nominate someone until September 7. So even if you nominate now, they still have a good chance of becoming one of our finalists.

Finally, don’t forget that our early bird tickets are still available at a discounted price of £80 per ticket + VAT until September 14. To book, just go to the website or call Pat on 01530 560021.

Rail staff badge up for charity

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First Great Western staff have raised almost £1,000 for good causes by selling badges of their region.

Drivers and depot staff from Swansea, Gloucester, Westbury, Fratton and Bristol each had a badge made for their place of work, donating all profits from the sale of the depot insignias to charity.

First Great Western regional driver manager Rob Mullen said: “The railway is a fundamental part of the local community and each depot is a small community of its own. So I was looking for a way that our drivers could support a community charity of their choice and create a sense of pride in where people worked. So we built on the badge theme.’’

“To be able to raise £961 for these charities is fantastic.  I am really pleased that we could help two very good causes and at the same time help each depot celebrate its own identity. I’d like to thank all those who helped out.”

Colleagues designed and sold the badges to raise funds for the Railway Children charity and for Help for Heroes.

Railway Children is an international children’s charity for those living on the streets, while Help for Heroes provide support for wounded service personnel, veterans and their families.

David Ellis from Railway Children said: “We are so pleased that First Great Western drivers chose to support Railway Children and our fight for children who live alone at risk on the streets. Each and every badge they have sold will help us get to children and young people before the streets get to them.”

David Brown, Help for Heroes regional co-ordinator of the Bristol area, said: “H4H is all about ‘doing your bit’ and I am absolutely delighted with the generosity of the employees of First Great Western in helping our heroes.

“The money raised is greatly needed and it is hugely appreciated. On behalf of everyone at Help for Heroes and all those who the money will benefit, I would like to say thank you.”

Step forward for Australia’s first high-speed rail line

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The construction of a high-speed rail line along Australia’s East Coast has moved a step closer, with ministers discussing a payment plan to break up the multi-billion dollar project.

During a question and answer session at the Canberra Business Council yesterday (August 20) ministers considered rolling out the Melbourne to Brisbane high-speed link in stages to make the estimated $61 to £108 billion cost more affordable.

High-speed rail cannot be put in the too hard basket again.

Australasian Railway Association (ARA) chief executive Bryan Nye said: “When you consider that $293 billion has been spent on our roads since 1985, $108 billion for a high-speed rail network seems minor.

“Minister Crean has the right idea – if we need to think outside the square to fund high-speed rail, then that’s what we should do.

“Apart from Antarctica, Australia is the only continent without high-speed rail.

“I urge all members of government to unite and explore the implementation of high-speed rail with an open mind.

“High-speed rail cannot be put in the too hard basket again.”

Network Rail sees rise in satisfied suppliers

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It takes a confident company to approach all its major suppliers and ask their opinions on the relationship between them. It also takes a fairly strong-minded supplier to tell its major customer what is wrong with that relationship. But that is exactly what Network Rail has asked its most important contractors to do.

Supplier perception survey

This is the seventh annual Supplier Perception Survey conducted by Network Rail, this year in conjunction with the Civil Engineering Contractors Association and the Railway Industry Association. To review the findings, RailStaff met with Network Rail’s Ian Sexton, director, contracts and placement, and two senior members of Network Rail Infrastructure Projects – David McLoughlin, finance and commercial director, and Katie Ferrier, head of supplier engagement. Peter Loosley, policy director of RIA, and Mike Cocks, UK rail director of CECA, were also on hand to explain the detail of their report.

Leaders from 70 of Network Rail’s main suppliers were interviewed by Ipsos MORI earlier this year.

As Peter Loosley explained, the results were mixed but overall showed a continuing improvement in the way Network Rail is perceived by its suppliers. There was an increase in the number who report that Network Rail is now easier to work with. The number of dissatisfied suppliers fell from 16% in 2011 to only 6%, well below Network Rail’s own target of 15%.

The organisation is seen to be putting safety first, getting a 4.28 out of 5 score. In terms of overall satisfaction, 72% of respondents were either fairly or very satisfied with their relationship with Network Rail, up from 63% in 2011 and only 45% in 2010 – a marked improvement.

The results were mixed but overall showed a continuing improvement in the way Network Rail is perceived by its suppliers.

Best score ever

Another improvement was shown in the rather complicated area of advocacy. This is a measure of how likely a company is to recommend another. Marks range from +2 (speak highly without being asked), through 0 (neutral) to -2 (critical without being asked). The aim is therefore to obtain a positive average as this shows that suppliers are more likely to speak highly of Network Rail than they are to be critical. The overall average was 0.58, with 63% giving positive scores and only 15% negative. This is the best score ever, up from 0.33 and 52% in 2011.

Asked what more Network Rail could do to improve, 21% asked for more collaboration and 20% for more engagement with suppliers. 20% also wanted more consistency, and better planning, better communications and an improved tender process were all mentioned.

An organisation in transition

Comments received from individuals showed that Network Rail is still an organisation in transition.  A track company commented: ‘I think Network Rail over the last 12 months has made a tremendous difference in terms of their attitude towards suppliers and we do speak quite highly of them now without being asked.’

However, there is still work to do as a professional services organisation had a different experience: “Too often at project level we find that there’s an adversarial approach with the teams which doesn’t really fit with the collaborative way that we like to do things – we’re not very good at dealing with all the aggression.” That could be why 20% of all replies asked that the corporate message be filtered down throughout the organisation.

So the result of Network Rail’s seventh annual supplier perception survey was positive overall and showed an improvement from last year. However, there is obviously still a way to go. But as Mike Cocks of CECA, said, ‘These days, listening is followed by action. That’s the difference with Network Rail now under David Higgins.’

Writes Nigel Wordsworth

Tunnelling students surface

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Over 1,000 new students have now completed their training at the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy in Ilford, east London.

The Academy, which opened last September, is pushing ahead with an expanded curriculum.

TUCA will train nearly 3,500 people in essential construction skills during the Crossrail project. It has already set industry standards by creating the Tunnel Safety Card qualification – now an industry requirement for those working in a tunnelling environment. The Academy is also playing a key role in getting unemployed Londoners back to work.

A range of pre-employment courses offered at the Academy has already equipped hundreds of long-term unemployed with the skills to help them gain employment. These include an introduction to general construction and metal formwork. Says Claire Parry, head of skills and employment at Crossrail,  ‘The Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy has been a huge success since opening less than a year ago. Over 1,000 people have now been trained to work on Crossrail and other construction projects.’

Crossrail established the Academy to make good the shortage of people with the skills to work underground on the transport scheme and on other planned infrastructure projects.

Rail engineers tackle the English summer

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It is midsummer in the UK, and here are some extracts from the news on the evening of the 28 June 2012:
“Major disruption has been caused by unprecedented levels of rainfall causing flooding and landslides which have cut off both main rail lines connecting Scotland and England. The West Coast line has been closed by a landslip at Tebay in Cumbria as well as flooding at Oxenholme Lake District station. Buses have replaced trains between Lancaster and Carlisle, adding about 60 minutes to journeys.

“On the East Coast line, a landslip near Berwick-upon-Tweed has caused serious disruption and added two hours to journey times. No trains are running between Durham and Berwick-upon-Tweed and no replacement bus service is available. Newcastle station is closed by a spectacular storm similar to those normally seen in the American mid-west. There is widespread flooding and a lightning strike has knocked out signalling.”

Flooding off the railway

One can’t help but feel sorry for the beleaguered passengers but, while reading this article, consider the pressure that the local engineering teams must have been feeling. Not only did they have to find engineering solutions for the myriad of problems that were emerging, but they also had to deal with other logistical problems caused by flooding in the area, such as roads and bridges being blocked or washed away.

How did they get essential items of plant and materials to sites, as well as the skilled workforce needed in such situations? The challenges become even more significant in view of the personal circumstances that many of the workforce were facing, having to deal with their own meteorological disasters on a domestic level.

To gain a better understanding of the difficulties involved, the rail engineer spoke with two senior Network Rail engineers about their experiences during this time.

Major roads blocked

Michael Ewart is Network Rail’s route infrastructure maintenance manager for London North East and the East Coast Main Line (ECML). Michael lives on the north side of Newcastle which experienced 93mm of rainfall in three hours – the normal monthly rainfall is only 60mm. He said that he has never experienced anything like it before. Not only were many parts of Newcastle closed to traffic but also the A1 road was impassable in many places. Just getting around the area to find out what was going wrong became a major challenge in itself.

There were many sites that were causing concern on his patch, but probably the most significant one was at Scremerston in Northumberland, three miles south of Berwick-upon-Tweed. At this location, more than 400 tonnes of formation material had been washed away from under the tracks situated on a high embankment. This was not a known problem site and normally this would not be a location that would cause concern.

Network Rail’s partnership contractor, Construction Marine Ltd (CML), based in Leeds, is responsible for landslip and drainage repair in the North East. Martin Weston, construction director, managed to ensure that more than 30 engineers reached the site. They then worked around the clock, from 16:00 Thursday 28 June to 08:00 Sunday 1 July, to reopen the route.

Vital local cooperation

In such circumstances you need all the friends you can get and fortunately, the local farmer was very helpful. CML was able to construct a temporary roadway and haul a site cabin and equipment across the farmer’s flooded fields to set up a site. To stabilise the bank, 1,000 tonnes of type 1 stone were brought in by two tracked dumper trucks. Two 16-tonne tracked excavators were used to remove the debris from the landslip and construct a 1200mm diameter chamber two metres deep that was connected to a 240 metre long network of drainage pipes that was installed into the embankment.

A ballast train operated by Network Rail maintenance staff imported 600 tonnes of track ballast to enable track gangs to lift and line both tracks ready for tamping. The Down Line was opened at 50mph at 13.00 Friday and the Up Line was open to traffic at 20mph at 08.00 on 1 July. Subsequently, 600 tonnes of top soil has been placed to complete the work. Fortunately, at this location the overhead stanchions and equipment remained intact.

It is worth recapping that all this work, including transporting 1,000 tonnes of stone across isolated and now flooded farmland, happened very quickly. The Down Line was opened within 21 hours and the Up Line was re-opened to rail traffic in the early hours of Sunday 1 July, little more than 48 hours after the landslide occurred. Michael emphasised that this was an excellent example of effective supply chain management.

Michael’s wasn’t the only team that was busy. Network Rail had to deal with similar issues on the ECML at nearby Spittal where Story Contracting was brought in by the maintenance team and cleared the cutting slips on the Down side on the first night after the floods, enabling the line to re-open.

There were flooding problems with other embankments, and track beds had been washed away in the Haltwhistle Station area on the Newcastle to Carlisle route, which also had to be closed. Stobart Rail helped the Network Rail maintenance teams reopen this section.

Further west

60 miles west of Newcastle, the West Coast Main Line (WCML) had similar problems. Darren Miller, Network Rail’s infrastructure maintenance engineer WCML, is based in Carlisle. He explained that, throughout the Lake District area, signalling equipment was damaged and many overhead power line structures were left leaning precariously in all directions. Also, many bridge piers were left needing emergency inspections to ensure that debris in the swollen rivers was not causing excess scouring.

Alongside the river Caldew near Carlisle, 50 metres of retaining wall which was supporting the railway formation was undermined and collapsed. The Caldew Viaduct piers supporting the deck over which the WCML runs, and Cummersdale Viaduct which carries the Carlisle to Whitehaven line, were both having to cope with unprecedented volumes of water passing under and around the structures, necessitating the need for divers to inspect and repair the damage both to these structures and a number of nearby culverts.

Fishing out stanchions

Many OLE stanchions were damaged but one of them, complete with its concrete foundation, was washed away into the River Caldew. The Environmental Agency was extremely concerned because a main sewer pipe lay in the middle of the river and if the stanchion base was to collide with the pipe the consequences could be both significant and most undesirable. Fortunately, as with the East coast, Network Rail has a Partnership supplier, Murphy Ltd, ready to respond to such issues. Using two back actor machines, they managed to carefully fish the structure out of the torrent before any damage was inflicted on the sewer pipe.

At Tebay, water regularly cascades down from the hills through well flushed culverts under the railway and into the river Eden. The volume on this occasion was so great that more than 600 tonnes of formation was washed away leaving the west coast main line unsupported. It had to be closed from 16.00 hrs on 28 June.

Fortunately, supplies of large quantities of stone are nearby and over 2000 tonnes of large 6G graded stone and 800 tonnes of type 1 stone were transported by road to access points then transferred into rail wagons and transported to site to fill the void. Within 14 hrs Murphy, working alongside Network Rail’s maintenance teams, was able to open the route to trains at 20mph and by early July, with regular monitoring, tamping and packing, line speed of 125mph had been restored.

Bird’s eye view

Darren explained that one of the most effective pieces of kit that they have had access to lately is a Network Rail helicopter. Darren spent three days during the flood period, flying around the network in the NW, checking all the trouble spots. From such a vantage point, he was able to review the condition of the adjacent land, as well as the permanent way itself, which proved invaluable. Using on-board cameras, he took 147 images from 50 sites and this form of inspection enabled him to identify trouble at two further sites that conventional inspections hadn’t picked up.

In addition, now that all the maintenance staff have been issued with iPhones, Darren was able to identify a location, establish the GPS coordinates and then send them to the local gang who were able to pinpoint exactly where the trouble spot was at ground level. It also gave everyone involved the added confidence that there would be no surprises as they are confident that they now know exactly what is going on at ground level.

This article has only been able to touch on a few of the many locations that have been subjected to significant engineering problems and challenges as a result of the extreme weather encountered over the last few months. There were bank slips at Dalton Bank and many other locations where ballast was washed away leaving the sleepered track suspended in midair. General flooding was extensive throughout the Lancashire area with the River Yarrow bursting its banks causing particular problems at Croston near Chorley.

However, what is clearly evident is that sound, professional and experienced suppliers, working as one with their client Network Rail, can overcome logistical problems that on the surface appear insurmountable, in a very short space of time. Also, wasn’t it a good idea to issue iPhones to all levels and not just senior managers? Incidents and the events described above helped the rapid justification of that investment. However, the basic engineering skills are still needed, along with copious supplies of graded rock and engineering nouse. The bad weather doesn’t seem to want to go away.

Crowd scanners considered for rail and tube stations

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Research into technologies capable of carrying out mass security screenings at rail and tube stations is being conducted by the Home Office.

The scanners would be used to search passengers for firearms, explosives, even Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRM) materials, without carrying out traditional check point bag searches.

The technology would be used to scan wheelchairs, prosthetics, crutches, pushchairs and bicycles, with scanning potentially carried out at the tops and bottoms of escalators, ticket barriers and platforms.

The Home Office brief for potential suppliers requires that any method would not “delay the passengers any more than they are currently as they pass through the station”. This follows initial trials of passenger screening technology in the wake of the July 7th terrorist attacks in 2005, which showed that passengers weren’t willing to accept the lengthy delays airport-style checks would create.

Formal bids are now being invited from suppliers.

D2WO explained

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The route from Doncaster to Water Orton runs for 110 miles through the East and West Midlands. It passes through Rotherham, bypasses Sheffield down to Chesterfield, and then takes the Midland Mainline through Alfreton and Langley Mill to Trent Junction.

Thereafter it uses the freight-only line past Castle Donington, joins the Derby-Birmingham main line at Willington and runs down to Water Orton, just after Coleshill Parkway.

It is an ideal route for freight from the North East to the West Midlands apart from one thing – it is too narrow. As it stands, large containers can’t pass down the line without fouling bridges, platforms and station canopies.

So Doncaster to Water Orton (or D2WO) is the latest part of the rail network to be tackled as part of the gauge enhancement programme. Originally planned to enlarge various freight routes to W10 gauge, this section is now being taken out to W12 by Carillion under their multi-asset framework agreement (MAFA) with Network Rail.

One scheme – many sites

A total of forty-seven different worksites are included in the project. The work, as originally planned by Amey under its Grip 4 design, is split down into three main areas. Eight stations need work, either platform modifications to copings and height, or awning alterations. Five bridges have to be modified, either by full or partial reconstruction, or by jacking to increase the clearance underneath them, and track at a further 38 locations needs altering, mainly lowering, again to improve clearance under bridges.

Some sites are close together, others are more isolated. At some, access is easy, at others more problematic. Each one is an individual challenge, even if the actual work to be carried out is similar.

Straight talking

Martin Thornton is the liaison officer for Carillion, which means he is the link between the project team and everyone who isn’t Network Rail. He meets with local authorities, residents, utilities and other interested parties whom the work will affect to discuss the work that is necessary and attempt to minimise any disruption.

Any bridge reconstruction, or even jacking, has an impact on the other services that cross the railway on the same bridge. It is part of Martin’s role to negotiate any diversions to those services, which could include erecting a temporary service bridge. Footpaths also occasionally need diverting, again by temporary footbridges and other means, and Martin negotiates those as well.

So, knowing that five bridges would need major work, Martin sat down with the electricity, gas and water companies to discuss the temporary move of their services. However, as part of those negotiations, he also looked at other alternatives which could be less disruptive and, to date, the anticipated scope has been significantly reduced.

Martin isn’t the only team member looking at alternatives. Paul Smedley leads the track delivery team, and his knowledge of the area coupled, with many years of track experience has led to alternative proposals for three bridges. It now looks possible that the track can be lowered rather than the bridges having to be reconstructed, potentially saving a lot of work, much disruption, and money.

The reasons why the plans could be altered were various. Watling Street bridge number 76 is one example. It is very close to Wilnecote station, and lowering the track would also have lowered it through the station, adversely affecting the platform height. However, since Amey drew up its designs, an existing disruptive access has been identified. Carillion can take advantage of that, drop the platforms and lower the track, and avoid an expensive rebuild of the bridge.

Network Rail is naturally very keen to save money on this, and every other project. So much so that Carillion is on a bonus relative to the amount that can be saved. Not having to rebuild three bridges is therefore very advantageous to both parties.

Lean and mean

Of course, not all 47 sites are being worked on at once. In fact the whole scheme, worth about ¬£20 million in design and construction, is being run with approximately 30 people. 15 are involved in the overarching management of the project, and a further 15 on track supervising the work. Additional labour for the track gangs comes from Carillion’s sister company Sky Blue, and various subcontractors are brought in to perform specialist work.

Carillion’s project manager is Alan Sheffield, and one aspect that pleases him and the Network Rail project team most about the organisation is the lack of disruptive possessions that he has had to request. “We worked very closely with Network Rail while we were planning this,” he commented. “Especially on the busy Derby to Birmingham section of the route. They already had various work planned for other reasons, and we changed the order of the sites we are working on to fall in with their plans to provide our delivery plan. As a result, the main train operating company was initially not required to experience any further disruptive possessions due to this scheme being delivered.”

Liaison with Network Rail was also important for other reasons. Much of the materials are being supplied free-issue, and the National Delivery Service (NDS) has to arrange for trains to deliver those materials to site, trains which have to be booked 35 weeks ahead.

Although in theory this scheme is made up of lots of small projects, having so many of them in close proximity means that one management team can look after all of them. This helps with negotiations with NDS, and also means that more experienced managers can be allocated than any one worksite would justify. That in turn makes delivery on time more certain, and gives the whole project the skill set that will make it a success.

So good is that team, that it has been “lent” to other small, local Carillion projects as a type of “flying squad” to sort out certain snags and situations. This means that small MAFA and other projects, which don’t justify heavy management resources, have also benefited from having the D2WO team based locally.

After planning from October 2011, work started earlier this year. The whole scheme has to be completed by March 2014, the end of CP4, as it cannot run over into the next control period. By early July, six track lowerings have been completed, on time and without incident, and everything is going smoothly.

Only 41 more to go!

Russia backs international rail links

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Sochi, in Russia, will host the 2014 Winter Olympics and the Russian Grand Prix.

No less dramatic was the recent Seventh International Rail Business Forum. Hosted by Russian Railways the forum on the Black Sea coast, attracted 1400 delegates from 30 countries. Speakers included representatives of Russian Railways, Siemens AG, Deutsche Bahn AG and the European Union.

Vladimir Yakunin, president of RZD, Russian Railways, met journalists and impressed them with his almost fluent English. Better communications between people and railways is essential to the international railway business.

Yakunin stressed the importance of clear communications coming out with the joke about the Moscow waiter asking a late night diner, ‘You finish?’ ‘Och no,’ came the waspish reply. ‘I’m frae Scotland.’ Russia is keen to develop international rail links and build new, faster lines.

The forum was attended by representatives of the European Union who, over the course of the discussions, reaffirmed their interest in tackling the problems faced by the international railway community.

Brian Simpson, MEP, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Transport Committee was concerned that standards and nationalist thinking was stifling cross border rail co-operation. Simpson pointed out this was not a problem for Civil Aviation, yet railways still suffer from barriers.

International agreements

More cheerful progress was made with the signing of a portfolio of international agreements. RZD, Kazakhstan and Belarusian Railways signed an agreement on through tariffs. Mongolian and Azerbaijan Railways agreed a passenger traffic memorandum with RZD. RZD agreed a new deal with Siemens on servicing passenger rolling stock. RZD and Transmashholding signed off a contract to deliver freight locomotives with German MTU diesel engines.

Yakunin stressed Russia’s commitment to international rail freight corridors. He wants to build a Russian gauge railway to Vienna. The 400km Russian gauge line would run through Slovakia to Vienna. The line should benefit 32 countries, generate 24 million tonnes of freight per annum and cost around £5 billion.

At the forum Yakunin’s advisor, Mikhail Goncharov, announced that RZD expect to start a feasibility study this year. This will  enable design work to be finalised by 2016. Construction could start in 2020 and be complete by 2024.

Austrian Railways chief, Christian Kern, is in favour of this line but felt its concept was not yet proven. Russia’s railway gauge – the width between the rails – is 1520 mm, much wider than the 1435 Stephenson’s gauge in use throughout Europe. However, Russian gauge is used throughout the former Soviet Union, Finland and the Baltic States and Mongolia. Total track length is 226,830 kilometres.

New rail corridor

Looking east Russia plans further development of international rail links with China. With China’s increased production in its western regions, a new rail corridor through Kazakhstan will complement the Trans Siberian Railway.

Although rail could never carry the volumes of container ships, it is competitive for time sensitive cargos. Yakunin believes railways can be the basis for industrial collaboration between Asia, Russia and Europe.

The Seventh International Rail Business Forum ‘1520 Strategic Partnership’ is the first step in addressing the need for a unified railway law in international transport cooperation. Delegates at Sochi were keen to discuss the role that railways will play in globalisation in the coming years.

Political Will

Yakunin sees political will as crucial to the development of better rail links. In Europe the state owns rail infrastructure and political commitment is needed to remove customs and standards barriers.

Yakunin is proud that despite national differences the railway community has achieved a measure of consensus agreeing that rail transport offers huge benefits. The problem, says Yakunin, is that, ‘We do not have instruments to collaborate as currently there are only political interfaces.’

However he believes that where there is a will there’s a way and he is optimistic about the future of cross border railway collaboration.

Away from the spotlight Vladimir Yakunin talked of his job and its responsibilities. First he must ensure he protects the interests of the company among the myriad demands of state agencies and businesses. Secondly RZD must honour agreements worth £2 billion per annum to protect its workers and pensioners.

Thirdly, he explained, management must own decisions taken. Before any decision is reached there is widespread discussion with the managers concerned to ensure the proposed course of action is feasible and has a financial case.

Importantly once the decision is taken, it has to be fulfilled. Any deviation from it is not acceptable. Anyone who does not agree must either obey or leave the company. He feels that because of this people sometimes confuse the person he is with the president’s function.

Reputedly close to Vladimir Putin Yakunin remains quite a private man. ‘Who I am as a person is only for my friends and members of the family,’ he said. Although Yakunin is reluctant to talk about himself personally, his humour and insight is evident to those who met him.

He has headed Russian Railways since 2005. Yakunin has a clear vision of international rail development for the mutual benefit of all. He has also led the board of trustees of the St. Andrew’s Foundation, a powerful patriotic organisation created in 1992.

Like the railway he leads Yakunin’s influence and place among the Russian leadership is immense. Seen in this light his pro-rail, open trading message carries a significance that reaches well beyond Sochi.

Writes David Shirres

Sunset Limited rail route study gets government backing

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The US Government is investing $100,000 to look into reopening a passenger rail service which was discontinued after being devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) agreed the funding following an application from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to study the restoration of the service between Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said: “Rail has the potential to ease congestion, spur economic growth and create jobs.”

“President Obama’s support for an America built to last is putting people back to work across the country building railroads, roads, bridges and other projects that will mean better, safer transportation and a strong economic foundation for years to come.”

Sections of the Sunset Limited route were suspended because of severe damage after Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf Coast seven years ago.

The restored passenger rail service would connect to the existing Alabama portion of the Amtrak Crescent Route at Birmingham and possibly to a future route between Mobile and Florida, now under discussion among Amtrak and several Gulf Coast mayors.

Birmingham and Montgomery local governments will contribute an additional $100,000 total for the study. The results of the analyses will determine whether it is feasible to also extend the study to Mobile and proceed with the preparation of a Service Development Plan, environmental review and preliminary design.

“Solid planning and thorough analysis is the foundation for successful rail projects,” said Deputy Federal Railroad Administrator Karen Hedlund in a speech to the Gulf Coast Mayors Summit.

“Rail corridors rarely stop at state lines, and it takes a team effort of governors, mayors, legislators, advocacy groups and policy makers coming together to establish a clear vision.”

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