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Tuesday 9 Feb 2010

GOOD, BETTER, BEST

Region & Route:

Performance figures released by Network Rail prove that Merseyrail, the train company operated by Serco and Abellio, is a record breaking train operator on three counts. It has just achieved:-

• Its highest ever Public Performance Measure (PPM) percentage for a single four-week period – 97.85%
• The highest PPM moving annual average (MAA) ever achieved by Merseyrail - 96.33%
• The highest PPM MAA ever achieved by any train operator

The results break other records set in the two previous four-weekly periods.

Jo Kaye, Network Rail’s route director, said: “This is a remarkable achievement because the high performance levels have been maintained through the worst winter in thirty years.

“The dedication shown by our people on the ground who turn out in all weathers and at all times of the day and night to keep the railway running, together with the efforts of our Merseyrail colleagues, is something that deserves the recognition that these results bring.”

Bart Schmeink, managing director of Merseyrail, added: “Only last week, 91% of our passengers gave Merseyrail the thumbs-up in the National Passenger Survey, the highest score in the country, so achieving these incredible punctuality scores will only enhance the overall passenger experience. It’s all about relentless attention to detail day in, day out together with our colleagues at Network Rail to make sure we consistently offer what passengers want.”

“To achieve this when many forms of transport were virtually at a standstill during the recent snow and ice, shows that Merseyrail is going from strength to strength and that we are dedicated to providing the best service we can.”

Mark Dowd, chair of Merseytravel, said: ”This is an incredible performance, even more so with the conditions we have faced over winter.

"It is a credit to everyone who worked so hard to maintain such a brilliant service for the people of Merseyside.”

Results like this do not come overnight and are the result of a great deal of cooperation between the two organisations:-

• Network Rail has a dedicated management team sharing offices with Merseyrail, making decision taking a far quicker process. It also has a maintenance depot that is dedicated solely to the Merseyrail network.

• The two companies devise joint performance improvement plans that focus on the parts of the network which need extra attention to improve performance further.

• There is a programme of renewals and enhancements to improve the reliability of the track and equipment, and ever improving maintenance of the trains to improve their reliability.

• Daily conference calls involving Network Rail, its maintenance team, Merseyrail and the British Transport Police review everything that happened in the previous 24 hours to evaluate the way particular incidents were handled.