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Talent and gender diversity in the rail sector

Guest writer Adam Razzell, head of transport and infrastructure at Advance Resource Managers, reflects on the diversity of talent in the rail industry and questions whether more needs to be done.


With an average staff turnover rate of just three percent (compared with the UK median rate of 13.6 percent), the UK’s rail sector has less experience than most of dealing with skills gaps – but its landscape is changing quickly.

An ideal time for reflection

Due to retirement alone, the industry is expected to lose as many as 50,000 workers by 2033 (from a total of around 240,000), most from operative roles. The futures of a further 15 percent – the workforce’s EU nationals – also remain uncertain because of Brexit.

Then there’s rising demand from passengers (in contrast with falling interest in bus and coach travel) and plans for a new era of high-speed rail infrastructure to create the need for even more staff.

As UK rail looks to steady itself for the future using a range of recruitment and training initiatives, we find ourselves at an ideal point to take stock of its current talent, and the diversity of that talent. Does its recruitment approach need to change drastically for a more secure future, or is it on the right track already?

A general snapshot of rail talent

According to Department for Transport data from December 2019, around 240,000 people work in the UK rail sector – 67.8 percent for rail infrastructure firms and 25.4 percent for train operators, the two biggest categories.

With salaries ranging from £16,000 up to £71,000, the average rail worker earns just over £35,500 per year, although this rises to £39,000 in London and falls just short of £32,000 in Scotland. Average salaries in all other areas of the UK sit between these two figures, meaning all are above the wider national median salary of £30,300.

Given rail’s low staff turnover rate, it’s unsurprising that almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of its workers have eight or more years of experience in their roles. Sixteen percent have between four and seven years of experience, and 20 percent have three years or less. And, while this implies that a retirement surge could cause serious issues, the amount of experience currently present in the sector does bode well for the Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT), a body set up in 2016 to address skills gaps and increase diversity across UK transport using apprenticeship programmes.

Gender representation in rail

The rail sector cannot avoid major skills shortage without diversifying its workforce – that’s something that Mike Brown, the recently departed Transport for London Commissioner and STAT chair, implied in STAT’s latest update report.

“A skilled workforce is vital to future economic success,” he said. “Quality training at all levels is fundamental and we need to broaden our talent pipeline if we are to drive productivity and innovation across the transport sector.”

Right now, the data shows a huge imbalance. Of its quarter-million employees (including those working in passenger services, freight operations and the wider supply chain), only 17 per cent are female. That falls to 13 per cent in the commercial rail workforce, and again to 12 per cent in signalling and design – both areas with significantly higher average salaries (£45,800 and £37,900 respectively).

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Both photo credits: Southeastern.

Some companies and regions are more diverse than others. Network Rail – by far the sector’s biggest employer – TFL and Southern Railway hold the most female talent, while London and the South East lead the list of regions. But more needs to be done.

What’s positive is that we are seeing action from some of the sector’s biggest operators. Southeastern and East Midlands Trains, for example, recently introduced anonymous candidate screening and targeted advertising campaigns in attempts to encourage more women to become train drivers. Southeastern is aiming for 40 percent of applicants for driver roles to be women by 2021 (from 4.5 percent in 2019), and East Midlands has already seen the number of female applicants double.

But skills gaps and underrepresentation aren’t challenges that employers can address individually – there needs to be an industry-wide shift. And, as the seemingly inevitable skills gap inches closer, it must happen quickly.

ORR review leads to 50% reduction in maximum fees for ticket refunds

New rules will mean that from 2 April the maximum fee that train operators and ticket retailers can charge when an unused rail ticket is refunded will be reduced from £10 to £5.

This reduction follows the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) review which found that of the 5.8 million refunded tickets in 2019/2020, there were notable differences between the cost of processing a refund – on average less than £5 – and the allowed maximum admin fee of £10.

ORR therefore called on the rail industry to review the level of the maximum cap on refund administration fees.

The new cap of £5 comes into force when the updated National Rail Conditions of Travel is published on 2 April.

Passengers will continue to be entitled to a fee-free refund if they choose not to, or are not able to, travel because their journey has been affected by delays or cancellation.

Stephanie Tobyn, ORR director of strategy, policy and reform, said: “The processing of refunds is now predominantly done digitally, which has resulted in lower administration costs. The results from our review provided industry with a clear action to make sure these savings are reflected in the refund fee, and we are pleased that the rule change will mean a fairer deal for passengers.”

Image credit: ORR

Cornwall public transport gets £50 million boost

Public transport links in Cornwall will be transformed thanks to £50 million of government investment to deliver the Mid-Cornwall Metro Scheme.

In a visit to Newquay Station on Wednesday 27 March, Transport Secretary Mark Harper met with local leaders including St Austell and Newquay MP Steve Double to discuss progress on the major improvement project that will better connect residents to employment, business and education opportunities.

Initial benefits of the scheme will be delivered as early as May next year and once complete in full by the end of 2025, it will offer a new hourly coast-to-coast train service between Cornwall’s largest urban areas – Newquay, St Austell, Truro and Falmouth.  

It will bring vital infrastructure enhancements along the Newquay rail line including a second platform at Newquay station and an additional ‘passing loop’ on the tracks to increase capacity and allow extra services to run.

Passengers travelling along the rail route will also benefit from modern, more convenient digital ticketing, allowing them to simply tap-in and tap-out, knowing they will always pay the best fare without needing to plan ahead or search for the right ticket.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “It’s very encouraging to see the momentum building behind the Mid-Cornwall Metro Scheme, an important project that’s part of our plan to improve local transport in Cornwall.

“Thanks to this government’s investment, passengers in Cornwall will experience a more frequent rail service that’s fit for the future.”

The scheme will also encourage walking and cycling by delivering active travel improvements in and around stations including new cycle parking, bike hire options, widened footpaths and better crossing points.

Delivered in partnership between Cornwall Council, Great Western Railway and Network Rail, the scheme will double the number of rail services between Newquay and Par, adding an extra 700,000 seats per year for passengers along the route.

Other improvements will include level crossing upgrades and signalling improvements to make rail services more reliable.

GWR Business Assurance Director Joe Graham said: “The improvement to Newquay that the Mid Cornwall Metro will bring will really enhance services, better connecting people with jobs, students with education services, and leisure opportunities for all – providing valuable support for the community and local economies.

“We continue to work with our industry partners to ensure we can deliver on these improvements in the future.”

Network Rail’s Western Route Director Marcus Jones added: “Our recently completed track and signalling upgrade in Devon and Cornwall has unlocked the door to the development of the Mid Cornwall Metro, which will help more people than ever before travel by train.

“Not only will the scheme provide coast-to-coast travel with an hourly direct train service connecting Newquay, Par, St Austell, Truro, Penryn and Falmouth, it will also improve safety and accessibility. Enabling easier travel by train will also help to cut congestion on our roads, reducing carbon emissions.
“We’re really looking forward to starting work later this year to deliver this exciting project with our partners at Cornwall Council and GWR.”

Image credit: Network Rail

Network Rail engineers prepare for £90 million investment over Easter bank holiday

Over 95% of Britain’s 10,000 miles of railway will be open for business this Easter – with some exceptions – as Network Rail engineers gear up for a £90 million programme of work over the long weekend aimed at improving the railway for passengers and freight businesses.

There’s never a good time to carry out these major pieces of work – such as replacing bridges or whole junctions – but unlike the roads, the railways are actually quieter over a long Bank Holiday weekend compared to a ‘normal long weekend, and gives us an opportunity to improve our railway whilst minimising disruption for passengers and freight users.

The majority of improvement work will actually be carried out overnight, but some bigger pieces of work need longer to complete and whilst most of the network will be open and unaffected, a handful of key routes will be impacted , and Network Rail is asking passengers to check their journey details before they travel.

Notable locations affected include:

  • Euston to Milton Keynes – this stretch of the West Coast Main Line will be closed over all four days for work to take place laying new track near Kensal Green tunnel, replacing a busy junction just south of Milton Keynes and preparing the railway for the opening of a massive new freight terminal at Northampton. All trains will start and finish at Milton Keynes between Good Friday (29 March) and Easter Monday (1 April) with rail replacement bus services connecting passengers with other main lines for onward travel from Bedford into London.
  • Glasgow – Work to renew tracks and points, which allow trains to cross from one track to another, will take place over a major junction between Glasgow Central and Cambuslang/Polmadie Depot. The work will mean changes to train times across the long weekend.
  • Huddersfield – Work continues on the Transpennine Route Upgrade, with new tracks being laid around the city and changes to trains on routes such as Sheffield to Leeds and all trains to Huddersfield itself.

Network Rail’s network strategy director, Lawrence Bowman, said: “We know how important Easter is for families and friends to catch up and we try to keep as much of the network open as possible. There’s never a good time to do the work we need to do but the four days of the bank holiday, when fewer people are travelling, give us the opportunity to do major work we couldn’t do in normal weekend. That’s projects such as renewing major junctions or relaying many miles of track.

“When we do close the railway, we do everything we can to get as much work into those closures as possible. We’ve got 493 different pieces of work taking place this Easter, most happening overnight, including laying over 8,000 metres of new rail and putting down over 40,000 tonnes of new ballast to support the tracks.

“We couldn’t do this without the support of passengers, freight users and our lineside neighbours, whose patience we don’t take for granted. Thank you.”

Image credit: Network Rail

East West Rail to hold drop-in events ahead of statutory consultation

East West Railway Company (EWR Co) has announced a series of information events in May to help people understand how the formal application process to build the railway works.

Nine information events will be held in May across the whole line of route between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.

These events are aimed at providing information about the statutory consultation process which will start in June. Details of the proposed design about the route will be shared when the statutory consultation begins.

During the last series of EWR community events held in November, people told us that they would like to learn more about the Development Consent Order (DCO) process and how they could get involved. These drop-in events aim to explain what the different stages of the DCO application are and how that process works. These sessions are not formal consultation events and there will be no specific design information or proposals available to view. However, that design information will of course be available at the statutory consultation where there will then be the opportunity to share feedback about our proposals.

Beth West, CEO, EWR Co, said: “EWR is a once in a generation opportunity that has the potential to positively impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of people by improving access to jobs, educational opportunities and public services.

“If you live or work around the line of the route and are not aware or unsure about the process for us getting consent to build the railway, I would encourage you to get involved and attend one of these events to find out more.”

The events are open to everyone and take place as follows:

  • Tuesday 7 May – Bedford Rowing Social Club, The Boathouse, Duck Mill Lane, Bedford, MK42 0AX, from 2pm-7pm.
  • Wednesday 8 May – Cutteslowe Pavilion Hall, Cutteslowe Park, Oxford, OX2 8ES, from 2pm-7pm.
  • Thursday 9 May – Weyland Hall, 8-10 North Street, Bicester, OX26 6ND, from 2pm-7pm.
  • Friday 10 May – South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, CB23 6EA, from 2pm-7pm.
  • Monday 20 May – Roxton Village Hall, High Street, Roxton, MK44 3EB, from 2pm-7pm.
  • Tuesday 21 May – St Philip’s Church Centre, 185 Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 3AN, from 2pm-7pm.
  • Wednesday 22 May – Comberton Village Hall, Green End, Comberton, CB23 7DY, from 2pm-7pm.
  • Thursday 23 May – Bletchley Masonic Centre, 263 Queensway, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK2 2BZ, from 2pm-7pm.
  • Friday 24 May – Marston Moreteyne Community Centre, Great Linns, Marston Moreteyne, MK4 0DD, from 2pm-7pm.

Image credit: East West Rail

Andrew Haines looks back on five years of CP6

As Control Period 6 (CP6) comes to a close on 31 March, Network Rail is taking a look back at the five-year funding period which started on 1 April 2019. During this time, the rail infrastructure manager has successfully delivered major rail upgrades across Great Britain to improve the railway for its passengers and freight users, while navigating unprecedented change inside and outside the railway.

Reflecting on the period, Chief Executive Andrew Haines, said: “The last five years has seen unprecedented change, not just at Network Rail, but across the world. Our railway kept essential workers and freight moving during the Covid pandemic, and of course we’re now faced with a different challenge – building passenger numbers back. We are doing that through putting passengers first and getting closer to our customers.

“We started that process right at the beginning of the period as Network Rail devolved into five regional business, themselves split into 14 routes, to better respond to, and work with, our train operating colleagues, the Welsh and Scottish Governments, combined and local authorities and funders. It put us in a strong position to respond to the enormous change that hit us with the pandemic, and gave us the flexibility to bounce back afterwards.

“Through those changes we delivered a safe and reliable railway for our passengers and freight customers throughout the pandemic, through the Queen’s platinum jubilee, her subsequent funeral and the King’s coronation, as well as for the Commonwealth Games and Eurovision.

“We also took control of costs when delivering upgrades and renewals – slashing the cost of electrification, with the Glasgow-Barrhead project, for example, delivered for under £64 million – and bringing in around £4 billion of efficiencies over the period. That’s a huge achievement and means we are able to begin Control Period 7 in a position to deliver far, far more for our money.

“Mixed with these successes, though, the period also sadly saw tragedy. We will never forget the tragic events at Carmont, Scotland, in August 2020. Following this, we have brought about a huge change in the way we approach managing and mitigating the impacts of extreme weather.

“Climate change is perhaps the biggest challenge we face and almost £3 billion of our Control Period 7 plan will go towards improving the resilience of our railway over the next five years.

“We also lost colleagues from Network Rail and our supply chain working on and around the railway, albeit at a much lower level than historically. We carry their memories with us as an example of how we can never be complacent and never stop trying to improve the way we work and make the railway safe.

“We began the control period with many working practices on tracks that would be familiar to our Victorian ancestors. We ended it having fundamentally changed the way we work, with a 99% reduction in putting workers out on the ‘live’ railway to act as lookouts. That change has come at significant cost and some short-term lost of productivity but it was the right thing to do.

“As CP6 draws to a close I also pay tribute to our enormous and diverse supply chain, from small SMEs to global players. We spend some £6 billion a year with our suppliers we require their help more than ever to create an efficient railway and spend tax and farepayers’ money as wisely as we can.”

With CP6 coming to an end, and around £4 billion of efficiencies successfully delivered, Network Rail is looking forward to its next five year period – CP7 – where it will be looking to tackle the challenges of improving train performance whilst wrestling with climate change.

Image credit: Network Rail

Hilton level crossing to reopen following emergency repairs

Network Rail teams are working to reopen a level crossing in Derbyshire after it was temporarily closed for emergency work following a road traffic collision.

The level crossing over the A5132 in Hilton is scheduled to reopen to road traffic on Sunday 7 April after a vehicle crashed into it, damaging the gates at the start of March.

Colleagues will be working around the clock throughout the coming days into April to repair the barriers and reopen the road over the level crossing.

Engineers will be concreting a new post and then fitting a new gate once the foundations have set, allowing the road to be scheduled to reopen on Sunday 7 April.

The work is taking longer than initially expected because of the substantial damage to the gates.

As a result of the continued road closure, vehicles cannot use the crossing for now, but pedestrians can still cross as normal.

Anna Ebblewhite, route level crossing manager for Network Rail in the East Midlands said: “We want to apologise to motorists for the road remaining shut longer than anticipated.

“However, we want to reassure motorists that our teams are working hard to repair the gates and the road is scheduled to reopen on Sunday 7 April.

“The safety of drivers, passengers, and train crew is essential, and the work is vital in ensuring the safe operation of the level crossing.”

Image credit: Network Rail

Phase 1 of Stanway Viaduct repair complete

Work to re-waterproof the surface of Stanway Viaduct on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) and to stabilise the 200-metre-long viaduct parapets, under which a mortar joint was unexpectedly found to have failed, has been completed.

The track has been reinstated and the viaduct handed back to the railway, in time for services to Broadway station to resume on Good Friday, 29 March.

Broadway had been cut off from the rest of the line since the beginning of November, when the track was lifted to gain access to the viaduct’s deck.

According to Dr Graham Plant, the GWSR’s Civil Engineering Director: “This first phase of the project was undertaken by Walsh Construction and their sub-contractor Lampitt Rail Services with consulting engineers David Symonds Associates. It was completed within budget and within the expected time frame – we were fortunate that generally favourable weather has been on our side, allowing the work to press ahead with little interruption. I am particularly pleased that all the works were completed safely over the 5-month contract.”

“The chosen solution to stabilise the parapets, using stainless steel ties between 240 stainless steel plates on the parapets anchored to the new concrete deck, was completed far more quickly than we expected.”

“I’m absolutely delighted that the viaduct has been handed back to the railway so soon and I for one, look forward to travelling over it once again.”

The first public train (other than engineering trains) to cross the viaduct following repairs is due to depart Toddington for Broadway at 09.40 on Good Friday, returning shortly afterwards with the 10.15 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service.

“Many of us have breathed a huge sigh of relief after the intensive work on the viaduct, to say nothing of the stressful and unpleasant surprise that the parapets were showing alarming signs of failure,” said Dr Plant.

“We will now allow the viaduct to dry out before starting work on Phase 2 which is planned to start in 2025, subject to funding. This will encompass repair of the structure’s brickwork that has been damaged by water seepage over many decades.”

The work could not have been carried out without vital support from the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust which, last year, launched an appeal to raise money to fund the now-completed first stage of the viaduct repair work, costing around £600,000.

“In all, complete repair of the viaduct will cost up to £1.8 million, so the appeal remains open,” Dr Plant pointed out. “We expect the painstaking task to repair the brickwork to take up to three years to finish.”

The viaduct appeal can be found at www.gwrt.org.uk/donate/stanway-viaduct-appeal.

Image credit: Jack Boskett

RAIB report: derailment of a tram at Bulwell

RAIB has released its report into a Derailment of a tram at Bulwell, Nottingham, on 12 June 2023.

At around 17:06 hrs on 12 June 2023, a southbound tram, travelling at around 41 km/h (25 mph), approached a set of facing points in an unsafe condition at the north end of Bulwell tram stop in Nottingham. As it travelled over the points, the first and second bogies of the tram were routed in different directions and the tram subsequently derailed.

During the derailment, the tram struck a pole that supported overhead line equipment causing a pane of glass to dislodge and strike a passenger, resulting in minor injuries. The driver of the tram also suffered a minor injury. Significant damage was caused to the tram and infrastructure, with the line reopening on 23 June following extensive repairs.

The set of spring-loaded points were in an unsafe position because they had not reset correctly after the passage of the previous two northbound trams. This can sometimes happen in normal working conditions, but the risk of this happening at the time of the accident had possibly been increased due to the environmental conditions causing the slide plates to be dry or contaminated.

A visual indicator located alongside the points, which was showing that the points were not in the correct position, was not observed by the tram’s driver. The driver believed that they would be informed if there were any issues with a set of points but had not been so on this occasion. The driver had probably become conditioned to there being no issues at this location and was also possibly distracted.

RAIB’s investigation found that Nottingham Trams Limited did not have an effective policy in place to inform drivers of points failures and had not specifically assessed the risk of a driver incorrectly passing a lineside indicator. RAIB also observed that the process Nottingham Trams Limited used when introducing a new system to the tram fleet had not considered the effect the change may have on its tram drivers.

Recommendations

RAIB has made three recommendations, all addressed to Nottingham Trams Limited. The first recommends a review of control room policy and procedures to ensure that clear and practical guidance is available to manage the response to engineering faults. The second recommendation relates to the improvement of risk assessments in light of this accident. The third recommendation concerns the consideration of human factors when assessing the effects of a proposed engineering change.

RAIB has also identified a learning point to remind tram drivers to not make assumptions about the status of signals or indicators based on their previous experience.

Image credit: RAIB

ScotRail trains cross iconic Forth Bridge in new Train Sim game

Only the lucky few get to drive trains across the iconic Forth Bridge in real life, but players of Train Sim World 4 will get that chance soon, when the Fife circle route from Edinburgh is released on 26 March.

Developed by Stirling-based Rivet Games and published by Dovetail Games, the train sim add-on will allow players to take the helm and drive ScotRail trains between the capital, Glenrothes and Markinch via both Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy.

With trains styled in the operator’s famous Saltire livery, players will also be able to choose ScotRail’s class 170 trains, and drive the 52 miles of line from Edinburgh Waverley to Markinch.

It has also been announced that following the reopening of the branch line to Leven in June, Rivet Games will begin adding this into the route as part of a post-release update.

The ScotRail class 158 train is also planned to be made available for this route later in the year, as an additional loco add-on, courtesy of Skyhook Games.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said: “It’s fantastic to see the world famous Forth Bridge come to life in this new Fife circle addition to Train Sim World 4.

“ScotRail regularly operate the class 170 trains on this route, and I’m sure players will be delighted to see this addition to the game.”

Jasper Holzapfel, community manager at Rivet Games, said: “We’re always proud to recreate a route close to home, and had a lot of fun bringing the virtual recreation of Fife circle, and the class 170 to life!”

Image credit: Rivet Games

GTR launches poetry competition to get kids’ imaginations back on track

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has launched a national poetry competition in partnership with Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho.

Open for six weeks, the competition aims to encourage children’s creativity and reduce screen time by tasking young people to write a short poem about somewhere they love to visit by train.

With 80% of parents wishing they could keep kids entertained on the train without the help of tech, the competition is a perfect distraction for the Easter school holidays; especially as only one in five families (20%) are now playing traditional travel games such as I Spy.

To enter the competition, children aged between five and 13-years-old simply need to write a short poem about somewhere they love to visit by train, or think others should visit by train, on the Southern, Great Northern or Thameslink network. With a rail network spanning 11 counties, there are hundreds of great destinations to choose from.

With the help of Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, 10 lucky winners will have their poems displayed on trains and at stations across the GTR network, so they can be read and admired by travellers far-and-wide. They will also receive complimentary return rail travel for themselves and four family members, perfect for a summer adventure!

Joseph Coelho, who will be judging the winning entries, said: “Poetry is a wonderful way to get children exploring their innate creativity and their voice, helping them to see that their words have power. One of my earliest memories of writing is during a poetry competition when I was twelve years old, so I am truly looking forward to reading the entries. I encourage the youngsters who get involved in GTR’s poetry competition to have fun with it and good luck to all who enter.”

When it comes to keeping children entertained when travelling by train, many parents opt for tech-based gadgets such as tablets (e.g., iPads) (32%), phones (25%), and gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo Switch’s) (19%).¹ GTR is hoping that by launching the competition, they will be able to support parents and carers in getting children off screens whilst on the train – putting their creativity and imagination to the test.

On the competition, Jenny Saunders, customer services director at GTR said: “Travelling by train is a great way to entertain kids, as the journey becomes part of the experience, but as a mother myself, I know how hard it can be to keep children occupied when on the move. This poetry competition is a fantastic distraction aimed at sparking children’s creativity. We hope to inspire young explorers to take on an adventure by train this summer, with our far-reaching network that helps open the door to more!”

Submissions are open now and close 23:59, 10 May 2024. Poems will be judged by Govia Thameslink Railway and Joseph Coelho based on criteria including language, structure and theme. Winners will be contacted between 3-14 June before the official announcement on 24 June.

To enter GTR’s Poetry in Motion competition and view full T&C’s, visit: Southern – Poetry in motion (southernrailway.com), Thameslink – Poetry in motion (thameslinkrailway.com) or Great Northern – Poetry in motion (greatnorthernrail.com).

Image credit: GTR