‘Systematic failures’ led to trains chaos in May
TO IMPROVE SERVICE
‘SYSTEMIC failures’ by Network Rail led to May’s Northern and Trans Pennine timetable crisis, the rail regulator has found.
An investigation was launched by the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) after Network Rail informed it in February of a delay to the timetable.
Blamed by Northern on delays to electrification projects which led to a driver shortage, it sparked cancellations and delays for thousands of passengers.
The investigation’s findings will feed into an industry-wide separate ORR inquiry that was commissioned by the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, following the disruption in May.
In the meantime, the ORR has ordered Network Rail to take action immediately to improve services for passengers – and ensure the December 2018 and May 2019 timetables aren’t plagued by problems. It comes after Network Rail rewrote the May timetable seven weeks after a draft was first sent to operators.
It meant timetables could not be finalised 12 weeks in advance against ‘best practice,’ a breach of its licence requirements and a ‘failure to meet obligations to passengers.’
This ‘general management’ of timetable changes contributed to ‘massive disruption’ for passengers.
Although Network Rail ‘is not solely to blame,’ the ORR is demanding assurances and actions from it around the timetable changes in December and May.
These timetables have already been scaled down to boost their chance of success.
Network Rail must report to the ORR by August 31 to show it’s running an ‘efficient, fair, effective and transparent’ process and show how it is going to return to producing timetables 12 weeks in advance. By September 17, it must prove they have boosted the capability and resources around timetabling and by the end of September, show a decisive plan to better coordinate timetabling and infrastructure work. John Larkinson, ORR’s director, railway markets and economics, said: “Network Rail’s failings in the run-up to the May timetable led to massive disruption, uncertainty and inconvenience to passengers. “Network Rail has acted to bring the industry together to address timetabling issues but more and faster change is needed to provide assurance to passengers. That is why we have set out these actions designed to improve capability within Network Rail.
“Our ongoing broader inquiry is looking at the role of the whole industry in the May timetabling problems and this may lead to further recommendations.”
Jo Kaye, a managing director at Network Rail, said: “We accept the findings of the ORR investigation into why timetables weren’t finalised 12 weeks in advance.
“It’s clear from the ORR’s investigation that the issues with timetabling go much further than Network Rail, and we welcome and look forward to the industry-wide inquiry.
“We remain truly sorry for the part we played in the process that caused disruption for so many people and we have learned lessons to make sure it is not repeated.
“We are already putting the ORR’s required plan into action including establishing new joint working arrangements with train operators to support development of the timetables for December 2018 and May 2019.”