welcome
The Scottish Transport Conference 2008 site is relatively compact, but the works Clive Kessell gives us an introduction to
was held recently at the SECC (Scottish will include a grade separated junction to GSM-R. There is a feast of acronyms, but
Exhibition and Conference Centre) in the West of the station and five new they are all expanded. For beginners like
Glasgow. It's an impressive building of the platforms. me, Clive helps with GSM and GSM-R,
'Armadillo' style of architecture. Equally Our Electrification Engineer outlines some TETRA and EIRENE, TRAU and eMLPP. You
impressive is the scale of the railway massive electrification plans that have re- will be wiser by the end.
engineering going on in Scotland. Not emerged. Once thought to have been Finally we report on two historical items.
everything happens in the crowded South confined to the recycle bin, global factors The first is the extraordinary project to
Eastern corner of the UK and we propose have ensured that electrification has to be remove (temporarily) the Grade II listed
to address the balance in future editions. taken seriously again. It is odd really. The Chorley Flying Arches. These strange pieces
The conference gave rise to a wry benefits of electrification have been of Victorian engineering hark back to the
anecdote from Willie Gallagher and a blindingly obvious to generations of elegance of cathedral building. There are –
memorable one-liner from Councillor railway professionals. The battle has been or were – 16 of them bracing apart the Grahame Taylor
Alistair Watson – of which mention later to make the numbers stack up. This article faces of four metre high retaining walls. Editor
on. Mr. Gallagher is the Executive gives us a few pointers to what to expect Were they part of a sophisticated and
Chairman of tie (transport initiatives in emerging solutions. economic engineering design – or were
edinburgh) and gave an account of We have various reports on Trent Valley they a desperate last-minute botch, put up
progress on the Edinburgh tram. He four tracking (TV4), but within our to stop the two retaining walls falling
outlined the painstaking and sensitive Electrification Focus we also report on round the engineers' ears? They certainly
archaeological treatment of a former Balfour Beatty Rail Projects, who was looked impressive, but when they were
graveyard disturbed on the route. Things commissioned to develop the overhead dismantled there were clues that might
were not always the case as illustrated by line design for TV4, from concept to solve the mystery.
the discovery of a 1910 four inch water completion. In total 95 kms of overhead Graeme Bickerdike takes us into not the
main that had been laid through some line was designed and installed in one of first passenger railway tunnel, but the
unfortunate's rib cage. the largest overhead line design projects second - Glenfield tunnel near Leicester.
On that sepulchral note we move on undertaken by BBRP in recent years. Back in 1969 the council bought the tunnel
rapidly and appropriately to Birmingham We also carry a fascinating piece on for just a fiver. Graeme's article shows just
New Street Station. Collin Carr attended power simulation written by Margo van what a turkey that investment turned out
the press briefing on the proposed new Vliet and Bas Bollinger of ARCADIS to be.
look for this dismal station. The design is Nederland. Electrification is not just about And so back to the Scottish Transport
striking, as our front cover illustrates – I gantries and wires, it has to involve power Conference. Councillor Alistair Watson,
hope the underground dungeon benefits demand projections. These can be very Chair of Strathclyde Partnership for
as well. complex when all the parameters are fed Transport, is proud of his former career as
The announcement on Birmingham – into the model. The prize from successful a train driver based at the Hyndland depot.
mainly involving the station buildings – modelling can be the accurate prediction He put the aspirations of a 35 minute
came in the same month as details have of national power infrastructure provision journey time between Edinburgh and
emerged of the major works planned for and realistic train timetabling. Set aside Glasgow into context. "Why," he said. "I
Reading. This is a huge and complex some uninterrupted time for this one. You used to do it that quick plenty of times
undertaking, again described by Collin. The will need to concentrate. back then!" ...cue nervous laughter.
contents
Rail Engineering Vacancies: Pages 46-47
Birmingham New Street Grade II listed Chorley Taking the strain
A new reflection 'Flying Arches' Glenfield Tunnel
Pages 10-12 Pages 40-42 Pages 43-45
Upcoming features in the rail engineer
November: Bridges & Tunnels December: Major Projects January: Railtex preview
Surveying Review Surveying
october 2008 | the rail engineer | 3
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48