Improving New Train Introduction: Challenges and Lessons Learned

Bill Reeve: Director of Rail, Transport Scotland

Bill is Director of Rail at Transport Scotland. He has over thirty years’ experience of the passenger and freight transport industry, working in British Rail, the privatised rail industry, and as Director of Project Sponsorship at the Strategic Rail Authority. Bill is also the Independent Chair of the Rail North Partnership Board, the partnership between DfT and Rail North responsible for the Northern and Trans-Pennine Express franchises. Bill is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and recently served as Chairman of its Railway Division.

Helen Simpson: Innovation and Projects Director, Porterbrook

Helen joined British Rail in 1992 as an Engineering Management Trainee and after a period of training and placements, she worked for Central Trains leading reliability growth projects and modifications on DMUs. In 1997, she joined Interfleet where she had a number of different roles including leading the Asset Management and Maintenance Services team. In more recent years, Helen has had a focus on innovation projects, and in 2014 she joined Porterbrook to help lead new engineering developments.  She describes her current role as Head of Innovation and Technical Services as investigating and developing new technology for existing trains across all Porterbrook's fleets. Some of her most interesting projects have included the Class 769 Flex project, a hydrogen fuel cell train and the HybridFLEX project which she will explain about in the presentation.

Rashid Wahidi: Professional Head of Traction & Rolling Stock, Network Rail

Rashid is Professional Head of Traction and Rolling Stock at Network Rail in the Chief Engineer’s team. His role has industry interface with the new train introduction as well as Chief Engineer's vehicle introduction forum. He is also responsibility for Network Rail T&RS and Entity in Charge of Maintenance activities. Prior to Network Rail, Rashid worked in Booz Allen Hamilton consultancy in the rail transportation sector, and before that in Pakistan Railways' Fleet Operations & Maintenance. Rashid has wide ranging experience in T&RS engineering, maintenance and procurement areas in UK and abroad. Rashid likes to contribute to professional development of engineers being active in several IMechE areas with the Centre Events Committee, Milton Keynes Railway Division Committee, Railway Challenge and as a member of the IMechE Academic Standards Committee. He is a Mechanical Engineer and Fellow of the Institution, having gained a BSc in Mechanical Engineering (Pakistan), followed by MS Engineering (USA) and MBA (UK).

Andy Martlew: Traction & Rolling Stock Development Engineer, Direct Rail Services

Andy joined British Railways in 1992 as part of the DM & EE Graduate Training Scheme and spent time in various engineering roles before being appointed to a position in the Trainload Freight (West) shadow privatisation freight company. Andy subsequently worked for TransRail Freight and its privatised successor English, Welsh & Scottish Railways in a variety of technical support and production management roles before joining Direct Rail Services in 2003 as Fleet Engineer. Andy was promoted to Professional Head of Traction & Rolling Stock in 2008 before becoming Senior Technical Engineer in 2011 and subsequently Traction & Rolling Stock Development Engineer in 2014.

Peter Smyth: Chief Mechanical Engineer, Irish Rail

Peter Smyth is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer who has principal responsibility for the provision of the maintenance and overhaul of all rolling stock operated by state owned Irish Rail. Peter joined British Rail in 1993 and has worked in a senior capacity in number of organisations within the railway business including Scotrail, Atkins consultants and Angel Trains before joining Irish Rail in 2007 as Head of Capital Projects to lead the procurement and introduction of new trains and major refurbishment projects. Peter became Chief Mechanical Engineer in 2010 with direct responsibility for the maintenance and overhaul of a wide ranging fleet of Locomotives, wagons, carriages DMU and EMU trains operating freight, passenger intercity and commuter services across the network. As well as seven maintenance depots this includes control over the main works at Inchicore where wheelset manufacture and bogie overhaul and major repairs are undertaken to support the fleets.

Mark Molyneux: National Fleet Performance Manager, Rail Delivery Group

Mark is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and is currently National Fleet Performance Manager at Rail Delivery Group. This role includes capturing and facilitating the sharing of good practice between Train Operators (and other) organisations to enable the national fleet (which comprises of c15,000 passenger vehicles) to deliver the best possible reliability performance. In addition to this, he also represents the franchised Train Operators on cross industry groups and research project steering groups in GB.

Prior to joining RDG’s predecessor (ATOC) in 2009, Mark had fifteen years’ experience of working for 750V DC train operators. Career highlights include working at Slade Green Depot improving Networker (Classes 465/466) fleet reliability and subsequently using what he had learned to work with the manufacturer to influence the design of the Class 375 Electrostars.

Andrew Dunsby: Senior Rolling Stock Engineer, Transport for London

Andrew Dunsby joined Tube Lines in 2003 on the graduate scheme as an Electrical Engineer. At the end of the 2 year scheme Andrew joined the Rolling Stock team towards the end of the Jubilee Line 7th Car project. Since then he has worked on various train projects including upgrading performance and introducing new signalling systems on the Jubilee and Northern line fleets. Andrew joined the DLR team in July this year following the tender award as a Senior Rolling Stock Engineer.

Stef Valentino: Regulatory and Policy Specialist, RSSB

My name is Stef Valentino and I am a Regulatory and Policy Specialist at the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB). I provide policy advice and guidance on interpreting legislation and on the development of standards.

I joined RSSB in June 2018 after 11 years working at the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). I spent the last 10 years there as policy adviser for legislation relating to the central plank of railway safety management. I enjoyed the degree of autonomy the role brought and the opportunity to engage with many different stakeholders across the rail industry in Great Britain and internationally. On a day-to-day basis, I employed skills such as carrying out research; analysing, interpreting and presenting complex information; providing policy advice; oral and written communication with internal and external stakeholders. These skills and opportunities have transferred into my current role at RSSB. 

One of my successes has been transposing amendments to the European Railway Safety Directive into UK law. My activities on this piece of work were engaging with and influencing train and freight operators and those that manage rail infrastructure; working collaboratively with officials in other government departments; instructing lawyers; drafting consultation documents; analysing consultation responses; preparing impact assessments and making recommendations to senior managers.

I joined ORR from what is now the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, where I worked on policy in renewable energy, equal pay and the gender pay gap. During my time there I spent a month working as the Energy Minister's locum Diary Secretary, which I really enjoyed as it gave me an insight into what it's like to work in a Minister's office.

Graham Taylor: Chief Operating Officer, CAF Rolling Stock UK Ltd

Graham is a Fellow of the IMechE and was, until recently, the Vice Chair of the Professional Review Committee with specific responsibility for CEng accreditation. Graham has had a wide and varied career in heavy engineering since graduation and worked in sectors including Power, Oil & Gas as well as both new Build and Maintenance of passenger Rolling Stock. He has worked for major multi-nationals as well as SME’s and has experience in many corners of the globe. Graham was responsible for establishing the new CAF facility in Newport and has more recently been the Programme Director on Caledonian Sleeper.

Brian Freemantle: Head of Rolling Stock Policy & Contracts, Rail Executive, Passenger Services, Department for Transport

Dave Hickson: Head of Engineering and Asset Management, Govia Thameslink Railway

David Galloway: Professional Head of System Compatibility, Network Rail

Hugh O’Neil: Professional Head of Rolling Stock, RSSB

Phil Shrapnell: Senior Project Engineer – Rolling Stock, Transport for London

Steve Mitchell: Project Manager, Greater Anglia