10.04.14
Industry mindset must change to meet future challenges - RDG
Britain’s rail industry needs a “shift in its mindset” to work more closely and collaboratively 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, 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.
He 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.”
Griffiths, who is also Stagecoach Group chief executive, stated that the only way a better railway can be delivered is if “we challenge ourselves, switch our mindset and work more closely and collaboratively”.
He added that 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.
However, the industry has to make changes if it is to successfully build on that platform. “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,” said Griffiths. “From the role it plays in accessing jobs and boosting connectivity, to the tax contributions which help fund investment, the railway plays a central role 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.”
Also speaking at the Derby and Derbyshire Rail Forum’s annual conference was secretary of state for transport Patrick McLoughlin; Claire Moriarty, director general of rail at the Department for Transport; Patrick Butcher, group finance director, Network Rail; Maggie Simpson; executive director, Rail Freight Group; and Michael Roberts, director general, RDG.
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