Finding another gear change

236 Pages·2016·43.77 MB·English

APRIL 2016 ISSUE 221 £4.95
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR RAIL www.railpro.co.uk
Finding another
gear change
Esther McVey, chair of the
British Transport Police
Authority, on the expansion of
partnership working
Visit us on Stand B02
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APRIL 2016 Issue 221 £4.95
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR RAIL www.railpro.co.uk
Finding another editor’s note
gear change
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Visit us on Stand B02
AI gNuFideR tAo tRheA shIoLw 2016 MCeUntSal THeOalMth EanRd TCraOnsMporEt SSu mFmIiRtST WFhRatA neNxtC?HISING
PuBLIsheR One of the most abiding negative events of my life was
being trapped in a Central line train in the mid-80’s.
RAIL PROFessIONAL LTD
Hallmark House, Downham Road, Absolutely packed, it came to a halt between Mile End
Ramsden Heath, Essex CM11 1PU and Bethnal Green for one and a half hours. Not a
Tel : [phone] single announcement was made until a vague apology
for the delay at Bethnal Green led us to believe all was solved. And
eDITORIAL
then it stopped again before Liverpool Street, for an equally long time
EDITOR and with no announcement. This was in the days when smoking was
LORNA sLADe allowed, and a stressed-looking man who unthinkingly pulled out a cigarette was stopped
[email protected]
in his tracks with a punch in the face from a fellow passenger, as there really was a distinct
ASSISTANT EDITOR
change in our ability to breath. It would serve no purpose to go into further detail, suffice to
DAVe sONGeR
say it was an unwelcome insight into how frail our psyches can be under pressure and without
[email protected]
a sense of control.
ADVeRTIsING The experience never quite left me, and shortly afterwards I can see now that I transferred
my upset at other issues onto my daily Tube journey, and it became a phobia. The dreaded
chRIsTIAN wILes
[email protected] experience of grounding to a halt in a tunnel heralded hyperventilation and then panic.
PATRIcK McDONNeLL Breathing techniques, Rescue Remedy, note making, were all I could do to make those
[email protected] journeys.
LYNDseY cAMPLIN Fast forward many years and things have changed on the Underground, but even now I
[email protected] can’t get on a deep line without a wide range of cognitive distortions attempting to accompany
me. I recently undertook some training under a consultant psychiatrist at The Priory, and
suBscRIPTIONs
without asking, transport came into the day: ‘of course in those with anxiety and depression,
BeN wARING the ability to travel on the Tube is one of the first things to go,’ he noted.
[email protected] We know the numbers – one in four of us will experience a mental health condition.
ADMINIsTRATION However to what extent can Toc’s be responsible for the mental wellbeing of their passengers?
There’s no doubting the rail environment can represent a challenge at best, the perfect storm
cheRIe NuGeNT at worst when things go wrong: trains will always stop in tunnels, crowds be overwhelming,
[email protected]
information confusing.
LIsA eTheRINGTON
But awareness is all, and every Toc has a duty to understand how the system it operates can
[email protected]
affect and exacerbate mental health problems and to train staff in how they can be sensitive
JODI PRessweLL
[email protected] to passengers’ needs. TfL is a leader in this area and in fact I witnessed an angel at Liverpool
Street recently, helping a mentally ill man onto the Circle line saying: ‘We’re here to help’.
DesIGN & PRODucTION However I’m told it wasn’t a walk in the park to get a response from Toc’s to the recent
MILes JOhNsTONe and much-welcome Mental Health and Transport Summit, and some that attended whom I
[email protected] approached for a feature or interview, including Philip Rutnam, have not replied. As well as
that the press office at the ORR had no clue as to whether the industry has a formal policy on
passengers with mental health conditions (if it did, could Toc’s be open to being sued?) and
Rail Professional welcomes didn’t revert to me. There is so much more to be done, and this is an area where enough can
contributions in the form of articles,
never be said to be done.
photographs or letters, preferably
by email. Original photographs may Reading the Shaw report reminded me of my interview with the RSSB’s Chris Fenton, who
be submitted, but, while every care ‘loves the challenge of making a system work and the interfaces that come up’. At the time I
will be exercised, neither the editor made a tongue in cheek comment that he seemed very fond of the word ‘interface’. But fans of
nor the publisher take responsibility
interfaces only need apply in a potentially even more complex future structure.
for loss of, or damage to, material
sent. Submission of material to On another note, we look forward to seeing you at stand B02 at Infrarail 2016!
Rail Professional will be taken as
permission for it to be published in Note before print: The terror and devastation wreaked in Brussels recently
the magazine.
brought a dilemma as to whether to mention my Tube experience for fear it
seemed inappropriate. However I wanted to highlight the value of the Mental
ISSN 1476-2196
© All rights reserved. Health and Transport Summit.
Lorna Slade Editor
No part of this magazine may be
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form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying,
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storage and retrieval system, without
prior permission in writing from Speciality Greases- making a point of being on time.
the copyright owners. The views
and opinions expressed in this www.klueber.com
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otherwise which may occur.
April 2016 Page 3
WWW.RAILPRO.CO.Uk ISSUE 221 • APRIL 2016
News
09 Railway suicide rates climb despite industry efforts; delays and attitude of staff
hold up satisfaction improvements, says ICS; sexual offence convictions down
on tube; potential u-turn at c2c; police should be based in former ticket offices,
says think tank; new freight strategy for Scotland; Railway Mission rides with
British Transport Police; Northern Line extension boring machines completed;
Virgin unveils new trains; Northern Power Women celebrate recognition; Still
fundamental problems in HS2 Ltd’s communications, say MP’s
Infrarail 2016
23 A guide to the exhibition and its features
Infrarail Business Profiles
37 A E Yates; Anderton Concrete; Cannon Technologies; Flexicon; HARTING;
Jointing Technologies; Rittal; Silver Fox; Tratos; Viztek
In the passenger seat
65 Think about the industry’s structure if that’s what it takes, but delivering a
service that meets passenger needs should come first, says David Sidebottom
Delivering the goods
69 Chris MacRae looks at the implications for freight of the Shaw Review
Laying down the law
73 Martin Fleetwood looks at the implications for Toc’s that haven’t met their
Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme obligations
Tweaking the tiger’s tail: will competition stir?
77 Is there a lack of competition in GB rail, and, if so, should anything be done
differently, asks Andrew Meaney
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Round the table are hundreds of years of experience and I guess what we’re
trying to do is be like the conductor of an orchestra, making sure everybody is
playing the symphony the best it can possibly be Interview - page 102
IRO News
97 News from the Institution of Railway Operators
Strength at the centre
99 Passengers numbers on public transport are decreasing in most UK cities – but
the shifting geography of UK jobs could change that trend, says Paul Swinney
Rail Professional Interview
102 Lorna Slade spoke to Esther McVey, new chair of the British Transport
Police Authority, about getting to know the organisation, partnership
working, her philosophy on hard work, and how she wants to encourage
girls to aspire to work in the industry
Always the best policy
110 Dave Songer reports from the Rail Way Forward Infrastructure Upgrades,
Investment and Passengers conference
The great North of England rail gamble Then and now
80 As new franchisees start to deliver on their promises of extra services, more 114 Andy Trotter reviews An Inspector Recalls: Memoirs of a Railway Detective,
capacity and new rolling stock, what are the likely costs and how is it all to be by Graham Satchwell
paid for?
Rallying cry
The light at the end of the tunnel
117 Why are so few executives from the transport sector seeking non-executive
85 Hidden amidst George Osborne’s seasonal bombshells is not quite the end of director roles, asks Matthew Roberts
Network Rail as we know it, but a transition in structure and form that could
change it forever, says Toby Ashong
Finally, real privatisation
89 The old arguments put forward by those opposed to more rail competition no
longer wash, says Tony Lodge
Women in Rail
92 Do men and women differ in leadership styles, asks Jodi Savage
Let’s get real
94 The best way to achieve an affordable, reliable and economically supportive
rail network is by increasing competitiveness between rail and other transport
modes, says Andrew Allen
RAIL PROFESSIONAL banner ads 2014 outline.indd 2 Ap13ri/0l 12/0201164 P a1g3:e1 55
WWW.RAILPRO.CO.Uk ISSUE 221 • APRIL 2016
Changing attitudes Twenty years of rail franchising
121 Is the rail industry back on track to improve customer service, asks Jo 143 Michael Schabas looks at how franchising has evolved, what it has
Causon delivered, and what may follow
Making a difference to a life Rail franchising in a time of reform
125 Anxiety UK‘s Laura Whitehurst reviews the Mental Health and Transport 147 Reviews of competition between rail operators and of Network Rail should
Summit stimulate new thinking about how we franchise rail services, says Nigel
Keohane
A call to action
Tracking the changing commuter
129 Mental Health Action Group’s Niki Glazier on why it is so important the
industry takes note of and implements the messages of the Mental Health 151 The growth of a new wave of long-distance rail users presents a huge
and Transport Summit opportunity for Toc’s and advertisers. So how best to engage them, asks Ian
Reynolds
Call them ‘guests’ and treat them like royalty
Right for the customer, right for the business
132 Ryan Flaherty explains why he thinks the Caledonian Sleeper isn’t a train
ride, it’s an escape, an overnight teleport from hubbub to Highlands 155 Laurie Bushe looks at transforming the passenger journey through
innovative design
Providing a choice
Keeping road safety on track
136 Adam Piddington looks at the customer service initiatives that are driving a
change of culture at South West Trains 159 The management of work-related road risks is increasingly being prioritised
within the rail industry, says Richard Whitehead
Inspirational team
Business news
139 Abellio Greater Anglia describes the effects of its ‘Inspire’ customer service
programme 163 Hope Construction Materials; RVEL; Stadler; Loughborough University;
RRUKA; RSSB; Freyssinet; Houghton International; Express Rail Services;
telent; Transport Wireless Rail 2016; Iberian Rail Development and
Scandinavian Rail Development conferences
Business profiles
170 Accon UK; ArchOver; Aspin Group; BAPP; Cable Jointing Services;
Cintec International; Crowle Wharf Engineers; DILAX Systems; Executive
Compass; Forbo Flooring; Freshwater UK; Fugro RailData; Furrer+Frey;
GEORG; MGF; MRS Training and Rescue; NuApsect; Prōject; ProtectHear;
REO (UK); RPS Group; Sec2 Security; Spectrum; Star Fasteners; Steel
Line; STEGO; Stemmer Imaging; Street Crane; Triscan Systems; University
of Warwick; URETEK
People
234 Kevin Murgatroyd; Graham Goswell; Phil White; Garry Watts; Phil White; Will
Whitehorn; Thomas Downs; Rob Phillips; Richard Allal; Rob Warnes; Allan
Chaplin; Andrea Jacobs; Sharon Keith; Liam Sumpter; Paul Barnfield; Mike
Paterson
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ONE TEAM: WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE SO HARD?
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Page 8 April 2016
for the latest news visit www.railpro.co.uk
Railway suicide rates climb
News in brief...
despite industry efforts
steepest fall
Virgin Trains East Coast had the
Railway suicide rates in England and Wales have risen since the year 2000 despite
biggest decline in performance
measures aimed at reducing them, researchers from the University of Bristol have warned.
for period 12 in 2015-16, latest From 2000 to 2013, the level of railway suicides, as a proportion of suicide in all persons,
Network Rail figures show, with increased from 3.5 to 4.9 per cent. This trend was mainly driven by increases in male railway
its PPM at 84.6 per cent from 93.5 suicides.
Dr kyla Thomas, from the School of Social and Community Medicine, led the study. She
per cent the previous year. Grand
said: ‘Although railway suicide is a relatively uncommon method of suicide, it is a highly
Central followed closely with an
lethal one. This continued rise in male railway suicide rates in England and Wales is extremely
8.2 per cent drop from 93.4 per worrying, particularly given the psychological trauma and high economic costs associated with
cent in 2014-15 to 84.3 per cent these deaths.
in 2015-16. Southeastern had an ‘Railway suicides cause significant and long-lasting psychological effects on friends,
relatives, witnesses, emergency personnel and especially on train drivers. Economically, each Uk
85 per cent PPM, a 5.7 per cent
railway suicide is estimated to cost around £61,000 in train delays and managing the incident.
drop from last year, and First Hull
The prevention of railway suicides is clearly a priority for the rail industry, and it has taken
had a 5 per cent drop to 85.6 per action on it.’
cent. Virgin Trains West Coast had In 2010, a Tackling Suicide on the Railways programme was launched as a joint initiative by
a shorter decline from a higher Network Rail, the Samaritans and other organisations including the British Transport Police
and train operators. It aimed to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in railway suicides from 2010 to
starting point, with its PPM
2015.
changing from 89.7 per cent in
Some of the programme’s measures included posters to increase public awareness of the
period 12 last year to 87 per cent Samaritans, training for rail staff in how to manage suicidal contacts, trauma support training
in 2015-16. for staff affected by railway suicide, and physical alterations such as mid-platform fencing at
railway stations.
Dr Thomas said: ‘Despite a £5 million investment, and all the right organisations being
Non-inclusive
involved, there is not much evidence that the programme has had a clear impact. As railway
Askar Sheibani, chairman of the
suicide rates in men increased by 31.3 per cent from 2010 to 2013, it is unlikely that the
Deeside Business Forum says the programme’s original target of a 20 per cent reduction in railway suicide from 2010 to 2015 will
government has failed the North have been achieved.’
Wales business community by Railway suicide in England and Wales 2000–2013: a time-trends analysis by Anna k. Taylor, Duleeka
W. knipe and kyla H. Thomas in BMC Public Health (Open access)
keeping it disconnected from
Northern Powerhouse plans. 
‘The HS3 high speed rail link
Sexual offence convictions down on tube
connecting Manchester and Leeds,
for example, has been given the
The number of people convicted for sex them. ‘In many of these cases unless other
green light, yet it fails to make the
offences on the tube has fallen in the evidence exists we cannot deal with the
most of a potential connection to
past year, despite the high-profile Report It to offender.’
one of the most important regions Stop It campaign encouraging more victims to He continued: ‘While we use a variety of
in the UK – North Wales,’ he said. come forward. tactics to identify and arrest offenders there
Figures from British Transport Police show are more than four million passengers that
there were 129 sexual offences on the London use the Underground every day, and most
The right track
Underground network in 2015. But of those offenders are not known to police for this type
GB Railfreight has called on the
reports, just 32 led to a conviction – a 40 per of behaviour.
government to ensure the right cent drop on the rate for the previous year. ‘While BTP is not directly responsible for
configuration of track is in place In 2014, 132 crimes were reported to police the decision of the courts to convict a suspect
before proceeding with planned but 54 people were convicted of the offences. of an offence, prosecutions will always be
BTP’s superintendent Chris Horton, more successful when reports are made early
Trans-Pennine electrification. MD
who described the decrease as ‘marginal’, said and can be verified with witness statements
John Smith said: ‘We welcome
making it easier for victims to report offences and CCTV, although these are not always
government plans to invest in has led to a ‘dramatic increase’ in the number available.’
east-west connectivity in the of investigations. In January, police statistics revealed that
North. However, there is currently ‘These investigations can take time and the vast majority of sex offences on the Tube
often involve extensive CCTV and forensic happen during rush hour.
suppressed demand to move
investigations before a person can be identified
freight by rail because we can’t
and an arrest made. Our primary focus is
get enough paths across the always with supporting the victim through the
Pennines. It is vital that specific process.’
track investment is prioritised to Another factor, said Horton, is that while
the number of victims reporting sexual
support the growth of rail freight.’
offences has gone up, so too has the number
that do not wish to support a prosecution, as
the incident can often be very traumatic for
April 2016 Page 9
for the latest news visit www.railpro.co.uk
Delays and attitude of
News in brief...
staff hold up satisfaction
improvements says ICS
setting in the east
Stagecoach was a top faller in
the FTSE 250 recently by 4.5pc Customers are more satisfied with organisations in the transport sector than
after HSBC downgraded its stock they have been since January 2013, but reliability, the attitude of customer-facing
to ‘reduce’ from ‘hold’. The bank staff and complaints are causing serious delays to further improvements, according to
the Institute of Customer Service (ICS).
blamed a particular slowdown in
The ICS’s latest Uk Customer Satisfaction Index (UkCSI) has revealed that even
the rail business on changes in
though the transport sector shows signs of improvement in almost every metric, it
passengers’ travel patterns. ‘And remains in tenth place out of the thirteen sectors measured. The best performing
the part that we worry about most,’ transport organisation, the only one to appear in the Uk top 50 index for customer
it said, ‘is East Coast, a franchise satisfaction, is Virgin Atlantic, which is placed 14th in the index of all Uk companies.
Quality of service and punctuality are the two issues that cause most dissatisfaction
that was won on aggressive terms.
among customers, but staff attitude and competence are also in the top five most
We think that, just one year in,
common complaints. Customers gave members of staff working for transport
Stagecoach is already falling organisations a lower score than employees of any other sector for competence and
behind its targets.’ Stagecoach’s helpfulness.
growth is currently at 4 per cent The transport sector scored 73.5 points for customer satisfaction, up 1.2 points on
January 2015 but 3.5 points behind
versus HSBC’s 8 per cent target.
the Uk average in the ICS’s research.

Organisations in the transport sector
Off the books are among the most improved across
According to the Evening Standard, all sectors – including Abellio Greater
around 2,300 workers at Transport Anglia (up 6.2) (see page 121) and
Southeastern (up 5.9). Overall the
for London are being paid ‘off the
transport sector improved in 30 of the
books’ by setting themselves up as
35 metrics used to measure customer
one-man companies so they can satisfaction.
pay as little as 20 per cent tax. One of the new measurements
Lib Dem mayoral candidate in this year’s UkCSI reveals
organisations that ‘get it right
Caroline Pidgeon, said: ‘Four
first time’ have far higher levels of
years ago Whitehall woke up to
customer satisfaction, however nearly
the fact it was rarely acceptable one in five customers (18.2 percent)
to let civil servants avoid tax and say transport organisations fail to do
NI through the use of personal this.
When customers have to make
service companies. In contrast,
a complaint the most common
under Boris Johnson we have
responses from members of staff
seen a rapid increase in numbers are negative. They are likely to
of TfL employees using these either make excuses (32 per cent) or seem uninterested (30.7 per cent). More than a
arrangements. That is shameful.’ Tfl third (34.4 per cent) of customers were forced to escalate their complaint, a lower
proportion than the UkCSI average, and the same proportion of complaints (33.3 per
boss Mike Brown told the London
cent) remains unresolved.
Assembly that it needed to ‘sort
Through analysing the experiences of 1,500 consumers the UkCSI identified that,
out’ the issue. in the three months up to January 2016, the number of complaints in the transport
sector increased to 15.4 percent from 14.9 percent. On a positive note however,
Parting of the ways satisfaction with the way complaints were dealt with remains stable and the speed of
resolving problems is improving slightly.
Nexus will not extend DB Regio
There is still a ‘worryingly’ large proportion of people that experience a problem
Tyne and Wear Ltd’s contract to run
with a transport organisation that decide against reporting it (36.2 per cent), with the
the Metro and instead is seeking majority of those (65.9 per cent) doing so because they are convinced it will make no
endorsement from the North East difference.
Combined Authority to manage Jo Causon, CEO of the Institute of Customer Service said: ‘Improvements are being
made but there is still some distance to go, as the transport sector still underperforms
operations directly for two years
compared to the Uk average. While reliability might be one of the more difficult
from April 2017. A statement said:
items to manage in this sector, supporting and improving the skills of employees
‘Both Nexus and the operator... and reviewing the complaints procedure is not. These are key areas that transport
are dissatisfied with the structure organisations need to work on and are considered as ‘hygiene factors’ in the best
and the financial and operational performing sectors – skills that are basic requirements in any business.
‘Leaders of organisations in this sector must find new ways to motivate, engage and
performance of the current
empower their staff if they are to deliver real and sustained progress. These are areas
that can be improved effectively with the right culture and focus from the leadership
teams.’
Page 10 April 2016