Section Activities A round up of recent activities in our Sections AS PUBLISHED IN The Journal January 2016 Volume 134 Part 1 V.1.0 1 of 21 Sections BIRMINGHAM CROYDON AND BRIGHTON DARLINGTON & NORTH EAST EDINBURGH Our online events calendar holds all GLASGOW of our Section meetings. IRISH LANCASTER, BARROW & CARLISLE You’ll also fi nd full contact details on LONDON our website. MANCHESTER & LIVERPOOL MILTON KEYNES NORTH WALES NOTTINGHAM & DERBY SOUTH & WEST WALES THAMES VALLEY WESSEX WEST OF ENGLAND WEST YORKSHIRE YORK V.1.0 2 of 21 Here is a roundup of some of our Sections’ activities. ASHFORD SECTION No meetings currently planned. Please keep an eye on the website for information as it becomes available. BIRMINGHAM SECTION Thursday 8th October 2015 Plain Line Pattern Recognition The Section Joint Chairman Paul King welcomed everyone to the first evening meeting in the new venue of Network Rail’s offices in the Mailbox. Paul commented on the excellent attendance before introducing the evening speaker David Webb, Route Asset Manager Track LNW. David’s talk began with the historical reasons for track patrolling and talked about the essential role this performed on a railway formed of jointed track. He then moved on to explain how Network Rail had changed their inspection frequencies for track formed of continuous welded rail based on the tonnage and line speed of traffic that a route carried. This would give a more risk based approach to the basic visual inspection (BVI). David then talked about plain line pattern recognition of a train bourne system which takes a still image every 0.8mm at a line speed of 125mph anduses a computer algorithm to identify the kinds of faults that would be picked up by the BVI showing many photographic examples. This includes:- • Missing or ineffective clips or fastenings • Breaks of cracks in the rail • Missing bolts in IRJ’s • Damaged IRJ’s • Too little ballast, or ballast obscuring the view of fastenings David went on to talk about the way in which the computers suspect faults were then reviewed by data processing teams and passed to the maintainer to review and rectify within a timescale. He then focused on how the maintainer could reallocate the staff that would normally be performing BVI to other tasks including more detailed inspections of S&C where the highest risks in the track asset lie. David then spent some time looking at eddy current which is fitted to the ultrasonic testing train to detect rolling contact fatigue cracks and give their depth to the maintenance teams. This identifies those at highest risk allowing prioritisation of defects. The final section of David’s talk concentrated on where this technology could be expanded in the future. Following a question and answer session a vote of thanks was proposed by Paul and carried in the normal manner. Tuesday 20th October 2015 IP Track – Bringing Hollywood to the Rail Industry The Section Secretary Richard Quigley welcomed everyone and introduced the speaker Ameet Masania, Programme Manager. Ameet’s talk began by discussing the significant funding gap Network Rail currently faces for control period 5. This set the background to the technological improvements that were being developed to make jobs simpler, faster and leaner. Ameet demonstrated the IPad apps that have been developed to help ease the population of on site forms such as survey witness diagrams, trial hole logs and pre construction plans. Ameet moved on to show a mapping application that showed the positions of all NR access points with a photograph of the gate and the key number required. The IPad or IPhone camera can be used to show you in real time the location and distance from your current location of the access point. Next Ameet talked about how mezzanines technology similar to that shown in Minority Report would make it possible to remotely hold meetings like IDC/IDR’s by manipulating and marking up drawings in 3d space with the touch of your V.1.0 3 of 21 Section meetings. fingers. This is instantly shared with the other meeting participants. The next item of technology showed how the Wigan Springs Branch blockade was planned using 4D technology where a computer model shows every task in the possession in real time. This is presented as a virtual model where each stage can be evaluated at the whiteboard meeting. Finally Ameet discussed a virtual safety scenario which took used the real life events from Hope station. This was presented in the form of a computer game to add a new and interesting dimension to a very serious subject. The user could walk around and identify hazards and what has the potential to cause harm. The scenario asked pertinent safety questions along the way and provided feedback on where the users’ actions had potential to cause harm. Richard proposed a vote of thanks carried in the normal manner. Thursday 12th November 2015 Stafford Remodelling The section Chairman Bob Langford welcomed our speaker Simon Clifford, Scheme Sponsor, Network Rail and thanked him for stepping in at short notice. Simon started with a short section on the background to the scheme and the technical scope of works which included track and OHLE works to enable line speed enhancements from 75mph to 100mph as well as the installation of banner repeater signals. The scope also included significant earth and bridgeworks for the Norton bridge flyover project. The majority of Simons presentation consisted of site photographs, videos and discussion around the activities and challenges faced on site. These included local community engagement and environmental issues such as newts and trees. Following a Q&A session a vote of thanks was proposed by Bob and carried in the normal manner. BRISTOL AND WEST OF ENGLAND SECTION No meetings currently planned. Please keep an eye on the website for information as it becomes available. CROYDON AND BRIGHTON SECTION Tuesday 10th November, 2015 Mike Curthoys the Section Chairman opened the meeting by introducing Jol Bates the PWI President who was visiting the Section for the evening. Jol shared a few thoughts about encouraging developments and events undertaken by the Institution during the past year. Mike Curthoys then introduced his colleague at Mott MacDonald, Alan Cudlipp and asked him to present his paper “Coleraine to Derry - Londonderry Route Upgrade”. Alan commenced his talk by giving a short history of his professional career, commencing in York with British Railways Civil Engineering Dept. in 1981. He held various posts with British Railways (and others following privatisation) until he moved to Mott MacDonald in 2004 where he became involved with the “Coleraine to Derry - Londonderry Route Upgrade” project around 2012. He is now the Technical Director, Professional Head (Track Engineering) Mott MacDonald and Vice –President for England (Central) – Permanent Way Institution. He commenced the project with a walk through the length of the route. The route is 33.5 miles of single line with one passing loop inconveniently placed towards the Coleraine end of the route, limiting the train service to a two hourly frequency. This issue has only been addressed in the later phases of the projected. The initial phase of the project involved 18 miles of conversion of jointed track to CWR and 13 miles of full track renewal. A large part of the track renewals required track slues to enable a CWR compliant ballast shoulder to be created along the banks of Lough Foyle and beside the sea. The original line was built between 1845 and 1861, when the line reached Belfast. The track had previously been relayed in the 1970’s and was in need of urgent attention in many places; hence the considerable amount of work proposed. Part of the driver for the work was to provide a good transport link to the “2013 City of Culture” in Londonderry. A 7 month closure was provided for the works. This allowed removal of the track, and formation lowering and profiling to allow a fall to new cess drainage on the landward side of the line, capturing extensive runoff from the adjacent high ground before it reached the track, as well as that from the track. A series of V.1.0 4 of 21 Section meetings. culverts were reconstructed to take the water from the cess drain under the track to Lough Foyle. A value engineering audit was undertaken of the scheme to ensure that all disciplines made best use of the closure. Other works involved the refurbishment of the 11-span bridge over the River Bann, which included the bascule lifting span which is still operational. A two-week closure of the lifting span to shipping enabled the span to be encapsulated. This ensured containment of all the waste to ensure the environment was not affected and a high quality surface coating could be applied. All the level crossings on the route were refurbished. One level crossing, including the associated road, was even lowered as this removed the need to construct extensive and expensive retaining walls to accommodate the refurbished track and ballast shoulders. The level crossing which provides the emergency run off at the end of the runway at Derry Airport was also upgraded. The cost of the works was as follows: - Track Safety Upgrade from Jointed to CWR £ 7.65 million Track Renewals £ 26.7 million Bann Bridge Refurbishment £ 3.94 million Minor Bridge works £ 0.24 million Total £ 38.53 million at 2012 prices The works were completed a week early. Tim Kendall proposed a vote of thanks for a very interesting and well-presented paper and asked those present to show their appreciation, which they duly did.