Welcome Follow us on Twitter RailProMag@twitter SEPTEMBER 2012 ISSUE 185 £3.95
WWW.RAILPRO.CO.UK ISSUE 185 • SEPTEMBER 2012 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR RAIL
www.railpro.co.uk
How the west
was won First Great Western’s Mark Hopwood on how he got the franchise back on track
SHOW TIME !
Countdown to InnoTrans 2012 RAIL PROFESSIONAL SEPTEMBER
2012.indd 1
BRANSON PICKLE
Virgin loses West Coast 23/08/2012 09:53:04
PUBLISHER
RAIL PROFESSIONAL LTD Hallmark House, Downham Road, Ramsden Heath, Essex CM11 1PU. Tel : 02031 501 691
EDITOR
KATIE SILVESTER Tel: 01223 477426 (direct line)
editor@railpro.co.uk
ADVERTISING SALES
CHRISTIAN WILES
chris@railpro.co.uk DOUGLAS LEWIS
doug@railpro.co.uk
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
MILES JOHNSTONE
production@railpro.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS AMY HAMMOND
subscriptions@railpro.co.uk
Cover image: Rail Images Thanks also to Rail Images for photographic assistance in this issue.
Rail Professional welcomes contributions in the form of articles, photographs or letters, preferably by email. Original photographs may be submitted, but, while every care will be exercised, neither the editor nor the publisher take responsibility for loss of, or damage to, material sent. Submission of material to Rail Professional will be taken as permission for it to be published in the magazine. Published monthly
ISSN 1476-2196
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Comment & news
4 9
First takes West Coast contract; Grange-over-Sands and Thorpe Bay stations are refurbished
Pioneering partnership
An initiative has been launched by the Samaritans and Network Rail to support staff involved in railway suicides, which may even help to save lives
Train of thought Institution of Railway Operators
10 12
19 21
23 27
Readers’ letters: have your say about the rail industry and Rail Professional
Rail Professional interview
As First Great Western moves into the last year of its current franchise, managing director Mark Hopwood tells Katie Silvester about the work still to be done
In the passenger seat X-ray specs
Passenger Focus CEO Anthony Smith considers the one-sided nature of the customer complaints process, which leaves passengers feeling powerless
Delivering the goods
Funding for infrastructure improvements is a big step in the right direction, even if it does seem to be at odds with other freight policies, says Chris MacRae, rail freight policy manager at the Freight Transport Association
Show time
The countdown to InnoTrans begins. We take a look at what’s on offer at this essential show
Cool it! Recruitment
Engineers have been working out how to reduce temperatures on the London Underground system. Robert Hadfield explains
58
Find your next job here and online at
www.railpro.co.uk/recruitment
55 56 53
The increase in international rail freight has raised implications for security and taxation considerations as goods pass across international borders, says Andrew Goldsmith
Rolling stock
Eurotunnel awards new refurbishment contract; London sees record-breaking success during the Games
People
People news from East Midlands, MTR, Greater Anglia, CBS Outdoor UK, Houghton International and Network Rail.
46 49
Details of IRO area events for your diary. Plus, short courses available to book now
Making a fast buck
It is still not clear exactly how the new high speed rail line, HS2, would be funded. Anooj Oodit looks at the options
Business profiles
32 41
Aluminium Structures, AJC, Interfleet, JD Neuhaus, Johnson Bros (Oldham) & Selectaglaze
Going global
The director of UIC, the international association for railway companies, speaks to Ron Smith about what the organisation is currently doing to increase rail usage around the world
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