Tube Lines engineer takes construction skills to Uganda

Linda Miller, a Tube Lines engineer, recently took her construction skills to Uganda to work with the non-profit charity – Watoto. Working alongside 25 other volunteers, Linda spent two weeks building a new family home for eight orphaned children on the outskirts of Kampala. She wanted to share her skills with others to provide a better environment for young orphaned children living in poverty and helped raise the £16,000 needed to build the home.

Linda has vast construction and engineering experience having worked on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the New Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre.  She is now a senior project manager for Tube Lines on the £600 million signalling upgrade of the Jubilee and Northern lines which, when the first part is delivered in 2009, will be the most significant improvement on the London Underground since 1999.

The Watoto house has three bedrooms along with a kitchen and bathroom which are both supplied with clean water. Throughout the building works Linda was concerned at the lack of basic health and safety being practised on the sites. No one was kitted out with protective hats and boots for example which are mandatory on all construction sites in the UK. Despite this, every endeavour was made to ensure the safety of all those working on the building project and Linda was able to pass on some top health and safety tips.  The team of volunteers also donated their steel toed capped boots and protective gloves when the project finished.

Commenting on her experience in Uganda, Linda Miller said:

 “Going to Uganda to help provide a home for orphaned children was a once-in-a-life time opportunity and made me realise that my skills as an engineer can be put to fantastic use outside of my work environment at Tube Lines. Not only did I help to make the lives better for eight children, I made some fantastic friendships out there”.    

Linda is a qualified engineer who started her career in the US Army where she became one of the first female Aviation helicopter pilots and one of the first women to become a platoon leader in Korea.  She was recently shortlisted for a First Woman award which celebrates pioneering business women who have broken glass ceilings and opened up opportunities for others to follow through her achievements and actions.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Press office, Tube Lines: 020 7088 4848 / 07764 429 015

Notes to Editors

1. Tube Lines is responsible for the maintenance and upgrade of the infrastructure on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. London Underground is responsible for operating the Underground, for employing drivers and station staff, for ticketing and fares, and for the Tube’s safety regime.
2. The Tube Lines consortium consists of two shareholders – Amey and Bechtel. They bring together some of the most experienced providers of business services with specialist skills in the rail industry, including track and signal renewals, plus project and operational management. They are providing some of the best project and operational managers from around the world to work on the modernisation of the Tube system. Amey owns two-thirds of Tube Lines’ business and Bechtel one third.

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