Tuesday 3 May 2011
DEVOLUTION TODAY FOR SCOTLAND AND WESSEX ROUTES AS NETWORK RAIL ANNOUNCES MORE CHANGES
- Region & Route:
- National
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.”
Notes 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
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