A Redditch-based youth football team has unveiled their new kit and a new sponsor for the
2010/11 season.
Feckenham Juniors Under 11s, who play in the Central Warwickshire Youth League, are now
sponsored by CrossCountry trains – one the UK’s most extensive rail franchises. Feckenham’s
revamped blue and yellow strip now features the CrossCountry logo and website address on the
front and rear of the boy’s shirts.
Feckenham Juniors Co-Manager Matt Clifford, said; “Grass roots football needs as much financial
support as it can get so it’s great that CrossCountry has decided to sponsor us and pay for the boy’s new kit. We hope we can do them proud and we’ve already started the season with a few impressive victories. We’d like to thank CrossCountry once again for their support. It means a lot to everyone at the club – especially the lads.”
Stuart Henry, CrossCountry’s External Relations Manager added: “We’re delighted to be linking up
with Feckenham Juniors. The club does a tremendous amount of work to get kids involved in football so via our community relations programme we felt it was a perfect match. We wish the boys all the best for the rest of the season and fingers crossed it ends in some silverware.”
The lifeblood of any city is its transportation network and Birmingham is no exception, being at the heart of a sprawling conglomeration of waterways, motorways and railways. To alleviate some of the traffic pressure burdening the strategically vital A38 into the city centre through Selly Oak, a new 1.5km road is taking shape.
Its construction is vital for the regeneration of the suburb and its surrounding area. The consequential traffic reduction on the existing road will greatly improve safety for residents as well as bringing better local connections and a much enhanced environment throughout the area.
The project, which is being delivered by a joint venture between Birse Civils and Birse Rail for Birmingham City Council, incorporates two major junctions and three highway structures, together with a bridge and aqueduct through the embankment that currently supports both a railway and the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.
Sensitive location
The scheme is situated in a brownfield area and the embankment provides an environmentally sensitive green corridor. Extensive surveys for contamination, invasive weeds, badgers and water voles were carried out by the Birse team before work started.
Early sustainability and value engineering workshops were also held to ensure the most appropriate materials, techniques and processes would be used wherever possible. The project team’s aim was to be as sustainable as possible by reducing site traffic movements and minimising waste. An innovative approach was taken wherever it would bring benefits to the project and its stakeholders. This has included accommodating the whole team in Birse’s ‘ECO cabins’ which feature double glazing, insulation, water saving devices, lights-on-occupancy sensors, timed heating as well as segregated recycling bins for office waste.
Sustainable earthworks strategy
The development of a sustainable earthworks strategy has maximised the use of site-won material. Wherever possible, any imported material is of a recycled nature such as the use of crushed demolition rubble and road planings to construct footpaths. The access ramps up to the canal and rail structures are reinforced with site demolition waste as fill, saving the import and export of around 7,000 tonnes of material.
Crushed tyre bales have been used extensively to build banks, ramps and dams during construction of the new railway and canal structures. The Birse team consulted with the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) to source a supplier. These bales have not only removed the dependence on primary aggregate raw material but also offered a sustainable option for the re-use of a great many waste tyres. When the project is complete, they will be shredded for exploitation as a heat fuel source. NISP also helped to locate ground glass as an aggregate replacement on the site.
Protecting water courses
Prior to the temporary diversion of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal to make way for the new aqueduct, a fish rescue operation took place to protect the waterway’s natural inhabitants.
Attenuation and spillage containment devices have also been put in to protect Bourn Brook which runs alongside the site.
Planning ahead
Beyond recycled and reclaimed materials, the project has implemented other innovative solutions. To provide site access across the canal during the work, a temporary lift bridge has been installed to minimise disruption to canal users. The design incorporates a recycled vehicle ramp – this removed the requirement to manufacture new products and reduced the amount of imported structural fill needed. The bridge can also be reused once the project is complete.
Tree clearance works were carefully planned so that larger trees could be used as baulks for demarcation and safety curbing on site. Smaller trees and brushwood have been converted into wood burner fuel for local causes, with the remainder chipped as mulch for site landscaping.
The project is currently gearing up for the installation of the 75m long railway bridge which will take place during a 100-hour possession over the Christmas period. This will see the 3,850 tonne structure moved into position using self-propelled modular transporters.
Of the many truisms of times past, two came readily to mind recently. One is that training was carried out in a hut ‘round the back of the offices’. It was delivered earnestly and competently, but in rather spartan surroundings. To soften the blow, there might be a kettle – but you’d have to share a mug. The other truism was that we used to have apprentices. They were part of the fabric of engineering and although they always seemed to be very young, they grew up rapidly to form successive generations of skilled engineers. Being ‘time served’ had real status. Somehow, along with the shared mugs, apprentices seemed to have vanished. What on earth was the industry thinking of?
But there has been a change. Leading UK public services provider Amey – a company with more than 11,000 staff – has joined the ranks of forward-looking companies that recognise the value of recruiting and progressing the careers of a new raft of apprentices.
The great and the good
The impressive Network Rail Training Centre at Walsall was the venue for the launch of Amey Apprenticeship Academy on 18th November. The warm and ultra modern interior of this fine building contrasted starkly with the murky and chilly weather outside. Distinguished guests included Lord Digby Jones of Birmingham – an active crossbencher in the House of Lords; Mel Ewell – Chief Executive of Amey; Bill Alexander – Network Rail’s apprenticeship manager and Gil Howarth of the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE). Also stepping in front of the TV cameras were five of Amey’s apprentices – Simon Townsend, Otto Phillips, Richard Leedham, Wayne Keggans and Jason Dunn (pictured above).
Bill Alexander opened proceedings by stating that the industry is aiming to recruit 1,300 additional apprentices to provide a solid skill base. “It’s about making young people employable and making an investment in a 30-year timescale.” Eyeballing the assembled apprentices, his advice to them was “Make the most of it!”
Mel Ewell, Chief Executive of Amey added, “We are extremely proud to launch the Amey Apprenticeship Academy and invest in young people, particularly at a time of economic uncertainty.”
“It is no secret that the engineering industry is experienceing a serious skills shortage. This programme is designed specifically to upskill young people, allowing them to progress long-term careers. The academy is also our way of giving something back, helping to invest in the communities we work in and creating the next generation of skilled professionals.”
Timeline overview
Amey’s scheme is designed to bring all their apprentices together to share experiences and best practice as well as promoting a coordinated approach to learning. It ensures that Amey trains apprentices in a way that is directly linked to the work delivered by the company. Most of them will be working on rail schemes but there is a particular focus on the CEFA (Civil Examinations Framework Agreement) contract. This involves inspecting assets on behalf of Network Rail, including its nationwide estate of bridges, viaducts, tunnels, culverts and the like.
Each individual scheme is programmed for completion in three years. The schedule is demanding. Following a period of familiarisation giving an overview of the work, the apprentice will undertake a training course looking at simple and complex structures, split between classroom tuition and a period of site training that allows skills to be practised. There are safety-related courses too, dealing with on-track safety and matters such as confined spaces and working at height. But the apprentice really learns the finer points of the job through site-based work experience overseen by a mentor. If this goes well, they will go forward to take a competence assessment – the gateway to the role of structures examiner.
Each individual three-year scheme prepares Amey's apprentice for the role of structures examiner
Finding a career path
Mel Ewell emphasised the value of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award which the apprentices undertake over 18 months – this includes the DofE’s skill section which at Amey involves the following modules: Managing Customers and Diversity, Introduction to Project Management and Presenting with Confidence. Apprentices also have to submit course work reports and presentations, as well as embarking on an expedition in line with DofE requirements.
The three years spent on the scheme will give the apprentices a firm footing into the industry and give them the full structures examiner qualification. It is also envisaged that it will whet their appetite for further development, therefore acting as a springboard to a career in civil engineering. A graduation day will close the course, when it is envisaged that the appropriate level of NVQ will be awarded to the apprentices, along with other awards for outstanding achievements.
Demand for skills
The availability of the scheme came as a relief to many seeking employment after graduating from university. Those with degrees in civil engineering thought that finding work wouldn’t be a problem. Of course it wasn’t when they began studying but gradually the wheels started to fall off the economy and the employment market changed dramatically. Simon Townsend, one of the apprentices, graduated in the summer. “Lots of my course mates did Masters degrees because there were no jobs.”
With the possibility of major projects like HS2 and Crossrail, skills will be in high demand. Lord Digby Jones observed that “The West Midlands has been challenged in this recession probably more than in previous downturns because of the shortage of skills.” Unemployment there has risen compared with a fall nationally, with young people being hardest hit. This apprenticeship scheme aims to create jobs by targeting areas where specific skills are in demand.
Gil Howarth of the NSARE applauded this commitment to recruiting talented young people and helping them fulfil their potential but added that, in the context of the overall industry, there is more work to be done to consolidate the skills base. But for now, Amey’s apprentices have exciting careers ahead of them. They must indeed “make the most of it!”
Whatever you might read in the papers, the rail industry has a first-rate reputation for safety. According to the Rail Safety & Standards Board, it is “1,500 times safer than motorcycling, over 500 times safer than walking and 30 times safer than travelling by car”. However, to maintain that standing, the industry must embrace new technology to stay at the forefront of passenger transport safety. Wheel measurement is not an issue in the public eye but that doesn’t make it any less important. It takes a significant amount of time to carry out wheel and brake disc measurements, as well as analysing the results.
As every engineer knows, each wheel has to be measured individually and this is, in many cases, still carried out manually with gauges. It’s normally a two-person job – one to measure, one to record the data – which can take several minutes for each wheel. And, where the wheelsets or brake discs are difficult to access, it can take even longer. On a standard 72-wheel vehicle, the whole process can take eight hours. Then there’s the need to accurately input the measurements on a computer for monitoring purposes. Again, this is time-consuming and prone to human error, potentially compromising accuracy and leaving the operating company open to risk.
A better process
Train operators are well aware of their safety responsibilities and the need to protect passengers, workforce and public. It is against this background that the Calipri Wheel system was developed by NextSense in Austria, a system for which Mechan became the sole supplier for the UK and Ireland in 2009. It is evident when you first trial the system that it was designed by a company that understands the problems associated with traditional measurement methods. NextSense has developed a system that provides a greater degree of accuracy, as well as a much simpler, quicker and more efficient process.
Calipri Wheel was designed to be as user-friendly as possible which is why it is popular with rail engineers internationally and is now starting to build its reputation here. One of the first priorities was to provide a system of automatic measurement, without the need for the engineer to make physical contact with the wheel or brake disk. This brings obvious benefits, making it much quicker and easier to take accurate measurements.
The system includes a laser sensor that can be moved by hand over the wheel or object to be measured. This takes about ten seconds during which it records segments of the wheel profile or object, and combines them to give an accurate picture of it. Also provided are acoustic feedback signals to support the user during the measurement process.
Calipri Wheel takes around ten seconds to record segments of a wheel profile
Driving efficiency
Feedback from the industry suggested that train operators were looking for technology that meant wheel and brake disc profiling could be carried out by a single operator, making more efficient use of each engineer’s time. With the Calipri system, as soon as the entire profile line of the wheel has been recorded, the data is evaluated and the resulting measurement values are visible on its display. Any cases of given tolerances being exceeded are revealed immediately. This keeps downtime to a minimum and there is no need for data to be entered manually for later analysis. The sophisticated software means that these measurements can be stored and reviewed at regular intervals; they become an important part of the ongoing repair and maintenance schedule.
As well as measuring wheelsets, this type of technology can be used for many other applications such as brake disc inspection, clearance of the rail wheels, wheel diameter and defects, as well as wear inspection of rails and point switches. To make analysis and visualisation of the wheel profile even easier, the systems also have the option of Calipri Explorer, which enables the creation of individual reports of this type.
Carrying lots of different equipment is another drawback of traditional measurement methods. There was a very real need in the market for a multifunctional handheld device that can be carried by a single operator. Any engineer knows that conditions in the depot or on-track mean that measuring equipment needs to be durable to last the course. As a result, Calipri Wheel comes in a robust hardtop case with a foam insert to ensure the equipment is not easily damaged.
The optoelectronic gauge records geometrical data for any complex-shaped object and can be individually tailored by Mechan to the needs of each user. This was particularly important for Irish Rail, Calipri Wheel’s first customer. The fact that Ireland’s network has a wider gauge than the UK’s meant that its requirements were completely bespoke.
In fact, the train operator has its own manufacturing facility for wheelsets to suit the very specific needs of its rolling stock. As well as Irish Rail, a number of Calipri Wheel units are out on trial with other leading train operators and there has been really positive feedback to this sophisticated method of measurement.
The Calipri Wheel system
Bringing benefits to Irish Rail
It was on Mechan’s stand at Innotrans that Irish Rail first came across the Calipri Wheel system. The train operator had been looking at different options for upgrading its existing system of manual measurement and analysis. Chief Mechanical Engineer Peter Smyth welcomed the opportunity to try out the system and was delighted by it. “The first thing that struck me was that it was easy to use and that’s vitally important for any technology if you want it to save time,” he said.
Due to the track gauge issue, Peter was looking for a system that could be used to ensure production accuracy at the very tight tolerances required in their wheelset production process. He was also looking for it to form part of their ongoing maintenance schedule. Once Irish Rail had evaluated and understood the benefits, it placed an order for two wheel profile, diameter and clearance systems, becoming the first train operator in the UK and Ireland to do so.
Irish Rail wanted a system that would radically update its approach, providing a greater level of measurement accuracy whilst saving their engineers time. The mechanical gauges that Irish Rail had previously used meant logging details manually and then taking them back to the office to be entered separately onto a computer. Peter estimates that the new automatic system will be at least four times quicker, saving several hours every month. He liked the fact that their engineers wouldn’t have to touch the wheel to measure it and the system’s durability – well-suited to depot and on-track conditions.
Irish Rail had looked at a number of other systems on the market but didn’t find anything that was as simple to use or that met their requirements quite as well. As it operates over 600 vehicles across Ireland from its Dublin base, its engineers will receive full training from Mechan on the system to ensure they can use it to its full potential.
“Wheel safety is vital and this innovative new system will provide us with a much more effective method of maintaining high safety standards,” continues Peter Smyth, “which will mean we can more easily record and monitor wheel profiles. Because we will also be using it in our manufacturing plant, it will further enhance our abilities to meet the tight tolerances required in the wheel production process.”
Passenger train maintenance depots come in all shapes and sizes and Doncaster-based Trackwork, a specialist track contractor, covers the complete spectrum. Maintaining, upgrading or building from new, the list of depots where the company has worked makes impressive reading. From large sites like Selhurst and Neville Hill to mini depots such as Machynlleth, Trackwork has built up a varied client base, offering a can-do approach on a national basis.
Our railway network is congested; so are the depots that support passenger operations. Most are hemmed in by running lines, boundary walls and urban development – miracles of fitting engineering quarts into pint-sized pots. To carry out track maintenance and small scale renewals, it is essential to work hand-in-glove with the supervisors and shunters who make the place work. The contractor who delivers a nice piece of track but compromises tight train maintenance schedules doesn’t get asked back! At even the most congested depots, a flexible approach and good working relationships with site colleagues gets the job done.
Logistical challenges
Delivering a major upgrade of a working depot firstly requires the client to know what he wants. Then he must think through the operational implications. Depots are miniature versions of the wider railway – a series of connected processes, all of which must interface smoothly for the overall job to go well. Inserting a new facility like a CET discharge, train washer, wheel lathe or shed extension takes careful planning. A lack of space may decide where it goes, but the consequential impact on shunting operations and train movements must be properly assessed. Similarly, introducing new passenger fleets, lengthening standard train formations or altering vehicle maintenance schedules can trigger a need for major alterations at the relevant depots.
Once the building blocks are in place, detailed design needs to be undertaken. As train sets get longer and extra facilities are squeezed into depots within a fixed boundary, the length available for the S&C tends to reduce. This can force the track designer to incorporate features such as tandem turnouts and double slips which require extra maintenance. Carrying out new works within a depot also offers the client the opportunity to renew life-expired track more cost-effectively than if it was done as a standalone item. Interfacing the new track design with the old when the layout is congested can be tricky, with a host of buried services and other obstructions to avoid.
Once designs are complete and approved, budgets signed off and contractors appointed, implementation planning can be done in detail. The client project team, depot operations staff, principal contractor and key subcontractors have to work together to produce a joined-up plan which delivers the job to the right quality, on time, within budget and with a minimal impact on depot operations. No problem there then!
Track work during the construction of Machynlleth depot
Site constraints
Even where all parties are collaborating and the principal contractor anticipated the job requirements well when bidding, implementing upgrade works within a functioning depot can be very taxing. Unrecorded buried obstacles, an unanticipated change to the depot workload or conflicting views on when operational areas can be made available are some of the potential problems to test the project manager’s resourcefulness.
Just getting the men, plant and materials to where they need to be can be a headache. Some old depots have height or length restrictions on access roads, complicating the delivery of major plant and materials. There is usually little room to store supplies next to the worksite; temporary level crossings or bridges may be required within the depot itself. When working on a confined site, planning the removal of used material can be just as important as scheduling delivery of the new. Although most established railway depots benefit from Permitted Development rights, this does not give the railway operator immunity from Local Authority enforcement action arising from a noise or dust nuisance. This can further complicate the scheduling of work on sites with housing nearby.
Upgrading operational depots while the ‘day job’ goes on around you is difficult, but new-build projects have their challenges too. The granting of external consents or the completion of enabling works might delay the start on site, although end-dates have a strange habit of remaining fixed! The project programme may have to be structured around the delivery of long-lead items like a wheel lathe, causing scheduling challenges and workload peaks for other disciplines. Trackwork project managers are adept at repeatedly reworking their plans to fit in with such pinch-points or critical path items. This can telescope the time available for track laying, which can often only be done late in the overall schedule. In fast-track projects, the installation contractor may not have had full visibility of scope, design and timing when bidding for the job so a flexible approach is essential.
Project portfolio
Trackwork has successfully tackled all these problems and more besides, delivering depot projects across the network. Simon Lee and the contracting team he leads are equally at home working as principal contractor or as a specialist track subcontractor. Indeed, they have built excellent relationships with several top-flight civil engineering firms.
Trackwork has been responsible for track installation on many flagship projects such as the upgrade at Selhurst, the new-build Central Rivers depot for Bombardier and both phases of the Etches Park redevelopment. However, all customers are important so a client with a small or medium-sized project gets an excellent service too!
As well as experienced planners and project managers, Simon’s team includes track design and signalling maintenance capabilities. In addition to ‘pure’ design work, they help clients by carrying out feasibility and optioneering studies. The company’s role as a major supplier of new and serviceable track materials also brings benefits. This, combined with Trackwork’s ability to dispose of used track materials – including creosoted sleepers (some of which are classified as hazardous waste) safely, legally and cost-effectively – means that the company can supply clients with an all-in, best value track service.
Track being installed at Blackpool's new tram depot
Ongoing maintenance
Trackwork provides an expert and cost-effective depot track maintenance service to many passenger operators, train builders and maintainers. Providing national coverage is useful to clients with depots spread far apart, like FirstGroup and London Midland. The company tailors the maintenance package to the operator’s requirements. Most sites receive a fortnightly inspection and preventative maintenance, with a written report following each visit. Occasional heavier maintenance can be tackled cost-effectively, while a 24-hour callout and derailment investigation can be part of the service too.
The company’s staff are trained to Network Rail standards and can call on expert technical support, along with additional plant and labour when needed. As well as the confidence that basic safety is assured, clients have a clear record of track condition and are offered a range of costed options for heavier maintenance or renewals. Just as with upgrade and new-build projects, the value offered by Trackwork is enhanced by its role as a major supplier of track materials.
Container shipper, DFDS, is one of the first to sign a contract with GBRf and Europorte Channel to haul a mixed goods multi-modal train from Daventry through the Channel Tunnel to France and then on to Novarro in Northern Italy. The train will initially run three days a week.
Since Group Eurotunnel acquired GB Railfreight (GBRf) for its Europorte subsidiary in May 2010, restructuring and contract negotiations have been running side by side.
John Smith, GB Railfreight Managing Director has now also been given responsibility for the management of Europorte Channel and has put in place a team, headed by Kevin Walker, Operations Director of Europorte Channel, supported by Neil Crossland, Commercial Director, who have taken on responsibility for developing rail freight services through the Channel Tunnel. The combination of GBRf and Europorte Channel means that the Group can now provide a one-stop shop for hauliers wishing to send goods by rail from the UK through the Channel Tunnel to France and beyond.
GBRf hauled the first train from Daventry to Dollands Moor with 66731, the first of the fleet to be branded with the new GBRf/Europorte logos. At Dollands Moor the loco was changed for Class 92 92028, now owned by Europorte Channel, and hauled through the Channel Tunnel to Frethun, France, at 120kph, overnight between Monday 10 January and Tuesday 11 January 2011.
Jacques Gounon, Chairman and Chief Executive of Groupe Eurotunnel SA, stated, “Bringing GB Railfreight into the Eurotunnel Group was intended to give us a foothold in the UK rail freight market and help us boost the growth of rail freight through the Channel Tunnel.
John Smith is the right person to drive this market for us and this first contract for GB Railfreight and Europorte Channel is just the start of what we can achieve.”
John Smith continued, “The combination of GB Railfreight and Europorte Channel gives us a fabulous opportunity to develop rail freight services between Great Britain and continental Europe. It is a huge market with great potential. The rail freight product offers so much to hauliers in terms of volumes, value for money and environmental benefits. GBRf’s well-known qualities of reliability, customer service and innovation are perfectly suited to this challenge”.
Crossrail has submitted its plans containing detailed designs for Bond Street station to Westminster City Council. The new Crossrail station will be integrated with the existing Tube station to form a combined station that will stretch from Hanover Square to Oxford Street.
The new Crossrail station and an upgraded Tube station will transform the Bond Street area and act as a catalyst for further investment securing the West End’s position as a premier shopping and entertainment destination and major employment centre.
The new Crossrail station, designed by architects John McAslan and Partners, will have entrances and ticket halls at Davies Street and Hanover Square. Over 155,000 passengers use the Tube station daily and with the arrival of Crossrail in 2018, passenger numbers are expected to increase to 225,000.
Main construction for Bond Street Crossrail station is due to get underway in 2011. The station will be constructed on five levels with the ticket halls at street level and designed in such a way to allow free flowing movement of passengers entering and exiting the station.
The design for Bond Street Crossrail station also makes provision for the early implementation of over site developments which will be the subject of separate planning applications.
Crossrail will cut journey times from the West End to many destinations, in some cases reducing them by half. Passengers will be able to reach Heathrow in 31 minutes, Canary Wharf in 12 minutes and Paddington in just 2 minutes. The Crossrail service at Bond Street station will be 24 trains per hour in each direction at peak times.
Julian Robinson, Crossrail’s Head of Station Design, said: “Bond Street will be one of the most important stations on the Crossrail route as it will provide access to the West End. Architects John McAslan and Partners have designed a station that not only meets the future needs of passengers but reflects the aspirations of the world’s most famous retail district. The station will also include an integrated commercial over site development above the new Crossrail ticket halls at Davies Street and Hanover Square providing the West End with additional retail and commercial space.”
The existing Tube station is also being extensively redeveloped. The £300m redevelopment of the Tube station, coupled with the new Crossrail station, will transform the Bond Street area and act as a catalyst for further investment securing the West End’s position as a premier shopping and entertainment destination and major employment centre.
The upgraded Bond Street Tube station will be step-free from the street to platform and have increased capacity with a new station entrance on the north side of Oxford Street on Marylebone Lane. This entrance also will provide direct below ground access to Crossrail services.
BBMV, an integrated London-based joint venture comprising Balfour Beatty, ALPINE BeMo Tunnelling, Morgan Sindall and VINCI Construction, announces today it has been awarded the £235 million Whitechapel and Liverpool Street Station Tunnels contract, as part of the Crossrail project.
Connecting the City and Canary Wharf, the West End and Heathrow Airport to commuter areas east and west of London, Crossrail is a major new rail link project designed to provide a world-class, affordable railway with high frequency, convenient and accessible services across the capital.
The Whitechapel and Liverpool Street Station Tunnels contract covers the construction of all station tunnels and associated works and forms an integral part of the wider project.
All four businesses in the BBMV joint venture have a solid record of delivering major infrastructure schemes in London and throughout the world and will jointly provide the full range of skills, resources and technical expertise required for this complex project.
John Edwards, BBMV’s bid director, said: “We are delighted to be awarded a prestigious Crossrail project. BBMV represents the best in the construction industry. This contract requires a team possessing not only the technical and resource capability, but also a comprehensive understanding of both the local issues and the requirements of the key stakeholders involved.”
Automating the visual inspection of rolling stock components at depots offers significant improvements to vehicle maintenance and its scheduling by helping to identify equipment degradation and significant fleet trends.
DeltaRail’s VIEW system offers a range of automatic procedures for the measurement of under-vehicle components such as brake blocks, wheel profiles and current collector shoes – all examined at depot speed. The system can be installed either in the service hall – usually at the end of the inspection pit – or at an exterior location that captures the maximum number of vehicles at the greatest frequency, such as the entry/exit to the depot.
Gathering the data
A typical installation comprises a combination of camera and laser equipment mounted beneath the track. As each train passes over, the leading wheelset triggers an advanced wheel sensor that initialises the system. The axles cause further sensors to activate image capture of the brake pads and wheel profiles, along with vehicle identification information by means of tags or image recognition. This is all stored on a trackside computer and processed to determine key parameters for each target component. This process continues as the train passes slowly over the site until all the images have been collected.
The measurements are downloaded automatically to the Information Display System (IDS) for analysis and trending. This includes the calculation of wear rates, predictions of component life, statistical reports on their history and the identification of components that no longer meet required standards. The IDS allows a user to view the measurement and wear rates of individual components to identify those that need attention and confirm the performance of components across vehicles, units and entire fleets. Information sheets for each vehicle can be generated and the data integrated into the depot management system to generate work cards and assist the management of stores.
The PadVIEW takes frequent measurements of brake pads
Cost and performance advantages
This approach brings many benefits. Both labour costs and turnaround times for inspections are reduced, bringing increased throughputs to existing depots and potentially smaller new-build sites. It can also preclude the need for inspection pits when vehicles are deployed with low floor-to-rail clearance.
Material cost savings of 20% are possible thanks to the reduced component usage that results for better trending and lower scrap limits. Basing maintenance decisions on accurate assessments of wheel, brake and shoe conditions – rather than subjective manual examinations – can allow fixed service intervals to be extended and some overhauls eliminated altogether.
The system brings with it the ability to achieve a higher inspection frequency across the fleet. For example, by ensuring that all braking components are working at an optimal level, the duty on individual wheelset components is more balanced, reducing the potential for accelerated degradation. Demonstrating performance against standards is assisted by the production of accurate statistical reports on fleet condition, enabling users to both maximise component life and flag up emerging issues at an early stage. This brings obvious safety benefits.
A typical VIEW system consists of two lasers and a number of cameras, measuring wheel profile, brake blocks and collector shoes. The equipment consists of –
• TreadVIEW, PadVIEW, BlockVIEW and ShoeVIEW hardware
• a trackside PC
• wheel sensors
• a visual automatic vehicle identification system.
Component roles
TreadVIEW has a laser for each rail that momentarily scans a segment of the passing wheels. Each laser has an associated camera to capture an image of the illuminated profile. The trackside computer then reconstructs the wheel profile segment.
Lasers measure the wheel profile as the vehicle passes by
The BlockVIEW hardware consists of two cameras and associated flash guns to capture images of both brake blocks on a passing axle. Software on the trackside computer identifies specific features of the block surroundings, so calculating the block thickness.
The ShoeVIEW hardware has cameras and flashes to take images of both positive and negative pick-up shoes. The PC is programmed to identify specific features of the shoe gear, enabling it to calculate the distances between them.
Chiltern Railways operates a PadVIEW system for measuring brake pad thickness on its Class 165 and Class 168 fleets at Wembley Depot. The system is installed at a wash plant where frequent measurements can be made at low speed. Upgrades are currently being made to extend use of the facility to Mk3 coaching stock.
Shields Depot in Glasgow is a busy place. Home to five classes of electric trains from the First ScotRail fleet, its 104 sets keep the workforce busy around the clock. Also here is ScotRail’s only wheel lathe so other classes often pay visits.
Properly known as Shields Electric Traction Depot, it is built on a diamond-shaped parcel of land on the south side of the Glasgow Central to Paisley line at Shields Junction, where the short spur to Corkerhill Depot and the Paisley Canal leaves the main line. Close to the site of the former Shields Road Station, it was opened by the then-Transport Minister Barbara Castle in 1967 to look after the Class 303 trains that were used on the Inverclyde services. The main shed was extended in 1980-81 to act as the base for the Advanced Passenger Train during its testing between Glasgow and London. The wheel lathe was updated in 1985 and replaced in 2009 as part of the current development.
Looking after classes 314, 318, 320, 322 and 334 uses all the available capacity at Shields so when Siemens was awarded the contract to supply 38 Class 380 trains for use in Ayrshire, something had to be done.
Traditionally, Siemens has undertaken all the servicing on its UK fleets at dedicated depots. However, in this case, it would have had to share the Shields site with the existing classes. So as not to lose the flexibility of being able to work on all types of train throughout the depot, ScotRail decided to do its own maintenance although Siemens was asked to fulfil the necessary upgrades to the depot facilities.
Site development
Plans were drawn up to build a second maintenance shed. The only available space was the location of the wheel lathe building so this would have to be removed. At the same time, the site’s various storage roads would be extended to accommodate longer trains.
Siemens came up with a three-road design for the new shed, similar to its existing Class 350 depot at Northampton. The design was therefore proven and Ken Docherty, First ScotRail’s fleet manager for the Class 380, could be satisfied that it would work. Stewart MacVicar was appointed as ScotRail’s manager for the project whilst Andy Morton from Mott MacDonald was brought in to oversee the construction phase.
Building the traincare shed
Contracts were signed in December 2008 and work started on site a month later. The first task was to build a completely new wheel lathe at the other end of the site, adjacent to the main access from the Corkerhill line. This was completed by November 2009 with an electronically-controlled Hegenscheidt bogie wheel lathe installed. The old lathe could only machine one wheelset at once.
Due to power supply limitations across the site, it wasn’t possible to run both the old and new lathes at the same time. So the new installation was tested using a generator supply and, when everyone was satisfied, the old lathe was turned off (it has since been returned to Network Rail for redeployment elsewhere) and the new one switched over to mains supply. As all this was taking place at the busiest time of the year – the middle of leaf-fall season – it was important that wheel lathe facilities were available at all times and this goal was achieved.
Four days later, the old building was no more, allowing work to start on the new maintenance shed. Time was of the essence as the Class 380s were due to enter passenger service in December 2010.
Construction arrangements
The wheel lathe facility, track and train shed are being built by Siemens who procured the major specialist equipment of wheel lathe, controlled emission toilet (CET) servicing equipment, depot personnel protection system, train jacks and bogie drop. The company’s project manager is Jim Double. Construction is subcontracted to Clough Smith Rail.
Before the new shed was built, work was underway to upgrade the three main roads that would run into it and extend the site’s storage sidings. At the same time, Border Rail carried out the associated OLE work.
ScotRail appointed Mott MacDonald to manage the project on its behalf. As Andy Morton explained, his company’s involvement brought added benefits. He explained that “Although we were there in the capacity of the client’s project manager, it meant that if any problem cropped up in almost any discipline, I had an expert available that I could bring in to solve it almost immediately.”
Facilities overview
The shed, which runs east-west with access from the western side, was soon up and the detailed fit-out could begin. The only slight delay was caused by ground conditions being worse than expected, requiring additional spoil to be removed.
The two northern roads are set up for light maintenance with pits down the centre. Although they terminate inside the building, the tracks actually run through the far wall beneath knock-out panels, with the buffer stops situated 5 metres beyond. For the last few metres, the rails are embedded in a flat work area so that supplies and heavy components can easily be moved from one track to the next. There is a hoist over each of these roads which can traverse the length of the shop, enabling the removal of roof-mounted air conditioning units.
The southern road is for heavy maintenance. It has a full set of Mechan jacks capable of lifting a complete train. This road does pass through the end wall so that any bogie can be positioned over the bogie drop, also supplied by Mechan and the only one in Scotland.
The Mechan jacks
As an electric depot with an overhead catenary system in a live default state, safety is of course paramount. A complete Zonegreen electronic depot protection system is installed to provide security for anyone working on top of a vehicle. The gates to all access steps and gantries are interlocked so it is impossible for a fitter to enter a danger zone while the overhead line is energised.
To the south side of the new shed are two floors of offices and parts storage facilities.
Staffing matters
While the building will be mainly used for the Class 380, others will come in from time to time, particularly to access the bogie drop. Similarly it won’t be unheard of for a 380 to be worked on within the old shed. For this reason, ScotRail will rotate maintenance staff between both buildings so that everyone is familiar with the whole fleet. Only the heavy road, with its bogie drop and associated jack, is considered a specialist area with its own dedicated team. Siemens will have around a dozen engineers based at the depot to advise ScotRail’s staff.
With some Class 380s already commissioning at Polmadie Depot – just two miles away on the West Coast Main Line – and stored at nearby Corkerhill, Shields has already had several sets into the old shed for training purposes. Everything is in good shape for the new facilities to be fully operational before the end of the year.
