The Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre will host over 7,000 rail professionals next week as Rail Live returns for 2025.
On Wednesday 18th June and Thursday 19th June, attendees will be able to network, attend live demonstrates, visit the latest rail innovations, and hear from industry experts.
There will be several Porterbrook events and displays that guests can visit and take part in including:
Visualise the UK’s only continuous test loop at the Porterbrook marquee
Jump into the virtual driver’s cab and see what it will be like to drive on the UK’s only continuous test loop, currently being built right here at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre.
Step on board HydroFLEX, the UK’s first and only heavy-rail hydrogen passenger train
On board HydroFLEX, with its brand-new livery in celebration of Railway 200, you can hear from the Porterbrook team who have worked on its development and testing to understand how the technology works, participate in The Hydrogen Challenge in the train’s “Boardroom” carriage, and book onto an exclusive tour of the hydrochamber.
Watch Primary Engineer’s Rail Live Challenge
Back for a second year, this popular event – delivered in partnership with Primary Engineer which helps to inspire young people to pursue careers in engineering - teams up VIPs from across the rail industry and local community with children from Warwickshire primary schools to compete in a fun engineering challenge live on stage.
Day 1 | Wednesday 18th June | 11:30 – 12:15
Day 2 | Thursday 19th June | 12:15 – 13:00
Join Porterbrook COO Ben Ackroyd to hear about a new era of railway testing
Hear from Porterbrook’s Chief Operating Officer Ben Ackroyd about the development of the UK’s only continuous test loop here at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre, and the key role that the site will play to support the introduction of new fleets to the railway in the future.
Day 1 | Wednesday 18th June | 14:15 – 15:00
Celebrate the National Railway Museum’s 50th Birthday
To mark Railway 200, the National Railway Museum have collected a series of Railway Firsts, highlighting the stories that have shaped the railway. In the Porterbrook marquee you can discover a selection of these firsts, as well as an interactive challenge where you can test your engineering skills. This year also marks the 50th birthday of the National Railway Museum, and you’re invited to join the celebration in the Porterbrook marquee.
Explore Long Marston’s biodiversity with Network Rail
As part of the ongoing track upgrade, we completed a baseline assessment to achieve a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) by improving existing habitats and creating new ones.
To demonstrate the work that will be developed we will be running hourly biodiversity walks with Dr Neil Strong, Network Rail Biodiversity Strategy Manager, on the hour from 10:00 – 15:00 lasting up to 45 minutes.
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Tuesday 15th April marked the launch of the first refurbished Class 170 back in service with East Midlands Railway.
The refurbished Class 170 trains are owned by Porterbrook and were previously operated by West Midlands Railway.
The revamped train is the first in a programme to modernise EMR’s Class 170 regional fleet enhancing the passenger experience with brand-new seats and tables, modern power and charging facilities (including 230V, Type-C and dual USB sockets), refurbished toilets, upgraded flooring, and a newly installed passenger information system.
This comprehensive overhaul ensures a more comfortable, reliable, and connected journey for customers across the region.
Ben Ackroyd, Porterbrook COO, said: “Our investment in this Class 170 fleet ensures continued comfort, reliability, and performance to meet passengers’ evolving needs for years to come.
It’s fantastic to welcome the first refurbished train back onto the network, and we’d like to thank our partners at EMR, Arriva Train Care, and all companies who have supported this significant milestone.”
At the completion of the project, 78 Porterbrook vehicles will have been refurbished at Arriva Train Care in Crewe, delivering significant benefits for EMR’s regional rail customers. The next train in the programme is scheduled to enter service next month. Following that, a newly refurbished unit is expected to join the fleet each month.
Will Rogers, Managing Director of East Midlands Railway, said: "This refurbishment is more than just a lick of paint – it’s a complete transformation that puts our customers first.
"We’ve focused on creating an environment that is comfortable and functional – and it’s just the beginning. Over the next year, customers will start to see real, tangible improvements across our network, from the introduction of our state-of-the-art Aurora trains to a new regional timetable that will deliver better connectivity, more services, and extra capacity on key routes."
Porterbrook, the UK’s leading rolling stock financier and asset management company, has today confirmed the appointment of Lewis North as Head of Public Affairs.
Lewis joins the business today, bringing extensive experience from a range of public affairs roles in the UK and internationally, including Head of Public Affairs at Rail Partners, and as a political adviser in the European Parliament in Brussels.
Tim Malone, Director of Communications, said: “With the government’s clear intention to continue to work hand-in-hand with the private sector to drive investment and innovation, we’re delighted to welcome Lewis to the team to ensure that Porterbrook is well-positioned to inform and support their vision for a successful railway.”
Lewis said: 'I'm thrilled to be joining Porterbrook at this pivotal moment in the rail reform process. I look forward to demonstrating the essential role that private investment will continue to play for the UK’s railway while ensuring maximum value for passengers and taxpayers.”
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Hosted at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre, the event marked the conclusion of a year-long programme where Porterbrook engineers were paired with 11 local Warwickshire primary schools to bring engineering to life in the classroom.
This Rail Programme is for primary school students and is delivered across the UK through Primary Engineer, a not-for-profit organisation whose vision is to ensure all children achieve their full potential through engagement with engineering.
This is the third year Porterbrook have sponsored the programme for its neighbouring schools around Long Marston, and over 2,000 children have taken part.
Ben Ackroyd, Porterbrook COO, said: “We talk about getting young children involved in STEM subjects and this is exactly what they’ve been doing. Learning how to build the model but also the problem-solving skills which they learn along the way are really important. Those are core skills to engineering.”
Lindy Gascoigne, Teacher at St Mary’s CofE Primary School, said: “To break out of the classroom and do something hands on and practical has been really special for some of our children.”
Andrew Norris, Head of Partnerships at Primary Engineer, said: “It’s really fantastic the way the engineers throw themselves into working with the children. Every school receives the training and that’s the real key so that the teachers actually have the knowledge to be able to run the programme.”
We’re proud to share our 2024 Sustainability Report, highlighting our continued commitment to supporting a better and more sustainable rail industry.
Our annual Sustainability Report is a chance to look back at the progress we’ve made to date, including some of the highlights below, and set our ambitions for the years ahead.
You can read the full report here.
The first refurbished Class 170 Turbostar with CrossCountry has gone through a multi-million pound fleet refurbishment programme, financed by Porterbrook and carried out at Arriva TrainCare’s Crewe depot.
Passengers will benefit from new tables, seats and carpets, plug and USB sockets at all seats, refreshed on-board toilets and enhanced passenger information screens. Each carriage has had a full interior and exterior repaint, and new CCTV and automatic passenger counting equipment has been installed.
The reintroduction of unit 170101 to CrossCountry’s inter-regional fleet marks a key milestone in the project, which will see29 trains - totalling 80 carriages - going through the programme.
Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer at Porterbrook, said: “As passenger needs evolve, it’s important that our trains do too. That’s why we continue to invest in our fleets to ensure they meet customer expectations.
“Alongside our partners at CrossCountry and Arriva TrainCare, we’re pleased to be able to present the first refurbished Class 170 into passenger service.”
Shiona Rolfe, CrossCountry’s Managing Director, said: “It’s fantastic to deliver our first refurbished Turbostar train for passengers on our inter-regional routes.
“We know that these trains provide the bulk of the train service for a good portion of our network, and we hope passengers enjoy the significant improvements in convenience and comfort on those journeys.”
Russell Fletcher, Business Development Director at Arriva TrainCare said: “We’re delighted to be supporting CrossCountry with this significant refurbishment project. The team at our Crewe depot have been working hard to deliver the major fleet overhaul, which will greatly improve the passenger experience – benefitting existing customers at the same time as encouraging even more people to travel on CrossCountry’s services.”
The Turbostar refurbishment programme is currently scheduled to finish by 2028.
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To begin the day, Porterbrook CEO Mary Grant participated in a panel discussion alongside Bill Reeve, Director of Rail at Transport Scotland and Alan Ross, Director of Engineering and Asset Management at Network Rail.
The conversation centred around the need for a unified approach to drive growth and meet the evolving needs of Scotland’s rail network. Mary also emphasised the importance of long-term planning to ensure sustained value for rail.
During the session, the panel discussed how a robust supply chain is essential for a reliable and efficient railway, with Porterbrook’s 49% stake in Kilmarnock-based Brodie Engineering highlighted as an example of how we can contribute to Scotland’s plans for growth.
Later in the day, Porterbrook’s Head of Digital Engineering Services Chris Beales joined colleagues from ScotRail and Network Rail to consider the benefits of embracing digital technology. This included discussions on modernising assets and the introduction of remote condition monitoring on fleets to enhance efficiencies, and increase safety and reliability.
Porterbrook’s work with Network Rail in converting ex-passenger Class 153 vehicles into visual inspection units was used as an example of how embracing digitalisation can deliver significant safety benefits for the industry.
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Porterbrook CEO Mary Grant was pleased to join the Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy of Richmond Hill on stage at the UK Rail Summit in London today.
With the recent publication of the Government’s consultation on the establishment of Great British Railways, the event was an excellent opportunity to discuss how the industry can work together to deliver for passengers, and how to best harness private sector investment.
Mary was also joined on stage by Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Stewart Fox-Mills, Director of Fares and Ticketing at the Great British Railways Transition Team, and Stuart Jones, Commercial Director at Hull Trains and Lumo.
During the session, Mary explained that setting a long-term plan is essential for the industry to realise the true value of investments in the future, while welcoming the Rail Minister’s declaration that rolling stock companies would continue to be the stand-out private sector contributors to the railway.
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The new wagons, which are manufactured by Greenbrier, will be delivered by the end of 2025. The deal expands Porterbrook’s portfolio to 426 freight wagons in total, with 200 dedicated to the intermodal sector and 226 supporting construction.
Mark Wyborn, Head of Freight at Porterbrook, said: “This agreement highlights our continued commitment to investing in rail freight and providing innovative solutions to meet industry demands. These innovative wagons support the expansion of this vital sector, and the shift towards sustainable freight transport.”
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This major development to the UK railway’s only test loop will open the site for electric fleets at speeds of up to 50mph, alongside hydrogen, battery and diesel vehicles. There will also be the capability to support European Train Control System (ETCS) in cab signalling in the future.
Mary Grant, Porterbrook CEO said: “We’re pressing ahead with our ambitious plans at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre, investing over £75m to deliver exceptional facilities for our customers and manufacturing partners. With these significant upgrades we can provide the best level of service and a full turnkey solution for new rolling stock entering service.”
The company has overseen a transformation of the 135-acre mainline connected site, including tarmacking roads to significantly improve access, upgrading lighting and installing a new state-of-the-art security system. There are now enhanced training and office facilities, and old storage buildings have been replaced with similar structures to maintain the heritage of the former Royal Engineers’ WWII supply depot.
The fully renovated Asset Management Facility opened in April 2023, providing a high-quality space for maintenance and upgrades complete with three pitted roads, able to accommodate vehicles of up to 23 metres. Chrysalis Rail, the UK rolling stock service supplier, is a valued partner to Porterbrook with a permanent presence at the site.
Siemens Mobility will design, supply, install and commission all electrification and signalling works. In a UK first, the company will introduce the innovative Rail Charging Converter (RCC), a containerised solution that plugs directly into the local power grid using an 11kV charge, cutting delivery times for traditional electrification projects from seven years to as little as 18 months. Their Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) solution, Sicat SX, will provide span lengths of more than 110 metres between supports, a 50% increase compared to standard solutions, making it cheaper to install and maintain.
Rob Morris, Joint UK&I CEO and Managing Director for Rail Infrastructure, Siemens Mobility said: “This project is a testament to collaboration, integrating track, signalling, and trains together to transform rail travel and transport for Britian. As a technology leader, Siemens Mobility is excited to be playing a key role in providing game-changing electrification and signalling solutions that will reduce overall costs, lower carbon emissions and enhance efficiency.”
Trackwork has been appointed to design, supply and install in excess of 11km of track, including sidings, as well as modifications to the existing road layout and level crossings.
Simon Lee, Rail Director of Trackwork said: “We are incredibly pleased to collaborate with Porterbrook on this high-profile project. With a proven track record in delivering complex test track and depot projects, we are excited to bring our expertise to this significant redevelopment. This partnership highlights our ability to deliver tailored, innovative rail solutions, and we look forward to working closely with Porterbrook to bring this vision to life”
Notes
Sicat SX, is Siemens Mobility’s proven innovative and reliable OLE, providing span lengths of more than 110 metres between supports, an increase of more than 50% compared to standard solutions currently available in the UK. This means it’s cheaper to install and maintain, cutting costs for electrification.
Siemens Mobility’s Rail Charging Converter (RCC) is a containerised solution that will be deployed to site already assembled and tested. It creates a 25kV by plugging directly into the local power grid, instead of using the high powered 275/400kV electricity network, cutting delivery times for traditional electrification projects from seven years to as little as 18 months.
The original development of the Siemens Mobility’s RCC was supported by the Department for Transport through Innovate UK’s First of a Kind programme.
The RCC forms an important part of Siemens Mobility’s Desiro Verve battery bi-mode train and discontinuous electrification solution that could save Britain’s railways £3.5 billion and 12 million tonnes of CO2 over 35 years.
The trains, which would be assembled at Siemens Mobility’s new Train Manufacturing Facility in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, would be powered by overhead wires on already electrified routes, then switch to battery power where there are no wires.
This means only small sections of the routes and/or particular stations have to be electrified with OLE, making it much quicker and less disruptive to replace diesel trains compared to full electrification.
";s:9:"field_bio";N;s:13:"field_heading";N;s:14:"field_jobTitle";N;s:14:"field_latitude";N;s:11:"field_links";N;s:14:"field_location";N;s:14:"field_logoSize";N;s:15:"field_longitude";N;s:14:"field_objectId";N;s:26:"field_phoneNumberFormatted";N;s:22:"field_phoneNumberPlain";N;s:14:"field_position";N;s:11:"field_scale";N;s:18:"field_selectOffset";N;s:19:"field_signpostsSize";N;s:13:"field_summary";N;s:21:"field_tableOfContents";N;s:13:"field_linkUrl";N;s:14:"field_videoUrl";N;s:4:"root";N;s:3:"lft";N;s:3:"rgt";N;s:5:"level";N;s:11:"structureId";N;s:7:"draftId";N;s:14:"draftCreatorId";N;s:9:"draftName";N;s:10:"draftNotes";N;s:18:"isProvisionalDraft";N;}i:10;a:53:{s:2:"id";i:18707;s:13:"fieldLayoutId";i:14;s:3:"uid";s:36:"6211d37d-9d39-4505-9682-d201fa75833b";s:7:"enabled";i:1;s:8:"archived";i:0;s:11:"dateCreated";s:19:"2025-02-11 11:08:51";s:11:"dateUpdated";s:19:"2025-02-11 11:19:20";s:14:"siteSettingsId";i:18707;s:4:"slug";s:64:"class-379s-enter-passenger-service-with-govia-thameslink-railway";s:6:"siteId";i:1;s:3:"uri";s:69:"news/class-379s-enter-passenger-service-with-govia-thameslink-railway";s:14:"enabledForSite";i:1;s:11:"canonicalId";N;s:14:"dateLastMerged";N;s:9:"sectionId";i:4;s:6:"typeId";i:4;s:8:"authorId";i:12354;s:8:"postDate";s:19:"2025-02-11 11:07:00";s:10:"expiryDate";N;s:9:"contentId";i:5815;s:5:"title";s:43:"Class 379s enter passenger service with GTR";s:13:"field_address";N;s:26:"field_alternativePageTitle";N;s:17:"field_articleBody";s:2193:"An additional fleet of 30 Class 379s, acquired by Porterbrook in March 2024 and reactivated by Alstom, will help Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) give its Great Northern and Thameslink passengers extra services, faster journeys and better connections.
The first two four-carriage units (numbers 379002 and 022) entered service on Monday 10 February as an eight-carriage train on the existing 17:42 from King’s Cross to Letchworth Garden City service.
The trains, originally built by Alstom at its Derby Litchurch Lane Works between 2010 - 2011 for Stansted Express, feature up-to-date customer information systems, accessibility features and plug sockets for charging devices.
Stefan Rose, Chief Investment Officer at Porterbrook, said: “I’m delighted that more of our Electrostars are entering service with GTR. When we acquired the fleet from Akiem last year we were confident that they would be perfectly suited to GTR’s requirements, and it’s excellent to see them back out on the network to serve passengers for many more years to come.”
GTR Engineering Director Steve Lammin said: “These extra trains we have started to bring into service are a real demonstration of GTR working with partners across the rail industry to give passengers extra services and better journeys right across the South East. They're supporting our steady recovery from the effects of the pandemic.
“Here, on the route north of London to Cambridge and King’s Lynn, we’ve worked with our partners across the rail industry to develop this new timetable for December 2025 that capitalises on the massive £4bn decade-long investment in the East Coast Main Line."
Peter Broadley, Services Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom, said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to smart and sustainable rail solutions, Alstom is delighted to support the reactivation of the Class 379 fleet. This project exemplifies the importance of collaboration within the rail industry to enhance capacity and experience for the fare-paying passenger, while optimising the use of existing assets."
";s:9:"field_bio";N;s:13:"field_heading";N;s:14:"field_jobTitle";N;s:14:"field_latitude";N;s:11:"field_links";N;s:14:"field_location";N;s:14:"field_logoSize";N;s:15:"field_longitude";N;s:14:"field_objectId";N;s:26:"field_phoneNumberFormatted";N;s:22:"field_phoneNumberPlain";N;s:14:"field_position";N;s:11:"field_scale";N;s:18:"field_selectOffset";N;s:19:"field_signpostsSize";N;s:13:"field_summary";N;s:21:"field_tableOfContents";N;s:13:"field_linkUrl";N;s:14:"field_videoUrl";N;s:4:"root";N;s:3:"lft";N;s:3:"rgt";N;s:5:"level";N;s:11:"structureId";N;s:7:"draftId";N;s:14:"draftCreatorId";N;s:9:"draftName";N;s:10:"draftNotes";N;s:18:"isProvisionalDraft";N;}i:11;a:53:{s:2:"id";i:18703;s:13:"fieldLayoutId";i:14;s:3:"uid";s:36:"cc7a63cb-8e29-494f-9849-89a0bcdb4cf4";s:7:"enabled";i:1;s:8:"archived";i:0;s:11:"dateCreated";s:19:"2025-01-20 11:04:32";s:11:"dateUpdated";s:19:"2025-01-20 11:04:32";s:14:"siteSettingsId";i:18703;s:4:"slug";s:47:"tim-malone-appointed-director-of-communications";s:6:"siteId";i:1;s:3:"uri";s:52:"news/tim-malone-appointed-director-of-communications";s:14:"enabledForSite";i:1;s:11:"canonicalId";N;s:14:"dateLastMerged";N;s:9:"sectionId";i:4;s:6:"typeId";i:4;s:8:"authorId";i:12354;s:8:"postDate";s:19:"2025-01-20 11:02:00";s:10:"expiryDate";N;s:9:"contentId";i:5811;s:5:"title";s:47:"Tim Malone appointed Director of Communications";s:13:"field_address";N;s:26:"field_alternativePageTitle";N;s:17:"field_articleBody";s:478:"We are pleased to announce that Tim Malone has been appointed as our Director of Communications.
Since joining the business in 2022 as Head of Communications, Tim has become a highly valued and respected member of the Porterbrook team, driving an extensive programme of internal, media and stakeholder engagement.
This appointment reflects the crucial role that Tim and his team will play in an exciting year ahead for Porterbrook and the rail industry.
";s:9:"field_bio";N;s:13:"field_heading";N;s:14:"field_jobTitle";N;s:14:"field_latitude";N;s:11:"field_links";N;s:14:"field_location";N;s:14:"field_logoSize";N;s:15:"field_longitude";N;s:14:"field_objectId";N;s:26:"field_phoneNumberFormatted";N;s:22:"field_phoneNumberPlain";N;s:14:"field_position";N;s:11:"field_scale";N;s:18:"field_selectOffset";N;s:19:"field_signpostsSize";N;s:13:"field_summary";N;s:21:"field_tableOfContents";N;s:13:"field_linkUrl";N;s:14:"field_videoUrl";N;s:4:"root";N;s:3:"lft";N;s:3:"rgt";N;s:5:"level";N;s:11:"structureId";N;s:7:"draftId";N;s:14:"draftCreatorId";N;s:9:"draftName";N;s:10:"draftNotes";N;s:18:"isProvisionalDraft";N;}i:12;a:53:{s:2:"id";i:18697;s:13:"fieldLayoutId";i:14;s:3:"uid";s:36:"932b00da-bf9f-48d1-b337-7d0682005fa9";s:7:"enabled";i:1;s:8:"archived";i:0;s:11:"dateCreated";s:19:"2025-01-07 11:47:39";s:11:"dateUpdated";s:19:"2025-01-07 11:47:39";s:14:"siteSettingsId";i:18697;s:4:"slug";s:53:"ian-prosser-cbe-to-chair-porterbrook-safety-committee";s:6:"siteId";i:1;s:3:"uri";s:58:"news/ian-prosser-cbe-to-chair-porterbrook-safety-committee";s:14:"enabledForSite";i:1;s:11:"canonicalId";N;s:14:"dateLastMerged";N;s:9:"sectionId";i:4;s:6:"typeId";i:4;s:8:"authorId";i:12354;s:8:"postDate";s:19:"2025-01-07 11:43:00";s:10:"expiryDate";N;s:9:"contentId";i:5805;s:5:"title";s:53:"Ian Prosser CBE to Chair Porterbrook Safety Committee";s:13:"field_address";N;s:26:"field_alternativePageTitle";N;s:17:"field_articleBody";s:1381:"We are pleased to confirm Ian Prosser CBE as the new independent Chair of the Porterbrook Safety Committee.
Ian will be responsible for reviewing the company’s approach to maintaining a safety focused culture across its whole asset portfolio, consistent with the high standards required within the UK rail industry.
He served as HM Chief Inspector of Railways for over fifteen years, retiring in June 2024, and succeeds Jim Hagan who has stepped down from the committee after six years in post. Jim is the Head of Safety at Eurostar.
Ian Prosser CBE said: “I am delighted to have been asked to chair Porterbrook’s Safety Committee. Under Mary Grant’s leadership, the company has shown a real passion for improving standards. With a strong health and safety performance already in place, I believe we can now work together to reach even higher levels.”
Mary Grant, CEO of Porterbrook, said: “We look forward to the wealth of experience that Ian will bring to this position. His unwavering dedication to making the railway a safer place during his career has been commendable, and Ian has rightly set a high standard across the industry.”
“I would also like to thank Jim Hagan for the key role he has played over the last six years improving safety across the business. We all wish him the very best for the future.”
";s:9:"field_bio";N;s:13:"field_heading";N;s:14:"field_jobTitle";N;s:14:"field_latitude";N;s:11:"field_links";N;s:14:"field_location";N;s:14:"field_logoSize";N;s:15:"field_longitude";N;s:14:"field_objectId";N;s:26:"field_phoneNumberFormatted";N;s:22:"field_phoneNumberPlain";N;s:14:"field_position";N;s:11:"field_scale";N;s:18:"field_selectOffset";N;s:19:"field_signpostsSize";N;s:13:"field_summary";N;s:21:"field_tableOfContents";N;s:13:"field_linkUrl";N;s:14:"field_videoUrl";N;s:4:"root";N;s:3:"lft";N;s:3:"rgt";N;s:5:"level";N;s:11:"structureId";N;s:7:"draftId";N;s:14:"draftCreatorId";N;s:9:"draftName";N;s:10:"draftNotes";N;s:18:"isProvisionalDraft";N;}i:13;a:53:{s:2:"id";i:18693;s:13:"fieldLayoutId";i:14;s:3:"uid";s:36:"a5798343-79a8-4e7b-8bab-69cab42e4299";s:7:"enabled";i:1;s:8:"archived";i:0;s:11:"dateCreated";s:19:"2024-12-19 12:58:55";s:11:"dateUpdated";s:19:"2024-12-19 12:58:55";s:14:"siteSettingsId";i:18693;s:4:"slug";s:54:"porterbrook-to-repurpose-freightliner-coal-wagon-fleet";s:6:"siteId";i:1;s:3:"uri";s:59:"news/porterbrook-to-repurpose-freightliner-coal-wagon-fleet";s:14:"enabledForSite";i:1;s:11:"canonicalId";N;s:14:"dateLastMerged";N;s:9:"sectionId";i:4;s:6:"typeId";i:4;s:8:"authorId";i:12354;s:8:"postDate";s:19:"2024-12-19 12:55:00";s:10:"expiryDate";N;s:9:"contentId";i:5801;s:5:"title";s:54:"Porterbrook to repurpose Freightliner coal wagon fleet";s:13:"field_address";N;s:26:"field_alternativePageTitle";N;s:17:"field_articleBody";s:1735:"A partnership between Freightliner, WH Davis and Porterbrook will see a residual coal fleet repurposed into aggregate box wagons, supporting the UK supply chain and driving sustainable innovation in the rail industry.
The repurposed wagons will be funded by Porterbrook, with the conversions being carried out at the WH Davis factory in Mansfield, bringing new life and service to an otherwise redundant fleet.
Dave Penney, Managing Director – Rail Services & Heavy Haul at Freightliner, commented, “We are delighted to be giving an otherwise redundant coal wagon fleet a new lease of life. Not only is this the more sustainable option, but it also allows us to support the local economy as these wagons will be reconditioned in the UK. We look forward to seeing the wagons in action next year delivering for our customers across the UK.”
Mark Wyborn, Head of Freight at Porterbrook, said, “With freight volumes in the construction sector on the rise and expected to continue growing, we are proud to support the industry through our partnership with Freightliner and WH Davis. This agreement highlights our commitment to investing in the long-term growth of rail freight while providing affordable, innovative, and sustainable rolling stock for the UK railway."
Andy Houghton, Managing Director – WH Davis Ltd, added, “This is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what can be achieved by giving redundant fleets a purpose for the next 30 plus years. It’s a truly sustainable option that also gives UK manufacturing a boost to enable the creation of UK jobs in the industry. I really can’t wait to see our latest box wagon design in traffic for Freightliner in 2025”
The £25 million upgrade of the Class 458 electric multiple unit (EMU) fleet for South Western Railway (SWR) has now been completed, with the final vehicle departing Widnes to re-enter passenger service.
The refurbishment has been financed by Porterbrook, which owns the Class 458 fleet.
Twenty-eight four-car units have been upgraded at the Alstom Transport Technology Centre in Widnes, taking two weeks to complete each set. Each unit now has new SWR livery, modern seats in a two-by-two formation – all with back tables and charging points – as well as space for two wheelchair users. The carriages have new carpets, and tables fitted with wireless charging points.
The vehicles have also been reconfigured to enable faster acceleration, and the Class 458’s powered wheelsets have been overhauled to give the trains an increased top speed of 100mph.
Neil Drury, Engineering and Infrastructure Director at South Western Railway, said: “We’re excited to welcome our newly refurbished Class 458 fleet back to the network. These upgraded trains provide a significantly enhanced customer experience, with improved seating and tables, new charging points, as well as space for two wheelchair users,”
He added: “We are grateful to Alstom and Porterbrook for partnering with us on this successful project, and to SWR colleagues for their hard work getting the trains back into service, which will strengthen capacity on our busy suburban network.”
Andy Bagguley, Fleet Services Director at Porterbrook, said: “Our Class 458s have proudly served South Western Railway’s routes for the last 25 years. We know that the needs of passengers evolve over time, so it’s important that our trains do the same, and that’s why we continually invest in our fleets to ensure they meet expectations.
“Thank you to our partners at SWR and Alstom, and to all the companies who supported the successful delivery of this complex project.”
Peter Broadley, Services Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom , said: “This refurbishment demonstrates Alstom’s commitment to delivering smarter, more sustainable and passenger-focused mobility solutions. The work completed at Widnes and Crewe not only enhances the passenger experience on the Class 458 fleet, but also showcases the value of British engineering and our investment in local expertise.
“We are proud to have supported South Western Railway and Porterbrook in this significant programme, ensuring that these trains are ready to provide better journeys for customers across London and the South East of England.”
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The shunters, which are owned by Porterbrook, are expected to reduce emissions by c.40% and will be used to move steel billets from an electric arc furnace to CELSA’s rolling mills where it will be used to make metal sections, bar and rods.
These products are then transported to sites across the country where they are used in construction and infrastructure projects.
GB Railfreight and CELSA Steel UK have decided to open a series of competitions to name the three vehicles, which will be launching early next year.
Mark Wyborn, Head of Freight and Route Services at Porterbrook, said:
“Providing sustainable assets for depot operations is an important step in reaching the UK’s net zero target so it’s fantastic to see these Zephir shunters begin operating at CELSA Steel UK. We look forward to working alongside our partners to roll out more affordable, innovative and sustainable rolling stock for the industry.”
John Smith, Chief Executive of GB Railfreight, said:
“It’s great to see these clean, green new shunters enter service at CELSA Steel UK. They’re another example of how the rail freight sector plays a critical role in decarbonising the UK’s supply chains.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the nominated names for the new shunter locomotives – we’re hopeful we can use this to raise some money for charity and make people smile.”
Gabriella Nizam, Head of Sustainability & Public Affairs at CELSA Steel UK, said:
“CELSA Steel UK proudly welcomes GB Railfreight’s low-emission shunters, contributing to a greener supply chain. We’re excited about the naming competitions for these shunters, engaging our charity partners and the public, all while supporting worthy causes.”
Porterbrook, the UK’s leading rolling stock financier and asset management company, has today announced the appointment of David Lister as Director for Scotland.
David has over 20 years of experience managing transport operations, including 10 years at ScotRail where he is currently the Safety and Sustainability Director. He has also held leading operational roles at Edinburgh and London Southend airports.
In this new role, David will ensure that the business provides the highest standard of service to its existing ScotRail fleets, and is well positioned to support the long term ambitions of Scotland's Railway. He will join in April 2025.
Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer at Porterbrook said:
“David has a wealth of experience and we’re delighted he will be joining the team.
“Our excellent relationship with Scotland’s railway goes back over three decades. David will play an important role ensuring we’re best placed with Transport Scotland to deliver their plans for growth with the right mix of rolling stock solutions now and for the future.”
David Lister said:
“I am really looking forward to joining Porterbrook at an important time for the rail industry, and working with the team to ensure we meet the current needs and future ambitions of Scotland’s railway.”
";s:9:"field_bio";N;s:13:"field_heading";N;s:14:"field_jobTitle";N;s:14:"field_latitude";N;s:11:"field_links";N;s:14:"field_location";N;s:14:"field_logoSize";N;s:15:"field_longitude";N;s:14:"field_objectId";N;s:26:"field_phoneNumberFormatted";N;s:22:"field_phoneNumberPlain";N;s:14:"field_position";N;s:11:"field_scale";N;s:18:"field_selectOffset";N;s:19:"field_signpostsSize";N;s:13:"field_summary";N;s:21:"field_tableOfContents";N;s:13:"field_linkUrl";N;s:14:"field_videoUrl";N;s:4:"root";N;s:3:"lft";N;s:3:"rgt";N;s:5:"level";N;s:11:"structureId";N;s:7:"draftId";N;s:14:"draftCreatorId";N;s:9:"draftName";N;s:10:"draftNotes";N;s:18:"isProvisionalDraft";N;}i:17;a:53:{s:2:"id";i:18446;s:13:"fieldLayoutId";i:14;s:3:"uid";s:36:"cc28ace0-25d9-4f43-99c7-3f69df36e078";s:7:"enabled";i:1;s:8:"archived";i:0;s:11:"dateCreated";s:19:"2024-12-10 11:40:40";s:11:"dateUpdated";s:19:"2024-12-10 14:43:45";s:14:"siteSettingsId";i:18446;s:4:"slug";s:38:"a-christmas-message-from-porterbrook-2";s:6:"siteId";i:1;s:3:"uri";s:43:"news/a-christmas-message-from-porterbrook-2";s:14:"enabledForSite";i:1;s:11:"canonicalId";N;s:14:"dateLastMerged";N;s:9:"sectionId";i:4;s:6:"typeId";i:4;s:8:"authorId";i:12776;s:8:"postDate";s:19:"2024-12-06 11:29:00";s:10:"expiryDate";N;s:9:"contentId";i:5724;s:5:"title";s:36:"A Christmas message from Porterbrook";s:13:"field_address";N;s:26:"field_alternativePageTitle";N;s:17:"field_articleBody";s:1854:"All of us at Porterbrook would like to thank our colleagues, customers and partners for their hard work and support throughout 2024. We look forward to working with you again in the New Year.
Instead of sending Christmas cards we are continuing our tradition of making seasonal donations to charities that are significant to our employees in Derby, London and Stratford-upon-Avon.
This Christmas, we have donated to the Santa’s Grotto on the Go project, managed by the charity Escape Arts, which provides festive visits and gifts to families that require support in the Stratford-upon-Avon area.
We’ve also donated to Family Support Derbyshire, a charity that helps parents with young children through difficult and challenging times, Dementia Derbyshire, which delivers care, advice and support to people affected by dementia, and the Baytree Centre in London, working with women and girls to gain the skills and confidence to thrive in life, work and with their families.
We wish you the best for the festive period and every success in the year ahead.
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Alongside some insightful discussions about the future of rail testing and innovation, Porterbrook’s Bid and Revenue Manager Andy Pawley shared the vision for the Long Marston site, including the upcoming track upgrades.
Guests were also able to take a tour of the facilities, such as the Asset Management Facility, and visited HydroFLEX which was developed at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre.
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Mary has 30 years’ experience in the UK and international transport sector, including leadership roles at FirstGroup Plc, National Express Plc, ScotRail and Eurostar.
As the CEO of Porterbrook since 2017, she has overseen a strategic transformation that has secured key shareholder investment, pioneering railway innovation and sector leading global sustainability scores, underpinned by an award-winning people strategy.
Mary has been a Director on the NSAR Board since 2018 and has helped advance NSAR’s services and expertise in support of the rail industry and beyond during her tenure. She takes over the role from Dyan Perry OBE, Chief Executive Officer at High Speed 1, following a rigorous recruitment process.
Mary Grant said: “The National Skills Academy for Rail plays a vitally important role inspiring and training young men and women to give them the very best start in their railway careers. I’m honoured to take up the position of Board Chair to further support Neil and his team to deliver the academy’s mission, and to ensure that UK rail’s most exciting days are ahead of us, not behind.”
Neil Robertson, NSAR Chief Executive, said: “Mary is a longtime supporter of skills, training and supporting the next generation into rail careers. The NSAR Board and I are delighted that someone of Mary’s calibre will be leading NSAR through the next stages of our development and as we work to support the industry through reform and skills challenges. I look forward to working with Mary in her new capacity as Board Chair.”
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The Golden Spanners is an annual awards ceremony for the rail industry, celebrating the UK’s most reliable fleets.
As a result of this year’s wins, Porterbrook now has a total of 68 Golden Spanners.
This year, Porterbrook’s winning fleets are:
Gold Spanners:
Silver Spanners:
Porterbrook, the UK’s leading rolling stock financier and asset management company, is delighted to announce the successful closing of its £250m Private Placement.
The transaction, which includes existing and new investors, has enabled the company to extend its debt maturity profile at attractive pricing and further diversify its investor base of US, UK and Swiss institutions.
Porterbrook owns a quarter of the national passenger rail fleet, and in recent years has significantly diversified its portfolio including taking ownership of the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire, confirming a 49% stake in Brodie Engineering in Kilmarnock, and financing the redevelopment of Bletchley Depot for West Midland Trains.
The company is also funding a fleet of 10 new tri-mode trains for London North-Eastern Railway, and earlier this year acquired 30 Class 379 Electrostars to go on lease with Govia Thameslink Railway.
Rees Sutton, Head of Structured Finance at Porterbrook, said: “Our priority is to demonstrate best value to rail users and taxpayers to secure our long-term position at the heart of a thriving UK rail sector.”
“Today’s successful closing supports our ability to invest in the future of this important industry, and highlights the strong appetite amongst investors to lend against stable, long term assets.”
The Notes were issued by Porterbrook Rail Finance Limited and rated Baa2 by Moody’s. The use of proceeds was designated green, with specialist consultant ISS-Corporate verifying that the company’s Green Framework is in line with ICMA and LMA green bond principles.
The green designation highlights Porterbrook’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. The business was recently named a global Sector Leader for the fourth year in a row and scored 100/100 in the annual GRESB assessment, which benchmarks the ESG performance of assets worldwide.
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We spoke about HydroFLEX’s development so far, how it is helping to shape standards for hydrogen traction in the UK and our future aims for the train.
You can watch the video from Geoff's visit here:
A programme of work to fit engine remote condition monitoring (RCM) on Porterbrook’s Class 170 fleet operated by Northern– an investment which is helping to drive performance and reliability improvements - has reached completion.
The digital transformation project was carried out through an industry partnership between Northern, Porterbrook, Instrumentel and Derby Engineering Unit (DEU).
The Instrumentel-built RCM system, which was installed by DEU at Neville Hill TMD and project managed by Porterbrook, allows for intelligence-led condition-based maintenance of the fleet.
Where previously maintenance of the vehicles relied on manual inspections at routine interventions, the introduction of RCM means engineers now have access to fast and reliable data remotely and in real-time.
Moving beyond manual checks also means predictive maintenance, where the focus is on preventing failures before they happen.
Since introducing engine RCM on the fleet, we have seen several examples of increased fault free running between maintenance events, freeing up maintenance capacity and helping to deliver a more reliable service to our passengers.
Chris Beales, Head of Digital Engineering Services at Porterbrook, said: “Our industry is changing, and we are waking up to the real world benefits a shift towards Digital can afford us. This project is a prime example of how close collaboration between TOCs, asset owners and the supply chain is key to realising these benefits. We look forward to continuing to work with all involved to revolutionise the way in which we operate and maintain these important assets.”
Iain Burnett, fleet director at Northern, said: “Remote and real-time monitoring of track and train is something the rail industry has been working towards over the past couple of years – and forms a central part of our Intelligent Trains programme. We’re delighted to be working with Porterbrook on this software for the Class 170 Turbostar fleet and look forward to the real-world benefits it will bring to fleet maintenance.”
Samuel Bussey, Sales Director at Instrumentel, said: "Collaborating with Northern and Porterbrook has seen a great fitment project be completed and we're able to provide real-time insights on the health of the fleet immediately. Generating greater benefits and targeting failure modes for elimination are now the focus which we're working together to achieve."
The fitment of RCM on Northern’s 170 fleet is part of Porterbrook’s wider digital transformation of the ROSCO’s Turbostars, which has already seen similar digital upgrades to fleets at CrossCountry, EMR and Chiltern.
Data has shown that moving just one task to condition-based maintenance can save up to 1,500 labour hours per year, freeing up this time for people to focus on other areas.
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The leading rolling stock financier and asset manager also maintained a top score of 100/100 with a five-star rating.
GRESB, now in its 15th year, assesses and benchmarks the environmental, social and governance performance of assets worldwide, providing clarity and insights to financial markets on complex sustainability.
“GRESB Sector Leaders help set the pace for the industry, leading the way towards a more sustainable future. We are both proud of and encouraged by this year’s Sector Leaders for their dedication, leadership, and commitment to ESG principles and sustainability” said Sebastien Roussotte, CEO of GRESB.
Mary Grant, Porterbrook CEO, said: “These scores demonstrate our commitment to continuously improving and reviewing our ESG performance, while supporting the railway to embrace a sustainable and resilient future.“
The result reflects Porterbrook’s efforts to embed the principles across its activities and investments, covering key management and performance initiatives including climate risk and opportunities.
It also highlights the company’s ongoing focus on supporting the industry through charitable initiatives, investing in skills and inspiring young engineers.
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The programme is delivered to Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children across the UK through Primary Engineer, a not-for-profit organisation whose vision is to ensure all children and pupils achieve their full potential through engagement with engineering.
During the training session, teachers met the Porterbrook engineers professionals who will support them throughout the year as their pupils learn to build their own model trains.
This will be third year Porterbrook has funded the Rail Programme for schools in this area, local to its Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre.
Over the last two years, 1500 pupils in the areas surrounding the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre have taken part in the programme. This year, students at ten primary schools will be involved.
The first refurbished Class 168 with Chiltern Railways was launched on Wednesday 9th October at London Marylebone Station during a special event attended by rail partners and user groups.
Carried out at the Arrive TrainCare facility in Crewe, upgrades to the Class 168 fleet include:
During the launch, guests were welcomed on the platform by a string quartet and a unique AI experience where they were able to take a futuristic image of themselves with a background of the train.
A ribbon cutting also took place with Arriva UK Trains Managing Director David Brown, Chiltern Railways Managing Director Richard Allan, Rachel Blake MP (Cities of London and Westminster), and Porterbrook COO Ben Ackroyd.
The first train to be fully refurbished is now serving customers travelling on the operator’s main line routes from London Marylebone between Oxford and Birmingham.
Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer of Porterbrook, said:
“The 168s are an excellent fleet and have been serving Chiltern passengers well since they were introduced. This refurbishment programme will ensure these trains continue to serve passengers comfortably and reliably for many more years to come.
“This significant milestone would not have been possible without a true partnership approach – congratulations to everyone involved in the project.”
Richard Allan, Managing Director of Chiltern Railways, said:
“Chiltern has a comprehensive vision and three-stage plan to modernise and decarbonise our railway for our customers and neighbours.
"The first part of the plan is to improve our existing trains with £12m being spent on 85 carriages that were built in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
"The first train to benefit from that investment is now back in service following a refurbishment that means customers will experience new seat cushions and covers, new carpet, new lighting, better WiFi and new plug sockets that include USB charging points.
"I am impressed with the end result and hope it is welcomed by customers."
The remaining Class 168 trains will be refurbished and ready for passenger service in the coming months.
Another step forward has been taken towards the introduction of digital in-cab signalling to the East Coast Main Line with the completion of dynamic ETCS (European Train Control System) testing for key trains in both the passenger and freight sector.
Porterbrook's Class 387/1 Electrostar 387101, operated by Govia Thameslink Railway’s Great Northern, and DB Cargo’s Class 66 loco 66039 have successfully completed their testing across a range of operational scenarios.
Each train is the First in Class (FiC) for their respective fleets – the Class 387 is part of the Electrostar family of commuter units widely used in South East England, and the Class 66 is Britain’s principal freight fleet.
The dynamic testing, done at Network Rail’s Rail Innovation and Development Centre (RIDC) in Melton, forms a vital stage in the preparations for these fleets operating with digital signalling as part of the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) and subsequent ETCS deployments.
The process has involved close collaborative working between Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), Porterbrook, DB Cargo and their respective on-board equipment providers, Alstom (for Class 387) and Siemens Mobility (for Class 66).
Both trains will now go through a process of accumulating fault-free running mileage as the next stage in the approvals process.
Ed Akers, Network Rail’s Industry Partnership Director for ECDP, said: “This is significant progress with two strategically important fleets. Our partners have worked hard on both these projects to get to this point – those efforts will provide ongoing benefits with durable designs for key fleets. Preparing all the fleets is ECDP’s biggest challenge, but the facilities at RIDC are helping us take big steps forward toward a digital future.”
Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer at Porterbrook, which owns the Class 387 Electrostar, said: “Porterbrook is pleased to be playing our part in supporting Network Rail and our industry partners with the delivery of the ECDP. Completing the dynamic testing of these FiC units is an important milestone that can be directly attributed to the hard work and close collaboration of all those involved with this complex project.”
Aaron Meakin, GTR’s Senior Programme Delivery Manager for ERTMS, said: “Completing dynamic testing is a huge achievement. The Class 387 will be the country’s first major commuter fleet to have this technology retrofitted, and we’re looking forward to completing the work to the remaining 28 units at our depot in Hornsey, north London.”
David Maddison, Digital and Integrated Systems Regional Director, Alstom, said: “We are proud to have provided the cutting-edge technology and expertise necessary to retrofit the Class 387 fleet, paving the way for a new era of safer, more efficient and sustainable rail travel.
Working with partners across the industry, Alstom is committed to advancing the digital rail revolution, ensuring that passengers and freight operators alike benefit from enhanced performance and reliability.”
Neil Ethell, Chief Operating Officer, DB Cargo UK, said: “The completion of 66039’s dynamic testing at RIDC marks another significant milestone for freight and the programme. A lot of hard work has gone into getting us to this point, so I’d like to recognise and thank our colleagues at DB Cargo, Siemens, and RIDC for their dedication and professionalism during dynamic testing.
We’re incredibly proud to be undertaking the first in class fitment of a Class 66 and we’re excited to see how it performs in the next phase of testing as it accumulates 5,000 miles of fault-free running as part of the approvals process."
Rob Morris, Joint CEO of Siemens Mobility said: "The successful completion of dynamic testing is a significant milestone in our journey to bringing innovative digital signalling to the East Coast Main Line and beyond. This achievement not only underscores the robustness and reliability of our technology but also highlights the exceptional collaboration among our industry partners.”
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On Tuesday 16th July, Porterbrook welcomed representatives from across 50 of its suppliers to the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre to discuss how to enhance and sustain the railway together.
The first half of the day involved discussions from the Porterbrook team about the outlook for the years ahead in terms of its passenger and freight strategies, as well as an insight into wider rolling stock strategy and planning from Jag Maitala at the Department of Transport.
During the afternoon session, Iain Rae from Brodie Engineering introduced their business and detailed the future of its partnership with Porterbrook. Russell Fletcher from Arriva Train Care also spoke from the supplier’s perspective about the key to successful collaboration.
Attendees also heard about Porterbrook’s digital offerings, before a discussion around enhancing and sustaining the railway.
After lunch, many of the attendees took the opportunity to go for a guided tour of Long Marston to see first-hand the recent upgrades and significant investment that has gone into the site.
Thank you to all who were able to join us on the day.
This year at Rail Live we had the pleasure of partnering with Primary Engineer and the Department for Business and Trade to put on a very special event across both days celebrating the Primary Engineer Rail Project.
We were joined by representatives from across the rail industry and local community who teamed up with children from Warwickshire primary schools, close to the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre, to compete in the Rail Live Primary Engineer Challenge.
The pupils all took part in this year’s rail project, which brings engineering into primary schools and was delivered in partnership with Porterbrook. Over the last two years, 1500 pupils in the areas surrounding the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre have taken part in Primary Engineer.
It was the first time that the fun and competitive challenge had been held at Rail Live, helping to inspire the next generation of engineers.
This week we’re sponsoring the Three Peaks by Rail Challenge in its 21st year, raising funds for the Railway Children charity which fights for vulnerable children living alone at risk on the streets.
The event involves teams from across the rail industry scaling the UK’s three highest peaks over two days, transported by train to each location.
Porterbrook CEO Mary Grant said, “Porterbrook is proud to sponsor the Railway Children Three Peaks by Rail challenge for a fifth year. It’s a tough event to complete, but those taking on the challenge will feel immense pride when they reach the peak of Ben Nevis, knowing that their endurance and perseverance will help the charity to continue its mission to end street life for children everywhere.
“Congratulations to all who are taking part. We wish you the best of luck!”
Porterbrook has confirmed the appointment of Ben Woods as Engineering Business Development Director, starting in July.
Having started his career in the railway industry as a Graduate Technical Support Engineer at Porterbrook in 2004, he returns bringing a wealth of experience from senior engineering roles at East Midlands Trains, Arriva Trains Wales, Network Rail, IPEX Consulting and most recently at FirstGroup plc.
Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer said: “We’re pleased that Ben is rejoining the team. With over 4000 vehicles in our diverse portfolio, his expertise will be a huge asset as we look to further capitalise on our recent strategic investments and shape new opportunities in the future.”
Ben Woods said: “I’m delighted to be coming back at such an exciting time for the business. Through coordinating early-stage workstreams with customers and suppliers, in partnership with teams across the company, I look forward to building on its strong reputation for innovation, collaboration, and delivering value for our customers.”
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The upgrade works will mean an improved passenger experience for customers travelling on the SWR network, with refreshed interiors including new carpets, tables and charging points.
17 of our Class 458 fleet with South Western Railway have been refurbished currently with a further 11 to follow.
The UK’s biggest outdoor rail event returns to Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre this week, with a record numbers of visitors registered to attend.
Rail Live is always one of the highlights of the year in the rail calendar. This year when visitors arrive, the first thing they’ll see stretched out along the perimeter fence which forms the main walkway to the registration area is the new Stratford’s Lost Railways exhibition, a partnership with the Stratford-upon-Avon charity Escape Arts. The exhibition explores through iconic historic and present-day photography how the railway in the local area has changed significantly over the last 70 years.
HydroFLEX, the UK's first heavy-rail hydrogen train developed by Porterbrook, will be on show again this year on the Innovation Platform, having reached a number of significant milestones since Rail Live 2023, including travelling at over 90mph on the mainline during testing.
In the Porterbrook marquee, we’re focusing on the excellent partnerships we have across the rail industry and with local communities. Visitors will be able to see the “Past Visions of the Future” exhibition, our collaboration with the National Railway Museum looking at the last 200 years of ideas for what the future of rail might have looked like. The exhibition is a “teaser” in the build up to the opening of the Porterbrook sponsored Railway Futures Gallery at the museum in York in 2026.
Visitors can test out Remote Conditioning Monitoring (RCM) technology themselves within the comfort of the marquee. The interactive display demonstrates our partnership with Instrumentel to pilot RCM technology with a number of operators over the last year.
We’re also displaying some of the innovative trains created by children in our partnership with Primary Engineer for the Rail Project, delivered to schools close to Long Marston over the last year, and we’re hosting a special event each day in the Engineering Marquee in which children from the project will be teamed up with leading representatives from across the railway to take on each other in a live engineering challenge on stage.
It looks set to be another excellent event, and we look forward to seeing representatives from across the rail industry there!
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Daniel was there to see for the first time the Class 153 carriage that has been donated to him and will be repurposed as a reception area at Ashville's new yard.
While at the site Daniel visited HydroFLEX and toured the various facilities including the brand new Asset Management Facility.
Porterbrook CEO Mary Grant and Chief Operating Officer Ben Ackroyd were pleased to host the Shadow Rail Minister Stephen Morgan, HM Chief Inspector of Railways Ian Prosser CBE and Acting Chief Inspector of Railways Richard Hines at Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre.
After a tour of the site to see the extensive upgrades since 2021, including the Asset Management Facility which opened last year, we discussed our significant plans to electrify the 3.5km test track, before stepping on board HydroFLEX, the UK’s first heavy rail hydrogen train developed and extensively tested at Long Marston, for a run on the mainline to Evesham.
Having secured the purchase of the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire last month, Porterbrook has today confirmed its latest plans for the site to renew and electrify the 3.5km track.
Once completed at the end of 2025, the major development will take the company’s total investment in the centre to over £75m since 2021.
“With the future of Long Marston now confirmed we’ve wasted no time starting the next phase of the site improvements to reinforce our commitment to being a long-term partner for the rail industry” said Mary Grant, CEO of Porterbrook.
“Substantial replacement of life-expired vehicles is needed over the next decade, and the track upgrades mean that we can deliver the best level of service with our manufacturing partners to provide a full turnkey solution for new rolling stock entering service.”
Trains will be able to test at speeds of up to 50mph, with the capability to support new European Train Control System (ETCS) in cab signalling, and compatibility with other forms of traction including hydrogen, battery and diesel.
Porterbrook has overseen a transformation of Long Marston since it took over the operations in 2021, including significantly improved roads, enhanced training services, refurbished offices, and a £3m Asset Management Facility.
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Situated near Milton Keynes, the £66m upgrade programme is necessary for Bletchley to become the principal maintenance base for WMT’s newly procured Class 730 Aventra fleet.
The improvements to the site will include overhead line equipment, new ten and five car sidings, full refurbishment of existing buildings and the installation of modern security systems. Once completed in the autumn of 2025, the depot will be able to support electric fleets which are essential to the UK’s plans for a net-zero railway in the future.
Stefan Rose, Chief Investment Officer at Porterbrook, said: “Bletchley depot has been a stalwart of our railways since the mid-nineteenth century, and we’re delighted to fund the redevelopment it needs to service the modern fleets joining the network. Through private finance, we can maintain and enhance essential rail infrastructure like this to continue to play an important role in the railway for many years to come.”
Ian McConnell, Managing Director of West Midlands Trains, said: "This private financing deal enables West Midlands Trains to undertake major refurbishment of the depot at Bletchley - a critical part of our £1 billion fleet and infrastructure investment programme. The enhancements will modernise the facility to support the roll-out of our new flagship electric train fleet, the Class 730s, which will deliver a step-change in the customer experience across our network.”
Financing the redevelopment adds to Porterbrook’s increasingly diverse portfolio, which in recent weeks has included taking a 49% minority stake in the Scotland based rail engineering business Brodie Engineering, and the purchase of the 135-acre Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire, which it has been operating on lease since June 2021.
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The LOK 16.300 is a more sustainable option than traditional depot shunters, with an expected fuel efficiency saving of up to 60%, which provides depot operational flexibility as they are capable of operating outside of railway infrastructure.
As it is not currently possible to use battery or electric traction at Celsa Works due to the duty cycle, the Zephir depot shunters are fitted with EU Stage V engines, the latest in low emission engine standards for reduced pollution and lower CO₂ emissions. They are also able to run on HVO bio-diesel.
Asset Director of GB Railfreight Dave Golding said: “We’re pleased to be adding these new industry-leading Zephir shunt locotractors to our fleet. The LOK 16.300 locotractors alongside other recent significant investments made by GB Railfreight, including 50 modern JNA-X wagons from Porterbrook will help us deliver our target to be net zero by 2050 and help to decarbonise the UK’s supply chains.”
Porterbrook’s Head of Freight and Route Services Mark Wyborn said: “Porterbrook is committed to investing in rail freight for the long-term. With over 300 depot shunters currently operating in the UK and most due for renewal over the next five years, bringing these lower-emission Zephirs under our ownership for GB Railfreight marks a further diversification of our freight fleet, and underlines our dedication to support the sector with affordable, innovative and sustainable rolling stock.”
“We look forward to working with Zephir and our industry partners to continue the roll out of more sustainable assets for depot operations.”
Director at Depot Rail Owen Snell said: “We are really pleased to have the opportunity to work with Porterbrook and GB Railfreight to provide a more sustainable shunting solution for Celsa’s Cardiff operations.”
The new shunters will replace the current use of Class 08 shunters, that precede all EU low emissions standards. The units have been procured through Zephir’s UK distributor Depot Rail, who will also support the shunters while they are in active operations. Zephir Spa, a business unit of Marmon Holdings Inc./ A Berkshire Hathaway Company has over 55 years’ experience in manufacturing railroad shunters. The delivery of the first unit is expected in October 2024.
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Despite a challenging year for UK rail, 2023 saw notable achievements and progress towards a better, more sustainable railway. We take pride in having contributed to some of these alongside our customers, suppliers and industry partners.
You can read the full 2023 Sustainability Report here.
Our annual Celebration Event with Primary Engineer is a highlight on the calendar for many at Porterbrook. It’s a chance to celebrate the achievements of students who took part in the year-long Rail Programme, teaming up with some of our engineers to research and build their own model trains.
This Rail Programme is a Primary School programme which is delivered across the UK through Primary Engineer, a not-for-profit organisation whose vision is to ensure all children and pupils achieve their full potential through engagement with engineering.
This is the second year Porterbrook has funded the Rail Programme for schools around Warwickshire through Primary Engineer.
Porterbrook’s COO Ben Ackroyd said: “I’m delighted to host Primary Engineer at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre for the second year. Our engineers are leading some of the most exciting innovations taking place in the railway today. It’s been great to share that enthusiasm and passion, and to hopefully inspire the next generation of future engineers.”
Year 5/6 Teacher at Dunnington Primary School Dave Palmer said: “The program in my class was an exciting challenge and we had some great help from our engineer. We did the build in about a day and a half and had a great time.”
During the celebration event last week, a variety of prizes were awarded to the students from Best Theme to Best Communicator.
One pupil reflected: “I’ve learnt that whatever you do you have to be precise otherwise things might not go according to plan,” while another commented, “I really like doing the body and making the wheels work, it’s quite fun. My dads an engineer and I want to be like him.”
Porterbrook’s Operations Manager at Long Marston Phil Handford said: “My dad helped me when I was four years of age with engineering, and I fell in love with it from that point. I’m hoping that some of these young kids today from what they’ve taken in this experience will become an engineer, whether it be in the railway, car industry or wherever that may be.”
Porterbrook is pleased to announce the appointment of Andy Bagguley as Fleet Services Director.
Andy will join on 3rd June from East West Rail Company. Taking responsibility for regional management teams and digital engineering services, Andy will collaborate with customers and industry partners to deliver Porterbrook’s strategic rolling stock objectives across more than 4000 passenger and freight vehicles, representing one quarter of Britain’s fleet.
Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer at Porterbrook said: “I am delighted to welcome Andy onboard. We’re leading transformative investments in new and existing fleets, and crucially in our asset management capabilities for the long term, for example through the recent acquisition of Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire and our 49% stake in Brodie Engineering in Kilmarnock.
“Andy’s wealth of rolling stock engineering experience, energy and leadership will focus these capabilities on supporting our customers and the vital services they operate.”
Andy said: “Joining Porterbrook presents an exciting opportunity for me to contribute to shaping the future of rail. I am looking forward to being part of a dynamic team leveraging Porterbrook's innovative solutions and industry expertise to enhance sustainability, efficiency and accessibility across the rail sector.
“I believe we can not only meet but exceed the evolving needs of the industry and ultimately add substantial value to the growth and development of the railway.”
Neil Foster has taken up the position of Engineering Director within Porterbrook.
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The deal marks continued investment into the rail freight sector, adding to the existing 100 intermodal twin wagons and 50 box wagons delivered to the UK rail network since 2022.
The new wagons, arriving in the UK in Q3 2024, will replace aging assets while also enabling an increase in the nation’s rail freight capacity.
Supporting the expected growth in freight for the construction sector, GB Railfreight will operate these wagons to transport bulk construction materials such as ballast and stone.
Liam Day, Commercial Director of GB Railfreight, said: "Working in partnership with Porterbrook, we’re modernising our fleet by investing in 50 brand new box wagons. These will drive further growth of the business and allow us to deliver more materials to key construction projects across the country.
"Each of these new box wagons can move up to 77 tonnes of bulk material, which means that one of our trains can take up to 129 HGVs off our congested roads, pushing Britain closer to net zero."
Mark Wyborn, Head of Freight and Route Services at Porterbrook, said: “We are delighted to continue our journey with GB Railfreight and the rail freight sector.
This deal highlights our ongoing commitment to investing in rail freight for the long-term and to providing affordable, innovative and sustainable freight rolling stock to the UK’s railway.”
John Brown, Sales Director at Greenbrier, said: “We are thrilled to receive a new order for JNA box wagons from two of our valued customers, showcasing their confidence in our industry leading solutions. This order highlights Greenbrier dedication to the UK Rail industry providing reliable and efficient rolling stock to meet the evolving needs of our clients”
Data from The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) shows freight volumes in construction increased by 16%, reaching 1.44 billion net tonne kilometres from 1 July to 30 September 2023, the highest value since the time series began in April 1998. This data, combined with the Government’s ambitious 2050 target to grow rail freight by at least 75%, means there is an excellent growth scenario for the industry.
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The intention is for the fleet to be leased to Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) to run on the Great Northern route, as per the notice published 12th March 2024.
The EMU fleet, which was previously operated by Greater Anglia before coming off lease, was built in 2011 and is expected to be able to run for at least another 20 years.
Stefan Rose, Chief Investment Officer at Porterbrook, said: “We’re pleased to take these vehicles under our wing. This is an excellent fleet of Electrostars with a long service life ahead of them, perfectly suited to GTR’s requirements.”
GTR Engineering Director, Steve Lammin said: “Subject to acceptance, these additional trains will start the development of a design for the future growing demand across our network. These extra units provide an opportunity to support our business plan delivery in providing excellent service for our customers."
The new units will complement GTR and Porterbrook’s already extensive fleet of 962 Class 377s and 260 Class 387s, the largest Electrostar fleet in the UK, which have been serving passengers on London, Surrey, Sussex, Great Northern and Gatwick routes for many years.
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It’s been a pleasure to spend some time with our colleagues and partners in Scotland over the last couple of weeks at the Modern Railways Transport Scotland Conference in Edinburgh, and the Peloton Rail Scotland Conference in Glasgow.
I spoke on a panel with Transport Scotland’s Director of Rail Bill Reeve, and ScotRail’s Managing Director Alex Hynes at both events, with the Rail Forum’s Cat Appleby joining us in Edinburgh and Morgan Sindall’s Olivia Perkins in Glasgow.
This gave us all the opportunity to discuss the long-term ambitions for Scotland’s railway, and the importance of the public and private sector working together to bring forward innovations that make rail safer, more efficient and support the drive to net-zero.
We also thoroughly enjoyed seeing our fantastic Fleet Support Engineer Anna Gray take to the stage in Glasgow to join a panel of young rail professionals from Siemens, Thales and SPL Powerlines for a really engaging discussion about their experiences in the industry and advice for young people making a start in the railway.
March 2024 is a significant month for Porterbrook, marking 30 years since we were established as one of the original rolling stock companies for the UK railway.
A lot has changed over those three decades, but our excellent relationship with Scotland’s railway goes back almost as far. It was in August 1999 that our first Turbostar entered passenger service here, and today our trains with ScotRail travel on average double the length of mainland Scotland everyday, covering the far north highlands to the lowland borders and all eight cities.
We’re also pleased to finance a brand-new fleet of tri-mode trains for LNER to be introduced to some of Scotland’s routes in the coming years, marking the first new-build rolling stock order in the UK since 2019.
Just as Scotland has blazed a trail across the UK in terms of its rail aspirations and targets in areas such as decarbonisation and freight, Porterbrook is equally determined to lead the way on important projects and innovations that support our customers’ ambitions and deliver a better railway.
We don’t believe in letting the grass grow under our feet. Our talented engineers are leading some of the most ambitious projects taking place in the railway today, and we’ve invested over £73m in the last five-years on new traction innovation, such as the development of hydrogen and hybrid powered trains.
This includes re-engineering and refurbishing mid-life rolling stock to introduce bi-mode trains on a number of routes in England and Wales. These can switch between electric and diesel traction, meaning they can travel on any line while maximising the benefits of electrification schemes and delivering immediate improvements to air quality.
HydroFLEX, the UK’s first hydrogen ready passenger train, has also reached key milestones in the last year, including becoming the first hydrogen train to reach 90mph on the UK mainline, and providing a shuttle service for over 1000 visitors to Rail Live. We’ve invested over £12m in the development of this technology, which has been built and extensively tested at our Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire.
A healthy supply chain is also fundamental to a reliable and efficient railway, and that’s why we announced in February our agreement to take a 49% stake in Brodie Engineering. As the leading provider of rail engineering in Scotland, it’s an exciting proposition for both businesses. Brodies expansion into the historic Caledonia Works in Kilmarnock in recent years underlines the ambitions of the company, and our partnership means that we can better support our customers’ fleets in Scotland, and across the whole of the UK.
There are many reasons to feel positive about what lies ahead. Of course, new fleets are also needed and the upcoming rail procurement in Scotland is a generational opportunity to leverage private sector expertise to drive innovation, apprenticeships, jobs and skills, both in the rail supply chain and the wider Scottish economy.
Together with our customers and supply chain partners, we can ensure that the right mix of rolling stock solutions – new and existing – can be found to support Scotland’s plans for growth and deliver a more reliable and cost-effective railway that is fit for a net zero future.
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To start the day, our Fleet Support Engineer Anna Gray joined a panel of young rail professionals from Siemens Mobility’s, SPL POWERLINES UK and Thales.
Anna spoke about the importance of building a strong personal relationship with customers and suppliers. She also highlighted the value in promoting the variety of roles available across the railway to encourage more diversity in the industry and inspire the next generation of engineers.
Following on from Anna, our Chief Operating Officer Ben Ackroyd took to the stage alongside Transport Scotland’s Bill Reeve, ScotRail’s Alex Hynes and Morgan Sindall Infrastructure’s Olivia Perkins to discuss the key priorities for Scotland’s Railway.
Ben highlighted our commitment to the long-term ambitions for the railway in Scotland, and the importance of the public and private sector working together to bring forward innovations that make rail safer, more efficient and support the drive to net zero.
Porterbrook has agreed a deal with St Modwen to acquire the freehold of the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire.
Porterbrook has been operating the site since June 2021, and already invested over £13m to upgrade and enhance facilities across the centre.
“This deal provides absolute clarity for our business, our shareholders and the wider rail industry over the long-term future of Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre” said Mary Grant, CEO of Porterbrook.
“It gives us the certainty to move forwards with our plans and invest further to deliver an exceptional facility for testing, training, maintenance and storage for the railway.”
The company has overseen a transformation of the 135-acre mainline connected location, including tarmacking roads to significantly improve access, upgrading lighting and installing a new state-of-the-art security system. The centre now has enhanced training and office facilities, and old storage buildings have been replaced with similar structures to maintain the heritage of the former Royal Engineers’ WWII supply depot.
One of the largest upgrades is the new £3m Asset Management Facility which opened in April 2023, complete with three pitted roads able to accommodate vehicles of up to 23 metres, providing high-quality space for maintenance and upgrades.
The site also secured ISO 14001 certification in acknowledgment of the business’s positive approach to environmental management.
Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre will continue to host the annual two-day Rail Live event, the UK’s largest outdoor rail exhibition which welcomed over 6000 visitors and 273 exhibitors in 2023.
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Speaking alongside Ben was Cat Appleby, Membership and Engagement Director at Rail Forum, Alex Hynes, Managing Director at Scotland’s Railway and Bill Reeve, Director of Rail at Transport Scotland. During the discussion, Ben spoke about collective capability and Porterbrook’s role in supporting the challenges and opportunities faced by Team Scotland. The group also discussed the importance of creating a sustainable supply chain, and strengthening decarbonisation efforts across Scotland’s railway.
Highlighting Porterbrook’s commitment to supporting customers’ fleets in Scotland and the UK, Ben also announced the recent deal to take a 49% stake in Kilmarnock-based Brodie Engineering.
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The Kilmarnock based company is the only active rail engineering business in Scotland, specialising in heavy maintenance, refurbishment and overhauls for passenger and freight vehicles.
“Brodie Engineering is an excellent fit for us” said Mary Grant, CEO of Porterbrook. “The expansion in recent years into the Caledonia Works underlines the ambition of Gerry Hilferty and his team. They’re doing a fantastic job and will continue to run the day-to-day operations of the company”.
“A healthy supply chain is fundamental to a reliable and efficient railway. Today’s agreement means we can better support our customers’ fleets in Scotland, and across the whole of the UK.”
Gerry Hilferty, CEO of Brodie Engineering, said: “This is an exciting new chapter for our team, who can all be very proud of their hard work and determination in making the company what it is today. We have a strong relationship with Porterbrook and can now look forward to a long and successful partnership as we begin the next stage in this journey.”
The company began operating in 1996 and works across two sites based either side of the Kilmarnock rail track; the Bonnyton Works, and the Caledonia Works which the business acquired in 2020.
Today’s deal further underpins Porterbrook’s ability to provide a full turnkey solution for its customers and fleets, alongside continued investment to upgrade facilities across the 135-acre Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire.
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James was Chief Financial Officer of Severn Trent Plc from 2015 until his retirement in July 2023. Prior to joining Severn Trent, James was interim Chief Financial Officer of Shire Plc, where he had been since 2005. Prior to joining Shire, James spent nine years at Ford Motor Company in various finance roles of increasing responsibility.
James is currently a non-executive director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Land Securities Group Plc, and a non executive director at Water Plus Group Ltd.
James has recent and relevant financial experience as a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and as an experienced listed company CFO who has successfully applied his skills across a number of sectors, with broad experience in financial reporting, enterprise risk management, long-term capital investment models and a range of corporate activity, including M&A.
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As much as possible, we aim to donate end of first life rolling stock to various organisations and emergency services who use them as unique and engaging spaces.
When scrap disposal is necessary, we work closely with our main disposal supplier to ensure the maximum amount of product is recycled. Our current recycling rate for end of first life vehicles is 91%.
From heritage railways to schools and hospitals, ex rolling stock is getting a second lease of life around the UK. For example, as part of the Department for Transport’s Transform a Pacer competition, we donated three of our retired Pacers to community groups across the north.
One of these groups is Platform 1, who provide counselling for people in mental health crisis, mental health awareness courses and workshops in schools. The 19-tonne carriage now sits at the former Platform 1 at Huddersfield station, where the charity also has several sheds, along with counselling offices in nearby buildings.
After three decades and more than 3,161,000 miles of passenger service, it will now be used as a safe space for learning, counselling, and support.
In 2023, we celebrated the opening of another converted Class 144 Pacer carriage that’s been given a new lease on life in Northumberland.
In 2021 the two-car Pacer was donated to The Dales School, a school for children with special educational needs, and has since been converted into a unique library and a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) classroom.
With more than half of the students at the school having never been on a real train, the carriages are also used to teach independent train travel and railway safety.
In 2023 we celebrated the opening of another converted Pacer which has a new home with Airedale Hospital and Community Charity.
This train, aptly named “The Flying Dalesman”, travelled a total of 3,161,398 miles serving passengers – the same as going to the moon and back 6.6 times!
The Flying Dalesman was officially opened in September 2023 and will now be used as an inviting, fun space for Airedale NHS Foundation Trust’s youngest patients.
In addition to bean bags, a Nintendo Switch and a library, the train is now fitted with a private sensory room, making it an ideal non-clinical space for those with additional needs.
Foluke Ajayi, Chief Executive of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The wellbeing and experience of our patients is crucial to us, and The Flying Dalesman is the perfect space for children to forget any anxiety they may have when they come to the hospital for appointments.”
We are delighted to have been reaccredited with Investors in People Gold!
This is excellent recognition of the progress we have made since starting our Investors in People journey in 2018.
It reflects our strong commitment to investing in the practical and strategic support we give to people across all of our teams to help to drive their development and performance, while ensuring there are positive initiatives in place for every employee to support wellbeing and resilience.
Find our more about the variety of ways that we support people across Porterbrook here.
";s:9:"field_bio";N;s:13:"field_heading";N;s:14:"field_jobTitle";N;s:14:"field_latitude";N;s:11:"field_links";N;s:14:"field_location";N;s:14:"field_logoSize";N;s:15:"field_longitude";N;s:14:"field_objectId";N;s:26:"field_phoneNumberFormatted";N;s:22:"field_phoneNumberPlain";N;s:14:"field_position";N;s:11:"field_scale";N;s:18:"field_selectOffset";N;s:19:"field_signpostsSize";N;s:13:"field_summary";N;s:21:"field_tableOfContents";N;s:13:"field_linkUrl";N;s:14:"field_videoUrl";N;s:4:"root";N;s:3:"lft";N;s:3:"rgt";N;s:5:"level";N;s:11:"structureId";N;s:7:"draftId";N;s:14:"draftCreatorId";N;s:9:"draftName";N;s:10:"draftNotes";N;s:18:"isProvisionalDraft";N;}i:55;a:53:{s:2:"id";i:15512;s:13:"fieldLayoutId";i:14;s:3:"uid";s:36:"9842d8a9-afd0-414b-9e7c-0026a6673bfa";s:7:"enabled";i:1;s:8:"archived";i:0;s:11:"dateCreated";s:19:"2024-01-08 11:29:15";s:11:"dateUpdated";s:19:"2024-01-17 11:56:53";s:14:"siteSettingsId";i:15512;s:4:"slug";s:15:"2023-highlights";s:6:"siteId";i:1;s:3:"uri";s:20:"news/2023-highlights";s:14:"enabledForSite";i:1;s:11:"canonicalId";N;s:14:"dateLastMerged";N;s:9:"sectionId";i:4;s:6:"typeId";i:4;s:8:"authorId";i:276;s:8:"postDate";s:19:"2024-01-08 11:28:00";s:10:"expiryDate";N;s:9:"contentId";i:5078;s:5:"title";s:38:"A lookback at our highlights from 2023";s:13:"field_address";N;s:26:"field_alternativePageTitle";N;s:17:"field_articleBody";s:585:"As we all start to settle into the New Year and turn our attention to the many exciting and important projects that 2024 will bring, we wanted to take a final lookback at the last twelve months and celebrate some of the highlights and achievements with our teams, customers and partners from 2023.
";s:9:"field_bio";N;s:13:"field_heading";N;s:14:"field_jobTitle";N;s:14:"field_latitude";N;s:11:"field_links";N;s:14:"field_location";N;s:14:"field_logoSize";N;s:15:"field_longitude";N;s:14:"field_objectId";N;s:26:"field_phoneNumberFormatted";N;s:22:"field_phoneNumberPlain";N;s:14:"field_position";N;s:11:"field_scale";N;s:18:"field_selectOffset";N;s:19:"field_signpostsSize";N;s:13:"field_summary";N;s:21:"field_tableOfContents";N;s:13:"field_linkUrl";N;s:14:"field_videoUrl";N;s:4:"root";N;s:3:"lft";N;s:3:"rgt";N;s:5:"level";N;s:11:"structureId";N;s:7:"draftId";N;s:14:"draftCreatorId";N;s:9:"draftName";N;s:10:"draftNotes";N;s:18:"isProvisionalDraft";N;}i:56;a:53:{s:2:"id";i:15493;s:13:"fieldLayoutId";i:14;s:3:"uid";s:36:"7c62452f-03b9-4f74-b6d4-79d1f7b8e868";s:7:"enabled";i:1;s:8:"archived";i:0;s:11:"dateCreated";s:19:"2023-12-18 15:51:21";s:11:"dateUpdated";s:19:"2024-01-17 11:57:16";s:14:"siteSettingsId";i:15493;s:4:"slug";s:30:"porterbrook-stars-winners-2023";s:6:"siteId";i:1;s:3:"uri";s:35:"news/porterbrook-stars-winners-2023";s:14:"enabledForSite";i:1;s:11:"canonicalId";N;s:14:"dateLastMerged";N;s:9:"sectionId";i:4;s:6:"typeId";i:4;s:8:"authorId";i:12776;s:8:"postDate";s:19:"2023-12-18 15:12:00";s:10:"expiryDate";N;s:9:"contentId";i:5065;s:5:"title";s:44:"Meet our Porterbrook Stars Winners for 2023!";s:13:"field_address";N;s:26:"field_alternativePageTitle";N;s:17:"field_articleBody";s:1409:"Our annual Porterbrook Stars is an initiative shining a light on the people and teams across our business who have gone above and beyond to embody our values, support our mission, and display excellent leadership and teamwork.
We're proud to announce the winners for 2023. Congratulations to you all, and to the entire team at Porterbrook for your hard work throughout last year.
Anna is a true testament to Porterbrook with her positive demeanour, can-do attitude, and love for the industry. As remarked by multiple people throughout the voting , Anna is a pleasure to work with.
With huge support throughout the business, many people commented on Dave’s depth of knowledge and the strong team he has built around him.
Despite only having worked together for 10 months, Rees and Jerome have gone from strength to strength and we’re extremely proud to have them as part of the Porterbrook family.
As Financial Controller, Matt is responsible for a huge part of the finance department and carries out his role with professionalism and kindness. No request is too big or too small for Matt.
";s:9:"field_bio";N;s:13:"field_heading";N;s:14:"field_jobTitle";N;s:14:"field_latitude";N;s:11:"field_links";N;s:14:"field_location";N;s:14:"field_logoSize";N;s:15:"field_longitude";N;s:14:"field_objectId";N;s:26:"field_phoneNumberFormatted";N;s:22:"field_phoneNumberPlain";N;s:14:"field_position";N;s:11:"field_scale";N;s:18:"field_selectOffset";N;s:19:"field_signpostsSize";N;s:13:"field_summary";N;s:21:"field_tableOfContents";N;s:13:"field_linkUrl";N;s:14:"field_videoUrl";N;s:4:"root";N;s:3:"lft";N;s:3:"rgt";N;s:5:"level";N;s:11:"structureId";N;s:7:"draftId";N;s:14:"draftCreatorId";N;s:9:"draftName";N;s:10:"draftNotes";N;s:18:"isProvisionalDraft";N;}i:57;a:53:{s:2:"id";i:15473;s:13:"fieldLayoutId";i:14;s:3:"uid";s:36:"c66ed906-ec9b-4701-b2f7-6e03db626432";s:7:"enabled";i:1;s:8:"archived";i:0;s:11:"dateCreated";s:19:"2023-12-11 07:35:14";s:11:"dateUpdated";s:19:"2023-12-11 08:43:45";s:14:"siteSettingsId";i:15473;s:4:"slug";s:38:"a-christmas-message-from-porterbrook-1";s:6:"siteId";i:1;s:3:"uri";s:43:"news/a-christmas-message-from-porterbrook-1";s:14:"enabledForSite";i:1;s:11:"canonicalId";N;s:14:"dateLastMerged";N;s:9:"sectionId";i:4;s:6:"typeId";i:4;s:8:"authorId";i:276;s:8:"postDate";s:19:"2023-12-11 07:32:00";s:10:"expiryDate";N;s:9:"contentId";i:5045;s:5:"title";s:36:"A Christmas message from Porterbrook";s:13:"field_address";N;s:26:"field_alternativePageTitle";N;s:17:"field_articleBody";s:1778:"All of us at Porterbrook would like to thank our colleagues, customers and partners for their commitment and support throughout a challenging year.
It is always inspiring to see how the railway family continues to pull together to deliver positive outcomes and progress, despite difficult circumstances, and we’re delighted to have shared many successes with our valued partners in 2023.
Instead of sending Christmas cards we are continuing our tradition of making seasonal donations to charities that are significant to our employees at our Derby, London and Stratford-upon-Avon sites.
Our chosen charities are Treetops Hospice, Derby which provides high quality support for dealing with life-limiting illnesses, Coram Beanstalk, London which helps to improve child literacy through tailored reading support, Platform 1, Huddersfield which provides mental health crisis intervention and counselling services and Escape Arts, Stratford-upon-Avon, a charity that brings local people together through creativity to address isolation, improve wellbeing and build strong, inclusive communities.
Wishing you the best for the festive period and a prosperous New Year.
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Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre has gained ISO 14001 certification in acknowledgement of Porterbrook’s positive approach to environmental management at the site.
The company already held the accreditation at its offices in London and Derby, and it has been a key focus to extend the scope to Long Marston since taking over the site’s management in June 2021.
Porterbrook’s Environmental Management System helps minimise environmental risks, fulfil regulatory requirements and improve environmental performance.
Amongst a number of changes at the site; all Porterbrook staff are required to complete specific environmental awareness training, with additional spill kit training for site operational teams.
All visitors to Long Marston are asked to consider the environment as part of the site induction, and environmental issues are given special attention in risk assessments.
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Throughout the academic year, 11 schools are teamed up with Porterbrook’s engineering professionals who support the teachers through the programme as their pupils learn to build their own trains.
The Rail Programme is delivered across the UK through Primary Engineer, whose vision is to ensure all children and pupils achieve their full potential through engagement with engineering. This is the second year Porterbrook has funded the programme for Warwickshire schools after acquiring the Long Marston Rail Innovation centre in 2021.
On Wednesday 29th November 2023, teachers from the participating Warwickshire schools met with the Porterbrook team at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre for a training day ahead of the programme beginning early next year.
Nearly 800 pupils across 10 schools participated in the Rail Project in 2023, with 100% of teachers reporting an increase in their understanding of engineering and the diversity challenges in the field.
Porterbrook Chief Operating Officer Ben Ackroyd said, “Connecting with the community local to us at Long Marston is important and so we were proud to support nearly 800 students with STEM engagement last year. We’re looking forward to extending this into 2024 and helping to encourage a diverse future workforce with Primary Engineer.”
Andrew Norris, Head of Partnerships for Central & East England at Primary Engineer, said: “insert quote” At Primary Engineer, we are passionate about introducing pupils to engineers who can demonstrate the amazing career opportunities in the Rail industry. We are thrilled to collaborate with Porterbrook again and eager to connect their inspiring engineers with more schools and students in Warwickshire!”
";s:9:"field_bio";N;s:13:"field_heading";N;s:14:"field_jobTitle";N;s:14:"field_latitude";N;s:11:"field_links";N;s:14:"field_location";N;s:14:"field_logoSize";N;s:15:"field_longitude";N;s:14:"field_objectId";N;s:26:"field_phoneNumberFormatted";N;s:22:"field_phoneNumberPlain";N;s:14:"field_position";N;s:11:"field_scale";N;s:18:"field_selectOffset";N;s:19:"field_signpostsSize";N;s:13:"field_summary";N;s:21:"field_tableOfContents";N;s:13:"field_linkUrl";N;s:14:"field_videoUrl";N;s:4:"root";N;s:3:"lft";N;s:3:"rgt";N;s:5:"level";N;s:11:"structureId";N;s:7:"draftId";N;s:14:"draftCreatorId";N;s:9:"draftName";N;s:10:"draftNotes";N;s:18:"isProvisionalDraft";N;}i:60;a:53:{s:2:"id";i:15412;s:13:"fieldLayoutId";i:14;s:3:"uid";s:36:"92a7cd9b-2fc8-4ab5-a716-6c0df4f002de";s:7:"enabled";i:1;s:8:"archived";i:0;s:11:"dateCreated";s:19:"2023-11-27 13:21:27";s:11:"dateUpdated";s:19:"2023-12-12 14:06:48";s:14:"siteSettingsId";i:15412;s:4:"slug";s:92:"innovative-siemens-mobility-mobile-rail-charging-facility-to-be-demonstrated-at-long-marston";s:6:"siteId";i:1;s:3:"uri";s:97:"news/innovative-siemens-mobility-mobile-rail-charging-facility-to-be-demonstrated-at-long-marston";s:14:"enabledForSite";i:1;s:11:"canonicalId";N;s:14:"dateLastMerged";N;s:9:"sectionId";i:4;s:6:"typeId";i:4;s:8:"authorId";i:12776;s:8:"postDate";s:19:"2023-11-27 13:17:00";s:10:"expiryDate";N;s:9:"contentId";i:5011;s:5:"title";s:57:"New £1.7m Mobile Rail Charging Facility for Long Marston";s:13:"field_address";N;s:26:"field_alternativePageTitle";N;s:17:"field_articleBody";s:2238:"Porterbrook has agreed a £1.7m deal with Siemen’s Mobility to purchase an innovative Rail Charging Converter (RCC) for Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre.
The new technology makes battery charging and 25kV power supply possible in areas of the UK railway where overhead line equipment is not currently available. This latest investment in the site will play a key part in the comprehensive track and power upgrades being undertaken to enhance its long-term testing capabilities.
Porterbrook’s Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire comprises 20km of track for railway testing, engineering and storage.
Rob Morris, Joint CEO at Siemens Mobility said: “This is a great opportunity for the UK rail network. We all know rail is the greenest form of transport. Our Rail Charging Converter, delivered here in the UK, can help transform journeys for passengers by supporting trains to use clean power in the form of battery or electric.”
Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer at Porterbrook said: “This innovative technology will provide a permanent traction power solution to Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre. It is the perfect site to use the RCC, which can help the UK railway to extend cleaner battery EMU operation across the network.”
The original development of the Siemens Mobility’s Rail Charging Converter (RCC) was supported by the Department for Transport through Innovate UK’s First of a Kind programme.
The team will install a novel charging solution which was designed to enable charging of trains with batteries, fed from existing standard local power supply cables.
The modular and containerised system uses power electronics to provide a fully compliant, standard connection between modern three wire electricity grid and the single wire railway.
The converter essentially reduces the electrification infrastructure needed by being able to plug into existing power cables and deliver the ideal power supply for trains.
Compatible with all overhead line equipment powered trains, the small, low-cost design enables the removal of diesel passenger train operation on routes without continuous electrification.
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As a result of these latest wins, Porterbrook now has a total of 64 Golden Spanners in the years since they commenced.
The annual “Spanners” event celebrates improvements in train maintenance practices and reliability.
This year, Porterbrook’s winning fleets are:
Golden Spanners
• Ex-BR EMU: South-Western Railway Class 455
• Ex-BR DMU: South-Western Railway Class 159/0
• First Gen New DMU: Govia Thameslink Railway Class 171
• First Gen New EMU: Govia Thameslink Railway Class 387/1
Silver Spanners:
• Ex-BR EMU: West Midlands Trains Class 323
• Ex-BR DMU: East Midlands Railway Class 158
• First Gen New DMU: East Midlands Railway Class 170
• First Gen New EMU: c2c Class 357
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It has also been announced that CAF will build the trains, which will be able to operate in electric, battery and diesel mode.
Mary Grant, Porterbrook CEO, said: “Porterbrook is delighted to fund and take ownership of this state-of-the-art new tri-mode fleet for LNER, supporting its focus on creating a world-class service that matches the needs of customers with lower emission trains.”
The new ten coach trains will help LNER to achieve its vision of becoming the most loved, progressive and trusted train operator in the UK, keeping the company on track to reduce its emissions by 67 per cent by 2035 and be net zero by 2045.
David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: “Successfully delivering this new fleet is an integral part of LNER’s Business Plan. Our focus is ensuring we create a fleet that truly matches the needs of all our customers, with clear targets on setting new standards for comfort, accessibility and exceptional customer service.”
Richard Garner, CAF UK Director, said: "The new CAF fleet of more sustainable and environmentally friendly tri-mode trains will reduce carbon emissions, noise and vibration pollution and optimise energy consumption while increasing service operation efficiency and performance on the ECML.”
The benefits of tri-mode trains range from a reduction in emissions, particulates, noise and vibration pollution, lower maintenance and operating costs and upgradeable technology with an expected increase in range and performance as technology develops further. Battery power reduces the need to use diesel traction in areas where overhead powerlines are not available.
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As a proud ambassador for Rail Aid, which supports Railway Children, Mary took on the fundraising challenge for the charity so that it can protect even more vulnerable children from the dangers they face on the streets.
At the finish line in Central Park, Mary said: “It’s been a long and gruelling build up over the last six months, however the 04.30 training starts and the strain on my body pales into insignificance when thinking of children with nowhere to go and nobody to turn to.
“It was a privilege to finally join thousands of runners at the Staten Island start line yesterday. There were some very heavy legs and hard yards in the final third heading through The Bronx, but the New Yorkers were out in force in the Autumn sunshine cheering everyone through to Central Park.”
Rob Capener, Group CEO of Railway Children, said: “The work of Rail Aid couldn’t be more important, or more urgent. We applaud Mary’s commitment to this amazing accomplishment and know that the money she raises will make a huge difference to children who are vulnerable and alone on streets and rail networks across India, Tanzania and the UK. “
Mary set herself the ambitious target of raising £100k and has been incredibly grateful for the support she has received: “I’ve been a part of the railway family for over 25 years and we always come together to help each other. The Railway Children Fundraising Site is now open, and I’m delighted to already see the significant corporate sponsorship building up from our partners and stakeholders.
“With huge thanks to their overwhelming generosity we look set to meet, and potentially exceed, the goal I set. Every penny raised will help to make a difference to the charity, and I welcome any further donations to this important cause.”
Mary and the Railway Children charity would like to thank those companies who have supported, of which the full list of donors can be viewed here.
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We were joined in Leicester by over 30 organisations from across Central England who have obtained an IiP accreditation since April 2022.
Holly spoke about Porterbrook’s journey since 2018 and our progress against both the Gold We Invest in People and Silver We Invest in Wellbeing accreditations. She reflected on our achievements and what we’ve used the frameworks to implement, in terms of initiatives and strategies.
Looking forwards, Holly explained that Porterbrook will use the current reassessment data to underpin our 2024 plans, and that our practitioner is now working directly with our business leaders to support the plans they’re driving in their teams, and to create the change they’re looking to see.
";s:9:"field_bio";N;s:13:"field_heading";N;s:14:"field_jobTitle";N;s:14:"field_latitude";N;s:11:"field_links";N;s:14:"field_location";N;s:14:"field_logoSize";N;s:15:"field_longitude";N;s:14:"field_objectId";N;s:26:"field_phoneNumberFormatted";N;s:22:"field_phoneNumberPlain";N;s:14:"field_position";N;s:11:"field_scale";N;s:18:"field_selectOffset";N;s:19:"field_signpostsSize";N;s:13:"field_summary";N;s:21:"field_tableOfContents";N;s:13:"field_linkUrl";N;s:14:"field_videoUrl";N;s:4:"root";N;s:3:"lft";N;s:3:"rgt";N;s:5:"level";N;s:11:"structureId";N;s:7:"draftId";N;s:14:"draftCreatorId";N;s:9:"draftName";N;s:10:"draftNotes";N;s:18:"isProvisionalDraft";N;}i:65;a:53:{s:2:"id";i:15281;s:13:"fieldLayoutId";i:14;s:3:"uid";s:36:"5a393240-561e-4502-81e3-a5ed142f6731";s:7:"enabled";i:1;s:8:"archived";i:0;s:11:"dateCreated";s:19:"2023-10-18 11:28:28";s:11:"dateUpdated";s:19:"2023-10-18 11:34:14";s:14:"siteSettingsId";i:15281;s:4:"slug";s:67:"100-rating-for-porterbrook-again-in-annual-sustainability-benchmark";s:6:"siteId";i:1;s:3:"uri";s:72:"news/100-rating-for-porterbrook-again-in-annual-sustainability-benchmark";s:14:"enabledForSite";i:1;s:11:"canonicalId";N;s:14:"dateLastMerged";N;s:9:"sectionId";i:4;s:6:"typeId";i:4;s:8:"authorId";i:12776;s:8:"postDate";s:19:"2023-10-18 11:25:00";s:10:"expiryDate";N;s:9:"contentId";i:4944;s:5:"title";s:68:"100% rating for Porterbrook again in annual sustainability benchmark";s:13:"field_address";N;s:26:"field_alternativePageTitle";N;s:17:"field_articleBody";s:1191:"For a second year in a row, Porterbrook has been named the Transport Sector Leader in the annual GRESB assessment, with a top score of 100/100 and a five-star rating.
The sustainability assessment looks at the ESG performance of assets worldwide, providing clarity and insights to financial markets on complex sustainability topics.
“GRESB Sector Leaders embody the industry's champions, leading the charge towards a net-zero future and propelling the sector forward. We wholeheartedly commend this year's Sector Leaders for their dedication, leadership and commitment to ESG principles and sustainability," said Sebastien Roussotte, CEO of GRESB.
The result reflects Porterbrook’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, covering key initiatives around the inclusion and diversity strategy, as well as emission reduction targets.
Mary Grant, Porterbrook CEO, said “To maintain a 100% score and five-star rating is a great accomplishment. It demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the teams across all our sites to continuously review and improve our ESG performance, while encouraging and supporting the railway to embrace a net zero future.”
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Mark Wyborn, Porterbrook’s Head of Freight and Route Services, joined the first discussion of the day where he spoke on an engaging panel around unlocking the value of rail freight. Mark was joined by Maggie Simpson from Rail Freight Group, Andy Camp of Chiltern Railways, Kathryn Oldale from DB Cargo and Matt Colclough at Siemens Mobility.
Mark reinforced Porterbrook’s commitment to investing in rail freight for the long term, with the wider economic and environmental benefits clear. Among other key statistics, the panel discussed how rail freight results in 82% less noise compared to lorry traffic, while transporting £30 billion worth of good each year.
Mark referenced the recent project between Porterbrook, GB Railfreight and Greenbrier to deliver 100 new intermodal twin wagons and 50 new box wagons, significantly increasing rail freight capacity in the UK. Key to this successful delivery, Mark shared, was open and agile communication, as well as a strong, trusting partnership.
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Working with c2c and Alstom, the 12 5-car units feature power and USB sockets at every seat, improved Wi-Fi and air conditioning. The units also benefit from open gangways, which are designed to make it easier for customers to walk between carriages.
c2c’s Managing Director Rob Mullen said, “Everyone has played a part in making sure these trains are in service, and of course we give our thanks to Porterbrook and Alstom, our partners, the DfT and Network Rail for making this happen.”
Porterbrook COO Ben Ackroyd added, “We’re pleased to have worked with c2c and Alstom to deliver the new Aventra units that will serve c2c’s passengers well for many years to come. Attending the launch event, it was good to see so many great reactions from c2c’s customers and staff. Congratulations to everyone involved in reaching this important milestone”
As c2c progresses with driver training over the coming months, customers can expect to see more of the new 720 units added into service.
Operations & Engineering Director, Laura McEwen said: “What an achievement. The teams across the whole of c2c have worked tirelessly to make this happen.
As part of the introduction of the new fleet of trains, those involved in the project came together on Wednesday 27 September to see one of the new 720s pull in at London Fenchurch Street station. The occasion was also attended by c2c’s former Managing Director Julian Drury, who retired in 2020 after 12 years of service and was overwhelmed to see the 720 unit had been named after him.
Julian Drury said: “I was very surprised to arrive this morning to find my name on the first of the 720s. I do feel tremendously honoured.
“This is a very important day for c2c and its customers. The trains look absolutely stunning and are the best fleet that I’ve seen in the UK. It’s absolutely wonderful that we’ve got them here in South Essex.”
c2c’s Managing Director Rob Mullen also said: “It was a fantastic day for c2c and we're so pleased to have brought in our new class 720’s, which our customers will see the real benefit of.
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The Safety Achievement of the Year Award was for the Safer Switches and Crossings Project with Network Rail, DG8, Machines with Vision and One Big Circle. The train-borne monitoring technology developed by this partnership is transformational in addressing one of the highest risk assets in track engineering, with a significant number of inspections now carried out by engineers remotely instead of on-foot.
The Fleet Achievement of the Year Award is for Project Aurora with Govia Thameslink Railway and Alstom. The project to upgrade GTR’s entire Electrostar fleet is significantly improving reliability and passenger experience. At the end of July 2023 the programme reached the mid-way point and the 135th unit, out of 270 units, was delivered on time.
Porterbrook was also a finalist in the Freight and Logistics Achievement of the Year Category for the successful delivery of freight wagons to GB Railfreight with Greenbrier, and a finalist in the Outstanding Contribution to Society Category.
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This award was for the successful delivery of 100 FEA-G intermodal wagons and 50 JNA-X box wagons to the UK, increasing rail freight capacity and encouraging a modal shift from road to rail.
The successful on time delivery is a significant achievement for the teams as the project was impacted by the pandemic, a supply chain disruption, and surge in inflation and energy price increases due to the war in Ukraine.
This project is also a finalist for the Freight and Logistics Achievement of the Year at the 2023 RAIL Magazine's National Rail Awards.
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789 pupils across 10 schools participated in the year-long project, culminating in a celebration where students showed off the trains they had designed and built with the help of Porterbrook engineers.
“The children were so engaged when the engineer came to visit!” Katherine Bunt from Bishopton Primary said.
Key Stage 1 students built a ‘shoe box train’, learning how to design and decorate their own shoe boxes, using string to create brakes for their vehicles. Key Stage 2 students built an electrically powered train, making their own chassis and learning about electronic circuits, using paper clips as their power switches.
“Pupils realised engineering is all about problem solving.” Jane Kent a teacher from Salford Priors commented.
At the conclusion of the Rail Project, we were delighted to hear that 100% of teachers reported an increase in their understanding of engineering and how they can make an impact on engineering career aspirations. 100% of the teachers also reported a better understanding of the diversity challenges in engineering.
“This project has been the most wonderful experience for our children!” Tim Hussey from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary shared.
Encouraging our team to act as change agents extends beyond our day-to-day operations into our communities. In 2022, Porterbrook employees spent 274 hours volunteering as part of a policy which gives staff two days of volunteering leave per year. When staff use these days, they are entered into a draw to win £500 for their chosen charity.
We’re proud to be involved in various volunteering projects, from supporting local nature reserves to STEM projects.
One of these projects has been helping at Bennerley Viaduct with the installation of information boards. Five of our team supported the efforts in July while there is another volunteering day scheduled later this month.
Mike Wheatcroft who volunteered on the day shared, “I found the whole experience really rewarding as the information boards will remain at the viaduct for years to come. They’re a permanent addition that makes the viaduct more appealing to visitors, and it’s a nice feeling to know that Tony, Andy, Shaun, Callum and I all contributed to that”.
Meanwhile, another Porterbrook group attended the Shine County Camp in Matlock to support Girlguiding Derbyshire.
The team, who had tasked the girls with inventing their own trains with no limitations, were impressed by the ingenuity of their designs – from a train powered by pizza ovens to entire carriages specifically for ball pits!
Further supporting younger generations, another volunteering group helped out at the Full STEM Ahead workshop at the National Railway Museum in York. This aim of this event was to encourage children to participate in STEM and involved teams from Network Rail, Volker Rail, Rail Delivery Group and British Transport Police.
Through our fun paper plane, helicopter and gliders demonstration we showcased air resistance and gravity, important engineering and physics properties that help make trains run safely and efficiently.
The final FEA-G intermodal wagons have now arrived in the UK, marking the successful delivery of a total 100 new intermodal wagons as well as 50 new JNA-X Box Wagons in a partnership between Porterbrook, GB Railfreight (GBRf) and Greenbrier.
The wagons, which are now on lease to GBRf, signify an increase in rail freight capacity in the UK to encourage the modal shift from road to rail. With each tonne of freight transported by rail producing 76% less carbon than road haulage, the new wagons will help to deliver a more sustainable railway and support the UK’s net zero target.
Dave Golding, Asset Director at GB Railfreight, said: “These new wagons are some of the best available in the UK right now and we’re continually adding them to our services. They have allowed us to move an extra 1.2 million tonnes of aggregate every year. Combined, they will remove c.400,000 lorries movements from our roads a year, leading to a huge reduction in our carbon emissions and delivering significant road safety benefits.”
The innovative new FEA-G intermodal high-density twin wagons can carry six twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) on each service, significantly increasing the volume of cargo that can be transported on each journey.
The JNA-X box wagons also represent a design evolution, featuring additional strengthening on the box without adding any weight. They can each carry 101.6 tonnes, and are playing a key role in the movement of construction materials for HS2 from the Peak District to Birmingham.
The successful on time delivery is a significant achievement for the teams from Porterbrook, GBRf and Greenbrier as the project was impacted by the pandemic, a supply chain disruption, and surge in inflation and energy price increases due to the war in Ukraine.
Mark Wyborn, Head of Freight at Porterbrook, said: “This project demonstrates our commitment to freight and positions us well for future growth in the sector. It is testament to the strength of our partnership with GB Railfreight and Greenbrier that we’ve worked together and agreed ways to mitigate significant challenges.”
John Brown, Head of Sales at Greenbrier said: “In November 2022 the first JNA box wagons arrived into the UK, on schedule, followed shortly after by the first 60ft Intermodal Twin wagons. Both orders were complete in 2023 with the last wagons having just arrived.
“The positive outcome of both projects is testimony of the close collaborative working relationship we had with Porterbrook and GBRf to manage the challenges we all faced caused by Covid and the situation between Russia and Ukraine. Transparency and early communication were key throughout both projects in order to succeed. We had the contracts in place and Greenbrier were and are committed to delivery on time, every time to our customers.”
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Porterbrook had donated a two-car Class 144 Pacer Train to The Dales School at Blythe in Northumberland in 2021. This primary school, located in Blythdale and Ashington, works alongside pupils who have special educational needs or disabilities. Over the past couple of years, the donated train has been converted into a "Reading Together Library" which supports students reading experience within the school.
"Everyone at The Dales School is delighted that our train is finally ready to share with everyone. The train has carriages devoted to reading and the new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) carriage is now ready for passengers," said Dr Sue Fisher, Dales School Headteacher.
"We want to thank all the businesses, funders, staff and organisations that have helped us get here. We could not have done this without their fantastic generosity, hard work and support. The children at The Dales School, and beyond, will benefit so much and we hope they will remain Friends of The Dales for many years to come."
The conversion project has been featured on George's Amazing Spaces TV programme. The carriages have allowed over half the students at The Dales School to board a real train for the first time, teaching independent train travel and railway safety.
The Class 144 Pacer project has been supported by Network Rail have allowed the train to be waterproofed, while workers from Northern Rails Heaton Depot also helped make the cab functional, including a railway crossing, working headlights and buttons. A station office was created by Wickes and Blythe Man Shed.
Kevin Eley, Head of Asset Protection and Infrastructure Development at Porterbrook, said: "it's been a pleasure supporting this project and seeing one of our retired trains get a new lease on life. We hope that this Pacer train has many more years of life as a tool to engage, educate and inspire young people."
Glen Saunderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council, said: "I so enjoyed visiting The Dales School with all the imagination and creativity of having a real train in a playground. I was very pleased to be asked back. Well done to everyone involved- a great example of thinking "outside the box" for the benefit of students."
Porterbrook has been working alongside Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems and East Midlands Railway (EMR) to trial a new approach to managing the impact of high ambient temperatures on passenger comfort and train reliability.
Following the exceptionally high temperatures in the summer of 2022, Porterbrook decided to fund the development of new software that could be implemented on fleets, including those over 20 years old.
EMR agreed for the software to be trialled on their Class 170 Turbostar trains, and the three companies have worked collaboratively to develop the technology which has involved bench testing, factory acceptance tests, site tests and now the fleet trials.
The trial is running until the 28th June and EMR is asking passengers to give their feedback on how comfortable the temperature was on their train. If successful, the software will be rolled out more widely across the fleet for the duration of the summer.
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In a history-making event, visitors travelled in and out from Honeybourne on the new-look HydroFLEX – the UK’s first passenger-ready hydrogen train.
Coinciding with the second anniversary of Porterbrook taking over the 135-acre site, our marquee was revamped to showcase the site’s rich history, with the support of the Royal Engineers, and the upgrades that have been completed in the last two years.
We were also delighted to share our space and collaborate with the National Railway Museum who showcased some interactive prototypes from their Wonderlab Gallery. They also brought with them the hydrogen fuel cell from the first HydroFLEX prototype that is currently part of their Innovation Platform exhibition.
Among many who dropped in to say hello, we had the pleasure of welcoming Lord Hendy, the Chair of Network Rail and the National Railway Museum Advisory Board, as well as Rail Minister Huw Merriman.
Roll on Rail Live 2024!
A big congratulations to everyone who took part in the Three Peaks by Rail Challenge over the weekend – an incredible achievement involving climbing Mount Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis in 72 hours!
We’re proud to be sponsoring the challenge in its 20th year, helping to raise money for the Railway Children charity which provides protection and opportunities for vulnerable children worldwide.
For the special anniversary, it was only fitting that the 70000 'Britannia' had the job of taking participants on the first leg of the journey – much to the surprise of many participants.
Whether tackling one peak or the full three, everyone who took part, including our Porterbrook teams, was a true inspiration – providing support and cheering each other on, helping to push through despite heat, tiredness and sore legs! Our CEO Mary was also delighted to board the train on Saturday to hand out some of the team awards and say congratulations to those who participated.
Well done to everyone involved!
Engineers in the making gathered at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre on 12th June to celebrate the culmination of their achievements in the Primary Engineer Rail Project.
Students from seven primary schools took part in the celebration after spending months learning about rail engineering from industry professionals. The students were teamed up with Porterbrook engineers to research and build their own model trains.
This Rail Project is a Primary School programme which is delivered across the UK through Primary Engineer, a not-for-profit organisation whose vision is to ensure all children and pupils achieve their full potential through engagement with engineering. The seven Warwickshire-based schools that took part in this project were funded by Porterbrook, following similar support of several East Midlands schools based near the company’s Derby office.
With the guidance of Porterbrook’s engineers, Key Stage 1 students built a ‘shoe box train’, learning how to design and decorate their own shoe boxes, using string to create brakes for their vehicles. Key Stage 2 students built an electrically powered train, making their own chassis and learning about electronic circuits, using paper clips as their power switches.
These builds were showcased at the June event where Porterbrook COO Ben Ackroyd gave out a variety of prizes, including Best Theme and Best Communicator, as well as winners and runners up in the two Key Stage categories.
Ben Ackroyd, COO of Porterbrook, said: “Helping to support a diverse future workforce for the rail sector is important to us, as is our relationship and connection with the community local to us at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre. That’s why we’re proud to be supporting Primary Engineer with their Rail Projects. We have a team of passionate engineers at Porterbrook and it was fantastic to see that met with a real enthusiasm and eagerness to learn from the students throughout this programme.”
Andrew Norris, Head of Partnerships for Central and East England at Primary Engineer said “Inspiring the next generation of engineers is our aim and I could tell from the excited faces of the children that the Primary Engineer Rail Project has opened their eyes to the engineering opportunities ahead of them. Many thanks to Porterbrook for their support, the enthusiasm of their engineers and their commitment to the community in which they work.”
Since Porterbrook took over the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in 2021, we’ve been committed to maintaining and enhancing the biodiversity on the site.
In addition to seeding wild meadows on unused areas of land, we recently planted 46 new trees of various UK-native species to replace trees that had to be removed due to ash dieback.
The disease is increasingly common across woodland in the UK, and removing those trees was essential to minimise its chances of spreading further. Having a variety of newly planted trees, including Yew, Beech, Alder and Pear, supports the biodiversity of the site and reduces the chance of ash dieback reoccurring.
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As part of a programme of works to upgrade the 135-acre site into a centre for rail innovation, Porterbrook has converted former sheds that had fallen into a state of disrepair into the modern AMF. The facility provides a high-quality space for maintenance and upgrades, such as modification and refresh work and all types of on-train and underframe work. With the new well-lit pitted roads, the facility can also support inspections, testing, commissioning, and customer acceptance.
The extensive upgrades included replacing the exterior of the facility to be more durable and protected against the elements, and more recently in December 2022 commencing a further upgrade to create three pitted roads in the facility that can accommodate up to a 6 car-set. 460 metres of new rail was utilised in the construction of the pitted roads, taking 34,000 hours to complete over 22 weeks with an average of 35 people on site.
Customers who use the AMF will benefit from connection to the site’s test loop and mainline, delivery by rail or road, 24-hour site security, storage as well as office and mess facilities.
Ben Ackroyd, COO of Porterbrook, said: “The Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre is already playing an important role in the future of rail as a site where innovative traction technologies are being trialled and tested. We’re thrilled to be adding the AMF to our services on site as valuable in supporting our customers with their asset management needs, whether it be upgrades or maintenance”.
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Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer at Porterbrook said: ““This critical project plays a key role in the transition to a digital railway, enabling a more reliable service with less delays, improved safety and reduced costs through the removal of lineside infrastructure. We’re delighted to be playing our part in supporting Network Rail on this and commend the excellent collaboration across the industry to retrofit the UK’s first commuter train with digital ETCS in-cab signalling equipment.”
The Class 387 is the country’s first major commuter fleet to have the technology retrofitted, and it lays the foundations for the upgrade to be applied to the rest of the UK’s vast Electrostar fleet, should ETCS be expanded across other routes.
The work to unit 387101 was carried out at Alstom’s Worksop Depot. It installed the latest iteration of ETCS in the UK (BL3 R2, also referred to as version 3.6.0), and incorporated:
Each component went through powered-down electrical testing to ensure correct installation of the ETCS system.
On 13 April, the train was hauled by GBRf from Worksop to Litchurch Lane manufacturing site in Derby, where Train Control Management System software will be installed and the onboard ETCS system (Atlas 3) will be commissioned ready to start static testing, expected to take approximately five weeks.
The unit will then be taken to Network Rail’s RIDC test track at Melton Mowbray for dynamic testing.
This ‘first-in-class’ unit is set to return in December 2023, after which GTR will fit the remaining 28 387/1 units at its in-house depot in Hornsey, north London.
GTR’s ERTMS Fleet Project Manager Aaron Meakin said: “We’re delighted that our Class 387 train is the first commuter train to be retrofitted with the latest ETCS system – a key milestone for both us as GTR and the East Coast Digital Programme as we move towards digitally signalled operations on some of our key routes. We’re looking forward to seeing how it performs in static and dynamic testing in the coming months.”
Aaron Weeks, Project Director for Alstom said "Alstom is proud to be supporting the East Coast Digital Programme and our partners at GTR and Porterbrook as they transition to a new, digital railway. The Alstom team completing the fitment of the ATLAS equipment on the First in Class unit is an important milestone for the project. We are now looking forward to static and then dynamic testing in the coming months which will validate the system and give us the evidence required for authorisation of the unit".
The Government-funded East Coast Digital Programme will see traditional signals removed from the tracks on the Northern City Line to London Moorgate and the East Coast Mainline from London to Stoke Tunnels, south of Grantham. They will be replaced with state-of-the-art digital signalling technology. This will improve reliability, meaning a better performing rail service for customers using this key route.
In-cab signalling provided by ETCS Level 2 operation supplies continual speed information and movement authority to the driver via a computer screen in the driver’s cab, rather than relying on fixed lineside signals.
Ed Akers, Principal Programme Sponsor, East Coast Digital Programme, said “The Class 387 is the largest passenger fleet requiring retrofitting for the ECDP, so the move into static testing is an important step forward in the delivery of digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line and an enabler for future deployments across the network. Collaboration across all parts of the industry is enabling progress towards the benefits this will deliver for passengers and users.”
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The 100th Class 377 Electrostar operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has completed the £100m Project Aurora upgrade programme, returning to passenger service with a host of new features that significantly improve reliability and passenger experience.
The project is funded by Porterbrook, with Alstom providing technical specification, design work and materials and GTR carrying out the installation and testing. In total, 270 trains consisting of 1086 carriages will go through Project Aurora, with the final train due to be completed in 2025.
A streamlined process means that two trains are fully upgraded every week at GTR’s depot in Selhurst and returned to passenger service. Once completed, all 270 trains combined will have required 250kms of wiring, 35,000 lighting tubes, 32,000 power/dual USB sockets and 2,500,000 fixings and fasteners.
GTR’s Engineering Director Steve Lammin said: “We’re delighted to celebrate this ‘ton-up’ milestone with Porterbrook and Alstom. We’ve achieved it by giving these great trains a broad-ranging upgrade, including features our passengers have asked for, at a rate of two per week. I’m really pleased we’re working together to provide our customers with an even better on-board experience and more reliability over the coming years.”
Porterbrook’s Chief Operating Officer Ben Ackroyd said: “It’s been a remarkable effort by everyone involved to reach 100 upgraded Electrostars. We’re all working together to deliver these improvements at pace because passengers told us it would make their journeys better. With two trains being worked on side-by-side in Selhurst every week and returned to service, even more rail users are going to benefit from the new modern and sustainable on-board features.”
Peter Broadley, Alstom Managing Director Services, said: “This project continues to successfully deliver upgrades to the Electrostar fleets for GTR customers. The works are on-time and on budget, and shows the huge benefits of working closely with our partners at GTR and Porterbrook. I’m looking forward to successfully completing the project and showcasing the benefits of upgrading trains, like these, that have been in service for a few years now.”
The upgraded trains feature plug and dual USB sockets at every seat, enhanced passenger information services with new digital screens, energy saving LED lighting throughout the train and automatic passenger counting to help GTR analyse services and manage timetables effectively.
Smart on-board data recorders and updates to the Train Data Network allow for improved remote monitoring of the trains operational systems, which helps reliability and reduces the time trains spend out of service for maintenance or repair. Forward-facing and track debris CCTV has also been installed on every train with the ability to remotely live-stream and download images.
GTR has the UK’s biggest fleet of Electrostars, operating between London, Surrey, Sussex and the south coast. The trains also run on Great Northern and Gatwick Express routes.
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During two separate weeks in March, over 300 people took part in the Network Rail National Emergency Response and Validation Exercise, representing Network Rail, Train Operating Companies, DB Cargo, British Transport Police and Home Office Police, Ambulance Services, Fire Brigade, Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Department for Transport, Cabinet Office, Office of Road & Rail, with members of the general public volunteering as passengers and casualties.
The Porterbrook Long Marston operations team played a significant role in the organisation and delivery of the event.
The exercise sought to replicate a mainline incident involving a train and a road vehicle to test the response of Network Rail and their multi-agency partners. In addition to those who attended onsite, the exercise involved video uplink communications with regional responders and the command structure.
Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer at Porterbrook said: “The railway has an excellent safety record, and while we all hope that we’d never have to deal with real emergency incidents such as this, it is important to be as prepared as possible. We are pleased that Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre and the Porterbrook team have been able to support the industry and the Emergency Services to do that.”
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NiB is an industry forum to support the participation of neurodivergent individuals in the workplace recently launched at the Houses of Parliament.
Partnering with NiB aligns with our commitment to be an equal opportunities employer and a truly inclusive workplace.
Neurodiversity describes many commonplace conditions which alter the way people perceive and interpret information, and the world around them. Conditions include (amongst others) autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD. Across the UK, various reports show that between 15-20% of people are neurodivergent.
NiB’s mission is to help develop more neuroinclusive workplaces. Whether it is ensuring a better hiring process that does not exclude neurodivergent candidates, to helping identify easy modifications to the workplace environment that can support sustainable employment opportunities.
For more information, please visit www.neurodiversityinbusiness.org
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On Rail Industry Memorial Day, we also pay tribute to the personal sacrifice and sad loss experienced by many within the railway family.
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Speaking alongside Bill Reeve, Director of Rail at Transport Scotland, Alex Hynes, Managing Director of Scotland's Railway, and Meirion Thomas, Railway Industry Association Scotland, the discussion focused on how the private sector can help to deliver a reliable and sustainable railway that meets the needs of passengers now and for the future.
Mary said: “In the last five years we’ve spent over £73 million in traction innovation. If you want to demonstrate value back to the government and to the various transport initiatives, we have a responsibility to say that we are prepared to put that investment into the network and not just look for the safe contracts, and demonstrate why we exist and can support the wider supply chain for both passenger and freight.”
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The Rail Scotland Conference brings together key decision makers and partners together to discuss Scotland’s key plans and offer the latest insight into their future ambitions.
The first panel discussion focused on how to ensure the network meets the needs of passengers today, while also looking to the future as we meet decarbonisation targets.
With Scotland having blazed a trail in the UK in terms of its rail ambitions and targets for decarbonisation and freight, Mary emphasised the important role that private sector investment plays in enhancing public investment in rail and driving innovation.
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The trip was an excellent opportunity to come together and explore further opportunities to drive rail freight growth in the UK.
This twin container wagon type (FEA-G) is a first of its kind for the UK rail freight market. It allows for a higher volume of freight to be transported on each rail journey, enabling GBRf to increase its intermodal freight capacity.
With each tonne of freight transported by rail producing 76% less carbon than road haulage, the new wagons will support the Green Recovery and Porterbrook’s mission to deliver a more sustainable railway.
Porterbrook COO Ben Ackroyd was among leaders from businesses across the Stratford District at the Driving Innovation and Growth Summit on 17 February, an event organised by the Stratford-on-Avon District Council, the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub, and the University of Warwick.
The summit showcased the strengths of the area as a location for high-value, high-growth and innovation-led businesses, and gave an opportunity to inform the emerging economic and growth agenda locally.
Ben spoke on our investment in the Stratford District since establishing the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in 2021, with significant investment in upgrading the site including over £1 million spent with Warwickshire businesses.
The Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre and the Stratford District is playing a crucial role in the changing landscape of the UK rail industry and is helping to support national net zero targets. Ben spoke about some of the exciting innovations which are being developed and tested at the site including HydroFLEX the UK’s first hydrogen-ready passenger train and HybridFLEX, Britain’s first battery-diesel train.
There was also a focus on the significant change in the rail industry workforce over the next decade, and how Long Marston’s infrastructure and facilities are well placed to assist industry training and recruitment needs.
Highlighting our commitment to supporting the local community, Ben shared our work with Primary Engineer, an organisation that aims to encourage more young people to consider careers in STEM-related professions. Through this partnership we are supporting 10 local schools to receive the Primary Engineer programme.
You can find out more about the Summit here.
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Helen has been working with railway rolling stock for over 30 years. Her experience of maintenance and fleet management, and her interest in ideas and innovation, helped her to lead the Porterbrook team to develop HydroFLEX - the UK’s first hydrogen-ready passenger train. The train has been built and extensively tested at our Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre.
A hydrogen fuel cell from the first HydroFLEX train is also on show as part of the exhibition, which showcases the technology that could make Britain’s railways greener and contribute to the rail industry becoming net zero ahead of the UK Government’s target of 2050.
In 2021, Helen had the opportunity to demonstrate the technology to Prince Charles onboard HydroFLEX at the UN climate conference COP26, along with a number of other VIP visitors.
You can learn more about the National Railway Musuem's Innovation Platform exhibition here.
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Mary Grant, CEO of Porterbrook was part of a senior leader industry panel who responded to the speech. Mary welcomed the Transport Secretary’s renewed commitment to rail and recognition of the significant private investment in rolling stock and said unlocking commercial forces and entrepreneurial flair are key to driving future revenue and growth in the reformed railway.
She emphasised the need for a longer-term focus across rail which can deliver better value to passengers and taxpayers. She also called for more investment in skills to support today’s managers while building the industry leadership of tomorrow.
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The feasibility project, led by Porterbrook and Eminox, built on a previous FOAK funded project in which the companies developed an exhaust after-treatment system (EATS) which significantly reduces harmful emissions from mid-life diesel trains.
However, testing showed that while the EATS system was highly effective when the train was moving and the exhaust gasses were at an optimal temperature, its impact reduced when the train was static and the exhaust gas temperature dropped.
The latest Emission Reduction in Closed Stations (ERiCS) project sought to address this through the introduction of an electrical heater to the Diesel Oxidisation Catalyst in the EATS, and explore the feasibility of installing the solution on Class 158, 159 and 170 units.
Porterbrook and Eminox commenced the development and bench testing of the solution in October 2022, following confirmation that FOAK funding had been awarded. The results from the test rig and vehicle surveys undertaken by Pendyne demonstrate that ERiCS can feasibly be fitted to the trains and can significantly enhance the performance of the EATS by potentially achieving up to 80% conversion of NOx whilst the engine is idling.
FOAK 2022 is funded by the Department for Transport and managed by Innovate UK. Winners receive funding to help develop novel technology which improves rail services and lowers carbon emissions on trains.
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The fuel cell is one of seven objects that will be on display together until June 2023 showcasing technology that could make Britain’s railways greener and contribute to the rail industry becoming net zero ahead of the UK Government’s target of 2050.
Cassi Roberts, Exhibition Project Manager at the National Railway Museum, said: “Decarbonisation is such an important word in our world right now and we are delighted that we can showcase seven objects at the National Railway Museum that could help our railways become greener and more sustainable.
“Visitors will have the chance to learn a little more about how these objects work and the benefits they bring in comparison to alternative materials currently being used in the rail industry that may be higher in carbon or more energy intensive.”
Porterbrook unveiled the first HydroFLEX in 2019, in partnership with the University of Birmingham with support from the British government via InnovateUK. The Ballard hydrogen fuel cell that features in the Innovation Platform exhibition was part of that train.
At the end of 2020 work started on the next version of HydroFLEX at Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre. The new train was then presented at the UN climate conference COP26 in Scotland to demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell technology to representatives from around the world
Up to 277kg of hydrogen fuel is safely contained in 36 high pressure tanks. Inside the fuel cells, a chemical process converts the hydrogen and oxygen from the air to generate clean electricity. The only waste product is pure water.
You can learn more about the National Railway Musuem's Innovation Platform exhibition here.
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Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer at Porterbrook, is one of the speakers at the Driving Innovation and Growth Summit in Wellesbourne on February 17. In this blog, he outlines the significant investment the company has made in the Stratford District which has also benefited the local supply chain and the exciting innovations taking place at Porterbrook.
“I’ve been hugely impressed by the vision and ambition of Stratford-on-Avon District Council since Porterbrook started working in the district nearly two years ago. There is a strong aspiration to drive local economic development by forging links between the public and private sector as well as leveraging the very best academic expertise.
“Porterbrook own almost a quarter of the national passenger rail fleet and innovation is at the heart of our mission to help deliver a safe, efficient and sustainable railway. We have an established reputation for delivering new technologies, such as battery, hybrid and hydrogen powered trains. These innovations support government commitments to achieve Net Zero by 2050, improve air quality, reduce emissions, and improve the rail network.
“We have invested significantly to upgrade the 135-acre Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre to enable the development and testing of new solutions for passenger and freight vehicles. These improvements have strengthened the centre’s role as an important storage, training, research and development facility for the UK rail industry.
“Some of the most exciting innovations taking place in UK rail are being led by our talented engineers and supply chain partners at the site. Our ground-breaking HydroFLEX, the UK’s first tri-mode battery, electric and hydrogen train, was built and extensively tested at Long Marston before being showcased at COP26 environment summit in Glasgow in November 2021. Visitors to the train included the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and future King Charles III.
“The community and businesses in and around Long Marston have played a vital role in supporting us since we took over last year. With access to key skills in the surrounding area and in an important location in the heart of the country, we’ve spent over £1 million with local Warwickshire businesses. In 2023, we are increasing our investment through a £2 million enhancement of the site’s Asset Management Facility, a fully enclosed space for enhancing and testing trains.
“The company is committed to supporting the local community around our sites and we have partnered with the not-for-profit charity Primary Engineer to deliver their Rail Project to 10 schools in the Long Marston area. This programme, in which our experienced engineers are mentors, is designed to encourage more young people to consider careers in STEM-related professions. We’re also creating work experience opportunities for local secondary school pupils to provide an insight into the operations at Long Marston.
“Sustainability is central to Porterbrook’s business strategy, and with 135-acres of space, the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre is helping to boost and protect local biodiversity. We’re working closely with Network Rail and other local nature organisations to support their work in the Midlands to protect habitats and open up wildlife corridors.
“As we look towards 2023 and beyond, the Long Marston Innovation Centre and the Stratford district will play a crucial role in the changing landscape of the UK rail industry and help to support national net zero ambitions.”
Find out more about the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre here.
Passengers using Porterbrook’s Turbostar trains in the Midlands say that the trains are “modern and spacious”, according to new research by the independent watchdog Transport Focus.
Porterbrook asked Transport Focus to find out from a range of rail customers what their views are on the interiors of the fleet, and what they would like to change, if anything.
Transport Focus asked about seating, interior decor, flooring, lighting, ventilation, toilets, dedicated space for bikes, wheelchairs, buggies and luggage, information, security and charging points.
Passengers were generally positive about the trains, and asked that any refurbishment build on what was already there when making any improvements.
Publishing the research, Transport Focus said that “Covid has reset passenger expectations on cleaning and passengers would value an increased focus on hygiene. Respondents also said that any potential refurbishment plans should consider the cleanliness of seats, and the operation of toilet doors.
“More control over lighting and ventilation is valued – potentially by having controls for these overhead. Passengers also want to be able to store luggage close to them and would like more space for this above seats.”
Download the report Turbostar trains interiors: what passengers want here
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We're proud to announce the winners for 2022. Congratulations to you all, and to the entire team at Porterbrook for your hard work throughout last year.
Those who voted for Spencer describe him as being the true epitome of Porterbrook's vision and values.
Delivering both the HydroFLEX upgrade project and managing the new-build wagon programme in 2022, Spencer brings an infectious energy and initiative to his project roles, constructively deals with challenges and works collaboratively across the business and with external stakeholders.
As someone who always supports and drives for better, Jen embodies the Porterbrook values in everything she does. Her integrity, kindness and technical knowledge is admired not only in the Maintenance Services team but throughout the wider business.
As one of Porterbrook’s most experienced and well-regarded leaders, Kevin’s hard work and ability to bring out the best in people resulted in a successful 2022 for the asset protection team and Long Marston.
The partnership and guidance offered by Holly, Dawn, Nic, Helen, Emily and Kate is felt by everyone at Porterbrook. Their professionalism and support in employment matters, learning and development, recruitment and talent management has been integral in supporting our mission to be a market leader.
You can read more about our company values and culture here.
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Mary Grant shares her story from farmer’s daughter to the chief executive officer of Porterbrook and her exciting plans to drive both the company and the rail industry forward.
Herding sheep in the hills of the Scottish borders and milking cows at 3am in the morning might feel like a world away from the hustle and bustle of the UK railway, but it was an experience that provided Mary Grant with the ideal platform for driving the rail industry forward today. The chief executive officer of Porterbrook is now a self-confessed train anorak but growing up all she had to get around was her push bike and the local bus service.
“It was never an aspiration to work in the railways when I was younger, but now I absolutely love trains, what they do, the service they provide and the support they give communities. Whether it was harvest or lambing, we relied on the support from the farming community at different times of the year. The UK railway is the same. Co-ordination is vital and if one part isn’t working then other areas of the system won’t function either. I’ve grown up with a sharing mentality and I have a firm view that collaboration is the only way to succeed.”
It is an ethos and philosophy which has served Mary well, particularly in her current role at railway asset owner and manager Porterbrook, which owns almost a quarter of the national passenger rail fleet and currently has around 4,000 vehicles on lease or on order. The route to chief executive officer hasn’t been straightforward and, in fact, Mary started her career in motorway service areas as a trainee wiping tables at Welcome Break’s South Mimms services. She advanced to the organisation’s marketing manager before being headhunted by National Express in
1997.
“My time at Welcome Break taught me the importance of looking after your people because it enhances both your business and adds value to the overall service which is being provided to customers.” she said. “Starting off as a graduate trainee I scrubbed floors for months on end and served on the tills. It wasn’t quite what I expected but it didn’t do me any harm either insofar as how not to treat your future leaders."
Changing track
Mary swapped the highway for the Permanent Way when she left her role as marketing manager at Welcome Break to become marketing director at North London Railways, responsible for the rebranding of Silverlink County and Metro.
“There were transferable skills with the emphasis in both industries on logistics and people. I saw the move as a great opportunity to go out and explore,” she said. “Although in a marketing environment I didn’t really consider the broader elements of the railway such as engineering dynamics, safety implications and operations. I was very much focussed on how to build revenue, drive yields, grow value and understand some of the black arts of the passenger demand handbooks.”
“It was a great entry into the railways and from that I was asked to do some work in Australia with National Express. The experiences started off my fascination with how train services support the wider economy by connecting communities. It was the interest in the mechanics and complexities that got me into writing bids at the preliminary stages of the franchising process in the early 2000s. Threading all these elements together with the financial models on seven-year horizons really submerged me into the acquisition space as well as the commercial and financial deliverables.”
Among Mary’s greatest rail achievements was her time at FirstGroup where she was managing director of the rail division. Prior to that she was part of the rail refranchising team, leading the bid for the ScotRail franchise before becoming managing director of the company. Under her leadership the business achieved growth of more than 20 per cent in passenger numbers and record levels of customer satisfaction.
“My time at ScotRail was a big ask as I had gone from writing the bid and having had a very limited railway career in terms of just having come from a marketing background, to getting the phone call asking if I could go and run this national train operating company,” she said.
“It was a baptism of fire, but it was one of the best experiences of my entire career and one which really highlighted how vital it is that if you change a business make sure you bring your people with you on that journey. It was already an established workforce and one I found to be very proud of delivering great customer service alongside safe railway operations.”
Lesson learning
“That business taught me a lot of lessons about leadership and driving organisational change. ScotRail and my previous experience gave me the tools I rely on today, particularly around the importance of bringing people with me and setting out a clear plan for the future.”
Mary briefly left the rail industry when she was chief executive officer at Phones4u, a job she said she enjoyed, but was pulled back to the railways a few years later when she was managing director business development at National Express, business change director at Eurostar, and now chief executive officer (CEO) at Porterbrook.
“Porterbrook is a great business with fantastic people. Over the last five years we’ve changed the dial of where we are in terms of our value and support to the wider industry and what that means for the individual teams,” said Mary, who joined as CEO in 2017.
That passion is reflected in her longstanding role as a board member of the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR). She alluded to research from the skills body which shows a workforce deficit of between 5,000 and 15,000 people per annum between 2024 and 2027. Mary is unapologetic that the railway is an attractive career destination with a dynamic future pointing to Porterbrook’s recruitment in areas such as digital and data analytics as well as software and systems engineering.
Rolling stock
“Our purpose is about owning rolling stock, it is not just about financing the trains that we put out and lease into the rail industry. It’s also about the support our field engineers give on a day-to-day basis, it’s about the various projects that we are creating to support decarbonisation and, lastly but by no means least, it’s about our people and their wellbeing and that whole sense of purpose within the wider rail industry.”
Porterbrook has strong community links across its business sites in Derby, London and Stratford upon Avon. The company’s volunteering policy encourages staff members to take two days a year to undertake charitable work of their choice.
Each year the business invests over £100m in its existing assets, working with over 100 UK-based companies and supporting around 7,000 jobs. Of the company’s near 170 employees, 30% are women including many of its senior team which compares favourably to the UK rail industry average of 16%.
To date the business has invested £3 billion in new passenger and freight vehicles and is actively looking to invest a further £1 billion in UK rail in the coming years. Leading the way in its efforts to drive the industry forward and find new ways to power trains in the UK are its HybridFLEX and HydroFLEX projects.
“About 30% of our 4,000 trains are diesels. These are very much needed because only 38% of the network is electrified at present. The long-term challenge of decarbonisation is closely aligned to our whole life cost approach to asset management. We are adding value to our existing trains in what we should be procuring for the industry going forward in terms of the type of energy source and how that supports customers, government and ultimately fare paying passengers and the taxpayer.”
Hybrid conversions
Earlier this year the HybridFLEX train, a partnership with Rolls-Royce, Chiltern Railways and contributions from 30 UK companies, entered service between Aylesbury and London. The project involved converting a diesel train into one that now runs on both diesel and battery power (the first 100mph capable battery-diesel hybrid train to operate emission free on the UK rail network).
The train has been retrofitted with a Rolls-Royce powerpack which means quieter and quicker journeys, with 25 per cent less fuel consumption, 75 per cent less nitrous oxide and a reduction in annual CO2 emissions of 122 tonnes.
“Our Class 168 HybridFLEX has already completed 10,000 miles of testing,” said Mary, who says the company’s invested £8 million in the project to date. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to take what is a very good train to provide a service that meets the challenges of Marylebone and the environmental impact. It upcycles an existing train and supports the supply chain in terms of contracting valuable long-term work.”
HydroFLEX is the UK’s first hydrogen-ready passenger train which can operate under electric, battery and hydrogen power, making it the world’s first ‘tri-mode’ train. A fully productionised version of this innovative train was showcased at Glasgow in November 2021 during COP26. Thirty-five UK companies contributed to delivering the train over its 10-month build period. It has been tested in full hydrogen mode at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre this year and is due on the mainline for further testing in December."
Finding alternatives
“There is a realisation that to meet our net zero decarbonisation targets the rail industry is going to have to find alternatives to just core electrification, although I do believe electrification is still the most economically viable option on key routes,” she said. “I see our hydrogen solution as a pathfinder and although there’s not a hydrogen economy established today, that will come to fruition over the coming years. Clearly there has to be a framework and plan to deliver this.”
“Within the UK we are the first to achieve full safety approvals including tunnels and all the other challenges that hydrogen brings so it is exciting to be leading the way with this.”
In 2019 Porterbrook embarked on creating HydroFLEX taking a single small gauge hydrogen solution that was originally created through the University of Birmingham. This led to the creation of a largescale single cell hydrogen train which was tested on the mainline.
“The train has already been on the mainline at 50mph with a single cell,” said Mary. “To get up to that 100mph multiple cell capacity and for a greater range we’ve continued with the trials. The extensive testing and component shake down is allowing us to understand the performance dynamics before it enters passenger service.”
“We’ve built HydroFLEX with four fuel cell capacity at 125 kilowatts each. It has a range of 350 miles on pure hydrogen with battery capability which, of course, supports discontinuous electrification. We’ve spent around £12 million on the project and our purpose is strategic in terms of our thinking for the next 30 years and beyond that, looking at what the industry will need to support core electrification to give a blended solution on battery, hydrogen and other bi-modes to support the reduction of carbon emissions.”
“These are just two examples of alternatives in powering trains. Solar energy is very much being explored at the moment through Network Rail and also when assessing diesel we must look to the aviation industry which is developing synthetic fuels. So, I think we need to consider multiple options to support core electrification, battery, hydrogen, synthetic and hydrocarbons. Another important aspect is looking at how we get a truly integrated transport network, thinking a bit broader than a macro strategy of just looking at rail as the one solution.”
Realising ambitions
In June 2021 the company took over the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire and has invested more than £3 million to modernise and enhance the facilities at the site, which includes a test track loop, rolling stock storage and a training centre. Mary highlighted that a further £3 million has been allocated to complete a state-of-the-art asset management facility due for completion by spring 2023.
“Long Marston is another example of our ambitions as a company to play a wider role within UK rail. We are not just a financier, we never have been. Engineering excellence and support is a very important part of the brand offering. We’ve had strong backing from our shareholders in doing that, who recognise the additional value inherent to asset ownership and the need for whole life utilisation both from a finance and environmental perspective.”
“For example, I don’t think it is widely known across the industry that under the terms of our financing model we don’t make a return for the first 20 years. The risk of re-leasing assets for their full economic life sits with us.”
Sustainability has been a core focus during Mary’s five-year tenure at the business and the ESG agenda has only grown in importance. For example, the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) assesses and measures the ESG performance of assets worldwide to providing insights for financial markets on complex sustainability topics. This year Porterbrook came first in its peer group in the benchmark. The company achieved a score of 100% and was first out of 649 global funds. Mary cites this as an endorsement of the company’s work to support the railway’s journey towards net zero.
She adds: “in doing so we need to be responsible for our own research and development, improving technology, improving diagnostics and reliability. At the end of the day, we own the stock so we’re not just going to lease it out and then expect it to remain on the network for its full asset life.”
This is just a snapshot of the work underway at Porterbrook. For instance, the company has managed the first-in-class European Train Control System (ETCS) project on its Class 43 vehicles for Network Rail. The initiative is a key part of the infrastructure operator’s East Coast Digital Programme, which it estimates could lead to significant reductions in delays through improved punctuality and increased infrastructure reliability.
It is also working with Network Rail on a Visual Inspection Unit project with five Class 153s. Each of these vehicles reduces the need for boots on ballast by 4000 hours a year while hugely increasing the number of switch and crossing points which can be inspected. Plans are in place to roll this technology across more Cl153s next year.
Elsewhere a recent Data into Action Reliability Taskforce (DART) project on Turbostar fleets with six customers used data analytics to conduct around 1,000 targeted vehicle health checks. The trial prevented 150 full or part train cancellations, saved nearly 10,000 engine delay minutes and reduced Schedule 8 delay payments by over 70% from £1.3m to £0.4m. Discussions are ongoing on how the programme can be further expanded.
Dynamic future
Reflecting back on her early years she says, “farmers aren’t very good at giving themselves compliments. I think the farmer in me would say ‘you’ve done a fair days work but keep going.’ At Porterbrook we have got a strong growth trajectory of how we want to continue to invest back into the network. We will continue to make substantial investment and also build on our asset management support.”
“The biggest change in every business I’ve run in the railways has been the people dynamic and that culture of realigning the purpose to support the industry. Understanding what the government is looking for, how we fit within policy, what works for the train operating companies and how we then demonstrate valuable partnerships.”
“Like those days on the farm, the biggest thing for me on success in any business is all about collaboration. The company has to be a committed partner bringing genuine value add to all stakeholders, particularly as the railway continues to grapple with economic challenges.”
“The engineering asset management element of our business is incredibly important. Taking over the Long Marston site was quite an unusual move for a traditional rolling stock owner to do but from my perspective it’s exactly the kind of industry investment we should be taking.”
“Porterbrook has been a longstanding part of UK rail for over 25 years. The industry has an exciting and dynamic future ahead in areas such as the green transition and embracing the potential of digital technology and we look forward to supporting this in the coming decades.”
Mary Grant, Chief Executive Officer at Porterbrook
Read the December edition of RailDirector here
Yesterday we joined our Railway Family for the much-loved Rail Staff Christmas Carols, organised by the Transport Benevolent Fund CIO, which returned after a two-year hiatus.
The Transport Benevolent Fund CIO (TBF) offers support to those working in the public transport industry if they should find themselves in a situation of need, hardship or distress. We are proud to sponsor the service this year alongside Network Rail, Rail Safety and Standards Board, Rail Freight Group, Great British Railways Transition Team and Rail Forum.
After a challenging year for many in the industry, it was a great chance for us to get together with colleagues and friends to celebrate the season with readings, and carols led by the talented London’s Transport Choir.
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Once again, we have decided to make seasonal donations to charities in Derby, London and Stratford-upon-Avon rather than sending Christmas cards
These are Camden People First in north London and Crossroads Derby as well as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and local dementia support organisations in Stratford-upon-Avon. In addition, we have supported Children First Derby and Women at the Well in King’s Cross, London
We look forward to continuing to work with all of our partners across the industry in 2023
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