‘A lack of progress’
“We cannot afford another four years of continuous decline,” says NR Chief Executive Andrew Haines, claiming a lack of change.
“I personally do not think we can sit and wait around for the Williams Review. We cannot afford another four years of continuous decline.”
That was the verdict of Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines, speaking at a trade press briefing at London Waterloo on March 1. Haines said the railway is tougher to run now than when he left the industry in December 2008. Congestion and capacity remains a concern, although he dismissed any suggestion that the introduction of regions ( RAIL 873) will add another level of management at NR.
He said that he was appalled by the level of Whitehall intervention, adding there had been a lack of change and progress during his ten years away from the sector. However, praising railway staff, he said he was “genuinely humbled by the people who are out there”.
Following Haines’ 100-day industry consultation that has recently been completed ( RAIL 873), he concluded: “We found train performance was not good enough; that there is a lack of
confidence in cost control; that there is good safety; that Network Rail is seen as bureaucratic, slow, difficult and arrogant; and that the industry wants leadership.” He said he found that the industry wants NR to succeed, adding: “Nobody but journalists do well if we fail.”
He backed Keith Williams’ views on the lack of public trust (see Network News, pages 6-7), adding: “We are past the tipping point with the public. People think we are trying to rip them off. People don’t believe there is value for money. I genuinely believe there would be more happiness if the service was OK.”
NR has to be much more customer-focused, Haines said.
“It means thinking about our partners as customers. We want to be easy to work with - there’s not a sense of what we are here to do, and unless we change that culture we will not change.”
Haines said that the litmus test for NR is being able to run a railway against the timetable.
“We have to give people choices. If we want 97% performance then we need robustness and more reliability, but that’s at a price.
“We need better-performing assets. I don’t know when I will get the performance I want, but I need people on this journey. And I’m seeing that people are keen.”