Right place, right time
The dysfunctional interface between railways was further hindered by a tangled mess of regulations - until a collaboration project took the bull by the horns, writes RICHARD CLINNICK
The East London Line opened in 2010. It operates over part of the former London Underground network, and links the former Southern Region at New Cross Gate with the North London Line at Highbury & Islington, running along part of the railway that once served Broad Street, until it closed in 1986.
Carrying trains delivered in 200811, the ELL is part of the LO network, and on the section north of New Cross Gate it is purely Transport for London infrastructure. Network Rail is responsible for the infrastructure shared by Govia Thameslink Railway, and on the NLL, but in between is TfL. Trains operated by LO were being delayed by trains operating on NR infrastructure, which delayed their arrival onto the core section of the ELL.
The problem centred on the dependence on the Sydenham corridor to deliver trains into the core ELL section on time. This had a negative impact on ELL performance, and it was clear that changes were needed.
With the introduction of a new concession operator for London Overground, there was an opportunity to introduce new ideas and new ways of working, in a programme aimed at getting the line’s trains to run on time. However, improving reliability was not that simple. It required collaboration from three key stakeholders, changes in the way of working, and a rethink of train regulation policy. And it would have to be done quickly, to minimise delays.
The ‘Right Time Right Pathway’ trial was implemented. Not only did it have the potential to improve punctuality and performance, but by simplifying the various processes, it improved safety by reducing the likelihood of human error. Unlike similar trials, this was carried out on a complex section of railway.
Legacy regulation policies had become increasingly complicated, with amendments made over time purely on an ad hoc basis. This had, in turn, created sub-optimal outcomes for punctuality on the East London Line as trains were arriving at the core late. Arriva Rail London, which took over the concession in November last year, says that the policies had evolved into a complex operating environment for signallers. And because the railway is so heavily used in this section, the fear of unintended and catastrophic side-effects of any change had hampered progress. The project team in charge of the trial overcame these fears through the introduction of a collaborative and consultative approach from the very start of the trial, and that became the key to winning the support of all those involved.
ARL collaborated with both GTR and NR to adopt a project management approach that was built on cross-industry consultation and early engagement with signallers in order to set up the trial. While the trial was running, existing regulation policies were suspended in favour of the new method.
LONG-TERM BENEFITS FOR RAIL
The ‘Right Time Right Pathway’ trial has potential long-term benefits, not just in and around London, but for the rail industry as a whole.
It’s believed that an industry leading train regulation policy approach could set the railway on the path to being a ‘right time railway’ in Control Period 6 (April 1 2019-March 31 2024). It could deliver significant safety benefits by ensuring that intervals are maintained, which in turn means that capacity can be planned and managed, and overcrowding can be reduced. The implementation of the methodology across the industry could also deliver value for money for rail and for passengers as, according to the National Rail Awards submission, “a right time railway will have greater opportunities to reinvest incentive bonuses into making future performance and reliability improvements.”
Two members of ARL operational staff were seconded to NR, so the latter could gain valuable operator insight and experience. In these roles, the seconded staff acted on behalf of NR.
The trial itself involved the creation of a revised train regulation policy at specific locations on the ELL where both operators ran trains. The idea was to see if changes could be made to improve performance and simplify regulation decisions that needed to be made by signallers.
The trial took place during Railway Period 12, which ran for four weeks starting on February 6 this year. The project team agreed that a set of success criteria should be identified. This included a 50% reduction in operator-on-operator Public Performance Measurement (PPM) failures and a 50% reduction in regulation-attributed incidents within the trial areas, as well as no significant issues being raised at a Post Implementation Review.
The results showed a 5.7% uplift in train punctuality on the ELL, with a rise from 80.92% in Period 11 (2016-2017) to 85.52% in Period 12 (2016-2017). This, ARL
The entry represents true collaboration, cutting across the commercial and contractual interests of the different parties involved. NRA Panel
says, showed a period of sustained and continuous improvement as a “direct result of the ‘Right Time Right Pathway’ regulation policy introduced by the trial. At the time of entry submission for the National Rail Awards, ARL reports that it had recorded the best ever punctuality on a weekday for the ELL of 92.76%.
The post-trial review highlighted, among other things, that the success criteria was achieved, that the signallers were involved from the outset and that their views were listened to. The latter has also reported that they like the fact the process has simplified train regulation policies, which in turn helps them regulate trains, and that these decisions are reflected in improved performance.
What this shows, says ARL, is the impact of what can be achieved through the implementation of collaborative crossindustry partnerships. There was a hugely positive reaction from all organisations involved and an agreement to convert the trial to a permanent change.
The project has also created opportunities for ARL, GTR and NR to transfer what has been learned from this trial to other parts of the rail network, with ARL looking to implement similar methods of working onto the West Anglia route, while GTR is using what it has learned to “bring benefit to the preparation of upcoming timetable changes on Thameslink”. This will be in regards to the need for trains on the TL core section to arrive on time, and ready to pass through that section.
This project has deservedly been given the National Rail Awards Teamwork of the Year accolade. It identified and challenged a perceived weakness in the industry and delivered much-needed improvement to such an extent that Network Rail is considering widening the geographical scope of the ‘Right Time Right Pathway’ train regulation policy, and also to use the process to test modified train regulation policies on other NR routes. That is to be applauded.