The fourth in a new series of IoRW Corporate Member company profiles

Carillion Rail

Carillion Rail Welding and Testing (formed 2001) provides a comprehensive range of quality welding and non-destructive testing services to the rail industry throughout the UK. There are depots located at Doncaster, Ashford and Swindon with the main office and purpose built approved welding training school in Crewe. Opportunity for the workforce to work outside the Network Rail (NWR) infrastructure is regularly offered which has included all the welding required for the construction of the CTRL rail link into London along with work in Ireland, Scandinavia and on the London Underground. This variety of work has offered the workforce a job which is both interesting and challenging. In June this year, ex-Mowlem welders were fully integrated into Carillion Rail Welding team following the successful takeover earlier in the year by Carillion plc.

Fig.1. Flashbutt welding at Larkhall, Scotland	Fig.2. Operator carrying out U6 weld inspection

A key factor in the success of Carillion Rail Welding is the involvement in innovation throughout the last five years and the importance of helping the rail industry adapt to the changes created through privatisation. Carillion has been at the forefront of this innovation and believes by working with other interested parties it can deliver high quality professional welding services. An example of this is the introduction and acceptance of regular mobile flash butt welding to the UK working with its joint venture partner Sersa UK Ltd and Network Rail.

Fig.3. The training school at Carillion Rail	Fig.4. Calibration: Testing insulation properties of a live line OLE tester

There are still challenges to overcome particularly in obtaining consistent quality in aluminothermic welding, but this needs to involve the wider rail workforce to understand how they can improve planning on renewal sites, to improve both welding performance and quality. The trialling of alternative strategies/sequences needs to be more widespread and review the current standards eg to allow separation of the weld casting process from final grinding as in France. This proved very effective during the construction of the CTRL route into London last year in meeting higher welding standards.

Fig.5. Arc weld repair of rail

Whilst welding is Carillion's core activity it has a programme of multi-skilling within its workforce to provide continuity of work to meet the industry peaks and troughs. A flavour of other services that are offered included gas equipment testing, calibration of HV and LV test equipment for the overhead line, S and T electrical test equipment and the full range of ultrasonic/EMA rail testing.

Brian Boulton Trainer	Charles Dean Welding Manager, Swindon	Karl Dean Welding Manager, Doncaster	Roy Hines Welding Manager, Ashford	Philip Instone Business Manager
David Kerr Welding Manager, North	Steve Punnett Welding and Testing Manager, CTRL	Paul Taylor MBE Welding Operations Manager	Robert Taylor Trainer	Kevin Wilkinson Welding Standards Manager

Phillip Instone
Business Manager
Carillion Rail