Better access for the supply sector

The Rail Supply Group says it has three key priorities for the sector: work and pipeline visibility; better and simplified access to data for customers; and better access to the railway itself.

Mott MacDonald Development Director - Transportation Anna Delvecchio pointed out that rail has a low productivity compared with other sectors, and that work on improving access to the railway is aimed at improving the sector’s productivity.

She explained that the RSG is exploring whether access arrangements can be extended (including the use of blockades) or optimised for maintenance, renewals and enhancements projects, in partnership with others.

While there will be no final report from this work, she said that the aim is to identify what can and cannot be done to enhance and improve productivity by changing railway access for the sector.

On providing better access to data, Worldline UK Global Business Division Director for Transport James Bain said that modern computing power allows the railway to find the needle in the haystack of data. He called for the end of ‘siloisation’ of data between different parts of the rail industry.

Asked what difference better data access could make, he said: “The opportunity to make rail again the backbone of economic growth is staring us in the face. Data can help support the levelling of the playing field.”