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Scottish Area
Presentation on the Paisley Canal Electrification project Project managers Crawford Johnston and Ameet Juttla of engineering consultants URS presented on the recent electrification of the Paisley Canal line, which re-opened to passengers as a single line in 1990. Crawford and Ameet explained that
IRO Annual Members’ Lunch 2013
there were concerns over the use of diesels and whether they could be better used elsewhere, including the fact that they struggled to meet the tight performance requirements of the timetable. Studies had suggested a cost of up to
£28 million for electrification, but a new radical approach brought the capital cost down to £12 million and a project team was set up.
26 weeks were allowed from award of
contract to completion and as part of that, design approval periods were reduced. This project involved extended weekend and mid-week working and a nine-day blockade. During the disruption, First ScotRail waived compensation on short- term blockages and First Bus accepted rail tickets. Permission was gained to have the overhead wires at the lowest height possible. Thus, parapet work was only required at bridges, with track being lowered at three of them. There were 200 new masts and 8.8km of new electric route. Other civil engineering work included drainage and adjustment to platforms affected by track lowering. The work was carried out with the local authority to minimise disruption to residents.
The EMU’s now in service create less
noise and vibration, less wear and tear on the track and are, as expected, proving better able to meet the timetable. Overall the scheme was a remarkable
example of the benefits of collaboration, in particular between URS, Babcock and the clients Network Rail and First ScotRail. It had been delivered 44 days after the first pile was driven at 57 per cent less cost than original budget forecasts. And, we are pleased to report, it also won an award.
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South West Area Visit to the Ministry of Defence railway at Bicester The IRO South West was invited to visit the Ministry of Defence railway at Bicester, located just off the single line before Bicester Town station. The aim was to provide a detailed overview of the MoD’s operation at Bicester, as well as an insight into its wider operations across the railway network. Attendees were treated to a trip aboard an observation coach which was pulled by an industrial loco across the site, which spans Ambrosden and Arncott villages and covers around 25 miles of track. They
Tickets – £47.00 per head
were shown how the site is operated and met the drivers, shunters and controllers responsible for movements.
Call: 01785 248113
Table of 10 – £470.00 per table (Ticket prices are inclusive of VAT @ 20%)
Our Annual Lunch for Members and Guests will be held at The Mermaid, Puddle Dock, London. On Friday 19th April 2013 from midday. Our guest speaker is the Rt. Hon. Simon Burns, Minister of State for Transport.
reviewed what might be deterring people, and took quite a radical step by cutting back on the price of the course to make it ultra-affordable for organisations and individuals who pay for themselves. ‘Other barriers to learning the IRO
The railway, first built in 1942, is operated by back-to-back radios with movement authority by line of sight. The site receives one rake of DB Schenker (DBS) operated wagons each day, the contents of which can range from parts for vehicles to frozen foods.
Visitors were able to alight at the
Valuable opportunities for members to learn and share knowledge
Your local IRO Area runs evenstes all year round. There are opportunities to see how others work, broaden your experiencae n and add to your professional development. V s t the website to find out more…
wwwrailwayoperators.co.uk
exchange sidings which connects the site to Bletchley single line, where DBS gains access in order to deliver its loads - a great opportunity to see first-hand how main line operations interact with the MoD. The site is operated by up to five locos and a team of eight members of staff (responsible for shunting, yard duties and cond manning) so that the interface with umber of open level crossings can be managed safely. The line speed is 15 mph, and several visitors had the opportunity to drive the Steelman under supervision. The IRO would like to
thank everyone at MoD rail for facilitating the day, and in particular Debara Thomas and Paul Stanley for making it happen.
South West Area: Modernising the Western Route – Swindon October 2012
Record numbers enrol on the Certificate course The IRO offers three levels of programmes which are accredited by the Glasgow Caledonian University. The Certificate is seen as the entry level and is open to anyone who went straight to work after school or those new to the rail industry. It takes just a year to complete and is a great way of gaining an overview of all aspects of railway operations. A record number of people enrolled on the Certificate last year, perhaps encouraged by the new price offered by the Institute. Fiona Tordoff, CEO, explained: ‘Our basic purpose is to help railway professionals make the most of themselves and their railway, so a lot of what we try to do is open up access to the widest number of people to the learning opportunities that suit them. We
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Download a booking form at:
www.railwayoperators.co.uk
has tried to resolve are to do with how people think about themselves in relation to formal learning. Under a scheme called Recognising Prior Learning, we show how it is possible to utilise work and life experiences to give weight to an application, so people who don’t think of themselves as ‘academic’ don’t have to.’ So how hard is the course once you’ve decided to go for it and worked out your money? Lynda Dixey, who started in October 2012 reports: ‘I’d been out of formal learning for more than 10 years and left school around 30 years ago. I have a busy job and family life so returning to learning was a bit of a shock – but in a good way. I’ve been to four Saturday tutorials in the six months and managed to submit all my work on time, so it can be done.” If you are interested in the Certificate,
Diploma or Degree courses, you can register your interest on the IRO website at
www.railwayoperators.co.uk/register/ or call us for a copy of the new brochure on 01785 248113.
The Operators’ Handbook The IRO has brought out a new publication written by a range of
operations professionals from across the country. The Operators’
Handbook will help professional operators at all levels develop and hone their skills in train operations management. Containing good practice guidance and tips, it is primarily based on heavy rail train operations in Great Britain. As such it covers the operational issues managed by Network Rail and Toc’s and Foc’s.
South West Area: Operations Experience Day – West Somerset Railway, Minehead October 2012
This book does more than establish minimum
competence levels – it describes what first class operational professionalism looks like and aims to push the boundaries of expertise within railway operations. The advice given will help an operator improve their knowledge of the ‘art’ of operations so they can focus on the right issues - crucial in the drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of train service delivery. Available in hard copy and e book formats at £35 and £20 respectively. IRO members receive discounted prices of £25 and £15 respectively which can be obtained when logging in through the IRO website: www.
railwayoperators.co.uk
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