Midlands & East Anglia Premier Rail

Training on Platform Severn

Platform Severn
Written by Roma Publications

Platform Severn

A firm of chartered surveyors has unveiled a specially constructed onsite rail training facility which will ensure all staff are trained in a safe and secure environment.

The new, aptly named, Platform Severn training facility, has been designed by specialist rail surveyor, Severn Partnership and is one of only a handful of similar facilities available in the UK.

The new facility will ensure all staff at Severn are familiar with the topography of a railway track and prepared for operations in a live track environment. It provides a solution to live onsite training methods which are often difficult and unsafe as they are usually restricted to night hours with limited timescales.

Platform Severn has been carefully constructed to replicate a real track and platform, complete with coping stones, overhead electrification and utility buried features which can be detected using the company’s underground tracing system.

Platform Severn is located in the company’s onsite car park and will be used in the training programmes of staff at all levels across the company from base line surveys for new members of staff to senior management refresher courses. The new training facility will also complement the company’s existing test line in Oswestry.

Mark Combes, Managing Director at Severn Partnership, explained what the training facility means for the company:

“Previously training our staff on railway tracks was very restricted, often to just a few hours at a time. Having our own onsite rail training facility will drastically improve the development of all our staff. We’ve recently appointed a number of graduates who are currently being trained in different areas of operation. Having Platform Severn on site means that training can be delivered in a safe environment free from risk, and at a time that best suits the needs of the service.”

The onsite training facility follows a period of reinvestment from the company which recently invested in external training for all of its surveyors in order for them to develop their skill sets and undertake project management positions within the company. The company also recently won a Silver Investors in People award for its continued investment in the training and development of its staff.

 Severn Partnership

Severn Partnership is a firm of Chartered Land Surveyors with offices in London and Shropshire. The company has a reputation established over 30 years for providing a high quality professional service.

The company surveys, measures and monitors to produce high quality plans, sections, elevations – all the way to 3D and Building Information Models (BIM). It works throughout the UK and overseas, utilising the latest robotic survey equipment, 3D laser scanning technology & 3D modelling software, backed up by a wealth of survey expertise and experience.

Severn Partnership’s mission is to deliver a professional and personal service, regulated at all times by RICS standards and underpinned by strong ethical standards.

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Roma Publications