Andrew O’Mahony College project

Andrew O’Mahony College project Possession on Central Line

Add title • Add sub-title • Add bulled text Central line

Introduction • Employee related Project. • Metronet rail is a large public limited company which maintains, replaces and upgrades two-thirds of the underground network, along with its trains, track, signals, tunnels, bridges and other related infrastructure. • Metronet is contracted in a PPP service contract to retain responsibility for running the tube, including trains and stations along with collecting fares and most importantly public safety. • Metronet rail is split into two companies, Metronet Rail BCV limited and Metronet Rail SSL limited and they have both entered into a 30 year PPP (Public private partnership) contract.

Introduction. • Change of companies. • Both of these companies went into administration on the 18th of July 2007 and now have been changed to LUL Nominee BCV limited and LUL Nominee SSL Limited and are now both part of Transport for London from the 27th of March 2008. However both LUL Nominee companies still trade as Metronet Rail Ltd BCV and SSL. • Below is a chart of how Metronet fit into TFL: -

Transport for London Structure

Track side of Metronet Rail • Track renewal – this involves large renewal project in which MRIS are involved to remove the old system and replace it with a brand new system. • Track maintenance – This is the general maintenance of the track which stretches from small upgrades to changing of keys and bolts. Track Maintenance • This section is split into 5 sub sections as follows: -

Track Geometry • Track geometry – Metronet use a machine called a Tamper to align the track. This machine lowers and laterally moves the tracks geometry to get it into the correct position. It can lift and pack certain areas of the track to get the geometry perfect for trains to run and smoothen up the ride for the train. This machine is used because it is quicker and more cost efficient that using gangs of people to lift and lower the track and re align the track. This also increases the track’s life cycle as there will be less wear on the rails because the geometry is correct. However this machine can only be used on the sub surface areas of the track and cannot be used in the tube as the rails are concreted to the floor and therefore cannot be re aligned.

Points and crossings (P&C) • Points and crossings (P&C) – Points and crossings are used on the underground to change the direction of the train from one road to the other. They are very complex part of the railway with a lot of ware on them. A lot of the time parts of the points and crossings need changing or weld repairing or in some cases they may need to be totally renewed.

Track signal equipment • Track signal equipment – These parts of the track are called ‘Block Joints’ and they insulate a signal from one part of the track to the other. This part of the track needs to be working correctly as if they fail trains could collide with each other. These are a joint in the track with an insulator in between the two joining tracks to stop a signal continuing from one part of the track to the other.

New Rails • New rail – As there are a lot of trains running over the rails over the day, week and years, some rails may wear especially at corners and the points and crossings and these will need to be changed.

Re-Profiling • Re-profiling – Grinding is sometimes used to re-profile the rails to make them better for the trains to run on and re-profile the rails. This can reduce the amount of noise and vibrations the trains make when they go over the rails and therefore make it better for the passengers and the surrounding neighbourhoods. Rail grinding is done with a special train which has 16 grinding stones which are set at different angles and rotate whilst the train is moved along, grinding off a small layer of metal.

Internal Structure • This is where the apprentice section fits into Metronet. We are part of learning and development team and the track apprentices fit under the apprentice controller Sarah Masters. • This section of Metronet then fits into the human resources section of Metronet with Karen reporting to Colin Game who is the head of HR of Metronet.

Central line Structure

Possession details. • Planning and delivery • A possession is a line closure of the track usually over the weekend for a set period of time where we have a complete shut down of the track. No train will run over this period of time as we will have complete access of the track and all the components. These possessions give us the opportunity to carry out large renewals of the track to improve the safety and reliability of the railway. Below is an outline of one specific possession at West Ruislip on the Central line.

West Ruislip Possession • This possession was at West Ruislip on the 17th and 18th of January 2009 and we had a worksite within Balfour Beatty’s possession. Within this possession there were 5 worksites and we were work site no 5. • The reason for this worksite for us is to install Schwihag moly coated baseplates on the P&C at West Ruislip to reduce the failures in this section.

Worksite area This was where we were mainly working around the P&C at West Ruislip. • Below is worksite No 5 and the parts of the track within our possession limits. It also has our possession limits and ours was from the buffer stops at the platform to 80m west of the P&C diamond at Ruislip Gardens, both roads. • This was where we were mainly working around the P&C at West Ruislip.

Possession continued • The reason for this possession is to update the original track components (mainly the baseplate), to moly coated baseplates. These baseplates are special baseplates that need no lubrication for them to work. Also along with these we added switch roller insulators, which will aid in the throwing of the points and increase the productivity of the stock and switches. • These baseplates are a new concept, which will decrease point failures, as they help the points throw easier, and therefore reduce the fines that we would receive for the points failing. This will in turn increase the safety of the track and increase passenger satisfaction. • Along with changing these baseplates adding the switch rollers we also changed several half set in the same area as some of them were close to failing or had faults out on them. Also as we had access to the track other jobs were carried out including surveys and short rail site lubrication.

Possession Plan • 1101 points, switch roller insulation, slide chairs and L/H half set. • 1102 points, switch roller insulation, slide chairs and L/H half set. • 1104 points, R/H half set. • 1105 points, R/H half set (P&C SS), switch roller insulation and slide chairs. • 1106 points slide chairs and switch roller insulation. • 1110 points, R/H half set. • 1111 points, switch roller insulation and slide chairs. • 1112 points, switch roller insulation, slide chairs and L/H half set. • Along with the above there will be all of the associated closure rails where required.

Moly Coated Baseplates • These are the new type of moly coated baseplates that were installed during the possession. They are coated with a special formula that helps the points throw without being lubricated. There is also some switch roller insulator that are added to the set of points and these are added depending on the size of the switch.

Moly Coated Baseplates continued • This is a table showing you where you need to add the switch roller insulators depending on what type of switch they are being added to. All of the switches we were adding them to were full depth switches and were either FV, DV or BV types, so we added them where necessary and took off the moly coated baseplates. • Advantages and Disadvantages.

Planning Stage • This stage was carried out to make sure that the possession ran smoothly and on time and budget. • Details were drawn up as follows: -

Final Possession plan • 1105 R/H half set is facing the correct way but needs to be moved towards 1105 points, Schwihag moly coated base plates and R/H half set need to be installed. Also install associated closure if required. (P+C SS) • 1102 L/H half set is facing the correct way but needs to be moved towards 1102 points, Schwihag moly coated base plates and L/H half set need to be installed. Also install associated closure if required. (P+C SS) • 1111 R/H half set and Schwihag moly coated base plates to be installed. Expansion switch also needs to be installed and closure rail if required. • 1112 points will be arc welded to remove visual defects and Schwihag moly base plates to be installed. • 1101 R/H half set and Schwihag moly coated base plates to be installed. Also install closure rail if required. • 1110 R/H half set to be installed. Also install closure rail if required. • 1104 No work needed on installation of Stock and switch just the Schwihag moly coated base plates. • 1106 No work needed on installation of stock and switch just Schwihag moly coated base plates to be installed.

Communication Types • Fax • Email • Internet/Intranet • Livelink • Blue Page • EWSA • Phones • Meetings

Wash Up Meeting • To complete the possession a wash up meeting is held very informally to find out how everyone who was in the possession thought the possession went. This involved people putting forward ideas of how this could have been improved, what parts they thought went well and how the overall possession project went.

Andrew O’Mahony College project