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K&ESR Members e-newsletter No 33

K&ESR Members e-newsletter No 33

Kent & East Sussex Railway

Members e-newsletter No.33

Hello   

 

Welcome to the latest edition of your e-newsletter - we hope you are keeping safe & well

‍From the Chair

As I write this the outline of the United Kingdom’s strategy for ending the coronavirus lockdown is emerging.  A lot of detail and timings remain to be added, and quite rightly all is conditional on further progress towards controlling and hopefully eliminating the disease.  But three things are clear.  It looks like being some time before the heritage and leisure sectors are back in business, and that might be as much about people’s willingness to put themselves at risk as about the sectors’ ability to operate.  Every single organisation and individual in the UK is going to have difficult choices to make in the weeks and months ahead; in some respects locking down was the easy part and the complex bit starts now.  And finally, the post-coronavirus world is certainly not going to be the same as the one we are all used to.  There is going to have to be change and belt-tightening across the country, and indeed further afield.

Government announcements, including on the future of the furloughing scheme which has been a lifeline for bodies such as ours, and on social distancing, are appearing, and they all have a lot of small print which is not always reported accurately in the media.  We are assessing very carefully their implications for the K&ESR. 

Our financial modelling for various scenarios is now very nearly complete, although the figures will of course continue to change in line with the flow of information about Government schemes.  I am pleased to be able to say that our bank has granted us the facilities that we requested.  Despite a looming recession we are still actively pursuing other sources of finance.  It is clear however that things are going to get tight; just how tight will depend on the length of time we are unable to generate income that feeds though into the bottom line.  We shall probably have to get used to not doing as much as we are accustomed to.  

If you are able to help with a donation you can do so via the link below

In the meantime, planning continues for the eventual resumption of services, whenever that might be.  The Office of Rail and Road have already produced some useful guidance for heritage railways and the Heritage Railway Association will be following suit shortly.  The basic themes are that we build up very slowly, running a simple timetable until we are back in the swing; and that we must put a focus on demonstrating our ability to keep our staff, volunteers and customers safe and healthy.  Added to this there will have to be an increased concentration on those activities that actually turn a profit; we cannot simply run trains and offer events and facilities in the way we have done before.  

Moving on to more concrete (sorry about the pun) matters, it has been good to see the progress that our volunteer Permanent Way department have been making with the new siding and other works at Rolvenden.  This was done with authorisation from the General Manager in line with the arrangements we have put in place, and in full conformance with all Government guidelines.  The same goes for the welcome and necessary weedkilling train last week.  Using plant in the open air is one thing; working in confined spaces is another challenge that will need to be overcome.

In other news, we are pleased to welcome a new assistant company secretary to fill the gap caused by Phil Edwards’ decision to step down for personal reasons.  He is Richard Styles, a volunteer stationmaster and in his other life the Town Clerk of Ramsgate - he'll be introducing himself in the next edition of this newsletter.

And you will I hope have noticed that our new public website is becoming more populated.

I’ll conclude by reminding everyone (again) that donations are always welcome, and many of you will have seen the impressive Terrier Trust spread in the latest edition of Steam Railway.  Please give generously.

Stay safe, look after your wellbeing, and remember to talk about the Kent and East Sussex Railway to your friends and on your social networks. 

My very best wishes to you, your families and your friends.


Simon Marsh

 

Chairman


‍Permanent Way

The Permanent Way team carried out the annual weedkilling in mid-May. This essential work was undertaken by a small team of volunteers in full compliance with the social distancing requirements currently in force.

The train is seen here passing through Wittersham Road Station

Frim Halliwell & Clive Lowe are pictured with the '08' at Junction Road in this image by Paul Jessett.

Our thanks to all involved in this important work


‍In addition to the weedkilling, a small team of volunteers have been undertaking further work to 'Siding 5' at Rolvenden.

This work, fully risk assessed and approved by management, creates a new siding behind the Rolvenden Carriage Storage Shed, dedicagted to accommodation of On-Track Plant.

The siding has been built using donated or recycled materials already onsite.

The ballast regulator is seen here making short work of the otherwise back-breaking job of moving ballast ready for the tamping machine to do its job.

‍With the siding completed, work continued with the creation of support pads, onto which shipping containers will be craned. These pads are actually the degraded former platform coping stones from Northiam Station - reuse & recycling at its best!

 

The containers here will be racked out to accommodate spares for use with the on-track plant.

 

This whole area is screened from view of passing trains & the medium term plan is that all shipping containers at Rolvenden will be relocated out of sight of our passengers, so providing a significant improvement in the visual aspect


Brian Richards has undertaken further computerised recording of our track alignment & levels between Rolvenden & Tenterden. The quantity and accuracy of data obtained is quite something!


Terrier 150 Appeal

Terrier 150 Appeal

The Terrier 150 Appeal is an ambitious project to restore 'Bodiam' to steam for her 150 Birthday, but additionally, to tell the story of these diminutive locos, whose longevity and usefulness is legendary - click the image to read the latest news of this exciting projec


‍New Website

Our new website continues to be populated, with the Volunteering page now including a video - which has already created much interest https://kesr.org.uk/volunteering/

Our previous website included a Working Members area, containing Company Policy documents, meeting minutes etc. With the adoption of the Heritage Operations Processing system (HOPS) and updating of our systems & processes, all staff documents will in future be held centrally in HOPS.


‍Project Manager - GWR Railcar

The late Andy Webb led the restoration of our GWR Railcar for many years, with great progress made. Sadly Andy passed away before the work could be completed, so we are seeking a Project Manager to complete the restoration of this historic vehicle.

Are you seeking a new challenge? Do you have excellent team building & communication skills? If so, we want to hear from you! Details available HERE






‍News from the General Manager

What a week, my printer has been in over-drive!

 

Sunday 10th May the Prime Minister gave his much awaited and much leaked address on his three-phase strategy out of the UK coronavirus lockdown. It lacked detail and raised as many questions as it answered.

 

Monday 11th May saw the release of three sets of documents.

First, the 50 page Our Plan to Rebuild – The UK Government’s Covid-19 Recovery Strategy.

Second, the Government Guidance for Employers to Help Workplaces Operate Safely, giving guidelines to make workplaces Covid-secure, to give people confidence to go back to work. In addition, there are downloadable notices There are eight sets of guidance for people working in different settings including outdoor work, offices and restaurants. Six of these apply to the K&ESR in one form or other.

The common theme across the eight guidance documents are - “Five Key Principles”:

 

  1. Work from home, if you can
  2. Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment, in consultation with workers or trade unions
  3. Maintain 2 metres social distancing, wherever possible
  4. Where people cannot be 2 metres apart, manage transmission risk
  5. Reinforcing cleaning processes

 

These will require review of all department activities, numbers of staff on site, shift patterns, occupation plans, and risk assessments.

Third was the ORR Inspection Guidance – Heritage Railway Recovery Plan in response to Covid-19 planned follow up by ORR HMRI. The purpose of which, to quote “To ensure that the pace to re-commence and increase train services is appropriate and to avoid uncontrolled risk.” This is a very good document and well worth reading.

Tuesday 12th May was the Chancellor’s turn, announcing the continuation of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) from end June to October. As has been said on previous occasions, the devil is in the detail which will follow later this month. 

Wednesday 13th May and more announcements, the Government established five new ministerial-led taskforces, set up to develop plans for how and when closed sectors can reopen safely. 

We are a complex mix of attraction, catering, construction, office, overhaul, retail and transport and each part of the business, each service type, all staff and locations, have to be made Covid-secure, capable of meeting HSE inspection. What this entails and at what cost is being worked through, and the same has to be put in place for our customers. 

Saturday 4th July, the start of Phase 3, may well be the Government’s target date for leisure attractions to open but we are not a safari park or National Trust garden. One thing is clear, in the interests of everyone’s safety we will not be rushing back until we can demonstrate to all that we are both Covid-secure and can operate profitably across the railway.

 

Critical Work Phase

 

Following the close down we said we would subsequently add back critical work. Critical by definition can mean different things to different people, but we have taken a pragmatic view based on overall need, resource and priority.

 

Task requests have been coordinated by Brian Richards (thank you Brian). We have reviewed each request based on purpose, cost, the number and risk category of personnel involved, equipment required and ongoing consequence of such use, covid-19 risk assessment and overall priority.

 

Some requests have been declined, others have been approved, and I would like to thank everyone involved in these activities for working within the system. With so few people working it is very important we control exactly what is permitted across the railway at any one time for the benefit of the railway and the safety of the individuals involved.

 

Some task examples are very public, such as the security patrols undertaken by so many volunteers & the weed spraying train. Others have been more individual. An example of this is the work Richard Stone has been doing behind the scenes at Rolvenden, all of which has been through the approval process:

 

“repaired the tractor and mower and mown both fields, fixed the main sump pump once and kept the pits in the shed pumped out, repaired a couple of lights round the site and run every drinking water tap for at least 10 minutes at least once a week to keep it fresh. I have been keeping the outside pit drains clear and made a ramp so if animals fall in, they can get out as it’s not every day people are looking in the pits. I have also been cleaning up the mess room bit by bit. Believe it or not, the lino is light blue, not black!”

 

The repair to the Palace roof must still be on the pending list! 

Brian Richards is continuing to build the work list, so please pass any requests to him via Infrastructure@kesr.org.uk for due consideration.  


 

Shaun Dewey

 

General Manager


‍Clearing the way

Brian Richards & Frim assisted our neighbours, Southern Water, with the removal of a fallen oak tree from their access road adjacent to our Rolvenden site. Large sections of the tree were moved into the wooded area adjacent to the depot car-park, but the root section, seen inverted in the picture above, has been made into a garden 'feature'.

 

Brian Richards

 

Infrastructure


‍K&ESR Strategy to 2024

Tenterden Station

The next topic to cover in relation to the K&ESR strategy is the Board’s absolute top priority – and that is Safety. To put it simply, there is nothing more important than the well-being of the staff and volunteers who operate the railway, the thousands of visitors who travel with us in a (normal) season and the plethora of contractors and suppliers who work at or deliver to the railway.

 

Some people are surprised that as a Heritage Railway our principal activities are regulated by the same body who oversee the operation of the ‘Big Railway’ – the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). However, this makes absolute sense, as those who work with us and ride on our trains have every right to expect the same standards of safety as are adopted on the mainline. Added to which, most of the learnings from both incidents and best practice on the UK’s commercial rail operations are transferable to the context of our 10¼ miles of track on the Kent/Sussex border.

 

There are several aspects to the ORR’s oversight; as well as regular visits to inspect physical assets and infrastructure there is increasing scrutiny of our documentation and compliance with our Safety Management System (described in an earlier newsletter). A key means by which we assess our progress - and the ORR will measure us - is called the Risk Management Maturity Model, earning it the nickname of RM³. This breaks processes for managing safety into categories covering our policies, leadership and board governance; control and communication; the co-operation, competence and development of those who operate the railway; the planning and implementation of risk controls; and finally, our monitoring and audit activity. Measures are graded on a five-point scale: Ad-Hoc; Managed; Standardised; Predictable; Excellence.

 

It is immensely helpful that K&ESR’s Safety Director, Neil Sime, is a senior professional with over 40 years’ experience in rail operations. Neil and the Management Safety Group, led by Shaun our General Manager, oversaw the implementation of our revised Safety Management System in 2019. High on the list of priorities for 2020 is putting in place the next level of departmental detail to the system, which is critical to us moving up the RM³ maturity scale.

 

As part of our strategy the Board is determined that K&ESR will be a leading player in collaborating with other Heritage Railways to develop common standards for the industry. Our aim is that by 2024 all our risk management measures should attain the ORR’s ‘Standardised’ level and at least 25% should be at ‘Predictable’.

 

Of course, safety is at the top of the company’s agenda as we consider the circumstances under which the railway could re-open as the country slowly starts recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. We must assume that social distancing measures will be with us for some considerable time to come, and these will have impacts for every aspect of the railway’s operations. We need to consider how we will comply the necessary government guidelines and are already working with the ORR, the Heritage Rail Association and other large-scale visitor attractions to understand this.

 

As we approach this difficult task, we are very interested in your views as supporters, passengers and working members of the K&ESR. We understand that anyone coming to the railway – in whatever capacity – will be looking for reassurance that we are as “COVID secure” as it is possible to be. What kind of service would you be willing to travel on when we re-open? If you're a volunteer, what arrangements would need to be in place for you to feel confident to return to your role? We are sincerely interested in what you have to say. Please do let us know your views by email to newsletter@kesr.org.uk

All responses will be considered as part of our planning.

 

Preserving our railway as living history – making memories that matter

 

David Nibloe

 

Trustee


‍New Cylinders for Charwelton

Some good news to end this issue. The extensive overhul of Charwelton continues & includes a brand new boiler & cylinder block. Click on the image above to see a little of the progress made in creating the new cylinder blocks and boiler


From all of us here at the K&ESR, our very best wishes

Kent & East Sussex Railway
Tenterden Town Station, Station Road,
Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HE
www.kesr.org.uk
Registered charity 262481