Changes to NR Route reporting lines

Network Rail has made some changes to Route reporting lines.

Apparently...

• The East Midlands Route will come under LNE with Martin Frobisher reporting direct to Phil Verster.

• Sussex, Kent and Anglia Routes will come together under a new South East Route led by Dave Ward. Fiona Taylor and Mark Ruddy (and a soon to be recruited RMD for Anglia) will now report to the RMD SE.

Interesting.

With all this consolidation going on Eye wonders what it means for Deep Alliances?

Perhaps Stagecoach can stay ahead of the game by winning the ICGW franchise... once the competition is restarted of course!

As DfT burns NR beefs up LNW Route management

This just in from Network Rail...

Jo Kaye, currently route managing director for the London North Western route, is to take up a newly-created, senior role reporting directly to board member, Paul Plummer, group strategy director. She will move into the role upon her return from maternity leave in June 2013.

Replacing Mrs Kaye will be Dyan Crowther, currently director, operational services. Mrs Crowther will work with Jo to ensure a smooth handover during the next six weeks.

Fiona Dolman, head of operational planning, will become interim director leading the operational services team while an announcement for a permanent replacement will be made in the near future.
Commenting on the changes, Paul Plummer said: "Jo will be an enormous asset to the strategy team bringing her years of operational and frontline experience to bear on a new challenge that will help to plot the strategic future of the business and the railway network."

"Jo’s planned return to work will coincide with the concluding stages of the periodic review and we will be looking to embed our plans for CP5 into the business. At the same time, we will be increasing our focus on longer-term planning of the railway working closely with our customers and other stakeholders."

Robin Gisby, director network operations, said: "Whilst I shall be sorry to lose Jo from my team, it is the right next move for her and will enhance the link between our business-facing leaders and our corporate strategy. Dyan is an experienced and well-respected operator who has done a great job in developing operational services and building customer relationships that have been central to making devolution work. Dyan is extremely well qualified to succeed Jo and take on the challenge of running our biggest route." 

Ends

Timing as they say is everything...

Network Rail boosts on track monitoring

So Network Rail has launched a new Ultrasonic Test Unit.

According to Network Rail's director of engineering Steve Yianni:

“Network Rail’s number one priority is safety and the addition of this unit to our fleet means we can measure the safety and quality of our railway to much higher standards.

“It also means we can keep our test trains running more reliably and at more times across the country. With this we can improve the quality of the ride for all our passengers, and make sure they reach their destination in complete safety.”

Here Patrick Bossert, NR's Director of Asset Information outlines how devolution means that he now runs a 'services business', and how the new 'UTU1' vehicle will help the UK squeeze more out of its rail network.

 

Interesting!

LNW Railway (South) appoints Thin Controller!

This from Network Rail...

Network Rail announces today the secondment of Virgin’s chief operating officer, Chris Gibb, to the company.

Working collaboratively with Network Rail, Virgin Trains has agreed to this secondment for the remainder of this year to work with the Network Rail team on improving the performance of the infrastructure on the southern end of the West Coast Main Line.

Mr Gibb will retain a number of his current duties and responsibilities for Virgin Trains and will continue to undertake these alongside the role in Network Rail and will report to Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s managing director of network operations for the duration of his secondment. He will work very closely with Jo Kaye (the route managing director of the London North Western Route, which encapsulates the West Coast Main Line) and her team, using his 31 years of railway experience to bring unique insight to the task ahead.  

Gosh!

At this rate the entire railway is in danger of singing from the same hymn sheet!

Therefore, in the spirit of the new collaborative West Coast Main Line, Eye gives you...

The real Thin Controller!

NR & SWT Deep Alliance launched today

This from Stagecoach and Network Rail...

PASSENGERS  TO  BENEFIT  AS  SOUTH  WEST  TRAINS  AND NETWORK RAIL FORM NEW ALLIANCE · Single senior management team now responsible for trains and track · Focus on reduced delays, better customer service, more efficient working · “Deep alliance” is first for the UK rail industry

Train  company  South  West Trains and infrastructure operator Network Rail today  (30  April 2012) announced the launch of a new alliance with the aim of delivering better rail services in the south and south-west of England.

A  single  senior  joint  management  team  now has responsibility for both trains  and  track on the route operating out of London Waterloo in a first for the UK rail industry...

The  senior  management  team has more than 200 years’ experience in the UK rail   industry   covering  train  service  delivery,  rail  infrastructure management and train fleet manufacturing and includes:

• Managing Director – Tim Shoveller 
• Infrastructure Director – Jim Morgan
• Operations Director – Mark Steward
• Fleet Director - Christian Roth
• Safety & Assurance Director – Brian Cook
• Human Resources Director – Kelly Barlow
• Commercial Director – Sam McCarthy
• Customer Service Director – Jake Kelly
• Finance Director – Andy West

A governance board, with equal representation from both organisations, will oversee  the  operation  of the alliance and take major business decisions.

Arrangements  are  in place to ensure the interests of other passenger rail companies  and freight operators are protected. Both companies retain their own  identities and staff.  There are no changes to terms and conditions of employment or collective bargaining agreements with recognised trade unions

And about time too.

Welcome to a new world for the South Western Railway! 

Industry unveils IIP...

Exciting news from Everybody!

Everybody today unveiled the Initial Industry Plan.

Everybody said:

"Railways... booming... bright future... considerable growth... genuine partnership."

Everybody congratulated Everybody and concluded by saying that excessive costs were the fault of Everybody else, obviously.

UPDATE: This from Banker76...

Not quite.

Crowbar Bob reckons it’s all the fault of the privateers and their obscene profits which have ‘drained billions’ from the industry.

Problem is, he might well be right.

The Fact Compiler wonders if Banker76 hasn't noticed some of the above inflation pay rises the RMT has recently won for its members. Good of Crow Bar to confirm that it really is the fault of Everybody else.

Names of new NR RMDs announced

Network Rail has announced the names of the remaining Route Managing Directors for its new devolved structure.

Reporting into Robin Gisby, managing director, Network Operations are:

• Anglia - Dave Ward
  
  
• East Midlands - Martin Frobisher
  
  
• Kent - Fiona Taylor
  
  
• London North Eastern (LNE) - Phil Verster (from early Nov 2011)
  
  
• London North Western (LNW) - Jo Kaye
  
  
• Scotland - David Simpson
  
  
• Sussex - Mark Ruddy
  
  
• Wales - Mark Langman
  
  
• Wessex - Richard O'Brien
  
  
• Western - Patrick Hallgate

New roles for Richard Lungmuss and Andrew Munden will be announced shortly.

Go live date is the 14th November when the RMD designate appointments become effective.

Pointless signs - Lancaster

Silver Fox plans to take railway by storm?

Telegrammed by Our Man at 222 Marylebone Road
Tally Ho!

The Silver Fox has broken cover, with quotes on vertical integration post McNulty, in today's Pink 'un.

But given that our Graham is now a Network Rail non-exec his utterances must have greater significance than just another old-railway man venting his atavistic two penn'orth worth on John Major's fragmentation of his railway..

Could this be the early stages of an old-railway putsch, with Mr Eccles emphasising the importance of having a single guiding mind for the Network in future? Who could this guiding mind be?

We'd vote for the Silver Fox like a shot, but we suspect he could be acting as Richelieu to Robin Gisby's Louis XIII .

Network Rail appoints first two route MDs

This from Network Rail...

DEVOLUTION TODAY FOR SCOTLAND AND WESSEX ROUTES AS NETWORK RAIL ANNOUNCES MORE CHANGES

Network Rail's devolved route structure went live today in Scotland and Wessex. David Simpson (Scotland) and Richard O’Brien (Wessex) have been confirmed as the new route managing directors following the completion of the assessment process and safety validation.

Work continues to help the next three routes (Wales, Kent/HS1 and London North Western) get ready for go-live by October 2011.

Also today Network Rail outlined a timetable for further intended changes linked to changing its route structures:

• A new function will be created in June 2011. Called network operations, it will be led by Robin Gisby – currently director of operations and customer services. This will completely replace operations and customer services; all teams from that function will work in network operations

• A new position of freight director will be created in network operations

• In October 2011, at the same time as the next routes go live, the director, infrastructure maintenance and the balance of his team, join network operations

The remaining routes will all go live no later than March 2012

Commenting on the planned changes to both operations and maintenance, Mr Gisby said: “We have to make sure that we support the changes and opportunities that will emerge in our devolved routes with a centre that is able to match the pace of delivery they will demand. With maintenance and operations working so closely in our new route structure to meet our customer needs, it makes a lot of sense to do the same centrally.”

Note to editors

A route is a geographical operational unit. At the moment the country has nine of these (with a tenth one to be created in Wales) with a route director managing the day to day operation of the railway there

Network Rail's Wessex route matches the lines operated by South West Trains out of Waterloo covering parts of south west London, Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire and Dorset

These changes will devolve more power, responsibility and accountability onto the new business units which include transferring responsibility from the centre to the new role of route managing director, including:

• safety
• all customer service matters
• asset management outputs and spend
• operations
• planning and delivering maintenance
• delivery of some renewals and enhancements.

The devolved businesses will be empowered to innovate within a framework which maintains the company’s focus on making the most of network benefits, minimising whole-life costs, and providing a seamless service for all customers and rail users.

- ENDS -

UPDATE: Additional biographical details for David Simpson, Route Director (and designate MD) for Scotland:

David Simpson was originally from Blantyre, Lanarkshire, grew up in South Dorset and currently lives in South Ayrshire

He studied a Bachelor of Science in Transport Planning and Operation and Aston University in Birmingham

He was accepted into British Rail’s graduate scheme in 1986, which led to operational management roles in South-East England, including in performance and freight, where he helped to maintain a high quality of delivery to the customer during privatisation

That led to work in Railtrack restructuring signallers

He then left Railtrack to work with two freight companies: Mainline Freight then EWS

He returned to Railtrack East Anglia in 1998, moving to commercial roles, eg Route Business Manager for West Anglia, in which role he was part of the new focus on meeting customer needs on a route-by-route basis

Following Network Rail’s creation, he went to the Midlands in 2002 as General Manager of West Coast Main Line (South). In this role he was heavily involved in route modernisation work and the introduction of Pendolino “tilt trains” to the line

In October 2005 he was appointed route director of Scotland, in which capacity he has significantly improved performance in Scotland through much closer work with maintenance teams and First Scotrail

Eye is awaiting biographical details on the Wessex designate MD Richard O'Brien.

UPDATE: Additional biographical details for Richard O'Brien route director (and MD designate) for Wessex:

Richard O'Brien MIRO is currently Network Rail Route Director for Wessex and has been appointed Network Rail's route managing director for Wessex.

Richard is a qualified Civil Engineer and has worked both here in the UK and in Africa.

He joined the UK rail industry over a decade ago, with previous roles including General Manager and Head of Planning and Industry Performance.

Good to see that NR has appointed a Member of the Institution of Railway Operators to this important role.

UPDATE: This from NR's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit...

David Simpson would like to point out that he too is a member of the Institution of Railway Operators.

He puts the letters FIRO after his name.

Oooh. A Fellow of the IRO! Eye is impressed.