Past events

IRO Midlands Area – Summer Visit 2008
By Colin Robey
On Saturday 14th June, 20 members visited the Severn Valley Railway where they were met by Nick Ralls, the General Manager.

We first visited the signal box at Kidderminster where members were able to see the workings of the terminus box and also hear of the mix of signalling systems that operate along the route.

Then we travelled up to Bridgnorth in company of the General Manager and Dewi Jones the Traffic Manager. Dewi pointed out where and what work had been carried out to the infrastructure to recover from the disastrous floods that hit the railway in June of last year. Seeing the degree of work that has been undertaken one cannot but be impressed as to how quickly the railway was up and running.

On arrival at Bridgnorth people enjoyed a guided tour of the motive power facilities seeing how the engines are stabled and maintained. This included the impressive ‘Boiler House’ and paint facilities where some of the group were reacquainted with Ivatt ‘Mogul’ 43106, the lone ‘Flying Pig’ in preservation. This was of particular interest to a number in the group as on the last visit, four years ago, the engine was in a very sorry state. It is hoped that following considerable work to the boiler and a completely rebuilt tender from the frames up, the locomotive will be steamed by December.

A very enjoyable day which left the more experienced members impressed with the professional attitude of the staff and gave the students an insight into a vertically integrated railway operation.

Our sincere thanks to Nick, Dewi and all of their colleagues.

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IRO Midlands Area trip on the New Measurement Train
7th May 2008
A party of eleven members from the Midlands Area took a journey from Crewe to London Euston to observe the work of the New Measurement Train (NMT) which is owned and operated by Network Rail.

Finding the train at Crewe was easy – it’s hard to miss an HST painted yellow from front to back even in a station as big as this. Once on board we were treated to an audio visual presentation on the work of Network Rail’s measuring team and the nature of the recording done by the NMT. This included viewing real time data traces and images captured by the train’s cameras and instruments on a large interactive plasma screen.

NMT was introduced in 2003 and consists of an HST set (two power cars plus five coaches normally). On our trip the third (hybrid) power car, created last year with match coach containing lithium ion rechargeable batteries, was part of the train set. The batteries provide motive power for moving the train off and are charged by regenerative braking. This power car is named Hayabusa, Japanese for falcon, reflecting back to an earlier pioneering product of one of the development partners, Brush Traction, the prototype Class 47 of the 1960s.

A visit to the control vehicle provided an opportunity to explore in more detail the on board systems. Track profile and geometry are measured and monitored on the move. If a serious fault is identified, the line can be blocked in a matter of minutes by on-board Technicians. Remedial works can then be carried out with accuracy because a GPS system indicates the exact location of the fault.

Of particular interest was the Cybernetix Ivoire high definition camera system. This takes continuous photographs of the track under the train. The clarity of the pictures is stunning, considering that they are taken at line speed we could see the rail, clips, sleepers and even individual pieces of ballast. A very bright light is used for this activity but at night it has occasionally caused problems for the NMT when reports have been made to signallers to stop the train because “sparks were seen coming from underneath it”.

Euston arrived all too soon and we alighted more appreciative of the efforts made to keep the railway safe and functioning at optimum performance. Thanks are due to our hosts, Gavin Panter and Justin Monk, for a very informative and interesting trip.

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IRO North East - Visit to Siemens Trans Pennine Express Depot York
6th May 2008
The latest IRO North East event saw 15 Members visit the Siemens Trans Pennine Express Depot in York. The depot, which was opened in May 2007, provides state of the art facilities for maintenance of the Siemens Class 185 operated by Trans Pennine Express. The depot is responsible for maintenance of 10 Class 185’s every night, which are the most reliable train in their category recording 25,489 miles per casualty in April 2008.

The group were walked and talked through the process of operating the depot by the Siemens team. When units arrive on depot they pass through the carriage washer, which can be adjusted to suit various body profiles, before proceeding to the fuelling shed where the controlled emission toilet tanks are also emptied, coolant replenished, sanders filled and windscreens washed. Trains then proceed to the stabling sidings or into the maintenance shed which can accommodate a single 185. This shed is used to undertake B exams on Class 185’s which are scheduled every 20,000 miles. The depot undertakes 25 exams per month, with up to 7 exams delivered each week depending on work content, as well as undertaking routine work on the trains. The depot carries an extensive range of stores ranging from brake pads to replacement seats. Members were extremely impressed by the computer system in place for assisting Team Members (incidentally there are 5 teams of 5 people based at the depot from various backgrounds including the RAF) in undertaking examinations which describes both the work content, parts and schematics.

Members were also shown the Depot Control room. The Depot is fully signalled and has motorised points (with indicators) which are controlled by the Supervisor. There are axle counters which are used for train detection on depot. Movements take place under the control of position light signals/ radio with trains being driven on the depot by Team Members. Blue lights flash to warn staff when a train is signalled into the fuel point, stabling sidings and maintenance shed The Class 185’s run on a single engine whilst on the depot to reduce noise – the whole depot is surrounded by fencing to reduce noise as well. Finally the group were shown the Depot protection arrangements which are fully computerised with staff inserting a key and the road number which they are working on into the depot protection system. Conventional Not to be Moved boards are also used to protect staff who are working.

The membership found the visit very informative and saw another important aspect of railway operations. Our thanks go to Siemens for organising the tour of the facility. Look out for further IRO North Events on the IRO Web Site.

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IRO North-West Members go Full Tilt on Pendolino Simulator
Wednesday 16th April saw over a dozen members of the IRO North-West Area visit the Class 390 Pendolino driver simulator in Crewe thanks to our host, Virgin Trains.
The group, which represented a variety of various railway organisations in the region enjoyed an evening with members of the Virgin Trains world class training and development team who showed them the capabilities of the most modern of training facilities.
Each member had the opportunity to take the Pendolino simulator controls; sitting in the driver's seat of the full scale replica cab they were able to run at full tilt along sections of the flagship West Coast route, driving their train as best they could while contending with a variety of everyday restrictions and some more unusual perturbations whilst the rest of the group looked on from the control room.
During an introductory talk the group was informed of the comprehensive driver training programme syllabus that Virgin Trains provides and about how current drivers' competence in out-of-course working is regularly assessed, as well as how railway simulator technology has advanced in recent years to become a vital tool in the training and development of drivers today.
Our gratitude goes to Virgin Trains Driver Trainers Martin Thomason and Christopher Leedham for hosting us on what was a most enjoyable visit, as well as to Brett Hobson, Fleet Planner for Virgin Trains, who helped organise the event.

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The planning of future rail operations in West Yorkshire
On 4th March 2008, members and guests were given an entertaining and informative talk titled ‘The planning of future rail operations in West Yorkshire’. This was a talk with a difference for the North East area, in that 3 speakers presented on the subject and gave an insight into the whole process, from the inception of the idea through to the planning process and culminating with the delivery of the product.
The speakers were Stuart Rands, Client and Stakeholder Manager, Northern; John Oxley, WYPTE and Phil Thickett MIRO, Area Operations Manager, West and North Yorkshire, Northern.
The talk described the challenges facing the West Yorkshire rail network and the huge rise in passenger use in recent years. The funding of network and service development was described and this gave a valuable insight into the commercial element of rail operations. Working in partnership was a key theme from each speaker as they described how greater benefits can be realised through effective relationships and performance management. The challenges facing operations were explored including the maintenance and train planning difficulties along with longer trains actually using short platforms.
The venue of the NRM provided members and guests to have a privileged ‘behind the scenes’ look at some of the restoration work taking place, including work on the ‘Flying Scotsman’.
Thanks go to each of the speakers for providing an informative presentation and also to the NRM for their hospitality.

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The Young Professionals Visit to the Docklands Light Railway
In 1987 a transport revolution occurred in London, yet few imagined just what it would become. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) opened as the first driverless railway in the UK, costing £77 million and primarily constructed as the key transport mode for the London Docklands and surrounding regeneration. The DLR has since built on its success and extended to Bank, Beckton, Lewisham, and most recently, London City Airport.
Attendees on a recent IRO Young Professionals fieldtrip to the DLR were suitably impressed with the network’s operation and future plans for expansion. In 21 years, the DLR fleet has increased from 11 to 94 vehicles and built 23 fully accessible stations, whilst keeping both fleet reliability and customer satisfaction remarkably high.
The DLR was the first fully accessible rail network in the UK; however help is also at hand if needed. Customer Service Agents travel on all trains, performing ticket checks, providing customer assistance and, on occasions, manually driving the trains themselves if operational needs require.
When not being operated manually, the trains are controlled by an Automatic Train Control System, under supervision of the control centre at Poplar. Every train has its own onboard computer, which communicates constantly back to the central computer. In the event this communication fails, the train will come to a safe stop until the control centre at Poplar assesses the cause. Information is also transmitted to the train to control which side the doors should open, the route to be taken and the scheduled departure times.
During the visit, the complex setup of the control centre was explained, and a ride on one of the trains to London City Airport outlined the more technical aspects of the track, power sources and the onboard computers.
Despite the central computer operating the network by itself, all trains are fitted with a form of Automatic Train Protection. This system protects the trains from running too fast along sections of track, or coming too close to the preceding train. This coupled with the unique ‘moving block’ signalling system ensures the safety of the railway at all times, whilst being able to run an intense timetabled service.
Today, the DLR carries around 64 million people a year, with planned growth of at least an additional 16 million journeys by 2009. This planned growth is being accompanied by a whole host of changes to the DLR network, including additional route extensions either currently under construction or on the drawing board. The existing fleet of 94 vehicles have already been refurbished with an order for an additional 55 confirmed.
The extensions to Woolwich Arsenal, Stratford International and Dagenham Dock can only bring benefit to Londoners, providing new jobs, stimulating residential developments and of course, offering an efficient transport service.
Thanks go to Steve Halfet and Steve Whitley for their kind help in organising this event as well as Phil Sullivan, Young Professional member and Short Term Train Planning Manager for c2c rail, for writing this article.

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Report on the latest North East event by Chris Prior
On Thursday 17th January 2008, 11 members of IRO North East Area visited Wabtec at Doncaster for a talk on the refurbishment of InterCity 125 sets for National Express East Coast, Mark Kynman, Project Manager for Wabtec, gave the group an overview into the project, from the award of the contract, planning of the interior design, with the client, vehicle approval and the challenges of refurbishment of the first train set. The group then had the opportunity to see the various stages of the train refurbishment from the stripping out of the coaches, preparation, painting (viewing the first set to be painted in National Express livery by Wabtec), fitting out the new interiors and final testing. The Group learnt about the challenges of project management, including co-ordinating the vast number of new components and overhauled parts required to complete a set of 9 coaches. It showed how important good planning, providing interiors which are fit for the customer and operational railway are ˆ a very different side to railway operations. Our thanks go to Wabtec for organising and hosting the event. Please look out for future IRO North East Area events.

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Meeting of Midlands Section of IRO - Saturday 16th June 2007

IRO Midlands area summer visit 2007 by Julia Stanyard

The Midland Section of the Institution of Railway Operators held their annual summer visit at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley on Saturday 16th June.
Members and their families enjoyed an absorbing day travelling on the railway up to its connection with the national rail system at Pye Bridge Junction and then back to Swanwick Junction were the majority of the visitor facilities are centred, whilst dodging the showers!
On arrival our hosts gave us a guided tour of the exhibition signal box.  This was followed by a visit to the workshops of the Golden Valley narrow gauge railway, an absolute testament to the commitment of the volunteers who had moved 25,000 bricks to the site to build their workshops. They have created a light and airy workshop that boasts every facility, including a ‘wheel drop’, and the set up is perfect for displaying their impressive fleet of motive power.
Our next ‘testament’ was spotted when we visited the Midland railwaymen’s church, a corrugated iron structure built by the railwaymen of Westhouses and still used to solemnize services including funerals and the annual carol service.
After a substantial lunch in the ‘Johnson Diner’, it was on to the museum and workshop to see the work in progress along with the extensive diesel fleet on site.  Final stop was to visit the Princess Royal Trust in the West Shed. Here members were able to get close up to ‘Princess Margaret Rose’ and sit in the seats occupied by the Royal Family, Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower in the museums ‘royal coach’.
It really was a great day out and with the Country Park and Farm to visit an excellent venue for all the family.

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Meeting of Scottish Section of IRO - Tuesday 20th March 2007

The meeting was held in the Network Rail Boardroom, Buchanan House, Glasgow.
The speaker was Andy Barr MBE, Network Co-ordination Manager from London Underground. Andy has 40 years of experience and knowledge of railway operations, primarily on the Underground.
Andy commenced his talk by explaining that the railway has been a large part of his life, as well as that of his family, with his father, uncles and now both sons all having railway careers.
Andy described how the morning of the 7th July 2005 started as any other day, then at 08:50 more sinister reports started coming through to the control centre. The scale of the situation soon became clear, as 3 bombs exploded on trains at Edgware Road, Kings Cross and Russell Square. Andy took charge of the situation as the "Gold Commander", and gave an explanation of how the decision was taken to evacuate the entire London Underground network (over 250 stations), which took less than an hour, and had not happened since 1991. The impact that this had on alternative transport modes was highlighted and the difficulties of forensic examination and train recovery in the underground lines was discussed.
The presentation included dramatic images of the damage caused to train carriages and infrastructure by the explosions. Andy discussed the issues surrounding multiple site incidents, not least the volume of staff needed to make safety critical decisions at each site, as well as the pressure to resume services from external influences including government and business sectors.
Five key stages of business recovery were discussed, 1) managing the incident, 2) consequence management, 3) business recovery, 4) lessons learnt and 5) preparing for the future.
Andy gave an insight to the relationship between London Underground, the emergency services and other stakeholders, which had been built up previously with desk top exercises.
A short question and answer session then followed.
We would like to thank Andy for coming to Scotland and sharing his knowledge and experience with us.

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Meeting of Scottish Section of IRO Tuesday 28 November 2006

The meeting was held in the Network Rail Boardroom, Buchanan House, Glasgow.
The speakers were Derek Skingle and Steve Bradbury-Knight from Atkins Operations. Both Steve and Derek have wide experience in working on railways in the Asia – Pacific region.
Steve opened his talk with a brief rundown on his railway career to date from his days as a driver with London Underground to various training roles to working all over the Asia Pacific region on metro systems.
Steve then went on to describe the workings of a number of metro systems in the Far East and the different cultures in which they operate. The discipline of the drivers and the penalties for late running were also described.
Derek spoke about the challenges in building the new Taiwan high speed line. The line runs from the north to the south of the island through some very difficult terrain. Derek detailed some of the hazards faced by the project from earthquakes to poisonous snakes and different cultural attitudes to risk. Many of the issues were, of course, familiar to members of the audience; control of engineering work-sites, management of OHLE isolations and separation of trains and engineering work.
Derek also explained some of the cultural differences between Asia and Britain and how they impacted on the project.
Both speakers gave an insight to railway operations and explained the differences between Britain and Asia. However it was apparent that there are also many similarities.
We would like to thank Steve and Derek for coming to Scotland and sharing their railway experiences with us.

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