Andrew Haines, Managing Director of First Group’s Rail Division, has been appointed to the Board of the Institution of Railway Operators.
A strong supporter of the IRO and its aims right from the outset Andrew firmly believes it is fulfilling a fundamental need in professionalizing operations within the rail environment.
The IRO Diploma and Degree courses in particular, he says, are addressing that need. “Because of the way the industry is now structured, it has become increasingly difficult to gain the wide range of knowledge needed to become a rounded professional railway operator. Getting a good balance of operational experience is not easy to achieve. The role is often undervalued and perceived as something you could only do properly after many years’ experience; that can no longer apply in the 21st century business environment. These days you cannot wait 30 years for people to have the experience to become professional operators, although a good level of experience is still important. So the need for an organisation like the IRO is greater then ever.”
As a board member Andrew would like to see the corporate members having a fuller role in the Institution’s activities. “After all,” he said, “a great deal of our funding comes directly from the corporate members. Yet the relationship with companies, as opposed to individual members, is quite limited. Working more closely with companies would mean they and the IRO getting better value from each other. It would also ensure the Institution reflects the needs of businesses and that businesses are making the best use of their membership. For example: at First Group we are trying to integrate some of the IRO’s programmes into our graduate management-training scheme. I’m sure there is a great deal more that can be done on that front.”
Andrew also believes the Institution should widen its appeal to engage a wider audience. He said: “We need to ensure the IRO is seen as a strong, vital organisation with professional credibility likely to interest people and be seen as relevant to them. In the 21st century working environment time is a precious commodity and there is a danger of attracting only a small sub-group of the potential catchment to our events. In taking the message to a wider audience organisations such as the Young Professionals are doing a great job.”

Welcoming members and guests to our fifth Members’ Annual Lunch IRO Chairman Chris Leah said it was gratifying to see such a large attendance at the event, which had now become an important date in the industry calendar.
He extended a special welcome to guest speaker Ian Brown, Managing Director, London Rail, and Mike Jenkins of Parsons Brinckerhoff, the company sponsoring both the event and the recently launched essay competition, as well as to other corporate members.
Looking back over the past year Chris congratulated the IRO Young Professionals group on the first anniversary of its founding noting that the organisation had achieved remarkable success in a very short time – “well established, going well and something we need to spread nationally.”
Chris went on to express the Institution’s delight at having won the People Development category in the Railway Industry Innovation Awards and having been highly commended in the HSBC Rail Business Awards.
Other milestones, he said, have included a start on the establishment of the Foundation Course and the Continuous Professional Development programme. Another was the number of people on the IRO Degree and Diploma programmes was now nearing 100, a sure indication of their worth and value.
“We have also been invited to take part in a number of industry consultations such as the Grayling seminars and the DFT Vision 2035 work all of which is a further indication of the IRO’s growing reputation as one of the industry’s leading professional bodies.
”However, we do have a seven-year itch. With a relatively new board and a growing portfolio we felt it was time to take stock and look at where the Institution should focus for the future. So we held a ‘strategy away day’ at Redditch looking at all our activities, our strengths and weaknesses and the results of the diagnostic interviews. The output focused on membership, education, training and development, corporate membership and benefits, and the need to strengthen the work and support of our area councils. We now look forward to working with the area councils on a similar event.”
Guest speaker Ian Brown reminded the assembled company that both the Institution and Transport for London were founded in the same year and had both flourished in the intervening years.
He said there was a strong and continuing association between the two organisations, Jeff Ellis, General Manager now at Northern Line, is a current IRO Board Member and other LUL managers had been among the founding members.
The IRO, he said, was doing a great job in providing exciting and accredited opportunities for staff to increase their knowledge and skills. And, through the establishment of the IRO Young Professionals, had created a forum to engage with the future of the industry as well as the experts of today.
“As an increasingly important custodian of the railway operations sector we care passionately about the industry and look forward to working intimately with the IRO and other sector ambassadors gathered here today,” Ian concluded.
The IRO collected £1,260 for the Railway Benefit Fund charity. Thanks to all for this fantastic effort.

The Highly Commended accolade won by the IRO in the recent HSBC 2006 Rail Business Awards (RBA) was, coming from a panel of judges that included some of the most respected people in the rail industry, praise indeed.
The Institution was awarded the distinction for its undergraduate education programme in the Fraser Eagle Management Services Rail Supplier of the Year category of the Awards.
Numerous members of IRO were among more than 800 guests representing all parts of the railway industry, and which included Tom Harris, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Transport, at the RBA awards ceremony, which took place in February at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.
Chris Daughton, IRO Chief Executive, said: “It was the ‘railway Oscars night’; the good and the great assembled to honour those judged by their peers to have contributed something special to the industry in the preceding year. We are delighted to have been Highly Commended in such a prestigious awards programme.”
Chris continued by paying tribute to the hard work undertaken by Tom Birch and other members of the Education & Professional Development Committee.
He added: “None of this would have been possible without the support so readily given by the late Sir Alistair Morton, Chairman of the former Strategic Rail Authority, who also authorised a grant for the courses to be developed.”

Attaining the Highly Commended distinction complements the Institution’s achievement last year when the undergraduate education programme won the Anderselite Award for Innovation in People Development in the Railway Industry Innovation Awards.

All our Area events are listed on our website: www.railwayoperators.org and you are very welcome to attend events in your own or any other Area. Unless the listing says otherwise, you do not need to advise us that you intend to be there.

In a further forward step the IRO has launched a new membership grade specifically designed for students.
While many young people training as railway operators are, through their employer’s corporate membership,
entitled to free membership of the Institution students still in full time education have had no such route of entry or concessionary subscription.
This is now set to change with the introduction of a membership grade aimed at people still at college or university who maybe considering a career in the rail industry after graduation.
Student Membership will cost just £10 per year and also endows automatic membership of the Young Professionals without further form filling.
For their £10 student members will receive monthly editions of Rail Professional and Railnews as well as IRO’s own Bulletin and over 18s will be welcome at any IRO event.
IRO chief executive Chris Daughton said: “While they are not employed and remain in full-time education student members will effectively enjoy the same benefits as any other member at a fraction of the cost.
“In addition IRO student membership provides employers with a good indication of an individual’s commitment to pursue a career in the rail industry and is therefore a potential employee. A plus point on the CV.”
IRO’s Young Professionals group initiated the idea of a student membership grade. They felt there were a great many people in universities planning to go into transport who would benefit from an affordable IRO membership.
Young Professionals chairman Chris Loder is delighted with the development of the student membership grade and Is looking forward to welcoming would-be rail managers of the future Into the organisation.

We are still taking applications for Degree and Diploma Courses commencing 13th October 2007, and the closing date for all applicants is 27th July. Please note your paperwork and payment must both be submitted by this date to enable you to enrol with the final 2007 cohort of students.
If you miss the deadline you will be deferred until October 2008.
Tony Cousins, the Institution’s Education Manager said: “Demand
for the courses is high and you are advised to start the application process now. You must be a member of the Institution and need a membership number for your application to be progressed. If you are not a member you need to apply now.”
On 17th February, our 4th cohort of students commenced their Degree and Diploma studies with the IRO in conjunction with Glasgow Caledonian University, and there are now just under 100 students forging their way through the modules and projects. If you know of someone who would like to join them, starting in October 2007, please put them in touch with us and, if they are not already enrolled in the Institution, please encourage them to get their personal membership application in without delay (this applies equally to employees of corporate members who need their individual membership number before their course application can be considered).
Full details of how to become a member of the IRO and details of courses can be found on our website: www.railwayoperators.org.

The IRO Young Professionals recently marked their first anniversary of its founding. Rowland Stepney, the organisation’s Deputy Chairman looks back on the achievements of the past year.

From our inaugural seminar back in March 2006, we have gone from strength to strength with a sense of fresh optimism and genuine hope for the future.
We now have more than 60 YP members, this is a “win-win” for the IRO in totality. It’s very pleasing to see a diverse number of our members from all parts of the industry including TOCs, FOCs, Network Rail, Consultancies and London Underground.
The names of our speakers – Coucher, Hopwood, Haines to name but a few – clearly demonstrate the wholehearted support from the industry at large.
Our list of events has been very interesting and varied – from driving simulators and train care depots to signalling centres and riding the NR measurement train.
We are clearly becoming a vehicle for bringing the industry closer together. Through our networking events and other trips we’ve brought people together who would not otherwise
have had the opportunity to do so.
I think it’s also fair to say that we’ve surprised a few people with our success – the challenge now is to maintain this and build further.

We are currently taking orders for our newly designed ties.

We are about to place an order for a new IRO tie, and you are invited to pre-order by sending a cheque for £10 (incl. P&P), made payable to “The Institution of Railway Operators” to:

The Institution of Railway Operators
PO Box 128
BURGESS HILL
West Sussex RH15 0UZ

Our first tie was available to our first 1000 members only and, like the new one we are about to order, was designed and produced by Charnwood Ties. We will be placing the order in late July, for delivery in September/October, and all members are eligible to buy one, whatever your grade.

Competition time!

Are you a happy snapper?
As last year was so successful we would like to invite all IRO Members, Associates, Fellows and Affiliates to enter our photography competition. The theme is ‘21st Century Operational Railway’.
The winning 12 photographs will appear in the 2008 wall calendar. The overall winner from the 12 will receive a free ticket for the 2008 Members’ Lunch.

Need Inspiration?
We are looking for:
• A good balance of light rail or heavy rail, freight or
passenger, outside or inside shots.
• Scenic views (to make it an attractive calendar) showing a train or some track or other infrastructure to maintain the theme of ‘21st Century Operational Railway’.
• Stations.
• Operating or performance or safety work, showing the operational railway (main line, light rail, underground and tramways etc) at work.
• Signal boxes or trains/trams, inside or outside.
• Scenic landscapes with a railway feature (e.g. signal box, viaduct, stations).

All photos must be taken from a position of safety. Be careful and do not go anywhere that you are not entitled or qualified to be, whether on railway premises or otherwise.

The winners will be chosen on the basis of:
- Relevance to the operational railway theme
- Good composition
- Originality