NR Investment Centre of Excellence to focus on efficiency

Network Rail has announced the creation of a Rail Investment Centre of Excellence that is intended to bring increased focus on efficient delivery of major projects and investment.

It says the reorganisation will give the company a more seamless view of these activities, while also providing greater confidence that benefits for passengers and freight users will be delivered more efficiently.

Several teams are to be incorporated into the new department, which will act as a hub between NR’s devolved regional businesses and its wider network functions.

One of the teams will be those currently deployed on NR’s Open for Business programme. This was set up in the wake of the Hansford Review in 2017 to remove barriers to third party investment and infrastructure delivery on the network, but has now achieved all its milestones one year ahead of schedule.

Other teams making the switch by April 1 will include NR’s Client Portfolio Services team (moving from System Operator) and Delivering work within possession team (from Network Services).

David Ollerhead, programme director for Open for Business, said: “By definition, all programmes have a beginning, middle and end - in effect, this announcement means thanks to everything we’ve set up, we are now ‘open for business as usual’.”

Capital Delivery Director Stuart Calvert added: “An effective Centre of Excellence is a catalyst, supporting and accelerating continuous improvement of investment management in the regions by looking at new technology, innovation and smarter ways of working.”