The document is a magazine called Right Track that discusses various operational safety issues for the rail industry. The lead article previews how the industry prepares for autumn, when falling leaves can impact train adhesion and operations. Network Rail and train operators analyze past incidents and performance data to understand challenges and plan accordingly. Initiatives include briefings for drivers on techniques, trackside treatments, and post-season reviews to improve future preparations. The magazine aims to share knowledge across the industry to continuously enhance safety.

1. RIGHT ISSUE 2 // JULY 2012
BY THE RAILWAY,
FOR THE RAILWAY
INSIDE:
STICKING TOGETHER
ON ADHESION
PREPARING FOR AUTUMN
UNDERSTANDING ROLES
MAINLINE, METRO AND TUBE
REGULAR FEATURES
SPADTALK
RAIB REPORT ROUND-UP
INCIDENT NEWSWIRE
ON YOUR MARKS FOR A DAY IN THE LIFE OF HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
THE OLYMPICS A DISPATCHER
Part of the operational safety
programme sponsored by OFG

2. RIGHT
headlamp
What is AWG?
Welcome to the second issue of Right
Track, the rail industry’s operational AWG stands for Adhesion
Working Group, which
safety magazine for drivers, conductors, includes Network Rail and
both passenger and freight
signallers, shunters, station staff, depot operators. AWG looks at
how the changing seasons
staff, track staff and anyone else who – especially autumn –
impact on the ability of
keeps the railway running. trains to make contact
with the running rail. The
sponsor of Right Track,
To poets, it’s the season of mists and mellow Before the autumn, of course, we have the OFG takes a great interest
fruitfulness; to The Kinks, it’s a time of football Olympics. Tim Ballance (Network Rail) reports in this important safety
and Sunday roasts; to children, it’s a time of on an all-parties co-ordination team that’s ready issue.
conker matches and kicking up leaves. For the for action, while Alex Edenbrooke describes
railway, it’s often a right pain. how London Underground will be making sure
Londoners, commuters and games-goers get
Falling leaves usually mean a rise in SPADs and
station overruns. But if 2011 was the best of
out of the blocks and make good times over
the next couple of months.
Contents
times – just two adhesion-related SPADs in the
2-3 // Headlamp / Sticking
whole period – 2002 might just be the worst: Elsewhere in this issue, Kevin Wagstaffe together
in SPADtalk, we look back to ‘Black Monday’, (Southeastern) talks to Francis Koffi-Anafo
4-5 // Autumn almanac
28 October 2002, which saw 21 category A – Duty Manager at Cannon Street – about
SPADs recorded – more than twice than on any protecting passengers, supporting staff and 6-7 // More adhesion
other day since modern records began in 1985. reducing risk. There’s also a report on the 8-9 // Olympics /
pioneering Network Rail-Samaritans initiative Lowdown
But the railway always strives to learn from and a look at the multi-detraining incident near 10-11 // Preventing
experience, with new ideas and initiatives being Kentish Town last May. suicides
put in place all the time. With this in mind,
12-13 // From dispatcher
Nick Edwards (DB Schenker) introduces a If you have a story, a safety idea, a lesson
to duty manager
suite of low adhesion-busting articles, which or initiative, get in touch! Full articles and
includes how Network Rail, the TOCs, London comments are always welcome, but so are 14-15 // RAIB report brief:
Stranded!
Underground and the Tyne & Wear Metro go leads and ideas, which our team will be only
about tackling the problem. too happy to follow up on your behalf. Back Page // SPADtalk
Why not get on the Right Track, and contact us
today? Email righttrack@rssb.co.uk
Right Track is produced by RSSB through cross-industry cooperation. It is designed for the people on the operational front-line Right Track can be
on the national mainline railway, yards depots and sidings and London Underground. Their companies are represented on the downloaded from Opsweb -
cross-industry Operations Focus Group, managed through RSSB, and Right Track is overseen by a cross-industry editorial group.
www.opsweb.co.uk
RSSB
Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY
Tel 020 3142 5300 Email righttrack@rssb.co.uk www.rssb.co.uk www.opsweb.co.uk
Designed and printed by Urban Juice / Willsons Group Services.
Right Track is designed to share news and views from individual companies in a positive way. However, the views expressed in Right Track are those of the contributing authors; they
do not necessarily reflect those of the companies to which they are affiliated or employed, the editors of this magazine, the magazine’s sponsors - the Operations Focus Group - or the
magazine’s producers, RSSB (Rail Safety and Standards Board).
02 //

3. Preparing for autumn
sticking together
in bad weather
Adhesion isn’t just for engineers: all safety critical staff have
a role to play in tackling autumn’s impact on operations
OFG Chair, Nick Edwards, DB Schenker
It might feel strange to talk about autumn Throughout Right Track 2, we explore
in the middle of summer, but the change what the railway does to deal with these
in season brings challenges to everyone
operating the railway – and it’s never a bad
challenges. There’s plenty that goes
on behind the scenes and the industry This feature is
thing to plan ahead. is always looking to engineer better
technology and systems. But we know it’s gripping stuff
A big issue is adhesion, where a those of us in the cabs, control centres,
combination of falling leaves, driving wind In the past, the Adhesion Working
stations and depots that need to make the
and frequent rain leads to trains not having Group (AWG) has produced its own
railway run in real life, and I know we can
the best contact with the rail. This is all- magazine called ‘Gripping Stuff’.
stick together to make sure we’re on top of
artwork too-familiar to train drivers, who can be
1 photo (4):Layout 1 19/01/2012 14:22 Page 1 However, this year, it was decided to
our game.
slave to the elements – it may only be for put the news from Gripping Stuff into
a few seconds, but the brake is crucial to Right Track, to make sure it reaches
safety. Likewise, signallers can see trains more people in safety-critical roles.
‘disappear’ from panels when the elements
interrupt the track circuits.
Don’t stay silent,
talk to
the rail industry’s confidential reporting system
WHAT IS CIRAS?
CIRAS is an alternative way for rail industry staff to
report safety concerns confidentially. If you’ve tried
company channels, or don’t feel that you can, CIRAS
offers another way of reporting.
WHO CAN REPORT?
CIRAS is available to anyone who works in the rail
industry, whether you’re operational staff, office
based, on-site, trackside, overground or underground.
“Confidentiality has never been compromised”
Freephone 0800 4 101 101 Freepost CIRAS Text 07507 285887 www.ciras.org.uk
// 03

4. autumn
almanac
Careful planning by train
operators and Network Rail
helps the whole railway prepare
for the change in season
Photo: Peter R Foster IDMA/ shutterstock.com
The TOC role analysed to help us find out the train types
that are involved most often and the actions
of the drivers leading up to the incidents. Other initiatives include autumn conferences
Steve Pugh at depots, which encourage drivers to share
Driving technique is considered for the
Head of Operational Safety extent it contributed to the incident, to help experiences, as well as examine On-train
Northern Rail us provide better advice to drivers on the Data Recorder (OTDR) information and
positive things they can do. meet staff from other parts of the industry
One of the first places to look for an to debate adhesion matters.
indication of what to expect in autumn Incidents where a train failed to operate
is past experience. For the last seven track circuits are considered in terms of We also use white boards at depots to
years, Northern has produced a full location and train type. We’ve also started encourage drivers to pass information on
report based on incidents that have to look at the type of track circuit involved. to other drivers – and Network Rail, which
occurred during previous autumns. All the incidents and reports are tracked then uses it to monitor specific locations
every day, to help us get an overall picture that are concerning drivers. Feedback from
When analysing autumn periods, we look Network Rail is placed on the white boards
of the type of autumn being experienced.
at lots of things, but our main focus falls on for drivers to see.
In some years, we might see leaves coming
two critical issues – safety of the line and
down early, while others might show more
performance. Briefing documentation for drivers has been
activity towards the end of the season. By
improved and there is now a handbook for
Understanding these areas helps us gauge comparing years, we are able to identify
them, which is underpinned by core briefs
the severity of the autumn period. This is trends and where small changes can be
and local briefs. Newly qualified drivers
largely based on reports from drivers, the made to try to improve things for the next
must receive a face-to-face brief before
daily incident log and the number of delay autumn.
their first autumn and have two assessment
minutes caused by railhead conditions. But rides in the first year and one in their
Braking techniques and train control have
our detailed performance analysis delves second year during the autumn period.
been areas that Northern has improved
further, examining each specific route
over recent years. We are always on the
and delays caused. It covers the specific Finally, the whole planning process for
lookout for the best techniques to employ
weather conditions on each day, particularly autumn has been improved with the
for the different train types we run, and how
rainfall and temperature. Leaf fall levels introduction of three meetings, the first to
to get the optimum performance from the
are also examined and mapped against review the previous autumn, the second to
brakes (and sanders, where fitted). This is
ongoing delay throughout the season. plan for the next one and the third to ensure
a process that is once again being looked
that all plans are in place and all actions
From a safety point of view, we look at all at with the fitment of manual sanders to
have been completed before the first leaf
relevant incidents, such as station overruns, the Sprinter (Class 15x) and Pacer (Class
falls. This involves many areas of the
SPADs and the failure to operate track 14x) fleets. Recent sander fitment to other
business, but in particular our engineering,
circuits. We look for trends in locations, train types saw a radical change in the way
operations and performance teams working
train type, time of day, driving style, and drivers were briefed on the best braking
together.
so on. Station overruns and SPADs are technique for the autumn.
04 //

5. Preparing for autumn Newswire...
Network Rail’s role US: Two freights collided in
Indiana, injuring crew
Peter McCreery At 07:00 (local time) on 8 April, two
Seasons Delivery Specialist freight trains collided, injuring two crew
members, both of whom had to be
London North Western Route cut free by firefighters. The incident is
We can’t stop autumn coming every year currently under investigation.
and we can’t beat nature, but through Germany: Three killed in
some thorough analysis we can make train-crane collision
sure we’re well prepared and equipped Early on 13 April, a commuter train
to continue reducing the number of team carries out visual inspections and collided head-on with a maintenance
autumn-related safety incidents and undertakes a range of planned and ad-hoc crane near Offenbach. The driver and
delays. treatment programmes as needed. two infrastructure workers were killed
and 13 passengers were injured.
We gather data from a range of sources. The LNW Route Analyst Team distributes a Reports suggest the crane had been
From MeteoGroup – a specialist weather placed onto the wrong (open) line. An
daily autumn report, detailing autumn and
forecasting provider – we receive an investigation is under way.
season-to-date delays, the top 5 autumn
autumn adhesion forecast, which is incidents and top 10 TRUST sections for Netherlands: One killed in
updated and distributed every 12 hours and delay in each area on the route. These head-on collision
gives an adhesion summary, ranked from reports allow our area teams to work with At around 18:30 (local time) on 21 April,
0 (good) to 10 (very poor), for the current the analysts to get more detail on the a commuter service passed a signal
day and the following four days, along with reasons behind a particular issue, allowing at danger and collided head-on with
a detailed weather forecast for the current us to adjust what we do in response. a double-decker inter-city train near
day, the following day and the rest of the Amsterdam Sloterdijk. One passenger
outlook period. This gives us an early At the end of each autumn, we hold was killed and around 125 more were
indication of the sorts of conditions we may area and route autumn reviews with our injured.
face, allowing us to reorganise resources to customers. The actions that come out of UK: Two injured after landslide
meet the challenge. these sessions are tracked through a Joint derails train
Seasons Management Group at route level
Virgin Trains supplies us with analysis from At 12:00 on 27 April, a passenger
and through local delivery groups, ensuring service struck a tree stump and
data on Wheel Slide Protection activity that we feed back on outstanding actions derailed near Clarborough Tunnel,
within its fleet. This allows us to focus our in time for the next autumn. The actions Nottinghamshire, after heavy rainfall
treatment on specific areas for the benefit are also collated for a National Seasons overwhelmed land drains and caused
of Virgin and other TOCs and FOCs which Review, in which national best practice and a landslide. Two people were injured,
run over the same lines. lessons learned are shared throughout the including the driver. Both were taken to
hospital for treatment.
industry.
We receive reports from drivers on incidents
of low rail adhesion and the white board
Austria: Lookout struck by train
This would not be possible without the front
summaries from Northern Rail described line teams and control offices gathering the A lookout was killed when he was
on page 4. Our Autumn Teams also take struck by a train at Matrei am Brenner
facts from the ‘coal face’. From weather
pre-autumn cab rides and talk to drivers station during track maintenance work
conditions to type and proximity of foliage, on 9 May. An investigation has been
about any sites that concern them. Based unit types and treatment previously carried launched.
on this information, coupled with sites that out – all of this aids the deep analysis that
have caused problems in the past and US: Driver crushed by roll
drives change and improvement for the
those that seems to be getting worse, the of newsprint
following season.
On 18 May, a train driver was killed
when a 1,800lb roll of newsprint fell
on him as he opened a wagon door to
unload at The Inquirer and Philadelphia
Daily News printing plant, in Upper
Merion, Philadelphia. An investigation is
under way.
UK: Guard dies on North
Yorkshire Moors Railway
At around 12:30 on 21 May, a volunteer
guard was killed when he became
trapped between two carriages during
a shunting operation at Grosmont on
the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
(NYMR). The heritage line immediately
suspended all services. The NYMR,
BTP and RAIB are investigating.
// 05

6. metro
magnetism Photo: DB Regio Tyne and Wear
Understanding how trains and drivers perform
together on Tyne and Wear
Oliver Bratton
Operations Director, DB Regio Tyne and Wear
Although the low adhesion problem is operated by a driver at any time: this is this and leaf fall are combined, it can be
the same on the Tyne and Wear Metro as unlike the ‘emergency’ brake stage on a hard to get the train to move more than
it is on the rest of the main line network, mainline train, where the driver can’t release 20 km/h. With no sanding equipment
the way it affects driving is different. the brake until the train is running at less and the WSP being very basic, it can take
than 6 mph. A Metro driver can therefore considerable skill from a driver to get the
As a metro-style operation, we run at lower always control the speed of the train using train moving.
speeds over shorter distances between the track brake should it be required.
stops. So we use Class 599 electric However, there are limitations – like avoiding Low adhesion has a big impact on
multiple units, which are very powerful, but its use on pointwork! It’s not designed to performance but, because of the track
where the power is used for acceleration be used routinely (and drivers understand brake, station over-runs and SPADs are
rather than top-end speed (our maximum why not), but to know that, however bad relatively few in number, despite the high
line speed of 50mph (80 km/h) can be the adhesion, there remains a tool to stop number of signals and station stops on the
reached after only 30 seconds of full the train gives drivers great confidence. Metro. There are over half a million station
power). Drivers are also reminded that the fierce stops on the Metro during the leaf fall
jolt when the train is stopped with the track season, yet only three or four result in the
Perhaps oddly, these units are not fitted driver overrunning. Against that, there are
brake remains one of the main causes
with sanders (for traction or braking) and considerably more instances when drivers
of injuries to passengers. Thankfully, our
have only a basic wheel slide protection struggle to gain momentum on departing!
drivers know that it must be used wisely.
system (WSP). It’s very easy for a driver On a service of up to 20 trains per hour, it
to lock the wheels under braking (wheel They typically use the track brake after the takes only minor delays for trains behind to
flats are a real problem in autumn), yet the train wheels pick up when the standard receive restricted aspects. This is, however,
season presents a much smaller safety brake is first applied. The speed is a preferable problem to not being able to
problem than elsewhere on the main line. ‘scrubbed’ using the track brake and when stop the train.
Why? Good question! the train is at a lower speed (say 50 km/h)
the track brake is lifted and the driver sees if Poor driving technique results in an inability
The reason is that, instead of sanders and to accelerate, reduced braking capability
normal braking steps can work. When used
WSP, the Class 599 has magnetic track from not allowing the cam shaft to assist
like this, there is much less of an effect on
brakes. These clamp to the railhead and the driver, track damage from poor use
passengers. It is rare that a track brake is
can stop a train from linespeed to a stand in of power and excessive use of the track
needed to bring the train to a complete halt
just 120 metres. brake (including having to bring the train to
in low adhesion conditions.
a stand with it). By working with our drivers,
This means that the leaf fall problem on
The challenge for Metro drivers is in these problems can be overcome, allowing
the Metro needs to be managed differently.
accelerating. The power generated by the the trains to keep largely to time and
First, the track brake is only marginally
trains means that a mist coming off the sea without putting passengers at risk.
affected by low adhesion and can be
is enough to cause low adhesion. When
06 //

7. More adhesion
adhesion on sanders for
the tube short trains
John Tisi
LU Automatic Train Transys Projects Ltd
Operation (ATO) Since the days of steam, sand has been
and adhesion used to help train wheels grip the rail
management more effectively. Most modern trains
still have special ‘boxes’ from which
next 2–12 hours. In addition to showing the the driver can jettison sand onto the
Gilbert Rowe risk from an ‘inadequate adhesion induced rail ahead of the wheel in areas of low
London Underground incident’, it will recommend appropriate adhesion.
action to tackle the problem.
Transys Projects had been looking for a
Automatic Train Control (ATC) has been,
The Adhesion Controller is responsible number of years at ways to fit sanders to
and is being, brought in on a number
for taking measures, like operating the 4-axle units like the Class 14x ‘Pacers’
of London Underground lines as part of
treatment trains or changing the brake and single-car Class 153s. The big
an ongoing programme to increase the
rate. The aim is to maintain the timetabled problem was to find a way of making
capacity of the system. Automatically-
service – which requires operating in ATC sure that these short trains could still be
driven trains operate using defined
– while keeping the chance of a SPAD or detected reliably by track circuits after
traction and braking rates which need to
station overrun to a minimum. sand had been put down.
be set to take account of the variation
in wheel/rail adhesion which may be Low adhesion braking performance Network Rail led trials at its Old Dalby
experienced. test track, showing that the sanders
One factor which affects an Adhesion
could perform as required. Last year,
ATC has been introduced on the Central Management System is the braking
it approached Transys Projects with an
line (2001) and Jubilee line (2011). On both, performance which the rolling stock can
order to install a new design of sanding
there are extensive above-ground sections, achieve under a range of poor adhesion
system to the Class 14x and Class 153
where the effect of the weather on adhesion conditions and varying brake demands. Our
fleets operated by First Great Western
needs to be taken into account. This has goal is to achieve the minimum possible
and London Midland by autumn 2011,
led to the development and implementation extension in braking distance compared
and to retro-fit a total of 349 units
of an Adhesion Management System. to a good adhesion stop: the higher the
with existing design and new design
brake demand, the greater the difficulty of
The Central line passes through significant sanding systems by autumn 2012. Our
delivering the required performance under
stretches vulnerable to leaf fall problems. programme is on course for completion
low adhesion conditions.
To help manage this, we created a ahead of time by the first week in
predictive system, which helps determine: September.
• The suitability to operate in automatic
mode during the autumn; and
• The need for any mitigation measures
(like running railhead treatment trains).
In order to meet this requirement, we
devised a ‘condition assessment’ system,
which uses a special piece of software to
show the risk of an ‘inadequate adhesion
induced incident’ to the line’s Adhesion
The installation and performance of the
Controller.
WSP and on-train sander systems are vital
This software – known as the Adhesion in determining our low adhesion braking
Controller’s Condition Assessment Tool performance. For a fixed (constant) brake
(ACCAT) – uses a wide range of data, demand, neither of these systems can
such as weather and leaf fall forecasts, prevent some extension in the braking
weather station and moisture sensor data A full section on managing seasons
distance if poor adhesion is encountered;
and real-time feedback of WSP activity from can be found on Opsweb –
in order to achieve the required stopping
the trains, to assess both the prevailing point, the brake demand needs to be www.opsweb.co.uk
conditions and those predicted over the increased too.
// 07

8. Photo left: Nando Machado /
Shutterstock.com
underground
hurdles
Alex Edenbrooke
let the games begin! London Underground
At their height, the Olympics are likely to
bring more than a million extra people
to London. With them will come extra
An all-parties co-ordination team is ready to take the journeys – and extra challenges. Like the
mainline network, however, LU has been
baton and run the rail network right through the Olympics planning and preparing, and is primed to
make sure everyone is carried safely and
Tim Ballance information with the participating TCC swiftly around the capital.
representatives, offering alternative routing
Operations Risk Specialist, As we saw in Right Track 1, risk is always
plans around potential problem areas.
Network Rail lurking at the platform-train interface (PTI).
The TCC is managed on a 24-hour basis With an expected increase in passengers
By the time you read this, the 2012 by a ‘Head of TCC’, a Senior Operations on our platforms, staff will need to be even
Olympics will be upon us, with huge Manager and an Operations Manager. One more vigilant than usual.
numbers of people converging on the of the Senior Operations Managers is Paul
many different sites around the country. Ellis of Network Rail. Paul’s role is to co- During Week 2 of the games, we also
A lot of these sports fans will travel by ordinate problem solving within the TCC, expect a sharp increase in late-night
train – which is great for the industry, making sure that the right message is sent revellers, who may have over-indulged, and
great for Britain and great for the out to all parties. He’s also responsible for who may expose themselves to danger.
environment. But of course things could ensuring the common picture for transport In addition, some of them may not have
get a little tricky! Thankfully, we’ve set is communicated to all relevant transport English as their first language and, as
up a new Transport Co-ordination Centre stakeholders. such, may not respond to platform safety
(TCC), which should be a real crowd messages.
pleaser by helping to ease the flow of
passengers. With all these people using the Tube, it’s
likely that congestion will develop. This may
The TCC comprises a single, integrated mean our drivers encounter red signals in
team, which will be responsible for co- areas where they would normally be green.
ordinating the whole of London’s transport The message to staff is to be aware, be
system. The team will deal with any vigilant and anticipate potential problems
nationwide transport issues that could before they occur. This also includes LU
affect Olympic travellers, regular travellers, Service Control, which will aim to recover
while providing live information to all the timetable as quickly as possible
passengers during the games. post-incident. We all know that failing to
Paul (pictured above) held a variety of inform platform staff can have significant
The TCC is a 24/7 ‘one stop shop’ for
operational roles throughout his 32-year implications for reforming, short-tripping
transport information and co-ordinated
problem solving, aiming to promote safe, railway career, including Head of Operations
secure, reliable and timely transport for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, before he
services to all client groups of the games, became Programme Manager for 2012 No Olympics has ever boasted
whilst keeping the impact on passengers as Readiness in 2008. this level of integration with public
small as possible. Partners in the scheme transport. The Olympic Park in
I asked Paul what he saw as his biggest
include Transport for London, British Stratford features:
challenge. He told me that it was “to ensure
Transport Police, Department for Transport, that the agreed common messaging and • 10 Tube and rail lines and 3
Highways Agency, London Organising rerouting strategies are communicated to gateway stations
Committee for the Olympic Games staff, games family, spectators and regular • A train arriving every 15 seconds
(LOCOG), Network Rail, Olympic Delivery passengers in a consistent way. This will • 240,000 passengers an hour
Authority, and the Greater London Authority, ensure that no conflicting information is • 80% of all spectators for the Park
so it really is a case of ‘Team GB’! given, which could lead to loss of reputation coming by train
to the transport industry. We want sport, • Enhanced walking and cycling
The TCC isn’t there to dictate policy, but
not transport, to be the main media focus routes
to work out what situations could affect
Olympic travellers and then share this during the games.”
08 //

9. The lowdown
of my time working with inspectors
on investigations. At minimum, I’ll be
involved in deciding the investigations we
undertake, setting the remit with the team
and conducting reviews. I’ll have meetings
with industry organisations to discuss any
significant issues – or trends and concerns
– arising from our investigations. I may also
spend time with my admin support team,
and turning trains, so Service Control will
who assist the investigators, publish the
also send out information about passengers
reports and maintain the information on our
with special requirements, such as
website.
wheelchair users.
I also work with the European Rail Agency
Clear and appropriate communications will
and other European Investigation Bodies to
be at the heart of our activities throughout
the Olympic period. All LU staff are skilled The lowdown: share experience and learning.
Carolyn
in delivering effective communications, from What goes through your mind when
giving customers information updates to you are informed that an accident has
passing safety critical service messages. occurred?
Griffiths
Due to the numbers of people travelling,
mistakes in messaging could lead to My first thoughts are for the people
additional delays and misunderstandings, involved. Accidents are not inevitable – we
so it’s vital that communications are clear have yet to investigate one that couldn’t
and to the point. Staff on the ground will have been prevented.
Name: Carolyn Griffiths
be supported by broadcast messages,
in order to help staff ensure the safety of Obviously our first priority is to establish the
Position: Chief Inspector of the Rail
passengers and the success of the games. facts of the accident and to find a way of
Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB)
securing the evidence with the minimum
To support our diligent staff, Transport for How long have you worked on the of disruption to the railway. To do this it
London has recruited a volunteer group of railway? is important that we work closely with the
Travel Ambassadors, who will provide travel railway industry and other interested parties,
information and advice, helping to make I’ve worked in the rail industry for my such as the police and the regulator.
sure all visitors have an enjoyable, safe time whole career. The railway provides
in London. many opportunities and I’ve been What are your top priorities for safety
lucky enough to work in a number in the railway industry?
From a security point of view, the increased of different roles, from the ‘shop-
numbers of travellers on the network The railway is generally proactive in the
floor’ on shift in a diesel maintenance
could provide opportunities for heightened management of safety, but our work on
depot to Senior Vice President in an
terrorist activity. All staff have been asked recent accidents has brought to light some
international organisation. I’ve worked
to be vigilant during this busy time and serious issues. These include matters
in the UK, Singapore, Sweden and
report any suspicious behaviour or items. around the public behaviour and factors
Germany, and in the manufacturing,
Part of the challenge will be to distinguish specific to individual level crossings, safety
operating, construction, consulting and
between the extra volumes of lost property culture and leadership for track workers,
government sectors.
and potentially suspicious packages. To fatigue, the design, maintenance and
raise awareness of these issues, LU has As Chief Inspector for Rail Accidents, inspection of freight vehicles and the use of
produced a booklet to remind staff how I established the RAIB and I now road-rail vehicles.
they should react to various situations. lead an independent team of railway
The railway is working on improvements
professionals investigating rail accidents
Like the rest of us, LU faces many in all of these areas, but it would be good
in the UK.
challenges this summer. But, with a to see the conclusion of various initiatives,
proactive attitude, great enthusiasm, skill Describe a typical day for you: particularly those that will help address
and teamwork, our staff are as ready for (or help speed up addressing) key RAIB
Typically, I’ll spend a fair amount recommendations.
success as many of the athletes coming to
our shores.
Forming an organisation to independently investigate railway accidents was
recommended after the Ladbroke Grove rail accident in 1999. As a result, the
Regular updates on the Olympics RAIB became operational in October 2005 as the UK’s independent body for
can be found on Opsweb – investigating accidents and incidents occurring on the railways of Great Britain
www.opsweb.co.uk and Northern Ireland, and tramways in England and Wales.
// 09

10. last night
a dispatcher
saved my life
A public suicide on the railway is a personal tragedy, a shared
trauma and an operational nightmare. Network Rail and
Samaritans have a pioneering partnership to help save lives.
Since 2010, a national, co-ordinated Over 30 interventions have been reported Staff are also being reminded to log all
programme – led by Network Rail in to the project team at Samaritans in the last interventions on SMIS as ‘near misses’ so
partnership with Samaritans – has been year, but it is thought that there are many that they can be monitored along with other
working to reduce suicide on the railway. more. suicide data.
Innovative, award-winning, and the first “It’s really important that we get to hear Rail industry raising awareness of
of its kind, the programme considers about these interventions,” says Sophie support
prevention measures like front-line training Lapham, Strategic Programme Manager
and poster campaigns. There are also at Samaritans. “First, so that the member In the autumn, the programme will be
initiatives to counter the impact of suicide, of staff can be recognised for his/her launching its second awareness campaign,
including train service recovery and support courageous action; secondly, to help us to which aims to show those struggling
mechanisms for those affected by these evaluate the effectiveness of the training; to cope the positive benefits of seeking
tragic events. Mike Carr, chair of the cross- and thirdly for suicide prevention, so that support and that making contact with
industry programme steering group said: the various agencies are aware of the Samaritans can help.
“Each suicide on the railway is a human individual and/or the location, and can
About 80% of people who take their lives
tragedy, and its effects are felt right across check if anything more needs to be done.”
on the railway are working class men
the industry, causing significant distress
This year, the partnership is sponsoring between 30 and 55, and the campaign
to those directly involved, and substantial
a category at the RailStaff Awards to targets this group specifically. The previous
service delays right across the network
recognise suicide prevention work: the campaign included the hard-hitting ‘men on
– our aim is to reduce these events by
Samaritans Lifesavers Award. Nominations the ropes’ boxing poster (see above right),
20% by 2015, through a programme of
can be made via the RailStaff website. which was tested with men from the target
prevention and ‘postvention’ measures”.
group, who found it to be eye-catching with
Over 2,500 front-line staff have completed a strong message.
Samaritans’ Managing Suicidal Contacts
The latest part of the campaign includes a
course so far, and feedback has been
new set of images. Samaritans is aiming
overwhelmingly positive. Many have gone
to put up posters at as many rail locations
on to use the skills they have learned to
as possible on a permanent basis. The
prevent potential suicides.
rail industry is uniquely placed to reach a
Research supports the idea that rail staff large number of people. Those who take
who stop someone killing themselves on their lives on the railway also tend to have
a particular day may also stop them from an association with the railway. In addition,
taking their own life at all. research shows that putting up posters or
signage with Samaritans contact details
10 //

11. Preventing suicides Newswire...
India: Passenger train strikes
‘I really enjoyed this training. I hope freight train, killing 25
I won’t have to use these new skills, Early on 22 May, a passenger service
but I think I would have courage to struck a stationary freight train and
Whatever you’ve done.
Whatever life’s done to you. intervene.’ burst into flames, killing 25 people and
Talk to Samaritans.
No names. ‘One of the most enjoyable, practical injuring approximately 40 others. The
No pressure.
and potentially life-changing courses accident occurred at a station near
No judgement.
We’re here for you. Any time.
I have attended.’ Penukonda, about 105 miles north of
Bangalore. Initial investigations suggest
Contacts training delegates that the passenger train passed a signal
at danger.
‘Before this programme, the support
and advice provided to drivers after Poland: Head-on collision
they were involved in fatalities could injures 2
vary massively, even within the
Two commuter trains collided head-on
same TOC. Samaritans has worked
in Warsaw at low speed on 23 May.
with the rail industry to develop an
Two passengers were injured, one of
accredited training course that helps whom required hospital treatment. The
guide those that manage the welfare cause has yet to be ascertained.
of drivers on an individual level.’
A registered charity *Please see our website for latest call charge details.
Darren Ward, Head of Ops Strategy UK: Shunting accident at Margam
In partnership with
and Implementation, East Midlands causes injury
Trains On 12 June, a member of staff was
in places where suicide attempts have seriously injured when he was crushed
happened can reduce the suicide rate at ‘ASLEF believes that by giving skills between two wagons at Margam Yard.
that location and the surrounding area. and awareness to everyone around RAIB’s initial investigations have found
the driver, we are helping to reduce that – unbeknown to his colleagues
Supporting rail staff after fatalities the impact of what can be a life- – the injured party had returned to a
changing experience. The course position between the vehicles after
The focus of the programme is on brings together driver managers, stepping to a position of safety.
measures to prevent suicide. However, union representatives, Network Rail
it quickly became clear that more was managers and BTP officers, with USA: Head-on collision kills
needed to help staff who are affected by everyone focussed on supporting 2 crew
suicides and other fatalities. A one-day our colleagues.’ On 24 June, two Union Pacific freight
course – Trauma Support Training – was Andy Botham, Company Council trains collided on the single line near
developed with ASLEF and East Midlands Representative, ASLEF Goodwell Siding, Oklahoma. The
secondman of the westbound train
Trains, which aims to equip managers and
‘This course gives those who jumped to safety but the two crew
union representatives with an understanding members of the eastbound train were
directly manage operational staff the
of trauma and how it affects people, and ability to potentially identify trauma killed. An eyewitness claims that only
to give them the skills to provide effective at the early stages. This may be due the westbound train appeared to brake
support. With exercises based on the real to a combination of personal factors before the accident occurred. The
life experience of a train driver, the course is and not entirely operational matters. National Transportation Safety Board is
also relevant to managers of other staff who This also gives On-call Managers investigating.
are exposed to traumatic experiences, such the all important prompts for the first UK: Safety being maintained,
as station staff and operations staff. line of communication with the staff industry initiatives tackle risk,
member involved in an incident, and say RSSB
Another way of helping drivers has been to how to deal with those emotions in
develop a booklet, Journey to Recovery, a positive manner.’ At the end of June RSSB, released its
Annual Safety Performance Report,
which explains what happens when there Trauma Support Training delegate
which showed that, while there has
is a fatality, what reactions a driver might been a small rise in workforce harm,
experience and why, and how to get help. there have been no passenger of
workforce fatalities in a train accident
The guidance has had input from train for five years. RSSB’s Learning from
operators and ASLEF and will be made Operational Experience Annual Report
available to drivers via their managers. – published on the same day – features
lessons learnt and initiatives put in
For information about the suicide place in the areas of workforce fatigue,
reduction programme, please contact communications and level crossings.
Mike Carr at mike.carr1@networkrail. Both reports may be found on the
co.uk and for training courses, contact RSSB website, www.rssb.co.uk.
railcompanies@samaritans.org. For
RSSB’s research in this area, go to
www.rssb.co.uk.
// 11

12. from dispatcher
to duty manager
As we saw in the last issue of Right Track, the risk at the platform-train
interface is currently grabbing the attention of safety managers. In this issue,
Southeastern’s Kevin Wagstaffe talks to Francis Koffi-Anafo, Duty Manager at
London’s Cannon Street, about the broader issues on busy station platforms.
I met Francis last year, when he was
A day in the life of
still a team leader at London Bridge. But I would say that most of my day
He made a lasting impression when I is spent helping customers. London
saw him deal with a particularly difficult
passenger, who was complaining that a dispatcher Bridge is a busy interchange, so we get a
never-ending stream of questions about
he’d missed a connection three times
that week due to late running. The man
- May 2011 the train times and services. We’re also
the first port of call for many visitors to
seemed angry and was pretty loud. London and are often asked for directions
Francis listened patiently and calmly Is every day different or the same?
to points of interest in the capital – you
explained the circumstances that Both, really. Our core duties are tend to become a walking A-Z working
had caused the problem. Though the constant, but each day can throw up here!
customer wasn’t happy, he shook hands new challenges whether it be service
with Francis and left a much calmer man disruption or boisterous groups of football The pressure can become intense at
than when he first appeared. fans (followers of two local clubs regularly times, especially during service disruption
pass through the station when their – I can have three or four people
After the customer had gone, Francis told demanding my attention at any given
respective teams are playing at home).
me that the late-running service in question moment. But we all work to support each
was actually operated by another company! There are many things which cause us other and provide our customers with
to modify the way we work – extreme the latest information and most suitable
He went on to explain how he always made
weather, rowdy behaviour, bright sunlight, onward travel advice.
time to chat to each of his team every shift.
failure of CD RA equipment – to name but
Francis knows how valuable it is to talk to I enjoy my job though because it’s
a few.
the people at the front line and welcomes never boring, and there’s a great feeling
all ideas and suggestions. This helps him My day begins with making sure my team of satisfaction in knowing that we’ve
identify any issues that may be affecting have all booked on correctly. I then have delivered the best possible service to our
their ability to focus on the task. a ‘hand over’ with colleagues from the customers no matter what difficulties we
previous shift. needed to overcome in order to do so.
Instantly likeable, this quiet, unassuming
chap is a bit of conundrum: watching What are the daily responsibilities of a My team means a lot to me, and I’m
him at work, you could be forgiven for team leader? always grateful for the effort they put in.
thinking that he has many years of railway But I don’t keep that to myself – I make
experience under his belt; in fact he joined I do security checks, checking for new sure I thank each of them personally at
Southeastern in 2009 having risen to the notices and assisted travel bookings / the end of each shift.
position of stock controller during a three- ACWN / engineering work, fault reporting,
year career with a major supermarket chain and of course I may be called on at any
after moving to the UK from his native time to administer first aid – all this before
Ghana in 2006. I even think about dispatching a train!
12 //

13. Station safety
A year later finds Francis as acting duty
manager at Cannon Street. I discover that A day in the life of a they’re having problems – on or off the job
– and that I can be relied on to step in if a
his new role has brought fresh challenges
and extra responsibilities. It’s not surprising
duty manager situation gets a little sticky for one person to
handle alone.
to learn however that he has risen to these
new tasks, his indomitable spirit – as ever –
– May 2012 Managing PTI risk is one of our biggest
challenges. Do you have any top tips?
driving him on. How have you found the transition from
We had several instances where customers
team leader to duty manager?
were being left undetected on trains
I am extremely grateful to my mentor, Ty departing empty to the depot. By re-briefing
Wallis (Station Manager London City), for everyone on the process for checking and
giving me this opportunity. I found the job locking out empty coaching stock, to date
a little daunting at first; being new to the we’ve not had a repeat.
role, I expected the staff here to push the
boundaries a little to test me. We work hard to ensure that dispatchers
are in the right place at the right time, and
Did you experience much of that sort should any member of the team feel a
of thing? pressing need to leave their post, they must
Very little to be fair, but I already knew most inform the person in charge of dispatch
of the staff here and – more importantly – (PICOD) first – for other operators and the
they knew me. Rule Book, this role is known as the person
in charge of a platform.
How would you describe your style of
management? Why the PICOD?
Because the team are carrying out a safety Because it is not enough to merely tell
How does the job impact on your critical task, there’s no room for varying the the colleague nearest to you – if you’re
home life? way dispatch is carried out. My style is (out booked to be working on the extreme end
of necessity) uncompromising where safety of a platform, you may not be visible to the
Well, mixed blessings I guess. I was is concerned. whole team; you will, however, be visible to
able to work an extra Sunday to help the PICOD.
pay for the new bike my son wanted I recognise that I am responsible for the
so badly, but while most people were safety of both the team and the customers Should you need to take an urgent break,
huddled round their TV sets to watch who use the station. I’m always straight the PICOD will have to redeploy the
the royal wedding, I was dispatching with everyone, saying what needs to remaining dispatchers to ensure that trains
trains on Platforms 5 and 6! be said when it needs saying. But any are checked along their full length prior to
problems are discussed over a coffee as their dispatch.
My wife always asks me to check soon as possible afterwards to make sure
my roster before she accepts dinner we’re all on the same page. The PICOD knows that they’ll be held
invitations, or plans family activities, accountable for the whereabouts of their
What do you expect of your team? team. If I notice a member of staff leaving
but working shifts has allowed me the
flexibility to be present on important I expect them to report for duty on time, in their post outside normal break times,
occasions in my son’s life (school sports full uniform, fully rested and ready to work I don’t challenge them, I challenge the
days etc). I might not have managed it safely, and to assist our customers for PICOD for the platform on which they are
had I worked in a 9–5 job. the whole of their turn of duty. But then, I stationed.
expect that of myself too!
Cannon Street, like London Bridge, is
Do you have time for any hobbies?
We’re all aware how important it is to treat a Network Rail managed station. Does
I love football (both watching and everyone on the station with equal respect, this present any additional challenges?
playing), but mostly enjoy spending time be they customers, colleagues, tenants or Not really. I’ve built good relationships
with my family. contractors. between the team and our NR colleagues.
We all work together to ensure the smooth
I also expect the team to deal with any
running of the station.
concerns raised by our customers on the
spot, only escalating them when absolutely After the interview, Francis takes me on
necessary. This way, the customer leaves a brief tour of Cannon Street station.
Work on a station? satisfied that their questions and concerns Several members of staff stop for a
have been, or will be, addressed. chat on the way. Francis talks to them
Take a look at the station safety
resource centre on Opsweb – about a variety of things, asking after
What do they expect of you?
family members, and discussing such
www.opsweb.co.uk They expect me to back them up and varied topics as next week’s roster,
support them over any decisions they’ve football and replacement items of
been empowered to make. They also uniform. It strikes me that they are as
know I’ll help them any way I can when much a family as they are a team.
// 13

14. RAIB report brief:
stranded!
In May, RAIB published its report into the
events that unfolded when a train failed
Then imagine what it’s like to be the driver
of that train. Stuck in the heat, waiting for
The loss of power came when foliage got
stuck in the pans. It happens, but when the
between Dock Junction and Kentish assistance, abused by passengers. When driver told the signaller about the problem
Town. you told them that help was five minutes at St. Pancras, it was decided to let the
away, you meant it. How were you to know train go on to Kentish Town, instead of
It’s good to talk
there’d be a delay? And how were you to terminating. Unfortunately, a fitter based at
Imagine being on a train that’s getting hotter know the PA would pack up so soon? Kentish Town was sent to St. Pancras to
and going nowhere, a train that seems like examine the train, but arrived after it had
What happened?
it’s been stuck in the same place for hours. left…for Kentish Town.
You wish you had a drink. You wish you At 18:26 on Thursday 26 May 2011, a First
More passengers were also allowed to get
had a seat – although the people who are Capital Connect (FCC) service lost power
on the train before it left St. Pancras. This
sitting down don’t look that comfortable and got stuck between Dock Junction and
led to crowding and made everyone on
either. The heat’s starting to get you down, Kentish Town. Almost three hours went by
board even more uncomfortable when the
there’s no air and the fact you haven’t got before the train moved again.
train eventually got stuck.
a clue what’s going on is only making it
Conditions for passengers became
worse! You curse yourself for jumping on
increasingly uncomfortable, as the train
at St Pancras – if only you’d known! Then
was very full and the air-con and toilets
you get a Tweet. Some people in the next
soon stopped working. Some passengers
coach have forced the door and are getting
opened doors to improve ventilation,
off. Great idea: let’s go!
repeatedly triggering alarms. It was decided
to bring another unit onto the front of the
stranded train and haul it into Kentish
Town, but the assisting train was delayed
and didn’t couple up until around 20:20.
Over the next 50 minutes, the driver tried
to start up the combined formation, but he
was hampered by further alarm operations
by passengers frustrated at the continuing
delay, and his own uncertainty about
whether all the train doors were closed or
not.
RED 33 Eventually, the driver over-rode the TIS just
to get the train moving. At the same time,
The latest edition of RED features a
some passengers were so fed up with There had been very little communication
dramatization which explores how a
the delay and discomfort that they started with passengers during the incident
minor mechanical failure can escalate
climbing down from the train to the track. because the PA system on the train failed
into widespread disruption.
This was still going on when the driver about 45 minutes after it became stranded.
The film highlights the importance undertook the pull-test. When the train Options for evacuating passengers, other
of drivers, conductors, signallers, finally moved towards Kentish Town, it did than the use of an assisting train, had either
controllers, platform staff and fitters so with at least two doors open. been discounted or had not been briefed to
working as a team when getting the staff responsible for the rescue on the day
What did RAIB find?
railway moving again after an outage. (see box on page 15).
RAIB said the ‘immediate cause’ of the
It also stresses that the way 80 minutes went by before the rescue train
incident was that the driver moved the
passengers are kept informed of coupled up. This was partly down to the
train ‘when it was not safe to do so, with
developments can affect behaviour – time it took to decide which type of unit
passengers standing in the vicinity of one or
and even lead to multiple detraining could be coupled to which type of unit
more sets of open doors’. But of course it
and trespass in some cases. (there were issues and misunderstandings
was much more complicated than that…
about software compatibility). However,
the unwillingness of the rescue train’s
14 //