Rail Delivery Group

‘Rail industry needs a shift in mindset to meet future challenges’, says RDG chairman
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date 10 April 2014
source Rail Delivery Group
type Press release

Britain’s rail industry needs a shift in its mindset to work more closely and collaboratively if it is to meet the challenges it faces over the next five years, the chairman of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has said.

Speaking at the Derby and Derbyshire Rail Forum, RDG chairman Martin Griffiths underlined the importance of strong relationships between the public and private sectors if the railway is to deliver more and better services at a lower cost.

Mr Griffiths, who is also Stagecoach Group chief executive, said:

“Network Rail has been tasked by the Office of Rail Regulation with meeting stretching targets, cutting costs by 20% while ensuring more than nine in 10 trains run on time. These are challenges for the whole rail industry, not just Network Rail.

“We cannot afford to stand still and we need to have a vision of how we can take our railway to the next level. The only way we will deliver a better railway – and a better value railway – is if we challenge ourselves, switch our mindset and work more closely and collaboratively.”

The railway has seen growth beyond all expectations since the start of franchising. There are a million more services and half a billion more passengers on the railway than there were a decade ago, while rail freight has increased by almost two thirds since the mid-1990s. Britain’s railway is also earning more money than ever for government to reinvest.

By combining private sector innovation and historic levels of public investment, the franchising model has been a catalyst for growth and improvement, reversing decades of decline and providing a platform for future expansion. But the industry has to make changes if it is to successfully build on that platform.

Mr Griffiths explained that the RDG exists to provide focus and leadership to the industry to enable it to meet head on the challenge of improving both services and efficiency. Mr Griffiths said:

“We will continue to make the case that money invested in our rail network is money invested in the economic present and future of our country. From the role it plays in accessing jobs and boosting connectivity, to the tax contributions which help fund investment, the railway plays a central in our daily lives as consumers and businesses. The RDG has a clear grasp of the practical challenges ahead and we have the energy and ideas to step up to the plate.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

Martin Griffiths spoke at the Derby & Derbyshire Rail Forum’s annual conference on 10 April. Also speaking at the conference were Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, Claire Moriarty, director general rail, Department for Transport, Patrick Butcher, group finance director, Network Rail, Maggie Simpson, executive director, Rail Freight Group and Michael Roberts, director general, RDG.

[Martin Griffiths' full speech can be read on this site.]

Railhub Archive ::: 2014-04-10 RDG-001