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How We Could Release £250m to Invest in our Rail Network

The UK rail network delivers over 1.5 billion journeys every year. The 15,000 plus kilometre network consumes an annual budget in excess of £5bn for renewal and upgrading. With numbers of this magnitude it’s easy to see how any efficiency improvements by maintenance contractors can produce a significant overall benefit.

Successful partnership working within the One Team Wessex framework has identified four key areas that result in greater efficiency and value.

Early Engagement

We know that the earlier our project teams and specialist subcontractors get involved, the better the outcome. This is largely a case of using pooled knowledge and expertise to value engineer projects right from the start of the design phase.

Superior outcomes from this approach include better project integration, lower whole life costs and, faster and less disruptive project implementation.

A Questioning Mindset

Never assume that the way similar projects have been done in the past is still the best method today.  Tools, methods and materials are constantly evolving. Opportunities are missed unless each project is approached with fresh eyes and an open mind.

No Functional Barriers

There should be only one project team. A complex rail project may involve a wide range of expertise. This could, for example, involve road and bridge specialists. Seamless and fully integrated working between functional teams has to be the way forward.

Narrow departmental objectives cannot be allowed to get in the way of value added solutions. Responsibility and accountability should always lie with whoever is most competent.

Adaptability

Projects don’t always go to plan. Technical problems crop up, asset information is sometimes incomplete and sometimes close inspection reveals that the asset is in worse condition than expected.

The unexpected should be something that rail contractors always expect. In a value-focused partnership communication and decision making systems rapidly identify what has to happen to maintain the schedule and control the budget. The focus is on solving the problem rather than apportioning blame.

The potential returns from a consistent focus on value are significant. To put it into perspective, achieving an average 5% efficiency on every project would deliver an extra £250m of investment to the rail network. This should be an achievable goal.

Find out more about our Rail projects here.

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