Paul Martin

Paul Martin is the Director General of The Railway Forum, which is the UK Railway industry’s trade body leading on a strategic policy issues and representing the industry to Government.
Paul’s career has included posts as Director General of the Timber Trade Federation and Chief Executive of the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation. He worked within Government at the Ministry of Defence and The Office of Water Services and with CBI Scotland.
He was educated at The Royal High School of Edinburgh and Edinburgh University. He served as an Edinburgh City Councillor for twelve years and as a Conservative Group Leader.

The Institution of Railway Operators and Glasgow Caledonian University are pleased to announce the introduction of a Foundation Course in Railway Operations. This certificate level course will precede the existing Diploma and Degree programmes and is aimed at people who may not have been long in the industry and/or do not have the experience to begin a University Diploma course. Successful completion of this course will give automatic entry on to the Diploma programme.
The new Foundation Course covers three generic modules that are part of any certificate course and these prepare a student for the academic approaches to learning. There are two specific railway modules and the final module is an end of course ­project. The railway modules are:

• A Background to Railway Operations
• Basic Railway Operations
These will be tutored by Donald MacPherson MIRO.

The other modules are:
• Personal and Professional Development
• Effective Learning
• Information and Communication Skills
• Work-based integrated Learning Project
These will be led by Tutors from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Each module will take 12–15 weeks to complete, and is run on the basis of distance learning, which means home study.

This course is designed for people within the rail industry or related consultancies and suppliers who wish to further their knowledge and academic qualifications and, possibly in the future, obtain a BSc Degree in Railway Operational Management. However there is no obligation to go beyond this certificate level.
The minimum qualifications to enter this course are as follows:
• 3 GCE AS level passes plus 2 GCSEs at Grade C or above
• 5 passes in Scottish Certificate of Education, of which 3 are at Higher level and 2 at Standard Grade 3 or above or 4 passes of which all are at Higher level
• A Group Award at Higher Level
• Irish leaving certificate 5 passes at Grade C or better at Higher level
• Pass in approved Access Course
• GSVQ/GNVQ level 3
• SVQ/NVQ level 3

However, Glasgow Caledonian University will also consider non-standard qualifications or Recognition of Prior Learning as equivalent to the above as long as these can be evidenced.

The pilot course is available in September 2008 and is open for up to 30 students. The fee is £2115.00 per student and is payable in advance to the IRO. Students must have already enrolled in the Institution at least at Affiliate level (which is free of charge to those employed by a company which is a corporate member of the Institution).
Application forms can be found on our website: www.railwayoperators.org under the Education section. Any questions about the Course can be addressed to our Education Programme Administrator, Mike Hill education@railwayoperators.org
The two railway-specific modules can be made available to employers for in-house training upon request for a small negotiable fee – please contact the Institution.

Key IRO appointment

Tricia Meade is to take on the full time role of IRO Training and Development Manager. At present working as a ­business consultant in safety and risk management Tricia, 46, is currently reading for the Institution’s Degree and sits on the Board as student representative.
Tricia is a business studies graduate of Liverpool John Moore University with experience gained during a broad-based and varied nine-year career in the human resources field. She recently obtained chartered member status with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and is nearing completion of her B.Sc. Degree at Glasgow Caledonian University in Railway Operational Management.
Keenly looking forward to her new role, which she took over on February 11, Tricia said: “It’s obviously going to be quite a challenging time. As an undergraduate student myself I have direct experience of the education ­programme. I completed the affiliate to associate course and am due to finish my degree shortly. Being the student representative on the IRO board I have been involved in negotiations for the renewal of the partnership agreement between the IRO and Glasgow Caledonian University. My role will be about driving forward the IRO strategy and where we want to go on the education side to develop the skills and professionalism of people in the rail industry.
Chris Daughton, IRO CEO, said: “This is a key appointment at a pivotal time in the Institution’s development. We extend a warm welcome to Tricia under whom I am confident our edu­cation programme will continue to flourish and grow.”

In February Tony Cousins, the Institution’s part-time education manager, handed over the educational reins to Tricia Meade our newly appointed full-time learning and development manager. Board member Tom Birch pays tribute to the significant and lasting contribution Tony has made to the development of the IRO.

The Institution certainly would not be where it is today without Tony’s many years of hard work, vigour and enthusiasm – qualities undiminished despite, in recent years, enduring health problems.
Although working on a part-time basis, Tony’s personal commitment to supporting and driving forward the development of the education programme was enormous, making himself available whenever needed. Always good company, he approached the job with passion and dogged tenacity seeing the formation of the education programme through from its early days, organising it to meet the many and varied requirements of the education committee. It was Tony who led the Institution’s representation during the complex process of ­academic accreditation with Glasgow Caledonian University.
Retired from British Rail when he joined us as part-time education ­manager, Tony had been closely involved, at HQ level, in management development with British Rail and later Railtrack. As a result he brought with him not only a wealth of experience but also an invaluable catalogue of contacts. We were most fortunate to have had the benefit of Tony’s qualities and capabilities to help us build the education programme.

A great day for the IRO

On 29th January 2008, six students completed their studies with Glasgow Caledonian University in railway operational management and graduated as follows:
 • BSc Degree – Ken Bott, Alastair Fyfe, Paul Le Vesconte
 • Diploma – Rob Ferguson, Richard Earey, Alex Fisher
The Chairman and Board of the Institution offer them their warmest congratulations and look forward to celebrating their success at the ­graduation ceremony later in the year.

Stagecoach Bursary
Stagecoach Light Rail are offering a bursary for one place at Glasgow Caledonian University on the new Foundation Course, to their employees at both Manchester and Sheffield who are IRO members. The selected ­candidate will be announced soon.

After serving two full terms on the Board of the Institution of Railway Operators Chris Leah stepped down as a Director and Chairman at the end of December 2007 becoming IRO Vice President. Derek Holmes, previously Deputy Chairman takes over the top role Derek said: “Chris has done a tremendous job taking the Institution from a vision to the influential organisation it is today. He has put the foundations in place that will serve many people in the industry in the future. It’s both a privilege and a challenge to take over the reins from Chris. His is a tough act to follow.”
A career railwayman with 38 years in the industry behind him Chris has worked through many changes and challenges. Starting in the clerical grades of British Rail his railway career culminated as Network Rail Group Board Director for Safety and Compliance. Any success that came his way, he says, were more often than not as a direct result of the support and professionalism of his colleagues.
With the help and support of Gordon Pettitt, former General Manager of British Rail’s Southern Region, Chris turned into reality an idea of an Institution for railway operational people that would keep alive the rail industry’s corporate operational professionalism and provide externally recognised qualifications for railway operators.
Paying tribute to the visionary thinking of the founding team Chris said: “Setting up and sustaining a professional institution is no mean feat. Now, seven years on, the IRO has more than 1,500 members, 120 undergraduates enrolled on its courses as well as a thriving and enthusiastic Young Professionals group. I believe that in the not-too-distant future operational job vacancy adverts will specify membership of the Institution of Railway Operators as an essential requirement.”

March 2008 marked the second anniversary of the IRO Young Professionals.

Largely the brainchild of current chairman Chris Loder, 26, and launched with the help of Tim Shoveller, as an arm of the IRO the Young Professionals group has since gone from strength to strength with attendance at events generally matching that of its launch event in 2006 when around 50 people gathered to hear guest speaker Mark Hopwood, a number that exceeded expectations.
Having launched in the South East Area the group is now poised for expansion across the country.
“September will see the launch of the Birmingham and North West Area,” said Chris. “Things are also developing in the North East and from the beginning of next year we will probably look at how we could expand in the South West as well as in Scotland. It’s has been a much greater success than I ever imagined with the number attending events remaining at the same level as at our first meeting.”
It was while seconded to Network Rail’s East Midlands Area that Chris recognised the need for a forum where station, train and signals management could talk together and exchange ideas to make operations run more effectively together.
He said: “I thought that was what we, as an Institution, needed to promote – both for tomorrow’s railway as well as for today’s. At the time it was quite a challenge to convince everyone that it was needed and was worthwhile. The attendance at our first event, which was just amazing, certainly proved it was!”
So just how young is a young professional? A sensitive topic in some ­quarters, Chris readily admits. “Basically we welcome anyone between 16 up and the late thirties. We don’t make a big thing of age, we are more than happy to welcome anyone who wants to come along. However, the focus is to cater more for people whose careers are in development.”
At the same time as continuing with its popular bi-monthly field trips, site visits and Christmas event some of the group’s informal networking sessions have developed further. “Now,” said Chris, “rather than an after work drink we tend to have dinner as a group four or five times a year plus our Christmas events etc.”
In professional life Chris is a senior manager with C2C Trains where he combines a senior management ­position with day-to-day operational responsibilities involving more than 240 staff.
Starting as a station assistant straight from school at the age of 17 Chris has reached senior management level after just nine years in the industry and without the benefit of a university degree.
He said: “There are many front line staff who have the potential to develop themselves into operational managers and future leaders. I hope that I have demonstrated that it’s possible to reach senior level without necessarily being a graduate.”
Chris intends to continue specialising in operations with the aim of one day becoming an Operations Director.

Spring Track
Engineering Seminar

Managing Traffic Changes seminar will take place on Thursday 8th May 2008 at Thinktank, Curzon Street, Birmingham. Registration 09.00–10.00 Seminar to start at 10.00–16.30 there will be a buffet lunch provided between 12.15–13.45.
The topic of the day will be Freight Traffic, Passenger Traffic, EWS, RCF Developments, An Operations Viewpoint. These seminars are widely respected in the Industry, always attracting a wide range of delegates. During the buffet lunch there will be ample time for networking with the speakers, other delegates and looking around the various exhibitors.
The cost of this event will be only £35 for Members. The booking form and more details will be available shortly on the website www.perminentwayinstitution.com

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.

Standing Order
– the way to pay

Paying your subscription by Standing Order is the ideal solution both for the IRO and for our members.
For members it means subscriptions are paid automatically – you don’t have to think about it, even if you are far away on business or holiday. For the Institution it saves money by keeping paperwork, postage etc to a minimum.
We recently changed our banking arrangements. The IRO account is now with Bank of Scotland.

Our account details are:
Sort Code: 12-24-82
Branch: Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh Branch,
600 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh
Account nr: 06563532
Account name: The Institution of Railway Operators.

To set up a Standing Order fill in the form printed below or click on the link to obtain an email version. If you have any questions please contact Claire Wickes at admin@railwayoperators.org

Speakers wanted!

From time to time, the Institution of Railway Operators is asked if it can provide speakers on operational subjects, sometimes at quite short notice. This might for instance be from the engineering-based bodies, to ensure that operational issues are not overlooked. The occasion might be a seminar or a conference.
Requests can of course come from other sources as well, but the IRO does not have a database of those who might be willing to speak on the Institution’s behalf. Would you like to be considered? This is an open ­invitation to IRO Members of any grade or affiliation to submit brief details of themselves and their areas of expertise, so that the IRO has a short list from which to draw.
It must be stressed that there is no guarantee of your being asked to speak, while any remuneration would be event specific and might be expenses only. But if you would wish to be considered for inclusion on the list, please write or e-mail Claire Wickes at P O Box 128, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 0UZ, or admin@railwayoperators.org

Corporate Contacts as at 1st March 2008

CORPORATE MEMBER

Southeastern
one’ Railway
First Great Western
Network Rail
EWS Railway
First Capital Connect
Southern Railway
Virgin Trains
Larnród Éireann
Eurostar
London Lines / c2c
Transport for London
Stagecoach Rail (includes SWT, Metrolink, Supertram and East Midlands Trains)
Northern Ireland Railways
First ScotRail
Arriva Trains Wales
Railnews
First TransPennine Express
RWA Rail
Gatwick Express
Parsons Brinckerhoff
ATOC
Mott Macdonald
Chiltern Railways
Centro

IRO CONTACT

Chris Leah
David Franks
Alison Forster
Derek Holmes
Mike Hogg
Andrew Haines
Chris Daughton
Tim Shoveller
Chris Leah
Alan Galley
David Franks
Chris Leah
Andy Morris
-
Jim Summers
Mike Hogg
Alan Galley
Chris Daughton
Andrew Haines
Tom Birch
David Franks until changeover
Chris Daughton
Chris Daughton
Colin Robey
Colin Robey
Colin Robey

Follow fashion – buy the tie

Our exclusive, distinctively designed IRO tie is available to members at just £10, postage & packing included.

To purchase your IRO tie please send your cheque for £10, made payable to The Institution of Railway Operators, to Claire Wickes, The Institution of Railway Operators, PO Box 128, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 OUZ, United Kingdom.