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UNIVERSITYOFBIRMINGHAMPRESTIGELECTURE3rdOctober2017
TheGibbReport–AnAssessmentby
PiersConnor1
BackgroundtotheGibbReportIn September 2014, a new company, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR),was given thecontract to run train services operated over theThameslink, GreatNorthern, GatwickExpress and Southern Railway. In the year leading up to the summer of 2016, theperformance of the Southern Railway, the part of the Govia Thameslink RailwaycoveringthesuburbanandsouthcoastservicesbetweenLondonandalargesectionofthe southern coast ofEngland,deteriorated to a levelwherepassengerdissatisfactionwas leading to public demonstrations and persistent media criticism. Eventually, thegovernmentwasforcedtoactandtheydecidedtocommissionareviewofSouthernanditsserviceperformance.TheresultwastheGibbReport2.
IntroductiontotheGibbReportThe Gibb Report was prepared by a well-known and experienced British railwayexecutive, Chris Gibb. The report was commissioned by the Secretary of State forTransport,ChrisGraylingandwasbeguninSeptember2016.AlthoughitwascompletedinDecember2016,itwasnotpublishedbythegovernmentuntil27thJune2017.
1PRCRailConsultingLtd.2https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/southern-rail-network-gibb-report
can be used in theyellow shaded area
to Kent Coast
to London
to London
to Portsmouth
to Reading
to London
to Doverand Europe
to Guildford
to Canterburyand Ramsgate
to Dorkingand Guildford
to Reigateto Guildford
to Dorking
to London Waterloo
to Bournemouth
RIVER THAMES
Hove
AldringtonPortsla
de
Fishersgate
Southwick
Shoreham-by-SeaLancing
East Worthing
Durrington-on-Sea
West Worthing
Goring-by-Sea
Angmering
Arundel
FordBarnham
FishbourneBosham
Nutbourne
Southbourne
Emsworth
Warblington
Bedhampton
HilseaFratton
AmberleyPulborough
BillingshurstChrist’s Hospital
WarnhamLittlehaven * Faygate
Ifield
Crawley
Cosham
Portchester
London Road (Brighton)
Moulsecoomb
Falmer
Horley
Balcombe
Haywards Heath
Wivelsfield
Burgess Hill
Hassocks
Preston Park
Plumpton
Cooksbridge*
Southease
Glynde
Newhaven TownNewhaven Harbour
Bishopstone
BerwickPolegate
Hampden Park
Pevensey & WesthamPevensey Bay*
Cooden BeachCollington
Three Oaks
*Doleham
Winchelsea
Rye
Appledore
Ham Street
Normans Bay
Salfords
Belmont
Nutfield Godstone
Merstham
Coulsdon South
ReedhamCoulsdon
TownWoodmansterne
Chipstead
Kingswood
Tadworth
Ockley
Holmwood
Box Hill & Westhumble
KenleyWhyteleafe
Whyteleafe South
Purley Oaks
SandersteadRiddlesdown
Upper Warlingham
Edenbridge
Hurst Green
EdenbridgeTown
Hever
Cowden
Ashurst
Eridge
Crowborough
Buxted
Dormans
Lingfield
Penshurst Leigh
South Croydon
CrystalPalace
Selhurst
BirkbeckThornton Heath
Norbury
Streatham Common
Woldingham
Anerley
Penge West
Sydenham
Forest Hill
Honor Oak Park
Brockley
GipsyHill
WestNorwood
Dorking Deepdene
Ashtead
Ewell East
Cheam Banstead
Carshalton Beeches
WaddonWallington
Streatham
Streatham Hill
Mitcham Eastfields
Mitcham Junction
Hackbridge
Carshalton
TootingHaydons Road
Wimbledon Chase
South Merton
Morden South
St. Helier
Sutton Common WestSutton
BookhamEffingham Junction
HorsleyClandon
London Road (Guildford)
Earlswood
Battersea Park
North Dulwich
East Dulwich
South Bermondsey
Balham
Wandsworth Common
to London
to GosportandIsle of Wight
Southwater
Ashington
Washington
to France
to Channel Islands,France and Spain
Imperial WharfWest Brompton
Kensington (Olympia)Shepherd’s Bush
Wembley CentralHarrow & Wealdstone
to the West Midlands,North West and Scotland
Leighton Buzzard
Hemel HempsteadBerkhamsted
Tring
to Highbury & Islington
to Bedford
Swanwick*Bursledon*Hamble*Netley*Sholing*Woolsto
n*Bitterne
St. Denys* SouthamptonAirport Parkway
Eastleigh
to London
Bexhill
BrightonWorthing
Littlehampton
Bognor Regis
Horsham
Gatwick Airport
Eastbourne
Hastings
Ashford InternationalReigate
Redhill
Dorking
East Croydon
Tonbridge
West Croydon
London Victoria
Clapham Junction
Milton Keynes Central
London Bridge
London Cannon Street
Watford Junction
Bletchley
Queens Road Peckham
Tulse Hill
New Cross Gate
Beckenham Junction
Peckham Rye
NorwoodJunction
Wimbledon
Purley
EpsomEpsomDowns
TattenhamCorner
Leatherhead
Three Bridges
East Grinstead
Uckfield St. Leonards Warrior Square
Seaford
Lewes
Havant
Fareham
Guildford
Chichester
Sutton
Portsmouth& Southsea
PortsmouthHarbour
Southampton Central
Ore
Oxted
Caterham
ACCESSIBILITYStep-Free access between the street and all platformsSome step-free access between the street and platformsStep-free access is available in the direction of the arrowNo step-free access between the street and platforms
Notes:Platform access points may vary and there may not be bestep-free access to or between all station areas or facilities.Access routes may be unsuitable for unassisted wheelchairusers owing to the gradient of ramps or other reasons.
Step-free access between train and platform requires astaff-operated ramp. If you require a ramp or need helpgetting on or off trains, please book this in advance andwe will make sure staff are available to help, otherwisethere might be a significant delay to your journey.
Gatwick Express and Southern Assisted Travel: 0800 138 1016
STAFF AVAILABILITYOn-train or station staff available at all timesOn-train or station staff available at certain times onlyNo on-train or station staff available
Faygate*
This is a general guide to the basic daily services. Not all trains stopat all stations on each coloured line, so please check the timetable.Routes are shown in different colours to help identify thegeneral pattern.
Other train operators’ routesBus linksLimited service stations on our networkPrincipal stationsInterchange with London UndergroundInterchange with London OvergroundInterchange with London TramlinkInterchange with EurostarInterchange with other operators’ train servicesInterchange with AirportsFerry service routes
LIMITEDSERVICE
REGULARSERVICE
SN1 Brighton MainLineSN2 West LondonSN3 MetroSN4 OxtedSN5 RedhillSN6 Mainline WestSN7 Mainline EastSN8 Coastway WestSN9 Coastway East
Gatwick Express
SouthernGX1 Gatwick Express
Other train operators may provide additional services along some of our routes.
ROUTEIDENTITY
REGULARSERVICE
ROUTEIDENTITY
SERVICES AND FACILITIES
Produced by 25.1.2016 (GX SN Routes Diagram) www.fwt.co.uk
Figure1:SchematicmapoftheSouthernrailnetwork.Source:Southern.
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TermsofReferenceChris Gibb was asked by the Transport Secretary to investigate the situation on theSouthernRailwayinthefollowingterms:
“Toensureallpossiblestepsarebeing takento improveperformanceofSouthernrailservicesandtointroduceanewandfullyalignedapproachtothemanagementofGTRrailservicesinordertoimproveperformanceandpassengerexperience.”
Hewasalsoaskedto:
“Identify…actionstoensurecloserworkingandmoreeffectivealignmentbetweenGTRandNR[and]ensurethoseactionsareimplementedwithimmediateeffect”.
Hewasaskedforan:
“integratedapproach…includinginrelationto:
• Objectives,incentivesandperformancemetrics• Improvingtheoverallpassengerexperience• Leadership,managementstructuresandaccountabilities• Workprocessesandteamdesignandculture• Contractspecificationanddesign• Futurefranchisespecificationanddesign”
Andto“ChairanIndustryReadinessBoard”thatwouldgetstakeholderstoagreewaystoimprovetheperformanceoftherailwayandtheintroductionoftheupgrade.
Allthismightseemcomprehensivebuttherewasasignificantdirectivethatsaid,
“Themanagementofindustrialrelationsremain[sic]amattertobemanagedbyGoviaThameslinkRailwayLimited.”
Inotherwords,‘Don’tinvestigatethestrikeissues.Wedon’twanttogothere.’Thiswasrathera ‘copout’by thegovernment.Theyput it in the ‘toodifficult’boxbut thiswaspartlyduetothefactthattherewasawishnottointerferewithon-goingnegotiations.In fact, the industrial relations issueswere actually a large part of the reason for thetroublesonSouthernandwerecaused,inthefirstinstance,bythegovernmentforcingGTR to impose Driver Controlled Operation (DCO) and the associated changes toworkingpracticesoverthosepartsoftheoperationwhichdidn’talreadyhaveit.
Southern’sProblemsSouthern’sproblemswere encapsulated in theirpoor servicewith an average11%oftrains cancelled or delayed (comparedwith 3% on SWT) in 2016. The situation wasexaggeratedbyanumberoffactors:
Figure2:SelhurstDepot,thelargestontheSouthernrailnetwork.Gibbrecommendsawiderdistributionofcrewsandtrainsaroundthefringesofthenetworktoaidserviceperformance.Photo:PressAssociation.
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• The nature of the GTR franchise - a huge network of complex, interworkingservicespreviouslyrunasfourdifferentoperations;
• TheDfTinfluence–anotalwaysbenigninterferencefactorwithacombinationofembeddedbureaucracy,politicaldabbling,opportunistspinandweaksystemknowledge;
• Staffdissatisfaction–alongheldsuspicionandcontemptofmanagement,fedbyopenlypoliticalunionactiondeterminedto“bringdownthis…government”3.
• NetworkRail–tryingtorebuildLondonBridgeanditsenvironswhilstrunningtrainservices(theroadtohellispavedwithgoodintentions);
• Upgradeprogrammes–newtrains,newsignalling,ATO;• London Overground – running their own frequent services over one of the
Southern’strunkroutes.
ProjectCharacteristicsTheupgradeprogrammesforGTRingeneralandSoutherninparticularhadanumberofunfortunatecharacteristics.IsummariseGibb’sfindingsasfollows:
• Complexprojectwithmanyparticipantsandstakeholders;• Unlinkedgoalsandpurposes;• Noguidingmind;• Easytoblameothers;• Interferencefromgovernment;• Poorstaffrelations;• Hostilecustomerbase;
3IndependentSunday18thDecember2016.
can be used in theyellow shaded area
New Bermondsey
to London
to Kent Coast
to London
to London
to London
to Portsmouth
to Reading
to Bournemouth
to London
toDover
andEurope
to Guildford
to Canterburyand Ramsgate
to North Kent
to AshfordInternational
to Sevenoaks
to Dorking
to Reigateto Guildford
to Dorking
to LondonWaterloo
Hove
AldringtonPortsla
de
Fishersgate
Southwick
Shoreham-by-SeaLancing
East Worthing
Durrington-on-Sea
West Worthing
Goring-by-Sea
Angmering
Arundel
FordBarnham
Chichester
FishbourneBosham
NutbourneSouthbourne
EmsworthWarblingtonBedhampton
Hilsea
AmberleyPulborough
BillingshurstChrist’s Hospital
Warnham Littlehaven Faygate* Ifield
Crawley
CoshamPortchester
Swanwick*Bursle
don*Hamble*Netley*Sholing*Woolston*Bitte
rne
St. Denys*
Southampton Airport Parkway
Eastleigh
LondonRoad(Brighton)
Moulsecoomb
Falmer
Horley
Balcombe
Wivelsfield
Burgess Hill
Hassocks
Preston Park
Plumpton
Cooksbridge*
Southease
Glynde
Newhaven TownNewhaven Harbour
Bishopstone
Berwick Polegate
Hampden Park
Pevensey & WesthamPevensey Bay*
Cooden BeachCollington
Ore
Three Oaks
Doleham*
Winchelsea
Rye
Appledore
Ham Street
Normans Bay
Salfords
Belmont
Nutfield Godstone
Merstham
Coulsdon South
ReedhamCoulsdon
TownWoodmansterne
Chipstead
Kingswood
Tadworth
Ockley
Holmwood
Box Hill & Westhumble
Kenley WhyteleafeWhyteleafe
South
Purley Oaks
Sanderstead Riddlesdown
Upper Warlingham
Edenbridge
Hurst Green
EdenbridgeTown
Hever
Cowden
Ashurst
Eridge
Crowborough
Buxted
Dormans
Lingfield
Penshurst
Leigh
South Croydon
CrystalPalace
Selhurst
BirkbeckThornton Heath
NorburyStreatham Common
Woldingham
Anerley
Penge West
Sydenham
Forest Hill
Honor Oak Park
Brockley
Gipsy Hill
WestNorwood
DorkingDeepdene
Leatherhead
Ashtead
Epsom
Ewell EastCheam Banstead
Carshalton Beeches
WaddonWallington
Streatham
StreathamHill
Mitcham Eastfields
Hackbridge
Carshalton
TootingHaydons RoadWimbledon
Wimbledon Chase
South Merton
Morden South
St. Helier
Sutton Common WestSutton
Bookham
EffinghamJunction
Horsley
Clandon
London Road(Guildford)
Sutton
Earlswood
Battersea Park
Loughborough Junction
North Dulwich
East Dulwich
SouthBermondsey
London Bridge
Balham
WandsworthCommon
Elephant & Castle
London Blackfriars
Denmark Hill
NunheadCrofton Park
LondonCannon Street
City Thameslink
LondonSt. Pancras International
Guildford
to London
to Gosport andIsle of Wight
Southwater
Ashington
Washington
to France
to Channel Islands,France and Spain
LondonKing’s Cross
Imperial Wharf
Moorgate
Cricklewood
Hendon
Mill Hill Broadway
Elstree & Borehamwood
Radlett
St. Albans City
Harpenden
Luton Airport Parkway LutonAirport
LutonDunstable
Leagrave
Harlington
Flitwick
Bedford
Drayton ParkFinsbury Park
Essex Road
Harringay
Hornsey
Alexandra Palace
New Southgate
Oakleigh Park
New Barnet
Hadley Wood
Potters Bar
Brookmans Park
Welham Green
Hatfield
Welwyn Garden City
Welwyn North
Bowes Park
Palmers Green
Hertford North
Peterborough
Knebworth
Stevenage
Bayford
Cuffley
Crews Hill
Gordon Hill
Enfield Chase
Grange Park
Winchmore Hill
Watton-at-Stone
HitchinLetchworth Garden City
Baldock
Ashwell & Morden
Meldreth
Shepreth
Foxton
Cambridge
Arlesey
Biggleswade
Sandy
St. Neots
Huntingdon
Waterbeach
Ely
Littleport
Downham Market
Watlington
King’s Lynn
Watford Junction
West Brompton
Kensington (Olympia)
Shepherd’s Bush
Wembley Central
Harrow & Wealdstone
to the West Midlands,North West and Scotland
Leighton Buzzard
Milton Keynes Central
Hemel Hempstead
Berkhamsted
Tring
St. Ives
Wisbech
FakenhamSandringham
Dersingham
Hunstanton
Burnham Market Wells-next-the-Sea
West Dulwich
SydenhamHill
Penge East
Kent House
to the East Midlandsand South Yorkshire
to Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland
to Stansted Airportand London
to Newmarketand Ipswich
to Norwichand Ipswich
Catford
Bellingham
Beckenham Hill
Ravensbourne
Shortlands
Bromley South
Bickley
St. Mary Cray
Swanley
Eynsford
Shoreham
Otford
Bat & Ball
to Highbury & Islington
Petts Wood
Orpington
RIVER THAMES
RIVER THAMES
Fratton Bexhill
BrightonWorthing
LittlehamptonBognor Regis
Portsmouth& Southsea
PortsmouthHarbour
Horsham
Southampton Central
Gatwick Airport
Eastbourne
Hastings
Reigate
Redhill
Dorking
East Croydon
Tonbridge
West Croydon
London Victoria
ClaphamJunction
Sevenoaks
AshfordInternational
Mitcham Junction
St. Leonards Warrior SquareHaywards Heath
East GrinsteadThree Bridges
TattenhamCorner
Tulse Hill
Herne Hill
New Cross Gate
Farringdon
Highbury & Islington
RoystonBletchley
Norwood Junction
Oxted
Caterham
Old Street
Kentish Town
West HampsteadThameslink
Havant
Seaford
Lewes
Uckfield
BeckenhamJunction
Epsom Downs
Purley
PeckhamRye
Queens RoadPeckham
Fareham
ACCESSIBILITYStep-Free access between the street and all platforms
Some step-free access between the street and platforms
Step-free access is available in the direction of the arrow
No step-free access between the street and platforms
Notes:Platform access points may vary and there may not be bestep-free access to or between all station areas or facilities.Access routes may be unsuitable for unassisted wheelchairusers owing to the gradient of ramps or other reasons.
Step-free access between train and platform requires astaff-operated ramp. If you require a ramp or need helpgetting on or off trains, please book this in advance and wewill make sure staff are available to help, otherwise theremight be a significant delay to your journey.
Gatwick Express and Southern Assisted Travel: 0800 138 1016Thameslink and Great Northern Assisted Travel: 0800 058 2844
STAFF AVAILABILITYOn-train or station staff available at all timesOn-train or station staff available at certain times onlyNo on-train or station staff available
Faygate*
This is a general guide to the basic daily services.Not all trains stop at all stations on each coloured line, so please check the timetable.
REGULARSERVICE
Other train operators’ routesBus linksLimited service stations on our networkInterchange stationsInterchange with London UndergroundInterchange with London OvergroundInterchange with London TramlinkInterchange with EurostarInterchange with other operators’ train servicesInterchange with AirportsFerry service routes
Gatwick ExpressGreat NorthernSouthernThameslinkOther train operators may provide additional services along some of our routes.
LIMITEDSERVICE
Produced by 25.1.2016 (GTR All Brands Diagram) www.fwt.co.uk
SERVICES AND FACILITIES Figure3:ThelargernetworkgeneratedbythegroupingofthesystemstomakeupGTR.Thechallengeofmakingthisnetworkworkeffectivelyhasnotbeenfullyappreciatedbyallthesectorsoftherailwayindustry.Source:GTR.
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Theseissuesprovidedalethalcocktailofissuesleadingtoahighnumberoftraindelaysandcancellations.
OutstandingIssuesTheGibbReporthighlightsanumberofoutstandingissues.Themainproblemsare:
• Lackofcommongoals• The2018timetable• ATOimplementation• Staffingdisputes• Stockandcrewdistribution• Training• LackofSystemOperator• Poorintegration• Poormaintenanceplanning
Thereisatotalof19recommendations,somecoveringmorethanoneareaorinvolvingsubsets of recommendations. Not all of the recommendations meet all of the issues,particularly thoserelating tostaffbecauseof theDfT’srefusal to investigate industrialrelations.Iexaminethemajorpointsinthefollowingparagraphs.
Gibb’sRecommendationsFirst,thislistshowsthemajorrecommendationsintheGibbReport.
• The2018timetable–getamoveon(p.4);• Haveasystemoperator(p.4)• Improvemaintenanceplanningnow&inthefuture(pp.5-6);• GTR&NRtohavesameobjectives(p.18);• GTR&NRtousesameperformancemetricsandincentives(p.18);• Monitorcustomertimeasaperformancemetric;(p.11);• Don’tblamethesignallers(p.16);• Improvetraincrewduties,depotsandsupervision(p.15);• ManageATOengagement&training(p.15);• Introducetimetablefirebreaks(p.17);• RunaRightTimeRailway(p.13);• Managesuicideprevention(p.14);• ElectrifyUckfieldat25kV(separatereport).
Idealwithsomeofthemajorpointsofthislistinthefollowingparagraphs.
Figure4:RebuildingworkatLondonBridge.Theworkstartedin2012andisexpectedtofinishin2018.Thereductioninplatformsfortrainserviceshascausedserioustimetablereliabilityissues.Source:LondonReconnections.
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SystemOperator:Gibb suggests that GTR needs a system operator. Hewrites that it would have to besomeonewhowas “empowered and trusted” (p. 4). The problem is that, first, no onetrusts Network Rail and, second, that the train operators are constrained by theircontractsandtheassociatedincentives.Also,operatingcompaniescomeandgo.Ifyouare buying (specifying or leasing) an asset that has a life of 40 years ormore at thebeginning of the seven-year franchise, what incentive is there to worry about whathappenstoitwhenitneedsanoverhaulineightornineyears’time?
Iagreethattheappointmentofasystemoperatorwhoisempoweredtoensurethattherailwayismanagedandfunctionsinanintegratedwayisessential.NetworkRailandtheincumbentfranchiseewouldberequiredtosatisfythesystemoperatorthatbothlong-termplansandday-to-daysolutionsareworkableandthattheyprovidethepassengerfocusthat’sneeded.Ithinkthe“AllianceBoard”approachisagoodideathatneedstobestrengthenedandmandated intoCP(ControlPeriod)and franchiseagreements.Thereneedtobeincentivestoenforceit.
2018TimetableTheoriginal24tphoriginallyspecifiedforthe2018timetableisnotsustainablewiththeinfrastructure in itscurrentcondition.Gibbrecommends(p.6) that thecurrent12tphforpeakperiodsremainsuntilotherproblemsareresolved.Ineffect,heissaying‘Don’trunbeforeyoucanwalk’.
Inmyview, thereneeds tobe at least sixmonthsof the existing timetablewhileATObedsdown.Whentheissuesareresolved,increaseservicesinstepsanddon’tmovetothenextstepuntilallissueshavebeensortedoutwiththeexisting.
I am not convinced that timetables need firebreaks – a scheme wwhere services areradically reduced for two hours in themidday off peak. I prefer the idea of fall-backtimetables or ‘emergency’ timetables that are introduced in the event of a majordisruption.
One final point on timetables. The media needs to be managed skilfully to maximisepublic acceptance. It is distressing to see how the RMT has hard-hitting rhetoric thateffectively tells passengers that they are being exposed to less safe operations andripped off in fare increases (Figure 6). The GTRmedia management is less effective.More attention needs to be paid to stakeholder relations so that a modern, positivemessageisputout.
Figure5:AdiagramofthesystemsandinterfacesaffectingtheoperationofGTR.Thesameorsimilarinterfacesapplytoallrailwaysinoneformoranotherandmustbeproperlyunderstoodbyallthestakeholders.Source:GibbReport.
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RightTimeRailway:Thisisano-brainer.Ifthereisonethingthatannoysmemorethananythingelsewhentravelling by train it's an announcement from the conductor who says the train willarrive at its terminus at “approximately 13:48”. This shows a complete lack ofunderstanding of one of the main quality drivers of the railway service - on-timeperformance.
It is instructive to see how, in some places, new staff are inducted into the railwaytimekeepingphilosophy.Theyare told toarrive in the lecture roomat9am.Theydo.They then sit chatting or fidgeting with their phones for 10 minutes until theirinstructor decides to turn up. By now it's too late, the critical induction into railwaytimekeepinghasalreadybeenlost.And,timekeepingatrailwaymanagementmeetingsdrivesmetodespair.
In practical terms, on-time train dispatch is essential. Staff should be trained andsupervised tomaintain it. It shouldbe standardpractice toprovide rolling stockwithcountdown timers in all cabs and they should be installed on platforms too. After all,modern platform train describers are perfectly capable of providing countdownindicatorsfordispatchstaff.
Platform dispatch discipline must also be maintained to a high-level. At St Pancras,whistlesstartblowingtwominutesbeforeanEMTtrainisduetodepart,dependingonwhichclockyoulookat.Gibb’sreferencetoclockstellingslightlydifferenttimes(p.13)is unfortunately all too common. Perhaps too, we should be looking at the idea thatpassengersneedtobeeducatedtoarriveattheplatformatleastfiveminutesbeforethetrainisduetodepart.Afterall,noonewoulddreamofturningupforaflightaminutebeforetheplaneisduetoleavethestand.Wemusteducatepeopletothinkofatraininasimilarway:timetopark,timetogetyourticket,timetogetsomecoffeeandtimetogettotheplatform.
HeartsandMindsThisisaratherformulaicexpressionbutImakenoapologyforitasIthinkitisrelevanthere.ThereisnodoubtthattheGTRmanagement(anditspredecessors)havelosttheheartsandmindsofitsstaff.Itiseasytoforgetthepeopleattheheartofyouroperationwhenyouhavemanagementissues,newcontracts,bigregenerationprogrammes,newstocktogetintoservice,poorperformancestats,financialtargetstomeetandnumbersofvociferousinterestgroupstodealwith.
Itiseasytoforgettoo,thatthefrontlinestaffandtheirsupervisorsandcontrollersgetupearly in themorning,whenyouarestill inbed,andthat theyhavealreadygothalf
Figure6:RMTstrikersdemonstratingoutsidetheDfTofficesinLondonwithplacardsdesignedtoappealtopassengers.Photo:RMT.
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waythroughtheirworkingdaywhenyouarriveattheoffice.Othersofthemwillbeatworkwhenyouget intobedatnightand theyare runningyour trainswhenyou tuckintoyour Sunday lunch,probablywishing theywereathomewith their family ratherthancoppingalonglateturndoingEpsoms.
Frommyownexperience,therearetwomainissuesforstaff:boredomwitharepetitivejobandafeelingofbeingignoredbytheboss.Thus,anyexcuseofferedbytheuniontomake lifemore interesting,whilst getting a chance to air real or imaginedgrievances,will bewelcomed.Theunions know this and losenothingbymaking trouble to scorepoliticalpointsandincreasemembershipatthesametime.
TheincreasedsicknessnotedbyGibbisanothersignofmotivationproblems.Ifyouareenthusiasticaboutyourjobandbelieveyouwillbemissedifyoudon’tturnup,youwillmaketheefforttoovercomeyourman-flu,getupandgoinat04:00inthefreezingcoldor pouring rain. If you realise that a spare driver (whom you probably know andrespect)hastorunforyou,insteadofgettingabitoftimeinthewarmmessroom,itwillalsohelpgetyououtofbed.Ifthesethingsdon’tmattertoyou,youwilltakeyourdayoffsick.Inlinewiththis,inbigdepots,thecamaraderieofthesmalldepotcommunityismissingandtherespectfulapproachtoworkandcolleaguesislost.
So,theideaofusing“sickness”asaninformalmethodofregisteringdissatisfactionwithone’s employment is a sure sign of somethingwrong. Oneway of helping this in theshort term is to place a limit on uncertificated sickness per year. If there is a limitalready,thepolicyshouldbeenforced.
Onequalificationgoodmanagerswilluse isnottheirMBAbut“MBWA”-ManagementByWalkingAbout.Managersshouldregularlyridewithcrews(driversandconductors),visitstationsandspendtimeincontrolroomsshowingstafftheyareinterestedinwhattheyaredoingandlearningaboutwhatreallygoesoninfrontlinejobs.
ThereisnodoubtinmymindthattheGTRtroubleswouldhavebeenmuchreducedhadthestaffbeen“onside”.ThepoorplanningatLondonBridgeandtherapidrealisationthat the timetablewouldn’twork only gave the staffmore ammunition of the, “if themanagement didn’t realise it wouldn’t work why should we help them sort out themess?”type.Itwentdownhillfromthere.
CrewSupervisionGibbofferssensibleideasforimprovingcrewutilisationandtimetableperformance(pp.14-15) that are, inmy experience,well founded. After their “Company Plan” of 1992,LondonUndergroundreducedtraincrewdepotsonsomelinesfromsixtotwoandon
Figure7:ThetraindepotatLittlehampton.Gibbsuggeststhatsomesmallerdepotsfortrainsandcrewsatremotelocationsshouldbedevelopedtoallowmoreeffectivetrainservicemanagement.Source:M.McDonaldgeograph.org.
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all lines by about 50%. As a result, some depots became too big and with toomuchtravellingtimetostabledtrainsandtherehasbeenamovetodistributecrewsbacktobeingclosertostablingpoints.ThePiccadillylinenowhasfourdepotsinsteadoftwo.
Something that Gibb didn’t mention but I’m sure he knows, is another factor, oftenforgotten, that a small depot offers informal advantages. At a small depot, everyoneknowseveryoneelseandthere isasenseofcommunity that isabsent fromthe largerdepotslikeSelhurstandBrighton.Ifthereareproblems,thecommunitytendstocometogether and help each other. In my experience, a good on-site supervisor will oftenprovide the glue that binds the community. None of these will show up in officialstatistics but they will contribute to the effectiveness of the service and thus toimprovedpassengersatisfaction.Therailwaycannotalwaysbeaboutnumbers.
CrewCaseStudyIn a case study of London Underground train crew statistics and usage, I think thefollowingmayprovideausefulyardstickagainstwhichtocompareSouthern.
• LU’sMetropolitanLinehas49trainsinpeakservice.• Thereare319driversincludingtraineesontheline;• There are 284 driver duties including RDCs, rostered spares and leave
covers;• Atypicaldepot(Harrow)has58trainrunningturns.• Thereare15rosteredspares(includinganightspare);• Theyhave17leavecovers;20RDCturns,9pooldrivers;• Staffareona36-hour,7-dayweek.Noovertime.• Salaryis£49k/yearsoSundayscompulsory.• AverageLUsickdaysperyear10,nationalaverage4.
The sickness rate is interesting. In my view, it reflects the stress and unsocial hoursfeaturesof the transport industry. Iwonder if further researchwouldprovidedata toaidsolutions.Iwondertoo,ifthishassomeconnectionwiththeIRproblems.
TrainCrewRequirementsMyviewisthat,forarailwaytooperateeffectively,thefollowingisessential:
• Theremustbeafullestablishmentofcrews;• Thereshouldbeatleast20%sparecrewduties;• Musthavefullrosteredannualleavecover;• Mustallowfor5workingdaystrainingperyear;• Rostersshouldassumenoovertime;• Sundaysmustbepartoftheworkingweek;• Shouldofferfamily-friendlylinks
Itissaidthatthewinningofafranchisemayrestonthenumberoftraincrewsfactoredinto the business case and thus the Train Operating Company may lose the bidcompetitionbecausetheyhavetoomanytraincrewintheirproposal.Ifthisisthecase,the DfT should assess the level of crewing proposed in relation to the train servicerequirementstoensurethebidisreallyoperable.
ATOATOwilldeliverbenefits ifusedcorrectly.ATOandETCSwillalsodeliverbenefitsbutthesebenefits areunlikely to be anydifferent than couldbe obtainedwith anyof thecurrentdesignsofATC.Inpracticalterms,IcalculatethatATOcanprovideuptoan8%improvement in train throughput but only if all trains perform identically and trainbrakingisimprovedto9%g.
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Whatismoreimportantistheapproachbyengineersandoperatorstothetestingandcommissioningof thesystem.Nothingshouldbeassumed.Each itemshouldbe testedunder all conditions, each location tested individually (whatworks in tunnelmaynotwork the sameway outside) and a complete set of rules introduced for each normal,failure and emergency situation. Training is crucial and it should allow signallers anddriverstogethandson(sorry,handsoff)experience.
Finally, it must be understood that there will be problems. Any experienced railwayperson will tell you that when a new system is exposed to the staff and passengers“underfire”therearealwaysthingsthatweren’tplannedfororunderstoodasanissueduring testing, e.g. howdoes the new track circuiting behave under push outmoves?Therewillalsobesoftwareproblems.Thesearealwaysdifficult tosortout-youcan’tsee them like a broken rail, you can’t smell them like a gassing battery and you can’thearthemlike flats.Youhavetorelyonandhelpyoursoftwareengineersasmuchasyoucan.
StablingIntheenthusiasmforbuyingnewtrains,wheretoputthemissometimesforgottenor,at least, not enoughattention ispaid to themost effectiveplaces to stable them.GibbcoversthisandsuggestssmallstablingsitesatplaceslikeLittlehampton(wherethereisasetofsidingsandthereusedtobeacrewdepot)andCrowborough.AsIsuggestedforsmallcrewdepots,smallstablingsitesshowsimilarsmallcommunitybenefits.
UckfieldGibbpresentsagood,iflengthyanddetailed,casefortheelectrificationoftheUckfieldrouteusingthe25kVACsystem.Perhapsitwouldaddtothebusinesscaseifitwasalsopresentedasanalternative route toBrightonduringBrightonMainLinemaintenancepossessions.However, IdohavemydoubtsabouttheargumentsconcerningflexibilityofrollingstockatLondonBridgeduringdisruptionsasonlydual-equippedtrainscouldruntoOxted.HowmanyarethereasapercentageoftheSouthernfleet?
My own feeling is that putting a short section of 25kV AC in themiddle of 750V DCterritory suggests a need for a small specialist maintenance team that would beunproductiveformostofthetime.Alternatively,engineerswouldhavetobesentfromnorth London to fix a fault. I wonder how a life cycle cost analysis would show upagainstthereducedcapitalcostof25kVinstallation,if indeedthatcostissomuchlessthanDCinstallation.Oristhereanalternativemaintenanceproposal?
I would also prefer to see provision for future double-tracking. The masts for OHLEshouldnotpreventadditionaltracklayingwhenrequired-whichhistorytellsusitwillbe.
GatwickIdonot thinkthatanythingcouldbeaddedtotheGibbstudiesonGatwick,both fromthe point of view of the suggested sale of the station to Gatwick Airport Ltd. and theneedtoget the faresstrategyundercontrol.Hisrecommendationsstandontheirownmerits.
However, something needs to be done about luggage. Perhaps the Gatwick Expressshouldbemarketedonthebasisofagoodtrainforheavy/largebags.TicketmarketingforGatwickpassengersshouldbelinkedtodestinationandbagsize.Thismighthelptoreduceexcessdwelltimes.
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MarketingThereisalotofworktodohere.IagreewithGibb’sproposaltore-marketThameslinkunder a new name. The current name has a largely negative public image. That said,shouldwechangethenameofLondonBridgestationtoo?
CustomerTimeThis is simply a version of the Lost Customer Hours (LCH) metric used by LondonUndergroundsincethestartofthePPPdaysintheearly2000s.Thedelayisregisteredinminutes, times thenumberofpassengersestimated tobeusing theservicesat thattime and location. Put simply, a delay of 30 minutes at Oxford Circus on a Mondaymorningat08:30mightaffect15,000peopleand thusgenerate7,500LCH,whereasasimilardelayat20:30atEppingonaSundayeveningwouldonlygenerate,say,750LCH.Theissuescomeindelayattributionand,moreimportantly,inthefollowup.Followupforeverydelayisessential.
DCOMuchhasbeendiscussedontheprosandconsofDCO.Iwonderifitistimeforareviewof thewholequestionofDOO. I think it isworth looking atDCO in the context of thepresent-day railway operating environment. Things have changed since the first fullscheme forDOOwas introduced on the St Pancras - Bedford route inMarch1983. Inthosedays, ttraffic levelswerehalfwhat they are today.The trainsoperatedwerenolonger than 8-car. In those days too, there was a much more relaxed safety culture.Therewas no socialmedia, very little CCTV and noOTMR.Many problems didn’t getnoticedanddidn’tgetthepublicexposuretheygettoday.
In 2017, there is serious overcrowding in some stations. For example, East Croydonrequiresatotalof24platformstaffforsixplatformsinthepeaks.Now,12-cartrainsarecommonandthereisastrictsafetyculture.Passengersareallconnectedthroughsocialmedia and messages and rumours spread very quickly, often more quickly thaninformationgets to staff.There isCCTVeverywhere, includingon trains, andOTMR iswatchingtoo.
Forstaff, incidentswherepassengershavebeenkilledor injuredduetodoortrappingissuesdonothingtoinspireconfidenceintheoperatingsystem.RegardlessofstudiesbytheRSSBthatshowmoreplatform/traininterfaceproblemswithconductorcontrolleddoor trains thanonDCO trains, crewsarenot convinced.Encouragedby theirunions,theycontinuetovotetostrikeagainstDCO.
Lookingat it fromthe traincrew’spointofview, I think it isabout fear. It’sabout thefearofbeingonyourowninacrisis,thefearofbeingaccusedofdoingsomethingwrongandthefearofendingupincourtbecauseofbeinginthewrongplaceatthewrongtime–whenapassengerdoessomethingsillyandhurtsthemselvesandyougettheblame.
BusinessObjectivesFinally, we must not forget that the primary purpose of a railway is to transportpassengersand freight safetyandefficiently.All thegoalsof thebusinesses shouldbedirectedtowardsthisgoal.AsGibbidentifies,thegoalsofdifferentstakeholdersshouldbealigned.Inthesameway,incentivesmustbealignedtoo.
Oneofthemeansofobtainingthebusinessgoalsisrighttimeoperation.Therighttimeprincipleneedstobesetat15s(10%of150sheadway).Anythingthatexceedsthislevelshouldbe investigatedso thatdelaycausesarealwaysbe followedup.TOCs/NRmusteducatestafftotheRightTimemetricateverystationandoneverytrain.Staffneedtobegivenincentivestoo.
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ConclusionTheGibbReportprovidesagoodsummaryofwhathasgonewrongontheSouthernandGTR network and it offers a sound and achievable set of solutions for most of theproblems. There are some areas which might have better solutions - Uckfieldelectrificationforexamplebuttheseareforfurtherdevelopment.
Perhaps the biggest omission is the question of industrial relations but thiswasn’t inGibb’s remit andcouldonlybementioned inpassing.However,Gibb rightlynotes theissue and we can conclude that the staff management of the railway certainly needsurgentattention.
It iscomfortingtofinishthisassessmentbyreportingthatofthe38recommendationsmade by Chris Gibb in his report, the government has agreed for 34 of them to beimplemented.