Stephen Pearce

Said the following about RETB:

“The telent RETB team have substantially completed what has to be one of the most challenging projects on today’s UK rail network.

The RETB Next Generation Radio Signalling project, on Scotland’s West Highland Line and Far North Line on behalf of Network Rail, is one of the most physically demanding installations on the rail network, including working at the highest Network Rail Asset located at the top of White Corries in the Cairngorms. The assent and descent are particular hazardous as the weather conditions change by the hour and can be extreme. The work required more than the normal safety process to ensure the safety of the staff undertaking the work.

On-site works have been managed closely to mitigate health and safety risks to the team due to the remote locations of many of the sites. Teams have been issued with specialist 4x4s equipped with satellite radios to enable real time communications. Site teams have been issued with Personal Locator Beacons to alert the mountain rescue in case of extreme adverse weather and loss of communications. Teams have also been issued with specialist mountaineering PPE, to mitigate risks involved in accessing extreme sites in mountain top locations.

The physical challenges faced by the operations team weren’t the only challenges. Perhaps one of the most demanding elements of the project was the management of relationships between the numerous stakeholders. The project team, based in Warwick, worked with a design team split between London and Warwick together with the client in Glasgow. With the installation affecting multiple TOCs, each with their own requirements, communication was key. Close stakeholder liaison was necessary to ensure operator requirements were met whilst delivering in line with client and contractual requirements. Strong relationships have been built on a local level, to allow the RETB NG team to capture issues as they arise and provide expedient resolutions, working alongside operators in their depots and gaining the support and confidence of Network Rail operations and maintenance teams.

The project team has been made up of a dedicated core team covering project management, operations engineering and health and safety. Many individuals have been involved throughout the duration of the project, right from the initial bid phase.

The project has been overseen at Senior Management level by Phil DeSilva and Steve Pearce, with the project team being led by Mel Gibson, Senior Project Manager. Mel has been supported by Mark Green, Project Commercial Manager, Ben Blake, Project Manager and Jessica Lowe, Assistant Project Manager.

The Operations team has been led by Senior Operations Manager Lee Clinton, heavily supported by a core team of riggers, telecoms TICs and a dedicated EHS Manager, Sean Birrane, who has led the team through many health and safety challenges. These include siting an REB via helicopter at the highest point on Network Rail infrastructure, at the top of White Corries mountain in the Glencoe Ski Resort.

The Engineering team has been led by Neil Newland-Smith, Contractor’s Engineering Manager, supported by engineers who have taken the RETB NG system from GRIP 4 outline design through to a fully commissioned network running live train services. Key members of the engineering team are as follows: Marie Byrne - Senior Project Engineer, Simon King - Telecoms Radio CRE, Keith Fleming - Project Design Engineer, radio and Kevin Williamson - Signalling CRE.

During the last 12 months the team have taken the RETB NG equipment through the Network Rail Product Acceptance Process achieving full Product Acceptance for all fixed site radio equipment. Mobile equipment submissions have been reviewed and sign-off is anticipated by the end of October 2016.

The RETB Next Generation system has now been through full system trial on live passenger services, including install, test and commission at 48 base station sites, on-train testing of new equipment and providing support to ScotRail drivers during the initial migration period. It is now in full operational service on the West Highland Line.

Through their innovative approach to health and safety and dynamic risk assessments, the team have been recognised and won several awards including IOSH, Scotland Branch team award and a RoSPA silver award.

The team have also won a ‘Most Interesting Award’ for Development in support equipment and individuals from the RETB NG Project Team have been nominated for individual IOSH and Rail Staff awards.“