NORTHERN ENGINEER CELEBRATES HALF A CENTURY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2021 :: RMTnews 25 Airedale General Hospital has received a retired pacer train to expand hospital services. NHS Trust won a Department for Transport competition to ‘Transform a Pacer’ and will use it as a site to offer support and respite to families visiting the hospital. The competition marked the end of the line for the unpopular Pacer trains on the Northern network. The retired Pacer carriage was lowered into the grounds of Airedale General Hospital, ready to start a new life serving the community after completing millions of miles on the railways. The local NHS Foundation Trust submitted a winning bid to save the vehicles from the scrapheap and use them to create a positive environment that could benefit the local community. The hospital will transform their carriage into a mixed-use, non-clinical space to improve the experience of patients using Airedale General Hospital. This will have a particular focus on helping children and families, as well as those suffering with dementia, providing a unique communal environment to support patients during their stay. The 19-tonne carriage was lifted into position by a crane and onto a specially constructed site, ready for restoration. The vehicle is the third and final of the retired trains to be delivered to community projects as part of the DfT’s ‘Transform a Pacer’ competition in the North of England. Previously, a vehicle was delivered to a primary school in Bradford to create a new science laboratory, and a second was delivered to a mental health charity based in Huddersfield station. The competition means that after three decades of service to northern communities retired Pacer trains will now serve them in new ways focused on bringing the community together. Children’s ward matron Kirsty Randall said that they were really excited to have the Pacer train carriage on site and can’t wait to start using it with patients and their families. “We’re planning on using the space for children and young people who need to be in hospital but not necessarily on the ward at all times. “The space will give these children and young people a space which feels less medical which will really help our younger patients to have a more positive hospital experience,” she said. The train was installed with the help of Network Rail teams who managed the logistics of putting it into place. C raig Neild joined British Rail as an apprentice in 1971, working at Longsight Electric depot as he was living in Wythenshawe at the time. He then transferred to the deport at Newton Heath, where he worked for 25 years, moving to live in New Moston. In his current role as an outstation fitter based at Manchester Picadilly, Craig is called out to fix anything from engines to gearboxes, doors, and customer information screens on Northern’s fleet of trains running through the station. He says having such a diverse job has kept life interesting – and is the reason he has stuck around on the railway for so long. “It’s so hands on, that it keeps me active. Every day is different and there’s always a new problem to solve,” he said. And his colleagues are also one of the reasons he has continued to work for Northern. “I have a good working relationship with everyone – drivers, guards, platform staff and maintenance control, as well as the rest of the outstation team. “I’ve never wanted to go into management as I like to be hands on, but I think this is why I was encouraged to be a council union representative as well as a safety representative,” he says. Craig said that his job is a lot more technical these days thanks to Northern’s modern new fleet. Brand-new trains – electric Class 331s and diesel Class 195s – were first introduced for Northern customers in July 2019 and there are now 101 serving the network. The CAF-built trains feature free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, at- seat power and customer information/media screens with real-time information. They are also more spacious and fully accessible, with spaces for wheelchairs and bikes. “Technology on the railway is moving very fast and it’s a challenge to keep up, especially as Northern has more classes of units than any other train operator,” he said. Pacer train becomes family support centre for Airedale Hospital PACER TRAIN FOR YORKSHIRE HOSPITAL NORTHERN ENGINEER CELEBRATES HALF A CENTURY