Three ways collaboration is driving efficiency across the UK rail industry
Evidence is emerging that “ambitious and realistic” initiatives to improve efficiency in the UK rail industry are starting to work. Our experience shows collaboration is key to that success, says AECOM’s Conor Linnell, Director for Network Rail’s North West and Central region.
Railways have a key part to play in the UK government’s plan for long-term economic growth. That was the core message in the publication of the Statement of Funds Available (SoFA) and the High Level Output Specification (HLOS) statement, in which Mark Harper, Secretary of State for Transport committed 44 billion pounds to fund operational development and maintenance across railways in England and Wales between 2024-29 – otherwise known as Control Period 7 (CP7).
In the statement, the transport secretary makes it clear that he expects Network Rail to achieve greater value for money during CP7 through “a strong, sustained, and effective approach to the delivery of greater cost efficiency”. It comes as no surprise that Harper refers to the efficiency drive as a “crucial underpinning” of the statement, given the challenge of building and maintaining a resilient, safe, and sustainable rail network in the current constrained fiscal environment.
Keen readers will have noticed the phrase “ambitious yet realistic” which is used multiple times to describe the approach that the government wants the rail industry to take to do more under difficult circumstances. The transport secretary also expects “clear evidence of the use of broader initiatives to ensure accelerated delivery and more efficiency [sic] delivery, to drive improvement, as well as close, effective collaboration with the supply chain to drive efficiencies.”
Listen to Conor Linnell’s insights in a panel discussion with industry leaders at the 2022 TransCityRail North event in Manchester.
Clear evidence that collaboration drives efficiency
Our experience shows that collaborative working is key to meeting the efficiency challenge. As a recognised trusted partner to the UK rail industry, we are collaborating on some of the first rail projects and programmes to be delivered through “ambitious but realistic” industry initiatives that are challenging traditional methods and processes such as Project SPEED (Swift, Pragmatic and Efficient Enhancement Delivery) and PACE (Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment), as well as through alliancing models.
While implementation is not yet standard practice, these initiatives and alliancing models are showing positive results, examples of which can be seen below. All clearly demonstrate that collaboration and efficiency go hand-in-hand.
1/ Initiatives such as PACE work best with a fully integrated client, designer, and contractor team – and this takes collaboration.
The Dartmoor Line – the first railway reopened under the government’s ‘Restoring Your Railway’ initiative – was delivered in just nine months via PACE.
We delivered a range of services, deploying our multidisciplinary team to support both Network Rail during construction as well as local authorities during the planning process. Thanks to close collaboration with the client and stakeholders, we were able to move quickly from feasibility to detailed design in just eight weeks.
2/ Similarly, a ‘one-team approach’ supports effective requirements management by keeping a clear line of sight on end goals.
On one of our major projects – which is being delivered using Project SPEED principles – a combined team of clients, stakeholders, asset owners and operators ensures that every deliverable is geared towards the core requirement of running two passenger trains per hour on the existing freight line.
3/ Finally, cross-industry collaboration is the foundation stone for innovative delivery models such as West Midlands Rail Programme (WMRP).
Our SLC-AECOM joint venture is part of a core team of more than seven organisations working to build seven new stations across the region.
We have worked with partners including Network Rail and West Midlands Trains to implement a progressive assurance approach, reducing the overall time required for delivery by synchronising construction and design assurance. This method requires trust, transparency, and accountability, allowing us to construct at pace whilst maintaining optimum levels of efficiency and safety.
Likewise, the South Rail Systems Alliance (SRSA) – a partnership between AECOM, Colas, and Network Rail – has alliancing at the heart of the delivery philosophy, with parties aligned to a range of key performance areas and enabling continuous improvement.
Paving the way for a more efficient rail future
While implementation challenges remain, these projects show a positive way forward. As the transport secretary rightly pointed out, the industry made good progress in Control Period 6. Now however, we must take these lessons forward into CP7, embracing collaborative ways of working to deliver on the government’s long-term vision for rail.