Great Western Coffee Shop

Message from Andrew: 100 days – putting passengers and freight users first

Dear colleagues,

As you may know, after joining Network Rail late last summer, I kicked off a 100-day review of the organisation. We looked at three main things – how to provide the best possible service for passengers and freight users, how to ensure we deliver the promises we've made for CP6, and how to improve the way we work together and with the industry.

We've prioritised listening – to you and to our stakeholders. I've met thousands of people, at depots and desks across the country, and individuals and groups throughout the industry. I really wanted to find out what's working and what isn't.

What we heard has informed a set of proposals to change our business that were shared with our Board on Wednesday 30 January. I'm pleased that the Board strongly supports our plans, which I am able to announce today.

Why are we changing?

We do many things brilliantly, often without the recognition our teams and individuals deserve, and we have secured a fantastic control period six (CP6) settlement. But while I heard plenty of positives, at times the feedback we received was tough to hear.

We must acknowledge that train service performance – our promise to passengers – is just not good enough. Too often, we are difficult to work with, both with each other and with outside parties; many of you have said that our current ways of working do not always help you or your teams to do your jobs in the best way. Being open, honest and willing to change is critical to becoming the organisation that rail users, lineside neighbours and our stakeholders deserve.

My vision, having listened to you, is for Network Rail to always put passengers and freight users first; to be easy to do business with; to be a natural leader of the industry; and to be a company that colleagues are proud to work for.

What are we changing?

First, I must stress that we would be kidding ourselves if we thought organisational change alone would achieve the aims I have set out. So while an important part of what we are doing is changing how we are organised, we will also change the way we work and how we engage with each other and our stakeholders. We will think and behave like a service organisation, determined to deliver for railway users, neighbours and each other.

We are reorganising to give ourselves the best chance of doing this. We will devolve further to 13 routes. Our routes will be supported by five regional organisations, to which we will devolve project delivery, and will also be supported by two service units and smaller central teams. This is not about reducing overall headcount; it is about making sure that people and responsibilities are in the right part of the organisation to drive up performance and deliver for our customers.

Deeper devolution
Our 13 routes will be responsible for operations, maintenance and renewals, including the day-to-day delivery of train performance and the relationship with their local train operating companies.
Our routes will be supported by five regions. Managing directors will be appointed to lead each region, providing a single point of accountability for both day-to-day operations and project delivery. Our five regions will be: Scotland, Wales & Western, London North Western, Southern (comprising the current Wessex and South East routes) and Eastern (comprising the current LNE & EM and Anglia routes).
We will devolve Infrastructure Projects, and elements of System Operator, Safety, Technical & Engineering and Group Digital Railway.
We will establish a new services directorate called Network Services. This will incorporate Freight and National Passenger Operators as well as elements of Group Digital Railway and certain national services.
Finance, HR, Communications, Route Services, Legal and Property will be largely unaffected by the programme at this stage, though will be developing their own plans for how to integrate with and support the new ways of working.

To support our plan, some activities currently undertaken by central functions will be transferred to routes/regions. We anticipate that the vast majority of colleagues' roles, including signallers, supervisors, electrical control room operators, controllers and those in front line maintenance roles and station teams, will not be adversely affected by this organisation change.

What next?

We will begin national consultations in line with our collectively agreed people processes and agreements, supported by local consultations where necessary. Colleagues whose roles may be impacted by the changes will also be consulted with on an individual basis.

Except for Executive Leadership Team and executive band (including EGU), we do not intend to place any colleagues at risk of redundancy, if necessary, until the first quarter of 2020. This is to allow colleagues as much time as possible to apply for new opportunities if their role will be impacted by these changes, or if they believe that it might. A very small percentage of the organisation will be directly affected or have their job put at risk.

Our priority is the safe and reliable running of the network. Making changes when we are ready, rather than rushing them, is key to successful outcomes. The normal safety validation process will be followed including safety consultations.

I appreciate this is a long message, which at the same time cannot cover every aspect of what we are setting out. We plan to make the initial changes, including the formation of our five regions, on Monday 24 June, and will keep you updated on timescales as the detailed design work is undertaken. We aim to complete all the changes by the end of 2020.

I know that change often brings uncertainty and this can be unsettling. It will be important for us to support each other through changes – it will feel different for everyone. We have set up a MyConnect page to share information and actions taken in response to feedback – and I've also recorded a short video message too. If you are concerned, please speak with your line manager, your HR business partner and make use of our support tools HR Direct or our Validium service.

Thank you

It is to the credit of you and many of your teams that we are now able to fulfil our long-standing promises of devolution and form regional businesses from our mature central functions and increasingly autonomous routes. I am extremely grateful for the work done that enables Network Rail to make this next step.

Against a backdrop of transformation, our priority remains to deliver a safe and reliable railway and get CP6 off to a good start. Changing our organisation gives us the best possible chance of success in the long-term. I am proud to start that change today and look forward working with you as we put passengers first.

Andrew Haines,
Chief executive

He wasn't sure about whether to split timetabling into regions when I heard him first outline this...nothing here to confirm or deny

And once complete, EWR will stretch across three regions. Might be an oh dear, there.

He wasn't sure about whether to split timetabling into regions when I heard him first outline this...nothing here to confirm or deny

And once complete, EWR will stretch across three regions. Might be an oh dear, there.

EWR used to stretch over three regions in BR days so nothing new there then..... ;D

To be just a little controversial (hoping that I do not upset Welsh colleagues), I am not sure how lumping all of Wales into one "region" helps anything from an operational or passenger point of view, although I guess it might help in negotiating with the devolved administration.