13.11.07
MP opens Southeastern’s new operations learning and development centre at Orpington, Kent
Orpington MP John Horam was at the town’s railway station to officially open a new £325,000 staff learning and development centre.
A former Southern region steam locomotive shed, already partly used as a drivers’ depot, it has been transformed into a state-of-the-art educational centre.
Its specification marks a distinct change of emphasis from “instruction” to “development”. And it also reflects a move towards “blending” - theoretical learning followed by practical experience.
Three Class 375/376 Electrostar and Class 465/466 Networker train cab simulators have been relocated to the site from Ashford to provide first-rate driver learning opportunities.
Not only can drivers be rostered onto training programmes at Orpington, but there will also be out-of-hours access for those wishing to voluntarily improve skills and knowledge.
The new centre includes four air-conditioned, touch-screen and computer-equipped classrooms for learning a range of railway-related disciplines. And there is further provision for it to support the Rail Maritime and Transport union’s ‘Lifelong Learning’ programme.
Additional facilities include a mess room for light refreshments, and a fire officer’s room for servicing fire-fighting equipment.
Wallace Weatherill, Southeastern’s professional head of operations and planning, has welcomed the opportunities offered by the new centre.
He said: “It replaces previous training facilities at Lincoln House in London, is much more accessible and is expected to save Southeastern £1 million during the present franchise.”
Southeastern runs trains linking south-east London and its suburbs to Kent and parts of East Sussex, operating some 1750 services and more than 400,000 passenger journeys a day. It has a fleet of 350 electric multiple unit trains and manages 180 stations across its 480-mile network.
On April 1, 2006 it succeeded South Eastern Trains, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the former Strategic Rail Authority, to take charge of the Integrated Kent Franchise.
From December 2009 Southeastern will provide 140mph services on High Speed 1, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. And for the 2012 London Olympic Games it will operate express Javelin shuttle trains linking the City to the Olympic village in Stratford, East London.
Southeastern and its sister company, Southern, are both operated by Govia, a joint venture between Go-Ahead (65%) and Keolis SA (35%) which is a French-based operator of passenger transport services in seven European countries and in Canada.
Go-Ahead also runs bus services across London and the South East, and has additional interests in aviation and car parking businesses.
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