Tube Lines runs its very own Dragons Den style competition

Tube Lines has launched a change challenge cup competition to encourage employees to improve the way the business operates and to reward great ideas that have real business benefits. Short-listed candidates have to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges which includes top Welsh dragon, chief executive Terry Morgan.  The first quarterly competition has rewarded two bright sparks whose innovations have delivered a real change to the way work is carried out at Tube Lines.

The panel of self-styled dragons looks for ideas that have saved the company money, have contributed to business objectives, or delivered a safety improvement.  Unlike the TV show ‘Dragons Den’, the candidates do not pitch their ideas to secure investment but rather to showcase their winning ideas for financial prizes.

The first quarter competition results have been announced with two innovators winning joint first place. Steve Judd, environment asset manager, came up trumps with his plan to clean iron filings from trackside train position detectors using industrial wipes.  His idea has the potential to save Tube Lines £1.3 million a year in avoided train delays.  A build-up of iron filings can short circuit the track, confuse the signalling system and bring trains to a halt thereby impacting passenger journeys.  His idea is a simple solution to a potentially expensive problem. 

Joining him in pole position is Danny Pollard, health, safety and environment manager, who impressed the Tube Lines ‘dragons’ with a special metal platform that fits across the track and lets workers cross safely to the tunnel wall without the need for scaffolding.  His invention has already attracted interest from third party contractors who recognise the safety benefits it brings to people working in the rail industry.

The change challenge cup, chaired by Terry Morgan, is run on a quarterly cycle. The judges choose the best entry and two runners up each quarter and at the end of the year the judges will select one overall annual winner and one runner-up.

 Commenting on the change challenge cup, Terry Morgan, Chief Executive said:

“There are a lot of smart people inside this business who have great ideas that can deliver real change to the business.  We want to encourage and reward good ideas and improvements, not stifle them. This competition sends out a clear message to everyone that their ideas, technical innovations and change initiatives will get a fair hearing and will be rewarded.  Tube Lines can only continue to move forward and improve the way it works if employees are encouraged to challenge the way we work and come up with better ways of working.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Press office, Tube Lines: 020 7088 4848

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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