Category Archives: Rail Investment

Financial spin & contradictions from the anti Hs2 mob.

25 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Anti Hs2 mob, Economic illiteracy, Hs2, Hs2aa, Northern Powerhouse, Politics, Rail Investment, StopHs2, Uncategorized

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Today’s not been a good day for the anti hs2 campaign despite their high  expectations. For some reason they’d convinced themselves that there was trouble on the horizon for Hs2 and that the Autumn spending review might even see Hs2 cancelled as the Government ran out of money for investment.

For days they’d been circulating nonsense comparisons such as ‘defense spending or Hs2’ or  even ‘Police Officers or Hs2’. In the end the Chancellor made complete fools of them! Not only did he find new money for the armed forces and didn’t cut the police budget – he also confirmed extra money for transport investment including Trans-Pennine electrification and confirmed the Hs2 budget at £55.7bn in 2015 prices.

funding envelope

The poor anti Hs2 mob didn’t know how to respond. StopHs2’s Penny Gaines and Joe Rukin had been sitting by their keyboards, waiting to spin what they could, but found the cupboard was bare. They managed a few desultory tweets but Osborne had clearly wrong-footed them.

Once the news broke that the Hs2 budget had been adjusted they tried the usual daft spin to pretend that the budget for Hs2 is the same as the cost of Hs2. They were helped by one or two confused Journo’s who managed the same feat, so I must give credit to the BBC’s Paul Scoins (@paulscoins) who corrected a tweet when I pointed this out to him.

What wrong -footed the antis even more was the revelation that the updated budget also included the budget estimate for the Hs2 trains, meaning the increase was far smaller than they’d be trying to spin! What they’d failed to understand was the 2015 cost is simply the 2011 cost adjusted for inflation. Of course, if you’re going to adjust the Hs2 budget for inflation you also have to adjust the benefits of Hs2 by the same amount. Watch some of the antis really struggle with that little fact…

Meanwhile, in one of those wonderful ironies, whilst StopHs2 and a few other antis were trying to pretend that this is a real cost increase in Hs2, Hilary Wharf, a member of the other remaining anti Hs2 Group – Hs2aa – was with a group from Potter Row who were presenting their petition to the Hybrid Bill Committee. Wharf and Co are arguing for a fully bored tunnel under the Chilterns. Part of their argument was that the actual costs of tunnels can come in lower than initial budgets- a position in diametric opposition to their fellow travellers at StopHs2!

Worse was to come as details of Sir Peter Hendy’s report into Network Rail was released. This exposed the anti Hs2 mobs scaremongering on Hs2 sucking money from rail investment was complete nonsense. You can read the details on RAIL magazines website.

The fog.

04 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Hs2, Rail Investment, Rail PR, The fog

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It’s been less dramatic than the James Herbert novel of the same name but there’s no doubt the foggy weather that’s dominated much of the country this week has caused a few problems – especially for the airports. On Monday 10% of Heathrow flights were cancelled. Other airports were hit too. Driving wasn’t much fun either as visibility was slashed across the motorway network, leading to concerns about safety.

In contrast, the railways carried on pretty much regardless. I took the train from Halifax to London on Monday & for many parts of the journey my 125mph service ran to time or early. The same picture was true across the network.

Sadly, the railways publicity departments haven’t capitalised on this at all. This may be because they’re not exactly short of passengers as it is – but even so. The opportunity to stress the benefits of rail travel shouldn’t be missed.

A message I’ve been trying to get across is the fog shows how modern railway systems aren’t bothered by fog. Hs2 will be a good example. It will rely on in-cab signalling systems rather than lineside signalling (aka lights on poles).

fog signal

The benefits of a frequent high-speed, high-capacity rail line between our major cities that’s immune to fog is something to celebrate. It’s also a rather good argument to ensure that Hs1 and Hs2 are eventually linked to allow pan-European travel.

DDRf becomes Rail Forum East Midlands

03 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Claire Perry MP, Lilian Greenwood MP, Patrick McLouglin MP, Rail Investment, RFEM, Transport

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Derby & Derbyshire Rail Forum has rebranded itself Rail Forum East Midlands. The ‘new’ organisation held a very successful Parliamentary reception in the House of Commons yesterday which was hosted by Pauline Latham MP and attended by numerous companies from across the East Midlands. These included representatives of major employers like Alstom, Bombardier & Hs2 Ltd as well as SMEs like RVEL, Delta Rail and Icomera.

Guests heard some very positive speeches from politicians too. First up was the Under Secretary of State for Transport Claire Perry. She was upbeat about future investment & expansion in the UK rail industry, leaving the feeling the Chancellor’s forthcoming spending review holds no concerns for rail.

DG233185. Claire Perry MP. Rail Forum East Midlands. London. 2.11.15.

Nottingham MP and Shadow Transport Secretary Lilian Greenwood spoke afterwards, praising the value of rail to the East Midlands economy. She gave no comfort to the anti Hs2 campaign when she mentioned Labour’s (and her) continuing support for building the line.

DG233210. Lilian Greenwood MP. Rail Forum East Midlands. London. 2.11.15.

The final speech was delivered by Transport Minister Patrick McLoughlin. He mentioned how once a Transport Minister mostly spoke about roads but now talks mostly about rail. But it wasn’t just talk. He also confirmed that Porterbrook leasing were to invest in another 20 four-car Class 387 trains from Bombardier in Derby. You can find Porterbrook’s press release on the deal here.

DG233256. Patrick McLoughlin MP. Rail Forum East Midlands. London. 2.11.15.

You can find a larger selection of pictures from the event by following this link.

The anti Hs2 mob plumb a new moral low to exploit steelworkers

19 Monday Oct 2015

Posted by in Anti Hs2 mob, Hs2, Hs2aa, Rail Investment, UK steel industry

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I thought the anti Hs2 campaign couldn’t find any more of the barrel-bottom to scrape but their cynical attempts to exploit the steelworkers has proved me wrong.

One might have thought a campaign to stop the biggest civil engineering and railway construction project in the UK and possibly Europe would have the integrity, morality and PR nous to steer clear from trying to link stopping Hs2 with saving UK steelworkers jobs – but this is the anti Hs2 mob we’re talking about. Morality & integrity went out of the window years ago…

First out of the traps was the main Chiltern Nimby group, Hs2aa with a tweet of such breathtaking stupidity it spawned this blog.

Obviously, they’re so ‘concerned’ about the UK steel industry they didn’t even realise Redcar isn’t the country’s last steelworks.

We’ve had a number of people jump on the bandwagon since then. Here’s a sample of some of their tweets.

DR Kate

bullivant

DD steel

So, what do a Bucks Doctor, A Devon Reiki Master and a Camden ‘activist’ have in common? Well, you can bet your bottom dollar it’s not the welfare & jobs of UK steelworkers. If they really were so bothered about steelworkers they’d be campaigning FOR Hs2 to be built and for the steel to do it to be produced in the UK – but hell will freeze over before they do that.

Their level of intellectual & moral bankruptcy says an awful lot about the anti Hs2 campaign – as does their efforts to defend their cynical exploitation of others misfortunes for personal or political reasons.

The sooner their increasingly unpleasant campaign is put out of its misery, the better.

The Chinese are coming, the Chinese are coming! (with apologies to Norman Jewison)

24 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by in Anti Hs2 mob, China, Hs2, Rail Investment

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Today’s news that Chancellor George Osborne is talking to the Chinese about investing in Hs2 has provoked the usual howls of outrage & borderline racism from those opposed to Hs2.

If you listened to them you’d think the Chinese were busy preparing an armada of ships loaded to the Gunwhales with coolies, bags of cement & rails – ready to set sail for the UK. On arrival they’d set up navvy camps like the Victorian railway builders of old, frightening the locals & laying waste to the countryside as they went.

Of course the truth is far more prosaic.

Osborne is after Chinese financial, not physical muscle (or bags of cement).

That said, the Chinese do have technical skills to offer too. After all, they’ve been building stuff around the world for quite some time now – including over 17,000km of high-speed railways in China itself. So, what could the Chinese offer? Well, they could become the financial backers of Joint Venture (JV) teams who are providing the skills to build Hs2, or Chinese firms could join some of those JVs. It’s also possible (but unlikely) that a purely Chinese JV could bid.

Many people don’t appreciate how international major civil engineering projects are nowadays – depending on the skills required. When High Speed 1 was being built some of the construction camps resembled the United Nations. One camp that was primarily involved in tunneling had a large contingent of Japanese. Why? because the Japanese had the best tunneling expertise! In contrast the UK has sent many skilled engineers abroad to build other people’s railways due to a lack of work in the UK. So, what comes around goes around.

You’ll find a more objective look at what bidding for contracts means from Construction Enquirer.

Still, why let the facts get in the way of hysteria & a bit of good old fashioned xenophobia eh?

For those confused by this blogs title, it refers to an excellent 1966 film about the hysteria caused in a small American town when a Russian submarine runs aground. It was directed by Norman Jewison. Anyone who has seen it will understand why it’s rather appropriate.

Plus ça change.

21 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by in GWML, Hs2, Network Rail, Rail electrification, Rail Investment

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I’m currently working for Network Rail around Bath, Bathampton & Box tunnel on the Great Western Mainline electrification scheme. It’s a fascinating job that vividly illustrates the problems of modernising a Victorian rail network – especially one that contains so many iconic and listed structures.I’ll blog about this in more detail, but for now I’ll share with you part of the site induction, which gives a historical & technical perspective on the famous Box Tunnel.

Box tunnel facts

I cracked a wry smile when I read the section on detractors & objectors & their doom-laden prophesies as this reminds me so much of the modern day opposition to Hs2. Plus ça change!

What was more sobering was reading about the death toll. 100. We may chafe at modern ‘elf & safety’ but on the railways it’s a vital component of everyday work.

Right, time to go and put that PPE on…

UPDATE:

For once, I’ve actually managed to get myself on the other side of the camera in Box tunnel. Thanks goes to my COSS, Joe Kensley for stepping up to the plate to get a decent pic in very difficult circumstances!

Beam me up Scottie! looking up one of the air shafts in the Box tunnel.

Beam me up Scottie! looking up one of the air shafts in the Box tunnel.

Time to go home..

31 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by in Desiro City, GTR, Rail Investment, Siemens, Thameslink

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It’s been a long day! I’ve spent most of the night/morning at the new Siemens/GTR depot at Three Bridges, waiting for the first of the new Desiro City’s to arrive from Germany via the Channel Tunnel. The set arrived at 02:19 this morning and myself and a video photographer were there to catch it.

DG219319

It was quite a moment. What most people don’t realise is that this is the culmination of many years hard work. Siemens were named preferred bidder for the trains way back in 2011.

Once the set was safely stabled we had a couple of hours to rest before the real work started. 700106 arrived split into three sections. In between the sections (and at each end) were barrier wagons used to provide the brake force to allow the train to move (and stop!). The whole lot had to be split & the sections moved into the main shed using the diesel loco which had brought the train in. Needless to say, this took quite some time & it wasn’t until after 9.00am that the first four cars were moved, gingerly, into the shed.

So, here’s what 5 years hard work looks like this morning.

DG219361

The first four cars of 700106 at rest on No6 road inside the shed. Believe it or not, but it only took 6 men to push this formation into place!

The first four cars of 700106 at rest on No6 road inside the shed. Believe it or not, but it only took 6 men to push this formation into place!

Now all that’s left to do is repeat the process 114 times over the next few years…

The show’s back on the road…

22 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by in Rail Investment

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After a rare three day break back at home I’m on the move again with this week’s activities firmly focussed on rail investment in the existing network (that’s the stuff the anti Hs2 mob constantly call for, then ignore when it’s happening because it destroys their argument). I’m currently relaxing on Grand Central’s 1038 to Kings Cross from Halifax. For folks like me in West Yorkshire, Grand Centrals trains are a godsend as they provide fast, direct access to London, and from there – the rest of the South-East. The only problem is the lack of paths on the east coast main line to develop the service further. I’m looking forward to the day Hs2 will help solve those capacity constraints. At the moment the 2018 East Coast timetable is a bunfight with competing interests between the VTEC franchise & existing open access operators, plus Alliance Rail and First Group.

Once in London I’ll be heading out to Kent on HS1 domestic services which will allow me to make the Journey to Rochester in just 36 mins. When I lived in London & had to take the train from Charing Cross it took an absolute age in comparison. The benefits Hs1 has brought to both London & Kent are undeniable – as is the further investment going into the Kent coast line. I’m visiting Rochester because the town is getting a brand new station costing £26m. Not only will this be closer to the centre of the town by 500m – it’ll also allow the operation of 12 car trains. Rochester is only one part of the east Kent resignalling scheme – a £145m investment that also encompasses work at Rainham & Strood stations.

On Wednesday I’ll be in Staffordshire to look at an even more ambitious project, the £250m Staffordshire area improvement programme (SAIP). The irony of this scheme is that it’s building a new railway through Staffs – just as Hs2 will, but protests have been minimal. Yet there’s little difference (apart from the line speed) between the two. Work that one out…

Thursday sees me back in London to catch upon developments in the capital, plus meet up with an old friend from Irish Railways (& probably a few other chums too).

On Friday it looks like I’ll be in Derby to have a look at another new project, so there’ll be plenty of new pictures for you to have a look at this week.

SWT Convert their Class 455 fleet to AC traction

21 Thursday May 2015

Posted by in Class 455, Engineering, Rail Investment, South West Trains

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Yesterday I visited South West Trains Wimbledon Park depot to see the second of their Class 455 fleet being converted to AC traction & hear Christian Roth, Engineering Director for South West Trains, who was on hand to talk about the reasons for the programme.

Converting the 91 strong fleet from DC to AC traction will cost £38m. It’s funded jointly by owners Porterbrook and the Department of Transport (with DfT stumping up a 3rd of the cost). The project has a number of aims & advantages, which are;

AC traction motors give the train regenerative braking capability saving £2m a year in electricity bills and lessening wear and tear on the braking equipment compared to pure friction braking.

They’ll have new Wheel Slip Protection (WSP) system which is based on modern, European Algorithms rather than the legacy BR system the 30yr old units have now. This will reduce wheel flats during the leaf fall season & help extend the exam period from 10,000 miles to 15,000 miles. The new A/c motors are also less prone to damage from snow ingress.

Christian explained that the cost of overhauling a Class 455 is around £150,000-£200,000, so extending that period by 1/3 on a 91 strong fleet is a not insignificant saving. It’s not hard to see that there are advantages to carrying out the conversion. But the most significant one isn’t to do with the 455s at all…

Extending the maintenance regime frees up space at Wimbledon Park allowing it to become home to SWTs next fleet – The 30×5 car Class 707 Desiro City trains from Siemens. This £210m investment is vital to tackle growth & overcrowding on the SW network. Without the space at Wimbledon Park a new depot would have been necessary, significantly altering the finances of the Class 707 project. After Christian’s briefing we went to inspect the second unit to be converted (5870) which was sitting inside the Inspection shed on 12 road. Here’s a look at the work.

Fitting the AC traction package to 62778 from 5870

Fitting the AC traction package to 62778 from 5870

AC traction motors installed in 62778s bogies

AC traction motors installed in 62778s bogies

AC traction control pack for 62778

AC traction control pack for 62778

High speed circuit breaker for 62778

High speed circuit breaker for 62778

The first unit to be converted (5732) was also done at Wimbledon Park (in exactly the same place) back in 2014. Here it is;

DG184054. First AC Class 455 conversion. Wimbledon Park depot. 30.6.14.

Right now 5732 is undergoing tests between Bournemouth & Weymouth. Once 5870 is completed (which is expected to be 19th June) it’ll also be sent to Bournemouth & the two trains will carry out further tests such as passing at speed & running as 8-cars.

Christian told us that the testing programme is going well with the equipment performing “better than expected”
Once testing is finished by the end of July the converted trains will enter service & free up others for the programme which will be carried out at the Arriva train depot at Eastleigh, starting at the end of August/ beginning of September. Three trains per week will be converted until the programme is complete in August 2016.
So, if you’re an aficianado of the 1930s designed English Electric EE507 traction motors, you’ve got little more than a year to hear these long serving beasts in action under the 455s…

Here’s another fan with the EE507s taken out of 5870;

Roger Ford & old friends...

Roger Ford & old friends…

A personal view of Railtex

16 Saturday May 2015

Posted by in Hitachi, Rail Investment, Railtex, Railways, Siemens

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Earlier this week I spent a couple of days at the Railtex trade trade fair at the NEC in Birmingham. In truth, I could have done with being there for all three days as the show had a record number of exhibitors and an awful lot to see & do – and people to talk to.

The event was opened by Network Rail Chairman Professor Richard Parry-Jones who delivered a keynote speech in which he talked about way technology is transforming lives (and railways), the cost of providing extra capacity & his worry that the industry is under-providing capacity for future demand. Afterwards he went ‘walk-about’ to visit some of the exhibitors such as Siemens, Hitachi and Derby based Rail Vehicle Engineering Ltd (RVEL).

Network Rail Chairman, Professor Richard Parry Jones chatting to Andy Lynch RVELs Managing Director on their stand at Railtex

Network Rail Chairman, Professor Richard Parry Jones chatting to RVEL Managing Director, Andy Lynch on their stand at Railtex

Meanwhile, the show was getting into full swing. The Chinese had a big presence this year with both CSR and CNR having large stands that must have kept Chinese model makers busy for months as both displayed huge numbers of product models – including CNRs high speed trains. On the CSR stand a signing ceremony was held to seal co-operation between the company & the universities of Birmingham, Southampton & Central London by forming the China-UK joint research & development centre for rail technology. In a statement, CSR said the centre would look at developing new technologies, new materials and new production processes.

DG213298. China - UK rail research co-operation agreement. Railtex 2015. 12.5.15.

Although they had separate stands, the two companies are merging to create the world’s largest railway equipment manufacturer. The merger should be complete by the end of the year.

Elsewhere, Hitachi were demonstrating their 3-D interior images and design theory of their ‘British Bullet train’ – a potential offering for Hs2. The design draws upon key influences from existing and influential rolling stock in the UK. Using these to look forward & address the needs of future passengers by providing a train that has the flexibility to grow and evolve with their needs. Take a look..

Sleek & stylish, the British bullet train from Hitachi.

Sleek & stylish, the British bullet train from Hitachi.

How standard class might look

How standard class might look

Could this be the 1st Class of the future?

Could this be the 1st Class of the future?

The Europeans had been busy too. Siemens had a large stand showcasing their impressive array of products, including Trains, signalling systems & power supplies. In a low key launch the company had slipped out a model of a new 125mph EMU for the UK market – the Desiro Verve. Siemens told me they’ll be doing an expanded launch for this train later in the year.

The new Desiro Verve.

The new Desiro Verve.

Of course Railtex wasn’t all about new trains. One of the strengths of the event is variety of exhibitors from the massive multinationals through to the small UK companies who supply equipment & expertise worldwide. Railtex is the ideal opportunity to check-out what they have to offer. It’s also a fantastic place to touch base with companies you already work with -and meet potential new ones. I ended up working for several at the event itself as well as arranging new business. At the end of day 1 the networking event allowed many of us to meet in an relaxed atmosphere over a drink & some snacks before heading off to more events – or take the weight off tired feet!

Day 2 began with another keynote address, this time by Alstom UK President  Terence Watson (wearing his Rail Supply Group Co-Chair’s hat). Terence spoke about the value of the rail supply chain, how big the world wide market is – and how small UK exports are at the moment compared to the likes of China & Germany.

Wednesday seemed far busier than the first day & I found myself tied up with visiting as many of my contacts, colleagues & friends as I could before I had to leave. This meant that I missed out on many of the interesting seminars that I’d wanted to listen to altough I did make time to get to the Hs2 update. Sadly, Prof McNaughton was double booked, so a change in the programme saw him replaced by Jon Kerby, Director of BIM at High Speed 2 who talked more generally about the strategic implementation of BIM & the development of a digital railway. I’d have loved to have made it to the Thameslink & Great Western route modernisation seminars too, but I ran out of time. Another day – hopefully…

From my personal perspective Railtex was a great success. Many others I talked to thought so too. I’ll certainly be back next time. One theme I was left with was the continued development of rail technology & the growth of high speed rail. What was on offer at Railtex shows just how uninformed & stupid Jeremy Paxman’s Financial Times rant about HS2 & HSR being ’19th century’ really is!

If you want to see more pictures of Railtex,follow this link to the gallery on my picture website;

http://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/p508759096