Network Rail

The Rail Delivery Group supports Government's plans for investment in Britain's railways
_______________________________________________________________

date Monday 16 Jul 2012 09:30
source Network Rail
type Press release

The leadership body of Britain’s rail industry, the Rail Delivery Group, has given its full support to the Government’s High Level Output Specification (HLOS) and the recently published Scottish Ministers' HLOS. The Rail Delivery Group includes the Chief Executives of the passenger rail owning groups, freight operators and Network Rail,

The High Level Output Specification is built around four priorities:

Creating an electrified high-capacity freight and passenger corridor;
Providing more capacity and faster journeys between key cities;
Supporting commuter travel into major urban area; and
Improved rail links to major ports and airports.

The Chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, Tim O’Toole, said: "The Rail Delivery Group has been established to provide leadership to Britain’s rail industry. Producing the strategies and policies that will enable the rail industry to respond to the Governments’ High Level Output Specifications is a core part of that leadership role. Ensuring that the industry collaborates to produce the plans for delivery is a priority for the Rail Delivery Group”

Tim O’Toole continued “The extensive investment programme is a massive boost for rail but with it comes an expectation that the rail industry will improve its efficiency and value for money. The Rail Delivery Group is focused on driving that improvement, particularly where those efficiencies can only be realised by the industry working together.”

In addition to providing leadership to the industry the Rail Delivery Group is focusing its efforts on identifying and delivering efficiency opportunities through:

Collaboration in asset, programme and supply chain management;
Reform of contractual and regulatory arrangements;Co-ordinated Industry planning
Production of a rail technical strategy;
Updating working practices by embracing advances in technology and innovation; and
Improvements in train procurement and utilisation

Tim O’Toole concluded “Achieving fundamental improvements in efficiency whilst delivering the major investment programme outlined in the High Level Output Specification is a significant task for the industry. The Rail Delivery Group and its agenda will be structured to ensure that the industry can meet the investment and efficiency challenge laid down by the Governments”.


Notes to Editors:

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) brings together the owners of Britain's Train Operating Companies, Freight Operating Companies and Network Rail to provide leadership to Britain's rail industry.

The Group was set up in May 2011 in response to the call by the Rail Value for Money Study, chaired by Sir Roy McNulty, for the rail industry to demonstrate leadership

.

The priorities being pursued by the Rail Delivery Group are

· Providing leadership to Britain’s rail industry;

· Improving the asset, programme and supply-chain management of the rail industry through closer co-operation between Network Rail, operators and suppliers;

· Introducing flexible commercial and contractual agreements within the industry, between industry and Government and between the industry and its suppliers;

· Embracing technology and innovation in the working environment to enhance the contribution made by one of the industry’s key assets, its workforce;

· Identifying ways to improve the utilisation of the train fleet by reviewing demand management, service specification and operating practices;

· Finding ways to improve value for money in rolling stock procurement;

· Working with the Technical Strategy Leadership Group to produce a long-term technical strategy for the rail industry; and

· Improving the industry’s planning by guiding the production of the Initial Industry Plan and the Strategic Business Plan.

The Rail Delivery Group will focus on industry-wide issues in the context of the need for improved service to rail users and value for money to the taxpayer. The RDG will not duplicate or over-ride the primary accountability for delivery in the UK rail industry (which remains with the passenger and freight train operators and Network Rail) or the need for much stronger collaboration between these companies at a local level.

RDG will co-ordinate the objectives for key cross-industry groups including National Task Force (NTF), Planning Oversight Group (POG) and Technical Strategy Leadership Group (TSLG).

RDG members are the representatives from the owning groups of the passenger and freight train operators and Network Rail.

· The Chairman is Tim O’Toole, Chief Executive of First Group

· The vice Chairman is Sir David Higgins, Chief Executive of Network Rail

· The Secretary is Graham Smith


Membership of the Rail Delivery Group is

Abellio
Dominic Booth

Arriva
David Martin
Bob Holland (alternate)

DB Schenker Rail
Alain Thauvette
Nigel Jones (alternate)

Directly Operated Railways
Doug Sutherland
Michael Holden (alternate)

First Group
Tim O’Toole
Vernon Barker (alternate)

Freightliner
Peter Maybury
Lindsay Durham (alternate)

Go-Ahead
David Brown
Charles Horton (alternate)

National Express
Dean Finch
Andrew Chivers (alternate)

Network Rail
Sir David Higgins
Paul Plummer

Stagecoach
Martin Griffiths
Sir Brian Souter (alternate)

Virgin
Tony Collins
Patrick McCall (alternate)

Secretary
Graham Smith

Attending meetings of the Rail Delivery Group

ATOC
Michael Roberts

The website of the Rail Delivery Group is www.raildeliverygroup.org

Postings to the website will be announced on Twitter @raildeliverygrp

The Rail Delivery Group can be contacted at info@raildeliverygroup.org and on 07515 627082.

Railhub Archive ::: 2012-07-16 NET-001