For Quarter 4 2009/10, two entries were named as winners of Tube Lines’ competition that rewards good ideas, technical innovation and change. Both innovations – a newly designed track inspection gauge and an improved technique for repairing damaged drainage pipes – has helped the company save money, increase productivity and lead to safer working conditions for employees and contractors.

Bill Gleadell and Paul Hale from Tube Lines’ Northern line track team are the master-minds behind a new design of a track inspection gauge, an industry tool which helps check the condition of the track and calculate the wear of the rails.  The new design effectively amalgamates six gauges into one and because far fewer gauges are needed in any one inspection the annual budget for these works will be cut by more than £10,000.

Furthermore, because the new gauge locks onto the rail it not only gives more accurate readings of the level of wear on the rail but it is also safer for the inspectors who can now take the readings while keeping their hands away from the open switch on the track. Previously, the gauges featured only markings to indicate if the rail was worn or not worn and were without handles, meaning the inspectors would have to put their hand into the open switch to take the readings.

This new and improved gauge has been so well received that London Underground is now using it on the nine lines they now manage as well as the three lines Tube Lines is responsible for. And its use may even be extended to the national rail network.

The joint winner for the quarter 4 Change Challenge Cup place is Jon Elder for his money saving technique for repairing 110km of drainage pipes along the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines.

Track drainage is a network of pipes with holes in them to allow water to seep through and prevent flooding. One of the methods employed by Tube Lines to repair them is to feed a liner into the pipe, inflate the lining and run ultra-violet light through to harden it.  Holes would then be drilled in each metre of pipe and it would take three night shifts to complete just 30 metres of drainage pipe.  This was time consuming work and so Jon decided to explore a new approach to speed up the work.

He came up with the idea of cutting a single slot rather than drilling 15 holes every metre along the pipe which reduces the time of repair by 40% and enables the team to achieve more work for the same budget.

John Connolly, Tube Lines’ Director of Information, leading on innovation for the company said:

“The winners of the Quarter 4 Change Challenge Cup impressed the judges with their genuinely creative ways of improving the way we work at Tube Lines.

“By putting their improvement ideas into place, they have successfully challenged previously accepted standards, improved safety and made financial savings, as well as introducing smarter ways of working. This type of innovative thinking, which helps lower project costs and increase productivity, is going to be even more critical over the next seven-and-a-half years of our contract with London Underground when we will have to be even more efficient in the way we carry out improvement works to the Tube.”

Since the programme was launched back in 2008, 68 new and improved ideas have been implemented saving the company a total of £13 million.