gibb report assessment v3 - railway technical

UNIVERSITYOFBIRMINGHAMPRESTIGELECTURE3rdOctober2017

TheGibbReport–AnAssessmentby

PiersConnor1

BackgroundtotheGibbReportIn September 2014, a new company, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR),was given thecontract to run train services operated over theThameslink, GreatNorthern, GatwickExpress and Southern Railway. In the year leading up to the summer of 2016, theperformance of the Southern Railway, the part of the Govia Thameslink RailwaycoveringthesuburbanandsouthcoastservicesbetweenLondonandalargesectionofthe southern coast ofEngland,deteriorated to a levelwherepassengerdissatisfactionwas leading to public demonstrations and persistent media criticism. Eventually, thegovernmentwasforcedtoactandtheydecidedtocommissionareviewofSouthernanditsserviceperformance.TheresultwastheGibbReport2.

IntroductiontotheGibbReportThe Gibb Report was prepared by a well-known and experienced British railwayexecutive, Chris Gibb. The report was commissioned by the Secretary of State forTransport,ChrisGraylingandwasbeguninSeptember2016.AlthoughitwascompletedinDecember2016,itwasnotpublishedbythegovernmentuntil27thJune2017.

1PRCRailConsultingLtd.2https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/southern-rail-network-gibb-report

can be used in theyellow shaded area

to Kent Coast

to London

to London

to Portsmouth

to Reading

to London

to Doverand Europe

to Guildford

to Canterburyand Ramsgate

to Dorkingand Guildford

to Reigateto Guildford

to Dorking

to London Waterloo

to Bournemouth

RIVER THAMES

Hove

AldringtonPortsla

de

Fishersgate

Southwick

Shoreham-by-SeaLancing

East Worthing

Durrington-on-Sea

West Worthing

Goring-by-Sea

Angmering

Arundel

FordBarnham

FishbourneBosham

Nutbourne

Southbourne

Emsworth

Warblington

Bedhampton

HilseaFratton

AmberleyPulborough

BillingshurstChrist’s Hospital

WarnhamLittlehaven * Faygate

Ifield

Crawley

Cosham

Portchester

London Road (Brighton)

Moulsecoomb

Falmer

Horley

Balcombe

Haywards Heath

Wivelsfield

Burgess Hill

Hassocks

Preston Park

Plumpton

Cooksbridge*

Southease

Glynde

Newhaven TownNewhaven Harbour

Bishopstone

BerwickPolegate

Hampden Park

Pevensey & WesthamPevensey Bay*

Cooden BeachCollington

Three Oaks

*Doleham

Winchelsea

Rye

Appledore

Ham Street

Normans Bay

Salfords

Belmont

Nutfield Godstone

Merstham

Coulsdon South

ReedhamCoulsdon

TownWoodmansterne

Chipstead

Kingswood

Tadworth

Ockley

Holmwood

Box Hill & Westhumble

KenleyWhyteleafe

Whyteleafe South

Purley Oaks

SandersteadRiddlesdown

Upper Warlingham

Edenbridge

Hurst Green

EdenbridgeTown

Hever

Cowden

Ashurst

Eridge

Crowborough

Buxted

Dormans

Lingfield

Penshurst Leigh

South Croydon

CrystalPalace

Selhurst

BirkbeckThornton Heath

Norbury

Streatham Common

Woldingham

Anerley

Penge West

Sydenham

Forest Hill

Honor Oak Park

Brockley

GipsyHill

WestNorwood

Dorking Deepdene

Ashtead

Ewell East

Cheam Banstead

Carshalton Beeches

WaddonWallington

Streatham

Streatham Hill

Mitcham Eastfields

Mitcham Junction

Hackbridge

Carshalton

TootingHaydons Road

Wimbledon Chase

South Merton

Morden South

St. Helier

Sutton Common WestSutton

BookhamEffingham Junction

HorsleyClandon

London Road (Guildford)

Earlswood

Battersea Park

North Dulwich

East Dulwich

South Bermondsey

Balham

Wandsworth Common

to London

to GosportandIsle of Wight

Southwater

Ashington

Washington

to France

to Channel Islands,France and Spain

Imperial WharfWest Brompton

Kensington (Olympia)Shepherd’s Bush

Wembley CentralHarrow & Wealdstone

to the West Midlands,North West and Scotland

Leighton Buzzard

Hemel HempsteadBerkhamsted

Tring

to Highbury & Islington

to Bedford

Swanwick*Bursledon*Hamble*Netley*Sholing*Woolsto

n*Bitterne

St. Denys* SouthamptonAirport Parkway

Eastleigh

to London

Bexhill

BrightonWorthing

Littlehampton

Bognor Regis

Horsham

Gatwick Airport

Eastbourne

Hastings

Ashford InternationalReigate

Redhill

Dorking

East Croydon

Tonbridge

West Croydon

London Victoria

Clapham Junction

Milton Keynes Central

London Bridge

London Cannon Street

Watford Junction

Bletchley

Queens Road Peckham

Tulse Hill

New Cross Gate

Beckenham Junction

Peckham Rye

NorwoodJunction

Wimbledon

Purley

EpsomEpsomDowns

TattenhamCorner

Leatherhead

Three Bridges

East Grinstead

Uckfield St. Leonards Warrior Square

Seaford

Lewes

Havant

Fareham

Guildford

Chichester

Sutton

Portsmouth& Southsea

PortsmouthHarbour

Southampton Central

Ore

Oxted

Caterham

ACCESSIBILITYStep-Free access between the street and all platformsSome step-free access between the street and platformsStep-free access is available in the direction of the arrowNo step-free access between the street and platforms

Notes:Platform access points may vary and there may not be bestep-free access to or between all station areas or facilities.Access routes may be unsuitable for unassisted wheelchairusers owing to the gradient of ramps or other reasons.

Step-free access between train and platform requires astaff-operated ramp. If you require a ramp or need helpgetting on or off trains, please book this in advance andwe will make sure staff are available to help, otherwisethere might be a significant delay to your journey.

Gatwick Express and Southern Assisted Travel: 0800 138 1016

STAFF AVAILABILITYOn-train or station staff available at all timesOn-train or station staff available at certain times onlyNo on-train or station staff available

Faygate*

This is a general guide to the basic daily services. Not all trains stopat all stations on each coloured line, so please check the timetable.Routes are shown in different colours to help identify thegeneral pattern.

Other train operators’ routesBus linksLimited service stations on our networkPrincipal stationsInterchange with London UndergroundInterchange with London OvergroundInterchange with London TramlinkInterchange with EurostarInterchange with other operators’ train servicesInterchange with AirportsFerry service routes

LIMITEDSERVICE

REGULARSERVICE

SN1 Brighton MainLineSN2 West LondonSN3 MetroSN4 OxtedSN5 RedhillSN6 Mainline WestSN7 Mainline EastSN8 Coastway WestSN9 Coastway East

Gatwick Express

SouthernGX1 Gatwick Express

Other train operators may provide additional services along some of our routes.

ROUTEIDENTITY

REGULARSERVICE

ROUTEIDENTITY

SERVICES AND FACILITIES

Produced by 25.1.2016 (GX SN Routes Diagram) www.fwt.co.uk

Figure1:SchematicmapoftheSouthernrailnetwork.Source:Southern.

PrestigeLecture GibbReportAssessment

PiersConnor Page2 3rdOctober2017

TermsofReferenceChris Gibb was asked by the Transport Secretary to investigate the situation on theSouthernRailwayinthefollowingterms:

“Toensureallpossiblestepsarebeing takento improveperformanceofSouthernrailservicesandtointroduceanewandfullyalignedapproachtothemanagementofGTRrailservicesinordertoimproveperformanceandpassengerexperience.”

Hewasalsoaskedto:

“Identify…actionstoensurecloserworkingandmoreeffectivealignmentbetweenGTRandNR[and]ensurethoseactionsareimplementedwithimmediateeffect”.

Hewasaskedforan:

“integratedapproach…includinginrelationto:

• Objectives,incentivesandperformancemetrics• Improvingtheoverallpassengerexperience• Leadership,managementstructuresandaccountabilities• Workprocessesandteamdesignandculture• Contractspecificationanddesign• Futurefranchisespecificationanddesign”

Andto“ChairaProjectBoard”thatwouldgetstake.

Allthismightseemcomprehensivebuttherewasasignificantdirectivethatsaid,

“Themanagementofindustrialrelationsremain[sic]amattertobemanagedbyGoviaThameslinkRailwayLimited.”

Inotherwords,‘Don’tinvestigatethestrikeissues.Wedon’twanttogothere.’Thiswasrathera ‘copout’by thegovernment.Theyput it in the ‘toodifficult’boxbut thiswaspartlyduetothefactthattherewasawishnottointerferewithon-goingnegotiations.In fact, the industrial relations issueswere actually a large part of the reason for thetroublesonSouthernandwerecaused,inthefirstinstance,bythegovernmentforcingGTR to impose Driver Controlled Operation (DCO) and the associated changes toworkingpracticesoverthosepartsoftheoperationwhichdidn’talreadyhavethem.

Southern’sProblemsSouthern’sproblemswere encapsulated in theirpoor servicewith an average11%oftrains cancelled or delayed (comparedwith 3% on SWT) in 2016. The situation wasexaggeratedbyanumberoffactors:

• The nature of the GTR franchise - a huge network of complex, interworkingservicespreviouslyrunasfourdifferentoperations;

Figure2:SelhurstDepot,thelargestontheSouthernrailnetwork.Gibbrecommendsawiderdistributionofcrewsandtrainsaroundthefringesofthenetworktoaidserviceperformance.Photo:PressAssociation.



• TheDfTinfluence–anotalwaysbenigninterferencefactorwithacombinationofembeddedbureaucracy,politicaldabbling,opportunistspinandweaksystemknowledge;

• Staffdissatisfaction–alongheldsuspicionandcontemptofmanagement,fedbyopenlypoliticalunionactiondeterminedto“bringdownthis…government”3.

• NetworkRail–tryingtorebuildLondonBridgeanditsenvironswhilstrunningtrainservices(theroadtohellispavedwithgoodintentions);

• Upgradeprogrammes–newtrains,newsignalling,ATO;• London Overground – running their own frequent services over one of the

Southern’strunkroutes.

ProjectCharacteristicsTheupgradeprogrammesforGTRingeneralandSoutherninparticularhadanumberofunfortunatecharacteristics.IsummariseGibb’sfindingsasfollows:

• Complexprojectwithmanyparticipantsandstakeholders;• Unlinkedgoalsandpurposes;• Noguidingmind;• Easytoblameothers;• Interferencefromgovernment;• Poorstaffrelations;• Hostilecustomerbase;

3IndependentSunday18thDecember2016.

can be used in theyellow shaded area

New Bermondsey

to London

to Kent Coast

to London

to London

to London

to Portsmouth

to Reading

to Bournemouth

to London

toDover

andEurope

to Guildford

to Canterburyand Ramsgate

to North Kent

to AshfordInternational

to Sevenoaks

to Dorking

to Reigateto Guildford

to Dorking

to LondonWaterloo

Hove

AldringtonPortsla

de

Fishersgate

Southwick

Shoreham-by-SeaLancing

East Worthing

Durrington-on-Sea

West Worthing

Goring-by-Sea

Angmering

Arundel

FordBarnham

Chichester

FishbourneBosham

NutbourneSouthbourne

EmsworthWarblingtonBedhampton

Hilsea

AmberleyPulborough

BillingshurstChrist’s Hospital

Warnham Littlehaven Faygate* Ifield

Crawley

CoshamPortchester

Swanwick*Bursle

don*Hamble*Netley*Sholing*Woolston*Bitte

rne

St. Denys*

Southampton Airport Parkway

Eastleigh

LondonRoad(Brighton)

Moulsecoomb

Falmer

Horley

Balcombe

Wivelsfield

Burgess Hill

Hassocks

Preston Park

Plumpton

Cooksbridge*

Southease

Glynde

Newhaven TownNewhaven Harbour

Bishopstone

Berwick Polegate

Hampden Park

Pevensey & WesthamPevensey Bay*

Cooden BeachCollington

Ore

Three Oaks

Doleham*

Winchelsea

Rye

Appledore

Ham Street

Normans Bay

Salfords

Belmont

Nutfield Godstone

Merstham

Coulsdon South

ReedhamCoulsdon

TownWoodmansterne

Chipstead

Kingswood

Tadworth

Ockley

Holmwood

Box Hill & Westhumble

Kenley WhyteleafeWhyteleafe

South

Purley Oaks

Sanderstead Riddlesdown

Upper Warlingham

Edenbridge

Hurst Green

EdenbridgeTown

Hever

Cowden

Ashurst

Eridge

Crowborough

Buxted

Dormans

Lingfield

Penshurst

Leigh

South Croydon

CrystalPalace

Selhurst

BirkbeckThornton Heath

NorburyStreatham Common

Woldingham

Anerley

Penge West

Sydenham

Forest Hill

Honor Oak Park

Brockley

Gipsy Hill

WestNorwood

DorkingDeepdene

Leatherhead

Ashtead

Epsom

Ewell EastCheam Banstead

Carshalton Beeches

WaddonWallington

Streatham

StreathamHill

Mitcham Eastfields

Hackbridge

Carshalton

TootingHaydons RoadWimbledon

Wimbledon Chase

South Merton

Morden South

St. Helier

Sutton Common WestSutton

Bookham

EffinghamJunction

Horsley

Clandon

London Road(Guildford)

Sutton

Earlswood

Battersea Park

Loughborough Junction

North Dulwich

East Dulwich

SouthBermondsey

London Bridge

Balham

WandsworthCommon

Elephant & Castle

London Blackfriars

Denmark Hill

NunheadCrofton Park

LondonCannon Street

City Thameslink

LondonSt. Pancras International

Guildford

to London

to Gosport andIsle of Wight

Southwater

Ashington

Washington

to France

to Channel Islands,France and Spain

LondonKing’s Cross

Imperial Wharf

Moorgate

Cricklewood

Hendon

Mill Hill Broadway

Elstree & Borehamwood

Radlett

St. Albans City

Harpenden

Luton Airport Parkway LutonAirport

LutonDunstable

Leagrave

Harlington

Flitwick

Bedford

Drayton ParkFinsbury Park

Essex Road

Harringay

Hornsey

Alexandra Palace

New Southgate

Oakleigh Park

New Barnet

Hadley Wood

Potters Bar

Brookmans Park

Welham Green

Hatfield

Welwyn Garden City

Welwyn North

Bowes Park

Palmers Green

Hertford North

Peterborough

Knebworth

Stevenage

Bayford

Cuffley

Crews Hill

Gordon Hill

Enfield Chase

Grange Park

Winchmore Hill

Watton-at-Stone

HitchinLetchworth Garden City

Baldock

Ashwell & Morden

Meldreth

Shepreth

Foxton

Cambridge

Arlesey

Biggleswade

Sandy

St. Neots

Huntingdon

Waterbeach

Ely

Littleport

Downham Market

Watlington

King’s Lynn

Watford Junction

West Brompton

Kensington (Olympia)

Shepherd’s Bush

Wembley Central

Harrow & Wealdstone

to the West Midlands,North West and Scotland

Leighton Buzzard

Milton Keynes Central

Hemel Hempstead

Berkhamsted

Tring

St. Ives

Wisbech

FakenhamSandringham

Dersingham

Hunstanton

Burnham Market Wells-next-the-Sea

West Dulwich

SydenhamHill

Penge East

Kent House

to the East Midlandsand South Yorkshire

to Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland

to Stansted Airportand London

to Newmarketand Ipswich

to Norwichand Ipswich

Catford

Bellingham

Beckenham Hill

Ravensbourne

Shortlands

Bromley South

Bickley

St. Mary Cray

Swanley

Eynsford

Shoreham

Otford

Bat & Ball

to Highbury & Islington

Petts Wood

Orpington

RIVER THAMES

RIVER THAMES

Fratton Bexhill

BrightonWorthing

LittlehamptonBognor Regis

Portsmouth& Southsea

PortsmouthHarbour

Horsham

Southampton Central

Gatwick Airport

Eastbourne

Hastings

Reigate

Redhill

Dorking

East Croydon

Tonbridge

West Croydon

London Victoria

ClaphamJunction

Sevenoaks

AshfordInternational

Mitcham Junction

St. Leonards Warrior SquareHaywards Heath

East GrinsteadThree Bridges

TattenhamCorner

Tulse Hill

Herne Hill

New Cross Gate

Farringdon

Highbury & Islington

RoystonBletchley

Norwood Junction

Oxted

Caterham

Old Street

Kentish Town

West HampsteadThameslink

Havant

Seaford

Lewes

Uckfield

BeckenhamJunction

Epsom Downs

Purley

PeckhamRye

Queens RoadPeckham

Fareham

ACCESSIBILITYStep-Free access between the street and all platforms

Some step-free access between the street and platforms

Step-free access is available in the direction of the arrow

No step-free access between the street and platforms

Notes:Platform access points may vary and there may not be bestep-free access to or between all station areas or facilities.Access routes may be unsuitable for unassisted wheelchairusers owing to the gradient of ramps or other reasons.

Step-free access between train and platform requires astaff-operated ramp. If you require a ramp or need helpgetting on or off trains, please book this in advance and wewill make sure staff are available to help, otherwise theremight be a significant delay to your journey.

Gatwick Express and Southern Assisted Travel: 0800 138 1016Thameslink and Great Northern Assisted Travel: 0800 058 2844

STAFF AVAILABILITYOn-train or station staff available at all timesOn-train or station staff available at certain times onlyNo on-train or station staff available

Faygate*

This is a general guide to the basic daily services.Not all trains stop at all stations on each coloured line, so please check the timetable.

REGULARSERVICE

Other train operators’ routesBus linksLimited service stations on our networkInterchange stationsInterchange with London UndergroundInterchange with London OvergroundInterchange with London TramlinkInterchange with EurostarInterchange with other operators’ train servicesInterchange with AirportsFerry service routes

Gatwick ExpressGreat NorthernSouthernThameslinkOther train operators may provide additional services along some of our routes.

LIMITEDSERVICE

Produced by 25.1.2016 (GTR All Brands Diagram) www.fwt.co.uk

SERVICES AND FACILITIES Figure3:ThelargernetworkgeneratedbythegroupingofthesystemstomakeupGTR.Thechallengeofmakingthisnetworkworkeffectivelyhasnotbeenfullyappreciatedbyallthesectorsoftherailwayindustry.Source:GTR.



Theseissuesprovidedalethalcocktailofissuesleadingtoahighnumberoftraindelaysandcancellations.

OutstandingIssuesTheGibbReporthighlightsanumberofoutstandingissues.Themainproblemsare:

• Lackofcommongoals• The2018timetable• ATOimplementation• Staffingdisputes• Stockandcrewdistribution• Training• LackofSystemOperator• Poorintegration• Poormaintenanceplanning

Thereisatotalof19recommendations,somecoveringmorethanoneareaorinvolvingsubsets of recommendations. Not all of the recommendations meet all of the issues,particularly thoserelating tostaffbecauseof theDfT’srefusal to investigate industrialrelations.Iexaminethemajorpointsinthefollowingparagraphs.

Gibb’sRecommendationsFirst,thislistshowsthemajorrecommendationsintheGibbReport.

• The2018timetable–getamoveon(p.4);• Haveasystemoperator(p.4)• Improvemaintenanceplanningnow&inthefuture(pp.5-6);• GTR&NRtohavesameobjectives(p.18);• GTR&NRtousesameperformancemetricsandincentives(p.18);• Monitorcustomertimeasaperformancemetric;(p.11);• Don’tblamethesignallers(p.16);• Improvetraincrewduties,depotsandsupervision(p.15);• ManageATOengagement&training(p.15);• Introducetimetablefirebreaks(p.17);• RunaRightTimeRailway(p.13);• Managesuicideprevention(p.14);• ElectrifyUckfieldat25kV(separatereport).

Idealwithsomeofthemajorpointsofthislistinthefollowingparagraphs.

Figure4:RebuildingworkatLondonBridge.Theworkstartedin2012andisexpectedtofinishin2018.Thereductioninplatformsfortrainserviceshascausedserioustimetablereliabilityissues.Source:LondonReconnections.



SystemOperator:Gibb suggests that GTR needs a system operator. Hewrites that it would have to besomeonewhowas “empowered and trusted” (p. 4). The problem is that, first, no onetrusts Network Rail and, second, that the train operators are constrained by theircontractsandtheassociatedincentives.Also,operatingcompaniescomeandgo.Ifyouare buying (specifying or leasing) an asset that has a life of 40 years ormore at thebeginning of the seven-year franchise, what incentive is there to worry about whathappenstoitwhenitneedsanoverhaulineightornineyears’time?

Iagreethattheappointmentofasystemoperatorwhoisempoweredtoensurethattherailwayismanagedandfunctionsinanintegratedwayisessential.NetworkRailandtheincumbentfranchiseewouldberequiredtosatisfythesystemoperatorthatbothlong-termplansandday-to-daysolutionsareworkableandthattheyprovidethepassengerfocusthat’sneeded.Ithinkthe“AllianceBoard”approachisagoodideathatneedstobestrengthenedandmandated intoCP(ControlPeriod)and franchiseagreements.Thereneedtobeincentivestoenforceit.

2018TimetableTheoriginal24tphoriginallyspecifiedforthe2018timetableisnotsustainablewiththeinfrastructure in itscurrentcondition.Gibbrecommends(p.6) that thecurrent12tphforpeakperiodsremainsuntilotherproblemsareresolved.Ineffect,heissaying‘Don’trunbeforeyoucanwalk’.

Inmyview, thereneeds tobe at least sixmonthsof the existing timetablewhileATObedsdown.Whentheissuesareresolved,increaseservicesinstepsanddon’tmovetothenextstepuntilallissueshavebeensortedoutwiththeexisting.

I am not convinced that timetables need firebreaks – where services are radicallyreduceddfortwohoursinthemiddayoffpeak.Iprefertheideaoffall-backtimetablesor‘emergency’timetablesthatareintroducedintheeventofamajordisruption.

One final point on timetables. The media needs to be managed skilfully to maximisepublic acceptance. It is distressing to see how the RMT has hard-hitting rhetoric thateffectively tells passengers that they are being exposed to less safe operations andripped off in fare increases (Figure 6). The GTRmedia management is less effective.More attention needs to be paid to stakeholder relations so that a modern, positivemessageisputout.

Figure5:AdiagramofthesystemsandinterfacesaffectingtheoperationofGTR.Thesameorsimilarinterfacesapplytoallrailwaysinoneformoranotherandmustbeproperlyunderstoodbyallthestakeholders.Source:GibbReport.



RightTimeRailway:Thisisano-brainer.Ifthereisonethingthatannoysmemorethananythingelsewhentravelling by train it's an announcement from the conductor who says the train willarrive at its terminus at “approximately 13:48”. This shows a complete lack ofunderstanding of one of the main quality drivers of the railway service - on-timeperformance.

It is instructive to see how, in some places, new staff are inducted into the railwaytimekeepingphilosophy.Theyare told toarrive in the lecture roomat9am.Theydo.They then sit chatting or fidgeting with their phones for 10 minutes until theirinstructor decides to turn up. By now it's too late, the critical induction into railwaytimekeepinghasalreadybeenlost.And,timekeepingatrailwaymanagementmeetingsdrivesmetodespair.

In practical terms, on-time train dispatch is essential. Staff should be trained andsupervised tomaintain it. It shouldbe standardpractice toprovide rolling stockwithcountdown timers in all cabs and they should be installed on platforms too. After all,modern platform train describers are perfectly capable of providing countdownindicatorsfordispatchstaff.

Platform dispatch discipline must also be maintained to a high-level. At St Pancras,whistlesstartblowingtwominutesbeforeanEMTtrainisduetodepart,dependingonwhichclockyoulookat.Gibb’sreferencetoclockstellingslightlydifferenttimes(p.13)is unfortunately all too common. Perhaps too, we should be looking at the idea thatpassengersneedtobeeducatedtoarriveattheplatformatleastfiveminutesbeforethetrainisduetodepart.Afterall,noonewoulddreamofturningupforaflightaminutebeforetheplaneisduetoleavethestand.Wemusteducatepeopletothinkofatraininasimilarway:timetopark,timetogetyourticket,timetogetsomecoffeeandtimetogettotheplatform.

HeartsandMindsThisisaratherformulaicexpressionbutImakenoapologyforitasIthinkitisrelevanthere.ThereisnodoubtthattheGTRmanagement(anditspredecessors)havelosttheheartsandmindsofitsstaff.Itiseasytoforgetthepeopleattheheartofyouroperationwhenyouhavemanagementissues,newcontracts,bigregenerationprogrammes,newstocktogetintoservice,poorperformancestats,financialtargetstomeetandnumbersofvociferousinterestgroupstodealwith.

Itiseasytoforgettoo,thatthefrontlinestaffandtheirsupervisorsandcontrollersgetupearly in themorning,whenyouarestill inbed,andthat theyhavealreadygothalf

Figure6:RMTstrikersdemonstratingoutsidetheDfTofficesinLondonwithplacardsdesignedtoappealtopassengers.Photo:RMT.



waythroughtheirworkingdaywhenyouarriveattheoffice.Othersofthemwillbeatworkwhenyouget intobedatnightand theyare runningyour trainswhenyou tuckintoyour Sunday lunch,probablywishing theywereathomewith their family ratherthancoppingalonglateturndoingEpsoms.

Frommyownexperience,therearetwomainissuesforstaff:boredomwitharepetitivejobandafeelingofbeingignoredbytheboss.Thus,anyexcuseofferedbytheuniontomake lifemore interesting,whilst getting a chance to air real or imaginedgrievances,will bewelcomed.Theunions know this and losenothingbymaking trouble to scorepoliticalpointsandincreasemembershipatthesametime.

TheincreasedsicknessnotedbyGibbisanothersignofmotivationproblems.Ifyouareenthusiasticaboutyourjobandbelieveyouwillbemissedifyoudon’tturnup,youwillmaketheefforttoovercomeyourman-flu,getupandgoinat04:00inthefreezingcoldor pouring rain. If you realise that a spare driver (whom you probably know andrespect)hastorunforyou,insteadofgettingabitoftimeinthewarmmessroom,itwillalsohelpgetyououtofbed.Ifthesethingsdon’tmattertoyou,youwilltakeyourdayoffsick.Inbigdepots,thecamaraderieofthesmalldepotcommunityismissingandtherespectfulapproachtoworkandcolleaguesislost.

So,theideaofusing“sickness”asaninformalmethodofregisteringdissatisfactionwithone’s employment is a sure sign of somethingwrong. Oneway of helping this in theshort term is to place a limit on uncertificated sickness per year. If there is a limitalready,thepolicyshouldbeenforced.

OnequalificationagoodmanagerwilluseisnottheirMBAbut“MBWA”-ManagementByWalkingAbout.Managersshouldregularlyridewithcrews(driversandconductors),visitstationsandspendtimeincontrolroomsshowingstafftheyareinterestedinwhattheyaredoingandlearningaboutwhatreallygoesoninfrontlinejobs.

ThereisnodoubtinmymindthattheGTRtroubleswouldhavebeenmuchreducedhadthestaffbeen“onside”.ThepoorplanningatLondonBridgeandtherapidrealisationthat the timetablewouldn’twork only gave the staffmore ammunition of the, “if themanagement didn’t realise it wouldn’t work why should we help them sort out themess?”type.Itwentdownhillfromthere.

CrewSupervisionGibbofferssensibleideasforimprovingcrewutilisationandtimetableperformance(pp.14-15) that are, inmy experience,well founded. After their “Company Plan” of 1992,LondonUndergroundreducedtraincrewdepotsonsomelinesfromsixtotwoandon

Figure7:ThetraindepotatLittlehampton.Gibbsuggeststhatsomesmallerdepotsfortrainsandcrewsatremotelocationsshouldbedevelopedtoallowmoreeffectivetrainservicemanagement.Source:M.McDonaldgeograph.org.



all linesbyabout50%.Asa result, somedepotsbecame toobigand therehasbeenamovetodistributecrewsbacktobeingclosertostablingpoints.ThePiccadillylinenowhasfourdepotsinsteadoftwo.

Something that Gibb didn’t mention but I’m sure he knows, is another factor, oftenforgotten, is thata smalldepotoffers informaladvantages.Ata smalldepot, everyoneknowseveryoneelseandthere isasenseofcommunity that isabsent fromthe largerdepotslikeSelhurstandBrighton.Ifthereareproblems,thecommunitytendstocometogether and help each other. In my experience, a good on-site supervisor will oftenprovide the glue that binds the community. None of these will show up in officialstatistics but they will contribute to the effectiveness of the service and thus toimprovedpassengersatisfaction.Therailwaycannotalwaysbeaboutnumbers.

CrewCaseStudyIn a case study of London Underground train crew statistics and usage, I think thefollowingmayprovideausefulyardstickagainstwhichtocompareSouthern.

• LU’sMetropolitanLinehas49trainsinpeakservice.• Thereare319driversincludingtraineesontheline;• There are 284 driver duties including RDCs, rostered spares and leave

covers;• Atypicaldepot(Harrow)has58trainrunningturns.• Thereare15rosteredspares(includinganightspare);• Theyhave17leavecovers;20RDCturns,9pooldrivers;• Staffareona36-hour,7-dayweek.Noovertime.• Salaryis£49k/yearsoSundayscompulsory.• AverageLUsickdaysperyear10,nationalaverage4.

The sickness rate is interesting. In my view, it reflects the stress and unsocial hoursfeaturesof the transport industry. Iwonder if further researchwouldprovidedata toaidsolutions.Iwondertoo,ifthishassomeconnectionwiththeIRproblems.

TrainCrewRequirementsMyviewisthat,forarailwaytooperateeffectively,thefollowingisessential:

• Theremustbeafullestablishmentofcrews;• Thereshouldbeatleast20%sparecrewduties;• Musthavefullrosteredannualleavecover;• Mustallowfor5workingdaystrainingperyear;• Rostersshouldassumenoovertime;• Sundaysmustbepartoftheworkingweek;• Shouldofferfamily-friendlylinks

Itissaidthatthewinningofafranchisemayrestonthenumberoftraincrewsfactoredinto the business case and thus the Train Operating Company may lose the bidcompetitionbecausetheyhavetoomanytraincrewintheirproposal.Ifthisisthecase,the DfT should assess the level of crewing proposed in relation to the train servicerequirementstoensurethebidisreallyoperable.

ATOATOwilldeliverbenefits ifusedcorrectly.ATOandETCSwillalsodeliverbenefitsbutthesebenefits areunlikely to be anydifferent than couldbe obtainedwith anyof thecurrentdesignsofATC.Inpracticalterms,IcalculatethatATOcanprovideuptoan8%improvement in train throughput but only if all trains perform identically and trainbrakingisimprovedto9%g.



Whatismoreimportantistheapproachbyengineersandoperatorstothetestingandcommissioningof thesystem.Nothingshouldbeassumed.Each itemshouldbe testedunder all conditions, each location tested individually (whatworks in tunnelmaynotwork the sameway outside) and a complete set of rules introduced for each normal,failure and emergency situation. Training is crucial and it should allow signallers anddriverstogethandson(sorry,handsoff)experience.

Finally, it must be understood that there will be problems. Any experienced railwayperson will tell you that when a new system is exposed to the staff and passengers“underfire”therearealwaysthingsthatweren’tplannedfororunderstoodasanissueduring testing, e.g. howdoes the new track circuiting behave under push outmoves?Therewillalsobesoftwareproblems.Thesearealwaysdifficult tosortout-youcan’tsee them like a broken rail, you can’t smell them like a gassing battery and you can’thearthemlike flats.Youhavetorelyonandhelpyoursoftwareengineersasmuchasyoucan.

StablingIntheenthusiasmforbuyingnewtrains,wheretoputthemissometimesforgottenor,at least, not enoughattention ispaid to themost effectiveplaces to stable them.GibbcoversthisandsuggestssmallstablingsitesatplaceslikeLittlehampton(wherethereisasetofsidingsandthereusedtobeacrewdepot)andCrowborough.AsIsuggestedforsmallcrewdepots,smallstablingsitesshowsimilarsmallcommunitybenefits.

UckfieldGibbpresentsagood,iflengthyanddetailed,casefortheelectrificationoftheUckfieldrouteusingthe25kVACsystem.Perhapsitwouldaddtothebusinesscaseifitwasalsopresentedasanalternative route toBrightonduringBrightonMainLinemaintenancepossessions.However, IdohavemydoubtsabouttheargumentsconcerningflexibilityofrollingstockatLondonBridgeduringdisruptionsasonlydual-equippedtrainscouldruntoOxted.HowmanyarethereasapercentageoftheSouthernfleet?

My own feeling is that putting a short section of 25kV AC in themiddle of 750V DCterritory suggests a need for a small specialist maintenance team that would beunproductiveformostofthetime.Alternatively,engineerswouldhavetobesentfromnorth London to fix a fault. I wonder how a life cycle cost analysis would show upagainstthereducedcapitalcostof25kVinstallation,if indeedthatcostissomuchlessthanDCinstallation.Oristhereanalternativemaintenanceproposal?

I would also prefer to see provision for future double-tracking. The masts for OHLEshouldnotpreventadditionaltracklayingwhenrequired-whichhistorytellsusitwillbe.

GatwickIdonot thinkthatanythingcouldbeaddedtotheGibbstudiesonGatwick,both fromthe point of view of the suggested sale of the station to Gatwick Airport Ltd. and theneedtoget the faresstrategyundercontrol.Hisrecommendationsstandontheirownmerits.

However, something needs to be done about luggage. Perhaps the Gatwick Expressshouldbemarketedonthebasisofagoodtrainforheavy/largebags.TicketmarketingforGatwickpassengersshouldbelinkedtodestinationandbagsize.Thismighthelptoreduceexcessdwelltimes.



MarketingThereisalotofworktodohere.IagreewithGibb’sproposaltore-marketThameslinkunder a new name. The current name has a largely negative public image. That said,shouldwechangethenameofLondonBridgestationtoo?

CustomerTimeThis is simply a version of the Lost Customer Hours (LCH) metric used by LondonUndergroundsincethestartofthePPPdaysintheearly2000s.Thedelayisregisteredinminutes, times thenumberofpassengersestimated tobeusing theservicesat thattime and location. Put simply, a delay of 30 minutes at Oxford Circus on a Mondaymorningat08:30mightaffect15,000peopleand thusgenerate7,500LCH,whereasasimilardelayat20:30atEppingonaSundayeveningwouldonlygenerate,say,750LCH.Theissuescomeindelayattributionand,moreimportantly,inthefollowup.Followupforeverydelayisessential.

DCOMuchhasbeendiscussedontheprosandconsofDCO.Iwonderifitistimeforareviewof thewholequestionofDOO. I think it isworth looking atDCO in the context of thepresent-day railway operating environment. Things have changed since the first fullscheme forDOOwas introduced on the St Pancras - Bedford route inMarch1983. Inthosedays, ttraffic levelswerehalfwhat they are today.The trainsoperatedwerenolongerthan8-car.Ithosedaystoo,therewasamuchmorerelaxedsafetyculture.Therewasnosocialmedia,very littleCCTVandnoOTMR.Manyproblemsdidn’tgetnoticedanddidn’tgetthepublicexposuretheygettoday.

In 2017, there is serious overcrowding in some stations. For example, East Croydonrequiresatotalof24platformstaffforsixplatformsinthepeaks.Now,12-cartrainsarecommonandthereisastrictsafetyculture.Passengersareallconnectedthroughsocialmedia and messages and rumours spread very quickly, often more quickly thaninformationgetstostaff.ThereisCCTVeverywhere&ontrainsandOTMRiswatchingtoo.

Forstaff, incidentswherepassengershavebeenkilledor injuredduetodoortrappingissuesdonothingtoinspireconfidenceintheoperatingsystem.RegardlessofstudiesbytheRSSBthatshowmoreplatform/traininterfaceproblemswithconductorcontrolleddoor trains thanonDCO trains, crewsarenot convinced.Encouragedby theirunions,theycontinuetovotetostrikeagainstDCO.

Lookingat it fromthe traincrew’spointofview, I think it isabout fear. It’sabout thefear of being one your own in a crisis, the fear of being accused of doing somethingwrong and the fear of ending up in court because of being in thewrong place at thewrongtime–whenapassengerdoessomethingsillyandhurtsthemselvesandyougettheblame.

BusinessObjectivesFinally, we must not forget that the primary purpose of a railway is to transportpassengersand freight safetyandefficiently.All thegoalsof thebusinesses shouldbedirectedtowardsthisgoal.AsGibbidentifies,thegoalsofdifferentstakeholdersshouldbealigned.Inthesameway,incentivesmustbealignedtoo.

Oneofthemeansofobtainingthebusinessgoalsisrighttimeoperation.Therighttimeprincipleneedstobesetat15s(10%of150sheadway).Anythingthatexceedsthislevelshouldbe investigatedso thatdelaycausesarealwaysbe followedup.TOCs/NRmusteducatestafftotheRightTimemetricateverystationandoneverytrain.Staffneedtobegivenincentivestoo.



ConclusionTheGibbReportprovidesagoodsummaryofwhathasgonewrongontheSouthernandGTR network and it offers a sound and achievable set of solutions for most of theproblems. There are some areas which might have better solutions - Uckfieldelectrificationforexamplebuttheseareforfurtherdevelopment.

Perhaps the biggest omission is the question of industrial relations but thiswasn’t inGibb’s remit andcouldonlybementioned inpassing.However,Gibb rightlynotes theissue and we can conclude that the staff management of the railway certainly needsurgentattention.

It iscomfortingtofinishthisassessmentbyreportingthatofthe38recommendationsmade by Chris Gibb in his report, the government has agreed for 34 of them to beimplemented.

gibb report assessment v3 - railway technical

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