Institution news
Ahead of Platform Train Interfaces: Safety for a growing network, the Institution spoke to Keith Harding, Operations Director at Heathrow Express. Keith explains his role and involvement in rail safety, how important engineering solutions are to mitigating risk around the platform train interface (PTI), where he sees the next big developments and what he is most looking forward to by attending.
Keith Harding, Operations Director, Heathrow Express
Keith Harding has worked in the rail industry for 37 years, having started as a train driver in British Rail days, early 1979. He has previously headed up driver and safety teams, and came to Heathrow Express as Operations Director in 2009. In 2015 platform gap-fillers were installed at all Heathrow Express-operated stations at Heathrow after a successful trial. Keith’s operational experience led to him coming up with and successfully developing this idea. The gap-fillers have eliminated accidents at the platform-train interface at Heathrow since their installation.
Q: Could you briefly explain your role and involvement in platform train interfaces?
KH: As someone who’s been working in the rail industry for 37 years, safety has long been my top priority. In this time, the platform train interface has presented the industry with some considerable problems, ones I’m very used to dealing with having been a Head of Safety and now an Operations Director. Last year Heathrow Express implemented a first in the UK – platform gap-fillers – after I worked with teams of engineers to come up with the right solution. I’m pleased to say they have eliminated accidents at the PTI where they are in place.
Q: What are you most looking forward ti by attending and presenting at Platform Train Interfaces 2016?
KH: The platform gap-filler solution has been a real success at Heathrow Express and I’m looking forward to sharing it even wider than we currently have. As an industry, our passengers’ and colleagues’ safety is our first priority. It’s important to work together to make sure we achieve the highest standards of safety possible.
Q: How important are engineering solutions to mitigate risk around the PTI for the overall safety of rail passengers?
KH: Engineering solutions are incredibly important in mitigating the risk around the PTI, and Heathrow Express’s story proves that. Providing the right solution that remains robust (and actually works), doesn’t come without thorough engineering. Having said that, it’s also exceptionally important to explore all avenues when it comes to safety and get different teams and solutions working together to achieve the best results.
Q: What do you think the next biggest areas of focus for solutions around the PTI should be?
KH: Though our platform gap-fillers have been radical in our Heathrow stations, where the platforms are straight, it’s at the London end of the journey at Paddington, where the platforms are curved, that we now need to focus our attention. We have a few initiatives ongoing to help us reduce the risk at the PTI in this location, again through innovative engineering and sharing others’ best practice.
Keith Harding will be speaking at Platform Train Interfaces 2016 which is the only event focused on the engineering solutions to mitigate risk around the PTI. Make sure you attend to take away insights into the new technologies being implemented to increase passenger safety without hindering the overall capacity of the rail network.
Running alongside Platform Train Interfaces 2016 will be a half day workshop, “Door Optimisation”, as well as an exclusive visit to PAMELA, a research platform at the heart of the UCL Transport Institute. Both events take place on 6 December and can be purchased as part of your seminar attendance package.
PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS:
- High Speed Two discuss their plans for the passenger journey to be “Step free from street to seat”
- Hear an exclusive update from the Platform Train Interface Strategy Group (PTISG)
- Insights from PAMELA about their latest results on passenger flow studies
- Thameslink share their recent work with Network Rail on Operational Risk
- Understand how Crossrail are managing PTI, their challenges and adjusting platform heights
For further information, please visit the Platform Train Interfaces 2016 event page.